On the one hundred and fourteenth episode of Reality Bomb, we’re all about all the 2023 specials, all the time, as Graeme Burk talks to Kim Rogers and Max Kaschevsky about Ncuti Gatwa’s full debut as the Doctor in the Christmas special The Church on Ruby Road. Sage Young and Sanjay Lago also stop by to discuss the three 60th anniversary specials starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate. And we look back on the past year of rumour-mongering in Doctor Who with Lacy Baugher-Milas and KatyBeth Schmid in a special edition of Is This Rumour Hot or Not? that fact checks the previous year’s rumours! Plus we have the long-awaited return of Spoiler Cops!
When you were in your commentary giving your opinions on the 60th anniversary specials, you cited that RTD had cited both in “Wild Blue Yonder” and “The Church on Ruby Road”, the Doctor mentioned events that happened in the 13th Doctor’s era. I do agree it does recontextualize the 13th Doctor and what they were going through. It was interesting to see that elements Chibnall introduced were mentioned and not forgotten.
What I would disagree about would be the reason that the TV movie plot point that the Doctor is half-human on his mother’s side was not mentioned in the New Series.
It was a different era back then. The Doctor Who series was just being reintroduced. Certain elements like Gallifrey, Cybermen, etcetra was slowly revealed to this new generation. RTD also did not have stories outside the orbit of Earth during that first season.
They already had a backstory with the Time War. It would have been even more muddied if we mention that the Doctor is half-human on his mother’s side or an indication that Time Lords don’t have belly buttons when they are born from the Loom in their houses. The last one is an extreme example from the seventth Doctor New Adventure novel “Lungbarrow” but you get the idea.
One of the things, that was great about the reintroduction of Doctor Who through “Rose” onwards was giving awesome stories and spectacles. This was slowly building a foundation for new fans and old fans alike. All this while adding more elements of the old series and creating new elements. This was done so that our beloved series would prosper and grow with new and old fans
I enjoy your podcast skits quite a bit. That said your intro to the podcast was very disturbing. When you take the position that someone with a different opinion is by default an asshole, that’s very hostile. Different perspectives does not mean one is an ass. That is very hurtful.
I wasn’t 5 minutes into Episode 114 when I laughed OUT LOUD at “you’re just an a$$hole.” I just paused it to write this comment, honestly.
Great job!