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Pull To Open

Pull To Open

By Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor

There are many Doctor Who podcasts. Only one dares review the entire show... in entirely random order!

Join journalists Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor as they summarize stories in record time, play the Whomoji game, enter the History Corner, answer the Four Questions to Doomsday, and cower in fear before the almighty Randomizer.

New episode every Saturday!
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A Little More Magna, a Little Less Carta (Abdicating "The King's Demons")

Pull To OpenJan 31, 2021

00:00
01:43:10
Faust Return Switch (Corrupting “The Keeper of Traken”)

Faust Return Switch (Corrupting “The Keeper of Traken”)

May the Source be with you! Tom Baker’s regeneration eve story The Keeper of Traken starts strong with a Shakespearean wedding on a utopian world of niceness — but soon devolves into a slap fight between drama nerds and science nerds over a strangely buff statue. Even its surprise reveal is far from the most masterful. So can the Doctor and Adric’s double act, plus manic pixie dream Nyssa and too-good-to-be-true Tremas, deliver this nostalgia fest from evil? Grab an eggplant and claim consular privilege with us while we investigate. 


Give your own rating for The Keeper of Traken on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!


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Timeline:

  • Intro 00:00:00
  • Previously… 00:01:41
  • True Companions Unite! 00:04:44
  • Whomoji Challenge 00:06:49
  • POLL To Open 00:12:19
  • TL;DW 00:17:38
  • Commentary 00:22:23
  • Four Questions to Doomsday 00:53:44
  • What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 00:58:14
  • Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:01:12
  • Final Judgment 01:04:59
  • Randomizer! 01:11:34


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Story Essentials

  • Season 18, Serial 6
  • Story number: 114, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Johnny Byrne
  • Director: John Black
  • Script Editor: Christopher H. Bidmead
  • Producer: John Nathan-Turner
  • Aired 31 January–21 February 1981


Pull To Open: The Keeper of Traken

  • Season 5
  • Episode 12


Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024

Mar 23, 202401:18:05
Doctor Who Canon Doesn’t Matter. Or Does It?

Doctor Who Canon Doesn’t Matter. Or Does It?

The Toymaker may have made a "jigsaw” of the Doctor’s history, but truthfully it was well jigsawed when he got there. As any fan who has tried to make sense of Doctor Who canon knows (and there have been many), the show’s 60-year run is full of contradictions, retcons, and flat-out nonsense that paying attention to it seems like a waste of… er, time.


However, it’s equally true that continuity, when done well, bestows greater weight to stories. Ongoing storylines give us a reason to tune week after week and season after season — deepening our connection to the show and its characters. Surely there’s a way to balance these scales without simply shrugging and pointing to the NuWho mantra to “the Doctor lies?” Come with us into the vortex to settle the debate: Does canon even matter in Doctor Who?


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Pull To Open: Does Canon Even Matter?

  • Season 5
  • Episode 11


Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024

Mar 16, 202438:49
How to Get Ahead in Megalomania (Dismembering “The Brain of Morbius”)

How to Get Ahead in Megalomania (Dismembering “The Brain of Morbius”)

Time for the yarn on Karn that unravels the Doctor’s entire history — while cramming in more cranial puns than you can shake an oversized amygdala at. The Brain of Morbius is like a New Who embryo in a jar: a self-aware homage (to Frankenstein), a feminist fable (sort of) with a serious theme (immortality) that’s laced with laugh-out-loud lines, and bold changes that go beyond even the Timeless Child. Grab an elixir, don’t touch the wine, and let’s all stare at the magnificent headcanon. 

Give your own rating for The Brain of Morbius on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!


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Timeline:

  • Intro 00:00:00
  • Previously… 00:01:53
  • Whomoji Challenge 00:06:03
  • POLL To Open 00:11:17
  • TL;DW 00:14:04
  • Commentary: The Brain of Morbius 00:18:20
  • Four Questions to Doomsday 01:04:19
  • What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:09:01
  • Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:13:36
  • Final Judgment 01:16:15
  • Randomizer! 01:22:06


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Story Essentials

  • Season 13, Serial 5
  • Story number: 83, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Robin Bland (Terrance Dicks, with Robert Holmes rewrites)
  • Director: Christopher Barry
  • Script Editor: Robert Holmes
  • Producer: Philip Hinchcliffe
  • Aired 3 – 24 January 1976


Pull To Open: The Brain of Morbius

  • Season 5
  • Episode 10


Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024

Mar 09, 202401:26:37
Sick Burn (Deadlock-Sealing “42”)

Sick Burn (Deadlock-Sealing “42”)

A clock that ticks down in real time. A fiendishly difficult pub quiz. And a creature that lives in a sun. Chris Chibnall’s first Doctor Who story, 42, has many intriguing elements — but also a lack of focus that foreshadows his time as showrunner. Does 42 add up to more than the sum of its parts? Phone your friends at Pull To Open and find out! 


