This Week in Time Travel
Longtime Doctor Who podcaster Chip Sudderth (Two-minute Time Lord) and essayist-podcaster Alyssa Franke (WhovianFeminism on Tumblr and Twitter) join forces for Doctor Who-related interviews, reviews and all the news that marked This Week in Time Travel.
All Episodes
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February 23, 2019 Jody Houser and Rachael Stott interviewed; Gallifrey One recap; Farewell
87 Carpetulation
One week out from Gallifrey One, it’s time to take stock of what we saw at the family reunion. We bid farewell to an iconic carpet and take one last look at a convention every Doctor Who fan should experience at least once. We catch up with Jody Houser and Rachael Stott for more about their Thirteenth Doctor comic, and then we wrap things up with an important announcement.
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February 6, 2019 A former skeptic’s guide to Big Finish audio drama
86 How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Big Finish
There’s no better guide to the worlds of Big Finish productions of Doctor Who and other great properties than a former skeptic about audio drama. We welcome Radio Free Skaro’s Warren Frey as we take a criminally overdue deep dive into Doctor Who for the ears instead of the eyes.
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January 28, 2019 Gallifrey One convention geekery
85 Extended Fam
We beg your indulgence, but this podcast is 100% about Alyssa, Chip, and Rachel geeking out about the upcoming Gallifrey One convention. If you don’t have a ticket, well, we regret that it’s sold out and encourage you to come back next week for our Big Finish episode. Coming to Gally? We’ll preview some of our panels, give advice for newcomers, and relax our broadcast standards for one very important F-bomb. Sorry, canon-obsessed fanboys: “It’s never f—-ing Susan!”
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January 21, 2019 Segun Akinola’s Series 11 music
84 Segun’s Genesis
Shannon Dohar, friend of TWiTT, co-host of the Deeper Cuts album review podcast, and frequent Reality Bomb contributor, flexes her musical muscles and discusses with us Segun Akinola’s music from Episode 1 to the New Year’s Special. What makes him the right composer for today’s Doctor Who, and how hard was it to make the transition from 10 seasons of Murray Gold? Regenerations can be challenging—but this new soundscape is worthy of celebration….
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January 15, 2019 Academic Fandom revisited; Gallifrey One Academic Track preview
83 Scholars of Time and Space
A bite-sized episode revisits academic fandom with a look at the dedicated programming track at this year’s Gallifrey One convention. Organizers Joy Piedmont and Paul Booth take us through what it means to look at Doctor Who through a scholarly lens.
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January 8, 2019 Titan’s 13th Doctor comics series reviewed
82 Panels Discussion
The TV series may be over for now, but we can still see Team TARDIS in action! We’re three issues into Jody Houser’s and Rachael Stott’s Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor from Titan Comics. Chip and Alyssa dive in to this delightful and faithful adaptation while catching up with the news of the week and arguing over whether Chip can will a meme into existence. (Alyssa: “It would have to be a better meme.”)
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January 1, 2019 “Resolution” reviewed
81 Chekhov’s Combo Oven
Yup, it was the Daleks all right. If we consider this the proper end of Series 11, then it absolutely ended with a bang. Jodie Whittaker’s first standoff with the pepper pots is properly epic, but Alyssa and Chip wrestle with some of the lingering issues with the season…
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December 19, 2018 Series 11: What worked? What didn’t? What next?
80 After the Glass Ceiling
That’s a wrap for 2018, This Week in Time Travel, and Series 11! Rachel Donner and Riley Silverman join us to sort out the brilliant and the tragic, the groundbreaking and the played-too-safe. Find out where we stand and what we’re looking forward to in Series 12, and tune in again when we return for the New Year’s special!
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December 9, 2018 “The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos” reviewed
79 The Battle of Awkwardly Long Name
Bang, whimper, or something in between? Did you guess right about, “I know that voice”? (You probably did.) Which characters got to tie off a satisfying arc, and which characters have yet to launch one? Alyssa and Chip tackle the good and the meh about “The Battle of Rask—”…hang on, “The Battle of Barsoom—”…wait, that’s not right…
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December 2, 2018 “It Takes You Away” reviewed
78 Mirror, Mirror
One froggy universe, two grieving husbands, one mystery woodland menace, a kajillion moths, and one question from Alyssa: who’s allowed to be selfish in grief?
