Doctor Who: Toby Hadoke’s Time Travels

To celebrate anniversary month we have a bona fide special guest who is yer actual canon - it's only the writer of Kill the Moon, The Zygon Inversion/Invasion and The Pyramid at the End Road, Peter Harness. He has chosen this bloody story from Season 18: it's got a lot of bite. But what will he choose as his favourite thing about it?

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It's going to be a long 12 minutes. It is! Because we clock in at an hour and a half. But that's because researcher extraordinaire Richard Bignell has been up to his old tricks of providing us with plenty of VAM. The Doctor and Vaughn are on the run, the Cybermen are out in force, and Don Harper's crashing about the place with a bin lid. But which of these will Toby and/or Ken choose as their favorite things (two this week because there's the bonus of course)? There's even a slim chance of victory. Let the countdown commence.<...

The Cybermen's Masterplan is underway, and yet you'd hardly know it judging by the number of them that we see this week. There's no panic on the streets of London because everyone's asleep. But there's little footage of the streets of London either. Instead we have a face-off between the Doctor and Vaughan, some speed maths from Zoe and a rather abrupt exit from the episode (and the story really) from Jamie.

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Oh this one wakes you up with a slap! Unless you're Jamie, who spends much of this episode asleep. That's not the case for the viewer though, who has plenty of entertainment during this installment, from Cybermen above ground and below it, to Vaughan being quite the bounder and Gregory having to make up for a cancelled film sequence. Let the invasion begin (six weeks after The Invasion, um, began!).

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A politician shaped loose end, a tunnel shaped loo's end, and a Cybermen sent round the bend all make this one take place in or around the bowels of London as the Doctor and co finally come face to face with the indomitable Cybermen, who still need a bit of help getting down below.

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The second and final missing/animated episode of this story and it may just be treading - and sometimes canoeing - water BUT ... there is that exciting helicopter chase, the reveal of the story's mysterious monster, and ... well, some exclusive insight into the animation which has excited everyone's interest. And as Happy Times and Places always likes to go the extra mile, we're take you to the horse's mouth and hear from James Goss about the trials and tribulations involved in getting Doctor Who's very first animation off the ground all those years ago. Actually, about as long ago...

Toby is here. Ken is here. Kilroy is here!!! It's Part Three of The Invasion. There's a bit of cat, and bit of mouse.... and then a bit more cat and mouse. But there's still plenty to enjoy including some excellent acting by Peter Halliday's hair, some superb rapport between Troughton and Hines and... well, would it be cheating to vote for Kevin Stoney every week...?

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Computer problems abound in truth and in fiction but nonetheless this one has been snuck out - unnoticed by our conniving computer overlords. Still no Cybermen, but plenty of fun to be had as Zoe smashes a computer, dandruff is discussed and your host doesn't even mention one of his favourite bits (he'll have to do so next week). And there are lots of fascinating listener comments too - making this one a really gorgeous prospect!

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The quest for positive Doctor Who commentaries continues. Well let's see if they can get animated about this one. For the first time, instead of using a recon the participants are looking at the cartoon version of this episode, as that in itself is something of an historical document now. There's plenty to be said about the episode itself though - a first for Benton, a solo acting for a guest actor and a cameo from the director. But what will be American radio host Ken Patterson's favourite thing about this lost (or is it?) instalment?

Gosh, it was nearly three years ago this one came out episodically - and then it was to tie in with the then imminent release of the animated version of this tale. The animation has been and gone - and that's a fascinating take on the story... but Kieran Highman and host Toby Hadoke were looking at a reconstruction of the original, warts-and-all Celestial Toymaker. Not a favourite story of your host's by any means. Could the intrepid artistic artisan from another hemisphere persuade the prattling, plodding presenter of the quality of this very odd story that no-one can...

Sometimes Happy Times and Places requires its host and guest to do some heavy lifting. Not so The Curse of Fenric, one of the show's acknowledged all time classics, as Toby and improviser extraordinaire Allan Lear have a love in that becomes a threesome when script editor Andrew Cartmel throws his car keys in the hat. Blimey! The safe word is "Niet"!

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This one is good fun. Writer Daisy Connolly is a brilliant guest, recalling her childhood watching this perfectly thrilling, chilling tale. Will her favourite things be an exact replica of your host's, or is it all just a cunning disguise? 

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This omnibus slipped through the cracks somehow. Sorry. So here it is - and it's for the infamous The Gunfighters, which has, as its advocate, the son of one of the leading guest stars : which is a lovely touch. This podcast has always stuck up for the underdog and this dog has been about as under as it is possible to get.

Well, every dog has its day...

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Happy Quatermass Day. 73 years ago precisely (hopefully this will be released at the exact minute) Episode One of The Quatermass Experiment was broadcast, changing TV, and science-fiction, forever. This week, your host's book on the making of the serial, published last year by Ten Acre Books, enjoyed yet another print run and is available direct from the publisher. And so it seems appropriate to package the two commentaries that were broadcast to coincide with the launch of the book last year into a feature-length omnibus, along with a new introduction which brings news in book two plus a brand...

