Doctor Who: Tin Dog Podcast

The Top Rated Doctor Who Podcast. One fan, One mic and an opinion. What more does anyone need? Daleks, TARDIS, Cybermen, Sontarans, Ood, Classic Series. Home of Whostrology and the Big Finish Retrospective.

TDP 1353: REVIEW 93. Torchwood: Rictus from #Bigfinish worlds of #Doctorwho 04/26/2025

TDP 1362: #DoctorWho #DisneyWho TV Doctor Who Review Lux 04/22/2025

TDP 1362: #DoctorWho #DisneyWho TV Doctor Who Review Lux From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 314 – "Lux" episode Promotional title-card Cast – – Others – Newsreader Cassius Hackforth – Tommy Lee Ryan Speakman – Husband – Reginald Pye – Mr Ring-a-Ding – Sunshine Sally Lewis Cornay – Logan Cheever Lucy Thackeray – Renée Lowenstein Jane Hancock – Helen Pye William Meredith – Policeman Samir Arrian – Hassan Chowdry Bronté Barbé – Lizzie Abel Steph Lacey – Robyn Gossage – Mrs Flood Production Directed by Written by Script editor David Cheung Produced by Chris May Executive producer(s) Russell T Davies Joel Collins Music by Series Running time 43 minutes First broadcast 19 April 2025 Chronology ← Preceded by "" Followed by → "" "Lux" is the second episode of the of the series . It was written by , the Doctor Who showrunner, from a concept first developed over two decades prior, and directed by . In the episode, the () and his , , land in 1952 , while trying to make their way back to 2025. After doing so, they discover a mysterious where fifteen people have disappeared. The pair stay to investigate and ultimately confront an animated God, Lux (voiced by ), who traps them in film. "Lux" is unusual for the programme in that it features a mixed live-action and animated format. Filming for the episode took place in and at in January 2024. Some voice-over work took place internationally in in June. Animation and other work continued later into the year, with some tasks still being completed as late as September. The episode includes references to , and to its own . It was released on , , and on 19 April 2025. Reception to the episode was positive, with critics praising its use of animation in a live-action setting. A novelisation written by is set to be released in July 2025. Plot [] Unable to return to 24 May 2025, the lands in 1952 , where the Doctor and find a cinema that is chained shut. At a diner, they speak to the mother of one of fifteen people who disappeared from the cinema, which continues to play movies at night. Although is still enforced, the waiter allows them to stay. Inside the cinema, the pair discover a living cartoon, Mr Ring-a-Ding, the embodiment of Lux Imperator, God of Light, is responsible. The projectionist, Reginald Pye, plays films for Lux, who uses his power to recreate Pye's dead wife. Lux has trapped the missing people in a film reel. He similarly traps the Doctor and Belinda, and turns them into cartoon characters, until they regain their usual forms. They flee to another false reality, where a racist cop challenges them. They escape through a television watched by . Though delighted to meet the Doctor they reveal that their world is the fake one, and encourage him to return and defeat Lux, even though they will then cease to exist. Back in the cinema, the Doctor heals his injured hand using residual energy. Lux steals the energy to create a solid body. Belinda attempts to burn film reels to cause an explosion, but encouraged by his wife, Pye sacrifices himself. The explosion exposes the cinema to sunlight causing Lux to expand infinitely until he becomes one with the universe. The missing people return. As the Doctor and Belinda leave, Mrs Flood encourages the bystanders to watch the TARDIS dematerialise, claiming this "show" is a "limited run" that ends on 24 May. The Doctor's fans critique the episode, realising that they still exist. Production [] Development and production design [] "Lux" was written by . He had wanted to do an episode that included a living cartoon for a long time, but was unable to do one until now for funding reasons. He also revealed that he had considered variants of such an episode, including one two decades prior that would have featured a hologram rather than a legitimate animation as a result of the budgetary constraints. The story also contains mentions of segregation and racism in which Davies said he added to address issues in present-day society. It was also used as a subversion to the Doctor usually situating themselves as the main authority figure. While including such themes, he didn't want it to be the dominant subject. Among these are the NYPD officer saying the cinema is a space "reserved for " and prejudicely assuming that Belinda is . Other motifs present explore grief, hope, friendship, and sadness. references to and the character were included. Additionally, Davies has continued a recent trend of . Also unusual for the show, the episode featured a . Costume designer Pam Downe created the Doctor's and Belinda's outfits using the of blue and yellow. Sethu's dress was inspired by a similar one worn by Anita () and designed by in the of . Meanwhile, Gatwa's blue suit was influenced by American musical artists of the 1950s. These hues were intended to further contrast with the red interior of the cinema by ultimately using all three . Downe ultimately wanted to successfully convey movement during the episodes action scenes. As such, three different were considered for Sethu to wear and her dress had multiple . The concept of Mr. Ring-a-Ding was inspired by animations from . Ian Spendloff worked as a creative designer for the episode, and was the designer of Mr. Ring-a-Ding. Davies compared the concept of Mr. Ring-a-Ding to from the 1930s. Spendloff drafted thirty different sketches that were considered before finally settling on the one used in the episode. Each one featured variations in noses, hair, and other elements. Mr. Ring-a-Ding was ultimately given a pig-like nose and blue skin to reflect characteristics of cartoon characters from the time period, with Davies wanting the character to look vaguely human but not be immediately identifiable as something else. to were also present in the episode because Davies