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November 25, 2018 “The Witchfinders” reviewed
77 Ugly Roots
Zombies? Check. Sci-fi prison? Check. Historical figure? Check. Prestige casting? Check. Commentary on the human condition, drawing analogies to our current crisis of confidence in ourselves and our tendency to blame and persecute the other in response? Check. Houdini reference? Check. “The Witchfinders” tried to cover all the bases. Let’s see if it succeeded.
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November 23, 2018 “Kerblam!” reviewed
76 On the Bubble
Happy Thanksgiving! Alyssa and Chip had some extra time to consider “Kerblam!”—whether it didn’t have enough of a point of view or too many, whether the first 40 minutes made up for the last few, and whether it might have gone over better in the U.S. if Amazon hadn’t been especially juggernauty in the last few weeks.
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November 16, 2018 “Demons of the Punjab” reviewed
75 Demons and Strife
Thanks to travel schedules and Alyssa’s exhaustion after helping to Save Democracy As We Know It, we had a few extra days to consider “Demons of the Punjab”: whether it got the balance of SF and family drama right, how it treated history compared to “Rosa,” and how (and whether) our grandparents’ stories get told.
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November 5, 2018 “The Tsuranga Conundrum” reviewed and barely pronounced correctly
74 Stitch and Time
The Doctor's curiosity gets the best of her, and she finds herself and her friends in a disaster movie against, well, basically, Stitch without Lilo. Rachel Donner joins me for a quick trip on a Red Cross spaceship while Alyssa's on assignment. Join us for a discussion on the merits of, well, plotting, where the Doctor's newly developed empathy comes from, and more casting and directorial celebrations. Stick around for the end, if you like, for a plea for Americans to go to the polls Tuesday and a SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST: Delta Rae and their women's empowerment anthem, "Hands Dirty." (Provided by permission of the band.) -
October 28, 2018 “Arachnids in the UK” reviewed
73 “Back in the Box; There’s Loads to See”
It’s eight-legs vs. two-legs again, but unlike 1974’s Planet of the Spiders these arachno-invaders are simply the very confused coincidental by-product of a business empire led by someone who’s TOTALLY NOT TRUMP. NO SIR. Alyssa and Chip discuss whether (1) the plot holds up, (2) Yaz plays on Alyssa’s team, (3) Grace’s appearance opens wounds for Graham AND viewers, and (4) we know now just who the Doctor is.
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October 21, 2018 “Rosa” Reviewed
72 Montgomery 1955
This was the episode that we held our breath for. Could British writers do justice to the woman who inspired the Montgomery bus boycotts, and fairly reflect the movement for civil rights? Spoiler alert: we think the answer is a resounding yes. We delve into why this historical story reminiscent of early ’60s Doctor Who spoke so clearly to us, and was very much the kind of Doctor Who story we all needed on Oct. 21, 2018.
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October 14, 2018 “The Ghost Monument” Reviewed
71 A Monument to Custard Cremes
In addition to the world’s fastest news buffet, we journey to the Planet of Desolation in search of the Doctor’s ride. Has Jodie Whittaker fully inhabited the role? Are Yaz, Graham and Ryan gelling as a TARDIS team? Can you do a sight gag in a podcast?
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October 7, 2018 “The Woman Who Fell to Earth” reviewed
70 Falling With Style
The Thirteenth Doctor is finally here, and (absent one rather concerning story beat) her timely debut was exactly what Alyssa and Chip were hungry for. “This new nose is SO reliable.” “Danger of death. Do not climb.” “Every day’s a learning day!”
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September 30, 2018 Paul Cornell’s final-final Doctor Who work; returning to Doctor Who fandom with Whittaker and Chibnall
69 New Beginnings
It’s the eve of new Doctor Who and we couldn’t be more ready. Titan Comics is celebrating with a virtual giveaway of $300 worth of comics, including Paul Cornell’s last (he means it this time) work on Doctor Who. We talk to Paul, go over the news of the week, and compare notes on what it’s like to leave and return to Doctor Who fandom.
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September 25, 2018 The long road to a woman Doctor
68 History Lessons
It wasn’t a new idea, but it took a long time for the powers that be to take it seriously. Alyssa traverses the twists and turns that brought the notion of a female Doctor to reality. Chip reflects on the best thing about being a Doctor Who fan, and the best TIME to be one. Plus the news, in the penultimate week before Jodie Whittaker takes the stage.
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September 18, 2018 Problematic Faves: River Song, and more Season 11 news
67 A Complicated Melody
Comedian and writer Riley Silverman joins Alyssa to celebrate, consider and critique the controversial River Song. Also, the Doctor Who PR juggernaut marches on while still managing to say VERY LITTLE before the premiere date! Will Thursday’s DWM break that trend?
