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PODCAST

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who & Classic Sci-Fi

Christian Cawley (host, producer) | James McLean (host) | Brian Terranova (host)

Regular podcast featuring unique and in-depth discussions covering Doctor Who and other classic TV and movies, usually in the sci-fi and sci-fantasy fields. Launched in 2007, we"ve lost count of how many episodes we"ve actually done. Special episodes include interviews with creatives, writers, actors, and notable commentators in the cult TV field. Your regular hosts are Christian Cawley, James McLean, and Brian Terranova.

tv & film after shows

All Episodes

38:32

From Blackadder to Red Dwarf: What makes British...

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who &... ·

2026/09/28

Why did radio drama and comedy remain such a strong part of British broadcasting — while largely disappearing from American radio?In this edition of Kasterborous, Christian Cawley and Brian A. Terranova start with the very different audio traditions on either side of the Atlantic. Along the way, they encounter The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Star Wars on radio, Big Finish, and some almost-forgotten Doctor Who radio productions.That leads to the peculiar British tradition of bringing

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48:45

Doctor Who's future: new producers, no showrunner......

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who &... ·

2026/09/21

The BBC has formally begun looking for the production team that will take Doctor Who into its next era — and some of the details suggest the series could be made rather differently in future.This week, Christian Cawley and James McLean examine the BBC's new Invitation to Tender for Doctor Who, including its emphasis on high-concept science fiction, distinctively British storytelling and episodic writers — and the intriguing suggestion that the programme may no longer follow the traditional

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37:25

Who is the definitive Master? Doctor Who's greatest...

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who &... ·

2026/09/14

The Master has been cheating death almost as long as the Doctor has been saving the universe — but can all those different incarnations actually be fitted into a coherent timeline?Christian Cawley and Brian A. Terranova take a trip through the Master's complicated history, from Roger Delgado and the decaying Master to Anthony Ainley, Eric Roberts, Derek Jacobi, John Simm and Michelle Gomez.Along the way, they revisit an old theory connecting the Master of the 1996 Doctor Who TV Movie with The

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29:59

Who wants Doctor Who — and what happens next?

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who &... ·

2026/09/07

What happens next to Doctor Who — and who might actually make it?Christian Cawley and James McLean discuss the latest speculation surrounding the programme's future, including Netflix's apparent lack of interest and Amazon's much more welcoming response to the prospect of getting involved.Could Amazon do for Doctor Who what it once did for Ripper Street? Would moving further into the streaming world give the programme greater creative freedom, or would something important be lost along the way?Then

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29:59

The X-Files, Star Wars and the problem with...

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who &... ·

2026/08/31

Chris Carter has returned to 2008's The X-Files: I Want to Believe and created a new director's cut — but unusually, his preferred version is shorter than the film we already had.James McLean and Brian Terranova have watched the new cut and join Christian Cawley to discuss what's changed, including its renewed emphasis on horror, alterations to Mulder and Scully's relationship, and whether Carter has actually made I Want to Believe a better movie.But that raises a bigger question: when should

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28:54

Does Doctor Who need another fresh start?

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who &... ·

2026/08/24

What should Doctor Who do next? We look to its uncertain future — and back to the BBC's memorable Doctor Who Night in 1999.Christian Cawley, James McLean and Brian Terranova discuss Dean Devlin's recent comments about Doctor Who, the prospect of another David Tennant return, and whether the programme might benefit from something resembling the clean break it received in 2005.Should a future producer embrace decades of continuity, or give new viewers an easier way in? Could Tennant's Fourteenth

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44:43

Are we watching the same films and TV shows anymore?

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who &... ·

2026/08/17

What happens when the films and TV programmes we grew up with aren't quite the same things we remember?This week, a mix of Doctor Who and Star Wars, with Christian Cawley, James McLean and Brian Terranova beginning with some surprising discoveries about Luke Skywalker's decidedly ordinary trousers and Han Solo's blaster, changing lightsaber props, and the surprisingly problematic dimensions of the Millennium Falcon.That leads us into the world of film and television restoration. What can modern

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50:22

When does Doctor Who fan fiction become canon?

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who &... ·

2026/08/12

What actually counts as Doctor Who canon—and who gets to decide? Christian Cawley, James McLean and Brian Terranova head down the rabbit hole of Doctor Who fan productions, unofficial spin-offs and alternative continuities, beginning with Brian's experiences developing his own Orville fan production. That leads us to Doctor Who projects such as Downtime, and The Stranger, where familiar actors and characters could appear in productions that existed somewhere between fan fiction and the television

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24:17

From Tracy Island to Wonky Donkey: remembering '90s...

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who &... ·

2026/08/03

What can Tracy Island, Wonky Donkey and a TARDIS tell us about growing up with television in the 1990s? Well, Christian Cawley is about to find out. He chats with author Thom Gray about 100 Objects of '90s Children's TV, his celebration of a decade of CBBC, CITV, Saturday morning shows and programmes that have since slipped from memory, which is out now from Candy Bar Books.Thom explains how the book came together, the challenges of researching children's television from the period, and his

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49:15

What Doctor Who should learn from Marvel and DC

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who &... ·

2026/07/27

This week’s podcast explores what the future might hold for Doctor Who—and whether the problems facing the BBC’s flagship series are really part of a much bigger shift across television and film.Hosted by Christian Cawley and James McLean, the show discusses Sylvester McCoy’s surprise appearance in the Commonwealth Games trailer, what it tells us about the BBC’s continuing commitment to Doctor Who, and the implications of the programme’s move to open tender.From there, the conversation broadens

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52:07

Doctor Who Series 2 isn't what you remember

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who &... ·

2026/07/20

This week, Christian Cawley, James McLean, and a returning Brian Terranova revisit Doctor Who Series Two (2006)!Twenty years after Doctor Who Series Two first aired, we look back at the stories that established David Tennant as the Doctor and cemented the modern series as a television phenomenon.From New Earth and Tooth and Claw to School Reunion, The Girl in the Fireplace and the return of the Cybermen, we revisit our original reactions, discuss how our opinions have changed over the years, and

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51:54

From Transformers to the TARDIS: Lee Sullivan on...

