Radio Free Skaro #1017 - Desperately Seeking Susan

It’s a real grab bag of news this week with Peter Davison critiquing the current series of Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi being cool as hell at Glastonbury, and a truly mammoth editorial by Chris about the Blu-ray for The War Games in Colour and the cost thereof given that it is only one disc. Somehow we get an hour out of this, and we also have an extensive interview with long-time friends and Televisual Specialists John Williams and Neil Perryman about their new podcast where they watch every television show ever made – World of Telly! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon BBC statement on complaint about Ncuti Gatwa-Billie Piper regeneration coverage Peter Davison on the current state of Doctor Who Doctor Who Magazine Special #70: The Horror Issue due Sep 24 Preview of ‘Night of the Shreek’ from the 2026 Doctor Who Annual The War Games in Colour North American Blu-Ray release Classic Second Doctor adventure ‘The Moonbase’ coming to vinyl Big Finish Doctor Who – The Eighth Doctor Adventures: Causeway due Nov 2025 Doctor Who and sustainability Peter Capaldi onstage with Franz Ferdinand at Glastonbury Ncuti Gatwa introduces JADE at Glastonbury Laundry Files RPG 2nd Edition preorder announced – and Warren wrote for it! Interview: World of Telly Podcast Neil Perryman John Williams

We’re sharing a preview of a new audiobook, Douglas Adams: The Ends of the Earth, which celebrates the wit and wisdom of the legendary science fiction author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. Twenty-five years after his death, Adams’s books continue to be read by new generations and his creations along with his ultimate answer to life, the universe, and everything being “42”, have seeped deep into public consciousness. Written and narrated by Arvind Ethan David, Adams’s former protégé, this one-of-a-kind audiobook includes rare archival material from the Adams Estate, interviews with Adams’s personal friends like Stephen Fry and David Baddiel, and reenactments of his work to form an immersive journey through the mind of one of the most beloved and visionary writers of our time. Get Douglas Adams: The Ends of the Earth now at Audible, Spotify, pushkin.fm/audiobooks, or wherever audiobooks are sold.

If you enjoy baseless speculation about the future of Doctor Who, The War Between the Land and the Sea, RTD’s career prospects, and most importantly, musings about Edmonton AM radio frequencies past and present, then this episode of Radio Free Skaro is for you (you sicko)! Plus we cover a new official Doctor Who quiz book from Beth Axford and “The Moon Cruise” by Esmie-Jikiemi-Pearson, some Steven Taylor Big Finish goodness, Steven’s recent podcast promiscuity and the second part of our Classic Series Commentary for “The Visitation”!  Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Will The War Between The Land and The Sea all drop at once on iPlayer and Disney+? Doctor Who Magazine 618 released RTD’s column from DWM 618 The Fourteenth Doctor and the Meep action figure set now available The Official Doctor Who Quiz Book by Beth Axford coming Sep 2025 New Fifteenth Doctor and Belinda novel ‘The Moon Cruise’ by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson coming in Nov 2025 Big Finish released two new audiobooks read by Peter Purves to celebrate 60 years of Steven Taylor Doctor Who Season 1 Blu-Ray releasing Tuesday in North America Doctor Who The War Games in Colour releasing Tuesday in North America Steven on The Incomparable Doctor Who Season 2 wrap-up Steven on the Strangers in Space Doctor Who news update episode Commentary: The Visitation Part Two

There’s new stirrings in the world of Doctor Who production, one being an official BBC search for new producers of an new animated Doctor Who series for Time Tots on CBeebies, and a much more tenuous rumour about discontent between Russell T Davies, a potential streaming suitor, and a push for a grittier, aged-up series. Join the Three Who Rule who cogitate on the possibilities of Doctor Who’s future, along with Big Finish news, the improbable return of 80s laff-fest Spaceballs, and Part One of our Classic Series Commentary for The Visitation! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Doctor Who – The TARDIS is set to land on CBeebies Doctor Who pre-school animation: invitation to pitch Doctor Who Season 2 coming August 18 to DVD, Blu-ray and Steelbook (UK) Report: BBC and RTD at ddds with potential new Doctor Who partner Excerpt from the new Fifteenth Doctor novel ‘Shirley Jackson and the Chaos Box’, available now Big Finish Fourth Doctor Adventures: The Last Queen of the Nile, due Sep 2025 What if the Classic Doctors Regenerated like Modern Day Doctors? by Rob Ritchie Spaceballs 2 announcement Pik-Sen Lim died Commentary: The Visitation Part One