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September 11, 2018 Sunday, Oct. 7 premiere; Whittaker makes the news rounds
66 Whoops
Chip demonstrates he’d be a rubbish time traveler because he can’t even manage simple time zones. Alyssa melts through the floor over Jodie Whittaker’s Marie Claire UK photoshoot. And there’s plenty of actual news to talk about, including that premiere date announcement video that doesn’t just break a glass ceiling, but also breaks new ground.
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September 4, 2018 Remembering Michael Pickwoad; defining “problematic faves”
65 Problematic Babes
ALYSSA: (talks to Chip about her suggestion for a series about Problematic Faves) CHIP: (dictates a response via Siri, which changes the text to ‘Problematic Babes’) ALYSSA: “Yup, there’s our episode title.”
We return from our unexpected hiatus in time travel bringing you Rachel Talalay, who joins Alyssa to celebrate the late Michael Pickwoad. Also, we launch a new segment about those episodes that we both enjoy and cringe at, simultaneously. Reality Bomb’s Joy Piedmont and Verity!’s Deb Stanish are here to help us define Problematic Faves.
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July 30, 2018 Alyssa’s Black Archive book about “Hell Bent” and the news of the week
64 Secrets of the 22nd Black Archive
Alyssa’s first book is out! We take time to talk about “The Black Archive #22: Hell Bent” and the themes Alyssa explored from the Series 9 finale. Plus: the SDCC afterglow, the LFCC record, and more publications and articles that tell us we may be on the verge of a Doctor Who Golden Age…
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July 24, 2018 SDCC highlights
63 From Cardiff to Comic Con
Alyssa and Chip retreat to the memory palace and enjoy the highlights of the new Doctor Who era’s and Jodie Whittaker’s debuts in San Diego.
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July 16, 2018 Teaser trailer, magazine exclusives, and more news
62 OMG OMG OMG
News floodgates opened before Comic-Con! Entertainment Weekly got an exclusive, then the Radio Times got another one! Fans selected their favorite episodes for a BBC America marathon, prompting Chip to play his one note just a little louder. There are toys! And Daleks with tiny plungers! In this, one of the most economical and efficient This Week in Time Travel episodes ever. (So much so, you’ve got time to check out our friend Tom Dickinson’s new podcast, The Moment, as well. Two thumbs up.)
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July 10, 2018 Does the Doctor have a core, consistent personality?
61 Karma Chameleon
Over the last half a century, the most consistent thing about Doctor Who has been the least consistent thing: the character of the Doctor. Regeneration after regeneration, is the Doctor reinvented top to bottom, or is there still something that we can point to, at any time from 1963 to today, and say, “That’s who the Doctor is”? Rachel Donner returns for the news and a dive into the psyche of a Time Lord.
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July 2, 2018 New composer; new 13th Doctor comic; fan reaction to the leaked scene
60 Suddenly Segun
We thought we might take the weekend off of TWiTT, because SURELY there wouldn’t be news about Doctor Who before Comic-Con, right? Chip’s theory was found wanting: New composer! New comic! New…uh…leak! (Which we will NOT spoil for you.) Alyssa and Chip tackle all of the news while recovering from the Families Belong Together rally. (Has Doctor Who ever inspired you to action, either personal or political? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook!)
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June 26, 2018 Fandom Perspectives: Fan Art
59 Worth a Thousand Words
OK, we know that fan art is a visual medium. And podcasts are…not. But we’ve brought along some fan artists who’ve made a real impact. Nathan Skreslet and Ly Cao from Pixel Who are here to talk about the fan artist community in Doctor Who, what it’s like to reinterpret the show, and what it takes to make a business of it.
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June 19, 2018 Fandom Perspectives: Academic Fandom
58 Books! The Best Weapons in the World!
Kara Dennison and Derek Kompare join us as our Fandom Perspectives series takes a look at aca-fans—those fans for whom deep dives of exploration into themes and cultural criticism make the Doctor Who experience all the richer…
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June 12, 2018 What “Canon” Really Means in Doctor Who
57 A (Canon) Blast from the Past
Your two fried cohosts take a quick tour through the news of the week and bring you an in-depth conversation about what “canon” in Doctor Who really means with rabid fan and New Testament scholar Mark Goodacre, in an archive recording from Chip’s Two-minute Time Lord Podcast, episode 316.
