Episode 15: The Thing

On July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis had just delivered the atomic bomb to the Pacific - what happened next is famously the subject of Quint's monologue in Jaws. Join Doogie and Tom for a special season finale focused on the events of those next five days featuring Doug Stanton, best-selling author of In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of It's Survivors.

It's time to head to Amity Island for Tom's favourite ever film, Jaws.  Hopping aboard the Orca with Doogie, Tom and Quint, Hooper and Brody are marine biologist, Yannis Papastamatiou (10:28); as well as Neighbours legend  and star of 2023's Great White, Tim Kano (30:32).

Doogie and Tom strap on their proton packs and jump in ECTO-1 for a wild ride through downtown Manhattan in stone cold 1984  classic, 'Ghostbusters'.  But who are they gonna call for help? Well, along for the ride, and to give both sides of the story on the whether ghosts even exist, are bio-paranormal investigator, Dolly Adamson (07:25), as well as scientific sceptic & author, Sharon Hill (30:43).  

Go up, up and away with Doogie and Tom in their beautiful balloon, as they retrace the steps of Carl and Russell in the beloved Pixar classic. Journalist and ageing specialist, David McManus, explains how they wouldn't be the only OAP's looking for adventure these days (11:01), before hot air ballooning legend Troy Bradley gives them the benefit of his first hand experience flying houses through electrical storms (25:05).

There's a witch in the woods, and Doogie and Tom are paying her a social call. To help them work out if they'll get on famously or end up in the naughty corner, they chat to the mayor of Blair/Burkitsville,  MD, Michael J. Robinson (07:07); writer and historical witch expert, Dr. Malcolm Gaskill (24:09); and real Modern Witch and lead singer of 90's sensation Def FX, Fiona Horne (37:14).

Ring in the New Year in Antarctica, with Doogie, Tom, Kurt Russell, Kurt Russell's flamethrower and 'The Thing'. Glacial archaeologist, Dr. Will Taylor and paleobotanist, Dr. Isaac Hart (8:55),  help work out if the frozen alien they dig out of the ice will do them in; whilst  polar expedition veteran, David Knoff, works out what will get them first - the 20-hour days, the creeping paranoia or the mistrust (31:25).

At that special time of year when everyone is gathering together with their loved ones, Doogie and Tom are going Home Alone. Joining them to keep an accurate injury count on the Wet Bandits is listener, Chris (2:48) and fellow podcasters, Two Humerus Nurses (20:36).

Doogie and Tom follow up last week's avian apocalypse with a real apocalypse. Come with them as they try to survive fast zombies in the streets of London  - helped only by The Zombie Research Society's resident epidemiologist, Dr. Tara P. Smith (9:25) and survival expert, Cameron Carlson (30:52).

What could be weirder than psychotic birds on a killing spree? A whole lot of things, it turns out, if you're talking about Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. Join Doogie and Tom as they take a surreal trip to Bodega Bay to face avian apocalypse - helped only by ornithologist, Dr. Anne Goodenough (9:44) and pest control expert, Peter McCarthy (40:00).

Doogie and Tom begin Season 2 with an episode 65 million years in the making. Legendary palaeontologists Dr. Phil Currie (10:30) and Rebecca Hunt-Foster (29:08) help determine what will get them first in Jurassic Park - velociraptors, T-Rex or the lack of decent wifi on Isla Nublar?