The Writers' Room
Episode 24 - Ghost Light

This month, as a special Christmas present to everyone, or possibly as the coal in your stocking, Erik and Kyle are only talking about one story, and it's not even a very long one, but it IS a very complex one with lots of moving pieces and an interesting production history. It's "Ghost Light," the very final story ever filmed for Doctor Who, written by Marc Platt. Erik loves everything about it and thinks it's a misunderstood gem, while Kyle thinks it's overly complicated and underly produced. WHO IS CORRECT?!?

Thanks for listening for two whole years. We are incredibly grateful to all of you. Have a wonderful holiday season and Happy New Year!

Direct download: Ep_24_-_Ghost_Light.mp3
Category:Doctor Who -- posted at: 12:28am EDT

Episode 23 - Robert Banks Stewart

This month, Erik and Kyle talk about a writer who only wrote two stories but they're two of the most beloved among Doctor Who fans. That writer is Robert Banks Stewart who penned "Terror of the Zygons" and "The Seeds of Doom," both from Season 13. It can certainly be said that these stories are quite different from the Gothic Horror pastiches much of the Hinchcliffe era gave us, and actually delve into, in "Seeds"' case anyway, a James Bond-kind of story. Whether both of your intrepid hosts enjoy that kind of story is discussed quite a bit.

 

Next month, a very special holiday episode...

Direct download: 23_-_Robert_Banks_Stewart.mp3
Category:Doctor Who -- posted at: 10:30am EDT

Episode 22 - Ian Stuart Black

This month, Erik and Kyle talk about a write who penned three scripts during the Innes Lloyd/Gerry Davis era of Doctor Who, the end of Season 3 and in Season 4. He is Ian Stuart Black, the writer of "The Savages," "The War Machines," and "The Macra Terror." None of them are particularly highly regarded and some are downright troubling for a number of reasons.  The fellas delve into issues such as companion departures, misguided racial subtexts, humanity versus machinery, giant alien crab things, and the Highland Fling! 

Next month, it's Robert Banks Stewart.

Direct download: Episode_22_-_Ian_Stuart_Black.mp3
Category:Doctor Who -- posted at: 9:44pm EDT

Episode 21 - Steve Gallagher

This month, it's into the void and to the center of the universe as Erik and Kyle discuss the two stories written by Steve Gallagher - "Warrior's Gate" and "Terminus." The later is usually written off as pantaloons, but the former is often hailed as some sort of existentialist masterpiece that never got its full due thanks to a crazed director. Do the boys think these notions hold true or are they bored out of their minds with both of them. We'll let the running time tell you the answer.

Direct download: Episode_21_-_Steve_Gallagher.mp3
Category:Doctor Who -- posted at: 3:22am EDT

Episode 20 - Douglas Adams

This month, oh boy people, it's time Erik and Kyle talk about the man, the myth, the legend that is Douglas Adams, he who wrote for Monty Python and would go on to great fame writing The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. For our purposes, of course, Adams wrote three stories for Doctor Who, only two of which were ever finished and aired: "The Pirate Planet" and "City of Death," as well as the half-completed "Shada" which has garnered a lot fo attention through the years because of Adams' involvement and because of its troubled history. There's much discussion here about whether his stuff is as good as a lot of people say it is. Which side are you on?

Direct download: Ep_20_-_Douglas_Adams.mp3
Category:Doctor Who -- posted at: 3:07am EDT

Episode 19 - Don Houghton

This month, Kyle and Erik dive into the work of Don Houghton, who only wrote two stories for Doctor Who, but two that are among the best, and best-loved, stories in all of the Jon Pertwee era. Those, of course, are "Inferno" and "The Mind of Evil," one of which tops a lot of people's best stories list and one which has the Master in. After those Hartnell one-offs last month, the boys need to sink their teeth into something good, and there's plenty of it here. Listen to the podcast scream out its rage!

Direct download: DWTWR_Don_Houghton.mp3
Category:Doctor Who -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

Episode 18 - Hartnell One-Offs

Oh boy, this sure wasn't a good idea. This month, in an effort to deal with the issue of one-off writers, Erik and Kyle ventured into four regularly-derided stories from the Hartnell era: "The Sensorites" by Peter R. Newman, "The Web Planet" by Bill Strutton, "Galaxy 4" by William Emms, and "The Ark" by Paul Erickson (and Lesley Scott, although she did nothing). Umm, that happened. Are they as bad as people say? Not necessarily. 

