On the Time Lash

"I was the fan, and I enjoyed being serviced"After a decade, Ben and Mark bring On the Time Lash's NuWho Watchthrough to an end with a discussion of The Power of Doctor, paired up with Big Finish's wildly experimental 40th anniversary audio adventure - Zagreus.And since it's the end, Ben and Mark discuss the big issues:How to lend gravitas to the name Uncle Winky, why The Power of the Doctor is a pitch-perfect satire of modern fandom, a celebration of Sacha Dhawan's Master, the meaning of an empty chair, why Paul McGann doesn't wear robes, the impossibility of explaining the plot of Zagreus, and a lament for when Big Finish took big swings.And what is the imbecile/Icini conundrum?With thanks to Roger LangridgeSupport the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

In the penultimate On the Time Lash, Ben and Mark buckle their swashes and tackle tentacles as they discuss Legend of the Sea Devils and The Power of Kroll. Topics under discussion include: Is Yaz and the Doctor's romance a success in subtlety or underdeveloped? The whereabouts of John Bishop. What constitutes "proper" Doctor Who, and what was going on with the directing and editing of Legend of the Sea Devils?Also: Ingrid Pitt kicks a baby horse in the throat, Bob Holmes satirising the IRA, Apartheid or neither, and The Power of Kroll as Caves of Androzani with jokes.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

In the final part of On the Time Lash's Get Tae Flux miniseries, Ben and Mark discuss the tonal tightrope that Dennis Spooner walks while bringing The Daleks' Masterplan to its conclusion. Is Sara Kingdom's death justified? Is Donald Tosh a precursor to Eric Saward? Would you give someone £100 for some painted telesnaps?All this and a creepy Tom Baker mask, serialised Doctor Who v.s. episodic Doctor Who, who should have played the Meddling Monk opposite Peter Cushing, and a showdown in the letters pages of DWM.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Ben and Mark wrap up the Flux part of their GTF event series with a chat about "Survivors of the Flux" and "The Vanquishers".  While it may have its flaws, they find that it's a tour de force performance from Jodie Whittaker - all 3 of her. Also: Mark recounts how he came to own one of JN-T's shirts. Ben finds a rare Douglas Adams book in a furniture shop in Country Wicklow. A look back at "FHM for nerds" in the 1990s, and Mark says goodbye to his chances of writing for Candy Jar books.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

In Chapter 2 of our very special Flux season, Ben and Mark discuss "Once, Upon Time" and "Village of the Angels". Should Doctor Who always be playing it safe like in Angels? Or should it be aiming for the fences with a wild swing like Once?Also: What happens if a Weeping Angel is reflected in your stream? Mark's disastrous attempt at doing a Wordle live on a podcast. And a tribute to Ian Levine (who isn't dead). Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

In the first of a six part On the Time Lash experiment, Ben and Mark take to YouTube and Facebook to discuss Flux and The Daleks' Masterplan. This is a slightly edited version of that YouTube recording.Chapter 1 covers The Halloween Apocalypse and War of the Sontarans.Under discussion: Why Doctor Who's COVID supervisors deserve a table at Comic Con, Chris Chibnall's monster successes, the trials of Dan Lewis, and why The Timeless Children is good, actually.Also: The premiere of Degsey's Quiz Game Thing, obscenely strong barrel-aged stouts, audience questions, and more!Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

WARNING: Contains Scenes Of A Sexual NatureBen and Mark are joined in their hotel room by Luke Molloy, formerly of the Lost on Gallifrey podcast to discuss 'Revolution of the Daleks' and 'Planet of the Daleks' on the eve of a fateful meeting with Glen McCoy.Under discussion: A gleeful skip across the minefield that is the subject of John Barrowman on social media, Fi's Teas, shifty Dalek husbands, twatting a Spiridon with a big stick, and a jizz volcano.You can read Luke's Ultimate Ranking Of Modern Doctor Who (2005-2017) here. Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

In the first part of a 2-part festive special, Ben and Mark are joined by J.R Southall from the Strangers in Space podcast for a Christmas argument all about The Timeless Children.Under discussion: Doesn't the Timeless Children just return the character back to 1966? Where can kids catch up on the adventures of the George Gallacio Doctor? Will Doctor Who ever be a show with a broad appeal ever again? Does it have to be?Also: Mark drinks a can of turkey soup, J.R teaches us the merits of staying hydrated and Ben tans the Christmas whiskies. Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Ben returns from Patagonia with news of Ryan Sinclair, and also to discuss Ascension of the Cybermen and Revenge of the Cybermen with Mark and a returning Dylan Rees from Doctor Who: Too Hot For TV. In a sprawling discussion, they discuss Chris Chibnall's troubling obsession with throwing people from cliffs, pitch a Glitter Gun origin show to Disney+, defend the silly Cyber-drones, and revisit Wookie Hole to discuss the Curse of the Revenge of the Cybermen.ALSO: Ben tackles the socio-political impact of the First Cyber War, an expansive history of Edinburgh's car boot fairs, the longest rally in Degsey's Ding-Dong Ping-Pong history, and a terrible Irish accent. Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Ben's stuck in Patagonia with Ryan Sinclair, so Mark's joined by Dylan Rees from Doctor Who: Too Hot For TV to discuss two stories that introduce Mary Shelley to the Cybermen - The Haunting of Villa Diodati and The Silver Turk. But instead, Dylan and Mark discuss Paul McGann's Big Finish output more generally.Under discussion: The relative merits of Marc Platt's Doctor Who oeuvre, ghost sandwiches, Lord Byron's sexual deviancy, wise words from Terrance Dicks, and sarky butlers. Also: What does the Doctor Who theme tune sound like when put in a blender and punted down the stairs? What connects Doctor Who to King Kong? What does a Cyberman smell like? And how close were Big Finish to the edge of destruction in 2011?Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

