Doctor Who: Diddly Dum Podcast

Suky Khakh returns with us from Whooverville 17 to take a look at Third Doctor story The Daemons to continue our heated debate on pronunciation. Hear Mark and the Rev’s childhood dreams of getting walkie talkies or bazookas for Christmas.

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(00:11:57) The original episodes of the Blue Box Podcast can be found here as they are gradually loaded.

(00:19:13) Commando For Action and Adventure, formerly known as Commando War Stories in Pictures, and colloquially known as Commando Comics, is a British comic book magazine that primarily draws its themes and backdrops from the various incidents of the First and Second World Wars. It was first published in July 1961 and is still in print today. It is noted for its distinctive 7 × 5½ inch, 68 page format that became a standard for these kinds of stories.

(00:23:11) The clip of the teenager with Nazi/WW2 memorabilia on “Multi Coloured Swap Shop” can be seen here. Though I think we ought to reflect on this comment posted below the video: “The boy in the clip is Nigel Bowles. Everyone called him Stan, after the 70s footballer. We were good friends. He was never far-right, nor rich – just a kid who collected militaria. Stan was a really sweet guy, great fun, brilliant to grow up with, grew to love music (Motorhead (Lemmy was another collector), The Damned, Hawkwind, Ramones, etc.) and played bass in a few bands. He was killed in a bike accident at the age of 28. He would have been 59 this year. Much missed. RIP: Stan”.

(00:25:59) Photos of the bikers joining us at Whooverville 17 can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(00:57:06) Mark’s memory of the Daemons appearing in a comic strip called “Voyage to the Edge of the Universe” appeared in Doctor Who Monthly #49 and can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(01:03:40) The photo of the Rev’s home town of Heddon can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(01:35:55) Footage of the English Electric Lightning jet taking off can be seen here,

Diddly Dum Podcast acknowledges the copyright of anyone we’ve pinched anything from.

To celebrate the return of the Rev from his sojourn in Pompeii, we take a look at Tenth Doctor story “The Fires of Pompeii”.

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SHOW NOTES

(00:08:32) Castell Coch (Welsh for red castle) is a 19th-century Gothic Revival castle built above the village of Tongwynlais in Wales. The photo Mark had can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(00:31:09) “The Goodies: Kung Fu Kapers”, also known as the “Ecky Thump” episode, is infamous for it leading to a man laughing to death. Fifty-year-old Alex Mitchell could not stop laughing for a continuous 25-minute period—almost the entire length of the show—and suffered a fatal heart attack as a result of the strain placed on his heart. Mitchell’s widow later sent the Goodies a letter thanking them for making his final moments so pleasant. “Ecky Thump”, of course, is a general expression of surprise in Lancashire. A snatch of the episode can be seen here.

(00:38:28) The “Tardyss” story in “Team Titans” can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(00:56:22) A photo of the marble crazy paving in Pompeii can be seen on our Tumblr site here.

(00:59:49) The Pink Floyd posters at the Pompeii amphitheatre can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(01:01:28) The Rev’s lookalike fresco can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(01:24:40) The Cambridge Latin Course is a series of textbooks published by Cambridge University Press, used to teach Latin to secondary school pupils.

(01:26:25) Peter Cook’s sketch about the judge and the miner can be seen here.

(01:36:45) Mike Tucker’s Facebook post about Dalek egg cups can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(01:42:00) The “Streets of London” sketch from “Big Train” can be seen here.

Diddly Dum Podcast acknowledges the copyright of anyone we’ve pinched anything from

Here are our two interviews with (a) Mark Ayres and (b) Nicholas Pegg at DWAS Capitol 9 earlier this year. Doc keeps schtum as our own Mark talks passionately with Mark about AI and with Nicholas about David Bowie, amongst much else.