But hey, next month it's Don Houghton so that's a step in the right direction, right?

Direct download: Episode_18_-_Hartnell_One-Offs.mp3
Category:Doctor Who -- posted at: 3:30am EDT

Episode 17 - An Unearthly Child

This month, Erik and Kyle head all the way back to the very beginning to talk about the very first story ever, "An Unearthly Child" credited to writer Anthony Coburn. Is the serial just a good first episode followed by three boring cavemen episodes, or is it all a lot more connected than popular fan belief suggests? They look at the original unaired "pilot" as well to contrast where the show might have gone had the Doctor remained as unfeeling as he was initially. Character relationships and quirks get discussed too. It's a pretty hefty episode for it only being about one four-parter.

Direct download: Episode_17_An_Unearthly_Child.mp3
Category:Doctor Who -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

Episode 16 - Louis Marks

This month, Kyle and Erik talk about one of the go-to utility writers during the 1960s and '70s, Louis Marks, who has a very impressive career outside of Doctor Who and who wrote "Planet of Giants," "Day of the Daleks," "Planet of the Evil," and "The Masque of Mandragora" between 1964 and 1976. The fellas talk about the writer's uncanny ability to have a great first episode but an abysmal fourth one. Strange, strange, strange.

 

Also, please leave us a review on iTunes and you could win two signed by author Paul Cornell!

Direct download: Episode_16_-_Louis_Marks.mp3
Category:Doctor Who -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

Bonus Episode 2 - Paul Cornell Talks Writers

It's a special in-between-episodes bonus for you all to enjoy! We were immensely thrilled and honored to be joined by writer and Doctor Who aficionado Paul Cornell to discuss his favorite Classic Series writers and about the writing for the show in the '60s, '70s, and '80s. It's a lovely sixty minutes of conversation and if you listen to the end, you can find out how you could win two Paul Cornell-signed prizes. I know! This isn't even an April Fool's joke.

Direct download: Bonus_Episode_2_-_Paul_Cornell.mp3
Category:Doctor Who -- posted at: 1:00am EDT

Episode 15 - Terence Dudley and Eric Pringle

This month in the room (that isn't really a room), Erik and Kyle discuss the work of two writers, mostly to get it all over with. First up, the three stories by director-and-producer-turned-writer Terence Dudley who inflicted "Four to Doomsday," "Black Orchid," and "The King's Demons" upon us all. This is followed by a quick discussion of Eric Pringle's sole contribution to the series, the two-part "The Awakening." Lots of talk about villains, motives, beards, accents, Adric, Tegan, ambiguity, and dumb storytelling herein.

Direct download: Episode_15_-_Terence_Dudley_and_Eric_Pringle.mp3
Category:Doctor Who -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

Bonus Ep! Featuring Graeme Burk, Robert Smith?, and Sean Homrig

As a bit of a treat before our canonical episode next week, he's a discussion Erik had at Gallifrey One with his Doctor Who Book Club co-host Sean Homrig and authors of the book Who's 50, Graeme Burk and Robert Smith?. They talk about writing and writers. It's a good time.

Direct download: DWTWR_Bonus.mp3
Category:Doctor Who -- posted at: 4:34pm EDT

Episode 14 - Robert Holmes Group B Part 2

This month, the fellas are in the same room for once! It's Gallifrey One from Los Angeles and Erik and Kyle are in a hotel room to talk about the final three stories written by Robert Holmes during his spate as a script editor. Those are some of his most acclaimed outings, "The Deadly Assassin," "The Talons of Weng-Chiang," and "The Sun Makers." Are they in agreement regarding these big titles? Find out!

Direct download: Episode_14--Holmes_2B.mp3
Category:Doctor Who -- posted at: 11:04pm EDT

Episode 13 - Robert Holmes Group B Part 1

Erik and Kyle begin the new year (Happy Anniversary!) with the third overall part in their examination of the work of Doctor Who's most prolific writer, Robert Holmes. Under the microscope for this episode are the first three stories he wrote after taking over the job of script editor, those being "The Ark in Space," "Pyramids of Mars," and "The Brain of Morbius." Each one was originally scripted by a different writer and Holmes was forced, for various reasons, to rewrite them, the latter two under pseudonyms. Do these stories work as well because of their hurried and tumultuous background? Are they worthy of the almost universal praise they seem to receive? 

Direct download: Episode_13_-_Robert_Holmes_Group_B_1.mp3
Category:Doctor Who -- posted at: 3:30am EDT

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