Give your own rating for 42 on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!


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Story Essentials

  • Series 3, Episode 7
  • Story number: 187, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Chris Chibnall
  • Director: Graeme Harper
  • Showrunner: Russell T. Davies
  • Aired 19 May 2007


Pull To Open: 42

  • Season 5
  • Episode 9

Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024

Mar 02, 202401:21:49
Gravity Kills (Fortifying “The Moonbase”)

Gravity Kills (Fortifying “The Moonbase”)

Ground Control to Gravitron: Take your coffee sweet and put your space suit on…. The Moonbase isn’t just the first Cybermen reboot, it’s the template for every base under siege story since. Undoubtedly, Patrick Troughton grows in the role before our eyes. But what about sick jealous Jamie, chemistry expert Ben, and the rest of this Polly cocktail? Join us as we throw an explosive bottle of 2024 straight at the Cybermen of 2070!


Give your own rating for The Moonbase on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!


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Story Essentials

  • Season 4, Serial 6
  • Story number: 32, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Kit Pedler
  • Director: Morris Barry
  • Producer: Innes Lloyd
  • Aired 11 February – 4 March 1967

Pull To Open: The Moonbase

  • Season 5
  • Episode 8


Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024

Feb 24, 202401:34:10
Rear Window (Revisiting the 60th Anniversary Specials)

Rear Window (Revisiting the 60th Anniversary Specials)

Time and tide may melt the snowman, but it also allows things to sink in. It’s been a few months since we kicked off the new era of Doctor Who, and now that we’ve had time to absorb the 60th anniversary specials, how do we feel about them? More to the point, how do we feel about Russell T. Davies 2.0 — the opening salvo of his second at-bat as showrunner? The Star Beast, Wild Blue Yonder, and The Giggle have set the tone, and it’s definitely a very new Who. But does it also evoke another word that starts with “w?” That’s a bigeneration we can do without.


Be sure to subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Become a True Companion of the podcast and get new episodes before everyone else!


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Pull To Open: Lukewarm Take on the 60th Anniversary Specials

  • Season 5
  • Episode 7


Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024

Feb 17, 202442:58
Dream Scheme (Confronting “Amy’s Choice,” with guest Damla from Come Along Pond)

Dream Scheme (Confronting “Amy’s Choice,” with guest Damla from Come Along Pond)

The Dream Lord makes the team … work? Amy’s Choice is fondly remembered as a pivotal point for the TARDIS trio of Amy, Rory and the Doctor, elevating the future Mr. Pond from gooseberry to hero. But does it give short shrift to Toby Jones as the Doctor’s alter ego? With Damla from “Come Along Pond,” a Pull To Open trio decides which reality we’re waking up in.


Give your own rating for Amy's Choice on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!


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Subscribe to our newsletter at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pulltoopen.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for extended notes on Amy's Choice.


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Story Essentials

  • Series 5, Episode 7
  • Story number: 211, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Simon Nye
  • Director: Catherine Morshead
  • Showrunner: Steven Moffat
  • Aired 15 May 2010


Pull To Open: Amy’s Choice

  • Season 5
  • Episode 6


Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024

Feb 10, 202401:27:04
Bastille-ing History (Overthrowing “The Reign of Terror”)

Bastille-ing History (Overthrowing “The Reign of Terror”)

Allons-y into French history! The Reign of Terror is said to be the Doctor’s favorite era *ever* on Earth — so why isn’t “The Reign of Terror” a fan favorite? Is it just that it’s hard to find (boo, BritBox!) or did its plot go the way of the Scarlet Pimpernel? Take a seat in the history corner, citizen, and maybe you’ll survive your encounter with Madame Guillotine … 


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Story Essentials

  • Season 1, Serial 8
  • Story number: 8, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Dennis Spooner
  • Director: Henric Hirsch
  • Producer: Verity Lambert
  • Aired 8 August – 12 September 1964


Pull To Open: The Reign of Terror

  • Season 5
  • Episode 5


Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024

Feb 03, 202401:34:31
A Splatter of Faith (Consuming “The Curse of Fenric”)

A Splatter of Faith (Consuming “The Curse of Fenric”)

When you sit down to watch Classic Doctor Who, you need to have faith — faith that intellect with triumph over violence, faith that poor production values will be made up for by fascinating storylines, and faith that the people making the show actually know what they’re doing. The Curse of Fenric makes you question that faith (for at least 3 episodes anyway), but at least it has the good sense to distract you with layers of plot about WWII code breaking, ancient Viking curses, and a bloodsucking creature from the far future. But it would be Ace's emotional journey that steals the spotlight… if only the show could afford one.


Give your own rating for The Curse of Fenric on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!


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Story Essentials

  • Season 26, Serial 3
  • Story number: 157, per the ⁠The Pull To Open Codex⁠
  • Writer: Ian Briggs
  • Director: Nicholas Mallett (John Nathan-Turner - uncredited)
  • Producer: John Nathan-Turner
  • Aired 25 October – 15 November 1989


Pull To Open: The Curse of Fenric

  • Season 5
  • Episode 4


Hosts: ⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024

Jan 27, 202401:31:40
Sewers & Serpents (Conjuring “The Magician’s Apprentice and The Witch’s Familiar”)

Sewers & Serpents (Conjuring “The Magician’s Apprentice and The Witch’s Familiar”)

Did someone order a hybrid? The combo of The Magician’s Apprentice and The Witch’s Familiar take us on our deepest dive into Dalek territory yet. While Davros auditions for an EGOT, it’s Missy who steals the show. And hey, who turned on the HADS? Join us as we sort the overstuffed Moffat extravaganza from the weighty emotional drama! 


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Story Essentials

  • Series 9, Episodes 1 and 2
  • Story number: 257, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Steven Moffat
  • Director: Hettie MacDonald
  • Showrunner: Steven Moffat
  • Aired 19–26 September 2015


Pull To Open: The Magician’s Apprentice | The Witch’s Familiar

  • Season 5
  • Episode 3


Hosts: ⁠Pete Pachal⁠ and ⁠Chris Taylor⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024

Jan 20, 202401:27:37
The Power and the Quarry (Betraying “Death to the Daleks”)

The Power and the Quarry (Betraying “Death to the Daleks”)

Daleks are used to being large and in charge, casually exterminating anything that moves with their ray guns and cruising over slave groups in their flying saucers. Take all that away from them, and what have you got? Basically a bunch of scared children, ready to freak out the moment a native gets a little too close with a spear. You get the sense the Doctor would laugh about his enemies' predicament in Death to the Daleks except he's too busy doing a little exterminating of his own, throwing the sentient, malevolent Exxilon city into meltdown, a final act of revenge for putting him through all those lame puzzles on the way in. We're right there with him.


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Story Essentials

  • Season 11, Serial 3
  • Story number: 71, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Terry Nation
  • Director: Michael E. Briant
  • Producer: Barry Letts
  • Aired 23 February–16 March 1974


Pull To Open: Death to the Daleks

  • Season 5
  • Episode 2


Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024

Jan 13, 202401:29:15
Trivial Pursuit (Following “The Chase”)

Trivial Pursuit (Following “The Chase”)

Daleks, Dracula and a dancing Doctor, oh my! The Chase is pretty weird and wacky, even if the original idea was even weirder (Beatles in old age makeup, anyone?) Join us live from London, 1965, as we attempt to headcanon everything in this melange of madness — right down to Peter Purves’ Alabama accent. 


Give your own rating for The Chase on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!


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Story Essentials

  • Season 1, Serial 8
  • Story number: 16, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Terry Nation
  • Director: Richard Martin
  • Producer: Verity Lambert
  • Aired 22 May-26 June 1965


Pull To Open: The Chase

  • Season 5
  • Episode 1


Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024

Jan 06, 202401:35:22
Subcontinental Divide (Bordering “Demons of the Punjab”)

Subcontinental Divide (Bordering “Demons of the Punjab”)

Demons of the Punjab is not your average pseudo-historical. It’s a highly effective introduction to one of the biggest 20th century catastrophes that the developed world knows little about — and a showcase for what Who can do. Join us for a very special History Corner: everything you wanted to know about Partition of India, but were too afraid of alien assassins to ask! 

Give your own rating for Demons of the Punjab on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!


Commentary for Demons of the Punjab begins at 23:01.


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Story Essentials

  • Series 11, Episode 6
  • Story number: 284, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Vinay Patel
  • Director: Jamie Childs
  • Showrunner: Chris Chibnall
  • Aired 11 November 2018


Pull To Open: Demons of the Punjab

  • Season 4
  • Episode 56


Hosts: ⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Dec 30, 202301:40:03
It’s a Plunderful Life (HOT TAKE: “The Church on Ruby Road”)

It’s a Plunderful Life (HOT TAKE: “The Church on Ruby Road”)

If Ncuti Gatwa didn't win you over as the Fifteenth Doctor in his debut in The Giggle, he has scene after satisfying scene in The Church on Ruby Road to do the job. From his first moments twirling in a kilt in a London club, Gatwa is in full command of the role, talking his way past policemen and ready to do battle with baby-devouring goblins. But it's his connection with Millie Gibson's Ruby Sunday, a fellow "foundling," where the story really shines — maybe even brightly enough to get us to overlook the breaking of the fourth wall. Let's unwrap this gift...


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Pull To Open: The Church on Ruby Road HOT TAKE

  • Season 4
  • Episode 55


Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Dec 26, 202337:40
What Doctor Who Got Us for Christmas

What Doctor Who Got Us for Christmas

Christmas came early for Doctor Who fans this year, with not one, not two, not twenty-seven, but THREE specials to celebrate the show's 60th anniversary. As we look forward to our true Christmas gift in The Church on Ruby Road, now seems like a good time to show some gratitude. Not only has the show fully transitioned to the streaming universe via its partnership with Disney+, but the takeover of new-old showrunner Russell T. Davies has bestowed hardcore fans with a not-so-secret gift: a single line from the third special, The Giggle, is the stocking stuffer hardcore Doctor Who fans didn't know they wanted. We dare to unwrap it, but not before we inventory the many times the Doctor played Santa. Let's ho-ho-ho for it.


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Pull To Open: What Doctor Who Got Us for Christmas

  • Season 4
  • Episode 54


Hosts: ⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Dec 23, 202301:01:09
O Come Let Us Deplore Him (Extolling “A Christmas Carol”)

O Come Let Us Deplore Him (Extolling “A Christmas Carol”)

If you remember A Christmas Carol as “Scrooge in space,” remember again — before the Doctor changes your memories for you. Steven Moffat’s first Christmas special for Doctor Who is a seasonally delicious timey-wimey layer cake of Michael Gambon, Matt Smith, and nightmare sharks, with a sonic microphone song on top. Is it a Banger, or will the Bah Humbug corner convince us that Eleven interfered too much? Let’s head down the chimney and find out!


Give your own rating for A Christmas Carol on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!


Commentary for A Christmas Carol begins at 13:39.


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Story Essentials

  • 2010 Christmas Special
  • Story number: 216, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Steven Moffat
  • Director: Toby Haynes
  • Showrunner: Steven Moffat
  • Aired 25 December 2010


Pull To Open: A Christmas Carol

  • Season 4
  • Episode 53


Hosts: ⁠Pete Pachal⁠ and ⁠Chris Taylor⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Dec 16, 202301:11:20
Laff-A-Lympics (HOT TAKE on "The Giggle")

Laff-A-Lympics (HOT TAKE on "The Giggle")

Did you laugh? Did you cry? Did you bigenerate? The Giggle is here, and nothing in Doctor Who will be the same again. Join us as we share our full-throated reactions to Ncuti Gatwa’s debut and David Tennant’s … continuation? Remember, in the wake of the Toymaker, all opinions are now correct, especially ours.


