Reality Bomb

On the sixty-ninth edition of Reality Bomb, Graeme Burk speaks to The Guardian’s Martin Belam and Bustle’s film editor Sage Young about Chris Chibnall’s avoidance of publicity and whether or not Doctor Who needs hype (and if so how much) to survive in the modern media landscape. Joy Piedmont brings together Tai Gooden and Kat Climpson to talk about what other monsters from the Russell T Davies era (and more) could come back following the Judoon. And Pauline Serizel of the French YouTube channel Pepperpot Team discusses getting meta, fandom as heroes and a monster (literally) designed by an 10-year-old as Love & Monsters comes to the Gallery of the Underrated. Plus: we find inspiration in a t-shirt.

On the sixty-eighth edition of Reality Bomb, we have a special episode featuring two documentaries in honour of Graeme being a fan of Doctor Who for 35 years last month. First we re-present our documentary from episode 012 where Graeme celebrates his 30th year of being a fan and talks to several people about the ways Doctor Who fandom changed in the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s. We follow that up with a brand-new documentary where Graeme and some friends (and a special guest) discuss the developments in Doctor Who fandom over the past five years.

This is a special edition of Reality Bomb remembering a special person: Paul Condon, who died late last week. Paul was brilliant, funny, thoughtful, mischievous and kind. He was a much-loved Doctor Who fan and we’re paying tribute to him by presenting two interviews he did: the first (from episode 048) was recorded the day after Jodie Whittaker was cast as Paul explained who Jodie Whittaker was and what to watch of her work. The second is a Gallery of the Underrated from episode 047 as Paul explains why he thinks Delta and the Bannermen should get more love — and offers a mind-blowing interpretation of what actually happened in that story.

Paul Condon was the best of Doctor Who fandom. And he will be missed.

On the sixty-seventh edition of Reality Bomb, Graeme Burk asks the question “Why do conventions fail?” and Ly Cao, Jeff Elston and Jim Sangster discuss the logistical, economic and general reasons that have caused many cons lately to cancel at the last minute. Also a new book, Bookwyrm: An Unauthorised & Unconventional Guide to the Doctor Who Novels Volume 1 looks back on the Doctor Who New Adventures novels of the 1990s and its authors Robert Smith? and Anthony Wilson are here to talk about the days, long ago in an English winter, when Doctor Who was only to be found in prose. And Concorde crash lands in Jurassic England and author Jenny Colgan is on the spot talking about Time-Flight in the Gallery of the Underrated. All this plus Listeners Letters with Joy Piedmont, and the latest superhero sequel featuring an all-too familiar villain.

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On the sixty-sixth edition of Reality Bomb, Joy Piedmont has brought Petra Mayer and Alex Kennard together to evaluate what rumours have escaped the locked down set of Doctor Who as “Is This Rumour Hot or Not?” returns for a new season. We’re talking about Clara and things in the wifi when Kim Rogers brings The Bells of Saint John to the Gallery of the Underrated. And we have a special documentary looking back at one’s first convention. Plus we have political ads about… Chris Chibnall!

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On the sixty-fifth edition of Reality Bomb, we conclude our review of series 11 (and the 2019 New Year’s special, Resolution) as our review team of Sage Young and Lori Steuart talks to Graeme Burk about what made them happy, and unhappy, about the latest season, the standout stories, what they would change in the season to come and much more. Joy Piedmont talks to Jon Arnold, Delia Gallegos and Heather Berberet about the role families—actual and found—play in Doctor Who. And the Guardian’s Martin Belam takes us to the world of “teenaged” Kangs, cannibalistic Rezzies and rulebound Caretakers as Paradise Towers comes to the Gallery of the Underrated. Plus listener’s letters and a popular nature documentary visits the exotic world…of a Doctor Who convention.

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In our last episode, episode 064, we did a 1 hour, 40 minute documentary that interviewed 50 people from 9 countries.

We’ve been asked by a lot of people how we did such an enormously ambitious episode. We explained it recently on a recent thread on twitter. Here we’ve combined and enhanced what we originally tweeted to go behind the scenes on how we made this documentary.

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On the sixty-fourth edition of Reality Bomb we’re calling the world for their opinions on Series 11 of Doctor Who!

We have suspended our usual segments to present a special documentary where we talk to 50 people in 9 countries and find out how they feel about the latest season. We talk about the positives and negatives about the storytelling, the new Doctor, team TARDIS and much more as we try to determine what we have in common, where the fault lines are in the emerging world of fandom, and what we hope to see happen in the next season of Doctor Who.





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On the sixty-third edition of Reality Bomb, series 11 has arrived and this year’s review team of Sage Young and Lori Steuart are here to talk with Graeme Burk about what’s different, what’s working and what’s not working this season. In the newest segment of Perception Filter, Joy Piedmont talks to Connie Gibbs, Bayana Davis and Robyn Jordan of Black Girls Create‘s podcast TARBIS about how the new Doctor Who’s commitment to inclusion in front of and behind the camera is working in practice. And Graeme reunites with his co-author Robert Smith? to discuss alien invasions, 2005 style, as Aliens of London / World War Three comes to the Gallery of the Underrated. Plus, a grimdark superhero with a mission… to answer criticism about Doctor Who.

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On the sixty-second edition of Reality Bomb we have a special live episode recorded at the Imperial Pub in Toronto with Graeme Burk and Joy Piedmont. We interview a panel of fans including Lori Steuart, Rebecca Diem and Cadence Gillard about their first impressions of the new Doctor and the new season. Our fifth annual new season news hype quiz tasks Peter Hill, Cameron Dixon, Warren Frey and Heather Murray about the news that somehow escaped from Chris Chibnall’s grasp. Prisoners of Gravity and InnerSpace creator and comic book writer and ubergeek Mark Askwith discusses Doctor Who’s foray into superheroes by bringing The Return of Doctor Mysterio to the Gallery of the Underrated. Plus, we have musician David Lush (of Memorex) performing the Doctor Who theme live, a double shot of comedy, listeners Q and A and much more! It’s your favourite Doctor Who podcast… only live. In the centre of the universe!

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