On The Time Lash

Send us a textOr: The Caves of Andro-ZanyThree men go to war against sobriety as Ben, Mark and Derek tackle "A Good Man Goes to War" and "The Caves of Androzani" in a special 61st episode, recorded live at the Edinburgh Geek and Nerd Festival's WhoFest weekend.Competing with both an incoming pub quiz and the hottest day of the year, they discuss hubris, consequences, toy boxes, glibness and "American Daytime Soap Opera shitness".ALSO: It's Saturday niiiiiiiiight! Ben and Mark compete with members of the audience in a very special "Degsey's Where Did It Come Game", Robert Holmes' bleak 1980s output, and a tribute to John Nathan-Turner.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textFree tickets for On the Time Lash LIVE are available from tinyurl.com/OTTLLIVEBen and Mark discuss evil doubles as they reach The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People and pair it up with Enemy of the World. Along the way they discuss pregnancy horror, David Cronenberg, Malcolm Hulke, Donald Trump, Brexit, fictional Mexicans and rapey Captain Kirk. ALSO: Ben sings, Mark rounds up some of the most insane responses to the lack of a S11 trailer, Ben admits to a criminal act and nobody mentions Miami Twice. Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textBen and Mark crack open a can of TARDIS Special as they discuss The Doctor's Wife and The Edge of Destruction/Brink of Disaster/Inside the Spaceship/Or What You Will....Along the way, they discuss the muted effect mythology episodes of long-running shows can have in retrospect, have a brief but spoileriffic chat about Steven Moffat's Day of the Doctor novelisation and place the praise for who the Doctor is today firmly at the feet of Ms. Barbara Wright.But before all that there's the matter of Doctor Who on Twitch, #London1965, the Tom Baker BluRays and brand identity.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textWednesday is the new FridayBen and Mark visit some of Edinburgh's less busy taverns on an uncharacteristically busy Wednesday evening to discuss The Curse of the Black Spot and The Smugglers. Apologies for the slightly noisy soundscape, just imagine you're in a pirate tavern, a pirate tavern pumping out Lionel Ritchie. The Curse of the Black SpotBen and Mark discuss fatherhood, angry responses to mediocrity, sappiness and Doctor Who's whipping boys.The SmugglersArguing that this is possibly Hartnell's true last great performance, the Lash Lads talk about handsome location work, superstition, human greed and Mark hopes for a return of the straight historical in 2018.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textAfter a slightly longer break than planned, the boys are back!We open Series 6 with late 60's set conspiracy thriller The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon and pair it up with 1970's conspiracy thriller The Ambassadors.........................of Death!Under discussion: How many ideas are too many in a Doctor Who story? Mark defends the controversial 'genocide' ending, more Big Finish proposals, a pitch for a controversial new reality show, why The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon gets Nixon right and an analaysis of  the idolatry towards a bright yellow roadster.ALSO: Ben and Mark relay how they came to meet Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, Terry Molloy and Jimmy Vee at Edinburgh's Capital Sci-Fi Con and an impromptu tribute to Elisabeth Sladen.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a text"All the baddie podcasts have got together to lock us in a big box" Ben and Mark FINALLY reach the end of Series 5 with a discussion about The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang and Castrovalva. Along the way, they ponder how a Dalek would read an Usborne guide to the Romans, pitch a potential Big Finish boxed set, sing Alanis Morissette, sing Morrissey and just generally have a good time. Whilst some of the chat is potentially a by-product of booze and two friends having not seen each other for a while, there are also some more measured discussions of Amy and Rory's relationship, the problems with the Davison era and a lot of 80s Doctor Who as a whole, and what makes for a good debut from a Doctor. Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textTravel back in time with Ben and Mark to a snatched conversation that took place during the May bank holiday 2017.Under discussion: Two spooky houses as we turn our focus towards The Lodger and Ghost Light. Ben reappraises a story he long thought that he hated and Mark tries to explain just what on Earth is going on at Gabriel Chase, which would be easy enough if he could even remember watching it.Also: Comedy shows that are worse than Horne & Corden, memorialising the West London Islamic Centre, taxidermy and whether themes and artistry trump good storytelling. Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textAfter nearly a (very eventful) year away, Ben and Mark resume their "New=Who Watchthrough" with 2010's Vincent and the Doctor, pairing it up with 1964's Marco Polo.Along the way, the pair get refused booze, discuss the weird world of Doctor Who themed ASMR, try to tactfully navigate discussions about mental health, gender and race before delving into some missing episode rumours. Editor's note: Whilst a number of topical references have been excised, we are aware Broadchurch S3 finished nearly a year ago and that Chris Chibnall has indeed cast a brilliant woman as Doctor Who, but the discussion seemed like a good one to keep in!See you in two weeks, we promise! Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a text*Not Episode 54, as we keep saying it is.The Reverends I.M Jolly of Doctor Who podcasting, Ben (riddled with a cold and thankfully not the Silurian virus) and Mark return to discuss The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood and Doctor Who and the Silurians. Unavoidably, they speculate what this Chris Chibnall penned, modern Silurian two parter could mean for the future of Doctor Who.Also: Changing perspectives on Doctor Who series, a not particularly original reading of Series 7, and Mark recounts how he once sold a VHS tape to someone quite high up in the Doctor Who production team.