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SHOW NOTES

(00:42:11) The first four radio episodes of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was later adapted by Original Records into a double vinyl LP in the UK in 1979, and in 1982 in the United States and Canada. A sequel LP, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Part Two: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, was released in 1980 in the UK, and in 1982 in the United States and Canada. With both LP, copyright issues meant that the music used during the first radio series was either replaced, or in the case of the title it was re-recorded in a new arrangement. Composer Tim Souster did both duties (with Paddy Kingsland contributing music as well), and Souster’s version of the theme was the version also used for the eventual television series.

(00:52:08) Slow Horses is a British spy thriller television series based on the Slough House novels by Mick Herron, and adapted for television by the comedian and writer Will Smith. It follows an MI5 unit where disgraced or failed agents are consigned, under the supervision of Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman).

(00:57:26) “The Complete David Bowie” by Nicholas Pegg is recognized as the foremost source of analysis and information on every facet of Bowie’s work. The A-Z of songs and the day-by-day dateline are the most complete ever published. From his boyhood skiffle performance at the 18th Bromley Scouts’ Summer Camp, to the majesty of his final masterpiece Blackstar, every aspect of David Bowie’s extraordinary career is explored and dissected by Nicholas Pegg’s unrivalled combination of in-depth knowledge and penetrating insight….it says here.

(00:58:40) Big Finish’s “Box of Delights” full-cast audio production from 2021 can be found here.

(01:10:18) “The Tomorrow People” is a British children’s science fiction television series created by Roger Price. Produced by Thames Television for the ITV Network, the series first ran from 1973 to 1979. All incarnations of the show concerned the emergence of the next stage of human evolution (Homo novis) known colloquially as Tomorrow People. Born to human parents, an apparently normal child might at some point between childhood and late adolescence experience a process called ‘breaking out’ and develop special paranormal abilities. These abilities include psionic powers such as telepathy, telekinesis, and teleportation. Their psychological make-up prevents them from intentionally killing others.

The famed earworm theme music for “The Tomorrow People” was composed by Dudley Simpson. This and the famed opening titles can be seen here.

Diddly Dum Podcast acknowledges the copyright of anyone we’ve pinched anything from

Here are our two interviews with (a) Dez Skinn and Gareth Kavanagh and (b) Jeff Cummins at DWAS Capitol 9 earlier this year.

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SHOW NOTES

(00:05:33) Dez Skinn is a British comic and magazine editor and author of a number of books on comics. As head of Marvel Comics’ operations in the UK in the late 1970s, Dez reformatted existing titles, launched new ones, and acquired the BBC license for “Doctor Who Weekly”. After leaving Marvel UK, Dez founded and edited “Warrior”, which featured key works by Alan Moore. Called by some the “British Stan Lee”, Dez is one of British comics’ most influential figures (it says here). Dez’s website can be found here.

(00:05:33) Gareth Kavanagh is of course one of the legendary (i.e. we’re not entirely convinced that he actually exists but the stories about him are legion) eminences grises behind the “Vworp Vworp” fanzine and the Cutaway Comics imprint.

“Vworp Vworp” is a fanzine celebrating Doctor Who in comic strip form, as well as Doctor Who artwork in general and the history of “Doctor Who Magazine”.

Cutaway Comics is a new British imprint of comics and graphic novels drawn from the darker recesses of a dangerous, unpredictable cutaway universe. From the creators of Vworp Vworp! Magazine, they star some of the most enigmatic characters to have graced our screens. Beginning with a four-issue limited series written by Eric Saward (Doctor Who) and featuring the mercenary Lytton (as portrayed by Gangster’s Maurice Colbourne), Cutaway Comics is also bringing you art from the UK’s hottest artists including Barry Renshaw (Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog). Cutaway Comics is inspired by the so-called ‘backup’ strips of Doctor Who Weekly, which delved deeper into the characters and cultures of the Doctor Who universe away from the Doctor. Stay tuned for some exciting and unprecedented explorations of the worlds of Doctor Who and beyond.

