Hello friends! We're a little late on the podcast front this month, so to tide you over, Kyle has interviewed friend of the show and writer extraordinaire Paul Cornell about his upcoming Third Doctor miniseries for Titan Comics. It's a great chat for anybody who loves the '70s Doctor Who era as much as Kyle does, but also should probably reevaluate some of the choices... because sexism. Enjoy! And we'll be back soon!

Happy May, everybody! Hope you're ready for block transfer computation and charged vacuum emboitments, because this month Erik and Kyle are going to be talking about the Doctor Who stories written by Christopher Hamilton Bidmead, a writer and script editor who ushered in a whole year of hard science mathematics (deserving a badge for excellence, maybe?), with his three stories "Logopolis," "Castrovalva," and "Frontios." How do they fare under the scrutiny of the DWTWR pair? WE'LL SEE!!

Friends, we've returned! Thanks for sticking with us, and apologies in advance for the return trip being kind of a downer. Erik and Kyle discuss the last three stories written by Robert Holmes, all in the Colin Baker era, and none of them particularly...well, that would be telling. We've got "The Two Doctors" in season 22 and episodes 1-4 and 13 of "The Trial of a Time Lord" (but let's be honest, we call them "The Mysterious Planet" and "The Ultimate Foe" Part 1). There's also a nice discussion about his work as a whole, so don't get too upset.

Hi everybody! You've probably noticed we haven't had an episode in a bit. Sorry, but life catches up sometimes. But we will be back to finally put the capper on Robert Holmes very soon. Thanks for your support, we'll be back before you know it!

From Gallifrey One, Kyle has a little chat about all things Robert Holmes with luminaries in the Doctor Who world, Graeme Burk, Paul Cornell, and Steven Schapansky. Full episode about Holmes' final three scripts in the next few days.

Believe it or not, Kyle and Erik haven't talked about Robert Holmes since Gallifrey 2014! That's right, almost two years since we've even ventured down the path of Doctor Who's most prolific and celebrated script writer. Well, diving back in, the boys get to discuss "The Ribos Operation" and "The Power of Kroll" from the Key to Time season and "The Caves of Androzani" which served as Peter Davison's final story. Lots to talk about? Uhh, sure. Some more than others.

Next month, we'll be at Gallifrey One again! If you see us, come up and say hello!

We've reached the end of another calendar year and that, apparently, means it's time to do more Seventh Doctor writers. This month, Erik and Kyle are talking about two writers who collectively wrote three stories all about the character of Ace. Ian Briggs introduced Ace in "Dragonfire" and then dealt with her mother issues in "The Curse of Fenric," and Rona Munro's sole contribution to the Doctor Who canon just happens to be the last story of the classic series, as well as one that deals with the idea of home and refusing violence. Good stuff this month, folks.

This month, we talk about one of the most legendary writers in Doctor Who history, that being John Lucarotti. Why legendary? Well anyone who writes "The Aztecs" deserves that title, but lately a lot of people have been talking about his first story, "Marco Polo," with a lot of reverence. Is it worth that reverence? And finally, he wrote "The Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Eve," which was then heavily rewritten. So, like, what's the deal with Johnny Lukes?

Oh, hello, the 1980s. How are you this month? Erik and Kyle have remained in the decade of JNT and are looking at the three stories written by prolific TV writer Johnny Byrne, whose contributions to Doctor Who are "The Keeper of Traken," "Arc of Infinity," and "Warriors of the Deep." These three stories don't normally have the highest approval rating, but that's not specifically fair in some of the cases. Can Byrne's writing save stories with a polystyrene statue that can walk, a chicken monster with a ray gun, and a giant pantomime lizard? We'll find out today!

We've finally made it through the lengthy (though highly enjoyable if you ask us) jaunt with Hulke and Nation and we're celebrating by heading with Doctor Who into the future! All the way to the 1980s, that is. This month, we're talking about the three stories written by Peter Grimwade, the production assitant turned director turned writer. While we certainly do talk about his stint directing stories, we obviously focus on his authorial work, which consists of "Time-Flight," "Mawdryn Undead," and "Planet of Fire," all of which during the Peter Davison years. Well, at least we START with "Time-Flight," but there's also much talk about timelines and overcrowded storylines and TARDISes used for everything under the sun. 

After a whopping 8 months(!) of talking about the Doctor Who stories of Malcolm Hulke and the Dalek stories written by Terry Nation, Erik and Kyle are wrapping up both writers in one episode, talking about both of their final stories, and both of them seem to be good encapsulations of what their whole career on the show was like. For Hulke, we have "Invasion of the Dinosaurs" and for Nation we have "Destiny of the Daleks." Is it necessarily fair to pair these two stories up in one episode? NOPE! But we did it anyway.

Next month, we'll be back to business as usual with a writer who can be entirely covered in one episode.

This month is another of our single-story episode, and while it's not as long as "The War Games" or "Dalek's Master Plan," it's definitely got some gravitas to it. This is, of course, Terry Nation's 1975 Doctor Who story, "Genesis of the Daleks," his final script for a number of years and Tom Baker's first fracas with the rolling tank things. However, as Erik and Kyle discover, it's not so much about the Daleks as it is about their creator, the insane and immeasurably fascinating Davros. This script is known for having some amazing dialogue scenes, but does the rest of the story hold up as well? 

After a pretty lackluster Terry Nation month, we return with a pretty impressive Malcolm Hulke month, discussing the "... in Space" Duology of Season 8's "Colony in Space" and Season 10's "Frontier in Space." One depicts the struggle of settlers against a mining corporation, the other depicts the Cold War between two great empires, and they both have the Master showing up a few episodes into it and proving what an opportunist he is. One of these stories ranks as one of Hulke's best; can you guess which?!

This month, Erik and Kyle are still in the midst of their alternating looks at two of the most prolific and influential writers in all of Doctor Who - Malcolm Hulke and Terry Nation. For this episode, it's a discussion of Nation's two stories fom the Jon Pertwee era, "Planet of the Daleks" and "Death to the Daleks." The first is almost always cited as "Terry Nation's Greatest Hits," which the second is often said to be Nation doing something slightly (but not entirely) different. Do the fellas agree with this summation?

Next month: Malcolm Hulke's "Colony in Space" and "Frontier in Space."

This month we return to looking at the work of Malcolm Hulke with his two Homo reptilia stories, "Doctor Who and the Silurians" from Season 7 and "The Sea Devils" from Season 9. Both involve a hyper-advanced reptile race that ruled the globe long before humanity, but as Kyle and Erik determine, were Hulke coming at the concept from completely different angles. They discuss military might, government bureaucracy, the Doctor's disdain for all authority even at the cost of hindering progress, and why neither Liz nor Jo had anything to do.

Thanks for listening to our Bracket Special at the beginning of the month. Winners announced herein. 

Here it is, folks! For your listening pleasure, a special tournament special bracket special of special specialness in which Kyle and Erik of this here podcast (The Writers' Room, obvs) get together with Steven Schapansky of Radio Free Skaro and The Memory Cheats, Erika Ensign of Verity!, and Josh Zimon of The Memory Cheats and Mostly Harmless Cutaway to determine once and for all what the best Doctor Who episode/story of all time is.

Basing the discussion on the top 64 stories from the Doctor Who Magazine poll from June of 2014, the five panelists will vote based purely on personal preference in a seeded system that ranks the stories in quadrants. You'll get the idea once we get going.

Please enjoy, and let us know what you think! We'll resume regular episodes in a fortnight. 

Another look at a super long stoy, but this time, unlike "The War Games," it's one neither Kyle nor Erik had seen (heard) before. Yep, the gents are back in the realm of Terry Nation for part two of our look at the Dalek creator with the massive 13-episode run comprising "Mission to the Unknown" and all of "The Daleks' Master Plan," on which he split writing duties with Dennis Spooner. And you know what? It shows! Companions, both pseudo and regular, get talked about extensively, as does whether the Daleks work in the context of old timey space opera. Or, for that matter, in any context at all. There's not even any real indication they even had a master plan to begin with.

Recorded LIVE (and quietly) at the LAX Marriott following Gallifrey One 2015, Erik and Kyle are joined by writer, author, scholar, and Doctor Who expert to talk about the beginnings of Malcolm Hulke's time on the series, writing "The Faceless Ones" in 1967 with David Ellis, and ghost-rewriting David Whitaker's "The Ambassadors of Death" for Terrance Dicks. These be fun conversations, and we're pleased Paul was here to help.

It's 2015 and Erik and Kyle have lost their minds. It was bound to happen some time, but they've decided to finally delve into the infamous Dalek-filled writings of Doctor Who's only writer ever to get filthy stinking rich from writing the show, Terry Nation. Because he wrote so much for the show, it's going to take us a while to get through it all, but we better start now. This month, we begin with his first three Dalek stories, "The Daleks," "The Dalek Invasion of Earth," and "The Chase." 

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!

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...

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.

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.

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?

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!

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?

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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? 

It's been a whole year, everybody! Thanks for listening. For our final episode of 2013, we're going back to the William Hartnell era to take a look at two writers who gave us stories that are often considered, for lack of a better word, "bad." Whether or not they are, of course, is the question of importance for the ep. We've got Glyn Jones' sole writing contribution, "The Space Museum," hailed by some for its first episode and derided for the other three, and the two scripts from Donald Cotton, the beloved missing "The Myth Makers," and the scoffed-at "The Gunfighters." Are fan opinions wrong about these stories? Let us tell you what to think!

This month, we take a look at one of the heaviest hitters in Doctor Who history, Terrance Dicks. While he didn't write all that much credited, he is responsible for a huge amount of what we know of as DW mythology now. So, we're only doing a smattering of his work: "Robot," "Horror of Fang Rock," "State of Decay," and "The Five Doctors." A Bag of Dicks, if you will.

