Radio Free Skaro #1028 - State of the Who-nion

It’s another edition of Trivia, Mr. Fibuli! With Warren away in Mexico, possibly impersonating a false Aztec goddess, our friends Sarah, Kat, and Erika join the remaining members of the Three Who Rule for a rousing trivia game, with questions once again coming from Jacqueline Rayner’s 2013 Official Doctor Who Quiz Book. We also talk about a dollop of Dugga Doo merchandise now available on the official BBC Shop, a giant feature on Jodie Whittaker in the latest Doctor Who Magazine, and more! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon More Gallifrey One 2026 guest announcements: Frazer Hines, Miranda Raison Doctor Who Magazine #621 released Big Finish The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures: The Return of the Doctor released Big Finish The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures: Lionesses in Winter due November 2025 Big Finish: Torchwood – Salvage released New Lux and Dugga Doo merchandise available at the official BBC Shop Doctor Who: The Ark – Episode Showcase with live Q&A at Riverside Studios on October 4 Doctor Who Am I available for free (with ads) on YouTube in some regions Through The Square Window podcast with Graham Kibble-White and Samira Ahmed launches September 17 Guests: Trivia, Mr. Fubuli Kat Griffiths Erika Ensign Sarah Murphy

A sad time in the world of Doctor Who as we mark the passing of writing titan Christopher H. Bidmead, and to join us in reflecting on both his work and life is Andrew Smith, writer of “Full Circle”, Big Finish dynamo, and friend of the esteemed Mr. Bidmead. Andrew looks back at getting his first break in TV due to Bidmead, working with him on behind the scenes features, and the man’s general approach to Doctor Who, including an infusion of science and a real sense of continuity where none previously existed. We’ve also got the usual bevy of news including more vague handwaving on the future of Doctor Who, 1970’s Cyberman dolly goodness, a new fancy tier for Britbox, and more!  Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Second wave of Gallifrey One guest announcements begin with Jason Haigh-Ellery Gallifrey One 2026 Art Show Space Reservations now open ‘It’s not a question of if Doctor Who returns, but when and how’ – Jane Tranter Christopher H Bidmead died Aug 6 Steven Moffat tribute to Christopher H Bidmead The War Between the Land and the Sea available for preorder on Amazon UK, no release date Character Options Revenge of the Cybermen set due this month Character Options History of the Daleks Set #20 Just Sarah: More Than Fifty Years of a Doctor Who Companion due later this year, preorder available Big Finish: Doctor Who – The First Doctor Unbound: Knights of the Round TARDIS released Big FInish: Doctor Who – The Fourth Doctor Adventures: The Last Queen of the Nile released Big Finish: UNIT – Brave New World: Knightfall due Mar 2026 BritBox added a Premier tier with 4K and other perks, $150/yr in Canada Final Week for Graeme Burk’s The Comics Code Kickstarter Tribute: Christopher Hamilton Bidmead Andrew Smith Season 18 Logopolis Castrovalva Frontios

So you think Doctor Who is on pause until The War Between the Land and the Sea airs sometime next year, eh? Well, apparently you aren’t aware of the big news this week, a new dolly-adjacent figurine of the iconic Monarch from Four to Doomsday! Plus we observe the 50th anniversary of the original broadcast of Terror of the Zygons by meandering into Steven’s crippling studio footage addiction, a look at Youtube deep dives and the videotape-licious Chronicles of Narnia Blu-Ray, Jon Culshaw becoming the Twelfth Doctor for Big Finish, and the fourth and final part of our Jamie Magnus Stone Miniscope, with a look at The Power of the Doctor! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon New Doctor Who Figurine Collection releases include Monarch, The Flood, and Leandro Terror of the Zygons streamed on the 50th anniversary of its original broadcast Doctor Who: The regeneration scene and the 7 second hole Doctor Who Magazine Special 70: Gothic Horror, out now The BBC’s Chronicles of Narnia released on Blu-ray on Nov 24 (UK) Big Finish introduces Jon Culshaw as the voice of the Twelfth Doctor Details of Big Finish: The Seventh Doctor Adventures: Wicked! released Miniscope: Jamie Magnus Stone, Part 4 The Power of the Doctor The Confused Adipose Radio Free Skaro #892 Directing Doctor Who Clara and the TARDIS

