The Metebelis Two - a Doctor Who podcast

We discuss the abrupt end to Ncuti Gatwa era with a review of his concluding 2-part story Wish World and The Reality World and the speculate briefly about what may be ahead for Doctor Who. Opening and closing music is "Monsters" off of Blue Öyster Cult's 1980 studio album Cultösaurus Erectus. We recorded this episode on 24 July 2025.

We've reached the penultimate story in the season with The Interstellar Song Contest, where "Die Hard meets Eurovision" and hijinks ensue. Ben reminisces about past Eurovisions. David wonders if singing a Hellion folk song can really cause three trillion people to overlook they were about to be murdered? Throw in another bi-generation, Susan Foreman, a sidelined Belinda, a married couple with skills perfect to solve the story's problem, and the Doctor becoming a torturer, and well, there's much to talk about. Opening music is "Apricot Stone" with Eva Rivas for Armenia from Eurovision 2010, and closing music is "Miss Kiss Kiss Bang" with Alex Swings Oscar Sings for Germany from Eurovision 2009. We recorded this episode on 7 July 2025.

The Doctor goes home to Lagos, Nigeria, and finds themself trapped in a barbershop. In a powerful script by Inua Ellams, Ncuti Gatwa's portrayal of the Doctor is equalled by Ariyon Bakare as the Barber. There's much to like in this story, but Jo Martin was underused in her cameo — RTD, just give Martin her own series already. We thought shoehorning in Mrs Flood in this story was a tad lame. We'd have enjoyed seeing her wandering the Lagos marketplace ala Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliot) in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Also, we missed Varada Sethu as Belinda, but aside from a few grumbles, we quite liked this episode. Opening and closing music is "Aké" by Blick Bassy. We recorded this episode on 13 May 2025.

The series reaches the midway point, so why not drop in on last season's companion and spend some time with Ruby? Pete McTighe brings a story examining contemporary issues while he tries to channel his inner Haisman and Lincoln, massaging both the right and left wings of the political spectrum to leave us with a muddy middle. Toss in a new UNIT dating controversy and some continuity reinforcement, and you get yourself a "Lucky Day". Does Millie Gibson have the acting chops to carry another heavy-lift Doctor-lite story like with last season's "73 Yards"? Perhaps, but not for us though. Ben speculates that this story is a soft launch for The War between the Land and the Sea. And David wonders why does posh Jonah Hauer-King look like a long lost McGann brother? Opening and closing music is "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers. We recorded this episode on 7 May 2025.

Well, well, well. This week returns us to Midnight, but this time with Lombardo space marines on a search and recovery mission to a diamond mine that has gone silent. Another interesting future-tech gadget from the mind of RTD, with the TARDIS cracking the spacesuit selection for Belinda and the Doctor. But overall, David thought the Doctor's thinking and planning was sloppy and Ben thought the story was a bit choppy. Opening music is "Diamonds are Forever" composed and conducted by John Barry with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Closing music is a 1935 recording from Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians, "I'm Just an Ordinary Human". We recorded this episode on 29 April 2025.

In a rare intersection of time and space, Ben and David sit down on the same couch in the same living room at the same time to not only watch "Lux", a new episode of Doctor Who, but also to record a podcast on the very same story together. Wow! We talk about animation, RTD's storytelling and handling of 1952 America, Belinda's yellow dress, and breaking the fourth wall and who Davies depicted to represent fandom (replete with good-natured Moffat ribbing). Opening music is from "Make 'em Laugh" by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed from the 1952 MGM musical Singin' in the Rain and performed by Donald O'Connor. Closing music is "The Girl In The Yellow Dress" by David Gilmour and Polly Sampson off of the 2015 album, Rattle That Lock. We recorded this podcast on 23 April 2025.

The new Doctor Who season has launched with Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor joined by new companion Belinda Chandra, played by Varada Sethu. Both of us agree that Sethu's debut as Belinda was great! We look forward to spending the next seven episodes with her and the Doctor. Ben reflects upon what movies "The Robot Revolution" reminded him of, and David wonders if there wasn't a little bit of a Douglas Adams inspiration to the story. Plus, who was more cringy, AL or the Doctor? Opening music is from "Belinda" by the Eurythmics in 1981. Closing music is "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1" by the Flaming Lips in 2002. We recorded this podcast on 15 April 2025.

Ben spills the beans on this year's Gallifrey convention. Has Ben turned 180° on his thoughts on Steven Moffat? Listen, and you be the judge. This episode was recorded right after the con closed, but due to real life getting in the way, the podcast took a bit of time to get produced. Better late than never, we hope? We recorded this podcast on 19 February 2025. Opening and closing music is from "Santa Monica" by Everclear.

Ben welcomes back to the podcast Lena Barkin and Jess Jurkovic to discuss the upcoming Gallifrey One convention in Los Angeles. What are the Gally gang looking forward to at this year's guest-loaded con? And, what have Lena and Jess been up to in fandom in the past year? Opening music is "Space Adventure Part 2" composed by Martin Slavin and closing music is "Morton's Fork" composed by Dudley Simpson. We recorded this podcast on 30 January 2025.

We're kicking off our 2025 podcasting year with a look back to the 2024 Doctor Who Christmas special: Joy to the World. David worries that the time hotel may open the door to temporal instability, and Ben comes up with an interesting what-if that could have tied the time hotel to The War Games. Opening music Brian Hodgson's "Galaxy Atmosphere" and closing music is "Hotel California" performed by the Gipsy Kings. We recorded this podcast on 15 January 2025.