recalled his enjoyment of cartoons while writing it, which made him consider people who loved the programme. Within the episode, the fans wore Doctor Who apparel (including a scarf, another a "Telos" sweatshirt) and declared "" (2008) as their favourite episode. One of them also mentioned the impending cancellation of the show. They then point out the "obviousness" of the episode's , and made references to . The show's BBC ident appears on the screen of their television. Although they say they are too inconsequential to be given surnames, all three characters—Hassan Chowdry, Lizzie Abel and Robyn Gossage—are fully named in the credits. The concept of Doctor Who existing within had previously been briefly explored in (1988) and other expanded media. Following this instance, such an idea was considered quasi-. This scene raised suspicion that Davies had potentially been planting online himself regarding upcoming episodes as well as rumours that the series would enter into another hiatus. When the fact that the episode was written and filmed well before the leaks began appearing was considered, it was compared to the . Casting [] The episode stars as the of and as his , . voices the antagonist, Mr. Ring-a-Ding. It marks Cumming's second appearance in the show after his role as King in the 2018 episode "". Davies said that he and the production team had considered whether it was too soon to cast Cumming again and that had it been a live action role, he likely would not have been. Mr. Ring-a-Ding is the "God of Light" and part of the "Pantheon of Gods" that Davies has been developing since "" (2023). stars as Reginald Pye, the theatre's projectionist and Lewis Cornay plays a diner worker who helps the Doctor and Belinda investigate the disappearances. also makes a brief appearance as recurring character Mrs. Flood. The trio of fans were portrayed by Samir Arrian, Bronte Barbe, and Steph Lacey. Filming and post-production [] Exterior shots for the theater were filmed at Pavilion. The wooden ramp can be seen at the bottom of the photo. The story was filmed in the series' third production block, along with the following episode, "". It was directed by and recorded in late-January 2024. took place in . The surrounding area was made up to look like an American city in the 1950s by adding vehicles and American flags. pavilion was used for exterior shots of the theatre. The production team painted the building, added a period theatre sign, and removed a modern ramp at the front of the building. Its removal led to the discovery of rotting wood that had to be replaced at the show's expense. The episode was shot during causing the cast and crew to struggle with unexpected rain and winds, requiring hot water bottles to keep warm during takes. Interior shots for the studio were filmed on 4 at . Pieces of that set were reused from "" (2024). As a result of Mr. Ring-a-Ding being an animated creation, the performers had to interact with a two-foot acrylic cutout of the character or a thin green pole on set.The scenes were then edited during the process. References for Mr. Ring-a-Ding's movement were filmed by crew, and then drawn directly into the scene by animators from . Cumming voiced his scenes in on 28 June 2024. Elements of Cumming's facial expressions during this recording for were incorporated into Mr. Ring-a-Ding. The scene where the Doctor and Belinda are turned into cartoons were first recorded on a , in which Gatwa and Sethu had to portray the characters in a rigid and cartoon-like manner. The animators used this as a reference for interaction between the two characters when redrawing them as a cartoon. Animations were done at twenty-five frames a second, requiring twenty-five drawings for each second of screen time, or fewer if characters' movement was limited. artists recorded at Bang Post Production in on 4 September 2024. The episode's soundtrack included two singles: "" by , and the rendition of "". Despite the episode taking place in 1952, the tracks were not released until 1956 and 1969, respectively. , the show's , also included the song "The Sad Man With A Box", a piece that he originally composed for . Broadcast and reception [] Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating (Tomatometer) 100% (Average Score) 7.70/10 Review scores Source Rating B 10/10 9/10 Broadcast [] "Lux" was released on at 8 a.m. (BST) in the United Kingdom and on in the United States at 12 a.m. on 12 April 2025. A broadcast followed at 7:15 p.m. BST. also handled international distribution of the episode. Ratings [] The episode received overnight viewing figures of 1.58 million, the lowest broadcast ratings in Doctor Who's history. It was the fourth most-watched programme of the day on BBC One, with one show on also achieving higher numbers. Critical reception [] On the website , 100% of 10 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.70/10. Robert Anderson, writing for , praised the episode, highlighting Mr. Ring-a-Ding, several individual scenes, such as the fourth-wall-breaking scene, and the performances of Gatwa and Sethu. 's Martin Belam responded positively to the episode, praising Cumming's performance and the fourth-wall-breaking scene. Will Salmon, writing for , highlighted Mr. Ring-a-Ding and Gatwa's performance, though felt Murray Gold's musical score "drowned out" some scenes. Adi Tantimedh, writing for , found the episode to be the strongest out of the episodes headed by Davies in his second tenure as showrunner. Andrew Blair, writing for , highlighted the characterization of Mr. Ring-a-Ding, but criticized the episode's similarities to "", which he felt made the episode feel repetitive and weaker than it should have. He also felt the episode's handling of race was not effective, as while he felt the episode's inclusion of the topic was commendable, he felt the Doctor's in-universe way of handling it "can't help but scrape awkwardly against our real-world knowledge." Vicky Jessop, writing for the , criticized the inclusion of the scene featuring Doctor Who fans, stating that while it was initially entertaining, it quickly became "strained". /episode/index/show/tindog/id/36261180