This isn't really a proper episode in the sense that (a) there's no Doomsday to follow this and (b) the format is slightly different in that the guest (top writer, script editor and comedian Tom Neenan) is in the room! Tom was doing a preview of his amazing new Edinburgh show at XS Malarkey (the comedy club which has a regular MC who just happens to be the host of this podcast) and so a plan was cooked up to do a dual commentary and a favourite things duel.
Think of this as a summer holiday bonus (the...

The podcast which goes through every single episode of Doctor Who in order and gives you the Who, What and When in (too much) detail.

Susan is back from her holidays but the weather in Mexico is about to eclipse everything else as blood gets spilt on the sacrificial alter and, unusually, our heroes lose. Doctor Who proves that even in its early days it was ambitious and complex as this fascinating serial comes to a close - as do the Doctor Who contributions of two very interesting men, composer Marcus Dods and director John Crockett, who...

From the dusty vaults ... here we have the self proclaimed Champion of the Damned, Frazer Gregory, extolling the virtues of this under-loved tale. Will you agree with his preaching, or condemn him to be crushed underneath a giant rock for blasphemy?

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Well there is certainly a lot of correspondence about this one! It has definitely divided opinion, sometimes within the story itself. But everyone is trying very hard - on the commentary and the correspondence! Possibly trying harder than the people making it. Or are we being unfair? Well, Nev Fountain, prolific and admired writer, is prolific and admiring in his praise for the final episode of this story, in which we say goodbye to one of the show's greatest on-screen contributors (and no, we don't mean Derek Deadman).

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How do we feel about this one? Tonally this is where Doctor Who seems to be leaning into its production difficulties by upping the humour... but humour in Doctor Who is so hard to judge. Is it to do with tone? Delivery? Context? Or is it simply personal taste? Well, the latter definitely comes into it, and will certainly dictate how viewers respond to a lot of what takes place in this episode. Nev Fountain illustrates his choice with typical insight and intelligence, so it's well worth hanging around for his summation of this episode's best bit. But will...

Nev Fountain continues his tour of Gallifrey and takes us to the episode that features no Borusa... so one of the best things about the story is conspicuous by its absence. And Nev and Toby have already both voted for Milton Johns. So they will have to look very carefully and closely at this one, and hope it doesn't deliver any unpleasant surprises. Oh, and this is also probably the rudest Happy Times and Places has ever got. It's your fault.

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Things are hotting up on Gallifrey, and design work aside, your host is also feeling more warmly towards this story. But will he and his illustrious guest - comedy stalwart Nev Fountain - agree with each other about the episode's strong points or are their thought channels on completely different wavelengths?

The version of this released on You Tube will feature full video (of Toby, not the copyrighted programme!)

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Here we go, it's time for the space doo-doo to hit the space fan (which is probably made of a gaudily prime coloured vacuum formed plastic because, you know, SPACE!). The Doctor is up to no good and Gallifrey is undergoing a crisis of tone... but will Nev Fountain manage to choose something that chimes with the rest of us, or has he successfully shielded his mind so that we don't know what he is up to?

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Big Finish, Dead Ringers and Private Eye wit Nev Fountain has booked us a trip to Gallifrey in order to extol the virtues of a Doctor Who story stuck in that awkward place in the show's history that no-one seems to quite be able to get to grips with - Season 15. It starts with a spaceship shot but very soon there's a continuity error... but all that is soon forgotten when the Doctor starts behaving oddly. Will Nev and your host be of a similar mind or has lead lining blocked their communion?

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Another treat from the vaults - the Happy Times and Places spent with Remembrance of the Daleks all packaged together for an all-in-one jaunt. Special guest Charles Norton is behind some of the most celebrated Doctor Who physical media releases, and he also has a book out about radio drama from Telos Publishing, so don't forget to order your copy NOW!

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One of the very best writers, reviewers, and chroniclers of TV and Film science fiction, Steve O'Brien, has chosen a New Series episode as a sequel to his championing of Black Orchid some years ago. It's not the Series One episode that is generally on the top of anyone's list, but has time been kinder to it? Will Steve and your host Toby Hadoke share a taste for dinner and bondage? Or will the whole thing just fall through a crack in the floor?

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Time to get reacquainted with another story from the Happy Times and Places archive. This time delightful You Tuber extraordinaire Josh Snares shares their love for this Hartnell tale renowned for its comedic shenanigans. There's a comedy emperor, a comedy death and ... er ... a comedy attempted sexual assault. Different times.

Different Times and Places in fact

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And so this rewarding visit to one of Doctor Who's least celebrated 70s adventures comes to a close. It's am entry in the canon that really encapsulates the aims of Happy Times and Places : to give a fresh, positive look at a Doctor Who story, and learn to appreciate it for what it is as opposed to what it isn't. Guest Simon Curtis, the TT producer, has been a real help in this regard. Thanks Simon.

And fare forward Tony Caunter, who played Morgan in this story, who died the day after this episode was recorded. 

Things are starting to get a bit repetitive now, but this story isn't the only six parter in which that happens. Besides, there are some excellent moustaches, some excellent villains and the Bakewell Tart of Death! What's not to love?

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SPOILERS HEREIN

Be warned, this is a brand new commentary which takes in and describes the moving pictures featured in this recovered episode. So do not listen until you've watched the thing. Three people who saw these at the secret launch - host Toby and guests Oliver Crocker and Tim Burrows - recall the day that Peter Purves was lured to Leicester. And they try to choose the best thing about Devil's Planet. Which is harder than you might think. A Hell of a choice you might say.

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SPOILERS!

Be warned, this is a viewing of the actual episode, so if you haven't yet seen it and don't want to be spoiled, wait until you have had a chance to enjoy all the treasures within The Nightmare Begins. Taking advantage of the immense privilege of being able to see this recovered gem early, your host, and two other lucky colleagues (Tim Burrows from The Missing Episodes podcast and writer Oliver Crocker) pick over their favorite things about this wondrous slice of Doctor Who that's been in a cupboard for a while. Surely the first in...

And so things hot up on the planet (not in terms of the weather, it's still grey and gloomy) that I can't be bothered to try to spell right now. Perhaps I need some sort of Adjudicator - although the one here might have another agenda... but we all know that even 50 year old spoilers can mess things up for some so just have a listen and see where we go.

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It's wet and overcast and there are muddy boots aplenty : sounds like a typical English holiday. Your host had a disaster recording this one, so this is attempt number two. If at first you don't succeed then try, try and try again ... a saying which has a repetitiveness strangely apposite for this story. Still - your host and guest Simon Curtis are having much more fun here than fan opinion would suggest...

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This is a repackaged repeat: an old episode of Happy Times and Places with a new intro and outro to reflect the discovery of this episode ...an episode which was lost when this edition was recorded. Hopefully this re-release will whet your appetite for the imminent release of Devils' Planet for the first time since 1965. 

The Daleks continue with their planning whilst the Doctor and co master the controls of the Spar spaceship - only to be propelled towards a penal planet. There's lots of theorising about the pictures we couldn't see when this episode was lost...

And so we get a new influx of characters who each represent an aspect of bullying mining conglomerate IMC. There are plenty of actor facts to detract us from the story which is a shame as Colony in Space has plenty going for it. But we manage to cover it, with guest Simon Curtis being upfront about wanting your host to actually win this one. But as the Colonists demonstrate, all you need is an enemy within in order to muck it up for you without your opponent having to do much at all...

This commentary was...

This is an old episode of Happy Times and Places with a new introduction (and maybe some post credits secret joy) which might, hopefully, help to pass the time between now and the newly recovered episodes appearing on iPlayer. I hope they whet the appetite. But to emphasise - the main body of this is a repeat, pure and simple, from the time that the late Ian K McLachlan chose his favorite things about The (then lost) Nightmare Begins. So there will be all sorts of speculation herein that, no doubt, turns out to be utter nonsense. So enjoy...

An illustrious occasion - Jon Pertwee's first journey into outer space. So break out the ... beige. And the dungarees. And the moustaches. So many moustaches. TV producer Simon Curtis has chosen this story so what will a genuine industry professional be able to tell us about what makes this un-celebrated serial worth a look. It's always been considered to be closer to the Pertwee era slagheap than its mountaintop, but we're going to see if we can make the flowers grow on this apparently barren landsacpe.

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Another ombnius in case you have a long journey or tedious household task or, I dunno, marathon that you're doing. If you dont like it though, just shout "this isn't real" and it'll turn into a cardboad cuthout. Illustrious fan of yore David J Howe takes us through the highpoints of this, a favourite story of his, as we get to grips with the facts (well, opinions) of fiction.

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The bride in question is on holiday so there's something rather filmic about her in the episode that is named after her. There's cocoa, connivance and cunning aplenty as our heroes find themselves lost in history and desperate to find a way out. And there's time to consider a couple of guest stars, one of whom will return to the show whilst the other vanished rather, but whose travels took him far and wide and whose history involved the changing of not just one line or two, but also his name.

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John Halstead, voice of the Monoids (specifically the especially thick Monoid 2 and the rebellious Monoid 3) in The Ark has never been interviewed about his time on Doctor Who. He's not even done any conventions (but he has done one signing). John likes the "f" word and uses it liberally and it has been left intact herein. So be warned. This is a colourful one. And it has never been heard before. Worth the wait though - honestly, this one is GREAT fun! John should have his own show.

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And so we get to the final showdown on Refusis but there are still plenty of questions to be ansered. Will the humans find the bomb? Can inter-species co-operation be fistered by a fruity-voiced alien? And where to the Monoids put their food when they are eating? Fortunately D Mark Aldridge is on hadn to provide some insight, but with your host 2-1 up going into the final furlong, can he stay the victorious course or will he snatch defeat from the mouth of victory. If victory has a mouth. Unlike the Monoids.

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