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June 4, 2018 Fan videos from Head Over Feels; Twitch’s first week; missing episodes in limbo
56 Fanvid Happy Hour
For every character, for every dramatic plotline, for every ship: there’s a fanvid. Kim and Sage of Head Over Feels return to This Week in Time Travel to talk about their expertly curated collections of fan-edited videos guaranteed to make you swoon or swear. Plus: Erika and Liz from Verity! stop by with a report from Twitch’s first week of streaming classic Doctor Who episodes, and Chip and Alyssa have strong feelings about Radio Free Skaro’s scoop that some missing episodes may be in the hands of private collectors.
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May 29, 2018 News roundup: Twitch, Bookwyrm, video greetings for 13, FanX
55 We’ll Do It LIVE
It’s a short, live-and-in-person walk through the news of the week including a new venue for classic Doctor Who, a new book series about Doctor Who book series, your chance to welcome Jodie Whittaker, and another fan convention setting the wrong example.
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May 22, 2018 Fandom Perspectives Part 2: Fanfiction
54 The Pen is Mightier Than the Spoon
Some fans are content to consume stories. Others want to expand on them, or even transform them. Part two of our Fandom Perspectives series is about fanfiction, a creative outlet that may even have contributed to the return of Doctor Who. Paul Cornell joins us to talk about fanfic’s role in the wilderness years, and Shannon Sudderth and Alyssa compare notes on fanfic in the RTD years and today.
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May 15, 2018 The World of Doctor Who Cosplay
53 Timeless Apparel Rendered Dexterously In Style
At its best, fandom culture is all about participation! We begin our Fandom Perspective series by looking at cosplay with friend and East Coast costumer Amanda-Rae Prescott.
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May 7, 2018 Free Comic Book Day; Time Team; Big Finish Masters vs. River Song
52 News Rounds, Rapid
It’s a snack-size edition of This Week in Time Travel looking at Free Comic Book Day, the new Time Team, and the eternal question: can the Eric Roberts Master drezzzz for the occasion in audio?
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May 1, 2018 The Twelfth Doctor Retrospective
51 Really, REALLY Great Hair
Our Doctor retrospective series concludes with, of course, the Twelfth Doctor. It’s a giant-size, Series 10-hair-size, celebration of everything he brought to the role courtesy of the Hugo-finalist Verity! podcast’s moderator, Deb Stanish!
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April 24, 2018 Reconstructions of missing episodes; The Macra Terror
50 Reconstructed Krab
Alyssa promised that she would make Chip watch his very first reconstruction of a missing classic Doctor Who episode, as chosen by a random #WhoAgainstGuns donor. Thanks to David H. Adler, it’s time for “The Macra Terror” in living color…well, not color, but in living motion…well, not motion.
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April 17, 2018 The Eleventh Doctor’s Hour
49 Return of the Drunken Giraffe
Let’s go back to 2010 and welcome the worldwide goodwill ambassador from the BBC, the Eleventh Doctor, who ushered Doctor Who into even greater global popularity. Radio Free Skaro and Lazy Doctor Who’s Steven Schapansky joins us!
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April 10, 2018 The Tenth Doctor Revisited
48 Justifiably Smug
He launched the show to new heights and became one of the most beloved Doctors of all of time and space—but he had his share of detractors! Shannon Sudderth helps us discuss David Tennant’s Doctor.
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April 3, 2018 The Ninth Doctor celebrated
47 I Feel Fantastic
Ninth Doctor, we hardly knew you! Rachel Donner rejoins the This Week in Time Travel team for a jam-packed episode celebrating Christopher Eccleston and his pivotal year in the role.
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March 20, 2018 The Eighth Doctor Revisited
46 Not the One You Expected
The Eighth Doctor was truly the “Fans’ Doctor.” Not because fandom created him, but because thanks to novels and especially Big Finish, fans of Doctor Who got to know Paul McGann’s Doctor while the wider world missed out. Alyssa and Chip talk about his arc from the TV movie to “Night of the Doctor” while preparing for their live show at (Re)Generation Who with Rachel Talalay on Saturday, March 24!
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March 12, 2018 The Seventh Doctor revisited; #whoagainstguns raises $15K!
45 Conniving Clown
The master of the Hat Trick, Sylvester McCoy’s Seventh Doctor, falls under the watchful eye of returning guest Kathleen Schowalter. There’s a bumper crop of news, too, including the outcome of the main #WhoAgainstGuns campaign push, Series 11 casting, and more!
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March 5, 2018 The Sixth Doctor: unjustly maligned?