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textBen and Mark welcome host of the I Hate Doctor Who podcast, Richie Morgan into an echoey Edinburgh basement to discuss our darker selves, death and unconvincing realities via Amy's Choice/Mindwarp/The Ultimate Foe. They also dole out some really uninteresting trivia that everyone already knows.Under discussion: Sex with Brian Blessed, a fate worse than death? The best BBC sitcom of all time. A contemporary reading of the Valeyard's motives. An appreciation for Anthony Ainley. Charity singles!Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textRenaissance men Ben and Mark visit Italy via the middle of the road through Croatia and Wales as they discuss The Vampires of Venice and The Masque of Mandragora. Under discussion: Authentic Italian flavour. Vampires. Throat cutting. The Doctor's inability to understand simple human relationships. Some mildly inappropriate giggling at a very particular date.But the big question is, did Robert Holmes and Philip Hinchcliffe ruin Doctor Who?Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textIn their 50th episode, Ben and Mark address their changing opinions on the Peter Davison serial Earthshock, which has been paired up with Matt Smith Weeping Angels two parter, The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone.Under discussion: Alien/Aliens, the difference between characters you care about and cannon fodder, Beryl Reid: Space Pirate.Ben relates the story of how his enjoyment of the climactic moments of Time of Angels was ruined (and not in the way you're thinking), whilst Mark has resorted to exhaling in despair at the mere mention of Eric Saward's name.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textOddly topical for a podcast recorded back in August, Ben, Mark and their good friend Derek discuss poor decisions made in the interests of marketing as they cover Victory of the Daleks and The Claws of Axos. Over the course of 100 minutes, they cover everything from the ill-judged colourful Daleks, the perfectly judged Ironside Daleks, the magic of Bill Paterson, bureaucratic slugs, Jon Pertwee impressions, maths problems and a remote control Bob HopeSupport the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textOr "Worse than Tom Baker blowing off a big green cock"Ben and Mark discuss two of Doctor Who's lesser loved stories; The Beast Below and Dragonfire in a discussion of benevolent creatures, good/bad monster design, the BBC's sitcom season, the introduction of Ace, the hastily written departure for Mel and that cliffhanger. Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textBen and Mark return to usher in the Smith/Moffat era with a discussion about The Eleventh Hour and Spearhead from Space. Also; Mark interviews The Eleventh Hour's director, Adam Smith about his experiences directing one of the most scrutinised hours of TV ever.But before all that, there's the small matter of Mark becoming part of established Doctor Who continuity.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textIt's the 46th episode and time to bid farewell to David Tennant and Russell T Davies with a discussion about the (criminally underrated?) End of Time, pairing it with the (criminally overrated?) The War Games.Topics covered include: Fans "tweaking" established history, differing portrayals of the Timelords, why the Tenth Doctor's regeneration isn't long and drawn out and whether or not a 10 episode story is too long.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textCommunicating via video link like the inhabitants of Bowie Base One, Ben and Mark discuss The Waters of Mars; a story Ben feels is one of the very best pieces of Doctor Who there is. But what is it that disappoints Mark?After that, as chosen by the listeners; The Seeds of Death, a story that in many ways predicted the current state of space travel in the 21st century. Also under discussion: The fall of Woolworths 8 years on, excellent Doctor Who directors, the benefits of a "by Russell T Davies" credit, and lots more!Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textBen and Mark begin looking at the specials with Planet of the Dead, pairing it up with another foreign location set tale Planet of Fire. Do the stories warrant the extensive location work? Is Peri the most overtly sexualised companion ever? Did the 80's production team ruin a golden opportunity for interesting storytelling and character development? And can Planet of the Dead really claim to be a special?Also: We raise a glass to 500 issues of Doctor Who Magazine and discuss the potential Doctor Who writers room. Meanwhile, Sex Leers It's Inquisitive Head.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textBen and Mark visit the Cybermen’s favourite pub to discuss The Next Doctor before wandering over to Soho to celebrate Tom Baker’s debut in Robot.But before all that, there’s the small matters of a new companion and an exhibition of Target artwork to discuss!Apologies if some of the background noise is distracting, but who knows? Maybe those people chatting in the background have some equally important opinions on Mr Pastry playing the Doctor.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint

Send us a textPREVIOUSLY: One bottle of cava, the Stolen Earth and Journey's End.NOW: The Five Doctors, another bottle of cava, some whisky and the sound of a podcast screeching it's way off the rails.In this episode: Ben attempts to slaughter a sacred cow, can Mark salvage The Five Doctors and present all the good that it has to offer?Also this week: Why Christopher Eccleston and Tom Baker don't owe you a damned thing.Support the showFollow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookBuy us a pint