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The Doctor's Beard Podcast

The Doctor's Beard Podcast

By: Lucky Shot Productions
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A Whovian (John S. Drew) and a Newvian (writer/editor Jim Beard) walk into a TARDIS and retrace the journey of the Doctor and his companions from the very beginning.© 2025 Art
Episodes
  • We Hardly Knew You: Colin Baker's 11-Story Legacy - Colin Baker Retrospective

    We Hardly Knew You: Colin Baker's 11-Story Legacy - Colin Baker Retrospective
    Jun 24 2026

    John and Jim bid farewell to the Sixth Doctor with surprising revelations about changed opinions, why fandom got it wrong, companion dynamics, and Colin's enduring legacy as ambassador for a show that screwed him over.

    John's Shocking Confession: After going into the Colin Baker era expecting disaster based on fan reputation, John emerges with a stunning announcement about where Colin now ranks in his Doctor hierarchy. Discussion covers what changed his mind and why the arrogance that defined Sixth Doctor was actually a feature, not a bug.

    The Great Reassessment: Where does Colin Baker hate really come from? The hosts dig into the Davison devotion factor, the "hurt/comfort" fiction phenomenon, visual pushback, and story selection bias. Parallels drawn to another controversial modern Doctor currently experiencing reassessment. The question: does Colin deserve a renaissance?

    Season Showdown: Jim and John compare Season 22's classic monster lineup against Trial of a Time Lord's experimental structure, with numerical ratings revealing surprising sympathies and contradictions. Twin Dilemma gets revisited with fresh perspective.

    Peri vs. Mel: Deep dive into why the Doctor/Peri dynamic never quite worked (flashback to guests on John's old public access show The Chronic Rift bashing their chemistry), why Mel clicked better with Sixth than she will with Seventh, and what might have been with that brief Tegan/Colin pairing.

    The BBC Institutional Problem: Doctor Who as "begrudging institution" Britain was done with by 1987, contemporary articles calling for the show to rest, and the uncomfortable parallel to where we are today.

    Saward vs. JNT: Who really sabotaged Colin's era? The case against Eric Saward for wanting the Doctor "off to the side," the case for JNT staying despite wanting to leave, and how Andrew Cartmel represents the moment fans took over the asylum. The Chris Chibnall irony explored.

    Colin the Ambassador: Why Colin immediately embraced fandom despite BBC treatment while Tom Baker grudgingly came around decades later. Discussion covers charity work, fan productions, regrets about the regeneration he refused, and the motivation difference between appreciation and adulation.

    McCoy Preview: John drops a gauntlet: three stories from the Seventh Doctor era will score 15/15 as among the best of the entire classic run. Setup for the Troughton-inspired "don't underestimate me" Doctor and predictions about acting range debates.

    Final Doctor Rankings Revealed: Jim and John count down their top six Doctors with Colin landing in surprising positions on both lists. The Tom Baker controversy unpacked - why both hosts rank him lower than conventional wisdom despite his institutional status.

    Coming Up Next:

    Patreon Exclusive (Monday): Comic "Prophets of Doom," more Doctor Who music, Memory TARDIS wheel spin, and reactions to recovered Dalek Master Plan episodes 1 & 3 (BBC YouTube Easter miracle).

    Main Feed (Monday - Schedule Change!): "Time and the Rani" - Sylvester McCoy's debut with Kate O'Mara as the Rani. Jim's first narration of the McCoy era.

    Hashtags:

    #DoctorWho #ColinBaker #SixthDoctor #Retrospective #11Stories #WeHardlyKnewYou #DoctorRankings #Season22 #Season23 #TrialOfATimeLord #ClassicWho #DoctorWhoPodcast #SylvesterMcCoyPreview #FandomReassessment
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    56 mins
  • The Greatest Snore in the Galaxy - The Greatest Show in the Galaxy

