Doctor Who: Toby Hadoke’s Time Travels

Toby Hadoke's Time Travels - Too Much Information Trailer

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 00:40:34 +0000

Too Much Information is an episode-by-episode, blow-by-blow account of the When, What, and Who of Doctor Who. Facts old and new, observations and information all in one digestible chunk, with a fantastic score composed by Waen Shepherd. A great jump in point for newcomers to the show, but plenty for jaded old Who-ers too. Presented by Toby Hadoke.

Toby Hadoke's Time Travels - Indefinable Magic Trailer

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 13:13:28 +0000

Indefinable Magic is a Doctor Who podcast based on ... well, anything really. Sometimes it'll be a whimsical musing, sometimes a fact-fest, sometimes a nostalgia filled childhood recollection - always good-natured, generally arcane, and hopefully something that will chime with anyone who has ever loved a certain silly time traveller. It's definitely a podcast that is bigger on the inside.

Toby Hadoke's Time Travels - Happy Times and Places Trailer

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 18:57:38 +0000

Happy Times and Places is a commentary series in which comedian Toby Hadoke is challenged to watch a Doctor Who story and to guess his guest’s favourite things about it. Nothing serious, nothing political - just an attempt to be upbeat during lockdown and share a mutual love of Doctor Who, and you’re invited round as well. Pull up a seat and enjoy.

Toby Hadoke's Time Travels Preview

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:47:08 +0000

A preview of the three podcasts which will be making up Toby Hadoke's Time Travels - the commentary series Happy Times and Places, the whimsical musings of Indefinable Magic, and the hardcore fact-fest that is Doctor Who : Too Much Information. With a few hefty chunks from each one to let you know what you are in for, this is hopefully an appetising taster before the series launches on November 23rd.

Happy Times and Places 1.1 - Day of the Daleks 1

Sun, 22 Nov 2020 23:01:00 +0000

Happy Times and Places is a Doctor Who commentary series in which comedian Toby Hadoke is challenged by a friend to watch a story and to try to guess his guest’s favourite things about it - and you’re invited round as well. Pull up a seat and enjoy.

This week's guest - comedian Chris Boyle.

Chris has chosen Day of The Daleks starring Jon Pertwee.

This is Episode One:

Gorillas, guerrillas, cheese, wine and shiny faces,

All of these guarantee Happy Times and Places.

Happy Times and Places 1.2 - Day of the Daleks 2

Sun, 22 Nov 2020 23:30:00 +0000

Happy Times and Places is a Doctor Who commentary series in which comedian Toby Hadoke is challenged by a friend to watch a Doctor Who story and to try to guess his guest’s favourite things about it - and you’re invited round as well. Pull up a seat and enjoy.

This week's guest - comedian Chris Boyle.

Chris has chosen Day of The Daleks starring Jon Pertwee.

This is Episode Two -

Ogron murder, whisky fighting, and one of the Small Faces:

Some, not all, will take us to Happy Times and Places

Happy Times and Places 1.3 - Day of the Daleks 3

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

This week's guest - comedian Chris Boyle.

Chris has chosen Day of The Daleks starring Jon Pertwee.

This is Episode Three:

It's the future - having a smoke and a slow tricycle chase

Make this not a very Happy Time or Place.

Happy Times and Places 1.4 - Day of the Daleks 4

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 00:30:00 +0000

This week's guest - comedian Chris Boyle.

Chris has chosen Day of The Daleks starring Jon Pertwee.

This is Episode Four:

While an overrunning episode is hardly a crime

We end in a Happy Place - but lose the gag about Time.

Indefinable Magic 1.1 - Scouring the Shelves

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 08:00:00 +0000

Indefinable Magic is a series of whimsical essays inspired, sometimes very tangentially, by Doctor Who. Episode 1.1 - Scouring the Shelves Just finding Doctor Who stuff was hard in the old days: you had to get lucky at the newsagents, or happen upon an exciting new shop whilst on holiday, and you discovered the show piece by piece, often having to commit facts to memory. You had to be very dogged in your pursuit of the Doctor... in many ways, you almost had to become a stalker. Episode re-uploaded on 23/11/20 to get rid of a minor technical glitch near the beginning.

Doctor Who : Too Much Information 1.0 - The Pilot

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 16:15:00 +0000

Doctor Who : Too Much Information, is an episode-by-episode, blow-by-blow, sometimes day-by-day account of the making of every single episode (yes, episode, not story) of Britain's longest running science-fiction show, shedding light on the Who, What and Where of (Doctor) Who. It's monthly for now but will hopefully pick up speed once Toby knows what he's doing. It's a collation of paperwork, interviews and new research designed to explore even the tiniest nooks and crannies of the Doctor Who universe for trivial nuggets, all told in an accessible manner and augmented by a soundtrack specially composed by the award winning Waen Shepherd.

This is Episode 1.0 : The Pilot

Written and Narrated by Toby Hadoke

Happy Times and Places 1.2 - The Sontaran Experiment 1

Tue, 24 Nov 2020 23:01:00 +0000

Happy Times and Places is an attempt to combat Covid with a bit of cheerful Doctor Who love. Comedian and Doctor Who fan Toby Hadoke has asked a friend to nominate a story and to choose their favourite things about it. Toby then has to watch and see if he can guess what it is they love about it, and to choose his own favourite things too. (Since the initial upload there has been a minor re-edit to this episode to remove a couple of minor technical glitches).

Presented by - Toby Hadoke

Special Guest - Tom Burgess

This week's episode - The Sontaran Experiment 1

Happy Times and Places 2.2 - The Sontaran Experiment 2

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 13:53:29 +0000

Presented by - Toby Hadoke

Special Guest - Tom Burgess

This week's episode - The Sontaran Experiment 2

Happy Times and Places 3.0 - Turn Left

Sun, 29 Nov 2020 23:01:00 +0000

Happy Times and Places is a podcast which seeks to identify the positives - the best things, the most loved aspects, the finest hat - of a Doctor Who story as nominated by a special guest of your host, comedian Toby Hadoke. So get the episode into your disc drive and settle down - but not too far ... because there's something on your back...

Presented by Toby Hadoke

Special Guest Johnny Candon

This Episode - Turn Left

Happy Times and Places Omnibus - Day of The Daleks

Thu, 03 Dec 2020 23:01:00 +0000

An omnibus edition of Happy Times and Places with all four episodes of Toby Hadoke's Day of The Daleks commentary strung together for your listening convenience. A bit like the old days of BBC video, so there and no episode endings and there might even be a spelling mistake in the credits.

Presented by Toby Hadoke

Special Guest - Chris Boyle

Featured story - Day of the Daleks 1-4

Happy Times and Places 4.1 - Time-Flight 1

Sun, 06 Dec 2020 23:01:00 +0000

Happy Times and Places finds comedian Toby Hadoke watching Doctor Who stories nominated by creative friends of his in order to celebrate the best of the long running series, no matter which story it is. So hop on board Concorde and travel from gorgeous film to unforgiving video tape within a split second and see what Toby can find to eulogise about one of Doctor Who's least celebrated stories.

Presented by Toby Hadoke

Special Guest John Cooper

This Episode - Time-Flight 1

Indefinable Magic 1.2 - Seeing in the Dark

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 23:01:00 +0000

Indefinable Magic is a series of whimsical and sometimes certifiably arcane ramblings about some aspect of Doctor Who - sometimes a personal reminiscence; sometimes a jokey thought; and sometimes an unnecessarily obsessive delve: but always done with a lightness of touch and devotion to the subject. This time, it's carrots. Yep, you read that right, the history of carrots in Doctor Who (I direct my learned colleague to the word "arcane" above).

Happy Times and Places 4.2 - Time-Flight 2

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:01:00 +0000

Comedian and illustrator John Cooper has chosen one of his favourite stories, Time-Flight, for Toby Hadoke to celebrate, partly because your host once told John that it was rubbish. Toby has to eat his words whilst feasting on the return of Adric, an inexplicable disguise, and the happiest pilots in the world - in order to to choose the best things from the universe of Doctor Who.

Presented by - Toby Hadoke

Special Guest - John Cooper

This Episode - Time-Flight 2

Happy Times and Places 4.3 - Time-Flight 3

Sun, 13 Dec 2020 00:01:00 +0000

Toby Hadoke has set himself a task to try to be upbeat during lockdown - the world is divided, social media is toxic, and pestilence reigns. But hey-ho, it should be easy enough to find something joyous to say about a Doctor Who should it? And so he asked his friend, comedian and illustrator John Cooper, to nominate one for Toby to wax positive about. John chose Time-Flight. Oh.

Happy Times and Places 4.4 - Time-Flight 4

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 00:01:00 +0000

Doctor Who fans like nothing more than talking about how rubbish Doctor Who is, so comedian Toby Hadoke has decided to buck the trend by doing a podcast which only concentrates on the things he likes about the show. He has to guess what his special guest's favourite things are about a story that they have nominated. And some stories are easier than others...

Presented by - Toby Hadoke

Special guest - John Cooper

This Episode - Time-Flight 4

Happy Times and Places Omnibus - The Sontaran Experiment

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 00:01:00 +0000

Omnibus edition fo the previously released commentary of The Sontaran Experiment, to save you having to download the individual episodes one at a time. Special Guest - character comedian Tom Burgess.

Happy Times and Places 5.1 - The Evil of the Daleks 1

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 00:01:00 +0000

Our special guest this time around - Big Finish, BBC Books and Doctor Who Magazine writer Simon Guerrier doesn't make it easy. He has chosen the very first missing story to be selected for Happy Times and Places. It's highly regarded though, the epic The Evil of the Daleks, which begins with the Doctor and Jamie marooned in singing 60s London.

Happy Times and Places 5.2 - The Evil of the Daleks 2

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 00:01:00 +0000

A moment of respite as the pictures start moving again and we see whether all the fuss about The Evil of the Daleks is justified. Special guest, writer Simon Guerrier, seems to think so, but will your host, Toby Hadoke, succumb to the charms of the story as it spirals us back in time to meet the stories Big, bewhiskered Bad. Is there as much here as legend says there its, to take Toby to one of his Happy Times and Places.

Doctor Who : Too Much Information 1.1 - An Unearthly Child

Fri, 25 Dec 2020 00:01:00 +0000

This is Episode 1.1 : An Unearthly Child

Written and Narrated by Toby Hadoke

Happy Times and Places 5.3 - The Evil of the Daleks 3

Mon, 28 Dec 2020 00:01:00 +0000

Back to still pictures for the third episode of this lost classic, selected by writer Simon Guerrier. Your host Toby Hadoke has to see if he can work out what it is that Simon likes best about this particular episode of Doctor Who, as always, trying to accentuate the positive and celebrate the best things that it has to offer.

Happy Times and Places 5.4 - The Evil of the Daleks 4

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 17:03:18 +0000

Writer Simon Guerrier chooses one of the least tangible things about this episode of a second Doctor classic, so enjoy yourselves as Toby tries to guess what it is as Jamie fights Kemel, Victoria's hanky launches a million anecdotes, and Patrick Troughton is on holiday and so represented only on film. Film we can't actually see.

Happy Times and Places 5.5 - The Evil of the Daleks 5

Thu, 31 Dec 2020 13:00:00 +0000

The story goes from being merely good to touching greatness as the Daleks start to behave in a most peculiar fashion - and giving Toby and his special guest Simon Guerrier plenty to wax lyrical about. But will they agree on the episode's best bit? Its rather an amusing little podcast don't you think so Jamie?

Happy Times and Places 5.6 - The Evil of the Daleks 6

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Well here is a first, a commentary that was originally so tedious that Toby decided to do it again. Doctor Who has an illustrious history of getting things wrong on the first attempt and trying again, so hopefully it's the right call. He hasn't cheated though, he goes back to his original recording when it comes to seeing if he and special guest Simon Guerrier like the same thing about this episode - which returns the Doctor to Skaro for the first time since his initial visit. And that's just the start of the action.

Happy Times and Places 5.7 - The Evil of the Daleks 7

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 23:26:40 +0000

Toby Hadoke continues to try to comb through the murk of still pictures and indistinct soundtracks to see if the gloriousness of an acclaimed lost Dalek classic still shines through. It's been an epic, but now we come to the final end! All hell breaks loose on Skaro. Toby and special guest Simon Guerrier have been pretty close with their guesses, so will our host pull off a final victory and work out what Simon's favourite things about this amazing episode are, or will it all end with a massive explosion and lots of mess?

Happy Times and Places 6.1 - The Rescue 1

Sat, 02 Jan 2021 18:30:00 +0000

Released exactly 56 years after the episode we are watching was broadcast (well, we've put this out 10 minutes earlier in case you want to line it up for a time busting simulcast) this will be a double hit: episode two will be out later tonight. The TARDIS lands a very sad Doctor on a planet where all the tea has gone cold : Dido. Where everyone is as dead as a Dodo. But not Dodo, she's not the companion yet. That's Vicki. Well, she's not the companion yet either but... oh never mind. Toby Hadoke has to guess what TV script editing genius Andrew Elland has identified as the best things in this 1965 Doctor Who story.

Happy Times and Places 6.2 - The Rescue 2

Sat, 02 Jan 2021 22:30:00 +0000

TV script editor Andrew Ellard (The Detectorists, Red Dwarf) has set Toby the task of identifying the best bits of a Doctor Who story with few sets and a tiny cast so there's not exactly an abundance of things to get his teeth into... or is there? The Doctor fights mass murder on an unprecedented scale, meets some silent angels who definitely aren't weeping, and solves a murder mystery with the fewest possible suspects. Oh, and one of the TARDIS crew murders a pet in cold blood. It's all go on Dido. Once again, comedian Toby Hadoke has to watch and to sing the story's praises.

Happy Times and Places 7.1 - The Ribos Operation 1

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 20:00:00 +0000

Smart, articulate, intelligent ... no, we haven't got a new host, Toby is still blundering through, but...! We do have a terrific guest, playwright Dan Rebellato, whose pedigree is proved by his choice of story, the mighty The Ribos Operation. What do you mean you've never paid it much heed because there aren't really many memorable monsters and not much happens? Dan and Toby will do their very best to persuade you that this is as good as Doctor Who gets. Accentuate the positive? Easy!

Happy Times and Places 7.2 - The Ribos Operation 2

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 08:00:00 +0000

The plots thickens and the the scringe stone strikes as renowned playwright Dan Rebellato articulates, most compellingly, what the best things about this rich and complex Doctor Who story are. Finding positives isn't hard, but the task for your host Toby Hadoke is to see if he can anticipate exactly what it is about this story that Dan likes the most.

Happy Times and Places 7.3 - The Ribos Operation 3

Fri, 08 Jan 2021 00:01:00 +0000

Seek and you shall find not only a woman with antlers but also a flea bitten fellow with no front teeth. And that's just the host. There's a lot to discuss as playwright Dan Rebellato has to choose his favourite thing from this episode - will he go for the obvious, and if so, will that bring your host Toby Hadoke within sniffing distance of victory? The answer can be found by looking to the stars (or alternatively, by listening to the podcast).

PLEASE NOTE - The initial upload of this had a technical glitch at the top with multiple tracks vying for attention: this has now been corrected. Apologies!

Happy Times and Places 7.4 - The Ribos Operation 4

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 00:01:00 +0000

A feature length episode because it is a story that has provoked a lot of discussion from special guest Dan Rebellato. So hopefully, if you were ambivalent about this story, not one of the most discussed in the show's history, hopefully Toby and Dan can send you back to it with renewed vigour. You don't have to like it all - we'll settle for 10%.

Indefinable Magic 1.3 - Words, Words, Words...

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 00:01:00 +0000

Indefinable Magic is a series of whimsical meanderings, which sees comedian Toby Hadoke rhapsodise arcana via childhood memories, a trivial quest or an overactive imagination. This episode will chime with anyone who has learnt a word thanks to Doctor Who, and even those who thought they'd learnt a word and didn't discover until years later that it actually meant something totally different.

Please Note : This is a later edit than the one initially uploaded which had some technical ingloriousness at the end.

Happy Times and Places 8.1 - Battlefield 1

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 00:01:00 +0000

The first Sylvester McCoy story to be given the HT&P treatment, endorsed by a genuine child of the 7th Doctor era (how can one of those be old enough to be hanging around with Toby, haven't they got playgroup to go to?). And there is plenty here to get to grips with - things that make you go BOOM!

Happy Times and Places 8.2 - Battlefield 2

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 00:01:00 +0000

It's all go as the Doctor fights knight and day to save the Earth from an evil witch with the help of the Brigadier, another Brigadier, and the absolutely brilliant Fl Lt Lavel - but will she be too obvious a choice for your host Toby Hadoke, as he tries to discover what it is his guest, artist Jon Turner, enjoys most about this story?

Happy Times and Places 8.3 - Battlefield 3

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 00:01:00 +0000

Well there's a field and a battle, but there's also a blue monster and a cure for blindness. All this and more give your host Toby Hadoke and guest, artists Jon Tuner, a lot to chew over as they see if they agree on what the best things about

Happy Times and Places 8.4 - Battlefield 4

Fri, 29 Jan 2021 00:01:00 +0000

And so we get to the episodes which dangled the death of a much loved character in front of us, showcased one of the best monster designs in the show's history, and has a great big battle in it. It's fascinating to revisit some of the less celebrated episodes in the show's run, and host Toby Hadoke and his guest Jon Turner are determined to uncover some buried treasure: but will they agree on what the story's best things are?

Happy Times and Places 9.1 - Partners in Crime

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 00:08:00 +0000

One of the heroes of Doctor Who lockdown, responsible for putting a smile on the faces of a lot of people, chooses one fi the things that makes her happy. Emily Cook, writer, Doctor Who Magazine staffer and Tweetalong organiser extraordinaire shares her favourite things about Partners in Crime, Catherine Tate's first episode as a series regular in Doctor Who. So, as your host Toby Hadoke and Emily chew the fat, will they agree on the best things about this season opener and which bits give it weight? And in whose favour will the scales tilt? And probably some other diet based puns if you want.

Happy Times and Places Omnibus - Time-Flight

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 00:01:00 +0000

Feedback indicates that it can be helpful to have these podcasts as a simple digestible package per story, so here is a lovely Concorde flavoured bundle, with some jolly pilots, a beige jumper or two, lots of clenched fists and just time for a New York stopover as we jump aboard the Time-Flight for an uninterrupted journey. The story has been chosen by comedian and cartoonist John Cooper, and your host, as ever, is Toby Hadoke.

Happy Times and Places 10.1 - Timelash 1

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 00:16:00 +0000

It's another story with "Time" in the title, which in the classic series has never been a good omen when it comes to the popularity stakes. It's Toby's first commentary with the 6th Doctor and even our special guest, TV writer and producer Emma Reeves, thinks this isn't an especially good example of Doctor Who - it's just a Doctor Who story that she is fond of. Well, that is all very well for her, but will Toby, and you dear listener, depart Karfel with a scream? Most do apparently. So let's try to avoid that, eh?

Happy Times and Places Omnibus - The Evil of the Daleks

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 00:01:00 +0000

All 7 episodes of this Patrick Troughton classic in one epic podcast, as charming Big Finish and BBC Books writer Simon Guerrier puts his fascinating mind to work one what it is that makes this story so special. Your host Toby Hadoke has to sort the best of the best - is it the trains, the Beatles, the battle, the Emperor or Victoria's hanky (or is it her knickers Frazer?): or all or none of the above? Join Toby and Simon as they try to discover if there is some factor that makes Evil so special.

Happy Times and Places 10.2 - Timelash 2

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 00:20:00 +0000

Well now, this one throws up a few interesting things - Toby got to know one of the cast members of this rather well on his first ever professional acting engagement, and the star of this was the first big Doctor Who name Toby ever met. So he has those stories in his arsenal as this episode goes off in some tricky directions : from TARDIS padding to body shaming, can Timelash 2 get into a position where it can look at itself in the mirror? Emma Reeves, esteemed TV writer and producer, is our special guest, and the one responsible for plonking us in the Morlocks.

Happy Times and Places Omnibus - The Rescue

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 00:01:00 +0000

For those of you who like them all in one chunk here it is with the interim titles lopped off and the cliffhangers merged just like in the old days of BBC Video. Superb script guru Andrew Ellard has challenged Toby to watch The Rescue and to choose his favourite things about it, so if you like crash landings, genocide, and dead pets then you'll just love the planet Dido. Toby Hadoke is your guide, but play your cards right or you can't come in.

Too Much Information 1.2 - The Cave of Skulls

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 00:01:00 +0000

So, everyone talks about the pilot and the first episode and all that landmark stuff, but what about the second ever episode of Doctor Who? There are still some firsts - the Doctor smoking! And lasts - the Doctor smoking! There's the first adventure proper, the first villain, and even the first broadcast material featuring the regulars to be filmed. So join Toby Hadoke in order to discover the Who, What and When of Doctor Who's second episode, and discover all you need to know about the filming, the studio recording and the people instrumental in the show's Difficult Second Album.

HappyTimes and Places Omnibus - The Ribos Operation

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 00:01:00 +0000

A real gem this one, as playwright Dan Rebellato puts his not inconsiderable brain power into considering the Doctor Who story he has chosen to eulogise, The Ribos Operation. Host Toby Hadoke has to see if he can anticipate what themes, ideas and performances particularly grab Dan, in this omnibus presentation which saves you having to download all the individual episodes and presents them in one neat package. The problem is, the package is locked up in a museum and you have to try to steal it...

Happy Time and Places 11.1 - The End of the World

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 00:01:00 +0000

Writer Joe Lidster (Torchwood, Big Finish, The Demon Headmaster) has chosen the first Christopher Eccleston episode to be given the Happy Times and Places treatment. He has to choose his five favourite things about the story and your host, Toby Hadoke, has to see if he can guess what they are, and if he doesn't, well, it' not the end of the ... oh, hang on ...

Happy Times and Places Omnibus - Battlefield

Fri, 05 Mar 2021 00:01:00 +0000

For those of you who like to digest the stories all in one go, here it is, free from cliff-hangers and all packaged up for a binge listen, the Doctor plays Merlin but the Brigadier is not playing at all ... the game's afoot on the Battlefield. Artist Jon Turner has selected his favourite things about the story - it will be a shame if host Toby Hadoke fails to identify any of them...

Indefinable Magic 1.4 - I Wish Bernard Was Here

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 00:01:00 +0000

Another random series of thoughts inspired by Doctor Who - in this one, host Toby Hadoke connects the dots between Professor Bernard Quatermass, the first icon of BBC TV science fiction, and his sort-of offspring, Doctor Who. There are similarities, differences, and much to celebrate about both in this podcast that will serve as an introduction to the Quatermass serials for those who have never seen them, and an insightful and detailed examination off them for those who have... but always seen through the prism of a certain time traveller, who owes the professor a great deal...

Happy Times and Places 12.1 - Terror of the Autons 1

Fri, 12 Mar 2021 00:01:00 +0000

To tie in with this week's Blu-Ray release of Season 8, it's time to celebrate its opening story, which was a great big relaunch for Doctor Who. The first appearance of The Master, Jo Grant and Captain Yates, it also features the return of the Autons but an altogether more colourful palette than the muted tones for gritty old Season 7. Special guest Richard Marson -who pretty much was Doctor Who Magazine back in the day, but who has also written books about key figures in the series and has been the main man at Blue Peter - chats to Toby about the story and his role in the early years of fandom in a fascinating post-episode interview. So the format changes slightly for this instalment of Happy Times and Places, which is kind of appropriate when you think about it.

Happy Times and Places 12.2 - Terror of the Autons 2

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 11:01:00 +0000

What's the scariest thing about Terror of the Autons, the multiple deaths-by-plastic, the amount of CSO, or the rather dated approach to animal welfare on display? You decide. Your host Toby Hadoke and his special guest, TV producer Richard Marson, are on hand to bring you their thoughts - Richard was around on first broadcast and so can provide a bit of context, and Toby is learning to love a story he has hitherto been somewhat ambivalent about. But that's the point really - now watch out for those clowns....

Happy Times and Places 12.3 - Terror of the Autons 3

Thu, 18 Mar 2021 23:01:00 +0000

Killer policemen, killer daffodils and a killer doll - not-so-fantastic plastic is the cause of much mayhem in this episode of Doctor Who. But which particular manifestation of it will find favour with your host Toby Hadoke? He has to try to guess what his special guest - writer and producer Richard Marson - has chosen to eulogise about this particular episode of Doctor Who. The pair have a good old chinwag about the Terror of the Autons, and about Doctor Who's history and some of its key figures, but will it be quarries or quarrels at the end of the day...?

Happy Times and Places 12.4 - Terror of the Autons 4

Sun, 21 Mar 2021 23:01:00 +0000

We left the Doctor almost literally hangin' on the telephone, but what else in in store for him, special guest Richard Marson and host Toby Hadoke as the Master's plan nears completion. Afterwards, Toby and Richard have a chat about some of the great figures in Doctor Who history whom Richard interviewed back in the day. But will they agree on the best things about this episode and the story as a whole? there's only one way to find out...

Indefinable Magic 1.5 - Terror of the Onions

Fri, 26 Mar 2021 11:01:00 +0000

An apple a day doesn't keep the Doctor away, and yet a pear does? The Doctor's relationship with food says a lot about the character and about us, and Toby Hadoke has some pretty strident views about this - fish fingers and custard, cheese and wine, can fried gumblejack : it's all on the menu in this episode of whimsical essays about Doctor Who related trivia.

Doctor Who : Too Much Information 1.3 - The Forest of Fear

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 00:01:00 +0100

And so we get down to the nitty-gritty of the third ever episode of Doctor Who. There's more pre-filming, the Doctor proves that as well as being an old fashioned hero he is also a potential murderer, and his intended victim turns out to be an actor with a colourful and ultimately tragic personal story. Toby Hadoke is your host, with the When, What and Who of this instalment of TV's most iconic science-fiction series of all.

Happy Times and Places Omnibus - Timelash

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 18:08:00 +0100

Riding high from her recent success with My Mum Tracy Beaker (not to mention The Worst Witch and The Demon Headmaster), writer Emma Reeves chooses one of Doctor Who's least celebrated adventures - but who cares? It's one she loved as a child and very story means something to someone, so get your tinsel out and have a serving of ham as we grab this one by the Morlocks and see if Toby can undergo a conversion on Karfel. Omnibus edition for those of you who like these all in one go.

Happy Times and Places 13.1 - The Chase 1

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 00:01:00 +0100

Dalekmania is at its height, and Beatlemania too, and both come together in this episode, alongside Abraham Lincoln, William Shakespeare, and the terrifying revelation of a Dalek clearing its throat. A story that divides opinion has been chosen by musician, impressionist and actor Darrell Maclaine, whose e You Tube clips are so entertaining that the TARDIS crew should train their Space Time Visualiser on them. Can he convince host Toby Hadoke that The Chase is worthy of love, and can they agree on what its best bits are?

Happy Times and Places 13.2 - The Chase 2

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 00:01:00 +0100

On the planet Aridius the only water on display is the tears wept by its lachrymose inhabitants, who include fur star Hywel Bennett and an extra with a Doctor shaped claim to fame. But this won't be a dry affair as actor and musician Darrell Maclaine is on hand to celebrate the positive aspects of this often maligned adventure. Can Toby Hadoke discern Darrell's favourite thing about this instalment, or can he not tell night from day (in which case he isn't alone)?

Happy Times and Places 13.3 - The Chase 3

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 00:01:00 +0100

The only Doctor Who episode in which the probable death of a baby is part of a semi-comedic sequence, but that's not the only thing to write home about. There's a Menoptra doing a Columbo impression, Peter Purves on the Empire State Building, and the only 360 degree classic series Dalek headspin. Comedian, musician and actor Darrell Maclaine is in high spirits celebrating this story he loves, and he has dragged your host Toby Hadoke along for the ride.

Happy Times and Places 13.4 - The Chase 4

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 00:01:00 +0100

The Daleks chase the time travellers to a House of Horror - but don't worry, it's all good fun as this much maligned Doctor Who story receives cheerful advocacy from special guest, actor and musician Darrell Maclaine, who has plenty of good things to say. But will his good things be the same as host Toby Hadoke's good things?

Happy Times and Places 13.5 - The Chase 5

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 00:36:00 +0100

The Daleks cunningly create a robot that is the double of Doctor Who provided you don't look too hard, and the TARDIS crew land on the planet of the Gubbage Cones which, if the soundtrack is to be believed, also has a jazz bar. And yet despite it's poor reputation host Toby Hadoke and guest Darrell Maclaine have great fun celebrating The Death of Doctor Who (which, by the way, is a big fat lie).

Happy Times and Places 13.6 - The Chase 6

Fri, 23 Apr 2021 00:01:00 +0100

This six week odyssey through some very odd bits of time and space comes to an end in London 1965 and boy does special guest Darrell Maclaine have a treat for you, going way above and beyond the a call of duty. There won't be an eye left dry or a rib left untickled by the time this is all over. Toby Hadoke is your host, and there's something in his eye. And as it's the 50th episode, it's appropriate that we end on a song!

Happy Times and Places (Omnibus) - Terror of the Autons

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 00:01:00 +0100

Former Doctor Who Magazine writer and long time Blue Peter editor Richard Marson (who has also written books on Doctor Who producers John Nathan-Turner and Verity Lambert) decided he'd rather chat to your host, Toby Hadoke, about his favourite things from Terror of the Autons. And it makes for a most illuminating chat that reveals much about the early days of fandom from someone at the coalface. Richard also takes us on a trip through the many highs of a story full of inventive death and teatime horror.

Indefinable Magic 1.6 - The War Doctors

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 00:01:00 +0100

There is less whimsy and more research in this instalment of Indefinable Magic - the series which promises to probe some random aspect of Doctor Who-dom for all it is worth. This edition focusses on the military service of the first three doctors and a few of their acting colleagues - and finds some surprising, sad, inspiring and shocking stories of actors at war.

Too Much Information 1.4 - The Firemaker

Mon, 03 May 2021 00:01:00 +0100

Another instalment of this painstaking attempt to dissect each episode of Doctor Who, sometimes on a day-to-day basis. The TARDIS crew probably get as grubby as any TARDIS crew ever does in the series, the Doctor takes centre stage, and Ian gets the episode title as the series' first ever adventure comes to a close. Along the way there is ridiculous BBC demarcation about fire (it's not fire that will get us all in the end but red tape), a fight scene directed by the production assistant and the story of two people involved with the making of the episode - one of whom would return to Doctor Who, whilst the other would emphatically not.

Series Two Preview

Fri, 07 May 2021 15:15:58 +0100

Well, not so much Series Two as The Next Bunch. There's no hiatus, but as you've had a big release already this week this one is just a snippet, with some previews of what's coming up (including a selection of the amazing special guests on Happy Times and Places) and a bit of insight into what exclusive material is available to Patrons. Normal service will resume on Monday.

Happy Times and Places 14.1 - The Eleventh Hour

Mon, 10 May 2021 00:01:00 +0100

The Moffat era episode and indeed the first Matt Smith episode to be featured in happy Times and Places, and it is right back to the beginning. So let's see what we can find out about Patrick Moore, Pingu, and Ponds as the TARDIS lands us in Leadworth where there is alien activity afoot and more than that, a completely new cast and production team. Oh, and Cully from the Dominators.

Happy Times and Places 15.1 - Kinda 1

Mon, 17 May 2021 01:10:00 +0100

Well now, The Bay on ITV has been quite the hit, a ratings busting success that has ensured itself a commission for a third run. And guess what? Its writer and creator Daragh Carville is one of us - he is not one of the Not We. So appropriately he has chosen this beguiling tale of Apples (not the computers), Snakes (not the game), and actors from The Bill (yes, the police series). It's a very special story for a very special guest. But what will his favourite thing about episode one be, and will his choice give your host Toby Hadoke nightmares?

Happy Times and Places 15.2 - Kinda 2

Fri, 21 May 2021 00:01:00 +0100

You're watching a man in a box watching people in a box giving a man a box. The man on the box who gets the box has his mind wiped of all nonsense, but what about the man in the box that you are watching? Will he - your host, Toby Hadoke - give you wisdom and clarity*? Anyway, this is not the most straightforward of stories but it has been nominated by a very clever and very successful writer so hopefully there's plenty for you to enjoy here. Enough to fill a box at least. Daragh Carville, creator of ITV's The Bay, is our special guest - talking about boxing clever.

*Um. NO!!!

Happy Times and Places 15.3 - Kinda 3

Mon, 24 May 2021 00:01:00 +0100

Well, it's not the most straightforward of Doctor Who episodes, this. There's not really anything like much of this in the rest of Doctor Who's canon. So which part of it will be selected by special guest - and creator of The Bay, writer on Being Human - Daragh Carville. He is frankly spoilt for choice, but he had better choose quickly, because time is running out.... Wheel turns...

Happy Times and Places 15.4 - Kinda 4

Fri, 28 May 2021 00:01:00 +0100

This story is a strange old thing - and it's all about mental health in a funny short of way. So watching it is an odd experience as we are all locked away in our own boxes, prey to those pesky serpents that manifest themselves in the dark places of our insides. Or maybe it's just the one with the bad snake. Who knows? It's an odd old ramble this podcast, but then it's an odd story. Brilliant, but odd. So this commentary is a bit odd too, because host Toby Hadoke is in an odd mood. Daragh Carville, fresh from success with series two of The Bay, is our special guest, bringing great insight and appreciation to one of Doctor Who's most fascinating productions.

Indefinable Magic 1.7 - Target Practice

Mon, 31 May 2021 00:01:00 +0100

All fans of a certain age will identify with this one, though of course, there are many fans these days who aren't of a certain age. Which is great. Unless you're a fan of a certain age, in which case it is terrifying. As the years fly by then, your host Toby Hadoke throws in a joke or two. But it's a personal and selective history of discovering Doctor Who through the written word - and the written word through Doctor Who of course. But don't worry if you are not a fan of a certain age - this is for anyone who has those colourful spines on the shelves, and enjoys the powerful memories that they evoke.

Happy Times and Places 16.1 - The Robots of Death 1

Fri, 04 Jun 2021 00:01:00 +0100

There's nothing Gary Russell hasn't done - he's acted (not in Doctor Who, bar Big Finish, but he was Dick in The Famous Five), written, directed, edited, script edited, novelised ... the lot. And now, lucky for us, he is a guest on Happy Times and Places, and he has chosen one of the most celebrated Doctor Who stories of all time. There's an embarrassment of riches, but can your host Toby Hadoke sift the Lucanol from the ... er ... breakfast cereal type stuff that the Doctor ends up covered with at the climax? It's going to be enjoyable, this one, but choosing just one good thing about it? That's going to be murder.

Happy Times and Places 16.2 - The Robots of Death 2

Mon, 07 Jun 2021 00:01:00 +0100

Some of the wittiest banter ever - no, not between host Toby Hadoke and special guest, Renaissance man Gary Russell (who has written, acted, scripted edited, novelised ... in fact there is nothing he hasn't done for Doctor Who). No, writer Chris Boucher makes the dialogue and characters sing but everyone is on form this week so it's a case of what, or who to choose... script, direction, acting, design? Which should be allowed into the special club of best bits? Well, one thing that won't be is the murder mystery element of the story as it happens. Not with those trousers.

Happy Times and Places 16.3 - The Robots of Death 3

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 00:01:00 +0100

You heard a cry... of delight. Well, sorry if you're not a fan of The Robots of Deaths because this is a bit of a love in. From Toos' hand injury to Taren Capel's inability to disguise himself from the viewer, there is much to talk about here, but guest Gary Russell (former Doctor Who script editor amongst much else) and host Toby Hadoke are Super Voc-al about the extent to which they enjoy pretty much everything about this Tom Baker classic. But, the main question we have gathered you all here to answer is ... will we agree on the episode's greatest asset?

Happy Times and Places 16.4 - The Robots of Death 4

Mon, 14 Jun 2021 00:01:00 +0100

Former Doctor Who script editor, former editor of Doctor Who Magazine, and ever present writer, director, actor, and novelist Gary Russell chooses his final two favourite aspects of The Robots of Death this time, bringing him to a Famous Five of Favourite Things. It's Murder on the Sandminer Express as this series high point comes to an end: there's no way this one will give you Robots-phobia.

Happy Times and Places 17.1 - Dragonfire 1

Fri, 18 Jun 2021 13:46:00 +0100

A special occasion for a story that is itself a special occasion. The 150th Doctor Who story, also out on Blu-Ray this month, is the occasion of our first ever guest who actually worked on the episodes being eulogised. Does being in the thick of the action on Ice World give our illustrious contributor a different perspective from our host, Toby Hadoke, or do their Happy Times and Places share the same decor?

Happy Times and Places 17.2 - Dragonfire 2

Mon, 21 Jun 2021 13:50:00 +0100

The first of these podcasts to feature a guest who worked on the episodes in question, set sail for Svartos as your host Toby Hadoke and Doctor Who script editor discuss the semiotic thickness of Dragonfire's text, and see if they can agree about the best things in the story. Hopefully this will whet your appetite for the Blu-ray release of Dragonfire, which is scheduled for today. So pop this on as you wait for the postman...

Happy Times and Places 17.3 - Dragonfire 3

Fri, 25 Jun 2021 00:01:00 +0100

Something to listen to while you browse the freezer section immediately after a deadly massacre - and it's informed commentary as special guest Andrew Cartmel was there at the time. He has recently visited Svartos again in preparation for the Season 24 Blu-ray set, released this week, and he enjoyed it very much. Will he and your host Toby Hadoke agree on the best things about the 150th Doctor Who story?

Bonus Episode : Edward Peel Interview

Mon, 28 Jun 2021 00:01:00 +0100

Well, if you enjoyed the trip to Ice World in which Toby and guest Andrew Cartmel discussed the 150th Doctor Who story Dragonfire (Happy Times and Places episodes 17.1 - 17.3), then you'll love this bit of bonus content. That fine actor Edward Peel chats about playing the story's villain Kane, and describes the highlights of his 55 year career as a busy actor in everything from RSC stage productions to cutting edge new theatre writing via TV favourites like Juliet Bravo and Cracker. Edward kindly gave his time for free so anyone who enjoys this can show their appreciation by donating to his chosen charity MacMillan Nurses.

Warning : there is one moment of strong language which is used to illustrate an occurrence of it occurring in real life which has been left unbleeped.

Happy Times and Places 18.1 - The Highlanders 1

Fri, 02 Jul 2021 00:01:00 +0100

One of the loveliest, cheeriest people from the Doctor Who universe has chosen the latest story to be scrutinised for Happy Times and Places. But behind that smile is a machiavellian mischief maker, as instead of choosing something straightforward he has picked one of the least talked about Doctor Who stories of all time. So join host Toby Hadoke and his guest, Deputy Editor of Doctor Who Magazine Peter Ware, as they escape the battle of Culloden for the last pure historical for many years... but will there be anything to talk about?

Happy Times and Places 18.2 - The Highlanders 2

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 00:01:00 +0100

It's international Podcast like a Pirate day, because Captain Trask is making his presence known as episode 2 of The Highlanders demands your attention, thanks to DWM Deputy Editor Peter Ware. He has chosen this for many reasons, but can host Toby Hadoke guess what his favourite thing about this instalment is? He'd better not think too hard though, it might give him a headache.

Happy Times and Places 18.3 - The Highlanders 3

Fri, 09 Jul 2021 00:01:00 +0100

All aboard The Annabelle as we set sail for the third instalment of this little-discussed Doctor Who story. Deputy Editor of Doctor Who Magazine Peter Ware thought it'd be fun to put hoist Toby Hadoke in chains and sail him into obscure waters to see if he can find anything positive to say about this episode - one which, Peter reveals, holds a unique place in Doctor Who history. Can you guess what it is? Will your host? One thing's for sure - this jolly episode is a lot of fun, and it certainly doesn't drag.

Happy Times and Places 18.4 - The Highlanders 4

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 00:01:00 +0100

Well, this one went well - your host Toby Hadoke didn't have to re-record the end of the episode to give it a different ending. So history didn't repeat itself. That said, nor did the historicals, (well not for a very long time) - but on the evidence of this jolly romp that's a shame. Peter Ware, Deputy Editor of DWM has chosen it, and needs to pick his favourite thing about the episode plus one bonus thing. Are Peter's things the same as your host's things? There's only one way to find out.

Happy Times and Places 19.1 - Time and the Rani 1

Fri, 16 Jul 2021 00:01:00 +0100

Yes, you have only just had a Season 24 story, Dragonfire, and it's all out on Blu-ray this month, but this rush release isn't overkill. It is because special guest Anthony Townsend has, since recording their admirably robust support for one of Doctor Who's less celebrated stories, received a life-changing medical diagnosis. So to draw attention to that and to help provide Anthony with a helping hand, we have bubble traps, high heels, impersonations and tinsel in a pipe. For decades now this has been pretty low on your host, Toby Hadoke's, list of things he likes. Can Anthony change his mind? To help Anthony at this difficult time please check out this Go Fund Me page..

https://uk.gofundme.com/f/a-small-hand-for-antoni

Happy Times and Places 19.2 - Time and the Rani 2

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 13:10:00 +0100

https://uk.gofundme.com/f/a-small-hand-for-antoni

Excuse the continued pluggage but it is for a good cause. Special guest Anthony Townsend has had a life changing medical diagnosis and so your host, Toby Hadoke, has sat through the whole of this story of tinsel, big hair, even bigger vocabulary and painted rocks in order to bring attention to the fund set up to help someone who has done a lot for both fandom and the charity sector. But will the two of them agree on this story's strong points?

Happy Times and Places 19.3 - Time and the Rani 3

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 00:01:00 +0100

You get an extra episode this week because this story has been unceremoniously hurled into the schedule because our special guest, Anthony Townsend, has, since advocating so strongly for Time and the Rani, become quite poorly. The two things are not related, however. Host Toby Hadoke sees is he can accentuate the positive in his least favourite Doctor Who story - so prepare yourselves for either a Damascene conversion or a man lying about how much he enjoys watching magnificent divas yelling at giant brains.

https://uk.gofundme.com/f/a-small-hand-for-antoni

Happy Times and Places 19.4 - Time and the Rani 4

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 00:02:00 +0100

Three episodes in one week? Makes you sound... well, very lucky. It's three episodes of Time and the Rani though, so can you learn to be like your host, Toby Hadoke, and vow to try to love this rather strange matter? He's accentuating the positive because since recording their contribution to this podcast, special guest Anthony Townsend has received some difficult news. And what better way to celebrate Anthony than getting out the tinsel and the colour and camping it about in a quarry?

https://uk.gofundme.com/f/a-small-hand-for-antoni

Indefinable Magic 1.8 - It‘s Not Cricket... (part one)

Mon, 26 Jul 2021 00:01:00 +0100

It actually is cricket - a meander through the connections between Doctor Who and a sport with a long, sprawling history, one that inspires devotion in some and bafflement in others, is associated with a certain British eccentricity, and has a symbiotic relationship with BBC broadcasting. What is less well known is that cricket itself was been killed off by Doctor Who in the same episode that first featured it, and that a Doctor who you would think might have a strong connection with the game doesn't so much as mention it at all!

Happy Times and Places Omnibus - The Chase

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 00:01:00 +0100

Slightly updated with a couple of "I Think You'll Find"s that weren't in the original episodic release, here is a chance to digest a whole three hours (nearly) of daft Dalek action with the delightful Darrell MacLaine in celebratory mode as he and your host Toby Hadoke try to identify Aridians, wonder why Columbo is on the Empire State Building, encounter some dubious baby based "comedy" on the Marie (Mary?) Celeste and eventually end up in London 1965. And Darrell knows a song about that.

Happy Times and Places 20.1 - The Time Warrior 1

Mon, 02 Aug 2021 00:01:00 +0100

Just over half way through The Time Warrior your host, Toby Hadoke, came forth, claiming this planet and all its moons and satellites for his greater glory. So rather appropriately the man who chose the story, renaissance man Tom Salinsky, sent his thoughts over at around that time of year, so it seemed appropriate to watch it during the period it originally went out. Prior warning - Toby is a huge fan of this story, so it's not the trickiest of prospects to find the joy in this... in fact, the hardest thing will be deciding what to chose.

Happy Times and Places 20.2 - The Time Warrior 2

Fri, 06 Aug 2021 00:01:00 +0100

A new companion and a new monster, both of whom prove to be extremely popular in the long run, plus some medieval villainy and a geographical location rather close to your host, Toby Hadoke - yes , it's one of the few Northern Doctor Who stories. And look, it's a perfectly balanced and fun adventure, and special guest Tom Salinsky has really thrown himself into the task of celebrating this very jolly Doctor Who adventure, but will Toby be able to guess what he has chosen as his favourite ting about it?

Happy Times and Places 20.3 - The Time Warrior 3

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 00:01:00 +0100

An episode with a first and a last. The first Doctor Who episode to mention Gallifrey and the last one to be broadcast in a Toby Hadoke free world. Your host was born midway between this and episode four, so if everyone looks slightly less irritated and isn't looking over their shoulder worried they're going to be ambushed by a baby with lots of inane questions about cast lists then now you know why. It's a fun episode, this, with one of the worst performances in the show's history, and a personal connection to Toby as he has worked with someone who was standing very close to that terrible acting. It's doubtful that special guest Tom Salinsky, and Toby will be choosing the Sentry as their favourite thing but hey, you never know (cue unconvincing laughter).

Happy Times and Places 20.4 - The Time Warrior 4

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 00:01:00 +0100

Relax, Hadoke has entered the fray - this was the first Doctor Who episode broadcast during your host's lifetime. Perhaps his mum had it on whilst rocking him to sleep? He wouldn't have nodded off during this though, as it is great fun, and special guest Tom Salinsky will have no trouble coming up with a host of favourite things this week: but will Toby - like Hal the Archer - hit the target?

Doctor Who: Too Much Information 2.1 - The Dead Planet

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 00:01:00 +0100

And so we come to Doctor Who's second first night. But as we will soon discover, there's no guarantee that what gets written or planned for ends up being seen bu the public, as shirts change, scripts are juggled and a writer who doesn't really want to spend too much time ends up producing what the team need - and at a speed they appreciate. Join host Toby Hadoke as he presents the What, When and Who of the first episode of the Doctor Who story that changed the face of the series forever.

Happy Times and Places Omnibus - Kinda

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 00:01:00 +0100

No mention really of Kate Bush, nor any kinda/Kinda "kind of" jokes either, but instead a really interesting and literary take on one of Doctor Who's most fascinating scripts from top TV writer (The Bay) Daragh Carville. But, you know, it also has a big pink snake in it and Jack Meadows from The Bill going mad. So what will your host Toby Hadoke make of it all...? Careful though - you don't want to see the dark places of his inside.

Happy Times and Places 21.1 - Tooth and Claw

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 00:01:00 +0100

Oh this is a good 'un. From its BBC one ident opening to its CGI werewolf and Sam Briggs as the Queen, there is much to discuss with this often overlooked episode of New Who. Film-maker Lisa Gledhill brings her historical expertise and Doctor Who trailer making to bear on this viewing - but will she and your host Toby Hadoke both identify the same things as worthy of celebrating about this horrifying instalment? Go on, have a listen, they won't bite...

Happy Time and Places Omnibus - The Robots of Death

Fri, 27 Aug 2021 12:09:00 +0100

There's very little guest Gary Russell hasn't done for the series, so it's great to have him choosing his favourite things about a bona fide Doctor Who classic. For this omnibus version the opening and closing credits have been chopped off and the whole thing has been stuck together into one feature length presentation. A bit like the VHS release then, except that we haven't redone the credits in crappy red writing with too many people on one page.