44 Rainbow Connection
Our fearless leader Jason Snell joins us to discuss the brightest and brashest of the Doctors: Colin Baker’s Sixth Doctor. Plus, we have an update on #WhoAgainstGuns, some details and controversy over Series 11, and a look ahead to our live show at Regeneration Who!
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February 26, 2018 Interviews with Rona Munro, Jenny Colgan, Hayley Nebauer and Alisa Stern (“Doctor Puppet”)
43 The Storytellers
It’s an interview spectacular! Writers Rona Munro and Jenny Colgan, costume designer Hayley Nebauer, and stop-motion puppeteer Alisa Stern (“Doctor Puppet”) all talked with us at Gallifrey One. PLUS: Alyssa and Chip review the new Doctor Who branding with considerable glee, and discuss the shocking surprise news of Target-style novelizations of new-series episodes. We never saw that coming.
Support #whoagainstguns and get access to an epic commentary podcast featuring many of your favorite Doctor Who podcasters and special guests. Find out more at realitybombpodcast.com/whoagainstguns.
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February 19, 2018 #MeToo and the women of Doctor Who, Gallifrey One con recap, and news
42 “Gallifrey Waits No More”
Women’s voices rang powerfully and true at the end of the 29th Gallifrey One convention. Alyssa looks back on a profound #MeToo moment as Doctor Who actors, writers and other creators talked about their struggles within the entertainment industry. We take some time to honor their testimony while also celebrating the other highlights of a very successful con weekend. There was also a lot of news from the comics, visual effects, and Riverdale (???) fronts!
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February 13, 2018 The Fifth Doctor examined
41 What’s the Celery For?
Graeme Burk rejoins us to rhapsodize about the beige-est of Doctors, the Fifth! Plus, loads of news and “news” as Chip and Alyssa prepare for convention season.
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February 5, 2018 Fourth Doctor Tom Baker revisited
40 Jelly Baby?
None more iconic: Tom Baker strode across Doctor Who as a giant for seven years, and we have comedian Riley Silverman here to celebrate him.
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January 30, 2018 The Third Doctor revisited
39 Draconian Women’s Lib
It’s time to reverse the polarity and introduce the Brig to the concept of Women’s Liberation. Bring back the opera capes and the short short skirts! It’s time to talk about the Third Doctor.
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January 23, 2018 Analyzing the Second Doctor
38 A Professor of a Far Wider Academy
We’re joined by author, editor and zombie mathematician Robert Smith? as we discuss the Second Doctor’s place in the canon. Plus: Peter Capaldi’s surprise post-tenure appearance at an upcoming East Coast con, (Re)Generation Who 4!
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January 16, 2018 The First Doctor revisited; David Fisher remembered
37 The Original, You Might Say
Doctor Who: The Writers’ Room co-host Erik Stadnik was the perfect guest this week. Not only does he adore the First Doctor, making him a great pick to kick off our weekly survey of the Doctors, but he was also on hand to review the career of Fourth Doctor scripter David Fisher who passed away this month.
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January 9, 2018 13th Doctor anticipation; “Twice Upon a Time” Wrap-up; 2018 preview
36 “Jodie Whittaker IS the Doctor!”
New year, new Doctor, new themes for the year ahead for This Week in Time Travel! This week’s Doctor Who Magazine sets the tone with its official “Jodie Whittaker is The Doctor” cover. We squee about that, dissect the ratings of Twice Upon a Time, and go over our 2018 Masterplan as we head toward Whittaker’s fall debut.
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December 25, 2017 “Twice Upon a Time” reviewed
35 Brilliance
It’s almost the beginning of the Jodie Whittaker era, and the moment has been prepared for. Alyssa and Chip talk about how the Capaldi Finale also sets the stage for Whittaker and Chris Chibnall to relaunch Doctor Who. It’s a splendid final performance for Capaldi, but how did the rest of it hold together…?
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December 19, 2017 “The Tenth Planet” revisited before “Twice Upon a Time”
34 Just Another Manic Mondas
Before “World Enough and Time” and “The Doctor Falls”—WAY before—there was “The Tenth Planet.” We take a look all the way back at the introduction of the Cybermen and the First Doctor’s regeneration in anticipation of some connections to next week’s Christmas special.
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December 12, 2017 “The Husbands of River Song” and “The Return of Doctor Mysterio” reviewed
33 Everything Ends
Everything ends, and it’s always sad. But everything begins again too, and that’s always happy. Chip, Alyssa and Rachel are joined by Joy Piedmont as our Christmas Masterplan draws to a close with “The Husbands of River Song” and “The Return of Doctor Mysterio.” Plus, in the news, Alyssa takes some time to reflect on a recent Radio Times interview with Steven Moffat about whether Doctor Who could have moved faster in bringing a woman to the role.
