Radio Free Skaro #1017 - Desperately Seeking Susan
Release Date: 06/01/2025
Doctor Who: Radio Free Skaro
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...
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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...
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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: Guest: Miniscope:
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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: Interview:
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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: Miniscope:
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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: Miniscope: ...
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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...
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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:
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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: Commentary:
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The Loch Ness Monster is back! At least in fancy new VFX form in the just announced Season 13 Blu-Ray Collection which will have all manner of goodies which we will pore over in intimate detail both in this episode and when these discs grace North American shores later in the year! But that’s just the icing on the cake as we also have beloved Doctor Jodie Whittaker and equally beloved companion Mandip Gill arrive in our ears in the form of Big Finish’s Vampire Weekend, as well as in our futures with the Return of the Doctor, which features a Disco Armadillo! Plus comics, nonsense, and part...
info_outlineIt’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