TDP 1352: Doctor Who: The Eighth Doctor Adventures: Deadly Strangers 04/19/2025

TDP 1361: #DOCTORWHO review #DisneyWho The Robot Revolution 04/17/2025

TDP 1361: #DOCTORWHO review #DisneyWho The Robot Revolution "The Robot Revolution" is the first episode of the of the series . The episode was written by , the Doctor Who , and directed by . In the episode, the (), rescues Belinda Chandra (), after she is kidnapped from and inadvertently gets involved in a war on another planet. Chandra becomes the Doctor's new . Production for the episode took place in in late-2023. It was released on , , and on 12 April 2025. Reception was mostly postive, with Sethu's characterization particularly praised. A novelisation written by is set to be released in July 2025. Plot [] Belinda Chandra's boyfriend, Alan Budd, gives her a certificate for her birthday. He but she rebuffs him. Seventeen years later, on 24 May 2025, Belinda is captured by robots and taken, as their queen, to Missbelindachandra One, a planet orbiting her star. The "Missbelindachandrakind" are composed of humanoids and robots, who coexisted peacefully until the latter took control and some humans began to rebel. The robots are controlled by the Great Generator, who plans to merge with Belinda. On their spaceship, Belinda blames Alan for registering the star, as it flies through a time fracture. , who had been in pursuit, is sent backward six months, and by the time Belinda arrives, he has become the historian. Exploiting a fault that prevents the robots from hearing every ninth word, the Doctor and the rebels rescue Belinda. The Doctor realises that the robots possess a certificate identical to Belinda's, and have had it for over 5000 years. He concludes that this is related to the time fracture. Belinda allows herself to be captured, asking the robots to spare the rebels. Belinda and the Doctor are taken to the Great AI Generator. They discover that it is not "AI" but "AL", short for Alan. After Belinda had blamed Alan, the robots used the time fracture to capture him ten years earlier in 2015. Seeing life on Missbelindachandra as a game, Alan merged himself with the machines and started the war. Using every ninth word, Alan communicates to them that he is in pain. Belinda touches her copy of the certificate to Alan's, causing them to experience all of time simultaneously. The Doctor rescues Belinda, while Alan reverts to a sperm and egg, which is cleaned up by a robot. Now free, the humanoids and robots rebuild their society, while the Doctor takes Belinda to his . He describes meeting her distant descendant Mundy Flynn and wants to know how the robots acquired the certificate, but Belinda, disturbed at his insistence that their encounter is "destiny" and refusing to be one of his adventures, demands to be taken home. The TARDIS is unable to return to 24 May 2025, instead bouncing off that date. The Doctor tells Belinda that they will need to take the long way around. As the TARDIS dematerialises, debris from several Earth landmarks and the certificate float in space. Production [] Development [] "The Robot Revolution" was written by . He initially conceptualized the idea as a one-off story and later reworked it into a to serve as a companion introduction. Davies said that it was a "difficult" episode to write, because he struggled with turning a joke about star naming into a full script. He also viewed it as a wider narrative about the concerns surrounding artificial intelligence in a real-world context. A for the episode included "Belinda and the Robots". Filming [] Screenshot from the film Promotional poster for The team used and as references. Set design began at in October 2023. Phil Sims said he and Davies took inspiration from and when . They were created with a appearance influenced by the . Millennium FX designed the robot costumes over the course of eight weeks. They were first created digitally and split into 34 different pieces to be . Afterwards, the pieces were assembled with glue and finished with and . The polish robot that appears in the episode was designed with a similar 1950s aesthetic, primarily