Drunktor Who: A Doctor Who Podcast

We continue our spooky mini-series watching classic era Doctor Who stories featuring folk horror. This episode we watch the 1977 serial “Horror of Fang Rock” where the Fourth Doctor and Leela mistakenly land on the titular Fang Rock expecting a holiday but instead finding... horror! Oh... and murder. Lots of murder. As the Doctor tries to puzzle out all the murdering going on in the creepy lighthouse, Leela threatens everyone with a knife but surprisingly doesn’t do any of the murdering whilst everybody else just get plain murdered. No seriously. Everybody dies just this once!

Welcome to the first episode of our folk horror themed mini-series that we’re calling “Drunktor Spooktober” (my preferred spelling was going to be “Spwhoktober” but I knew Steve wouldn’t let me get away with that... sad face) where we watch (hopefully) scary Doctor Who stories from the classic era. This episode we watch a 1971 story, “The Daemons” where the Third Doctor encounters forces totally of the non-demonic variety. Seriously. Whilst the writers bend over backwards not to offend any deity followers, the Doctor gets pissy with just about everybody, Jo gets demeaned by just about everybody, and the Master gets everybody prepped to commit some good old fashioned violence. Like the Medieval witch burning kind. Good times.

We re-discuss the second of the New Who Xmas specials: "The Runaway Bride". This time with special guest wife-of-the-podcast-Heidi! We pick up from the end of the prior episode where the freshly single Doctor is introduced to Donna, who is mysteriously plucked from her wedding by the Tardis. Whilst attempting to return Donna to the ceremony, the Doctor commits multiple crimes, Donna discovers her betrothed actually loves a giant spider-woman, and then Donna wisely decides to never ever, ever travel with the Doctor. Ever! Will we see her again? Spoilers...

We watch the 7th Doctor serial "Time and the Rani" where the newly regenerated Doctor gets hoodwinked into helping the newly red-headed Rani with her sciencing. Whilst said fooling is going down, the temporarily befuddled Doctor puts on a fashion show for the Rani (who is wearing ‘Mel’ drag), actual Mel proves her companion cred with some truly awesome screaming, and the Rani tries to ctrl-alt-delete the universe with a forced reboot. If she only read the universe’s control manual she would know that is not recommended. Wait? Am I the only one who reads all that stuff? JK! Nobody does that shiz...

We watch "The Mark of the Rani", a 6th Doctor story featuring the titular Rani’s first appearance. Whilst the Rani is making her mark by draining sleep juice from the brains of 19th century miners (because... science?), the Doctor constantly berates and belittles Peri (because... reasons?), the Master shows up to either help or hinder either the Rani or the Doctor (because... ßchaos?), and John is denied seeing said dirty-dirty-miners soaping up in the showers (because... cruelty!). But seriously, #justiceforPeri.Tim’s link that looks fake but isn’t:https://www.doctorwho.tv/not-authorised

Welcome to our 15th intervention where we hash out all things season 2... series 15?... perhaps series 41 if you’re being totally pedantic. In addition to those Doctor Who discussions being discussed, friend-of-the-show-Tim presents a match-the-companion-to-the-alcoholic-beverage exercise to your hosts whilst said hosts rank the 19 episodes of Ncuti’s woefully short reign from least awesome to most awesome. Spoilers: Steve’s ranking is wrong and John’s (mine!) is correct. To the writer of the episode’s description go the spoils. Shakespeare said that!

We watch “The Reality War” (Series 15, Episode 8) where the Earth doesn’t get destroyed but resets to begin May 23rd all over again. After the reboot occurs, the Doctor gets rescued by erstwhile companion Anita, UNIT, and its assorted minions get restored to their pre-wish glory, the Rani and Mrs. Flood bring back Omega, Omega eats the Rani, Mrs. Flood f’s off, and the Doctor easily defeats Omega and saves the day. But wait... there’s more! Whilst all this was going down, re-writes made Poppy Belinda’s actual daughter, the Doctor gets a pre-regeneration pep talk from Jodie’s incarnation then we say ‘adieu’ to Ncuti, and ‘bon jour’ to... Billie Piper?!? So is she Rose, Bad Wolf, the Moment or the latest Doctor? Also, how many years until proper new Doctor Who starts explaining? Oh! For! F’s! Sake!

We watch “Wish World” (Series 15, Episode 7) where the Doctor and current companion Miss Belinda Chandra become... married-couple-with-a-child Mr. and Mrs. John Smith?!? Whilst we try to figure just WTF is actually going TF on, recently past companion Ruby shows up on the 'Smith's' doorstep casting doubt on their progeny, distantly past companion Mel shows up to cast doubt on broken coffee mugs, and UNIT shows up to cast doubt on hetero-normality. All this and our lead is about to die on this season’s penultimate episode. Oh dear... what ever will happen...

We watch “The Interstellar Song Contest” (Series 15, Episode 6) where the Doctor takes increasingly-less-reluctant-companion Miss Belinda Chandra to see definitely-not-Eurovision™-in-space. Whilst they await the inevitable camp performances (that’s gay theatricality for those uniformed listeners... scoff... eye-roll), the Doctor Princess Leia’s his way through space, Belinda R2D2’s her way to the control center, and Mrs. Flood Emperor Palpatine’s her way back from near death. All this plus Susan’s and the Rani’s forces awaken!

We watch “The Story and the Engine” (Series 15, Episode 5) where the Bel and the Doc travel to Nigeria so he can get a haircut. Whilst the Doc goes out of his way to save a couple bucks (I mean back in the day I used to drive nearly an hour to get cheap gas and smokes in the next county so I get it), the Bel wreaks havoc in the local bazar and the Bar(ber) extracts payment for service in the form of spider chow. Plus we get multiple cameos including a Playwright, a Fugitive Doctor, and a Space Baby? Points to whomever correctly guesses which of them I was most excited to see. If you guessed Paul McGann... points! You really see me!

