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

The voice of K-9 has fallen silent. In this edition of Kasterborous, Christian Cawley, James McLean and Brian A. Terranova remember John Leeson, the actor who brought one of Doctor Who's most beloved companions to life.

From his early days alongside Tom Baker to K-9's return in School Reunion and The Sarah Jane Adventures, Leeson's distinctive performance helped transform a robotic dog into an enduring part of Doctor Who history.

We reflect on his career, his dedication to the character and the remarkable affection K-9 continues to inspire among fans.

The conversation also turns to Walter Koenig, whose performances as Pavel Chekov in Star Trek and Alfred Bester in Babylon 5 made him a familiar face to generations of science-fiction viewers.

Then we return to Doctor Who and Peter Capaldi. The former Doctor's recent comments prompt a discussion about the programme, its creative direction and what the future might hold.

Along the way, we consider the lasting impact of familiar television performers and why the passing of actors associated with our favourite programmes can feel surprisingly personal.

Finally, we look ahead to a forthcoming discussion about Patrick Stewart and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

In this episode:

What are your favourite memories of John Leeson and K-9? And what do you make of Peter Capaldi's comments about Doctor Who?

We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Enjoyed the episode? Support Kasterborous on Patreon for extended video editions, additional discussions and exclusive content.

Support Kasterborous on Patreon

Kasterborous is presented by Christian Cawley, James McLean and Brian A. Terranova, bringing you conversations about Doctor Who, science fiction, classic television and popular culture.

Over the years, Doctor Who has attracted some remarkable guest stars. But does casting a famous face necessarily make an episode better?

This week, Christian Cawley and Brian A. Terranova explore the programme's history of celebrity casting, from established stars making special appearances to relatively unknown actors who went on to become household names.

What separates a genuine celebrity guest appearance from an actor who simply became famous later? And how much difference does a recognisable name make to the success of a story?

The conversation takes in some of the biggest names to appear in modern Doctor Who, including John Hurt, Kylie Minogue and Anthony Head, alongside performers such as Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield and Tom Ellis, whose careers developed considerably after their appearances.

There's also the question of whether a guest star should disappear into their character or whether their celebrity status is part of the attraction...

As ever, Christian and Brian bring their own perspectives, memories and occasional disagreements to a discussion about Doctor Who, television and the actors who make it memorable.

Who is your favourite Doctor Who guest star? And which famous appearance didn't quite work for you?

Let us know what you think!

Enjoyed the conversation? Support Kasterborous on Patreon for extended video editions, additional discussions and exclusive content.

Support Kasterborous on Patreon

Kasterborous is presented by Christian Cawley and Brian A. Terranova, bringing you conversations about Doctor Who, science fiction, classic television and popular culture.

Classic Doctor Who featured an extraordinary range of guest actors, from familiar television faces to established stars of stage and screen. But how many were actually recognisable to audiences at the time?

In this edition of Kasterborous, Christian Cawley and Brian A. Terranova revisit some of the more intriguing casting choices of the classic series.

There's Dolores Gray, the American musical theatre star who appeared in Silver Nemesis, Don Henderson's memorable performance as Gavrok in Delta and the Bannermen, and Michael Gough, whose career extended far beyond his appearances in Doctor Who.

The conversation also turns to the pleasure of recognising familiar actors in other programmes, particularly when revisiting classic British television.

And what about Tom Baker? Brian recalls discovering the Fourth Doctor in an unexpected television role, leading to a discussion of Baker's career outside the TARDIS, from television drama and comedy to his distinctive voice work.

It's a journey through classic Doctor Who, British television history and the actors who made these programmes memorable.

Who is your favourite guest actor from classic Doctor Who? And what's the most unexpected Tom Baker appearance you've encountered?

Join Christian and Brian for another Kasterborous conversation about Doctor Who and classic television. 

Enjoyed this episode? Support Kasterborous and watch our extended video editions on Patreon.

But while Doctor Who's international future remains uncertain, the BBC is preparing something rather different: TARDIS Crew, a new animated series for CBeebies aimed at introducing younger children to the Doctor's adventures.

Could the key to Doctor Who's survival be attracting a new generation of British children rather than chasing an international streaming audience?

In this edition of Kasterborous, Christian Cawley and James McLean explore three connected aspects of Doctor Who's past, present and future.

We begin with Russell T Davies' forthcoming memoir, The Queerest of Folk, and his reflections on the Disney+ partnership. Was Doctor Who's problem the programme itself, or the platform on which it was being presented?

The conversation then turns to some intriguing Doctor Who projects that never reached television, including abandoned Series 3 story ideas and discussions of the franchise's various spin-offs. It's a reminder that Doctor Who's history is full of alternative directions, unrealised ideas and opportunities that might have changed the programme considerably.

Finally, attention turns to TARDIS Crew.

With 52 short episodes planned for CBeebies, the animated series represents a very different approach to expanding the Doctor Who universe.

James argues that introducing children to Doctor Who could be one of the smartest decisions the BBC has made for the franchise in years. Christian is less certain, questioning the role of merchandising and whether the cartoon will succeed in an increasingly competitive children's television market.

The discussion also takes in In the Night Garden, Bluey, Hey Duggee and the enduring appeal of classic children's television.

What do you think?