(00:14:00) “The House of Hammer” was a British black-and-white magazine featuring articles and comics related to the Hammer Film Productions series of horror and science fiction films. The brainchild of Dez Skinn, almost every issue of the magazine featured a comics adaptations of a Hammer film, as well as an original comics backup story, such as the long-running feature Van Helsing’s Terror Tales. Contributors to the magazine included some of the UK’s top comics talents, such as Steve Moore, Brian Bolland, John Bolton, Trevor Goring, David Lloyd, John Stokes, and Brian Lewis. Lewis painted most of the covers, usually featuring the Hammer film being adapted in comics form in the interior pages. Regular columns by Denis Gifford and Ramsey Campbell were also part of the mix.

(00:15:55) The two covers for “The House of Hammer” issues 7 and 17 can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(00:28:02) The “Big Train” sketch referenced by Dez and Gareth here actually features Ralph McTell and “Streets of London” rather than Gerry Rafferty and “Baker Street”. Though the confusion is understandable. “Big Train” is a British television sketch show created by Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan. The first series was broadcast on BBC Two in 1998. The second, in which Linehan was not involved, aired in 2002. The sketch in question can be seen here.

(00:39:15) The Seacon article in The Guardian which Dez refers to here can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(00:51:07) Jeff Cummins has been as an art director, visualiser, designer, storyboard artist and long time iIlustrator in many worlds.

(00:53:00) Jeff’s Bruce Lee poster can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(00:55:05) Jeff’s album cover for Paul McCartney’s “Thrillington” can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(00:55:05) Jeff’s album cover for 10CC’s “Deceptive Bends” can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(00:55:05) Jeff’s album cover for Rainbow’s “Straight Between the Eyes” can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(01:22:14) The story of Jeff finding his early Dalek painting behind the wallpaper of his childhood home can be read here and another photo can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

Diddly Dum Podcast acknowledges the copyright of anyone we’ve pinched anything from

Tom Connor of Tom’s Refurbishments joins us to chat about his Dalek building and to look back at 3rd Doctor story “Day of the Daleks”.

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SHOW NOTES

(00:01:25) The poster for the Mid-Witch reunion can be seen on our Tumble page here.

(00:03:12) Photos of the Diddly Dummers meeting Tom at Capitol 6 can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(00:08:14) Tom’s Refurbishments Ltd can be found here.

(00:54:20) Photos of Tom at Capitol 9 offering replacement arm ideas to our own Mark cosplaying as Condo can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(01:28:06) This song is, of course, sung by Aubrey Woods in the film “Willy Wonks and the Chocolate Factory” and can be seen here.

Diddly Dum Podcast acknowledges the copyright of anyone we’ve pinched anything from

Once we’ve tackled the big news in Doctor Who fandom, we also take a look at the BBC announcement on the future of the show. Finally we review 5th Doctor story “The Awakening”.

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SHOW NOTES

(00:27:49) This clip comes from Mark Lawson’s 2008 interview with Russell T Davies which can be found here.

(00:54:00) The picture disk of Anthony Stewart Head in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(00:54:47) Dennis Locorriere (949 – 2026) was an American musician best known as a founding member, guitarist, and primary lead vocalist of the country rock group Dr. Hook (formerly Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show).

(00:56:37) The Rev’s mention of Fuzzy Felt here is a reference to a children’s toy first sold in the 1950s.

(00:57:56) During Hayden’s recent visit to Kent, Mark took him to see Kit Pedler’s grave in the village of Graveney.

(01:04:08) Marky’s selfie of himself with Morbius (Huw) and Condo (our Mark) at Capitol can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(01:10:26) The cognoscenti of audio fare will surely recognise that the voice of the Otter here comes from Kenneth Williams’s classic 1979 audiobook reading of “The Wind in the Willows”. Thanks to Doc finding these audio cassettes at the back of a drawer during a house move, the full audiobook can be found on this blog at this link enabling you to hear those famous vocal gymnastics which made Kenneth such a fixture of “Jackanory”.

(01:33:29) “Stig of the Dump” is a children’s novel by Clive King which was first published in the UK in 1963. It is regarded as a modern children’s classic and is often read in schools. It has been adapted twice for television, in 1981 (by Thames Television for ITV) and in 2002 (for the BBC).