A little bit of a different thing this month, Erik and Kyle focus on one specific story, 1969's truly epic Troughton and black & white finale, "The War Games," written by Terrance Dicks and Malcolm Hulke. We only scratch the surface on this really phenomenal story, looking at the political and social implications of war, the accordian-nature of the storytelling, the quiter moments that show the implications of the events, and the Time Lords ex machina nature of the finale. Let us know what you think! Follow us on Twitter @DWTWR and email us at erikandkyle@gmail.com 

This month, Erik and Kyle take a look at the ups and downs of the Troughton-Era writing duo of Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln, or "Norman Ashby" as they were once credit due to behind-the-scenes tumultuousness. The Great Intelligence and the Yeti make two Season Five appearances, "The Abominable Snowmen" and "The Web of Fear," one of which, according to the fellas, doesn't quite live up to the hype, and the Quarks make their (mercifully) sole appearance in "The Dominators." Is it as dumb and boring as most of fandom says? You'll have to listen to find out. But, yes it is.

The Tom Baker era's only three-and-out writer, this month we're taking a look at Chris Boucher, who wrote the memorable and enjoyable exercises in theme, "The Face of Evil," "The Robots of Death," and "Image of the Fendahl," all in 1977. Among the things discussed are abandoned plot threads, red herrings that aren't really very red, the power of the name, the attractiveness of guest cast, and why Leela is way more awesome than you might remember.

Follow us on Twitter! @DWTWR @sjcAustenite @FunctionalNerd   

This month, Kyle and Erik take their first foray into the Sylvester McCoy era with two of the architects of the "Cartmel Masterplan," Ben Aaronovitch ("Remembrance of the Daleks" and "Battlefield") and Kevin Clarke ("Silver Nemesis"). Which of the stories makes the better 25th Anniversary story? We'll let you decide. But it's not "Silver Nemesis." Topics include heroism, myth, Nazis, alchemy, astronomy, Cybermen, Daleks, faffing about, and ridiculous guest stars. We're not social workers.

Autons and Drashigs and Sontarans, oh my! The second group of three stories by the great Robert Holmes has three of the Third Doctor's very best stories, "Terror of the Autons," "Carnival of Monsters," and "The Time Warrior." What will Erik and Kyle talk about when everything is great? A surprising amount, actually. How well does Bob write companions when they aren't Liz or Sarah Jane? We'll see. 

Robert Holmes wrote so dang many stories during the Classic Series (18 to be precise!) that we're going to need to go about it in shifts. This episode and the next one will be focusing on Holmes' pre-Script Editor work. Unfortunatley, that means for this episode we have to talk about "The Krotons," "The Space Pirates," and (thankfully) "Spearhead From Space." Oh, thank the maker for "Spearhead." Topics include: the way the Doctor and companions are written, the sly infusion of comedy and social satire, and what to do when the characters you're writing are a bunch of stupids.

It's historicals a-go-go as Erik and Kyle discuss one of the most influential writers of early Doctor Who, Dennis Spooner. He wrote three stories, "The Reign of Terror," "The Romans," and "The Time Meddler," all during William Hartnell's first two seasons, and was a script editor in season two. He might be one of the most important writers in the history of the show, and the fellas will tell you why.

Send feedback to erikandkyle@gmail.com

TWITTER: @DWTWR, @sjcAustenite, @FunctionalNerd

This month, Erik and Kyle leave the glitzy sheen of the 1980s for the CSO-saturated '70s for four stories by the writing team of producer Barry Letts and Robert Sloman. Sloman and Letts, or "Sletts" as you'll soon be calling them, penned "The Daemons," "The Time Monster," "The Green Death," and "Planet of the Spiders." Place your bets now as to which one the fellas like the best. It's a heap of mysticism, some creatures that don't make sense, and more half-researched literary allusions than you can shake a sonic screwdriver at. Time to play this month's game: How Useful is UNIT?

This month, Erik and Kyle, doing a near-complete 180 from the kind of writing done by '80s script editor Eric Saward, are discussing the work of Christopher Bailey ("Kinda" and "Snakedance") and Barbara Clegg ("Enlightenment"). Lots of philopsophy, myth, and Wikipedia Buddhism gets bandied about as the conversation proceeds. It's a pretty rich tapestry; a whole episode could be gleaned from "Kinda" alone. Plus, the first installment in what will probably be a recurring game gets played: Who's More Rapey? Also, despite Kyle's many incorrect mentions to the contrary, the next episode will be next MONTH, not next week.

Please send feedback to: erikandkyle@gmail.com

Follow them on Twitter: @DWTWR, @FunctionalNerd, @sjcAustenite 

It's finally here! The first episode has landed and Kyle and Erik have chosen to spend it speaking about the controversial, divisive writer from the 1980s, Eric Saward, who wrote five stories: "The Visitation," "Earthshock," "Resurrection of the Daleks," "Attack of the Cybermen," and "Revelation of the Daleks." How well does he write bad guys? What's his fascination with mercenaries? Who's to blame for "Attack of the Cybermen?" All of this and more will be dissected. Enjoy!

Follow us on Twitter and let us know what you think! 

Doctor Who: The Writers' Room
Erik
Kyle 

Ahoy and welcome! In this new monthly Doctor Who podcast, Erik and Kyle will be discussing the various writers that have shaped and molded the series over the years by focusing specifically on writing style, story structures, and overall impact. It'll be a lot of fun! New episodes will drop on the 15th of the month. Hope to see you there!