being based on cars of the time period. The robot had unique wheels that allowed it to move laterally as well as straight ahead, as the designers wanted the robot to have a unique range of motion compared to other robots of similar size. The AI Generator was similarly designed to appear large and imposing, with the set and art design teams collaborating to determine where the presence of Alan would be inside of the machine. The set for the throne room, where Belinda is initially brought in the episode, is re-used for the AI Generator's room. The design team placed the "head" of the Generator's design just below the room's centerpiece in order to create the illusion that the room acted like a crown for the Generator and that the room is an extension of him. The episode was directed by . It was recorded in the second filming block of series 15 along with the fourth episode, "". occurred in November 2023 in while filming also took place at Wolf Studios. Casting [] The episode stars as the of and introduces as his , Belinda Chandra. Sethu previously played a separate but related character in the episode "" (2024). reprised her role as Mrs Flood, an enigmatic character who was first introduced in (2023) and recurred in the previous series. Alan Budd (the episode's antagonist) was portrayed by Jonny Green, who formerly voiced characters in various and . Other members of the guest cast included , Jeff Kunjumon, Evelyn Miller, and Caleb Hughes. Two of the robots were operated by Stephen Love and Robert Strange; the two worked as Wrarth Warriors in "" (2023), while Strange also handled the costume in "" (2024). Broadcast and reception [] Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating (Tomatometer) 100% (Average Score) 7.10/10 Review scores Source Rating B- 6/10 Release [] "The Robot Revolution" was released on at 8 a.m. (BST) in the United Kingdom and on in the United States at 12 a.m. on 12 April 2025. A broadcast followed later in the day at 6:50 p.m. BST. also handled international distribution of the episode. Ratings [] Overnight viewing figures estimate that the episode was watched by 2 million people on its BBC One broadcast, making it the second most-watched programme on BBC One behind the finale of , as well as the fourth-most watched programme of the day. Critical reception [] On the website , 100% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.10/10. Will Salmon with highlighted the setting of the episode and its design, but criticized the episode for being "light", as well as due to confusing plot points toward the end of the episode. Writing for , Stefan Mohamed highlighted the Doctor's characterization and the episode's new visual and directorial techniques, but criticized Alan as a villain and the death of Sasha 55 as a weak narrative moment. 's Roxy Simmons found the episode enjoyable but found the episode to make very little impact on the audience, and found the commentary unsubtle. Belinda's characterization and Sethu's performance was near universally praised. author Ed Power praised the Doctor's characterization and the fun nature of the episode, though felt that elements of Alan's characterization as a "nerdy" character would receive negative reception, and that Sasha 55's death was unnecessary for the episode's plot. critic Robert Anderson criticized the episode as feeling "shallow", as well as the twist of the AI Generator being Alan. Reviewing the episode for , Jack Seale highlighted the episode's re-introduction of the Doctor's character and the inclusion of topical issues, but criticized the twists involving the AI Generator as well as the execution of the episode's message. 's Chris Taylor argued that Belinda's characterization was weak, and that she lacked a sense of purpose compared to other past companions. He also criticized the episode's social commentary, feeling that the episode moved to fast to properly critique any aspect of society. Michael Hogan, penning a review for felt some of the episode's social commentary was not well-executed, and felt jarring given the episode's time slot. /episode/index/show/tindog/id/36202490