This week, we have a bonus Sarah Murphy of Is It Camp!? fame to cogitate on the week’s news, including the BBC content chief claiming “The TARDIS is going nowhere – with or without Disney”, The War Between the Land and the Sea is coming out in 2026(!), an exciting new web game involving everyone’s favourite vacuum Scoot, some fictitious awards, and Part the Third of our Miniscope on Doctor Who director Jamie Magnus Stone, covering “The Halloween Apocalypse”, “War of the Sontarans”, and “Village of the Angels”!  Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon BBC Content Chief On ‘Doctor Who’ Future: “The Tardis Is Going Nowhere — With Or Without Disney” The War Between the Land and the Sea to air in 2026 Polish Polish with Scoot Some Season 12 episodes of Doctor Who disappearing from iPlayer in 2 months? Big Finish The Death and Life of River Song: The Dissolution of Time released Big Finish The War Doctor Rises: Cybergene due Dec 2025 Doctor Who: One Night Only (A Fela Kuti Story) is available now 2025 Hugo Award winners include Steven & Erika with Uncanny, Lower Decks beats Doctor Who Doctor Who won the TCA award for Outstanding Achievement in Family Programming, second year running Catherine Tate no longer appearing at Edmonton Expo Guest: Sarah Murphy Is It Camp?! Podcast Miniscope: Jamie Magnus Stone, Part 3 The Halloween Apocalypse War of the Sontarans Village of the Angels The Confused Adipose Radio Free Skaro #892 Directing Doctor Who Clara and the TARDIS

Never let it be said we won’t overdeliver content in this barren time of Non-Who as we have a feature interivew with former editor of Doctor Who Magazine and current TV Choice writer Tom Spilsbury as he and Steven pore over the current state of Doctor Who, the larger state of streaming, the business case for library content, and more! Plus we have news of The Whoniverse Show from BBC Studios, a new book about action dollies called Go Figure, a surfeit of Big Finish things both neato and keen, and more! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Radio Free Skaro turns 19! The Whoniverse Show: New digital series launches on the Doctor Who YouTube channel ‘The Art of Time Travel’ coming November 20 B&M 2025 The Fifteenth Doctor’s Tardis B&M 2025 History of the Daleks Set #21 Eve of The Daleks Doctor Who Magazine 620 released Go Figure from Roundel Books due September The Time Team Unearthed from Roundel Books due October Big Finish Dark Gallifrey: Master! – Part Two released Big Finish The Sixth Doctor Adventures: Bad Terms released Big Finish festive audio dramas due later in 2025 Big Finish Audio Novellas range debuts Jan 2026 Flux convention in March 2026 in Birmingham has 3 Doctors – Eccleston, Whittaker, Gatwa Long Island Doctor Who happening Aug 22-24 Interview: Tom Spilsbury

It’s another exciting week of Doctor Who news in a time of No New Who, including one Cristopher Eccleston gracing not only Chicago TARDIS but also Big Finish with the release of “Snare”, the first Ninth Doctor and Rose adventure along with several other audio excursions, a 15th Doctor comic book compilation from the good folk at Panini, Dominic Glynn’s soundtrack for “Indoctornated”, and the second part of our exciting Jamie Magnus Stone Miniscope, featuring “Ascension of the Cybermen” and “The Timeless Children”! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Christopher Eccleston announced as guest for Chicago TARDIS Doctor Who also removed from Stan in Australia Doctor Who: The Monster Makers due Aug 19 Doctor Who: Projections In Time – Resurrection Of The Daleks + Special Guests Sep 14 at Riverside Studios, already sold out Blake’s 7 Collection Season B trailer Big Finish Doctor Who: Snare, first 9th Doctor and Rose story, released Big Finish: Behind the scenes at The Ninth Doctor Adventures Big Finish: The Ninth Doctor Adventures: The Last Days of the Powell Estate due Oct 2025 Big Finish: The Worlds of Doctor Who – The War Master: His Greatest Trick due Oct 2025 “Indoctornated” soundtrack from Dominic Glynn due Aug 18 Doctor Who: What Still Remains by Adam Christopher is out now from BBC Books Graeme Burk’s Kickstarter for The Comics Code is now live Miniscope: Jamie Magnus Stone, Part 2 Acension of the Cybermen The Timeless Children The Confused Adipose Radio Free Skaro #892 Directing Doctor Who Clara and the TARDIS

Doctor Who has been erased from both HBO Max in the United States and now Prime in Canada, leading the Three Who Rule to speculate on the future of streaming with tangents into Star Trek, the likelihood of Billie Piper actually being the Doctor, spurious yet tantalizing missing episodes hints and nonsense, and Ncuti Gatwa on various chat shows not giving anything away about his time on Doctor Who! But the main event for this episode is of course the first of our four-part Miniscope on Doctor Who director Jamie Magnus Stone, featuring Spyfall, Part One and Praxeus! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Doctor Who (2005-2022) no longer available on Prime Video in Canada Nicola Methven’s Mirror article about missing episodes Christopher Eccleston & Billie Piper panel from Florida Supercon Ncuti Gatwa on Lorraine Ncuti Gatwa on The One Show Big Finish – Torchwood: Child Free with Indira Varma released Big Finish – Doctor Who: Wicked! due Oct 2025 Miniscope: Jamie Magnus Stone, Part 1 Spyfall, Part 1 Praxeus The Confused Adipose Radio Free Skaro #892 Directing Doctor Who Clara and the TARDIS