We watch “Lucky Day” (Series 15, Episode 4) where Belinda mostly sits this one out and the Doctor shows up just enough to justify his paycheck. Whilst our leads get several (lucky them) days off, we meet Conrad. Conrad’s a podcaster (so far I like him...) who has an interest in the Doctor (so relatable...) and dates former companion Ruby (I mean what non-problematic heterosexual CIS male wouldn’t want to... right?...) until it turns out he was using her (wait... WHAT?!?) to get intel with the purpose of taking down UNIT (oh no... he didn’t!). Conrad better not get his arm re-attached after it was bit off by an alien monster. That seems an oddly specific non-punishment afforded to a gaslighting tool that will have no chance of occurring. Right?

We watch “The Well” (Series 15, Episode 3) where the Doctor and Belinda travel to the distant future where they encounter totally non-Earthling humans who deny knowledge about totally Earthling humans. After the Who Two take an unexpected space dive with their new ‘friends’, the Doctor recalls a prior visit to planet-formerly-known-as-Midnight in glorious standard definition whilst Belinda has a ‘shot’ with Captain Shaya. Unfortunately old frenemy Midnight Entity will not be ignored and proves to be a pain in the ass... or back... whatever.

We watch “Lux” (Series 15, Episode 2) where the Doctor and Belinda travel to ‘racist’ Florida (or let’s just call it what it is: ‘Florida’) circa 1952 in order to ultimately travel to a marginally less racist 2025. Whilst said subjectively tortured travel-prep is occurring, the Doctor Scooby-Doos encounter Lux, the God of Light, Belinda Scooby-Doesn’t believe that Lux is anything other than a pesky hologram, and we Scooby-Doubt that Lux is neither all that big nor all that bad. Also Mr Ring-A-Ding would’ve gotten away with it, if it wasn’t for those meddling super-fans!

We watch “The Robot Revolution” (Series 15, Episode DENISE 1) in which we meet Belinda Chandra, a IS totally normal and no way impossible nurse. Whilst IN said introduction is occurring, Belinda gets Robo-napped, the THIS Doctor recruits new companion Sasha 55, Sasha 55 EPISODE gets killed, the Doctor recruits new companion Belinda YOU, and Belinda reunites with Alan, her first kiss DAMNED. Come for the new companion and this season’s DRUNKTOR mystery and stay for Manny’s eyes and gun-show WHOOLIGANS.

We re-watch the Series 2 penultimate and ultimate episodes. Starting with “Army of Ghosts” where the Doctor and Rose arrive back in London to do some laundry. Oh yeah! And visit with Jackie... and said ‘ghosts’... but mostly do laundry. Followed by “Doomsday” where the Who crew save the day but the Doctor loses his bestie. Whilst all this is going down, pre-Martha gets upgraded, Jackie and Pete get reunited but it feels so ewww, and Rose lives but dies inside because she will never ever get to see the Doctor ever again. Pinkie swear that will never ever happen. Ever. EVER!

We've re-watched the best of series 2 and now we re-watch the worst of said series. Sigh... First up “The Idiot’s Lantern” has a victim of familial abuse return to their abuser on the advice of the Who Crew. Next “Love And Monsters” is a Doctor-and-companion-lite episode which uncomfortably ends on a fellatio joke (?). We unfortunately end with “Fear Her” wherest we again revisit family abuse. Fortunately Denise showed up to give us a big virtual hug the only way she can: with her trademark snark. She must have responded to our '“Denise Signal”: the eye-rolling emoji shone in the night sky.

We continue our re-watch of the 2nd season with the two part introduction of the spaghetti-faced Ood. First up is “The Impossible Planet” where the Whosome Twosome land on the very possible space station with the aforementioned Ood giving off satanic possession vibes. Then we spelunk down to “The Satan Pit” confirming that the Devil made the Ood do it (Oodit?). Whilst all this is going down, the Doctor likely meets up with the artist-formerly-know-as-Satan, Rose impossibly has Satan as her co-pilot, and Scooti definitely gets no sympathy from the Devil.

Continuing our rewatch of Series 2 brings us the long awaited two-part return of... Pete Tyler! Also I guess the Cybermen... whatever Boomer (scoffs)... Whilst “Rise of the Cybermen” lands us in an alt-universe London where their Rose is a dog, Mickey is gay, and our Doctor reunites with his Potterverse father. “The Age of Steel” kills off alt-Jackie, Rickey (alt-Mickey), and the rising alt-Cybermen. You just know this Doctor is not unhappy about some of these developments.

Next up on our NewWho re-watch are arguably the two best episodes of series two. First is “School Reunion” where current companion Rose gets a ‘chip’ on her shoulder when she and the Doctor bump into past companion Sarah Jane. Awkward... Then we travel to the 51st century where a bickering Rose and Mickey nearly get harvested for spare parts whilst the Doctor transports back to the 18th century to get his groove back with a French courtesan. This podcast episode is definitely brought to you by couples therapy.

After concluding our Eccleston re-watch, we now begin our David Tennant reexamination. First up is “The Christmas Invasion” where a practically comatose Doctor saves the planet from said invasion... all whilst it’s just another day for the majority of the planet. Followed by "New Earth" where the Doctor and Rose visit New Earth (oh... clever...) 23 years after Earth original flavor blowed up real good. Finally ending on "Tooth and Claw" by traveling back to 19th century Scotland where they meet up with Queen Victoria, Ninja Monks (Monk Ninjas?), and a werewolf. You may be amused which of those become the sworn enemy of the Doctor.