Doctor Who Season 2, and the Ncuti Gatwa era, are over, Billie Piper is The Doctor (maybe?) and the Three Who Rule are left to pick up the pieces and look at the Doctor Who Unleashed – 20 Years in Wales retrospective, Amanda-Rae Prescott’s critique of the Fifteenth Doctor era for Den of Geek, more Dugga Doo shenanigans, a look at friend of the show Rachel Talalay’s use of the “oner” in the TV show Without a Trace, and more, merely setting the stage for the return of Fluid Links! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Steph de Whalley appearing at Gallifrey One Doctor Who Unleashed – 20 Years in Wales Season 2: Epilogue Amanda-Rae Prescott’s critique of The Fifteenth Doctor era A Tour of the Rani’s Bone Palace with Jonah Hauer-King Dugga Doo Jumps Into the Doctor’s Timestream Doctor Who and the Dugga Doos (Reconstruction) Rachel Talalay: How a One-er becomes Whatever: Without A Trace Who Me! by David J Howe due Oct 9 Doctor Who: Jubilee Paperback due Mar 5 2026 Doctor Who: The Chimes of Midnight Paperback due Mar 5 2026 Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster: 4th Doctor Novelization Audio CD – Unabridged due Sep 4 Big Finish Sixth Doctor Adventures: Bad Terms due Aug 2025 Prentis Hancock 1942-2025 Fluid Links

It’s the end, but the moment is prepared for as Steven, Warren, and Chris give their varied takes on “The Reality War”, the final episode of Season 2 and the last bit of Doctor Who on our screens until we’re graced with The War Between the Land and the Sea, presumably later this year(?)  A marathon session covering a controversial-ish regeneration, RTD’s storytelling habits, speculation on the Disney+ deal, further speculation on the future of Doctor Who and television in general, and so much more as the discussion spans more than two hours! Listen if you dare! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Doctor Who S2E08 “The Reality War” Review Ncuti Gatwa Says Goodbye to Doctor Who Doctor Who’s Ncuti Gatwa says final farewell to the TARDIS as the Fifteenth Doctor regenerates Doctor Who S2E08 Unleashed Doctor Who S2E08 Behind the Scenes “Doctor Who has ‘changed lives’ of LGBT people” The War Between the Land and the Sea teaser Lorne Balfe doing music for TWBTLATS, offering recording session viewing Doctor Who Unleashed: 20 Years in Wales airing June 7 at 7pm on BBC One, 6am on iPlayer Extract from the Fifteenth Doctor original novel ‘Fear Death by Water’, book out now Preview of new Fifteenth Doctor and Belinda adventure ‘Spectral Scream’, book out now Catherine Tate announced for Edmonton Expo Big Finish The First Doctor Unbound: Knights of the Round TARDIS due Sep 2025

It’s “Wish World”, the penultimate episode Season 2 of Doctor Who, but the moment has been prepared for! What did Steven, Warren, and Chris think of this lead-up to next week’s finale “The Reality War” and all the many campy bits therein? Will the Doctor regain his identity and crack the code of a 1950s inflected dystopia? Will Ruby work out the mystery of a forgotten world? Will Belinda get anything to do? Tune in and find out! Plus Barbie, Big Finish, and more!  Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Doctor Who S2E07 “Wish World” Review Doctor Who S2E07 Unleashed Doctor Who S2E07 Behind the Scenes Varada Sethu Interviews Carole Ann Ford Dugga Doo full version Dugga Doo 24/7 Fifteenth Doctor Barbie due July Ruby Sunday Barbie due July Doctor Who Magazine 617 released Doctor Who: River Song Choose Your Own Adventure Hardcover due Feb 12, 2026 Big Finish Call Me Master: Monsters due September 2025 Big Finish Doctor Who: Alixion due September 2025 Bonnie Langford & Colin Baker answer Big Finish listener questions Big Finish: Star Cops – Conflict returns in 2026 Peter David died BBC arts broadcaster Alan Yentob dies aged 78