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who &... ·

2026/07/13

Doctor Who artist Lee Sullivan joins Christian Cawley to look back on a career that has spanned Transformers, Marvel UK, Doctor Who Magazine, and some of the most memorable comic strips of the Seventh and Eighth Doctor eras.Beginning with his childhood love of comics and Gerry Anderson, Lee explains how an ambition to become a comic strip artist eventually led him from British Aerospace to Marvel UK, where he cut his teeth drawing Transformers before unexpectedly becoming one of Doctor Who's

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44:05

From cinemas to Steam: who really owns entertainment...

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who &... ·

2026/07/06

The conversation continues beyond Doctor Who this week as Christian Cawley and James McLean turn their attention to the changing world of film, gaming, and digital entertainment.Starting with the prospects for DC Studios’ Supergirl and the current state of superhero cinema, the discussion broadens into the future of the cinema experience, the decline of physical media, and what it really means to own the films and games we pay for.Along the way, they consider whether streaming has changed our

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13:54

Remembering Justin Richards and Doctor Who's literary...

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who &... ·

2026/07/06

The Doctor Who world lost one of its most important creative voices with the passing of Justin Richards. This week, Christian Cawley and James McLean celebrate his remarkable contribution to the Whoniverse and discuss why his work mattered to generations of fans.From the Virgin New Adventures to BBC Books, Big Finish audio dramas, comics, and countless reference works, Justin Richards helped define Doctor Who during the years it was off television—and continued shaping the franchise long after its

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52:10

The “ersatz” Doctor: Why fandoms are obsessed with...

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who &... ·

2026/06/29

Christian Cawley and James McLean address some recent show reviews and consider a growing trend in major fandoms: the desire to rewind the clock, and remove episodes, or movies, that don’t align.Following a surprising Apple Podcasts review that labelled certain eras of Doctor Who as “ersatz,” they dive into the psychology of canon, the reality of “brand positivity,” and why big studios might actually consider wiping the slate clean.This episode first aired on our Patreon. Support the Kasterborous

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55:41

Confessions of a 90s fan: How we survived the Doctor...

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who &... ·

2026/06/22

In this episode of Kasterborous, Christian Cawley and James McLean take a trip down memory lane to discuss the infamous "wilderness years" of Doctor Who. Inspired by current industry headlines and the recent status of the series, they recall and reflects on how they—and the wider fandom—navigated the period following the show's 1989 cancellation. Key topics this weekThe "Cancellation" Conversation: We break down the current state of Doctor Who and explore whether rumors of cancellation are merely

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69:40

From CSO to space stations: ranking the best and...

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who &... ·

2026/06/12

Christian, Brian, and James dive into the complex, hodgepodge world of special effects in Classic Doctor Who. From the creative ingenuity required to mask limited budgets to the philosophical debate between practical effects and modern CGI, the team explores what makes certain classic effects timeless while others fall short.Key Discussion Points: The Art of "Classic" FX: Discussion on why classic Doctor Who effects often feel more engaging than seamless modern CGI, specifically the audience's

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27:48

The end of an era: Russell T Davies out, no 2026...

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who &... ·

2026/06/10

The TARDIS is changing hands—or at least, the keys might be. In a massive shake-up, the BBC has officially put Doctor Who out to tender, signaling a potential end to the current Russell T Davies era. While the show is far from cancelled, the search for a new production house to take the helm has sent shockwaves through the fandom.Join Christian Cawley and James McLean as they break down the implications of this news. What does it mean for the future of the series? Could this open the door for a

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36:01

Stephen Wyatt returns to Paradise Towers in a...

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who &... ·

2026/06/05

This week on Kasterborous, Christian chats with Gareth Kavanagh about the latest Kickstarter from Cutaway Comics, Paradise Towers: Unalive the Multiverse.Returning to the neon-soaked world of Doctor Who's classic 1987 story Paradise Towers, the new graphic novel continues the adventures of the Kangs, Rezzies, and Caretakers as a fresh threat emerges from across the multiverse. The project is written by Sean Mason and builds on Cutaway's previous Paradise Towers comics. Visit the Paradise Towers:

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62:03

Is Doctor Who actually cancelled?

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who &... ·

2026/05/30

You cannot have helped but notice that rumours are swirling about the future of Doctor Who, with tabloid reports suggesting that next year’s series and the 2026 Christmas special are facing cancellation. We dig into the reality behind these headlines, the struggle to find the next Time Lord, and why the current climate of “content saturation” is creating such an atmosphere of uncertainty.Quick TL;DR -- we don’t buy the “no one wants to play the Doctor” schtick, and nor should you.This chat does

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530 results

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