    The Greatest Snore in the Galaxy - The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
    Jun 17 2026
    The Story That Beats Coronation Street (But Divides the Hosts) Stephen Wyatt returns after Paradise Towers to deliver a circus-themed finale to Season 25. Expanded from three parts to four at John Nathan Turner's request, this story follows the Doctor and Ace arriving at the psychic circus on the planet Seganax—except Ace hates circuses, and the Doctor seems unusually fascinated by performance, danger, and magic. It wins over behind-the-sofa panelists and pulls the highest ratings of McCoy's entire run (beating Coronation Street for the first time), yet one host finds it compelling while the other considers it nearly unwatchable. What makes the difference? Production Under Impossible Circumstances The asbestos discovery that plagued Silver Nemesis forced this finale into a makeshift tent rigged in the parking lot. The budget is visibly exhausted by this point, yet the production team managed to secure Jeffrey Durham (The Great Soprendo) as the first magic consultant since 1977 to coach McCoy in juggling. The explosion sequence near McCoy was supposed to be blown air with added effects—until last-minute testing showed it looked unconvincing, so they switched to live pyrotechnics without telling the lead actor. He didn't blink on set because he believed there wouldn't be a retake. The Doctor's Behavior: A Fundamental Divide One host sees a character temporarily set aside his usual competence for story purposes. The other sees the Doctor acting like a completely different person—gullible, clumsy, silly, and uncharacteristically unable to read situations. The proactive crime-fighter from Remembrance and The Happiness Patrol has vanished, replaced by someone who falls into obvious traps and does pratfalls. McCoy's physical comedy training makes the juggling work, but does the writing serve the character he's been becoming over the last three stories? The Satire Cuts Both Ways Whiz Kid represents fandom—earnest, excited, devoted to the circus's history. His reward is a cruel, unnecessary death played as harsh comedy. What's the point of making fun of fans, especially when the message seems to be that fans should be punished for their devotion? Meanwhile, the real family in the audience—who turn out to be the Gods of Ragnarok—are abstract divine beings demanding entertainment. Who is the story really criticizing? A Pantheon Problem The Gods of Ragnarok are named after Norse mythology's apocalypse, yet they look almost Egyptian with their eye-based design. They get referenced later in New Who (specifically with the Fifteenth Doctor), which raises the question: did this story earn that future callback, or does the massive concept introduced in Part Four feel tacked on? What does naming them after Ragnarok actually accomplish? Character Choices Captain Cook is largely despised—a manipulative bore whose presence never makes sense. Mags is the victim of a rushed werewolf transformation that doesn't commit to either wolf or cat form. Kingpin is confusingly established as the former circus leader, but the revelation lands without impact. Bellboy's name suggests something, but what? The food cart lady exists to expose hippies. Meanwhile, the Chief Clown—sinister, physically controlled, genuinely threatening—stands out as the most interesting antagonist, but even he doesn't quite fit the larger story. Does a Four-Part Circus Need to Be This Long? The production feels stretched, relying on repetitive moments (running through quarries, hiding in tents, escaping robots) that feel interchangeable by Part Three. Could this have been told in three parts? Would removing redundant sequences have tightened the narrative? Does the extended runtime serve the story, or does it expose the thinness of the plot? Production Highlights: Music: First original song for Doctor Who since The Gunfighters (1966). Performed by Rico Ross, who played Private Frost in Aliens. Magic Consultant: Jeffrey Durham (The Great Soprendo)—first since Talons of Weng Chiang (1977) Guest Star: Jessica Martin (Mags) returns to the role in Big Finish and will later play Queen Elizabeth in Voyage of the Damned Ratings: 5.0–5.3–4.8–6.6 (the finale pulls the highest numbers of McCoy's entire run) Coming Up Next: Friday (Patreon): Doctor Who: The Ultimate Adventure (1989 stage production with John Pertwee—the clearest footage available on YouTube). Following Wednesday (Main Feed): Colin Baker retrospective (hiatus episode). Jim's Links: Big Top Tales Anthology - https://www.amazon.com/Big-Top-Tales-Nicholas-Ahlhelm/dp/1522700226 Pulp Fest Convention - http://www.pulpfest.com/ Hashtags: #DoctorWho #GreatestShowInTheGalaxy #Season25Finale #SylvesterMcCoy #SophieAldred #CircusStory #GodsOfRagnarok #StephenWyatt #ClassicWho #HostDisagreement #DoctorWhoPodcast
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    1 hr and 20 mins
  • Season 25 Retrospective, Dalek Death Wheels, and the Announcement That Changes Everything - Patreon Exclusive #175

    Season 25 Retrospective, Dalek Death Wheels, and the Announcement That Changes Everything - Patreon Exclusive #175
    Jun 10 2026

    [Special Release: This episode is being released simultaneously on the main feed and Patreon for immediacy.]