It’s finally time for us to face up to the fact that the Eurovision in Space episode is here. So what did the Three Who Rule think of the glitz, glitter, and glamour of The Interstellar Song Contest? You may be surprised at the results! Join us as we muse over surprising cameos, the return of an iconic villain, and our descent into cynicism as we speculate on RTD’s current approach, the remaining two episodes and what lies in wait for Doctor Who generally. Plus minor snippets of news, missing episodes yelling, and more! Next week…Wish World, featuring both The Tripods and the Sandbaggers! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Doctor Who S2E06 “The Interstellar Song Contest” Review Archie Panjabi joins Doctor Who as legendary character the Rani Radio Free Skaro #979, on the casting of Archie Panjabi Russell T Davies teases Wish World Richard Price behind the scenes bloot 1 Richard Price behind the scenes bloot 2 Doctor Who S2E06 Unleashed Special episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed announced celebrating 20 years of revival Doctor Who S2E06 Behind the Scenes Ncuti Gatwa did not announce UK jury points at Eurovision, Sophie Ellis-Bextor took his place Sue Malden on Doctor Who missing episodes at Film is Fabulous event Doctor Who’s next two series already written despite ‘Disney funding cuts’, reports The Mirror Jane Tranter on US co-productions The Happiness Patrol: Unhappily Ever After kickstarter from Cutaway Comics, threshold met

The Three Who Rule weigh in on an episode full of of firsts as The Doctor and Belinda head to 2019 Nigeria in “The Story and The Engine,” a mix of mythology, storytelling, and a big ol’ spider! What did they think of this psychological thriller set in a barbershop that also wanders through a web of dimensions? Plus what were Millie Gibson and RTD on about on The One Show and Morning Live, respectively? And what’s Eric Roberts’ Master up to? All these questions won’t be answered, but enjoy anyway! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Doctor Who S2E05 “The Story & the Engine” Review Doctor Who S2E05 Unleashed Doctor Who S2E05 Behind the Scenes The Story & the Engine prequel Compilation of past Doctor clips and the source stories “The Reality War” simulcasts on Disney+, iPlayer, and BBC One at 7pm UK time on May 31 Millie Gibson on The One Show talking about the finale RTD on Morning Live The Jon Pertwee Collection Audio CD due July 4 Big Finish Paul Spragg Memorial Short Trip Opportunity 2025 competition open, closes mid-June Big Finish: The Worlds of Doctor Who – Dark Gallifrey: Master! begins July 2025

Doctor Who delves into the fetid swamps of online discourse this week as Ruby Sunday returns to Doctor Who and the UK experiences seesawing public sentiment in “Lucky Day!” Did the Three Who Rule enjoy it, or more to the point, how much did they not like it? Listen and learn! Plus the aforementioned Millie Gibson is set to grace Gallifrey One, Ncuti Gatwa is announcing UK scores at Eurovision, whatever that means (Chris explains), The Savages and The War Games in Colour are on their way to Blu-ray in North America, books, Big Finish and more! Next Week: The Story and the Engine! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Millie Gibson Makes Her North American Convention Debut at Gallifrey One Janet Fielding Added to Guest List for Gallifrey One 2026 Gallifrey One LAX Marriott block opens May 9 Doctor Who “Lucky Day” Review Doctor Who Unleashed S2E04 Doctor Who S2E04 Behind the Scenes Doctor Who YouTube channel hits 2M subscribers Ncuti Gatwa to announce UK scores at Eurovision Doctor Who Season 2 finale coming to cinemas across the UK & Ireland Doctor Who: Season One Blu-ray coming to North America on June 24 The Savages available for Canadian preorder (May 20) The War Games in colour available for Canadian preorder (June 24) Doctor Who – Time and Space for Everyone goes out May 19 Big Finish The Death and Life of River Song: The Dissolution of Time due August 2025 Doctor Who Myths and Legends: The Reeltime Pictures Story due Aug 30, released at Whooverville Exterminart! The Doctor Who Dalek Art of Andrew Skilleter updated edition available for preorder Classic Who on U&Eden in the UK starting May 5