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December 5, 2017 “The Time of the Doctor” and “Last Christmas” reviewed
32 A Very Facehugger Christmas
Warren Frey from Radio Free Skaro helps us resume our Christmas Masterplan as we look at Matt Smith’s swan song and Santa Claus vs. the Facehuggers.
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November 21, 2017 Waris Hussein and Katy Manning interviewed
31 Heroes
The Third Doctor may have had several friends and companions, but there was only one Jo Grant. And neither Three nor Jo would have ever made it onto our television screens if it wasn’t for the talents of Doctor Who’s first director. Alyssa Franke talks to actress Katy Manning and director Waris Hussein.
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November 14, 2017 A report from Long Island Who, the Thirteenth Doctor’s costume and a “Twice Upon a Time” preview
30 A Convention in Space and Time
Connecting with friends, seeing the cast and diving deep into geekery: that’s what a Doctor Who convention is all about! Chip, Alyssa and Rachel compare notes about their Long Island Who experiences, and then bound into the news of Jodie Whittaker’s costume and the first look at “Twice Upon a Time.”
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November 7, 2017 Paddy Russell Remembered; 2011 and 2012 Christmas Specials
29 Why Does Chip Hate Christmas (and Joy)?
Alyssa has (supposedly) abandoned Chip. Just like Matt Smith in “The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe” and “The Snowmen,” Chip brings in some special help to fulfill the Christmas Masterplan: Deb Stanish, moderator of Verity! Plus, Toby Hadoke remembers groundbreaking classic director Paddy Russell.
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October 31, 2017
28 Happy Who-lloween!
Don’t blink, don’t drink the water and — hey, who turned out the lights? We’re getting spooOOOoookky on this special Halloween edition of This Week in Time Travel, going over the episodes, monsters and tropes that chill and thrill us.
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October 24, 2017 Series 11 cast announcement and Xmas episodes “The End of Time” and “A Christmas Carol”
27 Four’s Company
Is four a crowd? Could Sunday night’s surprise announcement mean the return of a fully-fledged TARDIS team? Or is Chris Chibnall up to something more tricksy? Plus: the Christmas Masterplan marches on. It’s time to discuss The End of Time and A Christmas Carol with Reality Bomb’s Graeme Burk.
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October 17, 2017 Voyage of the Damned and The Next Doctor reviewed
26 Christmas Cheer in Short Supply
It’s Christmas on the doomed Titanic, and somewhere in Victorian times, Cybermen are trying to crush our Christmas Cheer. We look back on our companion-less Christmas specials “Voyage of the Damned” and “The Next Doctor,” plus take a sneak peek into the past, present and future of…Shada!
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October 10, 2017 Christmas Special countdown: 2005 and 2006
25 The Christmas Runaway Bride Invasion
The Christmas Masterplan is underway! Join Chip, Rachel, and our guest Kathleen Schowalter as we begin a trek through all the Christmas specials through Peter Capaldi’s last episode. Say hello to the Tenth Doctor for the first time (sort of) and Donna Noble (also sort of)!
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October 3, 2017 The Seventh Doctor’s 30th anniversary celebrated
24 Hat-flips, Spoons and Deviousness
Thirty years ago, Sylvester McCoy rolled out of a curly-haired wig to become the last Classic Doctor! We take advantage of the anniversary to talk about his strongest stories and his place in the Doctor Who firmament. Plus a preview of Reality Bomb’s upcoming podcast of their live show in New York and we talk about our Christmas Masterplan!
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September 19, 2017 The new Doctor Who Fluxx card game previewed and “My Doctor Is…” follow-up
23 Shall We Play a Game?
We’re talking about the new Doctor Who Fluxx card game with Looney Labs co-founder Andrew Looney! Plus: your responses to last week’s “My Doctor Is…” question and a Dramatic Synopsis Reading!
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September 12, 2017 Chip and Alyssa explore the essential characteristics of the constantly changing Doctor
22 “MY Doctor is…”
These three words mean arguments and strife! What makes The Doctor, well, The Doctor? Are there portrayals or characteristics that are just plain “unDoctorish”? How little will you be surprised by who Alyssa and Chip pick as “their” Doctors? What essential adjectives do they use when completing the phrase, “My Doctor is _”? And, finally, how do you complete the phrase? Share it with us on Twitter (@drwhothisweek) or Facebook with the hashtag #MyDoctorIs!
