Hahahahaha oh my GOD THIS FUCKED UP COUNTRY

No, surely nothing sinister about seeing this column on the anniversary of #DoctorWho Castrovalva

“…My mother – oh yes! I had a mother. Wonderful woman. Truly evil person – she had a saying. “‘Babe,’ she used to say; she called me – ‘Babe’ – ‘Babe,’ she used to say, ‘treat every hour as though it’s your last.’ “I’ll be back in an hour, Vila.” #DestructionOfEarthDayMotivation #H2G2

“The collapse to barbarism and a new dark age cannot be long delayed” Though, today, the motivational poster popping into my head for Colin Baker bears the inspiring words of Chris Butcher / Bayban the Boucher: “How long do you need?” “I don’t know.” “You’ve got an hour…”

OTD 1985: #DoctorWho Attack of the Cybermen Colin Baker’s first season begins with a blaze of colour, a pounding score, Cybermen coming to get you in the dark… And the Doctor striding about just radiating charisma A man of science, temperament and passion— And capable of many amazing things!

It must be the twenty first century. I never could get the hang of the twenty first century.

Yep, that’s me. I am that alien.

OTD 1981: The HitchHiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (Televisuary Phase) One of the funniest, cleverest, most unspeakably moving TV series ever made A story of what happens after everything you love’s been bulldozed for f—ing stupid reasons by bloodyminded bastards who just hate everyone… #H2G2

I’ve made him watch the third episode now, just on the strength of this joke!

OTD 1989: The #DoctorWho 25th anniversary ends with a bang! The Greatest Show In The Galaxy Doctor Who Always.

I miss Christopher Hamilton Bidmead more each day 😢

All it takes for evil to thrive is for mediocre world leaders to say “I’d rather not say”

OTD 1642: King Charles I asserts his absolute power by forcing his way into the House of Commons to seize 5 MPs for “treason”. …So that went well.

My whole life, advocating war has been fed to me as “the adult position,” akin to drinking your coffee black or reading the business section of the newspaper. Let’s be very clear — war is the childish nonsense of impulsive destructive idiots playing baby-brained video games with real human lives.

Emergency timeline cleanse

Cliffhangers are Doctor Who’s prime scary bits This story’s cliffhangers show an almost Aristotelian commitment to dramatic unity, as Sarah Jane is menaced in turn by: A headless body made from bits A bodiless brain A body of bits with the brain now on top!

OTD 1970: #DoctorWho Spearhead From Space All-change: Jon Pertwee is the Doctor Exiled to Earth In colour And Bob Holmes brings comedy-horror – shop-window dummies coming to life a definitive ‘scary bit’ With brilliant co-leads Nick Courtney’s Brigadier and Caroline John’s Dr Liz Shaw

OTD 1981: #DoctorWho Warriors’ Gate Lyrical, beautiful and political One of DW’s most disorientatingly brilliant cliffhangers This mind-expanding sci-fi fantasy enraptured me aged 9 when I didn’t understand it, and still does now grown-up me can bluff. “Why believe Biroc?” “Because he was running!”

Elbereth, Gilthoniel, Elentári, Starkindler, most beautiful woman in all the Ages of the World… or – as she is known in the tongue of the High Elves of Valinor – Varda the Bona Palone. That’s your actual Valinorean Queernya, that is.

This little tale introducing Space Dickensian orphan Vicki and the Doctor facing off vs a real monster is the real beginning of Season Two, and a great place to start My 10 reasons to watch it: loveandliberty.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/doct...

OTD 1965 #DoctorWho The Rescue “Oh, but Doctor, the trembling’s stopped” “Oh, my dear, I’m so glad you’re feeling better!” An ideal New Year relaunch and wonderful showcase for this Doctor – twinkling, stern, vulnerable, clever, funny! – so if you’ve never seen William Hartnell, here’s why this gem…

Patton Oswalt did an entire bit about this exact thing years ago if you’ve ever seen it you know EXACTLY what Mamdani was talking about.

Obviously Darrow was inspiringly great to write for But hearing you describe how often Avon demonstrates to Tarrant ‘Your idea is stupid; here is how I, a genius, fix it’ Suggests Boucher loved writing Avon to personify ‘The script editor is the coolest person in the show’ #Blakes7

OTD 1978: Blake’s 7 All human life is here. Will it ever escape? When I was a boy, it was exciting to imagine a grim dystopia. As with many things, a disappointment when I grew up to get stuck in one. But I still love Blake’s 7! [And my sci-fi neighbourhood. Just not the Administration.]

Terrific concept, many brilliant moments, many surprising lacunae, this is quite homoerotic, but oh my, they go on a bit. Though I can never work out whether it’s a metaphor for post-natal depression or whether Victor is just a self-absorbed dick?