In a week replete with San Diego Comic Con, a semi-invigorated BBC Shop, and a SDCC-adjacent UNIT Black Archive pop-up, you would think there would be more Doctor Who news to cogitate about this week, but you would in fact be wrong! However a new multi-media extravaganza featuring the Fugitive Doctor (hooray!) named “Circuit Breaker” (meh?) has been announced, to follow up the thundering success of Time Lord Victorious and Doom’s Day. Are the Three Who Rule excited at this chance to read, listen and click in 2026? We’ll see! Plus tales of Big Finish, BFI screenings, a new Terrance Dicks biography, and an intervention as Steven’s latest descent into madness focused on spiral staircases! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon New mixed-media adventure ‘Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker’ coming to the Whoniverse in 2026 Doctor Who Black Archive site BBC Shop now live Terror of the Zygons and Worlds Within – The Life of Ian Marter BFI screening on September 20 Terrance Dicks biography by Simon Guerrier coming in 2026 New Target novelizations announced for March 2026 Big Finish: The Worlds of Doctor Who – Smith and Sullivan, Reunited available now RTD on David Walliams & Matt Lucas’s podcast, Making a Scene Coming Soon: The Comics Code podcast by Graeme Burk

For a fallow Time of Who there sure is a bunch a news to cover including Ncuti “Doctor Who” Gatwa talking about why he left the show (whether we believe him or not is a matter of debate), the BBC maintining its interest in Doctor Who, Mark Gatiss on the dangers of nostalgia, an Emmy nomination for (of all things) “There’s Always a Twist”, the triumphant return of the BBC Shop, Blake’s 7, Big Finish, Paul Cornell’s new comic business venture, and more! Why, it’s as if we aren’t about to enter a Second Wilderness Years!  Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Ncuti Gatwa left Doctor Who “because I’m getting old and my body was tired” A Chat With BBC Commercial’s CEO on ‘Bluey,’ a News Paywall, YouTube and ‘Doctor Who’ BBC License Fee Income Hits Record High Mark Gatiss on the dangers of nostalgia Strangers in Space podcast episode 179 Doctor Who nominated for Emmy for Best Choreography for “There’s Always a Twist” Doctor Who Magazine 619 released BBC Shop relaunching on July 22 Doctor Who Figurine Collection returning Two Doctor Who audio original adventures, Firefall and Counterstrike, launch October 2 Mission to Magnus audio release due Nov 6 Blake’s 7 Series 2 Collection announced Big Finish: Doctor Who – The Audio Novels: The Mirror Matter available now Big Finish: Doctor Who – The Fugitive Doctor: Dead or Alive available now Big Finish: Bernice Summerfield: The Dalek Eternity series starts in September 2025 Paul Cornell launches new comics publishing company Cosmic Lighthouse EVOLUTION Doctor Who Art~A New Dimension by Andrew Skilleter, available for preorder

Doctor Who is leaving HBO Max in the USA! What does that mean for the Three Who Rule? Nothing, because they live in Canada, but they discuss the news anyway. Also, the UNIT Black Archive experience is coming to SDCC, three new Doctor Who Season 2 novelizations are out now, Big Finish excitement, another adorable Fourth Doctor Build-a-Bear, and the crown jewel of this episode, the thrilling conclusion of our Classic Series Commentary for “The Visitation”! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Disney+ and ITVX content sharing UNIT’s Black Archive pop-up experience coming to San Diego Comic Con 2025 Doctor Who: Tom Baker Complete Series Two (Blu-ray) released January 26, 2026 in North America Doctor Who (2005-2022) leaving HBO Max on July 31 Doctor Who: The Adventures After being released October 23 from BBC Books Target Collection – Doctor Who: The Robot Revolution by Una McCormack out now Target Collection – Doctor Who: Lux by James Goss out now Target Collection – Doctor Who: The Well by Gareth L Powell out now Read a deleted scene from ‘The Robot Revolution’ from the new Target novel Read an exclusive extract from new short story by Carole Ann Ford Big Finish Dark Gallifrey released Big Finish UNIT – Brave New World: Fractures due Mar 2026 Build-A-Bear Doctor Who Fourth Doctor Version 2 Commentary: The Visitation Part Four