Was Disney+ ever the right home for Doctor Who? Are there abandoned stories you'd still like to see produced? And could TARDIS Crew introduce enough new viewers to secure the programme's future?

We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Kasterborous is presented by Christian Cawley and James McLean, discussing Doctor Who, classic television, science fiction and popular culture.

Visit Kasterborous.co.uk for more, subscribe to the podcast, and find us on YouTube and Patreon.

Who will make Doctor Who next? And after the Disney+ experiment, could the programme be heading for its biggest reinvention since 2005?

In this edition of Kasterborous, Christian Cawley and James McLean discuss the uncertain future of Doctor Who, from the BBC's search for a new production company to the controversy surrounding AI-generated Doctor Who.

We start with the BBC's search for a new production partner. With Jed Mercurio, World Productions, ITV Studios and STV Studios among the names being discussed, Christian and James consider what a change of production company could mean for the series. Could Doctor Who move to Scotland? Would a smaller, more character-driven approach work better? And does the programme need to rediscover what made it successful in the first place?

Then, we move onto the AI comments from new BBC Director-General Matt Britton. They've led to concerns within the organization and beyond about the implications for actors, writers and the wider television industry. Is artificial intelligence a useful creative tool, or does it threaten the very people who make television worth watching?

In this episode

Who would you like to see producing Doctor Who? Should the programme embrace a completely new direction, or return to the approach that made it successful?

Share your thoughts with us! Leave a comment, or email [email protected]

Kasterborous is presented by Christian Cawley and James McLean, bringing you conversations about Doctor Who, science fiction, classic television and popular culture.

This edition was released with additional materal for our Patreon members. Support Kasterborous on Patreon for extended video editions and archive content.

Hello! Another Kasterborous chat for you this week with the full team of Christian Cawley, James McLean, and Brian Terranova.

This time, we're bringing together three conversations about television past and present — from the frustrations of streaming to Doctor Who edits and the decidedly different world of 1970s superheroes.

First, has streaming actually made it harder to discover good television? With programmes scattered across an ever-growing collection of services, we look at how finding something to watch has changed — and whether we've lost something from the days when you could simply stumble across a great programme.

Then we turn to Doctor Who. If you could go back to the original material and make your own edit, what would you change? Which stories could benefit from a little judicious cutting, rearranging or reconsideration?

Finally, it's back to the 1970s and two very different attempts to bring Marvel superheroes to television: Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk. Long before the MCU established what audiences expect from live-action superheroes, television had its own ideas about how these characters should work.

Three conversations, one extended edition of Kasterborous.

In this edition:

With Christian Cawley, James McLean and Brian A. Terranova. This edition is available as a video on our Patreon, with shorter videos on our YouTube channel.

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 television comedy to radio, including Dad's Army, Fawlty Towers and Blackadder.

But why did The Black Adder change so dramatically after its first series? Christian and Brian discuss the huge scale of Rowan Atkinson's original medieval comedy, the reduced budget that helped reshape the programme, the transformation of Blackadder and Baldrick, and whether moving comedy into the studio actually made it better.

There's also Red Dwarf, live studio audiences, Jeeves and Wooster, Not Going Out, Fawlty Towers, panel shows, and the question of why British and American sitcoms developed such different approaches to comedy.

In this episode:

Presented by Christian Cawley with Brian A. Terranova.

Kasterborous: Doctor Who, classic television and science fiction conversation since 2007.

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 showrunner model.

Does the tender represent a genuine fresh start for Doctor Who? What does the BBC's instruction not to consult previous BBC Studios or Bad Wolf production teams tell us about its intentions? And with a new production unlikely to reach television until 2028 or 2029, what happens in the meantime?

That leads to something rather more controversial: Doctor Who Reboot, a fan project using generative AI to create an unofficial continuation of the series.

Christian and James discuss the results, the potential intellectual-property problem, and the much bigger question of whether using AI to recreate Doctor Who is fundamentally at odds with the programme itself.

After all, if the Doctor is a character who repeatedly champions human creativity, individuality and freedom over technological conformity, is AI-generated Doctor Who a particularly strange contradiction?

Plus: the Master's latest trick may have nothing on the Kasterborous YouTube channel finally passing 200 subscribers.

With Christian Cawley and James McLean.

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 Deadly Assassin, examine Big Finish's rather more elaborate attempt to make sense of the Master's regenerations, and consider what Eric Roberts has brought to the role on audio.

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But continuity is only half the story. Was Doctor Who robbed of a potentially definitive Master by giving Derek Jacobi so little screen time? How does his colder interpretation compare with Delgado's original? And did John Simm effectively get a second chance to play the Master when he returned opposite Peter Capaldi?

It's an attempt to untangle one of Doctor Who's most complicated characters — and work out what actually makes a great Master.

With Christian Cawley and Brian A. Terranova.

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 there's the small matter of Billie Piper.

With Mark Gatiss discussing the unresolved ending to the most recent series, Christian and James consider whether a future production team really needs to explain what happened — or whether Doctor Who should simply move forward.

From Sherlock and Dallas to Blake's 7, Sapphire & Steel and the Seventh Doctor's final adventure, we look at the peculiar power of an unresolved ending — and wonder whether Doctor Who's controversial cliffhanger might actually be helping to keep the series alive in the public imagination.

With Christian Cawley and James McLean.