Indefinable Magic 1.9 - It's Not Cricket (Part 2)

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 00:01:00 +0100

Its the second part of our trawl through the (other) beautiful game, looking at the cricketing Doctor's cricketing occasions as well as some real life connection between Doctor Who and the leather and willow - notably a batting Master, some villains announcing test matches and a Gallifreyan grandson hitting the international stage in his whites.

Happy Times and Places Omnibus - Dragonfire

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 00:01:00 +0100

Originally released episodically to celebrate the release of the Season 24 Blu-ray, we've now packed it all neatly up into a single bundle so that you can enjoy all that Iceworld has to offer in just one trip. But the special guest this time around provides added insight into the story, because not only does he have four favourite things to highlight, he was responsible for some of them because he's only the flipping script editor, Andrew Cartmel, who gives a little interview at the end of each instalment as well as telling your host, Toby Hadoke, what he likes best about the 150th Doctor who story.

Happy Times and Places Omnibus - The Highlanders

Mon, 06 Sep 2021 12:20:00 +0100

Warning: when consumed all in one go this podcast contains more than the recommended level of piratical dialogue. Prolonged exposure to such dialogue will cause you to squint and yell "ahaaar" without warning. It's the little discussed Troughton historical that introduces Jamie and drag to the Doctor and provokes lots of jolly chat from guest Peter Ware. You will like a chat like that. Host Toby Hadoke tried to guess what cheerful Peter likes about this story (apart from, you know, everything - Peter is a very positive guy).

Happy Times and Places 22.1 - The Cave of Skulls

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 00:01:00 +0100

See how we neatly avoided giving a story title then? It's hard enough deciding what to call the first story (your host Toby Hadoke is an An Unearthly Child man himself, but he's no dictator) but what about if you strip it of its iconic opening instalment? Because that is what monster maker Jim Sangster, this edition's special guest, has done. He's chosen the first story, but the caveman episodes only - in order that the oft overlooked squabble about fire might ignite fresh passions in us all. But will he and your host be fanning the same flames or will they be left with a chill in the air?

HappyTimes and Places 22.2 - The Forest of Fear

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 00:01:00 +0100

This series has already provided a Too Much Information about The Forest of Fear and now it gets the Happy Times and Places treatment too. We've never been so verdant! But getting all excited about the early days of Doctor Who is easily done. But will special guest Jim Sangster and your host Toby Hadoke agree on the episode's high point, or will Jim try to murder Toby with a stone as he lies wounded...?

Happy Times and Places 22.3 - The Firemaker

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 12:59:00 +0100

And so the first Doctor Who story comes to a close - but will this be the first time that you r host, Tim y Hadoke, manages to guess more than half of his guest's favourite things? He's been doing pretty well so far. He wouldn't muck it up at this stage, having come so far ... would he? Well, we're not going to tell you, as we would rather end this on a cliffhanger - after all, that's what they did in the old days.

Happy Times and Places 23.1 - Nightmare of Eden 1

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 00:02:00 +0100

Here's one your host Toby Hadoke remembers watching as a kid and, of course, loving ... and then learning as a teen that it was from the "awful Season 17" and that everyone should hate it. Then Toby finally rediscovered it as a grown-up and quite liked it. So how much will he enjoy it this time around, especially with US chum and uber-Star Trek fanfic guy Derek O'Brien acting as its advocate. But more importantly, will he remember what it is actually called.

Happy Times and Places 23.2 - Nightmare of Eden 2

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 00:05:00 +0100

So we have the perspective of and American Who Fan in England - prolific Star Trek fanfic fella Derek O'Brien - so how differently will he receive the good and bad of one of Doctor Who's less celebrated stories? And will your host Toby Hadoke have the same kind of Nightmare...?

Happy Times and Places 23.3 - Nightmare of Eden 3

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 00:01:00 +0100

Spaceships are fused and everyone on board is having a bad trip - some in more ways than one. But will there be enough positives aboard the Empress to make this a first class excursion for special guest Derek O'Brien, who brings the perspective of a visiting American discovering Doctor Who for the first time? And do he and your host Toby Hadoke stand any chance of finding common ground in their likes for this story, or is a there a big gap of nothing between them...?

Happy Times and Places 23.4 - Nightmare of Eden 4

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 00:01:00 +0100

Your host TobY Hadoke was on such a roll with the first three parts that when he gets to part four, on a different day, his mojo seems to have got lost in the void. Maybe he needs to take drugs in order to enjoy EVERY episode of Doctor Who, or maybe he just needs to exercise a bit of self discipline... or maybe he just needs to "go away"... Fortunately, Star Trek fanfic writer Derek O'Brien is on hand to provide some positive analysis from a perspective honed across the Pond. So maybe this will end on a high!

Indefinable Magic 1.10 - Credit Where Credits Are Due

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 00:01:00 +0100

These Indefinable Magic podcasts just keep getting longer (unlike the credits on TV programmes, which are getting shorter and faster). Ah well. This one is about Toby Hadoke's hill, and it's one that he'll die on. Some fans care about this stuff, and some couldn't give two hoots but tough - here is Toby Hadoke Party Political Broadcast for the Readable Credits Party. From casts in order of appearance, to special guest star billing, here is everything you need to know about who goes where on that list of names that disappears ever quicker these days...

Happy Times and Places Omnibus - Time and the Rani

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 00:01:00 +0100

A hurried release when put out as single instalments but for a good cause as guest Antoni Fletcher-Goldsmith has had a very serious health diagnosis which required a bit of support. And yet it hasn't diminished his glittery approach to life and what is more glittery than Time and the Rani? It's a tricky one for your host as it's not a favourite of his - the very opposite - but this podcast is all about celebrating Doctor Who even when it's not to your taste...

Happy Times and Places 24.1 - Dalek

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 00:01:00 +0100

The special guest this time around is that delightful writer and comedian Iszi Lawrence. She has chosen a rare (for this podcast) New Who episode: the headline grabbing Dalek. And with Russell T Davies love rightly in the air it's worth reminding ourselves of the show's heady first year back. Will it retain its power after all these years and crucially, will Toby and Iszi agree on the same things when it comes to their appreciation of this undoubted classic...

Happy Times and Places Omnibus - The Time Warrior

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 00:01:00 +0100

Special guest Tom Salinsky and your host Toby Hadoke hide away from their families over the Christmas and new year period in order to watch Jon Pertwee stalking a potato headed alien whilst Dot Cotton lives in a castle with Boba Fett. It's also your host's birth story so holds a special place in his heart - but does that mean he and his guest will be on the same wavelength? Time (Warrior) will tell...

Too Much Information 2.2 - The Survivors

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 00:01:00 +0100

OK, so The Daleks started last time, but the Daleks start this time - and they had quite a lot of development, both vocally and physically, to get them to the shapes and sounds we know and love. And yet they arrived pretty much as we have them today. This is the last episode to be recorded before Doctor Who itself was aired and it was made in the immediate aftermath of a world shattering event. Oh it was quite a busy week - and The Survivors have quite a tale to tell...

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Happy Times and Places Omnibus - The Tribe of Gum

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 00:01:00 +0100

We're not committing ourselves to this as a title - but you know what we mean. It's the cavemen episodes bereft of their history making opening instalment that have been chosen by monster maker Jim Sangster and he and your host Toby Hadoke find a lot of similarities about their favourite things presented by these oft neglected instalments. Orb be praised.

Happy Times and Places 25. 1 - Genesis of the Daleks 1

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 00:01:00 +0100

A last minute juggle of the release schedule as this edition's special guest - hugely respected comedy writer David Quantick - has something coming out that he wants to plug, a book that'll hit the shops in early November 2021. So to sing for his supper he is crooning a ditty of praise for one of Doctor Who's most highly lauded and repeated stories, Genesis of the Daleks. David saw it first time around, whereas host Toby Hadoke knows it so well in edited, audio form thanks to having it on cassette.So will their different perspectives happen upon the same favourite thing? Grab the Time Ring and see...

patreon.com/tobyhadoke

Or there is Ko-fi for the occasionally donation with no commitments:

ko-fi.com/tobyhadoke

Follow Toby on Twitter

@tobyhadoke

And these podcasts

@HadokePodcasts

www.tobyhadoke.com for news, blog, mailing list and more.

Happy Times and Places 25.2 - Genesis of the Daleks 2

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 00:01:00 +0100

David Quantick's new quiz book comes out a few days after the release of this podcast, that is why this lauded comedy writer's contribution to Happy Times and Places has been released so close to him recording it. Will he and your host Toby Hadoke like the same things ...? And more to the point, what will they choose? What's not to love about one of Doctor Who's most highly regarded stories?

Happy Times and Places 25.3 - Genesis of the Daleks 3

Sun, 31 Oct 2021 23:01:00 +0000

'Allo 'Allo, what is going on here then? You'd have to be suffering from distronic toxaemia not to enjoy this episode of Doctor Who even though it's full of not very nice people doing not very nice things. Special guest David Quantick doesn't do anything nasty though, he casts his expert eye over proceedings to choose his favourite thing, but will host Toby Hadoke approve of his choice?

Happy Times and Places 25.4 - Genesis of the Daleks 4

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 23:01:00 +0000

Host Toby Hadoke has strapped David Quantick - writer of Veep, Danger Mouse, Brass Eye, The Day Today and much more - to a table and threatened to torture his best friends unless he reveals his favourite things about Genesis of the Daleks. The biggest challenge here is narrowing down what to most celebrate about one of Doctor Who's first hours. And will you, the listener, enjoy the same things as these two? You will tell me! You will tell me! You will tell me!!!

Happy Times and Places 25.5 - Genesis of the Daleks 5

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 00:01:00 +0000

This episode of Doctor Who contains one of the finest scenes in the show's history, but your host Toby Hadoke might go off on one - and it needs the celebrated wit of guest David Quantick to bring a bit of sanity back to proceedings. But things take an unexpected twist when he chooses his favourite thing from this episode. How will Toby react? Will he cope, or will he just nip out and... never return...

Happy Times and Places 25.6 - Genesis of the Daleks 6

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 00:01:00 +0000

And so things come to a head in the bunker and the elite have to decide which side they are on. It'd pretty much the same in Podcastville - will top comedy writer David Quantick and your host Toby Hadoke end up on the same side, or will they end up being thrown into the path of a laser beam by a Nazi in a wig? Anything could happen, but one things for sure, out of a Doctor Who story this classy, there must come something good... (even if it is only David getting some extra sales for his book he is plugging!)

Indefinable Magic 11 - Nothing Serious, Nothing Political

Fri, 19 Nov 2021 00:01:00 +0000

There is definitely a podcast to be made about the political opinions expressed in many a TV Doctor Who adventure... but this isn't it. This is, instead, a look at many of those people who have sojourned in the Whonioverse who have dedicated at least some of their lives to politics. Forming parties, standing for parliament, serving on a district council - there are undercover government agents and wannabes in such stories as Carnival of Monsters, Time-Flight and Planet of the Spiders. There are liberals, UKIPpers, Labour and Tory, and even a genuine and unrepentant fascist among the cast and crew lists of Doctor Who. So here is a - not claiming to be exhaustive and definitely quite scattergun - guide to the characters, their policies and sometimes their very, very unconventional views. Hopefully it'll get your vote.

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 00:01:00 +0000

One of the very earliest of these to be recorded but held back just to mix things up a bit, another unpopular story with "Time" in the title is thrust into the Happy Times and Places schedule. Locations runner (and someone who has tracked down many a Who alumnus for his interview series The Unsung Heroes of Doctor Who) Alex Moore has chosen this oft ridiculed tale - so he and your host Toby Hadoke hunker down to celebrate what is good about the story. That may require quite a lot of hunkering.

Happy Times and Places 27. 2 - The Time Monster 2

Fri, 03 Dec 2021 00:01:00 +0000

Special guest Alex Moore (who has actually worked on TVs Doctor Who you know) has chosen this rather unloved Pertwee tale of Toms and Tits and Corks and Squarks ... but will your host Toby Hadoke be able to find anything to like about it or will he have to make time stand still and hope that nobody notices?

Happy Times and Places 27.3 - The Time Monster 3

Mon, 06 Dec 2021 00:01:00 +0000

Well on paper this was the most exciting slice of Doctor Who imaginable - transporting all sorts of lethal threats from the past and plopping them into the present to cause havoc: exactly the kind of time bending, weird juxtaosition type stuff that the show should be doing. So why does The Time Monster not get the appreciation - and, crucially, can locations film guy and Doctor Who cast and crew interviewer Alex Moore and your host Toby Hadoke agree on the nature of the love they want to give to this poor neglected creature?

Happy Times and Places 27.4 - The Time Monster 4

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 01:16:00 +0000

So, the final episode to have all the UNIT family together and there's a lot going on - the story is about to change location, and indeed performance style, as the TARDIS sets sail for Atlantis, but before that there's plenty of TARDIS based jeopardy, including the creation of a cliffhanger out of nothing. Will guest Alex Moore (host of The Unsung Heroes of Doctor Who) and host Toby Hadoke choose the same favourite thing or might they both be better off speaking backwards?

WARNING - this was one of the first podcasts Toby recorded and so he ate crisps during this episode. It has had some of the worst crisp eating edited out since the episode was originally released but there might be some residual chomping, so if you're sensitive to horrid sounds be warned. It's better than it was though, and mostly at the beginning, and Toby promises never to eat during a podcast again.

Happy Times and Places 27.5 - The Time Monster 5

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 01:20:00 +0000

This is the episode that famously scuppered Dalek writer Rob Shearman on the positive literary odyssey through Who that he wrote with your host Toby Hadoke, Running Through Corridors. The Time Monster episode 5 takes us, and the story, to Atlantis: there's eyeliner, bare chests, heaving bosoms and the mysterious Lord Crito... but what will there be to celebrate? And - crucially - will guest Alex Moore (who has been working on the latest series of Doctor Who!) and Toby agree on what it is that they have learned to love about this underwater excursion?

Happy Times and Places 27.6 - The Time Monster 6

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 00:01:00 +0000

Not the easiest of tasks this, and it was very early on in the recording schedule of this podcast, so please indulge the baby steps. Anyway, for whatever reason it was held back, here it is (and on reflection it sounds fine), one of the least celebrated Pertwee stories: warts, Atlantis and all. You've had Time and the Rani and The Time Monster pretty close together, and we've already done Time-Flightand The Time Warrior, so we have all the Times in the world. For now. But so long as they are happy Times, that's OK. Oh, and nobody leaves Baby Benton in the corner.

Happy Times and Places 28.1 - Warriors of the Deep 1

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 00:01:00 +0000

Big Finish writer extraordinaire, comedy genius and researcher of the arcane Jonny Morris chooses a typically left field entry into this celebratory podcast. Fortunately, he is not the only one who has a soft spot for this much maligned story, so dust off your eye shadows and get in synch with your two hosts as they try to get to the bottom of what exactly is the best thing happening beneath the sea...

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Happy Times and Places 28.2 - Warriors of the Deep 2

Fri, 24 Dec 2021 00:01:00 +0000

Things are hotting up on Seabase Four, but my guest Jonathan Morris and host Toby Hadoke are not confining ourselves to events under the sea - Aliens and Fifty Shades of Grey both get a look in this week : so if you're into rubber then the sea base doors are for you, and if it's leather you're after then... well, you're probably a Myrka kind of guy or gal :) Oh dear. Brave heart.

Happy Times and Places BONUS EPISODE - The Next Doctor

Sat, 25 Dec 2021 00:01:00 +0000

Season's Greetings, and here is your podcast present. Here's hoping Christmas is a Happy Time and Place for you and that you can join host Toby Hadoke and guest, podcaster David Steel (The Power of 3) for this trip to this Special of Christmas Past. From a time where David Tennant could conceivably turn into David Morrissey, it has the return of the Cybermen, flashbacks to Doctors of old, Dickensian urchins, a plucky female sidekick, a delicious villain and a bonkers ending with a giant Cyber Crazy Thing stomping about Victorian (yes, Victorian) London. Oh, and as it is Christmas, there's a special gift for you at the end of the podcast in the form of... well, another guest, who provides some fascinating insights into the production... and might just swing the balance of the contest... Oh and incidentally, a happy Christmas to all off you at home...

Happy Times and Places 28.3 - Warriors of the Deep 3

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 00:01:00 +0000

Everybody was kung-fu fighting! Well, Ingrid Pitt was. This is an infamous episode, thanks to the Pitt/Myrka combo that has come in for a fair amount of stick - but that's not going to stop an outpouring of love from Big Finish and BBC Books scribe Jonathan Morris, and indeed your host Toby Hadoke, who is very keen to play Where's Wally with the mysterious Sea Base staff member Paroli...

Happy Times and Places BONUS - Twice Upon A Time

Fri, 31 Dec 2021 00:01:00 +0000

Another festive treat for you all, recorded terrifyingly close to release, as Christmas comes again just as its afterglow threatens to vanish. This time, the young guest offers a Christmas past as your Christmas present, and brings with him hope of Christmas future - at 15 Joe is the youngest guest the podcast has ever had, and brings an insight rare for this type of thing. But bear in mind, he's a 15 year old whose Top Ten of Who has Davison, Troughton and Colin Baker stories in it : as well as this, the last episode of the Capaldi/Moffat area. Can your host Toby Hadoke get even close to being in tune with the attitudes of someone born just after Rose aired? There's only one way to find out...

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Happy Times and Places 28.4 - Warriors of the Deep 4

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 00:01:00 +0000

Everybody (well nearly everybody) dies! Oh it's a grim place to spend your time is Seabase 4, but there's fun to be had trying to spot Tarpok (who since this was recorded has popped up in Village of the Angels!) and mining this often unloved story for lots of positives. Whether there should have been another way or not, there's still plenty for host Toby Hadoke to talk about, especially with advocate extraordinaire Jonathan Morris.

Since this episode was recorded Toby's old chum, Vincent "Tarpok" Brimble popped up in Village of the Angels which is very exciting indeed!

Indefinable Magic 12 - You Say Potato, I Say Sontaran

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 00:01:00 +0000

What was your most egregious pronunciation of a Doctor Who word - Sontaran? Mandragora? Metebilis? They are all here (hopefully) with a few memories, asides, segues and jokes thrown in for good measure. You know the kind of thing - verbal diarrhoea in an anorak, that's Toby Hadoke's Time Travels.

Happy Times and Places 29.1 - The War Machines 1

Mon, 10 Jan 2022 00:01:00 +0000

Your hosts are watching Doctor Who - the programme and the person. Oh yes, is the story with the bit people like to pretend didn't happen. Popular internet scamp Pip Madeley (what do you mean you don't follow him on Twitter? Amend that immediately) takes a not entirely serious look at Doctor Who's first proper step into the kind of story we take into our stride these days : present day Earth, London landmarks, lots of soldiers. With added poignancy because of the recent death of Jackie Lane, let's see if Pip and host Toby Hadoke are on the same wavelength... Since this was recorded the story's marvellous director Michael Ferguson also passed away.

Happy Times and Places 29.2 - The War Machines 2

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 00:01:00 +0000

So this is the one in which he gets called "Doctor Who" a lot! Will that be Pip Madeley's favourite thing. Or your host, Toby Hadoke's? Or are they far too sensible for that? When Toby was a youngster this was the only episode of The War Machines in existence - oh how fans used to dream of having the full story. You lot don't know you're born!

Happy Times and Places 29.3 - The War Machines 3

Mon, 17 Jan 2022 00:01:00 +0000

There are a few bits still missing from this. probably runs and death and jeopardy - they don't like excitement, the censors. Still, that makes the re-insertion of little bits as exciting a part of this as the story itself, which features the military attacking the War Machine to no avail, but Doctor Who (as he is no longer called) being magnificently unperturbed by the advancing menace in the episode's climax. Will host Toby Hadoke be able to guess what special guest, the very silly Pip Madeley, likes best about this? Will you? Will WOTAN?

Happy Times and Places 29.4 - The War Machines 4

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 00:01:00 +0000

So Ben and Polly complete their audition to be the new TARDIS crew, and the Hartnell era draws to a close in terms of stories we can actually see the whole of. So what does Pip Madeley, Twitter sensation, make of it all, and will he and Toby choose the same favourite thing as Frank Butcher from Eastenders, Skart from The Power of Kroll but not Mike Yarwood do battle against a giant computer and put a box in the ring.

Happy Times and Places 30.1 - The Seeds of Death 1

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 09:42:00 +0000

Ubiquitous for fans of a certain age - the first Troughton story released on VHS and so pored over so much that every line, every camera move, every Ice Warrior's tummy rumble still exists somewhere imprinted in the synapses of the young collectors of yesteryear. Of which your host Toby Hadoke is one, and so his guest Jaye Butler Moore will choose many things that chime with Toby's choices - but will they all chime at the same time? This is the second Happy times and Places story in a row to be directed by Michael Ferguson. A coincidence at the time of recording, but as Michael has sadly passed away since then, it means that this month can be a small tribute to his work in this little corner of the internet.

Happy Times and Places 30.2 - The Seeds of Death 2

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 00:01:00 +0000

No Moonbase clearance is needed to hop aboard the podcast rocket and set off for episode two of The Seeds of Death, in which Commander Radnor's fuzzy felt costume continues to falter, whilst Miss Kelly's rubber armadillo gear draws the eye. But will either of those things be what guest Jaye Butler Moore likes best about this episode? There's only one way to find out - podcast sending now, audience receiving now, dispatch completed.

Happy Times and Places 30.3 - The Seeds of Death 3

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 00:01:00 +0000

There's a lot of plinky-plonky piano music in this episode. Oh, and a seed. Right near the end. Finally, a seed in The Seeds of Death. Nearly halfway through! But what will Jaye Butler Moore choose to celebrate about this instalment, and will host Toby Hadoke agree? It certainly won't be Ronald Leigh-Hunt's terrible outfits that's for sure.

Happy Times and Places 30.4 - The Seeds of Death 4

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 22:08:00 +0000

What's Jaye Butler Moore's favourite thing about this episode? Well it won't be Patrick Troughton that is for sure - because he is not in it. The Tommy Laird Doctor takes centre snooze for this one: but that doesn't mean that there isn't plenty of action as the Ice Warrior is on the march, the foam machine is in overdrive, and Phipps tries to shoulder some of the story.

Happy Times and Places 30.5 - The Seeds of Death 5

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What do you mean you don't know who that is?

Happy Times and Places Omnibus - Warriors of the Deep

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:01:00 +0000

Big Finish and DWM scribe Jonny Morris has chosen and oft derided slice of Doctor Who that your host, Toby Hadoke, just happens to have a great big soft spot for. Will their tastes merge, or will the whole thing collapse under the weight of a great big sponge door? But remember, the aim here is to accentuate the positive, whether there should have been another way or not.

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Happy Times and Places 32.1 - Inferno 1

Sun, 13 Mar 2022 23:01:00 +0000

Our special guest this time around is an alumnus of Doctor Who! And he's a fan as well. Having been given a bit of advice by the 8th Doctor this fellow has gone from strength to strength, but who knows what would have happened had he not heeded the Time Lord's instructions. Well, that's an alternative future that doesn't bear thinking about, so it is appropriate that special guest Jeremy Radick (Gareth from The TV Movie) has chosen this particular adventure. Will he and host Toby Hadoke agree on Inferno;'s best qualities? Well one thing's for sure, the conversations about this story are definitely not going to be a bore.

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Happy Times and Places 32.2 - Inferno 2

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 23:01:00 +0000

The drilling is going at an alarming pace and things are getting out of hand as The TV Movie's Jeremy Radick and host Toby Hadoke get to grips with what is hot about Inferno. Can they agree on what is best or will they need to nip over to a parallel universe in order to get the opinions of their fascistic other selves??