 Ben and Mark sit down and talk about their feelings by way of Can You Hear Me? and The Awakening. Under discussion: What could the Doctor possibly say to Graham about cancer? The perils of using "opening up" as an excuse to cut mental health funding. What else Zellin can detach, and the totally tropical taste of a fruity Denis Lill performance. Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Ben and Mark tackle the big environmental issues as they discuss Praxeus and Planet of Giants. Wouldn't Praxeus have been better if they'd kept the Autons in? What was it about the idea of Planet of Giants that made it a story worth returning to for season 2?ALSO: Why Adric should have got married. Ben's advice for getting rid of caterpillars and aphids. Tim Peake's wife working in Tesco. Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Ben and Mark let the listeners decide this episode's pairing with Fugitive of the Judoon, resulting in them having to chat about Meglos.Under discussion: Jason Bourne in Space, ITV Light Entertainment figures interacting, creepy cakemakers, and cacti.Also: Did JN-T require Jacqueline Hill's Hartnell wrangling skills? An unexpected Doctor but not the one you think, and Mark begins collecting debts. Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Ben and Mark discuss the Doctor Who sub-genre of the Hipster Historical by way of 'Nikola Tesla's Night Of Terror' and 'The Visitation'. How well do both stories succeed in informing and entertaining audiences about less famous historical celebrities?Ben finds a kinship with Richard Mace, Mark attempts to pin the blame on someone other than Eric Saward, and a Waltzer carriage transforms into an android.ALSO: Canine in company! The Wedding of Ben Verth! The blob in the cafetiere!Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Ben and Mark are joined by the internet's foremost 'Orphan 55' expert Pete Lambert of the Trap One podcast to discuss all-inclusive holidays, Greta Thunberg, spunk gags, and much, much more in Ed Hime's difficult second episode. In the second half, they pair the mysterious planet of Orphan 55 with Robert Holmes' 'The Mysterious Planet'. As the Lash Lads bring the Trial of a Timelord to a close with the serial's very beginning, the three of them discuss Joan Sims' needs, the genius of Sabalom Glitz, and Ben, rather than clickbait miner Mark, generates a complex Doctor Who theory that ties the Trial with the Timeless Child. Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

In many ways, it's all been building to this. The 12th series of On the Time Lash opens with Mark finally coming face to fist with Eric Saward and Ben getting to call people SPIES.In a packed show, Ben and Mark discuss Ben's stag, the DWAS Capitol event, Spyfall, and Frontier in Space. Not to mention bollock monsters, holding a pillow over an elderly screenwriter, and they struggle to remember what the aliens from Spyfall are actually called.ALSO: An appreciation of Sacha Dhawan and Roger Delgado's Masters, comparing Malcolm Hulke and Gene Roddenberry's respective visions of the future, and some clunky references to the current geopolitical situation.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

After an unintentionally long gap, Ben and Mark are back to discuss two types of Whittaker Dalek stories. Jodie Whittaker's first festive special 'Resolution' and David Whittaker's 'The Evil of the Daleks'.While building up their own hangovers, the Lash Lads tackle the first ever Doctor Who New Year's Day special, and ponder how the energy changes compared to Christmas.And does 'The Evil of the Daleks' buckle under the weight of fan expectation? Ben and Mark attempt to find out. ALSO: Digital dog gate! The winner of DWDICG11 is announced! Aren't Daleks sometimes a ropey as fuck?Apologies for the slightly tinny sound on Mark's end!The Dalek 63.88 Documentary about the American series is here. Toby Hadoke's Evil Of The Daleks reactions begin here.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Ben and Mark bring Series 11 to a close with two tales of spiritual saps being taken for a ride by old enemies of the Doctor. In The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos, Graham and Ryan get a satisfying ending even if no one else does. Whilst in The Keeper of Traken, Adric and Nyssa actually seem to like each other. What kind of evil energy is Peter Davison bringing in a few episodes' time?Also: Geoffrey Beevers climbing up the back of you, an invitation to the wedding of the year, Tom Baker's Ghost Detectives, and bum regenerations.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Ben and Mark can find nothing with the emotional complexity to compare with It Takes You Away and so pair it with another story featuring a frog on a chair, Four to Doomsday.Comparing Jodie Whittaker with Peter Davison sparks some interesting discussions about the regard which each of their eras are held. Is the frog on the chair the most Doctor Who moment in post-2005 Doctor Who? ALSO: Kwuok Facts! A Degsey's Ding-Dong Ping-Pong upset! A golden shower from Stratford Johns!You can read Mark's Doctor Who lists here. You can hear Ray Charles' melancholy Kermit the Frog cover here. Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

In a very special seasonal episode, Ben and Mark welcome writer and director Joy Wilkinson to the podcast to discuss writing The Witchfinders, the mechanics of the S11 writer's room, British history and folklore as well as her own love of The Daemons. What other stories from S11 did Joy want to write? Was the Doctor's gender the impetus or a happy accident? What the hell is going on with the Bury Man? We chat all this and more. ALSO: Dick Strawbridge shoots heroin, a fiendish new round of Degsey's Ding-Dong Ping-Pong and that most British of malevolent forces - mud. Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint