Doctor Who: Toby Hadoke’s Time Travels

Happy Times and Places Omnibus - Time-Flight

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...