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Happy Times and Places 32.3 - Inferno 3

Sun, 20 Mar 2022 23:01:00 +0000

"... and when I turned around, they were all doing podcasts". The TV Movie's Jeremy Radick is going above and beyond the call of duty for this one, and as we enter an alternative universe where - as things tend to be in alternative universes - everyone is a bit more badass and a bit more fetishy, things get a bit more dangerous for the Doctor. Yikes!

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Happy Times and Places 32.4 - Inferno 4

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 23:01:00 +0000

It's one of those ones where it's going to be difficult to choose a favourite thing. There's an obvious one - but should one go for the obvious choice or is there a need for gamesmanship? And what has happened to Jeremy Radick? Host Toby Hadoke turned around and suddenly he was wearing an eyepatch. Can they come up with a commentary between them that is penetrating? Let's hope so...

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Happy Times and Places 32.5 - Inferno 5

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 00:01:00 +0100

Benton has gone to the dogs, Sir Keith's life is a car crash, and everyone is living an alternative lifestyle. But that's nothing compared to what is going on at the house of our special guest, Jeremy Radick from The TV Movie. This podcast is on fire! Sadly, so is the world. Host Toby Hadoke is on hand with a bucket of water, but can he guess what Jeremy's favourite thing about the episode is?

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Happy Times and Places 32.6 - Inferno 6

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 00:01:00 +0100

Probably the most high stakes episode of Doctor Who of all time. It's the end of the world as we know it. But it's not The End of the World - that's a Christopher Eccleston episode and we've already done that. Things aren't looking good for the Inferno project, but they're looking even worse for our guest Jeremy Radick. Can Toby Hadoke cross over to save him, all will they both be dead by the episode's end?

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Happy Times and Places 32.7 - Inferno 7

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 00:01:00 +0100

So, Inferno comes to an end, but will it also be the end for special guest Jeremy Radick? We only have 25 minutes to save the world... of Doctor Who podcasts from going to the dogs. Are they dogs? Werewolves? Or unhygienic members of ZZ Top? Host Toby Hadoke is on hand with the answers... or has that hand accidentally touched some green slime...?

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Too Much Information 2.5 - The Expedition

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 00:01:00 +0100

Our voyage through Doctor Who, episode-by-episode, continues. We have an advantage with The Expedition as there is quite a lot of paperwork specific to it that has survived. So it's a pretty deep dive - and there's also a few quotes from a now sadly departed actor, plus an illustration that some roads of research lead only to dead ends. So take a trip with Toby Hadoke to the Lake of Mutations - even though he can't guarantee that you will all get out alive...!

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Fri, 20 May 2022 00:01:00 +0100

And so we get to the final episode of Terminus, which means only one thing .... that Laurence Clark and host Toby Hadoke have to choose two favourite things this time. So it doesn't mean one thing then... I means two. It's been a funny old trip but it's fascinating to re-explore one of Doctor Who's less discussed stories. But if you, in the course of your quest, choose the same thing as Laurence does for his bonus then we will be so surprised that we'll give you a million pounds*.

(*We won't actually give you a million pounds).

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Happy Times and Places 35.1 - Midnight

Mon, 23 May 2022 00:01:00 +0100

Your host Toby Hadoke has been in a Russell T Davies mood recently so rushed this one forward in the schedules. And he hasn't regretted it. Special guest Tom Neenan is a hugely accomplished writer (The Mash Report) and performer (Radio 4's The Haunting) and so it is an utter delight to have him abroad the carriage to accompany us on the journey through Midnight. Sometimes it can be tricky remaining positive throughout a whole episode of Doctor Who. This isn't one of those times. And we have a bonus contribution from Toby's friend Chris Dunford-Kelk too and so this becomes something of a feature length affair, but if it is half as enjoyable to listen to as it was to make then that shouldn't be a problem.

Happy Times and Places 36.1 - Pyramids of Mars 1

Fri, 27 May 2022 00:01:00 +0100

An all-time classic but interestingly, not one you host, Toby Hadoke, is familiar with in its broadcast form (even though he has watched it more than most stories) : don't worry, it's all explained in the course of this very upbeat jaunt back in time. And by upbeat of course, we mean lethal, scary and violent! Part of the reason for the perkiness amongst the terror is the superb contribution of this edition's guest, uber Doctor Who researcher Richard Bignell, who brings a lot to the table.

Happy Times and Places 36.2 - Pyramids of Mars 2

Mon, 30 May 2022 00:01:00 +0100

Death and devastation at Stargroves, with the king of locations himself Richard Bignell. One of Doctor Who's most acclaimed stories bears the microscopic treatment so have fun being scared to death.

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Happy Times and Places 36.3 - Pyramids of Mars 3

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 00:01:00 +0100

Richard Bignell's contribution to this podcast is super - fact-filled, perceptive and brimming with enthusiasm. At there's a lot to wax lyrical about this week - humour, horror and heebie-jeebies ... but with so much to choose from, is there any chance that either Richard or your host Toby Hadoke will ever choose the same thing?

Happy Times and Places 36.4 - Pyramids of Mars 4

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 00:01:00 +0100

Now then, there is no doubt that this is one of the best Doctor Who stories of all time but... (whisper it) ... part four isn't really the story's finest 24 minutes. It's a lot of wandering around on a set. Your host Toby Hadoke approaches it with trepidation, not having had a lot of the padding of this episode as part of his childhood viewing on VHS (it was cut from the BBC release). So will this end on a damp squib, or can guest Richard Bignell's enthusiasm get everyone to the finish line?

Too Much Information 2.6 - The Ordeal

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 00:01:00 +0100

And so the first Dalek story comes to the part of Terry Nation's storyline that took up the leats space in his initial breakdown. There's not a lot of plot but plenty of jeopardy as Ian and co traverse the maze of tunnels on the mountainside. Behind the scenes there's a new director and designer and the Daleks are starting t made an impact on surrounding popular culture. So enjoy the who, What and Where of the penultimate episode of this epic tale, and then drop in with one of its guest stars who enables us to make this perhaps the only classic Doctor Who podcast to mention Donatella Versace and Naomi Campbell.

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Happy Times and Places 37.1 - The Macra Terror 1

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 00:01:00 +0100

Your host Toby Hadoke to work himself up to do this one - a story he has always enjoyed (and really had a good time with in his book Running Through Corridors). This time though, it felt like it was going to be a chore as it is all telesnaps and guesswork. So he grits his teeth and off he goes, with the delightful and insightful Michael Dennis - playwright and theatre fellow - as company... and boy are the results worth it. Not a story many people talk about, The Macra Terror, and that's a shame, because there's a lot to like. There's also a lot to guess!

Happy Times and Places 37.2 - The Macra Terror 2

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 00:01:00 +0100

"There is no such thing as Happy Times and Place 37.2" etc.

Of course there is. And this is it. a rewarding look at an under appreciated story with special guest Michael Dennis, who has worked extensively in theatre as a company manager and is an excellent writer too. But will host Toby Hadoke manage to stay in control...?

Happy Times and Places 37.3 - The Macra Terror 3

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Happy Times and Places 38.4 - The Daleks’ Masterplan 4

Mon, 04 Jul 2022 00:01:00 +0100

Host Toby Hadoke actually forgets the title of this episode in his introduction but when he does remember it boy does it come in helpful - as it's a title which could apply to several different people depending on your outlook. It is also special guest Ian K McLachlan's favourite episode of Doctor Who EVER : and he has seem them all except for Marco Polo episode 7. So no pressure then. He obviously likes death, as there's a lot of that here: and quite shocking it is too. So sit back , relax and press play but, no ... not that button...!

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Happy Times and Places 38.5 - The Daleks’ Masterplan 5

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 00:01:00 +0100

Yay! More moving pictures. Boo! No delegates. But we *do* have Karlton with his baldy head and jug ears and gorgeous voice, as well as a bunch of actors host Toby Hadoke have sadly never tracked down for interview... the mice! Yet more thespian memories we will never get to hear. But there's plenty to see in this episode - except for the denizens of the planet Mira, because they are the invisible Visions. Oh it is all go - what could guest Ian K McLachlan (fan from the days of yore) possibly choose as his favourite thing in this episode?

Happy Times and Places 36.6 - The Daleks’ Masterplan 6

Fri, 08 Jul 2022 00:01:00 +0100

Back to Reconville again, we are on the planet Mira and Doctor Who looks set to hand the Tarranium core over to Mavic Chen. But what's this? Dennis Spooner? Oh, so Terry Nation's not even writing the script anymore? Will that mean that there are different positives for host Toby Hadoke and his guest, Ian K McLachlan, to battle over? There's only one way to find out. And while we are at it, shall we find out what the hell a Corona of the Sun actually is? Because you won't in the episode!

Too Much Information 2.7 - The Rescue (The Daleks episode 7)

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 00:01:00 +0100

The Daleks' Masterplan's residence in Happy Times and Places will continue next week, but you probably won't mind the interruption by ...yet more Daleks!

It's time to digest Too Much Information about The Rescue.

Not that The Rescue, the other The Rescue. And so at last we get to the conclusion of the very first Dalek story. It's never really been properly assessed this story, as it is such a landmark, so it's really interesting to look at it as an adventure in context with he development of the show. And this is where the programme really began to become a cultural phenomenon - there are loads of newspaper reports and tie-ins with other media, and as a result we hear from William Hartnell himself as well as Verity Lambert and a host of cultural commentators. But never mind what's happening outside the programme, within it there is plenty to cover - an abandoned nuclear bomb, a very different ending, an on set injury and the vexing question of just where to store your galactic conquerers are all on the list of what we can comfortably call Too Much Information...

Indefinable Magic 17 - Sardonic Perhaps But Not Cynical...

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 00:01:00 +0100

The history of alcohol in Doctor Who is browsed over by host Toby Hadoke, who provides some personal insight via his complex relationship with the demon drink. Although, like all of these podcast, the tone is lighthearted, there are some serious issues discussed herein so please consider this a trigger warning.

If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this podcast then do reach out to your GP, to Alcoholic Anonymous, the Samaritans or other support groups.

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Happy Times and Places 38.7 - The Daleks’ Masterplan 7

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 00:01:00 +0100

And a Happy Time and Place to all of you at home. Here is Doctor Who's first Christmas special. In July. Which shows just how organised this particular series of podcasts is. Will host Toby Hadoke and guest Ian McLachlan (who gives some great insight to this episode's ONLY actually broadcast) agree on what (if anything!) there is to like about this episode.

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Fri, 29 Jul 2022 00:01:00 +0100

Well blimey. What an epic. But does it come to a suitable climax? No delegates, barely any Doctor, and in the case of Mavic Chen, no marbles. But how lucky have we been to have Ian McLachlan to guide us thorough this story - he watched it go out, and he has seen every episode of Doctor Who bar one. Plus he has letters from William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton! What a legend! Ian and host Toby Hadoke have to choose two things this time around - is there anything left? Or will we witness the Destruction of (Happy) Times and Places?

Sadly, Ian McLachlan passed away during the week this podcast was released. Hopefully this preserves just a little of what made this lovely, enthusiastic man (and fan) - who paved the way for the rest of us - so special. RIP Ian.

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Fri, 19 Aug 2022 00:01:00 +0100

Princess Josephine receives a right royal proposal in the final episode of The Curse of the Peladons.

That might be an in-joke just for your host. But Toby Hadoke won't choose Australian continuity announcements as his favourite thing as events in court come to a bloody climax. Bona fide proper TV Doctor Who writer Paul Cornell has two goes at choosing something and he only has to pick one of the same things as Toby and ... Toby will be the winner!!!! Could he achieve a rare victory? Or is he cursed?

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Happy Times and Places Omnibus - The Seeds of Death

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 00:01:00 +0100

If you gave your host Toby Hadoke £1 for every time he mentions the VHS compilation release of these story he'd be able to retire. There's much more to chat about though, as he and guest Jaye Butler Moore choose their favourite things about this story which has it all: foam, balloons, Ice Warriors of Hampstead Heath and ... those costumes...(!)

Happy Times and Places 40.1 - The God Complex

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 00:01:00 +0100

Excellent comedian and Torchwood podcaster Steffan Alun has chosen this memorable Matt Smith episode. but what Toby Hadoke fears the most is not guessing any of the same this as his guest in this positively inclined commentary podcast. Oh, and stay tuned right until the end as a key member of the team who made this episode also has his say.

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Happy Times and Places 41.1 - Bad Wolf

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 00:01:00 +0100

Ray of sunshine internet presence Jenny@bluebox99 chooses her favourite things about this landmark episode. Will host Toby Hadoke end up as the weakest link, or will he choose the same things as her?

Please note: this episode was recorded before any press revelations about Noel Clarke and John Barrowman were made.

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Happy Times and Places 41.2 - The Parting of the Ways

Fri, 02 Sep 2022 00:01:00 +0100

It is a parting of the ways between the Doctor and Rose but will it be a meeting of minds between host Toby Hadoke and guest Jenny@bluebox99 (that's Jenny with a "y" by the way). There's only one way to find out...

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Happy Times and Places 42.1 - The Power of Kroll 1

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 00:01:00 +0100

A host of familiar faces populate the swampy environs of Delta Magna's moon, but one of them is green and another is scowling. Writer and journalist Ian Winterton has chosen an oft neglected slice of Doctor Who - and what will he choose as his highlight of the first part of our visit to one of the show's wettest locations?

Happy Times and Places 42.2 - The Power of Kroll 2

Fri, 09 Sep 2022 00:01:00 +0100

The swamps get swampier, the rain gets wetter and Philip Madoc gets grumpier... but what's this? Doctor Who's biggest monster yet? Why does no-one walk about this story? Writer Ian Winterton and host Toby Hadoke fly the flag for no-one's favourite Doctor Who story. Hail Kroll.

Happy Times and Places 42.3 - The Power of Kroll 3

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 00:01:00 +0100

So things aren't looking too clever for our heroes, whilst the rest of the cast valiantly (depending on where they are) (a) try to maintain some shred of dignity whilst painted green or (b) try to inject some life into proceedings whilst looking at a monitor in a hastily constructed computer panel. Not all of them are successful. But come on, it's got big green tentacles and Tom Baker being silly, so surely writer Ian Winterton and host Toby Hadoke won't be stuck for things to enjoy here?

Happy Times and Places 42.4 - The Power of Kroll 4

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Happy Times and Places BONUS - The Idiot’s Lantern

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 00:01:00 +0100

This bonus episode is being parachuted into the schedule because special guest Gemma Arrowsmith has a show out there right now so the gap between her recording her contribution and the release of this episode is perhaps the shortest ever (sorry anyone who has been waiting for their contribution to appear - some of you for two years!). Gemma's a brilliant comedy writer and performer with a sketch series currently airing on Radio 4 (check it out on iPlayer : Gemma Arrowsmith's Sketched Out) : but as she proves in this episode, she also has a lot to bring to the table in terms of knowledge of TV history and several of the themes of this Doctor Who adventure. Let's hope it leaves you HUNGRY for more...

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Happy Times and Places 44.1 - Four to Doomsday 1

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 00:01:00 +0100

Well no-one is a big fan of this funny old story - well, apart from Doctor Who novelist and audio writer (and documentary maker and all sorts of other things) James Goss. Who could wish for a more charming advocate for this under-celebrated slice of 80s Who? And it is very 80s. So sit back and enjoy a (very) leisurely journey through some of Doctor Who's best ever corridors, as Chief Inspector Barlow off of Z-Cars inspires Tegan to become the best draughtsperson an airline could hope for.

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Mon, 24 Oct 2022 00:01:00 +0100

Toby Hadoke can trace the moment he went from being a normal human being who liked Doctor Who, (you know, watching it on TV, reading the stories, enjoying it) to becoming a fan (you know, finding out about behind-the-scenes facts, learning the history, being unnecessarily angry with it). It was when he received a certain book, a gateway to unimaginable riches. The book was Peter Haining's Doctor Who - A Celebration, and it led him on a journey of discovery, of joy ... and eventually ... of disappointment. Will I ever learn to recapture that innocent love again? Have a listen and find out.

PEDANT ALERT: Message from Toby : There's a mistake in here: William Hartnell died in 1975, not 1973 (as stated here at one point) of course. I know that, you know that, but in the flurry of recording and editing and uploading and all that, my brain was clearly temporaily muddled. Forgive me.

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Too Much Information 4.1 - The Roof of the World

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 00:01:00 +0100

And so Doctor Who's fourth adventure kicks off with the first episode that we cannot actually see. But there's plenty to examine in terms of the large amount of filming done for this episode, the last minute changes to the script which give the story a unique flavour, and two of its actors who span from the top to the bottom of the guest guest list and who both had very different careers that coincided here, in Lime Grove Studio D, back in January 1964.

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Happy Times and Places 46.1 - Survival 1

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 01:01:00 +0000

It's the end ... of the Classic Series anyway. How can such a moment be prepared for? Well, with a very special guest : young over-achiever Benjamin Cook has given us a very cheery and effusive advocacy of Survival. Can he and host Toby Hadoke both reach across the generations and agree on what is best about this story: what do they think is the cat's whiskers? And let's not get in a flap disagreeing : this is surely where old series meets new?

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Happy Times and Places 46.2 - Survival 2

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 01:01:00 +0000

The last episode you host, Toby Hadoke, saw go out live - for reasons that will be explained. Who is on the Cheetah People's menu and how many of them have been Toby's neighbours? And why is Anthony Ainley smiling like the cat who has got the cream? Will special guest Ben Cook get in a flap about Survival, or will he and Toby agree on this story's best points?

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Happy Times and Places 46.3 - Survival 3

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 01:01:00 +0000

And so it ends... the very last episode of Doctor Who to be broadcast during its original run. And it might all be host Toby Hadoke's fault. Ben Cook is far too young, as he proves when he ages himself in this podcast - but that is nothing, Toby recently worked with someone who was born the day after this episode was shown - and that person now has children and a house and everything. What!?!. Anyway, let's watch to see if the show goes out with a bang - and will Ben and Toby agree, or will they fight like animals?

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Sun, 25 Dec 2022 01:01:00 +0000

A Christmas special with a very special bunch of guests : The Kids of Lamplighter School are a fabulous bunch of young American Doctor Who enthusiasts lending their thoughts to an after school Doctor Who club. Convened by their teacher for a very special edition of the podcast, this will melt your frozen cockles with festive cheer.

Oh, and incidentally... :)

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Indefinable Magic 21 - Melting Icebergs

Fri, 30 Dec 2022 00:01:00 +0000

This one is about Missing Episodes - not a definitive history but rather a series of personal thoughts and experiences. If you want proper detective work I'd go to the Missing Episodes podcast which is excellent. This is more about how the absence of some of Doctor Who episodes adds, or takes away, from our experience of the show. It's quite long, sorry - it's a subject your host is rather passionate about.

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Happy Times and Places 50 - The Five Doctors

Mon, 02 Jan 2023 01:01:00 +0000

Happy New Year! To celebrate the dawn of a new age here is the fiftieth story to be subjected to an overdose of positivity, stuttering and useless facts (not all of them correct) in Happy Times and Places. Talented animator and graphic artist Chris Cassell has chosen one of the series' landmark stories and so how better to celebrate this than with a landmark of our own? From when the series seemed to be everywhere, this feature length edition brings together a whole host of the Doctor Who's most popular elements... so how the hell will Chris and host Toby choose just five? I mean, they could just pick each of the Doctors as we are watching The Five Doctors (but they don't, so don't worry).

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Happy Times and Places Omnibus - Pyramids of Mars

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 01:52:00 +0000

Doctor Who researcher extraordinaire Richard Bignell is the guest for this trawl through the many merits if an acknowledged Doctor Who classic. But will he and host Toby Hadoke be acknowledging the same bits when choosing their favourites? There's definitely an embarrassment of riches to be uncovered in this very positive edition of Toby Hadoke's Time Travels.

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Mon, 13 Feb 2023 00:01:00 +0000

What a wonderful episode, it's so violent. The Krynoid has touched human flesh which is bad news for Keeler, but it is great news for your host Toby Hadoke and his guest Chris Chapman (the man behind some of the best DVD and Blu-ray extras) who are spoilt for choice. Oh, and apropos of nothing - "Scooby - get Dunbar!".

Happy Times and Places 54.5 - The Seeds of Doom 5

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 00:01:00 +0000

It's time for the vegetables to start eyeing up the meat, which they might like to wash down with a lovely Molotov cocktail. The Krynoid gets chatty, the Doctor gets ratty and Chase goes batty as the plants get a life of their own in this atmospheric and tense instalment. But will DVD documentarist Chris Chapman be on the same page as your host? Let's see eh?

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Happy Times and Places 54.6 - The Seeds of Doom 6

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 00:01:00 +0000

Well, you host Toby Hadoke has thoroughly enjoyed revisiting this story : always a favourite and age has not withered it. The difficulty here is restricting the favourite things to one per episode, and even with the bonus this week some key contributors still miss out. If this is your first time experiencing this story, then both Toby and special guest Chris Chapman (Blu-ray documentary director) are green with envy.

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Happy Times and Places BONUS - Michael McStay Interview

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 00:02:00 +0000

Having sowed The Seeds of Doom with Chris Chapman, how about we enjoy some more fruits from this nourishing tale? Veteran actor Michael McStay, fresh from celebrating his 90th birthday, talks to Toby about his long career, and how his Doctor Who beard ensured he kept the job even after a disaster. Michael has just released a memoir, "Inconsequential and Irrelevant : A Worm's Eye View of Acting", which you can order from www.quoitmedia.co.uk : it's forthright, witty and honest, and contains all sorts of stories of interest to listeners of this podcast.

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Mon, 20 Mar 2023 00:01:00 +0000

The travellers meet Mighty Kublai Khan and so there are scenes of two very old men bonding over shared interests. In unrelated news, Toby Hadoke and J Jeremy Bentham pour over the treasures to be played for in this episode of Doctor Who, which are probably enough to sustain the population of Burma for a whole year...!

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Happy Times and Places 55.7 - Marco Polo 7

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 00:01:00 +0000

They made it! 7 episodes, no moving pictures, no monsters, and not a lot of pre-knowledge. But an expert guide, some fabulous insight, and much to enjoy means that this epic lost classic has been a most rewarding experience. The chances are guest Jeremy Bentham won't be choosing the same favourite things as your host but that's OK. It's all about the journey...

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Happy Times and Places 56.1 - Attack of the Cybermen 1

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 00:01:00 +0100

Robin Bunce, academic and Doctor Who scholar, whose father Roger was also a cameraman who worked with most of the classic Doctors, chooses a rare Colin Baker entry into this series. Fancy some time travel in an organ with some gritty Euston film, a camouflaged Cyberman and a Northern star? Then you've come to the right place. Even if it is a bit smelly.

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Mon, 24 Apr 2023 20:19:24 +0100

Monologues about Doctor Who: not too serious or heavy, but something to be entertained by (hopefully) and to muse on (hopefully)...

This episode is examination of disability representation in Doctor Who, hopefully done with some insight and a lightness of touch. Not a lecture by any means - part history lesson, part anecdote, part observation, it hopefully sheds some light on a subject often overlooked or ignored. As ever though, the main intention is to amuse or divert ... albeit by doing a deep dive into the minutiae of a certain aspect of a particular television show about running a lot and sometimes blowing things up.

Trigger warning: Issues of disability is discussed, including some unpleasant experiences at the hands of others.

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Happy Times and Places OMNIBUS - The Curse of Peladon

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 00:01:00 +0100

A genuine Doctor Who writer is the special guest for this omnibus edition, and it's off to Peladon for a story that you host Toby Hadoke first saw in a sort of omnibus form : merged into two 50 minute episodes as part of the Doctor Who and the Monsters season back in the day. This has it all: monsters, sword fights, romance, gloomy tunnels. But which bits will Paul Cornell, the genius behind Father's Day and Human Nature/Family of Blood, identify as his favourites?

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Happy Times and Places 57.1 - The Haunting of Villa Diodati

Mon, 01 May 2023 00:01:00 +0100

Well this is a first! The only Jodie Whittaker/Chris Chibnall adventure to thus far be given the Happy Times... treatment, and it's one set in a haunted house at the birth of a literary classic. Host Toby Hadoke is nervous about this: not as familiar with the newer stuff as he is with the old, and not always the most comfortable traveller on the Chibnall express. But guest Steven Schapansky (contender for the title of THE Doctor Who podcaster, so prolific and high quality is his output) is a good guy and he's bound to make the journey a smooth one... who knows, Toby might suddenly go back and watch them all now. Stephen might have created a monster...!

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Happy times and Places 58.1 - Planet of the Spiders 1

Mon, 08 May 2023 00:01:00 +0100

Another Pertwee! This is so much fun, because host Toby has always been a bit hard on the Pertwee era, perhaps the one that looked most disappointing compared to the images conjured by those Target novels, and only recently has he learned to start loving it for what it is, and not be disappointed with it for what it isn't. But Planet of the Spiders has always been a tricky one. Not so much the first few episodes set on Earth though, so hopefully special guest, Hollyoaks star Annie Wallace, and Toby will not have too much to argue about as the eight legs spin their webs around us and the Cyril Shaps klaxon sounds.... Toby and Annie recorded this a while before the pair of them butted heads at Hollyoaks High (where Toby ended up sacking Annie!) so let's see if things are a bit more amicable than in soap-land.

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Happy Times and Places 58.2 - Planet of the Spiders 2

Fri, 12 May 2023 00:01:00 +0100

Yes, it's this one, the one with the chase. Not everyone loves the chase. But then again, not everyone loves The Chase and we had a ball with that on Happy Times and Places. So jump aboard whatever crazy vehicle you like and see if you can catch up with the most shambling villain in the show's history as he evades first Pat Gorman, and then a non actor who somehow wangled a few lines and a credit, and also the man who taught Kelvin Mackenzie to type. Oh it's all here, so have a cup of the second best coffee in the universe and come along for the ride with our wonderful special guest Annie Wallace who has recently been seen butting heads with host Toby on TV in Hollyoaks!!!!

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Happy Times and Places 58.3 - Planet of the Spiders 3

Mon, 15 May 2023 00:01:00 +0100

And so finally we get to the planet Metebilis III, the eponymous Planet of the Spiders. It's never going to be Planet of the Oscars though, but can host Toby Hadoke continue to be positive about this story, or is the air about to turn blue...? Special guest Annie Wallace - Sally St Clair off of Hollyoaks, has plenty of positivity to bring...

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Happy Times and Places 58.4 - Planet of the Spiders 4

Fri, 19 May 2023 00:01:00 +0100

Well now, this is where the story presents some of its most interesting material, but also where the production starts to go a bit wayward. So there's much to admire but a fair amount to lament - but as you know, host Toby Hadoke and special guest Annie Wallace (star of Hollyoaks) are here to accentuate the positive so let's see if they can see the (blue) light.

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Happy Times and Places 58.5 - Planet of the Spiders 5

Mon, 22 May 2023 00:01:00 +0100

The penultimate on Pertwee episode in a story that has - appropriately - been born anew in the eye ion your host Toby Hadoke thanks to this cleansing rewatch and the positive counsel of Hollyoaks star Annie Wallace. So brush away those cobwebs and enjoy...

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Happy Times and Places 58.6 - Planet of the Spiders 6

Fri, 26 May 2023 00:01:00 +0100

It's the end of an era, as tall lightbulb Jon Pertwee glitters for the last time. Your host is all discombobulated by an unexpected move from illustrious guest Annie Wallace last time, so his choice of favourite thing will be slightly compromised in this edition - and will likely have a knock on effect for the final result. Which, considering what happened to the running time of this story is strangely appropriate. But we get home in the end. And what a long episode of Happy Times... this is! Crikey!

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Indefinable Magic (Bonus Episode) - Race and Time (Part One)

Tue, 30 May 2023 12:20:14 +0100

A (hopefully) nuanced and insightful conversation about race and representation in Doctor Who, with special guest contributor Professor Tom Attah. A change from the usual monologue, for obvious reasons, but something that looks to provide observation and context regarding an occasionally vexatious subject. Tom's good fun though, so it's not heavy or didactic, but an open chat that tackles various aspects of the show's production and wider context in good faith.

Happy times and Places OMNIBUS - Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 12:00:43 +0100

The ever-delightful Jenny@bluebox99 has chosen an epic and important story. Think back to when Russell T Davies had brought back Doctor Who and everything was talking about it, we had a new Doctor to get excited about, and we only had a few clues about what was to come. Seems like yesterday. Oh time, you don't half move in mysterious ways.

Happy Times and Places 59.1 - Fury from the Deep 1

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 00:01:00 +0100

This is a very special story for your host Toby Hadoke so he is delighted the marvellous musician Jess Jurkovic (for goodness' sake follow him on Twitter and go to his You Tube) has chosen it, the first HT&P to come from Troughton's Season 5. Adventure is only a heartbeat away...

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Happy Times and Places 59.2 - Fury from the Deep 2

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 00:01:00 +0100

"It is down there ... in the darkness... waiting." And while it waits, host Toby Hadoke has to guess what brilliant musician and You Tube maestro Jess Jurkovic likes about this missing Troughton classic, long held up as one of the scariest Doctor Who stories of all time. We're watching the reconstruction, but things really (and literally) start moving when Mr Oak and Mr Quill let themselves into Maggie's bedroom. What a story - what a gas!

Happy Times and Places 59.3 - Fury from the Deep 3

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 00:01:00 +0100

A very short episode of Doctor Who doesn't get very short shrift because it's got a lot of things in it that are loved by your host, Toby Hadoke. So, you know, we don't want it to get in the sea... like some poor sod has to at the end of this spooky instalment. It's a haunting moment with some eerie music, which is surely right up the street of special guest Jess Jurkovic, THE expert on Dudley Simpson's tinkles?

Happy Times and Places 59.4 - Fury from the Deep 4

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 00:01:00 +0100

Maggie's beneath the sea, van Lutyens is going down the impeller, and Victoria has gone under ... things need to look up! So the Doctor is grateful for the arrival of Megan Jones from Gavin and Stacy, but what has put a smile on Jess Jurkovic's face this week? Your host Toby Hadoke dives in - let's see what he's in a froth about.

HappyTimes and Places 59.5 - Fury from the Deep 5

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 00:01:00 +0100

So it's adios Oak and sayonara Quill - but hello helicopter - as the story picks up a pace (and the music too) as it bubbles to its climax. Have Megan and Robson got a dirty secret? Was this story as good as legend occasionally says it was? And what else will turn up during this podcast if we wish it into existence? Jess Jurkovic has another favourite thing to choose and hist Toby Hadoke will probably make a hash of trying to guess what it is.

Happy Times and Places 59.6 - Fury from the Deep 6

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 00:01:00 +0100

So it's goodbye to Victoria, but not before there's a loop-de-loop and a screaming fit, and time for quite a long supper and a protracted farewell. Oh it's a uniquely paced story is Fury from the Deep. Will Jess choose the same things as your host? Can he possibly win? Or has this whole thing been rigged from the start?

HappyTimes and Places OMNIBUS - The Power of Kroll

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 00:02:33 +0100

Omnibus time again, this time with poor old The Power of Kroll, a rather unloved entry into the Tom Baker canon, and indeed the Robert Holmes one. There's thunder (and that's not just the expression on Philip Madoc's face), lightning, and not a lot that's very frightening but it does have a superb cast on paper and a big giant squid. Worship at the alter of Kroll, or else host Toby Hadoke and guest (playwright and journalist) Ian Winterton will come round and thwack you with their big tentacles.

Indefinable Magic (Bonus Episode) - Time and Race (Part Two)

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 17:40:48 +0100

The second part of a chat with Professor Tom Attah about race and representation in Doctor Who. Amiable, well-informed, and interesting is what is being aimed for. A good faith conversation which hopefully isn't afraid to explore some of the complexities of the issue without being didactic and without the participants taking themselves too seriously.

Happy Times and Places 60.1 - Horror of Fang Rock 1

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 00:01:00 +0100

It's oil verses electricity, man verses beast, Tom Baker verses the director. Quite a few battlegrounds then, yet each provokes great creativity using the simplest of ingredients - an isolated setting, a small cast, an angry leading man. And yet this one never lets up - not a line is wasted, and there is plenty for our guest, illustrator Martin Geraghty, to draw our attention to. Hopefully the commentary will be illuminating....

Happy Times and Places 60.2 - Horror of Fang Rock 2

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 00:01:00 +0100

Things are getting foggier outside the lighthouse, and inside its getting busier and testier and, in places, funnier. Tom Baker is at the height of his powers, even if he hates the director and is being mean to his co-star, whilst the writer could do this programme brilliantly in his sleep and the director is a veteran sci-fi wrangler. Add to that a pitch perfect guest cast and a superb setting and Martin Geraghty must be spoilt for choice. This is definitely an episode that provokes an impassioned commentary track: strap yourselves in.

Happy Times and Places 60.3 - Horror of Fang Rock 3

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Indefinable Magic 25 - Neither Flux, Nor Wither, Nor Change Their State...

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 12:08:46 +0100

It's the flexible format innit? That's why we love Doctor Who. Except of course, we then get really annoyed when the format is flexed and it ceases to be the show we loved. Or does it? It's a show that thrives on change with a fandom that resists change. A paradox? Of course. One that's fun to explore? Hope so.

Something had to be released on Doctor Who Podcast Day, didn't it? So here it is. Not the usual schedule, but enjoy a release on a Wednesday... for a change...

Happy Times and Places 62.4 - The Three Doctors 4

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 00:01:00 +0100

Supper ready? Not yet, there's just time to watch The Three Doctors reach its conclusion with a lost recorder, a lost identity and some lost footsteps : but will Siobhan Gallichan and host Toby Hadoke find the love for the same things in this anniversary story that isn't actually an anniversary story?

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Patricia Prior 1929-2023.

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Happy Times and Places 63.1 - The Caves of Androzani 1

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 00:01:00 +0100

Who at Hoylake convention organiser and DWAS hotshot Erica Lear has chosen a story that many, many people have waxed lyrical about over the years. Is there much that's new to say about this poll topper? Let's see eh: host Toby Hadoke and Erica will try to be original as they don't want to get into trouble and end up picking chacaws.

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Happy Times and Places 63.2 -The Caves of Androzani 2

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Is there anything more to be said about this classic? Host Toby Hadoke sometimes worries that with the more established stories he's just saying out loud what everyone else has thought forever - but hey-ho. There's much to love in this episode which is grim, funny, and extremely well made. But will Erica Lear choose the same thing as Toby, or is he looking for a very fancy needle in an absolutely gorgeous haystack?

Oh, and one point of trivia, as he was struggling to find something interesting to say in the post credits bit he actually turned 49 without realising it (yes, he works on his birthday! That's dedication). Gulp. See if you can hear him age... :)

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Happy Times and Places 63.3 - The Caves of Androzani 3

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 00:01:00 +0100

Oh it is an embarrassment of riches this one - but surely there is only one obvious choice as the best thing about this episode. It's one of the very best examples of its kind isn't it? You'd have to be as batty as a fruitcake not to choose... oh, did you meet this week's guest, Erica Lear, by the way? Anyway, as I was saying, you'd have to be as batty as a fruitcake...

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Happy Times and Places 63.4 - The Caves of Androzani 4

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 00:01:00 +0100

So goodbye Doctor Five - it's been fun. Though there's not a lot of actual fun to be had in this story, because it's pretty grim. And yet, of course, brilliant. One of the acknowledged classics of Doctor Who. So will your guest Erica Lear and your host Toby Hadoke choose the same things as their favourites from the episode and the story as a whole? Well, unless Erica has regenerated recently it's unlikely, because her's is bound to be something to do with Peter Davison being sexy, and that tends not to be the sort of thing that Toby usually goes for.

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Happy Times and Places 64. 1 - The Romans 1

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 00:01:00 +0100

Well it's all getting a bit silly these days isn't it? Doctor Who's first attempt at an all out comedy finds us languishing in a Roman villa, Ian and Barbara getting rat-arsed (and a bit flirty), the Doctor indulging in wordplay and Vicki thirsting for adventure. Special guest - and You Tube sensation - Josh Snares has chosen a very particular way of doing this - but will that make it any easier for your host to guess his guest's favourite things...

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Happy Times and Places 64.2 - The Romans 2

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 00:01:00 +0100

All Roads Lead To... a curious mix of the farcical and the sadistic, as cruel Rome is also a place for hilarious hi-jinks. What will our guest, You Tuber Josh Snares, the doyen of Doctor Who online videos, choose as their favourite thing in an episode which spoils us for choice?

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Hapy Times and Places 64. 3 - The Romans 3

Mon, 04 Sep 2023 00:01:00 +0100

This starts to get farcical - deliberately so - and the series has a rare event : a comedy death. And the victim of this hilarious murder has another claim to fame involving a Doctor Who historical. But never mind the historical, let's get hysterical thanks to Dennis Spooner, Derek Francis and everyone else conspiring to make this one of Doctor Who's most amusing near half hours. But will You Tuber extraordinaire Josh Snares be amused, and if so, will said amusement also tickle the funny bone of your host, Toby Hadoke?

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Happy Times and Places 64.4 - The Romans 4

Fri, 08 Sep 2023 00:01:00 +0100

Burn baby Burn, it's a Roman inferno. So will Josh Snares manage to shoot host Hadoke down in flames or will he be on fire as he storms to victory? You can probably guess but you never know - especially as Josh has kindly left clues as to the kind of choices they are making regarding this story. There's lots of love for the Hartnell era as this one guffaws to its end - and its a timely release, with Toby recording his contribution during the story's 58th anniversary and the release of the Season 2 box set on Blu-ray.

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Happy Times and Places - The Romans : Bonus (Kay Patrick Interview)

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 00:01:00 +0100

If you enjoyed the latest Happy Times and Places, on The Romans, then enjoy this interview with one of its cast members : Poppea herself, actress, writer and prolific TV director Kay Patrick who talks about working with William Hartnell and Christopher Barry, and about her fascinating and impressive career as a whole.

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Happy Times and Places 65 - Deep Breath

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:01:00 +0100

There's a wonderful advocate for this latest episode under the cheery microscope in the form or the delightful artist Millie McKenzie. Whether your host rises to the challenge of shouting this episode's praises from the rooftops is open to debate though. It's trickier for an ageing fan - your host Toby Hadoke - who has seen classic Who millions of times, to remain relentlessly positive during less familiar and more modern episodes, but let's see how he does eh?

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Happy Times and Places 66.1 - Remembrance of the Daleks 1

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 00:01:00 +0100

Charles Norton, who has been the producer on a number of the acclaimed animations on the Doctor Who DVD and Blu-ray range, has chosen this milestone story from Doctor Who's 25th anniversary season. This has it all: explosions, cool exterminations, nostalgia, and misspelling. So why was young Toby hadoke so cross with it? And surely now they're all grown up Charles and Toby can put aside any differences of opinion and exterminate any discord?

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Happy Times and Places 66.2 - Remembrance of the Daleks 2

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 00:01:00 +0100

Racism! Blindness! Bronsonicide! This episode has a variety of talking points but it was a joy to record, especially when guest Charles Norton (he of Doctor Who animations) is such an erudite and thoughtful contributor. This is a great episode of the new science fiction adventure series : but will host Toby Hadoke agree?

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Happy Tmes and Places 66.3 - Remembrance of the Daleks 3

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 00:01:00 +0100

Oh, the Time Controller comes out of its drawer (and Noel Edmonds' props cupboard) and Ratcliffe's men put their back into it, but this episode is a bit of a milestone in your host's life so prepare for some memories of this episode's very first broadcast (which as you know was only a couple of years ago). Charles Norton is on hand to give some fine commentary - and this one's a close run thing so let's see if there is agreement between this mighty Doctor Who animation producer and your host.

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Fri, 20 Oct 2023 00:01:00 +0100

Please note that this episode was recorded before anything was known about the illegal (and despicable) activities of BBC newsreader Huw Edwards. So if mention of him - in any context - offends you, then maybe skip this episode. If not, listen away, and bear in mind that if it were recorded today some of the things said within this episode would no longer be said (because time and context are impotant factors when listening to archive programmes, and bearing them in mind is better than rewriting or withdrawing history: which doesn't do anyone any favours).

Well, surprisingly, everyone has a whale of a time with this much maligned slice of Tennant. Journalist and writer Mark Campbell is an enthusiastic advocate for this story, but which bits is he holding a torch for. And more importantly, will they be loved by your host? And by Bob. Bob? Bob? Oh not you too Bob.

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Happy Times and Places 68.1 - Meglos 1

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 00:01:00 +0100

Friend of the show Frazer Gregory is on hand to advocate for an unloved entry into the late Tom Baker period. Let's hope things don't get too spiky. Will Frazer's favourite part of the episode be the same as host Toby Hadoke's - will they agree or will they just keep repeating the same argument over and over again?

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Happy Times and Places 68.2 - Meglos 2

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 00:01:00 +0100

So, the Doctor and Romana finally get to the planet Tigella after deliberately fluffing their lines ... and we have just noticed that Tigella has autocorrected itself to Nigella which has made us giggle and certainly puts the Meglos luring Caris into his dark cupboard and suggestively showing her what is in his hands in a completely new light! Haha. Well, guest Frazer Gregory won't be choosing that as his favourite thing of the epsiode, but will he be able to convince you, and host Toby Hadoke, that Meglos is worth more love than it currently gets?

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Happy Times and Places 68.3 - Meglos 3

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 01:01:00 +0000

This instalment of Doctro Who contains some very memorable few scenes for hiost Toby hadoke who distinctly remember watching this episode going out. Some moments from it are seared into his brain. But will they remain his favourite moments? Or has time been unkind? Those childhood memories certainly won't be his guest Frazer Gregory's best bits unless he watched this, for the first time, in Toby's head. Which is unlikely. But then, so is a giant walking cactus man and a planet of murderous tulips...

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Happy Times and Places 68.4 - Meglos 4

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 01:01:00 +0000

Well, this is the end of Happy Times and Places Dodechahedroning on about events of Tigella, (which by the way keeps autocorrecting to Nigella which would be a very different prospect). It's one of the shortest episodes of Doctor Who ever, but host Toby Hadoke still ends up saying enough to nearly fill the hour, but partially that's because he hugely misremembers another BBC series and then has to come back and explain himself. I think you'll find he does that every now and again. Will Frazer Gregory and he agree, or are they destined to forever argue, one of us in a blond wig, the other in a pink hat, while Edward Underdown (which autocorrects to Underdone - which is appropriate) rather tiredly tries to arbitrate?

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Happy Times and Places 69.1 - 42

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 01:01:00 +0000

Big Finish writer Kat Armitage is a wonderful contributor and is terrifically enthusiastic about the first Doctor Who script of a certain Chris Chibnall (whatever happened to him?). Hos Toby Hadoke needs to do more New Series commentaries but he always worries that he will have less to say.

This is nearly two hours long.

He doesn't have less to say.

Whether that's a good thing or not, well, that's up to you to decide ...

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Happy Times and Places OMNIBUS - Survival

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 01:01:00 +0000

Ben Cook and Doctor Who's last ever story : quite an illustrious pairing. something to help you survive the build up to the 60th Anniversary. Here we are folks, the time when Doctor Who was cancelled! It hasn't all been fun and games you know!

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Happt Times and Places OMNIBUS - The Dominators

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 09:03:31 +0000

As usual for these omnibuses there is a brand new intro and exit - in between though, it's the five Happy Times and Places episodes covering The Dominators, with special guest, Full Circle writer Andrew Smith, all presented in a UK Gold style omnibus. Brian Cant, Troughton Can and Felicity Gibson has a Kando attitude as the Dominators bicker, the council ... umm... bicker and the Quarks snicker (whilst the production team and writers also bicker). In the end though, it really erupts. Quarks: Enjoy!

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Happy Times and Places 70.1 - The Woman Who Fell To Earth

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 00:01:00 +0000

Well, let's celebrate the 60th Anniversary month with Jodie Whittaker's first ever episode of Doctor Who. it seems like only yesterday to your ancient host, Toby hadoke, but as we know: time flies. Thomas Guerrier is the special guest, intrducing his five favourite things about the start of a whole new era. Will Toby agree, or will it all come crashing down?

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Happy Times and Places BONUS - 60th Anniversary Special Part One

Thu, 23 Nov 2023 17:17:12 +0000

This was being edited literally seconds before release in order to get it out in time to match the anniversary of the episode - it’s the first of a multi-part Happy Times and Places celebrating An Unearthly Child. Special Guests, multiple contributors giving their five favourite things about that first episode and no time to write a detailed blurb... and go!

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Happy Times and Places BONUS - 60th Anniversary Special Part Two

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 00:01:00 +0000

You're certainly not going to be short of An Unearthly Child flavoured content this year. What started off as a little podcast in a junkyard (Toby's office) has ended up as an adventure in podcast-space that has lasted far longer than anyone imagined (it's going to be a mnulit parter with a huge number of contributors). This is only part two - the commentary is done, but Toby has plenty of guests who will give their opinions, thoughts, and recommendations about this oft-analysed 25 minutes of television. And as you would expect, there are plenty of fresh and original perspectives to be had: especially as our guests come from the cream of the crop of Doctor Who appreciators, commentators and creatives.

Happy Anniversary everyone!

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Happy Times and Places BONUS - 60th Anniversary Special Part Three

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 00:56:00 +0000

More Who-Celeb birthday wishes, and the continued post-commentary analysis with a brand new set of special guests, all of whom have contributed to the Doctor Who universe but who have also excelled outside of it. Toby Hadoke is on hand to embellish and muse upon their observations in the third (but not final) part of this epic consideration of the virtues of Doctor Who's very first episode.

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Happy Times and Places BONUS - 60th Anniversary Special Part Four

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 00:01:00 +0000

This was meant to be an hour-long chunk but... well, let's just say it went on a bit (surprise). We have some more birthday greetings plus five special guests each giving their five favourite things about An Unearthly Child - two extended universe writers, a classic series composer and two new series writers all counteract the stuttering nonsense of host Toby Hadoke by provding thoughtful and insightful analysis. As Kenneth Williams kid would say ... "Ooooh!".

Happy Times and Places BONUS - 60 Anniversary Special Part Five

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 00:01:00 +0000

Just before the 60th celebrations wear off, it is time for a trio of actors from Doctor Who to tell us what they love about An Unearthly Chld, before we conclude with a very special guest. What started off as a quick look at the episode before a cheerful coda of positivity has become a five hour EPIC. Still, such a special episode deserves that kind of treatemnt - even if only by mistakle. But as we know, Doctor Who was no stranger to mistakes, even at its birth. Happy Anniversary everyone.

Pleaae note - listen to the first episode of these specials for the commentary - and Toby Hadoke's choices - before you listen to this one.

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Happy Times and Places 71.1 - The Gunfighters 1

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 00:01:00 +0000

With rings on their fingers, and bells on their toes,

Toby and Martin watch to see how The Gunfighters goes,

So come all you listeners, it can't be too late,

To celebrate a story that the fans seem to hate!

Host Toby Hadoke has always had a thing about the underdog, so The Gunfighters was always going to be a story that gave him plenty to talk about. He never dreamed, however, that it would be the story of choice of someone with a personal stake in it. The screenwriting son, no less, of one of the show's contributors. And not the one you might think.

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Happy Times and Places 71.2 - The Gunfighters 2

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 00:01:00 +0000

Well, because this one was being recorded so close to the wire it features some listener feedback about Episode One. There are more observations from Doc Holiday Junior, aka Holby City writer Martin Jameson, and he and host Toby Hadoke be looking at comedy dynamics, Rex Tucker's angles, and the brilliance of Peter Purves.

