#SLEDGEHAMMER S01E01 Martin Day

Mark Morris has written and edited around forty novels, novellas, short story collections and anthologies, and his script work includes audio dramas for Doctor Who, Jago & Litefoot and the Hammer Chillers series. His most recent work includes the Obsidian Heart trilogy (The Wolves of London, The Society of Blood and The Wraiths of War), the original Predator novel Stalking Shadows (co-written with James A. Moore), new audio adaptations of the classic 1971 horror movie Blood on Satan’s Claw and the M.R. James ghost story A View From a Hill, a 30th anniversary short story collection Warts And All, and, as editor, the anthology After Sundown. Blood on Satan’s Claw won the New York Festival Radio Award for Best Drama Special, and A View From a Hill won the New York Festival Radio Award for Best Digital Drama Program, and was also awarded Silver at the 2020 Audio & Radio Industry Awards. Mark has won two British Fantasy Awards, and has also been nominated for several Stokers and Shirley Jackson Awards. This episode I talk to him about not only his favourite story of all time but also have a deep dive into the hows and whys of writing horror. It's a cracker.

If you’re even only tangentially aware of current Doctor Who, the name John Dorney will be known to you. He’s one of the main writers for Big Finish across all their ranges, and in my very ‘umble opinion, the best. He wins awards like they’re going out of fashion and continues to write fantastic, challenging and exciting Doctor Who stories. Even as I write, he’s probably tappity tapping away at twelvety-six others. I caught up with him to talk about the Ark in Space and audio writing as a craft – he was brilliant on both subjects, but then I knew he would be.

Writer’s Guild of Great Britain TV Chair, Emma Reeves – or award-winning Emma Reeves as I am contractually obliged to refer to her - is one of the most respected screenwriters working in television for younger people today. As creator of Eve and the latest iteration of The Demon Headmaster she is in the top echelon of writers of thoughtful and fun drama for children. Emma was lead writer on The Worst Witch and she has written for The Dumping Ground, Hetty Feather, Tracey Beaker and a long list of other great shows. She is a long time Doctor Who fan, and has written Doctor Who, Bernice Summerfield and Torchwood audios for Big Finish.  Recently she has adapted “The Worst Witch” in to an Olivier Award WINNING stage show, and has been working on a forthcoming adaptation of “My Mum Tracy Beaker” for TV and I’m properly happy to have her as a guest on #SLEDGEHAMMER.

Rob Shearman was given the task of bringing the Daleks back to Doctor Who in 2005. But, because this was such a daunting proposition, he decided to make it just about one Dalek. Much easier.  Rob has awards coming out of his ears for his fantasy and horror writing, he wrote plays under the auspices of Alan Ayckbourn, works in TV, Radio and comics. In "We All Hear Stories in the Dark" his most recent non-doctor Who publication he has written one of the most unique and ambitious collections of short stories of all time.  On #SLEDGEHAMMER we talk about all of this, plus "THE GREATEST SHOW IN THE GALAXY" his process, his tricks and tips, and about the creation of his blindingly good Target novel adaptation of Dalek. It was a cracking conversation. Rob Shearman. All hail.  

The first episode of #SLEDGEHAMMER is finally here. Listen to me and that Martin Day loving "An Unearthly Child" and then we get under bonnet of Martin's writing process for a fascinating discussion on getting the words on the page.   

#SLEDGEHAMMER is a brand new #DOCTORWHO podcast about how Doctor Who is written and the people who write it - created by Paul Ebbs, with additional knob twirling by Martin W. Holmes. Coming to your ears late April 2021