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Pull To Open: The Giggle HOT TAKE

  • Season 4
  • Episode 52


Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Dec 10, 202344:22
Doom With a View (Orbiting “The Impossible Planet” and “The Satan Pit,” with guest Ellie Blackwood)

Doom With a View (Orbiting “The Impossible Planet” and “The Satan Pit,” with guest Ellie Blackwood)

Doctor Who meets God. No, that’s dumb, and besides — Star Trek already did it. But Doctor Who meets the Devil? That could be something, especially if you keep the precise identity of the antagonist opaque, blow up the stakes with a cosmological Rube Goldberg machine, and generally make the whole thing creepy as, uh, hell. The two-parter of The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit ticks all of those boxes and includes a bonus: the Ood, one of NuWho’s most indomitable monsters in more ways than one. But what really makes this outing memorable is the deep sense of isolation, helped by plopping our characters across the street from a black hole. But how “impossible” is that exactly, and does what’s happening on screen have anything to do with the real universe? Good thing we’ve got a guest astrophysics expert to help us come to grips with the mavity of the situation.


Pull To Open welcomes Ellie Blackwood (@looseleafellie on TikTok) to the podcast!


Don't forget to give your own rating for The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!


Commentary for The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit begins at 16:27.


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Story Essentials

  • Series 2, Episodes 8 and 9
  • Story number: 177, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writers: Matt Jones
  • Director: James Strong
  • Showrunner: Russell T. Davies
  • Aired 3–10 June 2006


Pull To Open: The Impossible Planet | The Satan Pit

  • Season 4
  • Episode 51


Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Guest: Ellie Blackwood


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Dec 09, 202301:28:47
Wildly Brilliant (HOT TAKE on "Wild Blue Yonder")

Wildly Brilliant (HOT TAKE on "Wild Blue Yonder")

It's the one we don't know anything about — except now we do! Wild Blue Yonder is here, and it's so, so different from The Star Beast. After a 17th century detour to set up a, uh, weighty running gag, the real event begins: a suspenseful mystery that's rests completely on the shoulders of the cast, which in this case is only David Tennant and Catherine Tate. All's in good hands, then.

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Pull To Open: Wild Blue Yonder HOT TAKE

  • Season 4
  • Episode 50


Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Dec 03, 202342:01
Dope Opera (Freebasing “Nightmare of Eden”)

Dope Opera (Freebasing “Nightmare of Eden”)

How could Doctor Who get out of the 1970s without doing a story about the perils of drug use? Nightmare of Eden may have its roots in gritty thrillers like The French Connection, but once the lumbering Mandrels enter the picture, things start to look more like Cocaine Bear. Despite the higher-than-average creativity — the ide of physically preserving environments in “laser crystal” storage is inspired — absolutely no one in the cast looks like they’re having any fun, which, if you think about it, makes Nightmare an apt meta-comment about drug culture. You might even call it a trip.


Don't forget to give your own rating for Nightmare of Eden on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!


Commentary for Nightmare of Eden begins at 16:27.


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Story Essentials: Nightmare of Eden

  • Season 17, Serial 4
  • Story number: 106, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writers: Bob Baker
  • Director: Alan Bromly, Graham Williams
  • Producer: Graham Williams
  • Aired 24 November – 15 December 1979


Pull To Open: Nightmare of Eden

  • Season 4
  • Episode 49


Hosts: ⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Dec 02, 202301:20:20
Meep Impact (HOT TAKE on "The Star Beast")

Meep Impact (HOT TAKE on "The Star Beast")

Beep the Meep is back... for the first time! Yes, it's The Star Beast, the first of three specials for the 60th anniversary, and at long last Pull To Open is jamming the Randomizer so we can give our extremely scorching takes on the first brand-new Doctor Who in a year. The Doctor has his old face! Donna is back — with a daughter! And Beep the Meep is here to kick ass and be cute, and it's pretty much done with being cute. Let's engage our dagger drives and dig in.


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Pull To Open: The Star Beast HOT TAKE

  • Season 4
  • Episode 48

Hosts: ⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Nov 26, 202338:60
You Only Live Thrice (Amalgamating “The Three Doctors”)

You Only Live Thrice (Amalgamating “The Three Doctors”)

Anniversary episodes are tricky things. You want to make a big, enjoyable show of things to attract an even larger audience than normal, but they’re by definition a celebration of everything that’s come before, so the need to please loyal fans is extreme. Threading that needle can be tough, but Doctor Who figured it out early: bring back previous actors who played the Doctor, get them all on screen together, and see what happens. You can see that throughline all the way to last year’s The Power of the Doctor, and certainly bringing David Tennant back for the 60th anniversary of the show counts on some level.