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September 5, 2017 Director Rachel Talalay interviewed
21 Thrice Upon a Director
Director Rachel Talalay has directed every Peter Capaldi-era series finale, and is in post-production on his swan song, Christmas’s “Twice Upon a Time.” We’re thrilled to talk to her about her experiences behind the camera, her work with Steven Moffat and Capaldi, her outreach to female fans and the state of the film and TV industries for women. Please join us!
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August 22, 2017 Ken Deep of Long Island Who; an introduction to Doctor Who conventions
20 Conventional Wisdom
No matter how connected fans become online, there’s no substitute for gathering in person. We’re joined by con-runner Ken Deep of Long Island Who as we find out what it took to start a new Doctor Who convention. Chip and Alyssa also talk about the care and feeding of guests, cosplayers, panelists and other fans.
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August 14, 2017 Doctor Who creator Sydney Newman profiled by Graeme Burk
19 Dramatic Persona
He never said “Pop! Pop! Pop!” but Sydney Newman did transform British drama while creating Doctor Who along the way. We check in with Graeme Burk who annotated and supplemented Newman’s memoir, Head of Drama. Also, we celebrate Victor Pemberton’s memory and squee over Jodie Whittaker interviews and David Tennant casting news.
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August 8, 2017 Overview of Chris Chibnall’s episodes of Doctor Who and Torchwood
18 Chibnallogy
What do you expect when you’re expecting a new showrunner? The whole This Week team has gone back over the Doctor Who and Torchwood episodes written by Chris Chibnall—everything from gaseous aliens and cyberwomen to dinosaurs on spaceships and mysterious cubes. Are there any clues to the future of Doctor Who when he takes over?
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July 24, 2017 Deborah Watling remembered, a new book about Doctor Who in America, New Paradigm Daleks, SDCC and the Christmas Special
17 Red White (and Orange and Yellow and Blue) and Who
Steven Warren Hill drops by to talk about his long-awaited opus about Doctor Who in America, Red, White and Who. Graeme Burk and Liz Myles take up the age-old question: were the candy-colored New Daleks in Series 5…rubbish? We say goodbye to Deborah Watling, and we look back at the Doctor Who panel at SDCC.
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July 16, 2017 Reaction to Jodie Whittaker’s casting as the Thirteenth Doctor
16 I’m With Her
It’s not every day history gets made with a casting announcement. Presenting the 13th Doctor: Jodie Whittaker.
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July 11, 2017 Christel Dee interviewed; one last look at Series 10
15 The Fan Show Fan Show
Christel Dee is the host of Doctor Who: The Fan Show for the BBC, and we’ve got her! We talk with Christel about her journey from fan to pro, and then we take one last look at Series 10.
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July 4, 2017 “The Doctor Falls” reviewed
14 Many, Many Feels
The intensity did not let up from last week’s controversial episode! Alyssa and Chip are joined once more by Rachel as we explore the ending of The Two Masters’ stories, the Twelfth Doctor’s heroic arc, the First Doctor’s re-debut, and most especially the resolution of Bill’s story (and whether in fact she was given one). We had a lot to say…
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June 27, 2017 “World Enough and Time” and Bill’s misfortunes explored
13 I Want to Bill-eve
Chip, Alyssa, and Rachel are together in-person to discuss one of the most intense episodes to date! Can they handle the feels, or will they need to enter the conversion theater…?
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June 20, 2017 “The Eaters of Light” reviewed; Lisa Bowerman on Rona Munro
12 Celtic Rock
She last wrote for Doctor Who with 1989’s “Survival.” Now Rona Munro returns to Doctor Who with “The Eaters of Light”; was it to our taste? Plus we talk to Lisa Bowerman, who starred in Munro’s previous outing, and indulge in a little Chris Chibnall Kremlinology.
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June 13, 2017 “Empress of Mars” reviewed
11 The Pretzel Guns of Mars
Chip couldn’t tell who had the higher-pitched voice: the returning-after-decades hexapod Alpha Centauri, or Alyssa after she realized that it was indeed an Alpha cameo! We found plenty more to talk about, though, in Mark Gatiss’s possible swan song from Doctor Who: why we frequently look at Doctor Who through political lenses, whether or not Nardole is a tin dog, and how much we appreciate our fandom community. Recorded live and in person during DC Pride 2017!
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June 6, 2017 “The Lie of the Land” reviewed plus an essay on Pride Month
10 Mom Fixes Everything
Beware fake news! Chip and Alyssa peel back the propaganda and take a close look at “The Lie of the Land.” Plus: Alyssa reflects on Bill Potts at the beginning of Pride Month.
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May 30, 2017 “The Pyramid at the End of the World” reviewed, Sarah Dollard interviewed, and the Second Doctor discussed
9 At the End of the World as We Know It
A 5,000-year-old pyramid drops into existence in a single day as a harbinger of apocalypse. We talk about this part-two-of-three and whether it addresses the questions about “consent” it raises. Also in this feature-length podcast: We talk to Sarah Dollard, writer of this season’s “Thin Ice,” and Reality Bomb’s Shannon Dohar and Graeme Burk explore the Received Fan Wisdom about the Second Doctor!
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May 22, 2017 “Extremis” reviewed and life in a tight fandom community explored.
8 The Sims 4: Murderous Invasion Stuff
Extremis Veritas Expelliarmus! Particle physicists and priests alike are shocked into submission when they learn the truth of the world. Did Chip and Alyssa buy this departure from the “meat and potatoes” Doctor Who we had in the previous five episodes? Plus, Chip lies on the couch rather than behind the sofa as he and Alyssa talk about fandom disagreements and matters of taste in tight-knit fan communities.
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May 15, 2017 “Oxygen” reviewed with a checkup on Series 10’s writing
7 We Didn’t See That Coming
Feeling short of breath? Chip and Alyssa squee over Rose and Ten coming to Big Finish and review Jamie Mathieson’s “Oxygen.” Then, Chip is joined by our friends Kyle and Erik from Doctor Who: The Writers’ Room to talk about the scripts of Series 10!
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May 9, 2017 “Knock Knock” and the first third of Series 10 reviewed
6 Bugs in the System
Which is scarier: gothic horror or moving house? Chip, Alyssa and Rachel dig into “Knock Knock” and check in on the first third of Series 10.
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May 2, 2017 “Thin Ice” reviewed, NPR’s Glen Weldon interviewed, and Chip on what keeps him coming back to Who.
5 Punching Down
Tom Attah and Joy Piedmont join Alyssa as they deep-dive under the “Thin Ice.” Chip quizzes NPR’s Glen Weldon on Doctor Who’s place in American nerd culture, then puts on his Two-minute Time Lord hat to ponder why, with so many great shows, books and characters out there, he keeps coming back to the TARDIS.
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April 25, 2017 “Smile” reviewed and Doctor Who’s trendiness pondered
4 “Think You Should Only/Write in Emoji”
Emojibots! Is Doctor Who riding a trend or is the trend already played out? Chip and Rachel review “Smile” and ponder how successful Doctor Who is at making topical references, from Beatles cameos to unfortunate dance moves. ALSO: Chip and Rachel discover the hard way that some news is not in fact news with the help of Radio Free Skaro’s Warren Frey.
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April 18, 2017 “The Pilot” reviewed with NPR’s Petra Mayer
3 “The Pilot” Takes Flight
What more is there to say than, “New Doctor Who! Bill! Mysterious vaults! Nardole?” Well, how about “Special Guest Petra Mayer” from National Public Radio? Let’s dive into the series premiere, shall we?
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April 11, 2017 Series 8 Twelfth Doctor vs. Series 9 Twelfth Doctor, and meet Kim and Sage of Head Over Feels
2 Hair Apparent
We’re getting more and more excited for Series 10 (Two Masters!) but we’re also looking back at two Twelfth Doctors. Chip prefers Series Eight’s; Alyssa prefers Series Nine’s. Who’s right? Also, meet pop culture bloggers and Whovians par excellence Kim Rogers and Sage Young of Head Over Feels!
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April 4, 2017 Series 10, Rachael Stott and Paul Cornell
1 Series 10, Rachael Stott and Paul Cornell
This Week in Time Travel launches a week late (thanks to Alyssa losing her voice) with a double-sized debut to make up for it! Chip and Alyssa welcome regular panelists Rachel Donner and Tom Attah to prognosticate and pontificate about the upcoming new series of Doctor Who. Alyssa interviews the titanic artist of the Titan Comics Twelfth Doctor, Rachael Stott. Chip speaks to Paul Cornell, who is leaving writing other peoples’ characters behind including his beloved Doctor, but also has a powerful, personal novel on the shelves now in Chalk.
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March 22, 2017 An introduction.
0 Coming Soon…
Chip Sudderth (@2minutetimelord) and Alyssa Franke (@WhovianFeminism) announce the latest addition to The Incomparable family of podcasts—a weekly dive into the worlds of Doctor Who!