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 conversations with around 35 people who helped make it, including Pat Sharp, Anne Wood and Tony Robinson. 

We also delve into some of the 100 objects themselves, including Anthea Turner's famous Blue Peter Tracy Island, Wonky Donkey from SM:TV Live, the MicroSoap Rubik's Cube, and the TARDIS. Doctor Who might have been absent from television for most of the 1990s, but it wasn't entirely absent from children's TV. Thom explains how the TARDIS continued appearing elsewhere during the Wilderness Years, prompting a wider discussion about Doctor Who's curious place in the decade. 

Plus: forgotten programmes, VHS tapes, YouTube archaeology, and why '90s children's television is ripe for rediscovery. 

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 into Marvel fatigue, Netflix’s audience drop-offs, Spider-Noir, Chris Chibnall’s attempts to reinvent Doctor Who, and whether modern audiences still want long-running serialised storytelling—or something completely different.

Talking points:

Let us know what you think, and if you have any thoughts on how Doctor Who should end, get in touch!
Meanwhile, Patreon supporters can enjoy some exclusive “after show” chat…

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 ask whether this celebrated run of episodes deserves its reputation.

The conversation also broadens into a look at modern Doctor Who as a whole, from the Chibnall era to Russell T Davies' recent return, considering which stories have stood the test of time and how fandom's views continue to evolve.

In this episode

What are your memories of Series Two? Has your opinion changed over the last twenty years, or does it still represent the high point of modern Doctor Who?

Let us know in the comments, or get in touch: [email protected]

You can support the podcast via our Patreon, which features a full unedited discussion about this topic and others. You'll also find the Kasterborous archive, which resurfaces old interviews and other material from the old Kasterborous website.

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 defining artists.

The unedited interview is available on our Patreon.

The conversation explores the creative process behind classic Doctor Who Magazine strips, the challenges of sequential storytelling, and the evolution of the comic throughout the Wilderness Years and beyond. 

Along the way, Lee discusses: 

 Whether you discovered Lee Sullivan's artwork through Doctor Who Magazine, Marvel UK's Transformers, or later Doctor Who books and illustrations, this interview offers a fascinating insight into one of the franchise's most recognisable artists.

Learn more about Lee Sullivan and his work: https://leesullivanart.co.uk/

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 relationship with entertainment forever, why Blu-rays and boxed games still have a place on the shelf, and whether services like Steam have fundamentally altered consumer expectations.

Also discussed:

The full uncut edition of this week’s podcast discussions can be found on our Patreon, along with the Kasterborous Archive.

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 return.

Christian and James both experienced the books when they were released, back when there was no Doctor Who on TV. Pre-Big Finish, these titles were the only tangible Doctor Who stories beyond the comic strip and the short-lived TV Movie, and were vital to positioning Doctor Who as a serious brand. 

Along the way, the conversation explores favourite novels, the evolution of Doctor Who publishing, and the enduring importance of books in keeping the series alive between 1989 and 2005. 

Also in this episode: 

Whether you discovered Justin Richards through his novels, his audio dramas, or his work behind the scenes, this episode celebrates a writer whose influence on Doctor Who is difficult to overstate.

The full uncut edition of this week’s podcast discussions can be found on our Patreon, along with the Kasterborous Archive.

Kasterborous Archive on Patreon

Look out for our main chat, landing later.

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 Archive on Patreon, and unlock interviews and "lost" items from our old website.

There’s also time to consider how shows like Scrubs and Roseanne used “light-touch revisionism” to ignore unpopular final seasons and return to familiar status quos, and the 1990s Timothy Zahn-penned Star Wars novels.

Let us know what your thoughts are on this matter -- is it useful to remove or ignore multimillion dollar movies from a timeline? Can the same be done to Doctor Who -- or is it simply not necessary?

Email us: [email protected]

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. 

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:

Thanks for watching, and don't forget, joining our Patreon as a paid subscriber gives you access to the Kasterborous Archive, a growing collection of material that was either unused, or forgotten, from the days of the old Kasterborous website.

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 radical creative shift, or are we looking at a period of uncertainty as the show prepares for its next phase?

We also weigh in on whether the festive hiatus is a temporary blip or a sign that the BBC’s priorities are shifting away from appointment viewing.

Tune in as we dissect the headlines and try to make sense of one of the biggest Doctor Who news stories of the year.

As ever, let us know what you think.