On The Time Lash

Send us a textBen and Mark reach the end of Series 7b with 'The Name of the Doctor' and pair it up with another story of myth, legend and future Doctors; 'Battlefield'. Is 'Name of the Doctor' a suitably exciting pre-cursor to the anniversary special, and does it still hold up today? And is 'Battlefield' a fitting farewell to one of Doctor Who's longest serving military leaders? Under discussion this episode: INTRODUCING JOHN HURT AS THE DOCTOR, the Doctor's tears, air-snogging, a crash course in Arthurian legend, nuclear disarmament, and doing your best.ALSO: Ben reveals which Doctor Who celebrity he saw out and about doing their shopping and a tribute to a stalwart of Scottish television. Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textBen and Mark return from their festive hibernation to discuss the mythical Cybermen.In Nightmare in Silver, the fantastical worlds of Neil Gaiman clash with the sci-fi action movie, whilst Tomb of the Cybermen updates Egyptian tomb raiding for the cybernetic age.But are they any good?Under discussion: Brazilian stew, Mark's proposed Tomb of the Cybermen stage production with a cast of 10 year olds, racial representation, what it means to be human, the slow, creeping death of Doctor Who fandom and the perils of imagination. Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textBen and Mark celebrate the 100th On the Time Lash upload by discussing 21st Century Doctor Who's 100th episode 'The Crimson Horror'. It's Ben's favourite story of the post 2005 run, will Mark and our listeners share his enthusiasm? Also this episode: Vile Victorian villainesses as we discuss 'The Mark of the Rani'. Ben meets a descendant of Major Barrington. Mark reveals his two degrees of Terry Nation. Byker Grove. Ant and Dec. Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and much much more. Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textBen and Mark take two very different journeys to the centre of the TARDIS as they discuss 'Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS' and 'The Invasion of Time'.Just what is it about the Doctor's TARDIS that fascinates people so much? And similarly, what's the obsession with Gallifrey? We don't have the answers, but they're questions worth positing.Under discussion: Reprehensible and terrifying supporting characters, bottle episodes, tinfoil, Star Trek, Yes, Minister, an eloquent analysis of Steven Moffat's approach to time travel and the excellence of Milton Johns.ALSO: Mark outlines Leela's life in spin-off media to an increasingly anxious and upset Ben.WARNING! May contain looms.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textIn a very special episode of On the Time Lash to celebrate the release of 'Sil & the Devil Seeds of Arodor': Mark interviews the director and producer Keith Barnfather about how the project came about, and how he brought Philip Martin's world to life. He reviews the serial for the benefit of Ben, which leads to a brief discussion about serialisation in the age of Netflix. Mark then chats to Nabil Shaban about returning to the role of Sil, the universality of love and on-screen representations of disability in 2019.ALSO: Do Thoros Betan's get greener the older they get? What does Sil deserve more than Peter Capaldi? And what is it about a repulsive businessman with a great deal of political influence that makes Sil so relevant today?Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textBen returns to the podcast for a Halloween special as we discuss the spooky goings on in Hide and Image of the Fendahl. Two stories, it soon turns out, that are quite evenly matched. (About time, 77 episodes in)Under discussion: The perils of dropping the T-Bomb, reaching the age where 'totty for the dads' is directed at you, the flaws of the show's sci-fi format, two(!) sequels to Image of the Fendahl, some opinions on Ravenous 4, and a competition over whose girlfriend is least interested in Doctor Who.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textIt's a Ben-lite episode, but will it be Love & Monsters or Blink? Mark is joined by friends of the podcast Lee McMenemy (The Polis Box) and Richie Morgan (I Hate Doctor Who) to discuss 'Cold War' and 'The Ice Warriors'. Under discussion: Mammoths on submarines, Ultravox, planning your whole story around a title, everyday sexism, design marvels and scavenging hee-haw.ALSO: The On the Time Lash listeners provide their worst Doctor Who anecdotes, Mr. Eccleston has some strong words about the state of the park and we discover the secrets of Richie Morgan's sock drawer.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textIn the last episode before a summer break, Ben and Mark rather aptly confront an evil sun and an evil arts project that attracts a cavalcade of freaks and riffraff.Is 'The Rings of Akhaten' as bad as its reputation suggests? Is there any real merit in asking an old Doctor to do a new speech? Does arc-building have casualties? And whilst we're at it, what is 'The Greatest Show in the Galaxy' about, anyway? Violent hippies? The battle to save Doctor Who from cancellation? Comedy as a defence mechanism? All this and more in the 75th On the Time Lash!Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textBen and Mark dodder down the stairs to present another episode of the hottest podcast in town!This Week: WiFi and WOTAN as we discuss 'The Bells of St. John' and 'The War Machines'. Two brand new London landmarks hide terrible secrets, can the Doctor stop them? And can Mark navigate his way through London construction works to have a little nose around himself? Is 'The War Machines' a second pilot for Doctor Who, and one that the series still returns to even now? Along the way we also discuss the Great Intelligence's complete lack of modesty, our occasional need for the Doctor Whoiest of Doctor Who, onion ring towers, and play a round of Pointless.