Radio Free Skaro #941 - The Way Back

It’s time for a mea culpa about Magna Carta by the Three Who Rule (much less than before) before we move on to the news of the moment, including Rachel Talalay highlighting female Doctor Who directors and appearing in Edmonton to celebrate her film work, Mark Ayres going to bat for the Celestial Toymaker’s experimental animations, the BBC with an AI-generated foot in its mouth after it decided simple humans can’t possibly promote their Doctor Who material, Warren has news of scribbling for an RPG merchant ,and the second part of a completely historically accurate exploration Classic Series Commentary of Magna Carta AND shapeshifting robots in…”The King’s Demons”, Part the Second!  

Links:

• Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon
• Radio Times: Rachel Talalay: Doctor Who’s female directors have defied the odds
• Mark Ayres defends “experimental” Celestial Toymaker animation
• BBC is exploring generative AI to increase experimentation and improve Doctor Who promotion
• Big Finish: Bernice Summerfield: The Eternity Club series bundle starts September 2024
• Kickstarter for The Laundry Roleplaying Game: Second Edition
• Pamela Salem obituary in the Guardian, by Toby Hadoke

Commentary:

• Classic Series Commentary “The Kings Demons” Part Two

On this most important Magna Carta Day (yes, we know it’s actually June 15), the Three Who Rule are digging deep on morsels of news including the BFI screening of the Celestial Toymaker along with some Hot Takes on the current state of AI, the Sea Devils spinoff supposedly starting shooting on March 4, new casting, “The Daleks in Colour” available for digital purchase, an entirely made up new villain called the RUSAN, an upcoming convention for The Tripods which sold out within hours, and Part One of our Classic Series Commentary for “The King’s Demons”!

Links:

• Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon
• The Celestial Toymaker screening at BFI on March 2
• Doctor Who Sea Devils begins production March 4
• Gallifrey One 2024 Wrap-Up and 2025 Update
• Doctor Who Magazine #601
• Genesis Lysea, Gwïon Morris Jones join cast for Season 1
• Makalla McPherson directing Doctor Who in Season 2
• Amanda Brotchie directs block 3
• Doctor Who feature in Disney twenty-three magazine
• The Daleks in Colour now available for digital purchase in North America
• BBC buys out ITV’s stake in BritBox for $322M/£255M
• Big Finish – Dark Gallifrey: Morbius due April 2024
• Big Finish – Sontarans vs Rutans: In Name Only due April 2024
• Tickets for Tripods 40, a convention celebrating The Tripods, are now on Sale

Commentary:

• Classic Series Commentary “The Kings Demons” Part One

It’s the week after Gallifrey One but your dedicated town criers The Three Who Rule are here to give you the latest facts from the worlds of Doctor Who including a BFI showing of The Celestial Toymaker on March 2, a surfeit of scripts from the BBC, even more Blu-rays from the BBC Shop (sorta), and even more Big Finish news, most of it announced at the aforementioned Gallifrey One convention in Los Angeles! But all this is burying the lede as the BBC Archive’s Youtube channel rewards us with a visit in 1990 to…the BBC Film and Tape Library! And also, the Three remember the great Pamela Salem.

Links:

• Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon
• The Celestial Toymaker screening at BFI on March 2
• Fifteenth Doctor’s Audition and hundreds of other scripts released
• Meet ‘The Edge of Destruction’ on vinyl this Record Store Day
• Doctor Who: Chronicles Issue 9: 1971
• Doctor Who: The Daleks in Colour due March 19 (North America)
• Doctor Who: Peter Davison Complete Season 2 due April 2 (North America)
• Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker due May 14 (North America)
• Doctor Who: Tom Baker Complete Season 4 due July 9 (North America)
• Big Finish: The Worlds of Doctor Who – Dark Gallifrey starts April 2024
• Big Finish: The Casebook of Paternoster Row due April 2024
• Big Finish: Doctor Who – The Eighth Doctor Adventures: Echoes due May 2024
• Big Finish launches Doctor Who audio drama podcast
• Open Air, originally broadcast on BBC One, Thursday 8 March, 1990
• Pamela Salem (1944-2024)

That’s a wrap from Gallifrey One this year, but what a weekend it was! Disney+ chose Gallifrey One as the time and the place to launch their promo campaign for Doctor Who, including a special message to the convention and a new promotional poster. Gallifrey One Program Director Shaun Lyon tells us what went into that. Also, Simon Guerrier talks about BBC Television that eventually inspired Doctor Who, and Peter Harness joins us to preview his new series Constellation, premiering February 21 on Apple TV+!

Links:

• Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon
• Gallifrey One
• Disney+ Promo Launch
• Constellation on Apple TV+

Quite a treat for all of us on this episode as we are joined by none other than Sir Derek Jacobi, legend of stage and screen, portrayer of The Master in Doctor Who in 2007, and also the most charming and affable of fellows! The Three Who Rule, along with Erika from Verity! and Jason Snell from The Incomparable, also ruminate on how their Friday and Saturday went at Gallifrey One, including a full rundown of the live show to kick off the convention!