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Happy Times and Places 71.3 - The Gunfighters 3

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 00:01:00 +0000

So there's a new player in town - leather trousered ruffian from a difficult-to-specify geographical location Johnny Ringo. But he was very nearly another actor which might have had different consequences for the show. Anyway, will Martin Jameson, son of Doc Holliday, and I agree on what is best about this signalment of Doctor Who, in a story many people would like to shoot dead in the street but I am more than happy to mosey along with very happily.

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Happy Times and Places 71.4 - The Gunfighters 4

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 00:01:00 +0000

Wow - host Toby Hadoke manages to stretch this out to an hour and twenty minutes! Martin Jameson, a wonderful guest - and a relation of one of the story's guest stars - provides a personal and professional insight into this much maligned entry into Doctor Who's canon. This isntalment also has the lowest Audience Appreciation figure the show has ever achieved - that's quite a milestone! Let's see if Happy Times... can put a smile on the face of The Gunfighters!

Sadly the story's film camerman Ken Westbury, who is talked about glowingly in this set of podcasts, died as they were being recorded. Ken leaves an extraordinary legacy : RIP to a master.

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Fri, 05 Jan 2024 00:01:00 +0000

What a story! There are some very odd things in it though - but none of them matter when everything is executed this well. Host Toby Hadoke and writer and reformed comic Daisy Connolly have a lot to digest - but is it really them? How can you be sure? And if you don't agree with them - well, don't get the pitchforks out...(they may end up being cut!).

Happy Times and Places 72.3 - Terror of the Zygons 3

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 00:01:00 +0000

Aw, how can you not LOVE guest Daisy Connolly's choice for this one - but let's not spoiler you here. Host Toby plays Spot The Extra (in this case, James Muir again), celebrates the Zygon design (of course), and adores this short lived TARDIS team. Oh it's so good this, and it takes a certain generation back to their childhood - and in Toby's case into a long, stuttering monologue with uncompleted metaphors. No change there then.

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Fri, 26 Jan 2024 00:01:00 +0000

One of the earliest fans to research and write-up the history of the show, publisher and writer (and collector!) David J Howe has chosen this atypical tale from the back end of the Troughton era. There's not much to this episode - the regulars, a white void, and some stock costumes ... and so in true Doctor Who fashion, it turns out to be quite a remarkable instalment. But what to choose as its best bit? Well, escape from reality and find out :)

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Happy Times and Places 74.2 - The Mind Robber 2

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 00:01:00 +0000

So, Jamie's off his face, Zoe's out the door, and the Doctor's in a pickle as they find themselves inside a peculiar forest inhabited by strangely recognisable figures. Like much of the best Doctor Who, a lot of this episode's contents were the product of necessity - and who better than Doctor Who historian David J Howe to be our guide through this inventive and imaginative instalment? Your host has chicken pox and has been replaced for just one week by a totally different Toby Hadoke, but you'd never know if you weren't told.

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Happy Times and Places 74.3 - The Mind Robber 3

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 00:01:00 +0000

Back in the Land of Fiction for the replacement of the replacement Jamie, some stop motion snakery, and another excellent contribution from historian and fandom legend David J Howe. He has to choose a favoutite thing from this instalment of Doctor Who - but will your host Toby Hadoke be able to anticipate what that might be and choose the same?

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Happy Times and Places 74.4 - The Mind Robber 4

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 00:01:00 +0000

Zoe has a fight, we meet The Master (not that one), and there's some gorgeous imagery ... it's Episode 4 of The Mind Robber, the choice of writer, collector and Whostorian David J Howe. But what does he like best about this particular chunk of Doctor Who? Host Toby Hadoke has to guess.

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Happy Times and Places 74.5 - The Mind Robber 5

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 00:01:00 +0000

What an interesting and odd story - let's see what David J Howe, fan historian and publisher extraordinaire, likes about it so much. The shortest episode of Classic Doctor Who has - because of your chatty host Toby Hadoke - provoked one of the longest episodes of this podcast. But that's what happens when you weave the facts of fiction..

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Happy Times and Places 75.1 - The Curse of Fenric 1

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 00:01:00 +0000

Now come on, surely everyone likes this one. It's a classic! Allan Lear was one of the very first people to submit a contribution to Happy Times and Places, and we have finally got around to him. Well - we couldn't do all the classics first could we? And as an added bonus, a key conributor to the story joins at the end for some personal insights. But will all three contributors agree about what is the best thing about this story, or will they sink to the depths in a flurry of differing opinions?

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Happy Times and Places 75.2 - The Curse of Fenric 2

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 00:01:00 +0000

It's not just Allan Lear and host Toby Hadoke scrutinising The Curse of Fenric for its best bits but Andrew Cartmel, the story's script editor, pops in to react to what they pick, and to give his own insights into the story's assets. An Enigma no more

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Happy Times and Places 75.3 - The Curse of Fenric 3

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 00:01:00 +0000

Host Toby Hadoke missed this episode when it first went out - parents' evening at school. So a friend taped it and missed the first seconds of the opening titles. And THIS time around, it failed to load up on Britbox, then someone knocked on the door, then... oh, it's cursed I tell you, curse- oh.

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Fri, 15 Mar 2024 00:01:00 +0000

Well now, this is comfort blanket Who of the highest order. The maggots are on the rampage, the dialogue is getting colourful and Mike Yates gets a special assignment. Oh there's no such thing as a guilty pleasure, and there's a lot here that host Toby Hadoke and guest Rueben herfindahl are fiunding pleasurable.

Please note that this podcast was recorded before the death of actor Richard Franklin.

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Happy Times and Places 76.5 - The Green Death 5

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 00:01:00 +0000

So, in this edition we have a scene that your host Toby Hadoke always forgets; a mixture of prodcution styles (often within the same scene); and a replacement actor. Oh many and varied are the joys of being a Doctor Who fan and watching something over and over again. But what could possibly be isloated as the best thing about this instalment? It definitely won't be the CSO hill the Brigadier and Benton are on, even thought they are backed up by a couple of very familiar faces (well, to the likes of Toby anyway).

Please note that this episode was recorded before the death of actor Richard Franklin.

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Happy Times and Places 76.6 - The Green Death 6

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 00:01:00 +0000

Here we go, the end of an era. Special guest Reuben gives his favourite thing about episode six and then - two years later (such is the nature of these podcasts!) - his bonus thing. So charge your glasses and toast a departing companion, a single tear, and a ride off into the sunset.

Please note that this episode was recorded before the death of actor Richard Franklin.

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Too Much Information 4.7 - Assassin at Peking

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 00:01:00 +0000

And so the epic that is Marco Polo comes to a close. There's a pre-filmed fight, a new cast member who has worked with the director before, and a few attempts at a closing scene that don't make it into the finshed episode (which is the first instalment of Doctor Who not to end with a cliffhanger). It is also Waris Hussein's last contact with the programme, so he gets a well deserved profile here: one that we are very lucky to have been able to consult with him for. There is also another fascinating and educational insight into the life another key cast member, and an assesemnt of this, the very first comptely missing Doctor Who adventure. The Journey to Cathay may be over, but our fascination with it will never end...

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Happy Times and Places OMNIBUS - Silver Nemesis

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 00:01:00 +0000

Dalek and Cyber expert Gavin Rymill advocates for one of Doctor Who's less celebrated adventures : but one which comes with a lot of expectation due to it being an anniversary story. This one has it all - Nazis, Cybermen, Time Lord secrets, and Skinheads who don't like social workers. So, with this being a positive podcast, will gavin and host Toby Hadoke manage to find the gold amongst the Silver Nemesis?

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Happy Times and Places 77.1 - Sleep No More

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 00:01:00 +0100

Host Toby Hadoke keep putting off the more recent stories becasue they intimidate him: he hasn;t watched then several dozen times like he has the Classic Series. However - he has bitten the bullet and stayed awake through the whole of this Capaldi standalone instalment... one that has a number of unique features. It's generally considered a bit of a snoozefest though, so can writer and magazine editor Graham Kibble-White convince you (and Toby) that it's the story of our dreams?

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Happy Times and Places OMNIBUS - Black Orchid

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 00:01:00 +0100

Steve O'Brien, cool sci-fi columnist of many years standing, offers his somewhat uncool opinion that Black Orchid has more to offer than a screwdriver and Peter Davison taking a wicket. And so here, in one tidy package (with new opening and closing credits, natch: why would Toby make it easy for himself?), is a ripping adventure in topping time and space.

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Happy Times and Places 78.1 - The Celestial Toymaker 1

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 00:01:00 +0100

Well, as all tongues are a-wagging about the new animation of The Celestial Toymaker, here is a podcast recorded just before the news of its resurrection was announced, which takes us back to the source material.

Now then - and here's the catch - this is a happy-clappy podcast about how wondeful Doctor who is, and the last time you host Toby Hadoke watched this story (or at least a recon of it) he absolutely loathed it. So strap yourselves in - there's no way he can win this one, unless he cheats (and as people cheating seems to be the entire plot of this story, he'd be in good company). See, we're moaning already and we're only at the description. Lovely fan Kieran Highman is our special guest. He will, for sure, make a staunch Celestial advocate : and that is what this is all about!

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Happy Times and Places 78.2 -The Celestial Toymaker 2

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 00:01:00 +0100

And we're on to the second instalment of The Celestial Toymaker, with doughty advocate Kieran Highman doing his best to eprsuade host Toby hadoke that this is an underappreciated story. It is also, it has to be said, a controversial instalment, and this idsm picked ovr in some (and some qould say excruciating) detail. Ah well - we mean well. We're just playing, after all - and unlike on screen, there's no malice, nor are there any traps, behind the games.

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Happy Times and Places 78.3 - The Celestial Toymaker 3

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 00:01:00 +0100

This was recorded very much in between all sorts of other things but everyone seems to quite enjoy it when it's all a bit shambolic so nopthing has been done to hide that. Let's be honest, The Celestial Toymaker itself is a bit shambolic - and host Toby Hadoke has gone on record before to say that this episode might be the worst instalment of Classic Who in the 60s, if not of all time. So the whole accentuating the positive might be a bit tricky mightn't it? Let's see how he gets on... and maybe guest Kieran Highman can help :)

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Happy Times and Places 78.4 - The Celestial Toymaker 4

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 00:01:00 +0100

The Celestial Toymaker puts guest Kieran Highman and host Toby Hadoke to the Final Test: which is episode four of this story which - and the podcast has been very honest with you about this - Toby has tended to find a bit of a struggle. But with Kieran as a plaything, will he realise that the toybox is actually full of joy?

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Happy Times and Places 79.1 - The Greatest Show in the Galaxy 1

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 00:01:00 +0100

To tie in with the release of Andrew Cartmel's latest novel - released on March 19th in the UK and April 9th in the US (by Titan Books) - he's gusting on this edition to respond to host Toby Hadoke and guest Connor J Adkins' reactions to The Greatest Show in the Galaxy.

This one has always been something of a favourite of Toby's so it's a bit of a love-in. In fact, there is too much to choose from - the direction, the music, the location and various cast members would all be shoe-ins on any normal occasion. So what will Connor and Toby - and indeed script editor Andrew - plump for? (Oh, look, even this blurb has a choice based cliffhanger).

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Happy Times and Places 79.2 - The Greatest Show in the Galaxy 2

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 00:01:00 +0100

Artist Connor Adkins has chosen this partcular story to celebrate, but he doesn't need to do too much to make host Toby Hadoke eulogise this one - it's long been a favourite. All the fun of the fair (or all the curse of the circus) is to be had in this spooky and surreal slice of Sylvester. Script editor Andrew Cartmel (whose latest Vinyl Detectove novel is out now!) joins them - throws his hat into the ring no less - to give his response to the second inslament of this splendid adventure.

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Happy Times and Places 79.3 - The Greatest Show in the Galaxy 3

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 00:01:00 +0100

Here we are then, lots of festive fun for Doctor Who in this episode broadcast just after Christmas 1988: suicide, strangulation, the murder of a teenage boy, lycanthropy! Blimey. So, lots to enjoy if you're minded to splatter your tinsel with blood. But which particular aspect of this exciting epsiode will particularly impress guest Connor J Adkins, and will your host choose the same thing?

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Happy Times and Places 79.4 - The Greatest Show in the Galaxy 4

Fri, 03 May 2024 00:01:00 +0100

In its attempts to entertain you or die this edition of Happy Times and Places does go on a bit. And interestingly, despite this being a much loved story in Hadoke Towers, your host struggles with this finale - and in this broadcast, does so at length - whilst trying to remain upbeat about its intent. Will guest Connor Adkins have similar reservations or will he pull a rabbit out of the hat in an entertaining way in order to stave off cancellation? And will Toby have the courage to raise these issues with special guest (and novelist with a new book OUT NOW) Andrew Cartmel who was script editor on the story?

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Indefinable Magic Bite Size 1 - Mewling and Puking (after Space Babies)

Fri, 17 May 2024 17:00:00 +0100

Welcome back.

Toby Hadoke's Time Travels has been on holiday. Thanks for bearing with its much needed rest and recuperation.

But now... it has returned with something brand new. Indefinable Magic, whimsical essays based on some aspect of the show, has decided to turn its attention to the new Doctor Who episodes as they are broadcast. There will be so many podcasts doing brillinat work reviewing and reacting to the new episodes, so we thought we'd do something a little different. Your host Toby Hadoke has reacted to his first viewing and written down his thoughts on a particular aspect of it, and how it affects his love of Doctor Who and all sorts of other related stuff. So rather than being a blow-by-blow account of each episode, it is his reaction to the instalment in question, but in a more circumspect and all-encompassing manner than a straightforward review. Something different then, but hopefully enjoyable, interesteing an good humoured.

This episode, after Space Babies, considers the nature of 'new" in a long running show with a vast old past, and muses on how tricky it is to keep a show fresh without bending it so out of shape that it is unrecogniseable.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho #newdoctorwho #russelltdavies #spacebabies

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Indefinable Magic Bite Size 2 - Play On... (after The Devil's Chord)

Sat, 18 May 2024 12:00:00 +0100

After a hiatus you get two episodes on top of each other. So it seems only appropraite to do the same...

Indefinable Magic Bite Size are immediate reactions to the latest Doctor Who episodes, but instead of being straightforward reviews they consider an aspect of the fresh adventure and use it to examine life, fandom and Doctor Who in general.

Tonight, with the Fab Four (well, two of them) svaing the day and - of course - a twist at the end, your host Toby Hadoke looks at the Beatles and music in Doctor Who in general to see how the use of popular tunes has changed over the years and what they bring to the show. And he talks about mix tapes, recording off air, and tryng to get down and funky in the bedroom to Malcolm Clarke's Sea Devils score.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho #newdoctorwho #russelltdavies #thedevilschord

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Happy Times and Places 80.1 - World Enough and Time

Mon, 20 May 2024 00:01:00 +0100

Right, come on Hadoke, do some new series stuff were you don't have the comfort blanket of 50 years of acquired trivia. Fortunately this edition's special guest - columnist and writer Jonn Elledge - is smart and interesting so will make up for any of you host's many deficiencies as they look at John Simm in disguise, Mondassian Cybermen, and a big bloody hole in Bill.

In a bit of exciting timey-wimeyness the episode starts with Jonn from the future plugging his new book, A History of the World in 47 Borders, which is out now.

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Indefinable Magic Bite Size 3 - More Than Just Words (after Boom)

Fri, 24 May 2024 12:50:16 +0100

He's not the Messiah, Steven Moffat, and sometimes he is a very naughty boy. But he's definitely a writer whose work deserves a closer look - an explosive (ahem) talent whose scripts can be mined (ahem, ahem) for subtext and jokes (boom boom!). But what did Boom have to say about faith? And should it be taken at face value? Or is there actually more in common with religiosity and Moffat's scripts than might first appear? Faith, hope and landmines in the latest instalment of these bite size musings inspired by the latest episode of Doctor Who. Not reviews remember, just thoughts, which simply aim to appreciate the episodes in a slightly dfferent way.

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Happy Times and Places 80.2 - The Doctor Falls

Mon, 27 May 2024 00:01:00 +0100

Good Lord. Look at the size of this one Doctor.

Jonn Elledge - who has a book out right now - has chosen Peter Capaldi's pre-regeneration story which says goodbye to Bill and Nardole (well, for a bit), has two Masters vying for our attention (not to mention three different kinds of Cybermen) and arms its humans with exploding apples. Laughter, tears and explosions in this tense climax (of sorts) to the Moffat/Capaldi era - Jonn and your host will do their best (because that's all one can do isn't it?) to be up to the task of celebrating it.

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Indefinable Magic Bite Size 4 - Fear Herself (after 73 Yards)

Fri, 31 May 2024 22:47:04 +0100

The past and the future both catch up with us quicker than we'd like. Toby's response to 73 Yards is a contemplation of fear and just how Doctor Who is scary. It also examines the nature of the unexplained and has some personal recollections of childhood fears that reflect the themes and methods of this sparse and spine-chillling instalment. As ever: this is not a review as such, just a way of looking at the story in a certain light and musing on related topics.

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Happy Times and Places OMNIBUS - The Seeds of Doom

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 00:01:00 +0100

That fantastic documentary maker Chris Chapman only happens to have chosen one you host Toby Hadoke's favourite stories : so this is very much a love-in as the two of them get green fingered - pulling out the weeds, nurturing the precious components and displaying the glrouius blooms of The Seeds of Doom for all you listeners. But will they agree on what the best things are about this story: well, even if they don't, they could ceratinly play this story all day in their green cathedral.

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Indefinable Magic Bite Size 5 - Bad Influencers (after Dot and Bubble)

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 15:58:01 +0100

Remember - these podcasts are not intended as reviews or value judgements on the latest episodes of Doctor Who. They are audio essays based upon some aspect of the story and weaved into a - hopefully - thoughtful and sometimes humourous monolgue.

Dot and Bubble could provoke discussions about all sorts of different subjects, but for this edition of Indefinable Magic we will stick our heads into the world of social media. It's not just the denizens of Finetime who distract themselves from reality by spending their lives in a curated online world. Doctor Who fandom does a lot of its appreciation of the show online too, and the Dot and Bubble has plenty to say to us about chums, chat and chapping in cyberspace.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho #newdoctorwho #russelltdavies

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Happy Times and Places 81.1 - Resurrection of the Daleks 1

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 00:01:00 +0100

This one has been done as originally broadcast - as a pair of feature length episodes. So it's two things per instlalment that have to be chosen by special guest Ed Stradling. It's a story controversial for its tone and content, and one that would have an impact and influence on the future of the show. And for your host and Ed, it's one that they both made a documentary about, so there's a little extra perspecive on the VAM as a nice bonus.

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Indefinable Magic Bite Size 6 - You've Had This Place Redecorated... (after Rogue)

Sat, 15 Jun 2024 14:48:34 +0100

So, what to we do when we don't like an aspect of a Doctor Who story? Well, we are Doctor Who fans, so we behave utterly rationally of course. For this episode of Indefinable Magic, the way in which we are drawn to criticise the thing we love comes into the spotlight. Is there such a thing as objectively good and bad, and who has the monopoly on saying what "true" Doctor Who is? As ever, these are attempts to rationally examine an aspect of the show and the fan experience, and are not intended as vehicles for criticism or value judgements on a particular episode.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho #newdoctorwho #russelltdavies

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Happy Times and Places 81.2 - Resurrection of the Daleks 2

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 00:01:00 +0100

Ed Stradling revels in the many deaths that Eric Saward serves up in this very gruesome but highly entertaining story. Or is it a violent aberration that is too grim for a family fantasy show? Food for thought and for chat in the second part of this feature length adventure that is actually the same length as normal but doesn't seem like it is.

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Mon, 15 Jul 2024 00:01:00 +0100

The TARDIS team embark upon their quest for the Keys of Marinus and land in a place where everything seems to be perfect. An inventive, if slight, episode, this one features some interesting techniques employed by the prodcution team to pull off the unusual demands of the script. It is also notable because we never actually saw the original, 1964 version of this episode until the DVD release in 2009 - due to some unusual gaps discovered almost by mistake. And The Who in this edition shows that every contributor to the cast list is worth our time - our subjects this week became, respectively, a key theatrical figure in Canada and a celebrated author in the USA... not bad for a couple of fellows who gathered at Lime Grove Studio D in March 1964 to mess about - in motheaten clothes - with brains in jars.

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Happy Times and Places OMBINUS - Marco Polo

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 01:01:00 +0100

One of the longest Doctor Who stories - both episodes-wise and in terms of real time within the fiction - gets one of the longest podcasts. This really is a trek - and one without a compass because there are no moving pictures at all from Marco Polo. But we have a reliable guide : J Jeremy Bentham, surely the elder stateman of Doctor Who fandom. He brings erudition and wit to his observations about this story: and a good job too, as your rambling host frequently brings neither. Here's a very long podcast - come for it.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places Omnibus - Attack of the Cybermen

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 00:01:00 +0100

Robin Bunce, Cambridge academic and writer, whose father Roger was a legnedary BBC cameraman who worked with most of the classic Doctors, has chosen Attack of the Cybermen to celebrate in this positively inclined podcast series. What will he choose to celebrate about this contiunuity rich and somewhat violent story? And will host Toby Hadoke choose the same things... or will he be left out in the cold?

doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Indefinable Magic Bite Size 8 - Preparing for the Moment (after Empire of Death)

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 20:00:00 +0100

Endings are hard aren't they? So hard that it's taken a while to get this one out. It is all explained (which is more than can be said for some elements of the latest series) and, hopefully, not too disappointing. Resolving story arcs is very much a modern series thing... but can Doctor Who ever really satisfy as it does, after all... never end?

This is a bonus release (partially because it's late) at the beginning of August to herald a downscale of release frequency for the next couple of months while Toby plays catch up. There will still be one release per week though, each one containing a hour or so's worth of material, so you'll still be hearing from the podcasts: and there are some good ones to come!

Happy Times and Places 83.1 - The Ambassadors of Death 1

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 00:01:00 +0100

Now then, this is one of your host's favourite stories - one he thinks is probably the most underrated story in the whole canon. It was always rather apologetically dealt with in write-ups and fan word-of-mouth was that it was a bit of a mess. So Toby came to it quite late and with low expectations - and was bowled over by it. And it is a love that has never died. Does writer, editor and all-round smart guy Mark Wright have a similar journey towards Mars Probe 7? Will he like the same things? Or will he just send Toby a coded message that is impossible to understand? Well, let's find out in this latest Happy Times and Places.

Or should that be

Happy Times...

AND PLACES!!!

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 83.2 - The Ambassadors of Death 2

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 00:01:00 +0100

There is much to love about this story, but the majority of fandom has never quite got to grips with it. This episode might help to explain why - it's a tricky one to watch because of the diffciulties restoring the pictures, and there are a couple of elements which sit awkwardly amonst the show's canon (the vanishing of the tape, Bessie's forcefield). But there's also a fantastic hi-jacking, a compelling story and exemplary cast. Will guest Mark Wright and host Toby Hadoke be on the same wavelength? Or are they secretly plotting against each other?

Please note that during August and September Toby Hadoke's Time Travels will be going weekly because, well, we all need a bit of a rest and recharge. This partcular Happy Times and Places has had some excellent feedback though; so hopefully you'll get plenty of quality despite the reduced quantity.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 83.3 - The Ambassadors of Death 3

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 00:01:00 +0100

Just a reminder that Happy Times and Places will be released once a week (rather than the usual twice) during August and September. Holidays innit?

Let's hope there are no technical problems with this episode (there were for part two, sorry) but it wouldn't be a surprise if there were. This story seems compelled to make itself somehow unreachable, intagible, opaque. Peering through the gloom to discern its qualities is Mark Wright (no, not that one, or that one) but what will he chose as his favourite thing? Will he take host Toby to the cleaners (or rather, Hayhoe Laundries) or end up buried under a pile of gravel in a moment of gratuitous brilliance?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 83.4 - The Ambassadors of Death 4

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 00:01:00 +0100

Toby Hadoke's Time Travels is reducing its release rate to once a week during August and September because it is very tired and overworked and needs a holiday (it won't get one, but at least this'll take the pressure off a bit).

