Doctor Who: The Ood Cast Chris Fosten, Chris Mead & Laura Mead

"To be honest, a lot of things have made me cry over the past few days but this was a different kind of cry."



In which we review an episode of Doctor Who, filmed in a cupboard in one take, that still manages to be everything that is kind and clever in the world.



Reviews: Message from the Doctor

Air Date: 25th March 2020

Song: "Doctor in a Cupboard" based on "Michael in the Bathroom" from "Be More Chill"

Sketches: Hide & Strax by Chris Mead.

Haiku: Even in hiding/ she's saving us from ourselves/ darkness never wins

Additional notes: Even though this is our shortest episode ever (although at just under 7 minutes it's still approximately four times longer than the video it is reviewing) - it also features the BIGGEST GUEST STAR we've ever had on The Ood Cast. So thank you to our incredible friend (taking a break from nursing and destroying his enemies in battle).

"Even when her mind is wiped. Even when she's returned to being a child and the Time Lords are trying to integrate her back into society and be a normal boring Time Lord. That name comes back. That same TARDIS comes back. That need to go out and help people comes back. It's so deep within her that even if you wipe her brain and try and start again. She's still going to become that amazing rebel."



In which we celebrate the end of a sprawling, messy, exhilarating two part finale with a sprawling, messy, (hopefully) exhilarating podcast.



Reviews: The Ascension of the Cybermen/ The Timeless Children

Air Date: 23rd February & 1st March 2020

Song: "There Is No Escape" based on "You Can Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac

Sketches: Doctor Queue by Chris Fosten. Jimmy Riddle by Chris Fosten. Ko Sharmus by Tom Salinsky. Remember Where We Parked the TARDIS by Chris Mead & Chris Fosten. Shooting the Cybershit by Chris Mead. So I Guess Basically Anyone Can Get Into the TARDIS now? by Chris Mead. Taking the Credit by Michael Gilroy-Sinclair. The Celestial Toy Shop by Chris Fosten. The Master Workshops New Names For A Cyber Patrol by Chris Mead. The Timeless Podcasts by Chris Mead.

Haiku:

Miracle child lives/ while last humans just survive/ unsafe haven waits

The Doctor listens/ surrounded by strip lighting/ tiny death goes large

What's making us feel g-ood?

Loz: Talking about mental health

Alpha: Rule of Three podcast

Sigma: Jagged Little Pill: the musical (recommended by Emily Jenik)

Additional notes: In the old days of the podcast we used to write too much, talk too much and have grandiose ideas that we were never going to pull off. We've calmed down a little over the years but this is a brief return to the grandiloquent Ood Cast of old. We had a blast.

"I don't think I've really seen people on Doctor Who eating ever."



In which we wax poetical, enter through the gift shop, revisit Cyberwoman and discuss P.G. Wodehouse (but mostly how to pronounce his name).



Reviews: The Haunting of Villa Diodati

Air Date: 16th February 2020

Song: "Unfinished Cyberman" based on "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve

Sketches: Taking the Tour by Chris Fosten. Lord Byron Introduces his Latest Work by Chris Fosten. Cyberwoman II: Cyber Boogaloo by Chris Mead.

Haiku: Cellar-based poet/ finds clever metal dollop/ lone tin-man inspires

What's making us feel g-ood?

Loz: Future Man

Alpha: A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon

Sigma: Andrew Ellard's tweetnotes

Additional notes: Bit of behind the scenes info - we all realised we couldn't do our normal recording day, so this episode became a bit of a mission to schedule. When we did finally get into a room together it was a very silly recording session with a lot more tangents and A LOT more talking over each other than normally happens. We think the results are chaotic but fun. Hope you agree?

"She's not tackling her own trauma at all because she's spending all her time entertaining her companions."



In which we talk about our own battles with depression and anxiety, applaud Doctor Who for tackling difficult issues, read beautiful poetry and there's probably a joke in there somewhere too.



Reviews: Can You Hear Me?

Air Date: 9th February 2020

Song: "What if Gods Were Arseholes?" based on "One of Us" by Joan Osborne

Sketches: Nightmare Season by Chris Fosten. Alternative Reactions by Chris Fosten.

Haiku: Dark visions point them/ to jailed nightmarish prankster/ they stay bottled up

Additional notes: Laura had a cold recording this episode. In the edit there were A LOT of cuts which were just removing mucus-choked sneezes and coughs. Like a lot a lot. You wouldn't believe how many.

"Do you think the Doctor has got better at steering the TARDIS or do you think the Doctor just hates Adric?"



In which Chris Alpha travels to Amsterdam in our suitcase-shaped TARDIS, we hear about some interesting fish parasites, Yaz finally has some agency and we find out what really happened with that talking cat in Ontario.



Reviews: Praxeus

Air Date: 2nd February 2020

Song: "I am a Bird" based on "I'm Like a Bird" by Nelly Furtado

Sketches: Two Oods Roaming by Chris Fosten. Un Chat by Chris Mead. The Operation by Chris Fosten.

Haiku: Alien virus/ might solve plastic pollution/ goes for birds instead

Additional notes: This is a catch-up episodes and was recorded in two parts because we ran out of battery the first time. The splice is somewhere in the middle of Loz's anecdote about the fish parasites. See if you can spot it. Also, why is the cat French when under 4% of Ontario's population is Francophone? It's because the double-meaning of the title "Un Chat" made us laugh.

"This is an amazing story arc. I think it blows all the previous story arcs out of the water."



In which we meet the toxic gatekeepers at the castle of Doctor Who fandom, raise a glass to Chris Chibnall (!), debate electrocuting old ladies and end up standing in a shallow triangle formation.



Reviews: Fugitive of the Judoon

Air Date: 26th January 2020

Song: "Ho Flo Blo Ro" based on "Heart Beats" by José Gonzalez

Sketches: The Keepers at the Gate by Chris Fosten & Chris Mead. The Chris Chibnall Gang by Chris Mead. Dead Punny by Chris Mead.

Haiku: Rhino police force/ find new depths to the Doctor/ contract is cancelled

Additional notes: We had such a good time recording this episode. We were also trying to record the next episode at the same time (we're a week behind due to a festival in Amsterdam). We wrote all the extra sketches and songs but were foiled by our recording equipment running out of batteries. We also spoiled our own Doctor Who audio adventure project - The Nth Doctor. Oh well!