But while Doctor Who's international future remains uncertain, the BBC is preparing something rather different: TARDIS Crew, a new animated series for CBeebies aimed at introducing younger children to the Doctor's adventures.

Could the key to Doctor Who's survival be attracting a new generation of British children rather than chasing an international streaming audience?

In this edition of Kasterborous, Christian Cawley and James McLean explore three connected aspects of Doctor Who's past, present and future.

We begin with Russell T Davies' forthcoming memoir, The Queerest of Folk, and his reflections on the Disney+ partnership. Was Doctor Who's problem the programme itself, or the platform on which it was being presented?

The conversation then turns to some intriguing Doctor Who projects that never reached television, including abandoned Series 3 story ideas and discussions of the franchise's various spin-offs. It's a reminder that Doctor Who's history is full of alternative directions, unrealised ideas and opportunities that might have changed the programme considerably.

Finally, attention turns to TARDIS Crew.

With 52 short episodes planned for CBeebies, the animated series represents a very different approach to expanding the Doctor Who universe.

James argues that introducing children to Doctor Who could be one of the smartest decisions the BBC has made for the franchise in years. Christian is less certain, questioning the role of merchandising and whether the cartoon will succeed in an increasingly competitive children's television market.

The discussion also takes in In the Night Garden, Bluey, Hey Duggee and the enduring appeal of classic children's television.

What do you think?

Was Disney+ ever the right home for Doctor Who? Are there abandoned stories you'd still like to see produced? And could TARDIS Crew introduce enough new viewers to secure the programme's future?

We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Kasterborous is presented by Christian Cawley and James McLean, discussing Doctor Who, classic television, science fiction and popular culture.

Visit Kasterborous.co.uk for more, subscribe to the podcast, and find us on YouTube and Patreon.

Classic Doctor Who featured an extraordinary range of guest actors, from familiar television faces to established stars of stage and screen. But how many were actually recognisable to audiences at the time?

In this edition of Kasterborous, Christian Cawley and Brian A. Terranova revisit some of the more intriguing casting choices of the classic series.

There's Dolores Gray, the American musical theatre star who appeared in Silver Nemesis, Don Henderson's memorable performance as Gavrok in Delta and the Bannermen, and Michael Gough, whose career extended far beyond his appearances in Doctor Who.

The conversation also turns to the pleasure of recognising familiar actors in other programmes, particularly when revisiting classic British television.

And what about Tom Baker? Brian recalls discovering the Fourth Doctor in an unexpected television role, leading to a discussion of Baker's career outside the TARDIS, from television drama and comedy to his distinctive voice work.

It's a journey through classic Doctor Who, British television history and the actors who made these programmes memorable.

Who is your favourite guest actor from classic Doctor Who? And what's the most unexpected Tom Baker appearance you've encountered?

Join Christian and Brian for another Kasterborous conversation about Doctor Who and classic television.

Enjoyed this episode? Support Kasterborous and watch our extended video editions on Patreon.

Hello! Another Kasterborous chat for you this week with the full team of Christian Cawley, James McLean, and Brian Terranova.

This time, we're bringing together three conversations about television past and present — from the frustrations of streaming to Doctor Who edits and the decidedly different world of 1970s superheroes.

First, has streaming actually made it harder to discover good television? With programmes scattered across an ever-growing collection of services, we look at how finding something to watch has changed — and whether we've lost something from the days when you could simply stumble across a great programme.

Then we turn to Doctor Who. If you could go back to the original material and make your own edit, what would you change? Which stories could benefit from a little judicious cutting, rearranging or reconsideration?

Finally, it's back to the 1970s and two very different attempts to bring Marvel superheroes to television: Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk. Long before the MCU established what audiences expect from live-action superheroes, television had its own ideas about how these characters should work.

Three conversations, one extended edition of Kasterborous.

In this edition:

• Has streaming killed the accidental discovery of great television?

• The problem with programmes being scattered across multiple services

• What would we re-edit in classic Doctor Who?

• Looking back at television with the benefit of hindsight

• The strange world of 1970s live-action Spider-Man

• Bill Bixby, Lou Ferrigno and The Incredible Hulk

• How superhero television changed long before the MCU

With Christian Cawley, James McLean and Brian A. Terranova. This edition is available as a video on our Patreon, with shorter videos on our YouTube channel.