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  • Nu-Who
    1. Ncuti Gatwa
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    Sold For a Song

    May 21, 2025

    The Demon Barber of Story Beats

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    April 27, 2025

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (24→19)

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    Who Told You There Wouldn’t Be Any Math?

    December 5, 2022

    B-Bye Bradley

    October 6, 2022

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    May 8, 2022

    2024Kristmas #4 – Twice Upon the First

    December 21, 2024

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (18→13)

    November 13, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (36→31)

    October 12, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (42→37)

    October 5, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (12→7)

    November 17, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (24→19)

    November 10, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (30→25)

    October 28, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)

    September 28, 2023

    2024Kristmas #3 – The Man With All The Toys

    December 16, 2024

    2024Kristmas #2 – It’ll Be a Wild Blue Christmas

    December 10, 2024

    2024Kristmas #1 – Seasons Beastings

    December 3, 2024

    Pre-Embering the Fireplace

    May 5, 2024

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (24→19)

    November 10, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (42→37)

    October 5, 2023

    The Dark Jacket Dimension

    November 13, 2021

    The (W)hole Ruth

    January 31, 2020

    Sold For a Song

    May 21, 2025

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    May 12, 2025

    The Bearable Light-ness of Doctoring

    May 10, 2025

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    May 4, 2025
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    1. John Hurt
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    Hurt So Good: A Doctor and His Umbrella

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    Who Told You There Wouldn’t Be Any Math?

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    May 26, 2023

    … And All That Yaz

    November 16, 2022

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    May 21, 2025

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    May 12, 2025

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    May 10, 2025

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    May 4, 2025

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    November 16, 2021

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    January 31, 2020

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    January 29, 2020

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    June 24, 2018

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    November 19, 2017

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    August 10, 2014

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    May 25, 2013

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    May 21, 2025

    The Demon Barber of Story Beats

    May 12, 2025

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    May 10, 2025

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    May 4, 2025

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    May 21, 2025

    The Demon Barber of Story Beats

    May 12, 2025

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    May 10, 2025

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    May 4, 2025
  • Colo(u)r
    1. Sylvester McCoy
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    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (36→31)

    October 12, 2023

    A Studio Film (or rather a film in the studio)

    June 9, 2023

    … And All That Yaz

    November 16, 2022

    Fivey at Forty: The First Companion Death of 1982

    March 16, 2022

    Sweet, not Effete

    April 5, 2025

    Arguably Arguable

    August 19, 2024

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)

    September 28, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (60→55)

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    The End of Enlightenment

    January 13, 2025

    What’s in a Number? Occasionally Everything

    November 23, 2024

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    November 19, 2024

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    March 15, 2025

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    December 28, 2024

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    February 8, 2024

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    Living Day-to-Day with The Candy Man

    July 31, 2024

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (6→1)

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    October 28, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)

    September 28, 2023

    Sold For a Song

    May 21, 2025

    The Demon Barber of Story Beats

    May 12, 2025

    The Bearable Light-ness of Doctoring

    May 10, 2025

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    May 4, 2025
  • Monochrome
    1. Patrick Troughton
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    Stock(s) Company

    September 9, 2024

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (18→13)

    November 13, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (24→19)

    November 10, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (36→31)

    October 12, 2023

    The TARDIS whirled on it’s way again…

    December 24, 2024

    Have a Feast @ Doctor Who’s Tragical History Tour!

    December 6, 2024

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    Roll Without the Rock, or the Schlock

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    May 21, 2025

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    May 12, 2025

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    May 4, 2025
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Doctor Who's Tragical History TourDoctor Who's Tragical History Tour
Tour Updates Classic Capitology William Hartnell

Spooning w/Spooner

By -- DSWOctober 12, 201302 Mins Read
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As mentioned back when The Romans was re-capped, one of the unsung heroes of early Doctor Who (and to a larger point 1960’s British action/adventure television in general) was Dennis Spooner, whose initial entry into the show was The Reign of Terror and became script editor from The Rescue onwards.  Stylistically he brought much more of a lightness of touch into the series.  And where The Romans marked one end of his Doctor Who spectrum, The Time Meddler, and more specifically The Meddling Monk, is a different story balance entirely.

Impishly fun, the Monk marks the first time in series history we see another Timelord (unnamed at this point).  But whereas the Master was megalomaniacal, the Monk was more of a provocateur, brandishing historical anachronisms (record players, binoculars) merely to make his life more tolerable.  Hartnell plays his reaction to the Monk in such a way that the audience can also see the fun side of his interference, but ultimately can’t abide in the end.

Oddly The Time Meddler is more Vicki and Steven’s story (his first proper as a companion) than the Doctor.  They get lots of time together, indeed they need to as Hartnell gets episode two off (another convenient imprisonment), so the story is a little more disjointed than it might otherwise have been, but when the Doctor and Monk verbally fence, it’s delightful.

Ultimately the weekly churn of 60’s Doctor Who chewed through Dennis Spooner too.  Splitting writing responsibilities with Terry Nation for The Daleks Master Plan was it for him, but as an evolutionary force in Doctor Who, his legacy was enormous.

Classic Capitology promises another undisputed classic story next time.  We shall see.

Short Hops:

A Game of Thorns May the Farce Be With You 60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)
The Rescue The Romans Classic Capitology Tour Updates William Hartnell The Time Meddler The Reign of Terror
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On This Day in Doctor Who History

May 2025

Friday May 23

1964: The Aztecs [1--The Temple of Evil]
Recurs yearly
1970: Inferno [3]
Recurs yearly

Saturday May 24

1969: The War Games [6]
Recurs yearly
2025: Wish World
Recurs yearly

Sunday May 25

1968: The Wheel in Space [5]
Recurs yearly
1974: Planet of the Spiders [4]
Recurs yearly
2024: 73 Yards
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Monday May 26

1973: The Green Death [2]
Recurs yearly
2007: Human Nature
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Tuesday May 27

1967: The Evil of the Daleks [2]
Recurs yearly
1972: The Time Monster [2]
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2006: The Idiot's Lantern
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2017: The Pyramid at the End of the World
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Wednesday May 28

1966: The Savages [1]
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2005: The Doctor Dances
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Random Thoughts

A Studio Film (or rather a film in the studio)

By -- DSWJune 9, 2023 Tour Updates 3 Mins Read

Cap-ro-valva

By -- DSWJune 10, 2012 Tour Updates 1 Min Read

The Ten Specials of Christmas — #4

By -- DSWDecember 19, 2012 Roundel Roundabouts 1 Min Read
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