Debating Doctor Who
Allison Shoemaker and Alasdair Wilkins
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Top 10 Debating Doctor Who Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Debating Doctor Who episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Debating Doctor Who for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Debating Doctor Who episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Episode 1: “Girl In The Fireplace” and “The Doctor’s Wife”
Debating Doctor Who
05/08/14 • 6 min
We introduce ourselves, discuss the Bechdel test, and look at Doctor Who's frustrating lack of women writers. Then, in the second half, we debate the question: What is Doctor Who's most adventurous episode? Caroline goes to the mat for “The Girl In The Fireplace,” while Alasdair champions “The Doctor’s Wife.”
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Episode 163: “Once, Upon Time”…Part Two!
Debating Doctor Who
11/21/21 • -1 min
We're back as promised to continue our discussion of our an episode we dug the first time around and dug even harder on the rewatch. We discuss some more about just why this episode is such a breath of fresh air, then start discussing specific things we love about it, starting with Barbara Flynn's mysterious woman. We also discuss the Weeping Angels and their role here ahead of their big return tomorrow, plus look even more closely at the Doctor and Yaz's relationship and just how mean the Doctor is to Yaz in this episode. We finish up with a brief look toward the future with some 14th Doctor casting rumors, and we catch up on some news about next year's specials that are at least a month old but we totally missed back in October. (And honestly, pretty sure I speculated on whether the two sides of the regeneration scene would be filmed separately, like they did with Eccleston and Tennant, and it turns out that Jodie Whittaker confirmed that as such on The Graham Norton Show. Oh and apparently that's how she did it when she regenerated from Capaldi anyway. So, uh, yeah, no points for research this week, but hey, the episode discussion is fun...)
Episode 127: “Ascension Of The Cybermen”
Debating Doctor Who
02/27/20 • -1 min
You know, it's kinda funny: We liked this episode quite a bit overall, but also we had a lot to say about what didn't work. The middle bit, mostly. Also, the guest characters were pretty thin. And hey, what do you think is going on with Brendan? Or the Cybermen, for that matter? We honestly have no idea, and *that* is the main reason that, for all its faults, we come away pretty satisfied with this one.
Episode 137: “Resolution”
Debating Doctor Who
05/22/20 • -1 min
We finally did it! We've talked about every new series Doctor Who episode! After a couple cameos (or maybe that's Cameos) to open the episode, Alasdair and Allison discuss the 13th Doctor's New Year's Day clash with a lone Dalek. We felt deeply meh about this episode when it first aired back in 2019, but coming back to it now? Dang, we actually kind of love it. We discuss how this might be the best story Chris Chibnall has written during his tenure as showrunner, and how it feels different from really anything in either series 11 or series 12. We were so pleasantly surprised by this one, folks. Better late than never, we guess.
Episode 136: Live Discussion of Companions, the Master, and More!
Debating Doctor Who
05/10/20 • -1 min
We're back for another live show, and we might even have a surprise visit from the podcast's best friend. Which is to say, we totally do! The Captain Jack of the podcast is on hand, in the form of the great Kate Kulzick. She pops by for a spell to help discuss how the different showrunners approach the lives of the companions, and why one thing the Chibnall era has going for it is how real the companions' situations feel relative to, well, definitely the Moffat era companions. But what of the RTD companions? Then Allison and Alasdair discuss whether the Master could, in fact, be the Timeless Child, which leads to one hell of a lore dump about the Master. Then Alasdair cracks a listener riddle, and we offer a whole bunch of recommendations of other shows and movies featuring Doctors, companions, and more!
Episode 132: “Farewell, Sarah Jane” and Mailbag Questions
Debating Doctor Who
04/19/20 • -1 min
We start by discussing the latest Doctor Who: Lockdown production, a moving epilogue to The Sarah Jane Adventures and tribute to Elisabeth Sladen, who died nine years ago today. Then we tackle a pair of emails from listeners. First up, do the Cybermen work as monsters without a mouthpiece, and why does it always seem to be the Master these days? Then, we take another look at that infamous bit from "Spyfall: Part Two".
Episode 139: The Best of… Yasmin Khan
Debating Doctor Who
07/14/20 • -1 min
We kick off a new recurring feature in which we devote an episode to a particular companion and what stories are their best. After some preliminary discussion of what, technically, even is a companion, we get to the main topic of discussion this week, namely Yaz. That's right, we started with about as tricky a companion as we could, given how unevenly she's been developed. Also given the fact that she's, well, a cop, which is a creative decision that wasn't great at the time it was first made and looks even worse in the context of the past couple months. We address all that, and we also look at stories that put a spotlight on her, including the still baffling "Can You Hear Me?" and the low-key really good "Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror." But the main attraction here is "Demons of the Punjab," which at least one co-host is prepared to declare the best of the Chibnall era.
Episode 125: “Can You Hear Me?”
Debating Doctor Who
02/12/20 • -1 min
Content Warning: This episode discusses topics around self-harm and suicidal ideation in the context of this week's story. For those sensitive to those topics, we recommend skipping the section from 1:04:45 to 1:19:45. In today's epic-length episode, we look at "Can You Hear Me?" in all its strange, often wonderful glory. We look at how the story explores the inner lives of all the companions, and just how much fun this is for anyone keeping track of Doctor Who's myriad immortals. (Alasdair waves hello.) We also devote the final portion of the show to something more personal, as Alasdair discusses his--or, as of last week, also their--gender identity and how Doctor Who was so meaningful to the questions they are starting to ask. (Note: For those just interested in that discussion, we're also putting it out as a separate minisode.)
Episode 120: “Spyfall: Part Two”
Debating Doctor Who
01/09/20 • -1 min
We take a look at the second half of the series-opening two-parter. There's a lot we love about this episode, which builds on the promise of the preceding hour. There's also one really, really awful moment in the show's treatment of the Master and his race that we spend a lot of time discussing, because it deserves a long look at just how jarringly bad it is. We're still pretty sure we like this one, overall, but wow does the cognitive dissonance get tricky at points. Is this selling the episode well? Maybe just give a listen and see what you think...
Episode 100: “The Wedding Of Sarah Jane Smith” and “Death Of The Doctor”
Debating Doctor Who
03/16/18 • -1 min
We celebrate our landmark 100th episode by looking at two largely forgotten curios in new Who: David Tennant's and Matt Smith's guest appearances on The Sarah Jane Adventures! For Allison, it's a pair of all-new performances she's never seen before from the 10th and 11th Doctors, while Alasdair gets to have some fun with all the classic Who lore on display. What's it like when the Doctor is explicitly a guest star in somebody else's story? What does it sound like for the 11th Doctor to deliver Russell T. Davies-written lines? And just how charming is this this delightful little spin-off? All that and more as we complete our first 100 episodes and look forward to 100 more!
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FAQ
How many episodes does Debating Doctor Who have?
Debating Doctor Who currently has 194 episodes available.
What topics does Debating Doctor Who cover?
The podcast is about Steven, New, Doctor, Smith, Who, Podcasts, David, Matt and Tv & Film.
What is the most popular episode on Debating Doctor Who?
The episode title 'Episode 1: “Girl In The Fireplace” and “The Doctor’s Wife”' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Debating Doctor Who?
The average episode length on Debating Doctor Who is 5 minutes.
How often are episodes of Debating Doctor Who released?
Episodes of Debating Doctor Who are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Debating Doctor Who?
The first episode of Debating Doctor Who was released on May 8, 2014.
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