The Metebelis Two Ace retrospective continues this week with a discussion about The Genocide Machine, which was the second Big Finish release to feature Ace. The story is very reminiscent of a Terry Nation story with all that entails. So, a jungle planet with Daleks and rather one-dimensional supporting characters. With the Daleks return for the first time since Remembrance was this story able to deliver? The opening sound is a gentle rain fall. Closing music is the Eurythmics' song "Here Comes the Rain Again" from 1983.

We continue our journey with Ace and Doctor Who after the programme ended on BBC One with The Fearmonger. Written by Jonathan Blum and released by Big Finish in 2000, this story is quite relevant to the political climate of today with its anti-immigrant politics and increasingly mainstream fascism. Upon its release, Ben recalls that it seemed a bit farfetched, but giving it a fresh listen to now 19 years later it really stands out as a significant story. David likes how this is a finely crafted mystery and Blum's love for and knowledge of this era is well on display. Both praise how well Ace and the Doctor work together as a team throughout this story. Beautify written, this is a must-listen-to story. Opening music is "First Shooting" from Alistair Lock's score for The Fearmonger. Closing music is the 1978 song "Power in the Darkness" by the English punk band Tom Robinson Band, which stylized fist on its cover was the inspiration for Clayton Hickman's CD cover design.

With Doctor Who in seemingly perpetual hiatus at the BBC, how were fans supposed to get their next fix? Well, the Virgin New Adventures, of course! Ben and David leap back in time to the fag end of Thatcher's Britain and talk about Love and War, Paul Cornell's 1992 novel featuring Ace and introducing Bernice Summerfield. What captured Ben's fancy so long ago that he bought the book? And, why did David never read a NA novel until this past week? Travellers, fungus, hair, and more in this podcast episode. Opening music is from the end of Surivial, "...and Somewhere Else, The Tea's Getting Cold," composted by Dominic Glynn. Closing music is "One Man Rock And Roll Band," written and sung by Roy Harper, recorded at the BBC in the late 1970s and which he played at the last Stonehenge Free Festival in 1984.

This week The Metebelis Two remember the Doctor Who contributions of Paul Darrow and Stephen Thorne, both men, who recently have passed into the Matrix. Then discussion about the auction of colour set and behind-the-scenes photographs of The Power of the Daleks taken by its designer, Derek Dodd; the just announced animation of The Faceless Ones; the Jon Pertwee centenary; and Judoon returning to the show for series 12. Then a feature interview with Jess Jurkovic of the fabulous The Dudley Simpson is Doctor Who Project. Jess has transcribed the Who compositions of Simpson for solo piano and he talks with David about Simpson's music and the art of arrangement. Opening and closing music this week was composed by Simpson and arranged by Jurkovic.

There's nothing wrong with Perivale. Ben theorizes that Rona Munro is channeling the myth of Herne the Hunter as inspiration for the Cheetah people revealing the magic that is hidden in suburban London. Not so much the Cockney urchin that Ace likes to pretend she is, the trip back to Perivale reveals that she perhaps is a spoiled middle class kid whose making a big deal about not much of anything. David notes this story feels much more London than anything London in the modern Who era. Proving that setting is more than just a few set dressings of buses and phone boxes. All-in-all, Survival is a praiseworthy Doctor Who story and sadly the last of the classic era. Opening music is from the score of Survival by Dominic Glynn. Glynn also composed the closing music, "...and Somewhere Else, The Tea's Getting Cold." At the very end, to help celebrate the old western feel to Glynn's score, we ultimately close with the Cellar Set's 2007 interpretation of the theme in "Spaghetti Who."

We podcast again time lord! We've reached the penultimate story in the classic series as we continue on with our Ace retrospective. The Two discover how the Ultima machine could be carried aboard a Russian rubber boat, but get confused about Fenric's bottle and find the Ancient One a tad too cuddly while Ace's awkward attempts of seduction is a bit more scary. Green goo, vikings, vampires, and English weather! What more could you want in a Doctor Who story? Opening and closing music was composed by Mark Ayres for The Curse of Fenric.

What do the Metebelis Two make of the last classic Who story ever to be recorded? Is Ghost Light the complex, bewildering puzzle that received fan wisdom would have it, or is it just a rewrite and an episode short of brilliance? The Two speculate on why Nimrod, the Neanderthal butler, could have been a great companion for the Doctor and how dramatising some flashbacks for Ace could strengthen the story's narrative. While David questions how scientifically accurate Marc Platt's explanation of evolution is, Ben suggests the story is more about the misinterpretation of evolutionary theory, or as he calls it the 'fun' type of evolution, than real science. Plus he is quick and ready with plenty of interesting infotext factoids. Toward the end, the Two suggest a visit to Hans Geiger around 1908 would make for a nifty historical episode. Music this episode was composed by Mark Ayres for Ghost Light.

There will be no podcast today! Heh, hardly! This week the Metebelis Two review Battlefield, the season opener in the last season of classic Who. Once again Ben Aaronovitch does as pastiche of the Pertwee era inspired by Camelot 3000. He introduces as mysterious scabbard that, unlike Chekhov's gun, never returns after the first part. This is the story where the Brig was supposed to die. Instead, director Michael Kerrigan nearly kills Sophie Aldred (and the production crew) instead! Somehow everyone manages to survive, including the Brig, who by doing so undoes much of the point of having Nick Courtney return to the role. Unless, of course, that was to flit about in a helicopter. So instead we discuss speaking Czechoslovakian to how scenes with padded out with extended sequences of maniacal laughter and quoting Tennyson. Excalibur! Opening and closing music is by Keff McCulloch from his score to Battlefield with a little help from Dead or Alive.

The Metebelis Two find themselves on the planet Segonax to visit the Psychic Circus. A wide ranging discussion this week on interstellar junk mail, clowns in hearsts, lucking out with a big tent, Lovejoy, werefoxes, fandom, the Doctor's character, and more! Opening and closing music is by Mark Ayers from his score for The Greatest Show in the Galaxy.

It's a Metebelis Twofer this week! First up, Ben and David review the new animation of The Macra Terror and discuss what it means now that Macra exist. The Two the release suitable for ming-mongs of all tastes. The second half is a podcast that was going to be the ol' Metebelis look at The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, which would have been part of our Ace retrospective, but David derailed Ben from the get-go and instead they spent their time talking about Brexit and the future of Doctor Who. So, instead of putting out the podcast with not much Doctor Who talk on it, we're adding it as a bonus. Listen to it or give it a skip -- totally up to you! Opening and closing/intermission music is by Brian Hodgson from the Macra soundtrack. Brexit music is from the 1986 single from Genesis, "Land of Confusion."