    BREAKING NEWS: The Future of Doctor Who Takes a Dramatic Turn

    Just hours before recording, the BBC made a major announcement that affects Doctor Who's direction for years to come. RTD and Bad Wolf are parting ways with the BBC. The Christmas special is canceled. New production arrangements are being sought. John and Jim process what this means for fandom, for the show's creative identity, and for the possibility of a true fresh start. One host sees this as inevitable reckoning; the other worries about what gets lost in transition. Both discuss how long the darkness might last—and whether that's actually a bad thing.

    Season 25: Taking Stock of Four Stories

    After racing through Remembrance of the Daleks, Silver Nemesis, Happiness Patrol, and The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, Jim and John pause to rank what they've just watched. Best episode? That's clear. Worst episode? They disagree—and don't let ratings alone settle it. Best villain, best companion, best guest star, best monster, funniest moment, best overall moment—each category sparks different reactions. What makes a story work, even when individual elements fail? When does spectacle overwhelm character? Why does one host adore a story the other found painful?

    Nemesis of the Daleks: The First Dalek Comic in Ages

    A four-part comic strip featuring the Doctor's oldest enemies—and a character that may or may not have survived. The art improves significantly from recent strips. The scope feels genuinely cinematic with the Dalek Death Wheel. But here's the question: did the ending rush a story that deserved more room to breathe? John appreciates the scale; Jim wishes the narrative had time to match it. Both wonder if this Dalek adversary will return.

    Music & Memory TARDIS

    "The Psychic Circus" by Christopher Guard (who played Bellboy) is a curiosity—an actual song written specifically about an episode, not the show itself. Peter Davison's final story, "The Caves of Androzani," offers stunning supporting characters and a presidency subplot that overshadows the main narrative. One host loves it unreservedly; the other would only revisit select scenes.

    What Doctor Who Needs Now

    With RTD out and the show facing a complete reset, Jim and John discuss what a new showrunner should do. Forget continuity complications? Embrace them? How long should the silence last? Should the next Doctor arrive on screen with no explanation, like Eccleston did? Can a complete reboot work? Should there even be a TARDIS anymore? These aren't answered so much as explored—and the conversation suggests the wilderness years ahead might be exactly what the franchise needs.

    Support the Podcast:

    Join us on Patreon for early access to episodes like this, exclusive comics, Memory TARDIS selections, and bonus content!

    The Doctor's Beard Podcast on Patreon

    As little as $3/month gets you:

    • Early access to all episodes

    • Exclusive Patreon-only content

    • Full comic strips we discuss

    • Bonus Memory TARDIS segments

    $5/month adds access to our special Gatwa and Tennant reviews from the Disney era.

    Coming Up Next:

    Friday (Patreon): Doctor Who: The Ultimate Adventure (1980s stage production from 1989, featuring 70-year-old John Pertwee).

    Following Wednesday (Main Feed): Colin Baker retrospective (previously recorded Patreon exclusive from our hiatus).

    Following Monday (Patreon): Music, Memory TARDIS, and comics "Stairway to Heaven" and "Hunger from the Ends of Time."

    Hashtags:

    #DoctorWho #PatreonExclusive #Episode175 #RTD #BadWolf #ChristmasSpecialCanceled #Season25Retrospective #NemesisOfTheDaleks #SylvesterMcCoy #PeterDavison #CavesOfAndrozani #FutureOfDoctorWho #ClassicWho #NewWho #DoctorWhoPodcast #BrokenNews
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    1 hr and 8 mins
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