(01:34:47) The photos of Tony Harding with the models of the Malus can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

Diddly Dum Podcast acknowledges the copyright of anyone we’ve pinched anything from

Tony Jordan joins us to look back at “Capitol 50 Years of DWAS”. Along the way, Mark gets liked on Instagram by a founder member of Kool and the Gang!

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SHOW NOTES

(00:03:48) Mark’s Yeti plushie can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(00:15:06) Floella Benjamin is a Trinidadian-British actress, singer, presenter, author and politician. She is known as presenter of children’s programmes such as Play School, Play Away, Jamboree and Fast Forward. In, Lady Benjamin was introduced to the House of Lords as a life peer nominated by the Liberal Democrats. She was chosen to carry the Sceptre with Dove at the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla.

(00:39:20) Huw Dennis spent part of the Saturday at “Capitol” cosplaying as the Morbius monster and on the Sunday invited our own Mark to put on his Condo costume. Photos and videos can be found on our Tumblr page here.

(00:39:20) A video of Condo vaping can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(00:40:09) A photo of Philip Hinchcliffe brandishing the trophy for “Genesis of the Daleks” can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

Diddly Dum Podcast acknowledges the copyright of anyone we’ve pinched anything from

Stephen Wyatt and Sean Mason join us at Capitol to talk about their new comic sequel to Paradise Towers – “Unalive the Multiverse”. This is followed by Martin Geraghty talking to us about comics and reminiscing with our own Mark about the anthology comics of their youth (Blast, Revolver, Toxic, Strip, Deadline, et al).

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SHOW NOTES

(00:07:44) Build High for Happiness! PARADISE TOWERS returns!

Cutaway Comics, Manchester’s comic imprint exploring creator-owned properties from Doctor Who, announces a further comic sequel to Doctor Who story PARADISE TOWERS: UNALIVE THE MULTIVERSE. First the Kangs defeated Kroagnon, the murderous great architect that terrorised Paradise Towers. Then the Kangs turned the tide against the treacherous General Favalan and her soldiers. Now the Kangs, Rezzies and Caretakers are hard at work rebuilding high for happiness and putting their past troubles behind them… right? For Viv-2 and her friends, nothing is ever easy! No-one can agree on what is best for Paradise Towers and old rivalries are starting to resurface. Tensions are high… and that’s when the murders start! For as well as their own personal trials, the Kangs must face off against a strike team of multiversal zealots determined to wipe them from reality. ALL REALITIES.

Paradise Towers: Unalive The Multiverse is a thrilling sci-fi adventure with twists, turns and the return of fan-favourite characters. Cutaway Comics is proud to present this 48 page story as a Prestige Format graphic novel, jam-packed with exciting action, emotional storytelling and plenty of humour. Featuring art by the dynamic and bold SILVANO BELTRAMO (Paradise Towers: Paradise Found, Twisted Dark, Black Mirror: USS Callister, Space Truckin‘), Paradise Towers’ mix of the urban and tribal will appeal to fans of The Ballad of Halo Jones and The Thirteenth Floor. The script is provided once more by SEAN MASON (Paradise Towers: Paradise Found, Iris Wildthyme, A Dame To Die For, Escape Act). Sean has written several books and strips for Cutaway Comics as well as producing our VAM discs. He has also written several books for the iconic Commando Comics published by DC Thompson, with his noir-infused story A Dame To Die For being hailed “an instant classic” by Commando fans online and picking up great reviews (“Sean weaves a smashing detective story, with plenty of action” – John Freeman, Down The Tubes).

