Reality Bomb Episode 071
On the seventy-first edition of Reality Bomb, we’ve given over the entire episode to a special report on convention safety. We’re doing a 90-minute deep dive on the topic on harassment at conventions and what convention organizers need to do to make cons safer.
We talk to outside resources and experts as well as people in fandom and survivors including Christine Chapman of Uplift, an organization which has a special outreach program that creates codes of conduct for conventions and trains volunteer staff. We talk to Trickssi of the Cosplayer Survivor Support Network, an organization supporting survivors of abuse at cons. And we talk to Doctor Who fans Sage Young and Felicity Kuzinitz about their perspective within Doctor Who fandom about con safety. We also talk to regular contributor Heather Berberet, who offers her insight as a psychologist on the issues of harassment. Finally, we offer the stories of survivors of harassment at conventions.
On the seventieth edition of Reality Bomb, Graeme Burk brings back emeritus producer Alex Kennard (and drafts Lori Steuart) for another segment of “Is This Rumour Hot or Not?” as they judge the latest rumours (or not) from the Doctor Who set. Neil Perryman brings the “love it or hate it” Sylvester McCoy story Ghost Light to the Gallery of the Underrated. And Joy Piedmont talks to Monica Duarte, Jim Sangster and Derek Compare about Doctor Who collecting in all its various forms. Plus listeners letters, and the protest about Ianto at BBC Wales goes into its tenth year!
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 
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.
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!
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.