The 50% Doctor Who Podcast

It's that time of the month where we step away from our Doctor Who reviews to review series 5 of Primeval! The last one!The fifth and final series of the British science fiction programme Primeval began on 24 May 2011 and concluded on 28 June 2011 after airing six episodes. Primeval follows a team of scientists tasked with investigating the appearance of temporal anomalies across the United Kingdom through which prehistoric and futuristic creatures enter the present. The fifth series kept most of the cast intact from the fourth series, the two series having been produced and filmed back-to-back in 2010.Given that Primeval had been unexpectedly cancelled by ITV in 2009 following the broadcast of its successful third series, the producers did not wish the fifth series to end on a cliffhanger in case the same happened again and as such wrote it to have a "very satisfying conclusion" in case Primeval was not renewed. The fifth series was written to be darker than the fourth and to explore the motives of main characters Philip Burton (Alexander Siddig) and Matt Anderson (Ciarán McMenamin) as well as answer key questions set up in preceding series. The fifth series also sought to stay more focused and to develop the key main characters, now a more unified team, further.Enjoyed the show? Support us with a one-off tip on Ko-fi! :)https://ko-fi.com/50doctorpodcastSubscribe so you don't miss an episode!https://youtube.com/@UC1e8pTE4SiZ2VyPnmSMO4aAFollow us ANYWHERE via our Linktree below:https://linktr.ee/50Doctor

Doctor Who series 9... a series of two parters, Daleks, Missy, Time Lords and some of the best and worst of New Who. This week on the pod we're ranking Peter Capaldi's second series :)
The ninth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who premiered on 19 September 2015 with "The Magician's Apprentice" and concluded on 5 December 2015 with "Hell Bent". The series was led by head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat, alongside executive producer Brian Minchin. Nikki Wilson, Peter Bennett, and Derek Ritchie served as producers. The series is the ninth to air following the programme's revival in 2005, and is the thirty-fifth season overall.This is the second series starring Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor, an alien Time Lord who travels through time and space in his TARDIS, which is disguised as a British police box. It also stars Jenna Coleman as the Doctor's companion, Clara Oswald, for her third and final series in the role. Also playing a major recurring role in the series is Maisie Williams as Ashildr, a Viking girl made immortal by the Doctor, which leads to major events resulting from her encounters with the Doctor. The series' main story arc revolves around the mystery of a being called the Hybrid, the combination of two great warrior races. The Doctor's investigation into this being ultimately leads him back to his home planet of Gallifrey, which returns fully in the series.Steven Moffat wrote four episodes solo and co-wrote an additional two. The other writers who worked on this series included Toby Whithouse, Jamie Mathieson, Catherine Tregenna, Peter Harness, Mark Gatiss, and Sarah Dollard. The ninth series received acclaim from critics.Enjoyed the show? Support us with a one-off tip on Ko-fi! :)https://ko-fi.com/50doctorpodcastSubscribe so you don't miss an episode!https://youtube.com/@UC1e8pTE4SiZ2VyPnmSMO4aAFollow us ANYWHERE via our Linktree below:https://linktr.ee/50Doctor

This week we review the 5th Doctor's final adventure: The Caves of Androzani! Was this the best episode of Doctor Who?! Oh the times were good before it got cancelled...The Caves of Androzani is the sixth serial of the 21st season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts on BBC1 from 8 to 16 March 1984.In the serial, the Doctor becomes involved in a war for control of the life-prolonging substance "spectrox" on the planet Androzani Minor, which is being fought between the ruthless businessman Morgus (John Normington) and the android-builder Sharaz Jek (Christopher Gable).The Caves of Androzani was Peter Davison's last regular appearance as the Fifth Doctor, marked the first appearance of Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor, and saw the return of scriptwriter Robert Holmes to the series for the first time since 1978. It was also Graeme Harper's first work on the series as a full director, having worked on earlier serials as an assistant director. In 2009, The Caves of Androzani was voted by fans as the best Doctor Who story in history.Doctor Who is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson, follows the adventures of the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being from a humanoid species known as Time Lords. The Doctor travels through space and time using a time travelling spaceship called the TARDIS, which has an exterior that resembles a British police box. The Doctor encounters various civilisations, which he seeks to protect by outwitting foes and solving crises. The Doctor usually travels with a companion.Enjoyed the show? Support us with a one-off tip on Ko-fi! :)https://ko-fi.com/50doctorpodcastSubscribe so you don't miss an episode!https://youtube.com/@UC1e8pTE4SiZ2VyPnmSMO4aAFollow us ANYWHERE via our Linktree below:https://linktr.ee/50Doctor

It's the end of an era, but the moment hasn't quite been prepared for...In a bonus pod, Aidan talks about his reactions to Doctor Who's cancellation and his realistic thoughts for the future... will the show ever be back?Doctor Who is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson, follows the adventures of the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being from a humanoid species known as Time Lords. The Doctor travels through space and time using a time travelling spaceship called the TARDIS, which has an exterior that resembles a British police box. The Doctor encounters various civilisations, which he seeks to protect by outwitting foes and solving crises. The Doctor usually travels with a companion.David Tennant returned to the role for the 60th anniversary specials and Ncuti Gatwa played the Doctor for two seasons between 2023 and 2025. A Christmas special, to be written by Davies, but without Disney's or Gatwa's involvement, was announced for 2026, but was later cancelled before a script was written, with Davies announcing his departure at the same time. The BBC committed to the future of Doctor Who, and put the show out to competitive tender.Enjoyed the show? Support us with a one-off tip on Ko-fi! :)⁠https://ko-fi.com/50doctorpodcast⁠Subscribe so you don't miss an episode!⁠https://youtube.com/@UC1e8pTE4SiZ2VyPnmSMO4aA⁠Follow us ANYWHERE via our Linktree below:⁠https://linktr.ee/50Doctor⁠

THIS WEEK we kick on with the Sarah Jane Adventures reviews, this time review 'Death of the Doctor.'Death of the Doctor was the third serial of series 4 of The Sarah Jane Adventures. It was written by Russell T Davies and directed by Ashley Way. It featured guest appearances by Katy Manning as Jo Jones and Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor, as part of a second crossover episode with Doctor Who.It contained the only televised meeting between classic-era companions Sarah Jane and Jo Grant, and the first televised appearance of Jo since The Green Death in 1973.Behind the scenes, it was the only time that Russell T Davies wrote for the Eleventh Doctor for television, having completely turned over his production responsibilities to the programme the instant that David Tennant's side of the regeneration sequence was completed in The End of Time [+].The Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television programme produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies, and starring Elisabeth Sladen. The programme is a spin-off of the long-running BBC science fiction programme Doctor Who, and the second primarily targeted towards children after Totally Doctor Who. It focuses on the adventures of Sarah Jane Smith, an investigative journalist living in Ealing, London, who, as a young woman, had numerous adventures across time and space with the Doctor. The show ran for five years until Sladen's death in 2011.Enjoyed the show? Support us with a one-off tip on Ko-fi! :)⁠https://ko-fi.com/50doctorpodcast⁠Subscribe so you don't miss an episode!⁠https://youtube.com/@UC1e8pTE4SiZ2VyPnmSMO4aA⁠Follow us ANYWHERE via our Linktree below:⁠https://linktr.ee/50Doctor⁠