Paradise Towers’ original creator, award-winning dramatist STEPHEN WYATT, has also joined the party, contributing a brand new back-up strip. Stephen has this to say about his first comics script: “I was so impressed by watching the Cutaway team create the first Towers comic book Paradise Found that I felt inspired to have a go myself. Scary Cat is the result. It’s about my favourite Towers characters, Tilda and Tabby, the Rezzies, and the secret life of their cat, Tiddles. I hope you enjoy it!”. Scary Cat will be drawn by a brand new artist, sourced through an open artist competition to be run in Summer 2026. Discussing the open art competition, Cutaway Comics Commissioning Editor GARETH KAVANAGH says “We’re all about giving people a break at Cutaway, so this opportunity is open to an artist looking for their very first paid commission. Silvano Beltramo, artist on Paradise Towers was given his first paid comics commission through this very process and has soared ever since. We can’t wait to open the doors to another brand-new artist to see what talent is out there”.

As usual from Cutaway, expect fantastic merch and extras. The Kickstarter will include the chance to get exclusive perks including deluxe hardbacks, in-universe hot romance novellas, a brand new Kang Zine, postcards of cover art, prints, t-shirts and even exclusive Tidla and Tabby pinnies. Expect a packed new VAM disc crammed with newly recorded audio and visual goodies. Highlights include a new writers’ commentary on Paradise Towers featuring STEPHEN WYATT, SEAN MASON and ROBERT SHEARMAN (Dalek), hosted by the BFI’s own JUSTIN JOHNSON and a fun packed new commentary track featuring a couple of original Kangs (more to be announced) and our esteemed colleagues from the brilliant GALLIFREY CABARET, moderated by RICHARD UNWIN.

The Kickstarter goes live at 3pm GMT, Saturday 23rd May 2026 and runs for three weeks. It can be accessed at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/room5064/paradise-towers-unalive-the-multiverse

(00:29:08) Martin Geraghty is an exceptionally prolific penciller in the pages of Doctor Who Magazine, active since 1994. He can also claim to be its most versatile artist, since he’s drawn non-parodic stories featuring eight different incarnations of the Doctor and well over fifteen companions. Martin can be contacted by email at [email protected].

Diddly Dum Podcast acknowledges the copyright of anyone we’ve pinched anything from

Tony Jordan of the DWAS joins us to look forward to the activities planned for the “Capitol Fifty Years of DWAS” convention on 9th and 10th May.

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SHOW NOTES

(00:00:00) FILM IS FABULOUS donations can be made at their website here.

(00:00:00) The DWAS Capitol website can be found here.

(00:07:18) The video clip of David Bowie telling this Mick Jagger anecdote on the “Parkinson” show can be seen here.

Diddly Dum Podcast acknowledges the copyright of anyone we’ve pinched anything from.

We’re joined by Tim Burrows of The Missing Episodes Podcast to discuss our reactions to finally having watched the recovered episodes of “The Daleks Master Plan”. Then we take a look at 3rd Doctor story “Death to the Daleks”. Along the way, we debate The Tufty Club and the cultural cachet of “Cosmopolitan” magazine.

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SHOW NOTES

(00:00:00) FILM IS FABULOUS donations can be made at their website here.

(00:03:46) To discuss the recent return of the two misding episodes from “The Daleks Master Plan”, Tim Burrows returns to us after his guest appearances on podcasts 173 and 189 and 228. Tim’s expertise is usually on his The Missing Episodes Podcast.

(00:05:29) “Between the Lines” was a television police drama series created by J. C. Wilsher and produced by World Productions for the BBC. It was first shown on BBC1 between 4 September 1992 and 21 December 1994, running for three series.

(00:32:22) The juxtaposition of Katerina reaching out to the stars and then to the airlock can be seen here.

(00:39:02) The screening of the two rediscovered episodes of “Daleks Master Plan” at Riverside on 4th April 2026 included three discussion panels which can be found on Youtube here:

Panel One: Toby Hadoke interviews Sue Malden and Tim Burrows.

Panel Two: Toby Hadoke interviews Gavin Rymill and Paul Vanezis.

Panel Three: Toby Hadoke interviews Nick Briggs and Peter Purves.

(00:57:45) The reappearance of Dalek guns in Star Wars can be seen discussed here.

(01:02:29) “Bananas in Pyjamas” is an Australian children’s television series that first aired on 20 July 1992 on ABC. The concept was inspired by the success of the song Bananas in Pyjamas, written by Carey Blyton in 1967, on Play School. This song, which had become a regular item on Play School, became the theme of the new series.