The plot gets thicker and thicker, but not as thick as Taltalian's accent... and thereby hangs a tale (but perhaps one that is slightly too long). Anyway, there is much to recommend this episode: Reegan continues to be a charmer, the Doctor is on fine form, and the Ambassadors don't get the best of receptions from Max Faulkner when they try to muscle their way past him. What will writer and editor Mark Wright choose as his favourite thing from a story that has plenty to choose from?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 83.5 - The Ambassadors of Death 5

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 00:01:00 +0100

Toby Hadoke's Time Travels will be weekly during August and September- the twice weekly releases will return in October.

So, the story steps up a pace: beginnning, as it does, with the death of another major character and having Liz held hostage and the Doctor jetting off into space. Will his journey be as wayward as the story itself is often written off as being, or will it hit the target? And with Toby and illustrious guest Mark Wright neck and neck, surely your host can't screw this up? Can he?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 83.6 - The Ambassadors of Death 6

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 00:01:00 +0100

The fortnightly releases of Toby Hadoke's Time Travels will recommence in October. Thanks for indulging the current battery recharge which is well needed x

The Third Doctor's first trip into space (eat that Colony!) enables us to see the faces behind the masks and the ... whatever it is behind the Venetian (or maybe Martian) blinds. We have something gassy in decontamination and the cloning of Max Faulkner: it's all happening in a story that the deinzens of Patreon are havbing a ball watching along with (se we hope you are too). And remember - it's pretty close between Mark Wright and Toby when it comes to choosing their favourite things.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 83.7 - The Ambassadors of Death 7

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 00:01:00 +0100

For August and September Toby Hadoke's Time Travels will be released once a week. The twice weekly releases will resume in October. Thanks for your patience.

Here we go chums. What a rewarding experience this has been. But can The Ambassdors of Death contnue to surprise, and to break the mould, and have host Toby pull off a rare victory? Or will the ending be a damp squib? Well, for one last time Toby and special guest Mark Wright delve into this most undersung of Who classics - and loving it to (ker-pow) DEATH is, of course, their moral duty.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Too Much Information 5.3 - The Screaming Jungle

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 02:25:00 +0100

A gentle reminder that this month, Toby Hadoke's Time Travels will be weekly as opposed to fortnightly whilst batteries are recharged and general maintenance is carried out.

The next key of Marinus is hiding in a jar in an old man's laboratory, but it's a jungle out there... and jungle that is trying to get in. Before the episode can be transmitted though, there is a row about exactly who came up with it. And what's this, an episode in which the companions play a greater role than the Doctor, who is conspicuous by his absence? Wouldn't happen these days! Oh, and we get up close and personal - and totally naked - with one of the story's main guest stars, who made TV history in full colour and fully undressed!

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 84.1 - Planet of the Ood

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 00:01:00 +0100

Remember - Toby Hadoke's Time Travels is currently weekly, not twice a week as is usual: normal service will be resumed in October.

Academic and stand-up comedian Oliver Double chooses perhaps the least celebrated slice of Doctor/Donna Who, from a time when the show was riding high in the ratings, in the public eye... everywhere. But what five things will he choose as his favourite - and will your host give them a chilly reception?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #newdoctorwho

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Hapy Times and Places 85.1 - The Sensorites 1

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 00:01:00 +0100

Oh no. It's the story that everyone doing a Doctor Who marathon experiences their first stumble during. Indeed, it's the point where a number of people bail. Poor old The Sensorites. Even its advocate for this podcast, top Doctor Who writer Steve Lyons, confesses that it his least favourite story of the season. So join Steve as he guides your host very slowly around Captain Maitland's ship in search of something - anything - positive to say about this unsung early entry into the canon.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 85.2 - The Sensorites 2

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 00:02:00 +0100

They may be Unwilling Warriors but they're still a terrifyung prospect - silent if not deadly, the Sensorites have to walk very slowly round the spaceship lest they run out of corridor. This story has a bad reputation and yet there's much to recommend about this : so will Steve Lyons (Doctor Who writer of note and wit) choose the same thing to celebrate as your host? And can you guess what gets chosen (maybe you can read their minds?). And this commentary comes on the heels of some sad news about one of the episode's stars... who still twinkles - and will forever.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 85.3 - The Sensorites 3

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 00:01:00 +0100

So... we move (very slowly, it is The Sensorites after all) from the space ship to the Sense Sphere but all is not what it seems on the peaceful planet. Some resent the travellers, and there's a danger so hidden that nobody - bar perhaps everyone watching the episode - will ever guess what it is. This under-celebrated Hartnell tale has charms all of its own, but also gives your host Toby Hadoke the opportunity to discuss an important moment in his life, when he discovered that you shouldn't believe everything you read. Especially if it is about Doctor Who...

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 85.4 - The Sensorites 4

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 00:01:00 +0100

Well, the crew are in hot water (because Ian has been drinking poisoned water) and so they need to call upon a montage to help them to save the day. There's confusion afoot in Sensorites-ville, with one of them planning murder in the First Degree - or is that Second Degree? Hmm, not sure, we will have to look at what kind of sash the murder is wearing. Anyway, Steve and Toby give the episode the Third Degree (also known as the City Administrator's degree) but will they agree about this episode's strongest point? In a rare turn of events, Toby is currently in the lead. Can he hang onto it...?

PS: There was a slightly loose cable to there is the odd crackle and dropout at the beginning but it settles thereafter - apologies.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Indefinable Magic 34 - Halloween Special: Behind the Sofa

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 00:02:00 +0000

A topical podcast! Blimey! As it is Halloween why not have a little think about why Doctor Who is scary, and why that is comehow acceptable for children. What is it about us that has a need to be frightened, and why does this siully show have such a repuation for scares? Happy Halloween - hopefully this podcast is a treat rather that a trick.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 85.5 - The Sensorites 5

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 00:01:00 +0000

Oh, a rare thing - where the episode title is the cliffhanger (yes, the Second Elder is kidnapped too but that really happened last week). There's a vitally iomportant moment in this humble story, as noticed by special guest Steve Lyons. Toby however, disappears down too many actor related rabbit holes to notice because he is an idiot. Still, there's plenty to say about the story even at this late stage, which just goes to show that even the less celebrated adventures are well worth visiting every now and then.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 85.6 - The Sensorites 6

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 00:01:00 +0000

Well, this has been rather rewarding: a lesser known story has proved to have all sorts of interesting elements. And there's been some Patreon feedback too, so before embarking on the final desperate venture the listeners provide some interesting insights. This final episode has it all - new characters, some interesting plot developments, and a bit of philsophy Who-style. But thanks to guest Steve Lyons (Doctor Who audio and book writer extraordonaire) there's even room for, ahem, a sting in the tale...

Too Much Information 5.4 - The Snows of Terror

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 00:01:00 +0000

Another episode of Doctor Who gets the deep dive treatment. This one again has no William Hartnell action whatsoever, and features a scene that would be unliklely to make it into a modern iteration of the show. Its main guest star gets the biographical treatment, as does an actor who appears at the bottom of the credits in this single instalment and never again in Doctor Who despite having several personal connections to the series. So warm yourselves up for this by rubbing your thighs and settle in front of a fire to get the cold, hard facts about The Snows of Terror...

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Happy Times and Places 61st ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL!

Sat, 23 Nov 2024 17:14:16 +0000

Happy 61st Anniversary!

There are many brilliant Doctor Who podcasts out there (do check them out) but I defy any of them to have celebrated the anniversary in this manner. An epic commentary - positive, of course - of an anniversary flavoured Doctor Who story with a lengthy, charming and insightful set of exclusive audio snippets from one of its key contributors. It's unlikely to be the story you expect and the special guest doesn't usually do interviews - so strap yourselves in and celebrate Who-day in a as unique and left field manner as possible. I can't promise it will be sensible, and yet...

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places Omnibus - Planet of the Spiders

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 01:01:00 +0000

And so it's the end of an era, but there are some greatest hits to fit in first. But will any of these greatest hits become greatest bits for your host Toby Hadoke and his special guest, Hollyoaks star Annie Wallace. Spiders! Chases! Buddhism! One thing is crystal clear, this is a story which provokes a lot of conversation, but can Toby be positive about a story he has previously found difficult to love ... will he emerge a new man by the end?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places Omnibus - Fury from the Deep

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 00:01:00 +0000

A story that means a great deal to the host of this podcast has its praises sung by the most musical of advocates, Jess Jurkovic, the leading expert on Dudley Simpson scores. There has to be some guesswork here, as Fury is sadly missing from the archives, but these acts of the imagination are what being a Doctor Who fan is all about aren't they. So pour yourself a bubble bath and if you see weed, well, don't forget to scream. (See weed, seaweed, geddit?).

Indefinable Magic 35: Units of Dating

Sat, 21 Dec 2024 12:27:36 +0000

Human beings are always seeing patterns in things that aren't there aren't they? And Doctor Who fans are a particularly pattern-inlcined subset of the species. We mark our lives by dates, and by Doctor Who, and so certain Doctor Who dates bear a significance just to us - it's all part of our unique relationship with the show.

This is about that, and hopefully has some jokes in it too.

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Happy Times and Places BONUS - A Christmas Carol

Wed, 25 Dec 2024 12:51:00 +0000

The very idea of Happy Times and Places is to banish all the humbuggery from Doctor Who discourse, so this seems an ideal episode to chose: and the time of year does it no harm either. Jason Thompson, a veteran of other estimable Who podcasts, is a fine advocate for this Christmas Special which, you host has to admit (grudgingly), he has never really had at the top of his festive watch list. Will his visitor present him with enough glimpses into the past to influence his present and change his future feelings about this tale of redemption, or will he just say "Bah" and close my doors to all of his positivity? Well: watch, listen and learn...

And, incidentally of course, a Happy Christmas to all of you at home...

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Happy Times and Place OMNIBUS - Horror of Fang Rock

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 00:01:00 +0000

A classic Doctor Who story which has been chosen by a key figure in the show's animantion range - Martin Geraghty. What will Martin draw inspiration from to celebrate about this moody, spooky, sometimes darkly funny story? Anyway, this is a good one - a terrific story that host Toby Hadoke has a lot of fun revisiting. And as ever the Omnibus has new opening and closing sections - probably only about 2% of the entire running time but at least it shows these aren't just cobbled together and provides something new if you listened to the episodic version.

#doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 86.1 - Spyfall 1

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 00:01:00 +0000

Hapy New Year! Seems appropriate to open the New Year with a season opener - and one first broadcast at his time of year. In Toby years this is a very modern epsiode too - even though it is now (gulp) 5 years old this week!

The lovely Joe Ford takes a sabbatical from his brilliant Hamster with a Blunt Penknife podcast to visit the place of happy times. But he's only gone and chosen a story from an era that your host (a) doesn't know that well and (b) struggles with. So this is going to be quite a task. So don your tux and change your identity, we're going into deep cover to try to extoll the virtues of Spyfall, which will hopefully be a case of "Yes, Doctor" and not "Doctor - NO!"

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#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho #newdoctorwho

Happy Times and Places 86.2 - Spyfall 2

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 00:01:00 +0000

Here we go folks - a crashing plane, World War II, Ada Lovelace with a machine gun. Lovely Joe Ford encourages host Toby Hadoke to stop worrying and learn to love the Chibnall era ... and Toby tries very hard. How he does ansd if he succeeds... well, that is up to you :) There's certainly plenty to talk and think about though: especially when some of Joe's favourite things are your host's least favourite. Is it all gonna kick off, or will they just stop it all to sit down and talk through their problems?

At length.

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Happy Times and Places 87.1 - The Deadly Assassin 1

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 00:01:00 +0000

A story which has seen its popualrity fluctuate over the years - from being absolutely slated by early fandom when it came out to then being acknowledged as a true classic, it seems to have settled into a more modest position these days. It certainly breaks some rules and has the feeling of being rather important - and of course is made by some of Doctor Who's greats all gathered under one roof to strut their not inconsiderable stuff - Baker, Holmes, Hinchliffe, Maloney, Murray-Leech, Simpson, Acheson... all excelling. Will guest Daren Thomas (former script editor of the recently assassinated Holby City) have the same taste as your host when it comes to choosing his favourite things about this landmark story?

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#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho #tombaker

Happy Times and Places 87.2 - The Deadly Assassin 2

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 00:01:00 +0000

Well, the Doctor is in trouble, framed (and Earth expression) for a crime we know he didn't commit. As he exercises his legal rights and goes hunting for his nemeisis, what things will he do and say that will take the fancy of our guest, Holby City script editor Daren Thomas? And will host Toby Hadoke have to invoke article 17 in order to win this one? WARNING: this is turning into a bit of a love in. If you don't like The Deadly Assassin you might not have the best of times here.

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Happy Times and Places 87.3 - The Deadly Assassin 3

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:01:00 +0000

Once controversial and derided, then celebrated and important, now ... well, it's a matter of perspective innit? We take a journey into the strange, surreal world of the Matrix, which contains many individual moments that would qualify to be chosen as a Best Bit in any number of other instalments. So will Toby and guest Daren Thomas (former Holby City script editor) choose the same one - or will they deny each other's realities???

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Happy Times and Places 87.4 - The Deadly Assassin 4

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 00:01:00 +0000

So, guest Daren Thomas has the final episode of The Deadly Assassin in his sights. Will he and your host come up with the same account of its merits or will they have to adjust their feedback in order to make it more palatable? And will there be a surfeit of vulgar facetiousness? What fun this one has been - a bit of a Hinchliffe/Holmes/Baker love-in, if that's what you are after.

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Too Much Information 5.5 - Sentence of Death

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 00:01:00 +0000

Well, it is part 5 if a 6 parter so there's not an awful lot of When because most of the key events and decisions regarding The Keys of Marinus have already happened. There's quite a lot of What though, much of it regarding the returning William Hartnell's apparently shaky grasp of some of his lines - and as is often the case, the evidence that is usually presented about this requires a thorough re-examination. And as for Who: well, we have four contributors who won't be troubling the cast list of Doctor Who again once this story has concluded, so there's plenty to find out about them: and two are given bittersweet remembrances by fellow Doctor Who thespians. So unlike Toby's usual podcasts, the Sentence won't run away with itself, but there should be plenty of interest within it...

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Happy Times and Places 88.1 - Let's Kill Hitler

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 00:01:00 +0000

Host Toby's childhood friend you've never heard of has suddenly entered entered his life and is posing all sorts of problems! She's persuaded him to watch Let's Kill Hitler and see if he can match my taste in favourite things to that of comedian Ashley Frieze, a colleague of many years standing who is also a knowledgeable and skilled musician. Will Toby and Ashley be in harmony? Meet him at your nearest cornfield and he'll let you know...

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#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

Happy Times and Places OMNIBUS - The Visitation

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 15:44:00 +0000

Space Precinct actor and Gerry Anderson Podcast host Richard James chooses this Peter Davison story to put under the positive magnifying glass that is Happy Times and Places. Perhaps the most traditional seeming story of the Fifth Doctor's first year, The Visitation seems to have fallen out of favour in recent years. So is it a case of a plague on all four episodes or are the story's good qualities so infectiously good that by the end of it you'll be riddled with positives?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 89.1 - The Unquiet Dead

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 00:01:00 +0000

Back in the Days of RTD1 as it shall now be known this was, incredibly, just the third episode to be aired of this amazing new series that might have only lasted one season - that's what many of us feared anyway. It seems amazing to think of now. It was all fantastic then but the passage of time can make us more circumspect so does this Christmas Carol (from April) stand the test of the time ... and the scrutiny of our guest, comedian Jack Evans? Let take a look at the past from the present (whilst we worry about the future??) ..

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #russelltdavies #markgatiss

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Happy Times and Places 90.1 - Death to the Daleks 1

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 00:01:00 +0000

Comedian and entertainer Dominic Woodward chooses his entry based on his watch, re-watch and watch again of the VHS omnibus of this adventure from the latter end of Jon Pertwee's tenure. Pertwee famously disliked the Daleks, and this story never seems to top many polls, so can Dominic inject a bit of magic into proceedings (oh yeah, he is a comedian, entertainer AND magician!) or will he... ahem ... die a death? It's time to shine a light in the darkness in order to illuminate the good points of Death to the Daleks.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 90.2 - Death to the Daleks 2

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 00:01:00 +0000

Exploding Daleks, volleys of arrows, drugs : this episode has it all. The episode ends with the Doctor getting to the root of the problem but before that we have two deaths, a bit of betrayal and some funky camerawork. What will comedian Dominic Woodward chose as his favourite thing ? And as for his least favourite - does he have a little mini model of it to shoot?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places BONUS - Rose at 20!

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 23:39:57 +0000

A sneak Preview of Happy Times and Places 100 which will feature a bevy of guests (and listener correspondence) about the rebirth of Doctor Who and its opening episode Rose. But it seemed only right to mark the occasion of its 20 anniversary (upon which this commentary was recorded) to release this slimmed down version as a preview.

So this contains the whole commentary of Rose and a very special guest in the shape of showrunner then and now Russell T Davies.

Happy Who-day. It's fantastic!

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho #newdoctorwho #russelltdavies

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Happy Times and Places 90.3 - Death to the Daleks 3

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 00:01:00 +0000

Oy Exxillon city, I can see your roots! There's destruction aplenty, a pleasing amount of fire and a trip inside one of the 700 wonders of the universe and yet none of them pack as much heat as a funny little alien played by Doctor Who's longest lived actor (who was still alive when this podcast was recorded but has since, alas, passed away). Surely the best thing about this episode is agreed by everyone, or does guest Dominic Woodward have other ideas?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 90.4 - Death to the Daleks 4

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 00:01:00 +0100

Everyone seems to have had a good time with this one, but the general feeling is that it goes off the boil a bit towards the end. Will experience make a liar of rumour, or will Toby and guest Dom Woodward go round and round in circles trying to solve simple puzzles? And there are two things to choose of course - so has your host shot his bolt with Bellal too soon, and blown up his chances in a foolish act of self sacrifice?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places OMNIBUS - The Caves of Androzani

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 00:01:00 +0100

An undisputed classic, The Caves of Androzani finds an enthusiastic advocate in the form of a legend of the Liverpool fan scene, Erica Lear. Oh let me not be mad about what she chooses as her favourite thing from each episode, one of which is bound to be Peter Davison on whom she has a massive crush. In fact, knowing Erica he might be her favourite thing for every episode and the bonus!

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places OMNIBUS - The Three Doctors

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 00:01:00 +0100

It's time for a celebration - the tenth anniversary story that wasn't actually broadcast anywhere near the tenth anniversary. A three Doctor story in which one Doctor barely features. And a big old event that is rendered on what seems like a budget of fourpence. But it's The Three Doctors: a landmark event, chosen by voice artiste, podcaster and long term fan Siobhan Gallichan. This has never been one of your host's favourite stories, but can he conjure happiness in what has hitherto been a pretty barren landscape?

This podcast was recorded before the sudden and unexpected death of Siobhan Gallichan in December 2024. We will remember her with affection always.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 91.1 - Amy's Choice

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 00:01:00 +0100

Guest John Higgs has a splendid book out - Exterminate! Regenerate! is a brilliantly written and extremely insightful biography of Doctor Who (the character and the show). And so he comes onto Happy Times and Places to discuss a favorite episode of his, Amy's Choice, and to tell us all about his splendid new tome (available now!). Will choosing five favorute things be dreamy - or will he have a nigthmare and lose to host Toby Hadoke (who you'll never catch with a ponytail no matter what state you're in)?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 92.1 - The Girl Who Died

Fri, 02 May 2025 00:01:00 +0100

So, a new episode ... so new it was on 9 years ago. Good Lord! Where does the time go? Joel Aarons has not done a podcast before but makes for an illuminating and self-effacing guest as he extols the virtues of an episode that has never been high on your host's list of favourites. Will this exercise change things and create a podcast in which this episode gets the gooo-gooo-gagag-ga (that's baby for "thumbs up")?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #stevenmoffat

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Happy Times and Places BONUS - The Quatermass Experiment 1

Thu, 08 May 2025 23:51:00 +0100

Normal service will be resumed in a couple of weeks (apologies to those of you waiting for the Girl Who Died to turn into the Woman Who Lived) but we make no apologies for interrupting the flow of Whocasts to broadcast a special couple of commentaries of something very important.

Happy Times... host Toby Hadoke has spent the past many decades researching Nigel Kneale's seminal Quatermass serials and on Monday his book covering the fist of them - The Quatermass Experiment - comes out. To coincide with this long awaited occurrence, here he is commentating on the very first episode, and Contact Has Been Established with Nigel Kneale's biograoher, Andy Murray, who in true Happy Times... style will be offering up his favourite five things about the instalment.

This has been made with the understanding that many listeners will be unfamiliar with the serial, so you can come in with no foreknowledge, so fear not. You won't get lost (unlike the Quatermass rocket!) Strap yourselves in and prepare for take-off...

#quatermass #nigelkneale #quatermasscommentary #thequatermassexperiment #reginaldtate #rudolphcartier #bernardquatermass

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Happy Times and Places BONUS - The Quatermass Experiment 2

Fri, 23 May 2025 00:01:00 +0100

The second - and final - bonus episode to tie in with the launch of your host's book The Quatermass Experiment - The Making of TV's First Sci-Fi Classic, which has just been published by Ten Acre Films. Jon Dear, host of BERGCast, the Nigel Kneale/Quatermass podcast, chooses his five favourite things about the last existing episode of this six-part landmark. A treat for newcomers and Quatermass aficionados alike, there's a lot of enthsusism here, and no small amount of hard won knolwedge too. Enjoy!

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(Far) Too Much Information BONUS - Who's Round Revisited : Michael Allaby

Sat, 31 May 2025 11:02:34 +0100

Many interviews recorded for the 50th Anniversary Who's Round project were released in edited form for various reasons. Recently there's been a chance to revisit some of them and present them in their full form. The edition with Michael Allaby, actor from the Keys of Marinus and fascinating voice in the world of environmentalism, was once such, and this new edit has coincided with the recent sad death of Michael, so it seems appropriate to give this a wider release as a tribute to a fascinating man.

#doctorwho #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho #doctorwhointerview #thekeysofmarinus #michaelallaby

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Too Much Information 5.6 - The Keys of Marinus

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 00:01:00 +0100

And so one of Terry Nation's few Dalek-less stories comes to an end, but this tricky production has a few more things to trip people (or Voords) up before it finally goes out with a bang. There are still script changes to be made, and typos to overcome, but two of its personnel went on to have very different but equally illustrious careers, and they are both profiled herein: and both kindly lent their assitance to the compiling of this episode. Sadly actor Michael Allaby passed away in between contributing to this podcast and its release, and so it is dedicated to his memory with thanks.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 92.2 - The Woman Who Lived

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 00:01:00 +0100

Your host got up close and personal with this episode, and he's up close and personal with someone in it as well. Does this insight mean that he'll have any advantage over guest, Joel Aarons? Listeners will have to bear with this episode as alas it is slightly glitchy, with the odd skipped syllable or two due to a wrtehced cable. Apparently you'll get used to it is test listeners are to be believbed, but apologies that it isn't up to the usual technical standard.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #doctorwhostevenmoffat

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Who's Round BONUS - Gareth Berliner

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:01:00 +0100

To tie in with the Happy Times and Places release of The Woman Who Lived here is an interview with Gareth Berliner, who plays the coachman in the opening scene. Gareth and Toby go back a long way, so it's a lovely old chat. Since this was recorded, Gareth's wife has ALSO been in Doctor Who (she's in The Interstellar Song Contest): so it's a family affair.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 93.1 - The Keeper of Traken 1

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 00:01:00 +0100

All round good and smart guy Dr Tom Attah casts an adoring eye over The Keeper of Traken in this podcast which goes about its day simply by featuring people being terribly nice about Doctor Who stories. But what is the aspect of this story that Dr Tom will be especially terribly nice about?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 93.2 - The Keeper of Traken 2

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 00:01:00 +0100

Dr Tom (Attah) casts an eye on Dr Tom (Baker) as events of Traken take a chilling turn. Will Tom and Toby find themselves in rapport? But never mind Tom A, Tom B actually has more rapport wioth Matthew W than history tells us...