Links:

• Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon
• Gallifrey One

Radio Free Skaro returns to the stage at Gallifrey One with their kick-off show MORE THAN SIXTY YEARS IN THE TARDIS! Join the Three Who Rule, along with a bonus Two-Minute Time Lord segment from Chip Sudderth, as they talk to Doctor Who composer Segun Akinola, Doctor Who and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy documentarian Kevin Jon Davies, and actors Annette Badland, Shaun Dingwall, and Jaye Griffiths!

Links:

• Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon
• Gallifrey One

The moment has arrived! Once again the Three Who Rule, along with Two-Minute Time Lord Chip Sudderth,  dive into our annual preview of the Gallifrey One schedule along with tips for newcomers, fanning over various aspects of ancient and modern televisual craft, and highlighting various panels we’re on including our live show, “Radio Free Skaro: More than 60 Years in the TARDIS” at 11 a.m. Friday February 16th on the main stage! It’s our favorite weekend of the year and our honour to guide you, the listener though it. See you in L.A.!

Links:

• Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon
• Gallifrey One: One Week and Counting
• Gallifrey One Preview
• Michael Jayston died
• Big Finish: Doctor Who – The Novel Adaptations: Goth Opera due July 2024
• Big Finish: Doctor Who – The Fourth Doctor Adventures: Metamorphosis due June 2024
• Big Finish: The Worlds of Doctor Who – Missy: Bad Influence due May 2024

It’s the calm before the (Gallifrey One) storm….except when it comes to action dollies! Warren has received his Fugitive Doctor dolly and if you watch the Youtube version, you’ll see her in all her gun-toting, Pre-Hartnell-ing glory, as well as enjoy our banter about American vs. UK The Thick of It(s), Gallifrey One Kaffeelatsches, Doctor Who Magazine’s stunning 600th issue cover, and s surfeit of Big Finish news! The mind reels!

Links:

• Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon
• Gallifrey One update
• Doctor Who added to RTÉ Player in Ireland
• Consolidated 28-day ratings for 60th Anniversary specials
• Doctor Who Magazine #600
• Doctor Who Magazine #600 – Behind The Cover Shoot
• Season 15 Graham Williams documentary at the BFI Feb 4
• The Quiz of Rassilon at the BFI bar Feb 4
• Big Finish The Twelfth Doctor Chronicles: You Only Die Twice coming Mar 2024
• Big Finish Doctor Who: Born To Die coming Mar 2024
• Big Finish The Sixth Doctor Adventures: The Quin Dilemma coming Mar 2024
• Big Finish The Dream Team due Apr 2024
• Big Finish Torchwood “Ianthology” due March, April, and May 2024

Hot on the heels of last week’s news of Varada Sethu joining the TARDIS crew, Sethu was seen in public filming new scenes for Doctor Who. But no announcement was made by the BBC! Curious… the Three Who Rule discuss. Also, much attention (and many dollars) is paid to new Fugitive Doctor Action Dolly news, debates over which is the on true Doctor action dolly to buy, and more. But the main event is discussing the work of Doctor Who director Michael Ferguson in Part Two of our Miniscope!

Links:

• Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon
• Varada Sethu seen shooting Doctor Who
• Fugitive Doctor and TARDIS set released by Character Options
• Jo Martin and Al Dewar talk Fugitive Doctor action dolly
• Fifteenth Doctor, Ruby Sunday, and Wrarth Warrior Action Dollies at London Toy Convention
• The Church on Ruby Road, available on DVD and Blu-ray on February 12 (UK)
• Read an exclusive excerpt of ‘The Church on Ruby Road’ novel
• 2024 Doctor Who Yearbook Released
• Big Finish – Torchwood: Sabotage with Ace due Feb 2024
• Big Finish – Torchwood One: I Hate Mondays due May 2024

Miniscope

• Michael Ferguson
• The Ambassadors of Death
• The Claws of Axos

Breaking news!(?) Reports over the weekend have stated that Millie Gibson has left Doctor Who, with the new companion being Varada Sethu. The Three Who Rule discuss and debate the news! Also, the Gallifrey One schedule is out, the Doctor Who world celebrates Tom Baker’s 90th birthday, what we know of Season 1 of Doctor Who, and more!

Links:

• Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon
• Gallifrey One schedule of events published
• Tom Baker turns 90
• The Mirror: Millie Gibson To Not Feature in Season 2; Varada Sethu to be New Companion
• What to expect from Ncuti Gatwa’s first season of Doctor Who
• Doctor Who producer says to expect Easter eggs and an “amazing ending” to Ncuti Gatwa’s first season
• Is the BBC hinting at the Fendahl returning?
• BFI screening of Horror of Fang Rock on February 4, sold out in 10 minutes

Miniscope

• Michael Ferguson
• The War Machines
• The Seeds of Death