Doctor Who A(uton) to Z(ygon)

We've got a little bit of Doctor Who news to talk about -- like more missing episode finds and RTD's plans for Ncuti Gatwa's third season -- then we turn our attentions to a Big Finish Halloween release from 2025, called "Sea Smoke and Other Stories." We listened to the first story in the set, "Sea Smoke" by one of Josh's favorite podcast writers, Jonathan Simms, starring Stephen Noonan as the First Doctor and Lauren Cornelius as Dodo. The TARDIS lands on the Scottish isle of Ulfsay during the height of the 19th-century boom in kelp burning. They quickly realise something is wrong as the smoke from the latest batch of 'kelp' begins to cause horrific transformations on the island.

Where to Listen:  

Website: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/doctorwhoatoz  

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6P7pJVFmxIzYFiyFUJA5y7  

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doctor-who-a-uton-to-z-ygon/id1676652281  

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ae4b86e9-4eb8-4583-8fb6-b162ebc5d137/doctor-who-a-uton-to-z-ygon  

iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-doctor-who-auton-to-zygon-110312422/  

Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/doctor-who-auton-to-zygon/4562665 

We have SO MUCH news to tackle this week! We have our first preview of the new animated pre-teen series Doctor Who: TARDIS Crew, two new companions for the Eighth Doctor, RTD's resignation letter from Doctor Who, big updates on the production bid process for the future of the franchise, and an upcoming cinema release of "The Satan Pit"!

Then we review a new fan film from PREP-B Productions called Dr. Who Meets the Scorpion, written, directed and starring Phillip Roy!

The BIG News in the Doctor Who world right now is that the search for a new production company has officially begun! Ashley, Josh and Alan break down the tender document that was issued by the BBC this past week. We talk about what's in it, what ISN'T in it, and speculate about what it all means for potential bidders.

Then, we turn our attention to Ashley's pick for review: "The Caller," the first episode in the new Smith and Sullivan: Reunited boxset. Original Fourth Doctor companions Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan team up to stop a new alien menace.

This week we take our first step into the world of Circuit Breaker, a new multi-platform series featuring the Fugitive Doctor as played by Jo Martin. In this inaugural chapter, we see Osgood and her assistant Andrew recruiting the Doctor to carry out a mission that can only be accomplished by this particular incarnation. How does this story stack up to what we know of the Doctor?

First, though, we tackle all the news from the Whoniverse!

Josh, Alan, and Dr. Ashley (that's right, he's a Doctor now!) revisit the Twelfth Doctor era, but in a very new iteration. Big Finish has released a brand-new six-episode season of Twelfth Doctor called Be Kind Run Fast, starring Jon Culshaw as the Doctor, and Gwithian Evans as a new companion called Ash. The first episode, "The Second Death," takes place immediately after "The Husbands of River Song" and the season bridges the gap between that and "The Return of Dr. Mysterio." It's a new era for the Grumpy Doctor . . . but is it any good?

First, though, we have a LOT of Doctor Who news to talk about: Upcoming novels, possible update on the future of the series, some Big Finish news, casting news for Only Murders in the Building, and more!

This week we present to you a panel discussion that was recorded LIVE at the Stellar Fest convention in April of 2026. The topic is 1976 - a year from the golden era of Classic Who that featured the iconic pairing of the Fourth Doctor with Sarah Jane Smith in such classic stories as "Pyramids of Mars," "The Brain of Morbius," "The Seeds of Doom," "The Hand of Fear," and more. Ashley, Josh and Alan are joined at the panel room table by Mike Gordon of the Earth Station Who podcast.

Let us know what you think of "1976" and if you agree with our review of it! Email us at [email protected] or drop a comment on our socials!

Back in the 1990s, there was no Doctor Who on television, so fans took it upon themselves to fill the gap. "Downtime" from 1995 has the most professional involvement of what was produced during the Wilderness Years, with actors, writers, directors, and technicians from the show. As a direct sequel to the two Yeti stories from the 60s ("The Abominable Snowmen" and "The Web of Fear"), "Downtime" picks up the story of Victoria Waterfield who is searching for her missing father. Sarah Jane Smith and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart get involved in preventing the Great Intelligence from reemerging.

Let us know what you think of "Downtime" and if you agree with our review of it! Email us at [email protected] or drop a comment on our socials!

This week we learned the incredibly sad news that author Justin Richards had passed away. Justin was one of the most important figures in Doctor Who for decades. He was not only one of the most important contributors in keeping Doctor Who alive and active during the wilderness years, but was incredibly active during the 2005 revival and well into the New Series. He wrote novels, audio dramas, non-fiction, graphic novels, and more. We share some of our favorite highlights from throughout his prolific career.

This week we dive into a very special Big Finish release -- a LIVE recording of the Eighth Doctor and Charley story, The Stuff of Legend! It stars Paul McGann and India Fisher, with Alex MacQueen as the Master and Nicholas Briggs as the Daleks. Written by Robert Valentine and directed by Barnaby Edwards, the story was produced to celebrate Big Finish's 25th anniversary. So what did we think of it?

First, though, we talk Doctor Who news! The BBC makes huge cuts, and Peter Capaldi talks about why he left the show when he did.

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Where to Listen:  

Website: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/doctorwhoatoz  

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6P7pJVFmxIzYFiyFUJA5y7  

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doctor-who-a-uton-to-z-ygon/id1676652281  

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ae4b86e9-4eb8-4583-8fb6-b162ebc5d137/doctor-who-a-uton-to-z-ygon  

iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-doctor-who-auton-to-zygon-110312422/  

Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/doctor-who-auton-to-zygon/4562665 

On June 10, 2026 we finally learned the fate of Doctor Who, at least for the foreseeable future. The promised Christmas episode is cancelled, and Russell T Davies and his production company Bad Wolf are out of the picture. What does that mean for the future of our favorite franchise? We tackle that question best we can and hopefully offer some hope at the end. This episode was recorded live on YouTube the night the news came out, and we take comments and questions from our viewing audience.