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 93.3 - The Keeper of Traken 3

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 00:01:00 +0100

Blow winds and crack your cheeks! Or come on baby light my fire? The elements cause a keefuffle in this instalment of The Keeper of Traken, and something gets right up the Doctor's nose. And there's a real debate about what should be chosen as your host's highlight. Will he choose the right thing, or will he make a choice that will lead to the destruction of the whole planet?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 93.4 - The Keeper of Traken 4

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 00:01:00 +0100

And so things come to an end on Traken. Or do they? Do they, in fact, come to a cadence? Ask our illustrious guest Dr Tom as he is full of observations like that in what has been a very rewarding trip to a planet which revels in its own theatricality. When the final curtain is taken, will host and guest be in sync?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 94.1 - Empress of Mars

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 00:01:00 +0100

Returning guest Steve Hatcher takes us on a trip to the Red Planet with some old favourites - but will his favourite things be easy to guess (he thinks they are) or will a certain someone make a mess of things and end up seeing Red...?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke

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Happy Times and Places 95.1 - The Tenth Planet 1

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:01:00 +0100

Well, as winter gets its icy grip around us it seems appropriate to negotiate the showy wastes of the South Pole for a story that is a landmark in so many ways. Guest Martin Holmes is a podcast veteran who knows his classic TV, but what does he love about this story that has all sorts to recommend it, and yet has slipped in popularity somewhat since the early days of fandom?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 95.2 - The Tenth Planet 2

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 00:01:00 +0100

It's delightful how many listeners have said how conforting they find this story - and episode two is definitely comfiort viewing for the sci-fi aficionado. The introduction of a classic monster, pretty much the last hurrah of a Classic Doctor and much to recommend it in terms of action, design and production. Whatever will guest Martin Holmes choose as the episode's best biot though? Will you agree, or will you be thinking "That was really most unfortunate, he should not have done that."

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 95.3 - The Tenth Planet 3

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 00:01:00 +0100

The Doctor falls over so for one week only it's Dr Barclay and his plucky assistants Ben and Polly who have to try to stop besieged base commander General Cutler from mucking everything up because his son has decided to go into space. What will podcaster Martin Holmes home in on as his favourite thing of this, the last live action Hartnell episode we have (even though Hartnell isn't in it).

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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HT&P 95.4 - The Tenth Planet 4

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 12:00:08 +0100

End of an era folks.
William Hartnell takes his final bow, but before he shuffles off he gets time to make an entrance and say a few legendary lines (some of them kindly preserved by a canny camera-wielder Down Under).
There are so many landmarks in this story, welcome guest Martin Holmes is spoilt for choice - will you, and indeed your host - be in sync with Martin, or will the whole thing overload with goodness that it'll just melt?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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HT&P 96.1 - The War Games IN COLOUR

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 00:01:00 +0100

As we'rew approaching our 10th edition we thought it might be fun to avail ourselves of an all too rare opportunity - to get someone heavily involved in a Doctor Who project to make their own contribiutoon to its Happy Times and Places. Fortunately Benjamin Cook, who was in charge of the recent The War Games in Colour broadcast, was more than happy to share his thoughts and insights regarding this huge undertaking. So here we go - and what a joy it is to get his perspective into the making of this alternative version. Oh, and your host is positively encouraged by Ben to be honest about any perceived shortcomings ... and he is equally bold and forthright in his opinion - entertainingly so! Ben is, of course, brimming with positivity and fascinating facts - from the inside, from directly behind-the-scenes and we are really grateful to him for the time and care he has taken over his contribution. Oh, but he does say a mildly rude word towards the end, you have been warned.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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HT&P 97.1 - Mission to the Unknown

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 00:01:00 +0100

A strange anomaly of an episode - an episode in which everything goes wrong for the good guys. Well, everything went a bit wrong for your host as well so it's been a bit of a palaver putting this together. The last time guest Jason Thompson was on it was a rare win for the home team - so will history repeat itself or will Toby be exterminated just before he can successfully launch his recording? There's only one way to find out - we need to set a course for Kembel where there's a somewhat thorny situation developing.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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HT&P 98.1 - The Invisble Enemy 1

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 00:01:00 +0100

As we count up to 100 it seemed approprate to stop by at a landmark episode - at least as far as this podcast is concerned. Writer and music expert Iain Key has chosen a story that holds a special place in your host's heart : but does that mean that they will be sympatico when it comes to choosing their favorite thing? Will contact be made, or will they fly miles off course?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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HT&P 98.2 - The Invisible Enemy 2

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 00:01:00 +0100

And so a change of scenery as we move location in this - a story with many different landscapes. What never changes though, is everyone's love for Michael Sheard, even though he's a baddie this time around. We meet a pretty interesting cast and there's a bit of chatter about this episode's one-off director... and then there's the small matter of a robot dog who was only supposed to stick around for three episodes but somehow slips off his lead and causes havoc for the next couple of years. Will guest Iain Key be a good boy and choose the same thing as your host, and so get a treat - or will he need to be muzzled before next week?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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HT&P 98.3 - The Invisible Enemy 3

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 00:01:00 +0100

So we've gone from a hospital into the Doctor's brain. What knowledge can be found in there? The best way to the nearest pub? Probably - but all that and more as there's a battle going on outside too. Not to mention this podcast, which is about a meeting of minds and seeing if everyone is on the same wavelength. Is that the case this time? Or will the points go to our guest, Iain Key, writer of a new book about The Clash.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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HT&P 98.4 - The Invisible Enemy 4

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:01:00 +0100

And so we go back to where it all began when we reach the climax of The Invisible Enemy, the starting point of your host's rather bizarre decision to dedicate pretty much his whole life to Doctor Who. What a peculiar thing to do. And yet he'll still manage to shoehorn in a reference to The Other Programme, the scarlet capsuled temptress that is Quatermass: he has a book out about it you know. And his guest, Iain Key ALSO has a book out. But will they be on the same page when it comes to choosing their favourite things about this adventure...?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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HT&P OMNIBUS - The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 00:01:00 +0100

We're out of your host's comfort zone again - we are trying to up the new series episodes as we don't want to run out of Classic Who early. So here we are with some of the first ever Matt Smith stuff to be recorded. Oh yes, here at Happy Times... we remember when Matt Smith was new - seems like yesterday! A rare American contributor to the show, Joe Lewallen, is a fabulous and fascinating guest, and instead of plugging something for you to purchase, he has asked to link to a very good cause, which we are more than happy to do:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-annie-with-medical-costs?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer

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Too Much Information 6.1 - The Temple of Evil

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 00:01:00 +0100

And so we are off to Mexico for another adventure in pure history. It turns out you can rewrite the odd line, especially during rehearsal, but this episode poses some new questions for the format of the show and showcases a director who helms his only full Doctor Who story here. The writer gets some press attention, one of the regulars jets off on holiday, and the music is composed by someone who had a unique place in Who history - and he is duly showcased here. It's the When, What and Who of The Temple of Evil: make sure you don't inadvertently nick anything from it!

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Indefinable Magic MISSING EPISODES SPECIAL - Fantasy Film Cans (Part One)

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 17:33:36 +0000

With all this missing episodes speculation in the air, your Host With The Most (that is "Most Patience For Wrangling Arcane Facts and Stats Because He's A Very Boring Man") Toby Hadoke has found the time too reach out to various Doctor Who fans (writers, actors, journalists and missing episode finders amongst them) in order to draw up a list of the episodes and stories most people would like to see returned to the archive.

His request was simple - you're at a car boot sales, and some old fella has, amongst the bric-a-brac, 17 film cans, all of them containing lost Doctor Who. Each guest has chosen the 17 episodes they most want the cans to contain the results have been tabulated. In Part One, we count down the stories most responders would like to see completed, and begin the long journey down from 97th most popular missing episode - which is bad news for a few instalments nobody seems to want back. On the way we will hear from a number of illustrious guests, including, well, Doctor Who himself, plus a Dalek and a multi-episode writer.

This podcast has been inspired by the work of Film Is Fabulous, who are currently embarking on a search for lost television and film in order to preserve it. They need donations to ensure that they can do this properly : more details can be found at : filmisfabulous.org.uk

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #davidtennant #peterharness #nicholaspegg #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho #filmisfabulous

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Indefinable Magic MISSING EPISODES SPECIAL - Fantasy Film Cans (Part Two)

Sat, 08 Nov 2025 08:30:00 +0000

This was supposed to be the second and final episode but it ended up going on a bit - so we have the countdown from Joint 77th to Joint 30th in our search for the most requested missing episodes to turn up at a fantasy car boot sale. Along the way there will be facts, trivia and observations, plus we have vocal contributions from writer, actor and all round renaissance man Mark Gatiss, actor and comedian Tom Burgess, and the writer of Full Circle, Andrew Smith : all bona fide Doctor Who fans who explain their personal choices in this parlour game involving rusty cans, nitrate and hope! And plenty of fan comments are included too :)

#doctorwho #doctorwhomissingepisodes #markgatiss #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho #filmisfabulous

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HT&P 99.1 - School Reunion

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 01:01:00 +0000

An episode that means an awful lot to your host - and let's be honest, he probably wouldn't be here without it as it features quite strongly in his Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf show. And so it seemed appropriate to break it out in the run up to the 100th edition. Sarah Jane! K-9! Giles from Buffy! There's so much going on here that Paul Griggs, interviewer and podcaster extraordinaire, is spoilt for choice.

And it's hard to believe it was on nearly 20 years ago.

We got old Sarah.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 100 - Rose with VERY SPECIAL GUESTS

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 01:01:00 +0000

This was released in a condensed form for the 20th Anniversary of the 2005 return of Doctor Who, but that version only featured one guest : but what a guest - the main man himself, Russell T Davies. However, for this sepcial 62nd Anniversary edition (alright, it's the anniverasry of the original run, but hey, it's all the same show) AND to mark 100 stories covered in Happy Times and Places, here is the full version.

So joining Russell are past contributors to Happy Times, including those who helped it when it was merely a possibility, a gleam in a podcaster's eye (and during lockdown, remember that?). We also have some other writers from that first 2005 series giving their opinions on the episode - and they are newcomers to Happy Times..., adding a bit of lustre to this anniversary release. Oh, and it's a long one! Happy Times and Places to you all - and thanks for listening.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #russelltdavies

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Indefinable Magic MISSING EPISODES SPECIAL - Fantasy Film Cans (Part Three)

Sun, 23 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000

And so here it is - the final countdown to your most desired of the 97 missing episodes of Doctor Who. Special guest Russell T Davies tells us what he would like in the fantasy car boot sale where 17 film cans are ready to be purchased. Only one story has all of its episodes in the Top 20, but which individual instalment will win out? With observations from an array of voters including fans of yore Jeremy Bentham and Patrick Mulkern, writers Simon Guerrier and Pete McTighe, and such diverse talents as Gary Russell, Jonathon Carley and Richard Marson.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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HT&P OMNIBUS - The Green Death

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 00:01:00 +0000

American fan Rueben Herfindahl brings his unique perspective to this firm fan favourite: will your host, by a happy accident, choose the same favoruite things, or will he been green with envy because of Reuben's choices? It's an omnibus, so it's a long one!

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Indefinable Magic 36 - It's Back!

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 01:01:00 +0000

As the 62nd Anniversary of Doctor Who approaches this month, AND we are still in the 20th Anniversary year of New Who (which we really have to stop calling it) a reminder that some of us were around for the previous 20th Anniversary back in November 1983.

So as we celebrating 20 years of the resurrection of Doctor Who, here's a look back to a time when New Who wasn't even Now Who... the build up to the return of the show and its parallels or otherwise with the other 20th Anniversary.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places OMNIBUS - Resurrection of the Daleks

Sat, 20 Dec 2025 13:35:00 +0000

A treat from the archives as documentary producer Ed Stradling and host Toby Hadoke reunite, having made a programme on this story for the BBC DVD range. They worked well then, but can they be in accord now about their favourite things in this controversial, rather violent tale... or will they end up shooting each other? Or melting their faces? Or releasing poison gas?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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HT&P CHRISTMAS SPECIAL - Last Christmas

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 19:00:00 +0000

Happy Christmas everyone. No festive Doctor Who episode this year - so here's a Christmas special of Happy Times and Places in which your host Toby Hadoke and convention organiser and writer Steve Hatcher decide upon their favourite things about Last Christmas (the episode, not the event). Or do they?

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho

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Indefinable Magic 37 - Alive: With Honours

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:01:00 +0000

Happy New Year!

With Tom Baker receiving his MBE in 2025, and rumours abounding that Peter Capaldi has turned down an invite from the Palace, it's high time we had a look at who has been honoured by the Queen (and now King) and has also passed through the Whonioverse. As ever there are surprises, patterns and coincidences, as well as, of course, differences of opinion. You would honour this podcast by having a listen.

This was written and recorded before the New Year's Honours of 2026 were announced but a pre-titles addition has taken this into account.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 101 - Silence in the Library

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 00:01:00 +0000

Happy New Year. Our resolution is to read more: so where better to go than the biggest library in the universe. Podcaster Richard Smith chooses his favourite things but will they be found on the same shelf as those of your host? Or are they not remotely on the same page?

Oh, and if you're listening to this on the day that it is released, please don't forget to wish Toby a happy birthday!

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places 101.2 - The Forest of the Dead

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 00:01:00 +0000

Well, the River's about to run dry on this one but not before podcaster Richard Smith chooses his favourite things about the episode. Will he and host Toby Hadoke agree or are they in some weird dream world where nothing is as it seems?

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Too Much Information 6.2 - The Warriors of Death

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 00:01:00 +0000

Susan's all on film, one of the sets goes missing, and Sydney Newman is not impressed with one of the regulars: all in a week's work for those heady pioneering days. The TARDIS crew argue about chaging history, blissfully unaware the history - well, television history - is what they are in the process of making themselves.

This blow-by-blow account covers the making of the second episode of The Aztecs and introduces us to two of its key cast members, one at the beginning of his TV career, and one very near the end of his.

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HT&P 102.1 - The Ark 1

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:01:00 +0000

The podcasters went in two by two to weather the storm of Doctor Who opinion about this story. The Ark seems to be no-one's favourite entry in the canon but this fact baffles both your host and this edition's special guest, Mark Aldridge, an academic (so he'll be clever) who also has knowledge outside of the Whoniverse being, as he is, a huge expert on Agatha Christie. So let's apply those little grey cells to the best things about this instalment (one of which is grey itself - and is certainly memorable: and they never forget... ;))...

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HT&P 102.2 - The Ark 2

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:01:00 +0000

A plague on both our contributors as guest Mark Aldridge and host Toby Hadoke have to see if their enthusiam for this episode of Doctor Who is infectious. But will they display a commonality of symptoms as they take the temperature of the installment and assess it for signs of good acting from pater Purves, the encouraging presence of Michael Sheard and a real spike in activity come the cliffhanger. It's contagious!

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HT&P 102.3 - The Ark 3

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:01:00 +0000

An unusual move for the Hartnell era, but business usual in Podcastville. The crew have moved forward in time but not space - so has everything changed beyond recognition, or will there still be enough good here that guest Mark Aldridge will be able to choose a popular Favourite Thing? And if he does, will he keep it a secret or accidentally give away his big plan?

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HT&P 102.4 - The Ark 4

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:01:00 +0000

And so we get to the final showdown on Refusis but there are still plenty of questions to be ansered. Will the humans find the bomb? Can inter-species co-operation be fistered by a fruity-voiced alien? And where to the Monoids put their food when they are eating? Fortunately D Mark Aldridge is on hadn to provide some insight, but with your host 2-1 up going into the final furlong, can he stay the victorious course or will he snatch defeat from the mouth of victory. If victory has a mouth. Unlike the Monoids.

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HT&P BONUS INTERVIEW - John Halstead

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:01:00 +0000

John Halstead, voice of the Monoids (specifically the especially thick Monoid 2 and the rebellious Monoid 3) in The Ark has never been interviewed about his time on Doctor Who. He's not even done any conventions (but he has done one signing). John likes the "f" word and uses it liberally and it has been left intact herein. So be warned. This is a colourful one. And it has never been heard before. Worth the wait though - honestly, this one is GREAT fun! John should have his own show.

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Too Much Information 6.3 - The Bride of Sacrifice

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 00:01:00 +0000

The bride in question is on holiday so there's something rather filmic about her in the episode that is named after her. There's cocoa, connivance and cunning aplenty as our heroes find themselves lost in history and desperate to find a way out. And there's time to consider a couple of guest stars, one of whom will return to the show whilst the other vanished rather, but whose travels took him far and wide and whose history involved the changing of not just one line or two, but also his name.

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HT&P OMNIBUS - The Mind Robber

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:01:00 +0000

Another ombnius in case you have a long journey or tedious household task or, I dunno, marathon that you're doing. If you dont like it though, just shout "this isn't real" and it'll turn into a cardboad cuthout. Illustrious fan of yore David J Howe takes us through the highpoints of this, a favourite story of his, as we get to grips with the facts (well, opinions) of fiction.

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HT&P 103.1 - Colony in Space 1

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:01:00 +0000

An illustrious occasion - Jon Pertwee's first journey into outer space. So break out the ... beige. And the dungarees. And the moustaches. So many moustaches. TV producer Simon Curtis has chosen this story so what will a genuine industry professional be able to tell us about what makes this un-celebrated serial worth a look. It's always been considered to be closer to the Pertwee era slagheap than its mountaintop, but we're going to see if we can make the flowers grow on this apparently barren landsacpe.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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HT&P BONUS - The Nightmare Begins REDUX

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 09:41:13 +0000

This is an old episode of Happy Times and Places with a new introduction (and maybe some post credits secret joy) which might, hopefully, help to pass the time between now and the newly recovered episodes appearing on iPlayer. I hope they whet the appetite. But to emphasise - the main body of this is a repeat, pure and simple, from the time that the late Ian K McLachlan chose his favorite things about The (then lost) Nightmare Begins. So there will be all sorts of speculation herein that, no doubt, turns out to be utter nonsense. So enjoy - an episode from the past resurfacing to help to celebrate the resurfacing of an episode from the past

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HT&P 103.2 - Colony in Space 2

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:01:00 +0000

And so we get a new influx of characters who each represent an aspect of bullying mining conglomerate IMC. There are plenty of actor facts to detract us from the story which is a shame as Colony in Space has plenty going for it. But we manage to cover it, with guest Simon Curtis being upfront about wanting your host to actually win this one. But as the Colonists demonstrate, all you need is an enemy within in order to muck it up for you without your opponent having to do much at all...

This commentary was recorded before the death of the actor Tony Caunter.

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HT & P BONUS - Devil's Planet REDUX

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:43:20 +0000

This is a repackaged repeat: an old episode of Happy Times and Places with a new intro and outro to reflect the discovery of this episode ...an episode which was lost when this edition was recorded. Hopefully this re-release will whet your appetite for the imminent release of Devils' Planet for the first time since 1965.

The Daleks continue with their planning whilst the Doctor and co master the controls of the Spar spaceship - only to be propelled towards a penal planet. There's lots of theorising about the pictures we couldn't see when this episode was lost - and soon we'll be able to see if your host, Toby Hadoke, was right, and if the memories of original viewer Ian McLachlan match what actually happened. Sadly, Ian will not be able to join in when Devil's Planet when it hits inlayer on easter weekend, as he sadly passed away shortly after recoding this episode.

Fare forward Ian x

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HT&P 103.3 - Colony in Space 3

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:01:00 +0000

It's wet and overcast and there are muddy boots aplenty : sounds like a typical English holiday. Your host had a disaster recording this one, so this is attempt number two. If at first you don't succeed then try, try and try again ... a saying which has a repetitiveness strangely apposite for this story. Still - your host and guest Simon Curtis are having much more fun here than fan opinion would suggest...

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HT&P 103.4 - Colony in Space 4

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 00:01:00 +0100

And so things hot up on the planet (not in terms of the weather, it's still grey and gloomy) that I can't be bothered to try to spell right now. Perhaps I need some sort of Adjudicator - although the one here might have another agenda... but we all know that even 50 year old spoilers can mess things up for some so just have a listen and see where we go.

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HT&P BONUS - The Nightmare Begins (moving pictures!)

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:25:00 +0100

SPOILERS!

Be warned, this is a viewing of the actual episode, so if you haven't yet seen it and don't want to be spoiled, wait until you have had a chance to enjoy all the treasures within The Nightmare Begins. Taking advantage of the immense privilege of being able to see this recovered gem early, your host, and two other lucky colleagues (Tim Burrows from The Missing Episodes podcast and writer Oliver Crocker) pick over their favorite things about this wondrous slice of Doctor Who that's been in a cupboard for a while. Surely the first in depth look at the episode as seen, if you need to digest this joyous discovery, this might just be the best way!

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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HT&P BONUS - Devil's Planet (moving pictures)

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0100

SPOILERS HEREIN

Be warned, this is a brand new commentary which takes in and describes the moving pictures featured in this recovered episode. So do not listen until you've watched the thing. Three people who saw these at the secret launch - host Toby and guests Oliver Crocker and Tim Burrows - recall the day that Peter Purves was lured to Leicester. And they try to choose the best thing about Devil's Planet. Which is harder than you might think. A Hell of a choice you might say.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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HT&P 103.5 - Colony in Space 5

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:01:00 +0100

Things are starting to get a bit repetitive now, but this story isn't the only six parter in which that happens. Besides, there are some excellent moustaches, some excellent villains and the Bakewell Tart of Death! What's not to love?

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HT&P 105.6 - Colony in Space 6

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:01:00 +0100

And so this rewarding visit to one of Doctor Who's least celebrated 70s adventures comes to a close. It's am entry in the canon that really encapsulates the aims of Happy Times and Places : to give a fresh, positive look at a Doctor Who story, and learn to appreciate it for what it is as opposed to what it isn't. Guest Simon Curtis, the TT producer, has been a real help in this regard. Thanks Simon.

And fare forward Tony Caunter, who played Morgan in this story, who died the day after this episode was recorded.

#doctorwho #doctorwhoreaction #doctorwhocommentary #doctorwhocomedian #tobyhadoke #doctorwhofacts #positivedoctorwho #classicdoctorwho

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Happy Times and Places OMNIBUS - The Romans

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:01:00 +0100

Time to get reacquainted with another story from the Happy Times and Places archive. This time delightful You Tuber extraordinaire Josh Snares shares their love for this Hartnell tale renowned for its comedic shenanigans. There's a comedy emperor, a comedy death and ... er ... a comedy attempted sexual assault. Different times.

Different Times and Places in fact

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HT&P 104.1 - Boom Town

Fri, 01 May 2026 00:01:00 +0100

One of the very best writers, reviewers, and chroniclers of TV and Film science fiction, Steve O'Brien, has chosen a New Series episode as a sequel to his championing of Black Orchid some years ago. It's not the Series One episode that is generally on the top of anyone's list, but has time been kinder to it? Will Steve and your host Toby Hadoke share a taste for dinner and bondage? Or will the whole thing just fall through a crack in the floor?

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HT&P OMNIBUS - Remembrance of the Daleks

Fri, 08 May 2026 00:01:00 +0100

Another treat from the vaults - the Happy Times and Places spent with Remembrance of the Daleks all packaged together for an all-in-one jaunt. Special guest Charles Norton is behind some of the most celebrated Doctor Who physical media releases, and he also has a book out about radio drama from Telos Publishing, so don't forget to order your copy NOW!

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