As a gimmick to bring in eyeballs, a multi-Doctor story works, and it’s worked since the very first time they did it. The Three Doctors is memorable not for its universe-spanning stakes or Omega’s sinister mask, but for the delightful mixing of Jon Pertwee’s and Patrick Troughton’s acting styles to explosive effect. Sadly William Hartnell could only be present on a TV screen, which levels-down the whole affair. Is that enough to ruin it, though? And does the threadbare story even matter at all? Put down your claws, gel creatures — we need to enter the black hole before we can judge.


Don't forget to give your own rating for The Three Doctors on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!


Commentary for The Three Doctors begins at 19:50.


Omega on Big Finish


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Story Essentials: The Three Doctors

  • Season 10, Serial 1
  • Story number: 64, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writers: Bob Baker and Dave Martin
  • Director: Lennie Mayne
  • Producer: Barry Letts
  • Aired 30 December 1972 - 20 January 1973


Pull To Open: The Three Doctors

  • Season 4
  • Episode 47


Hosts: ⁠Pete Pachal⁠ and ⁠Chris Taylor⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Nov 25, 202301:29:18
Beast Mode (Retracing “The Star Beast” Comic Strip)

Beast Mode (Retracing “The Star Beast” Comic Strip)

If cats have nine lives, Beep the Meep must be part cat. The titular character of The Star Beast comic strip and 60th anniversary special has already had at least two lives in Doctor Who: First as a featured player in the comic strip of Doctor Who Magazine, where he (it?) encountered the Fourth Doctor twice — in Beep’s 1980 debut and the 1996 sequel. Then Beep made the jump to audio in The Ratings War for Big Finish, meeting the Sixth Doctor where we finally got to hear the creature’s catchphrase, “Meep Meep!”


Now Beep is graduating to the TV series, and in celebration of that we’ve put the Randomizer on standby and have steered the podcast to Beep the Meep’s first adventure, The Star Beast — the original, you might say. Follow along with us as we go back to 1980 Blackcastle, where a cute alien was on the run, lead was plentiful on rooftops, and the Fourth Doctor picked up a new companion named Sharon…


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Story Essentials:

  • Writer: Pat Mills, John Wagner
  • Artist: Dave Gibbons
  • First appeared: Doctor Who Weekly No. 19-26, 1980
  • Reprinted as Doctor Who from Marvel Comics, Nos. 1 and 2


Pull To Open: The Star Beast Comic Strip

  • Season 4
  • Episode 46


Hosts: ⁠Pete Pachal⁠ and ⁠Chris Taylor⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Nov 18, 202345:21
Identity Theft (Bifurcating “Human Nature” and “The Family of Blood,” with guest Steven Schapansky)

Identity Theft (Bifurcating “Human Nature” and “The Family of Blood,” with guest Steven Schapansky)

In Doctor Who’s early years, there were many episodes where the Doctor was noticeably absent, usually because William Hartnell or Patrick Troughton needed a holiday from the grueling shooting schedule. But Human Nature is the only episode of Doctor Who where the Doctor doesn’t appear at all outside of flashbacks. Of course, David Tennant is front and center, giving a performance for the ages, literally, in John Smith. There are many reasons this episode, along with the conclusion, The Family of Blood, is so well remembered: Its central plot device tees up the climax the Series 3, it showcases some brilliant guest performances in the villainous Family, and it might even explain why the Eighth Doctor said he was “half-human.” But it’s the love story between Doctor’s alternate identity and a human woman that the story lives or dies upon. Let’s get at the heart of this thing…


This time there's THREE of us! We welcome Steven Schapansky⁠ from ⁠Radio Free Skaro⁠ for this special episode.


Don't forget to give your own rating for Human Nature and The Family of Blood on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!


Commentary for Human Nature | The Family of Blood begins at 24:03.


