We review Invaders from Mars, the Big Finish Main Line release from 2002 featuring Paul McGann as Doctor Who. Ben and David laugh along with this fun story written and directed by Mark Gatiss and set at Halloween 1938. Gatiss creates a joyful pastiche from 1930s radio drama, gangster films, and a hearty dose of 1950s popular sci-fi done with the sketch-comedy stylings of The League of Gentlemen. Ben enjoyed listening to this with fresh ears nearly 18 years after its release and David wondered if the time fallout from Charley would have confused listeners as much as it did for him. Opening and closing music is by Alistair Lock's sound design for the story.

The Metebelis Two talk briefly about the two "missing" Troughton stories that will be released as animations next year. David wonders if Deborah Watling's likeness be successfully realized? Was that Emil Keller or Rev. Magister in the Faceless teaser trailer? Then in our main feature, Ben serves as our guide to 13 spooky and horrible Doctor Who stories to watch. What does Ben choose and what did he pass over? Discussion about when is the proper time to watch spooky stories? Halloween like in the America or Christmas like in Britain? And is the encroachment of Halloween in the UK lessening Guy Fawkes night? This episodes music is from Carey Blyton's score for "Death to the Daleks".

We continue on with our discussion of spooky Doctor Who and try to answer whether horror truly works in the confines of the show. Does more realistic effects detract or enhance the storytelling of spooky stories? Is Ben a horror snob and what makes David a fan of theatre? Opening music is "Mysteries" composed by Don Harper from "The Invasion" and closing music is "Keeler's Transformation Begins" composed by Geoffrey Burgon from "The Seeds of Doom".

The Metebelis Two remember Stephen Moore and his role of Marvin the Paranoid Android from the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Followed by speculation on what the next 1960s Who animation will be, which then leads to a conversation of the University of Central Lancashire's recent restaging of Mission to the Unknown. Should more missing Who be restaged? Who would the two cast as the Doctor? Opening music is "Marvin" sung by Stephen Moore and interstitial stings and closing music is by Trevor Duncan and was from the soundtrack of Mission to the Unknown. (Note: Our sincere apologies that throughout the podcast we mistakenly referred to the wrong university and not University of Central Lancashire.)

Christopher Eccleston is embracing Doctor Who fandom in a big way with appearances at Rose City and New York Comic Cons. Ben is excited that Eccleston is the headliner at next year's Gallifrey One. Ben references two stores in The Guardian. 20 questions with Eccleston and Sylvester McCoy modeling scarves. The two anticipate the screening of the Univesity of Central Lancashire's recreation of Mission to the Unknown and David pitches an idea for "Who in the Park" loosely based off of "Trek in the Park". Ben suggests "Who in the Quarry" may be more of a fit. Then the two close with thoughts on spooky versus scary Doctor Who stories and suggest it will be the theme of the podcast this month. Opening music is "The Doctor's Theme" and closing music is "Clockwork TARDIS", both composed by Murray Gold for Series 1.

This week we pay our respects to Terrance Dicks, the script editor and writer, who made such an enormous impact on Doctor Who and, in turn, our lives. From Target novelisations, to script editing, to original stories, Terrance Dicks was the quintessential professional who lent credibility to every Who-related project he was associated with. Also please donate to Save the Children, in memory of Terrance. Opening this episode is Dicks describing the Doctor's character from the 1993 documentary "Thirty Years in the TARDIS". Closing music is "Eye of Orion" composed by Peter Howell for "The Five Doctors" and followed by former producer Barry Letts asking Dicks how he'd would like to be remembered from "Terrance Dicks: Fact & Fiction" and a brief riff from Dudley Simpson from "Carnival of Monsters".

The Metebelis Two discuss the Pertwee stories that fell in the lower half of the last Doctor Who Magazine (#474) reader's poll and why these stories may deserve reappraisal. With nine stories in all to cover, Ben and David question whether fan wisdom is right on these "lesser" Pertwee outings. Along the way, Ben admires the great man's wardrobe and David pitches the Master's Companions Chronicles for Dr. Ruth Ingram and Stuart Hyde! Plus why Bill Filer should return to Doctor Who. All this and more, much more! Opening music is the "Dalek March" from Cary Blyton's score for Death to the Daleks. Closing music is "II" from Tristram Cary's score for The Mutants.

The concluding episode of the Metebelis Two's three-part celebration of the Jon Pertwee centenary focusing on seasons 9 through 11. Ben explains how first reading Target novilisations made the actual viewing of the stories a bit anticlimatic. BBC productions values of the early 1970s could not compete with the vivid memories of an 8-year-old's imagination, Ingrid Pitt's costume in The Time Monster aside. Then the two do a deep dive into how Omega's guards are pronounced. Is it with a /g/ sound like with gar or a /j/ sound like with jar; on-the-fly research was done and sources were cited. A brief sidebar about the new action figures for Big Finish / Character Option, including Harry Sullivan. Were Ogrons the classic series Judoon? Why was the Master having a bit of laugh in Roger Delgado's final story? Did Mac Hulke not like Pertwee's usual outfits? These questions and more! Opening music is from Dudley Simpson's score for the Frontier in Space and closing music is from his score for Planet of the Spiders.

This is the second episode of our three-part Jon Pertwee centenary celebration. We begin by discussing Pertwee's career post-Who and wonder about Worzel Gummidge. What was the appeal for Jon and the audience? We briefly touch upon his recording career and his tenure as a quiz show host. (Ben, fiercely loyal to Pertwee as Doctor Who, boycotted it all!) Then we begin a retrospective of seasons 7 and 8 and talk about how having a regular company or family of actors on the who probably helped out actors like Pertwee and Nick Courtney. We wrap up singing Roger Delgado's praises and how much his untimely death altered the course of Who forever. Opening music is "Dover Castle" composed by Dudley Simpson. Closing music is "I am the Doctor" with Jon Pertwee.

In this, the first of our three-part Jon Pertwee centenary celebration, we talk about the man who played the Third Doctor and his legacy. Ben notes that Pertwee's Doctor is the first Time Lord and contrasts Pertwee's aristocratic portrayal of the Doctor to the more working-class character of the Doctor that Patrick Troughton gave. David comments on how there is a Pertwee revival now happening in fandom over the past few years. Opening music is "The Axons Approach" composed by Dudley Simpson and performed by Brian Hodgson. Closing music is "Silurians" composed by Carey Blyton. The clip at the end is of Pertwee being interviewed on Pebble Mill by Gloria Hunniford.