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textBen and Mark ponder the intangible, nebulous threat of the Great Intelligence as they discuss 'The Snowmen' and 'The Abominable Snowmen'.Under discussion: The Doctor's weird characterisation in 'The Snowmen', grittily reimagining Christmas classics, Mark's dating history, and a tightrope walk through issues of representation.Dedicated to Paul Darrow 1941 - 2019Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textBen and Mark bid farewell to three Doctor Who companions and ponder the differing approaches to the farewell story. In 'The Angels Take Manhattan', they discuss just how sad and tragic an ostensibly happy ending can be, suggest that Dudley Simpson is better than Sting, compare Alex Kingston to a frog and wonder just how practical sending a Weeping Angel out for your groceries actually is.And in 'Warrior's Gate', Ben can't get his head round how bad many companion departures actually are, Mark admires Paul Joyce's pretensions, and is it really just simply about how awful slavery is? Contains references to Jean Cocteau, Lewis Carroll and Reg Varney...ALSO: 'What's Brie Larson ever done to you?', Mark encounters some sexist internet trolls in the flesh. Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textAs we prepare to say goodbye to the Ponds, Ben and Mark talk about friendship via THE POWER OF THREE and THE SEEDS OF DOOM. In a podcast first, Ben views a bona-fide Doctor Who classic for the very first time, whilst both hosts try to read between the lines to figure out exactly what the hell was going on with Steven Berkoff.Also: Yet another Big Finish pitch, rampant consumerism, a bolshy and bruising Tom Baker, another tribute to the wonderful Elisabeth Sladen and the fall and rise of UNIT in Doctor Who. You can tweet us @OnTheTimeLash or find us on Facebook, and do please leave us a review on iTunes.NEXT TIME: Time to say goodbye as we chat THE ANGELS TAKE MANHATTAN and WARRIOR'S GATESupport the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textTo celebrate 70 podcasts, Ben and Mark discuss the Doctor Who westerns 'A Town Called Mercy' and 'The Gunfighters' over a magnificent 70(ish) minutes of drinks and chat.Under discussion this month: Toby Whithouse's Wild West shopping list, the Western genre, comedy in Doctor Who, William Hartnell's comic chops, singing, childrens TV and a long overdue appreciation of some of the show's unsung heroes like cinematographers and directors. Thanks for joining us for 70 of these things, as ever, if you like the podcast, leave us a review on iTunes and/or tweet us @OnTheTimeLashSupport the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textDelayed like your Season 18 BluRays and not nearly as rewarding, Ben and Mark return to discuss 'Dinosaurs on a Spaceship' and 'Invasion of the Dinosaurs'.Under discussion: Heavy moral decisions, other less successful Saturday tea time sci-fi shows, dinosaurs, the poignancy of a Burger King and a rug shop, starting again, an appreciation of both Richard Franklin and the brilliance of Elisabeth Sladen and dinosaurs. Again.ALSO: Pondering the political parallels of current Doctor Who fandom, and giving up on DWM.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textReturning after a series break, Ben and Mark return to cast their eyes towards Doctor Who's 50th anniversary series as they discuss Asylum of the Daleks and Resurrection of the Daleks.Along the way, they'll play relationship therapist to Amy and Rory, ponder Daleks as set dressing, discuss big movie concepts, busy plotting, bad acting, the brutality of Eric Saward and the breath of fresh air that is Jenna Coleman. Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textTime is against them as Ben and Mark battle sickness and a naughty dog to bring you their discussion about 'The Wedding of River Song' and 'The Time Monster'. Two season finales as Steven Moffat brings his tangled web of plotlines together to close out Series 6 and Robert Sloman does whatever it is he's doing to close Series 10. Why does the Doctor have a mullet? Is the new series missing the madness of Moffat? Is Kronos, God of time really such a threat? How does eating pheasant at a publicly funded institution look? How sexy is Roger Delgado? ALSO: Ben and Mark discuss their reactions to Series 11 thus far and question whether or not Doctor Who is still for them. You can read Mark's blog for the Big Blue Box Podcast here: https://www.bigblueboxpodcast.co.uk/doctor-who-the-childrens-own-programme-that-adults-abhor/Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textBen and Mark discuss sub-par Cyber sequels as they debate the relative merits of 'Closing Time' and 'Attack of the Cybermen'. Are they each as bad as fan wisdom will have you believe? If you've been listening to this podcast for a while you'll probably know the answer to that.Under discussion: Parenthood, the fear of children, psycho-analysing Steven Moffat, being rude about DWM staff, saying nice things about Eric Saward, dodgy synths and guns.Also: As series 11 continues, Ben and Mark briefly discuss 'Rosa' and 'Arachnids in the UK'. As ever, tweet us at @OnTheTimeLash, @BenVerth & @OldmankrondasSupport the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textBen and Mark talk a load of bull in their fruity Scottish accents as they reach The God Complex and pair it up with 1979's The Horns of Nimon. Expect Brexit metaphors, an impassioned defence of a much maligned classic, an embarrassing defeat in Degsey's Where Did it Come Game, the differing approaches to the comedy of Douglas Adams and appreciation for an animatronic minotaur, Amara Khan, Rory Williams and Lalla Ward. Praise them.Also this week: Ben and Mark discuss The Ghost Monument, the new TARDIS, and ponder where the new merchandise for the kiddies has disappeared to. Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textDiscussing generic walking paradoxes, dual companions, Ben and Mark discuss 'The Girl Who Waited' and 'Mawdryn Undead'. Along the way there's discussion of lost loves, missed opportunities, and the Macarena.Is Mawdryn Undead horrible? Was Wilfred Mott in the employ of the Black Guardian? Shouldn't Handbot Rory get a credit for such a brilliant performance? ALSO: Ben and Mark discuss the imminent launch of Series 11 and it's first press screening in a manner that is not at all bitter.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textBen and Mark discuss Doctor Who's relationship with realism as they watch "Night Terrors" and "Survival".Is Night Terrors' main issue a lack of grounding in a particular time or place? Is Survival the perfect end for Doctor Who?Along the way, Mark goes a bit Noel Edmonds and ponders Doctor Who's cosmic coincidences, Ben discovers the inherent sadness of the humble dog on a chain and there's some discussion of the endings to Seinfeld, Star Trek and Will & Grace. ALSO: Doctor Who Magazine, Series 11 "news" and "Earthshock" at the BFI.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint