Kasterborous Classic TV

We're back with a new, later-than-planned podcast with guest Philip Bates of The Doctor Who Companion. Philip chats to Christian Cawley about some projects he's working on with Candy Jar Books, which includes some books on The Racoons, an update to Companions: Fifty Years of Doctor Who Assistants called Companions: Sixty Years of Doctor Who Assistants (announced here for the firs

The Church on Ruby Road is reviewed in our latest Doctor Who podcast. Christian Cawley is conducting other activities this week, so James McLean is joined by "Magnus" to discuss the 2023 Doctor Who Christmas special. But who is Magnus, and will you ever find out? Probably not, but it's an interesting conundrum to consider as you listen to this chat... Shownotes Doctor Who: Th

Admittedly later than planned, we're back for our review of the third Doctor Who 60th anniversary episode, The Giggle. Guest starring Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howzer MD, How I Met Your Mother, etc.), the episode reintroduces Bonnie Langford as Melanie Bush and brings us our first look at the 15th Doctor Who, Ncuti Gatwa. Quite a bit of him, in fact. This week's show features C

We're back with a discussion about the latest Doctor Who 60th anniversary episode, Wild Blue Yonder. Christian Cawley and James McLean discuss various elements of the story, how it came across and compared to the previous episode (The Star Beast), and spend a few minutes slagging off the Power of Three. Oh, and we're very pleased to tell you that this week, we were joined by our p

The first part of Doctor Who's 60th anniversary has aired - but what did the Kasterborous team think of The Star Beast? This week, Christian Cawley and James McLean are joined by Philip Bates, the driving force behind The Doctor Who Companion. We cover everything from steelworks in North London (!) to Miriam "Margoyles" with gender transitions and empty lofts along the way. Show

It's Doctor Who's 60th anniversary today, but how does the promotion and hype compare with other years? Christian Cawley and James McLean look back at 1998, 2003, and 2013 to contrast and discuss how things were very different in Doctor Who celebrations in landmark years gone by. Shownotes: Russell T Davies and David Tennant on The One Show Russell T Davies on Morning Live A

John Kenneth Muir and James McLean's deep dive into Star Trek continues in our latest podcast. John Kenneth Muir and James McLean finish off their discussion on 57 years of Star Trek with a reflection on Star Trek's impact in the 21st Century... desperately, needfully, and irresponsibly seeking to conclude what the franchise means to them. If you missed the first part of this wid

What does the Whoniverse bring to Doctor Who? 60th anniversary celebratory wonder! We're here; it's November 2023, it is the month of Doctor Who's 60th anniversary, and the BBC has gone all-out to provide celebratory media in all shapes and sizes. Central to all of this is The Whoniverse, the BBC iPlayer hub of Doctor Who episodes, documentaries, spin-offs, DVD extras, and more.

Between May and September 2023, the "Hollywood double strike" - joint industrial action by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA - halted production of TV and movies (and some video games). The reason for this was generative AI - artificial intelligence that has been programmed to produce text, art, video, and audio material from text prompts. Recorded during the strikes, t

James McLean and cult writer and critic John Kenneth Muir return with a new episode of the podcast that focuses on American cult film/television of the late 20th century (and beyond). In the first installment of a two-part chat, James and John discuss the biggest sci-fi phenomenon to come out of 1960s TV: Star Trek. (Yes, Doctor Who fans, you read that right. Sorry.) Get in tou