OTD 1818: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus Sci-fi is brought to life— by a teenage Goth woman. Bride of Frankenstein might be my favourite film of all, glorious on so many levels (it’s my only weakness) But I’ve read the novel as well…

“Now, this Traken web of harmony is broken—I am free!” “Why, Doctor. What an unexpected pleasure.” “…an ancient and devastating weapon!” “Oh, *come on*! Don’t you recognise me yet? …Hello, you.” “Please, try to keep up!” to “O, I can be. I very much am. “…I have had – a lot of fun!” O, so have I.

(If I had one complaint about the Season 8 Blu-ray Collection, it’s that they didn’t select enough Delgado scenes for him to see Behind the Sofa. I would watch an entire series of Sacha drinking in other Masters and commenting on them.)

OTD 2020: #DoctorWho Spyfall O!!! [Spoilers for what feels like so many long, exhausting years ago now] The most gobsmacking TV Doctor Who for me since 1982 I gasped “It can’t be!” as they turned to the house at the window Sacha Dhawan immediately an enthralling Master

Always enjoyed the line “I’m the expletive deleted Pope!” but may just be my Catholic upbringing…

Happy New Year! 🎊 For January, we’re reading the Past Doctor Adventure “Zeta Major,” featuring the 5th Doctor, Nyssa, & Tegan. It is a sequel to the 4th Doctor story “Planet of Evil.” Happy reading! 💙💙➕📚 #DoctorWho 🚀

OTD 1971 Doctor Who – Terror of the Autons A new character steals a Nestene energy-unit, and the show: “I am usually* referred to as the Master.” Hey, I wonder if this villain will last? Watch now on shiny 1971 tech Nestene eye-player, CSO-Blu-beam and Season 8-track *Other names will be available

Same in the UK. You can't meet racists halfway.

Rob is lovely to talk to yet runs the sweaty workout of Doctor Who podcasts – having to watch and consider so much for each episode is hard exercise. So his new format is the tough personal trainer demanding extra reps for a New Year’s resolution! How many Seasons have you seen today?

No, wait, that sounds like the Eve, I seem to be confused. OTD 2022: Doctor Who – Eve of the Daleks It’s fun, and you can actually watch this one.

People are saying it’s The Traitors today, but obviously that’s wrong …Doctor Who: The Daleks’ Master Plan episode 60 years ago today was Volcano. The Traitors was a month ago (points at chart). Criss-crossing time travel, a comedic present-day interlude, the Doctor’s friends being exterminated—

Stonehenge

And it seems not a moment too soon…

A Christie for Christmas is traditional, but curl up tonight with: The Mysterious Mr Quin Agatha Christie’s weirdest and most thematically distinctive investigator The first story crosses midnight at a New Year’s Party The third is Christie’s only story looking backwards from the year 2025!

Happy New Year!

2025 was a binfire, and it can get in the sea. I feel more hopeful and settled going into 2026. I feel 2026 has a lot more promise and am feeling focused. A year of great change. Change is not always a good experience - but live with the changes & take the best from it. Have a good NYE y'all

Absolute head cannon: The ending of the Box of Delights is *not* “it was all a dream”, but Kay uses the Box to go back to the start of the holiday. “Because the mystery and terror of the Box is that you may go into the past, but you cannot take the Bix with you.” It’s all true.

That reminds me the lovely @gibbspaulus.bsky.social did an SE version of me and I forgot to share it. So here goes. Plus the first each that come to mind of Beloved and me having fun and where I look quite good. Done!

My seasonal wish for some 4Extra repeats! OTD 1985: Brogue Male – The Further Adventures of Sir Digby Spode Starring Richard Johnson Royce Mills Philip Voss and in especially large letters at the end STEPHEN GREIF as Count Laszlo Stroganoff This episode guest-starring Patrick Troughton!

“Right. We shall start.” Tonight, BBC4: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Slow. Talky. Grimy. Phenomenal TV. Utterly gripping from the very first scene— Four superb actors, telling you so much about their characters just by arriving for a meeting… All headed down a damn long road to the finish.

Happy Omega Point Day to all who celebrate.

Light is the left hand of darkness and darkness the right hand of light. Two are one, life and death, lying together like lovers in kemmer, like hands joined together, like the end and the way.

Gladstone’s famous Why I Am A Liberal: “The principle of Liberalism is trust in the people, qualified by prudence: “The principle of conservatism is mistrust of the people, qualified by fear.”

I used to make very long speeches of my own – though I could only *dream* of six-hour Gladstonian epics – and wish I were still up to writing at length. But also remember his wife Catherine: “Oh, William dear, if you weren’t such a great man you would be a terrible bore.”