Two Boobs Watch the Tube

Fifteen years ago, The Doctor had to wipe Donna Noble's mind or else the knowledge of a Time Lord would burn her up. While he put in a failsafe to make sure that she would never remember him, fate has returned the face of the 10th Doctor and reunited him with Donna and her family. Can he save her life, and protect the world from the return of the Toymaker?

Vinnk and Sean review the three specials that comprise Doctor Who's 60th Anniversary - The Star Beast, Wild Blue Yonder, and The Giggle - culminating in the introduction of the new 15th Doctor in the form of Ncuti Gatwa. Will the return of one of the most popular actors ever to hold the role inject new life into the franchise, or will his shadow forever overcast his immediate and all subsequent successors to the role?

Starring:

* David Tennant - The Doctor

* Ncuti Gatwa - The Doctor

* Catherine Tate - Donna Noble

* Neil Patrick Harris - The Toymaker

* Jemma Redgrave - Kate Lethbridge-Stewart

* Bonnie Langford - Melanie Bush

* Ruth Madeley - Shirley Bingham

* Jacqueline King - Sylvia Noble

* Yasmin Finney - Rose Noble

* Karl Collins - Shaun Temple

* Bernard Cribbins - Wilf Mott

Available on Disney+ and BBC iPlayer.

Logo by by Louis Lloyd-Judson: https://louistrations.co.uk.

This podcast is brought to you by the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network. Listen to other great shows at http://nerdandtie.com.

It was only a year into the Doctor Who revival of 2005 that David Tennant took over as the titular Time Lord. Would the show survive changing its lead so soon when it had barely found its feet? Four years later, we scarcely had to wonder, as arguably the most popular incarnation of the new era (and possibly all time) said goodbye. (Well, technically he said "I don't want to go", but still...)

With David Tennant set to return, albeit briefly, as the 14th Doctor in 2023's three-part 60th anniversary special, Vinnk and Sean look back at his original, trail-blazing run that began 18 years ago on Christmas Day, and preview what's to come as he dons his trademark Converse once more.

Starring:

* David Tennant - The Doctor

* Billie Piper - Rose Tyler

* John Barrowman - Captain Jack Harkness

* Freema Agyeman - Dr. Martha Jones

* Derek Jacobi - Professor Yana

* John Simm - The Master

* Catherine Tate - Donna Noble

Available on Max.

Logo by by Louis Lloyd-Judson: https://louistrations.co.uk.

This podcast is brought to you by the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network. Listen to other great shows at http://nerdandtie.com.

In the near future of 2033, Nathan is working on a free version of the software that runs the digital afterlife, only to be uploaded to one of the poshest versions around after his self-driving care malfunctions and crashes. Nora is an "Angel" who works at Lakeview, in charge of Nathan's comfort and digital appearance in his forever-after. Sparks fly! And we're not talking about the crashed car. As a relative investigates the circumstances about Nathan's death, Nora discovers that some of Nathan's memories are corrupted. Could it be that Nathan was murdered for his altruistic work?

Vinnk and Sean review one of the most inventive and prescient series of the modern day on the eve of the end of the WGA strike. A world where everyone's lives and even now their afterlife has been commoditized by ever-merging corporations like Nokia Taco Bell and Panera Facebook, nearly every issue from 3D body scanning to AI to cutting corners on scripting comes to bear in the fiction of one of the most clever written shows on television. And somehow it was renewed for not one buy two seasons, the latest one premiering on October 20th, 2023!

Starring:

* Robbie Amell - Nathan Brown

* Andy Allo - Nora Antony

* Allegra Edwards - Ingrid Kannerman

* Zainab Johnson - Aleesha

* Kevin Bigley - Luke

* Owen Daniels - AI Guy

* Andrea Rosen - Lucy

* William B. Davis - David Choak

Available on Amazon Prime Video.

Logo by by Louis Lloyd-Judson: https://louistrations.co.uk.

This podcast is brought to you by the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network. Listen to other great shows at http://nerdandtie.com.

You can't go back to Schmigadoon. So when Josh and Mel find out that their happy ending got them stuck in a rut, they wind up in the land of Schmicago, but populated with a lot of familiar faces, and -- if you're a music fan -- familiar leitmotifs.

For the first time ever, Vinnk and Sean review a new season of a show that was previously reviewed on the podcast. How does Schmigadoon's sophomore outing stack up against the original, a show that wasn't even called "season 1" when it came out? And will we ever review another follow-up season of a show again?

Starring:

* Keegan-Michael Key - Josh Skinner

* Cecily Strong - Melissa Gimble

* Dove Cameron - Jenny Banks

* Aaron Tveit - Topher

* Jane Krakowski - Bobbie Flanagan

* Kristin Chenoweth - Miss Codwell

* Alan Cumming - Dooley Blight

* Ann Harada - Madame Frau

* Jaime Camil - Sergeant Rivera

* Ariana DeBose - Emcee

Available on Apple TV+.

Logo by by Louis Lloyd-Judson: https://louistrations.co.uk.

This podcast is brought to you by the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network. Listen to other great shows at http://nerdandtie.com.

When The Super Mario Bros. Movie was first announced with scant details except an all-star cast, rumors ran wild. Will they try live action again, or is it animated? Will they try one of the many recent video game plots, or will this be an all-new story? Is this a complete and utter financial folly, with $300 million in development and promotion?

Vinnk and Sean review the highest-grossing film of 2023, and (so far) the 19th top grossing film of all time, point out every visual and audio Easter egg they could find, and actually share some criticisms of a Nintendo product! Gasp!

Starring:

* Chris Pratt - Mario

* Charlie Day - Luigi

* Anya Taylor-Joy - Princess Peach

* Jack Black - Bowser, King of the Koopas

* Keegan-Michael Key - Toad

* Seth Rogen - Donkey Kong

* Fred Armisen - Cranky Kong

Available in theaters.

Logo by by Louis Lloyd-Judson: https://louistrations.co.uk.

This podcast is brought to you by the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network. Listen to other great shows at http://nerdandtie.com.

Doctor Who tried to come back in the '90s, but it didn't take. Christopher Eccleston's short 13-episode run re-ignited the show into a new cultural powerhouse, which also spawned two concurrent spin-off series.

Vinnk and Sean, along with guest host Miles (from sister podcast Casual Trek) examine what made the 2005 relaunch successful, areas where Davies wasn't so strong, and some of what we can look forward to (or are dreading) when he returns as Doctor Who showrunner in 2023.

Starring:

* Christopher Eccleston - The Doctor

* Billie Piper - Rose Tyler

* John Barrowman - Captain Jack Harkness

* Noel Clarke - Mickey Smith

* Camille Coduri - Jackie Tyler

Available on HBO Max (for now), Amazon, BritBox, and Disney+ (eventually).

Logo by by Louis Lloyd-Judson: https://louistrations.co.uk.

This podcast is brought to you by the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network. Listen to other great shows at http://nerdandtie.com.

Once more we throw ourselves into very un-Casual waters as Miles tries to tell Charlie whether or not it's worth Charlie's time to watch Jodie Whittaker's final episode of her tenure as Doctor Who. Will Charlie watch and have an opinion of his own? Jump to TIMECODE 53:00 to find out for yourself.

Miles' first time in the editing chair, so the machine isn't as smoothly run as possible. Talking points include Doctor Who, our histories of watching Doctor Who, Age Inappropriate Doctor Who novels in Miles' Primary School Library, Doctor Who Actors, Doctor Who Companions, The Master, Ra-Ra-Rasputin, Jeph Loeb, Doctor Who, Doctor Who, and possibly if we're lucky, Doctor Who, Guess What, Blake's 7 gets a mention as Charlie's utter refusal to watch the show draws a stark boundary. Little does he know that Miles got to choose an episode title that references an infamous line from the show.

Maximum Power!Casual Trek is by Charlie Etheridge-Nunn and Miles Reid-Lobatto. Music by Alfred Etheridge-Nunn. https://ko-fi.com/casualtrek

Casual Trek is a part of the Nerd & Tie Network

When Doctor Who relaunched in 2005 on the BBC after a failed (but serviceable) Fox US movie/pilot barely a decade earlier, many of us didn't know what to expect. We didn't expect Christopher Eccleston, and we certainly didn't expect Russel T Davies and his eccentric touch, but both rocketed the franchise into a new golden age the likes of which could only have been imagined by fans of the classic series.

Vinnk and Sean, along with guest host Miles (from sister podcast Casual Trek) relive the reboot, ostensibly without the benefit of rose-colored glasses, and not at all influenced by RTD's return to the remade franchise nearly two decades later in 2023.

Starring:

* Christopher Eccleston - The Doctor

* Billie Piper - Rose Tyler

* John Barrowman - Captain Jack Harkness

* Noel Clarke - Mickey Smith

* Camille Coduri - Jackie Tyler

Available on HBO Max (for now), Amazon, BritBox, and Disney+ (eventually).

Logo by by Louis Lloyd-Judson: https://louistrations.co.uk.

This podcast is brought to you by the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network. Listen to other great shows at http://nerdandtie.com.

Johnny Lawrence is long past his glory days, estranged from his son and mother of his child. That is, until he encounters a kid who needs help. Fortunately, Johnny is still bad-ass, and beats up a bunch of minors Miyagi-style. Miguel Diaz becomes the first student of the new Cobra Kai dojo, where Johnny teaches him how to deal with the bullies from West Valley High. Miguel has eyes for Sam, daughter of Johnny's long-time rival and successful auto dealer Daniel LaRusso, who is not very happy about the return of his childhood arch-nemesis, and goes to ridiculous lengths to stop him.

Vinnk and Sean catch up on the first two of (so far) five seasons of the Netflix hit show, through the latest incarnation of the All Valley Karate Tournament, the return of Johnn'y sensei John Kreese (now twice presumed dead), and the rise of Daniels rival dojo Miyagi-do. Of course, it wasn't always on Netflix; Cobra Kai began life as the flagship show of the new YouTube Red streaming service for original programming. YouTube Red shuttered, but Netflix stepped in to save Cobra Kai, which truly never dies.

Starring:

* Ralph Macchio - Daniel LaRusso

* William "Billy" Zabka - Johhny Lawrence

* Courtney Henggeler - Amanda LaRusso

* Marin Kove - John Kreese

* Xolo Mariduena - Miguel Diaz

* Mary Mouser - Samantha "Sam" LaRusso

* Jacob Bertrand - Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz

* Peyton List - Tory Nichols

Available on Netflix.

Logo by by Louis Lloyd-Judson: https://louistrations.co.uk.

This podcast is brought to you by the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network. Listen to other great shows at http://nerdandtie.com.

We've talked before about movies based on video games, and video games based on movies (sometimes themselves based on video games; looking at you, Street Fighter: The Movie The Game!), but have we talked about TV shows inspired by video games?

Vinnk and Sean react to the Mario movie trailer, talk about the video game cartoons of their childhood, and how the genre has grown to include more mature and live action fare in the modern era -- including shows that have been announced but haven't even been released yet! But also certainly shows that have, and what is lost (or potentially gained) in translation. In Pile of Shame, Vinnk figures he should finally get in on this Minecraft thing all the kids are playing, and Sean describes his experience with the interactive movie game "I Saw Black Clouds" in Future Retro.

Logo by by Louis Lloyd-Judson: https://louistrations.co.uk.

This podcast is brought to you by the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network. Listen to other great shows at http://nerdandtie.com.