TDP 1355: Life and Death of River Song Ace and Tegan - Worlds of #DoctorWho 04/12/2025

TDP 1355: Life and Death of River Song Ace and Tegan - Worlds of #DoctorWho 2. The Death and Life of River Song Series 02: Ace and Tegan This title was released in March 2025. It will be exclusively available to buy from the Big Finish website until 31 May 2025, and on general sale after this date. Ace and Tegan have been plucked from their twenty-first century lives and stranded in 1860. But who is responsible, and why is River Song mixing in nineteenth century society too? Somebody is out to eliminate the three of them, as Ace and Tegan realise that this may not be their first meeting with River. Their lives are entangled, and to escape, somebody must pay the ultimate price... 2.1 Castaways by James Moran Adrift in the past, Ace and Tegan are looking into supposed hauntings on London's new underground railway lines. But how and why are they there? Their memories are not what they were, and they are about to encounter River Song, perhaps not for the first time. One thing is certain - River knows more than she is telling! 2.2 Driftwood by Roland Moore Back in her TARDIS travels, Ace is cut off from the Doctor, on a stricken spaceship with sixty minutes to live. Something has invaded the vessel - something that travels along wires and can control its metal structure. As time runs out, Ace's only hope may be a mysterious woman with a blaster and fantastic hair. 2.3 Dead Rising by Roland Moore With the Doctor and Turlough on ice, Tegan faces interrogation from the Pilot of Vrexel colony. Something is making the colonists drop down dead... Tegan claims she is just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But when River Song arrives and the dead start rising, Tegan's problems get a whole lot worse... 2.4 The End is the Beginning is the End by James Moran River, Ace and Tegan must stop Gregor Ganley from changing their past again, and again... and again. But he's always one step ahead. And River's new friends want to convince her that assassination is not always the best option. But first, they have the matter of imminent certain death to deal with... **Please note: the collector’s edition CD box set is strictly limited to 1,250 copies** /episode/index/show/tindog/id/35931745

TDP 1350: Doctor Who: The Fifth Doctor Adventures: The Great Beyond REVIEW 04/05/2025

TDP 1349: 2. VAM PD Volume 02 REVIEW #Bigfinish 03/29/2025

TDP 1348: #bigfinish 92. Torchwood: Inseparable review 03/22/2025

TDP 1347: #DoctorWho 9.1. Doctor Who: Genesis of the Cybermen 03/15/2025

TDP 1346: UFOCAST Interview with James Swallow about Shadow Play 03/10/2025

TDP 1344: 5. Doctor Who: Classic Doctors New Monsters 5: Faithful Friends 03/06/2025

TDP 1344: 5. Doctor Who: Classic Doctors New Monsters 5: Faithful Friends This title was released in January 2025. It will be exclusively available to buy from the Big Finish website until 31 March 2025, and on general sale after this date. Four new adventures featuring classic Doctors encountering monsters from the new series of Doctor Who! 5.1 The Krillitane Feint by John Dorney The TARDIS brings the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe to a planet where a secure research base is conducting disturbing experiments. A group of captive Krillitane are test subjects for a military power, keen to understand the species' unique abilities. But who are the real monsters here? 5.2 The Dying Breed by Tim Foley When the Doctor, Leela and K9 land on the Lupari homeworld tracking a temporal anomaly, they find a kingdom in disarray. The Great Lord Garzan's son has been attacked, and strange beasts roam the frozen landscape. Whilst Leela spars with the new heir, the Doctor and K9 must work out how all these strange events are connected. Little do they know that their discoveries will shake the Lupari to their core... 5.3 The Krillitane Relic by John Dorney The TARDIS brings the Doctor and Ray to a space station cryogenic facility, where interplanetary VIPs are stored pending medical cures. There is a familiar face here too - someone the Doctor remembers, but who does not remember him... 5.4 Five Hundred Ways to Leave Your Lover by Tim Foley Chris is on a date. But it isn't working out. Perhaps he'll end it over dinner. Or on a cruise. Or in a lunar spa. But who are these figures in red? And why are they so invested in his relationship? All of reality might be at stake, and the Monks will pursue Chris wherever he goes - but as long as he manages to break up with his boyfriend, the Doctor, everything might be saved... **Please note: the collector’s edition CD box set is strictly limited to 1,250 copies and will not be repressed** /episode/index/show/tindog/id/35357310