(01:03:14) Tufty Fluffytail is the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents’ (RoSPA) iconic red squirrel who was instrumental in helping millions of children to learn about road safety from the 1950s-1990s. Created in 1953 by Elsie Mills MBE, who worked on child safety initiatives at RoSPA, Tufty helped to communicate simple safety messages to children across the UK. In 1961, his influence was cemented through the formation of the Tufty Club – a nationwide network of local road safety groups for children. At its peak, there were 24,500 registered Tufty Clubs, with membership passing two million children in 1972. Although focusing on road safety education, Tufty and his Furryfolk friends, including Policeman Badger, Willy Weasel, Minnie Mole and Mrs Owl, also made forays into other areas of child safety, including home and water safety. Story books, TV fillers (some voiced by Bernard Cribbins), comics, board games, handkerchiefs, jigsaw puzzles, stickers, colouring books, Christmas cards, soft toys, ceramic figures, puppets, toothbrushes, mealtime sets, knitting patterns, nightwear fabric and song sheets were among the items that helped to maintain Tufty’s profile. Tufty’s image was changed to keep up with the times in 1979 and again in 1993, before new methods of helping children to learn about road safety came to the fore. 

The photo uncovered by The Rev of children undergoing the same Tufty Club training suffered by Doc can be found on our Tumblr page here.

(01:03:49) In 1976, actor Jon Pertwee appeared in a Public Information Film for the Green Cross Code, introducing the mnemonic “SPLINK”.

(01:05:34) Welephant is a red elephant cartoon character with a fireman’s helmet, originally used as a mascot by fire brigades in the United Kingdom to promote fire safety to children. Since 1989, however the character has become the mascot for the Children’s Burn Trust. Welephant was created for the Greater Manchester Fire Service in order to promote awareness of the dangers of fire to the local school children. A competition was set where pupils of the local schools submitted drawings of a possible mascot that the fire department could use. The competition was won by 14 year old Susan Buttner, whilst she was a pupil at Oulder Hill High School, Rochdale.

(01:06:39) The Puffin Club was the brainchild of Kaye Webb, the celebrated editor of Puffin Books. The club itself was born in 1967 after Kaye had persuaded Sir Allen Lane, the owner of Penguin Books, that the club would make children into adult readers. Members were not sold books directly. News of new books and requests to review them and short stories by current Puffin writers would drive the young readers into the bookshops.

(01:07:12) “Super Gran” is a Scottish fictional series about a grandmother with superpowers. Initially a series of books written by Forrest Wilson, a children’s television show was adapted by Jenny McDade and produced by Tyne Tees Television for Children’s ITV. The title character was played by Gudrun Ure, with Iain Cuthbertson as her nemesis, Roderick, the Scunner Campbell. It originally ran from 1985 to 1987.

(01:31:53) The DVD extra clip of the Daleks practising whispering can be seen on our Youtube channel here.

(01:47:52) Bridlington Comic-Com 2026 will take place on Sunday 27th September.

(01:48:02) On Saturday 23rd May 2026, a special event at Home cinema in Manchester features discussions with Peter Purves, Toby Hadoke, John Franklin, Professor Justin Smith, Tim Burrows and Gavin Rymill. This event will begin at the advertised time with no ads or trailers. Tickets on sale:  Friends – Tue 14 Apr 12:00 / Members – Fri 17 Apr 12:00 / General – Mon 20 Apr 12:00. Event/ This special event features discussions with Peter Purves, Toby Hadoke, John Franklin, Professor Justin Smith, Tim Burrows and Gavin Rymill. This special event presents the first three episodes of 1965 serial The Daleks’ Master Plan – two of which were recently recovered from a private film collection – alongside a programme of discussions with guest contributors, including Doctor Who legend Peter Purves. Presented in partnership with Film is Fabulous! 

Diddly Dum Podcast acknowledges the copyright of anyone we’ve pinched anything from.