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Story Essentials

  • Series 3, Episodes 8+9
  • Story number: 188, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Paul Cornell
  • Director: Charles Palmer
  • Showrunner: Russell T. Davies
  • Aired 26 May – 2 June 2007


Pull To Open: Human Nature / The Family of Blood

  • Season 4
  • Episode 45


Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor


Guest: Steven Schapansky from Radio Free Skaro


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Nov 11, 202301:29:19
Futures Trading (Contradicting “Day of the Daleks”)

Futures Trading (Contradicting “Day of the Daleks”)

Perhaps no classic episode has benefited more from a “special edition” than Day of the Daleks. Although it tells a solid timey-wimey paradox story, the original version didn’t do justice to Doctor Who’s No. 1 monsters. They only made three rather diminutive props for the story, and the voices made Lumbergh from Office Space sound good. But when you add some convincing disintegration effects and dub new cries of “Exterminate!” from the incomparable Nicholas Briggs, it really levels up this adventure to the compelling return of the mechanical crowd-pleasers that it always should have been. What does that say about the material, though, that relatively superficial enhancements make such a difference? This bears close examination, so Blinovitch limitation effect be damned — let’s go back again to 1972.


Don't forget to give your own rating for Day of the Daleks on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!


Commentary for Day of the Daleks begins at 27:12.


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Story Essentials

  • Season 9, Serial 1
  • Story number: 59, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Louis Marks
  • Director: Paul Bernard
  • Producer: Barry Letts
  • Aired 1 January – 22 January 1972


Pull To Open: Day of the Daleks

  • Season 4
  • Episode 44


Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Nov 04, 202301:29:44
The Pull To Open Hot 100 (Ranking Our First 100 Random Stories)

The Pull To Open Hot 100 (Ranking Our First 100 Random Stories)

OK, you've got us — not all 100 stories were randomly picked. That's because when we were but a wee newborn Doctor Who podcast, we weren't random. Series 12 was underway and, after reviewing every single Christmas episode, we zeroed in on the current season. But that was predictable, common, perhaps even a little basic. Pull To Open needed something more.

So in 2021, we wired in the Randomizer into our podcast and haven't looked back. Since then we've done 100 different stories from almost every era of Doctor Who (we'll get you someday, Paul McGann), giving each one a rating from the Pull To Open Rating System™️. While that provides a good guide for where everything stands, it also results in numerous ties.

Which brings us to this episode. We've ranked the first 100 stories that Pull To Open has reviewed, and added a dash of Top of the Pops (complete with sizzling new music from Martin West!) for that zazz factor. And it wouldn't be Pull To Open if we didn't stop to comment on how things shook out.

Now... join us for the Pull To Open Hot 100! 🎙️🎶⏳🪐 The Pull To Open Codex Subscribe to our newsletter at pulltoopen.net.


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The Pull To Open Hot 100

  • Season 4
  • Episode 43


Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Oct 29, 202354:01
Pods and Monsters (Germinating “The Seeds of Death”)

Pods and Monsters (Germinating “The Seeds of Death”)

Instantaneous teleportation between any two points on Earth? Sounds pretty convenient — so convenient that it might lead to a stagnant society ripe for conquest by the next passing alien force. Yes, The Seeds of Death tees up the planet quite nicely for the Ice Warriors, but it’s hard to close the deal when your troops faint when they get close to a radiator, your diabolical bioweapon fizzles the moment it starts to rain, and your space fleet is being steered by Mr. Magoo. Sure, it doesn’t take a genius to see that Earth got way too complacent, but what’s your excuse, Mars?


Commentary for The Seeds of Death begins at 28:30.


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Story Essentials

  • Season 6, Serial 5
  • Story number: 47, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Brian Hayles (Terrance Dicks, episodes 3–6)
  • Director: Michael Ferguson
  • Producer: Peter Bryant
  • Aired 25 January – 1 March 1969


Pull To Open: The Seeds of Death

  • Season 4
  • Episode 42


Hosts: ⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Oct 21, 202301:46:12
The 10 Best Cold Opens in Doctor Who

The 10 Best Cold Opens in Doctor Who

Plenty of casual viewers of Doctor Who have been hooked into becoming fans because of the cold opens. Well, we don’t have stats or anything, but that feels true — because there are just so damn many great ones in the show that have gotten viewers to cancel plans, skip trips to the bathroom, or leave something burning on the stove because you just have to watch. A good cold open doesn’t necessarily mean a good episode will result, but it doesn’t hurt.

So what makes a good cold open? It should be short, for starters. Brevity counts for a lot. Like any good scene, it should tell a little story, introducing interesting characters in unusual situations. Then, something unexpected should happen, which of course leads to the key ingredient: the hook. The thing that wraps your attention around the episode like a string around a finger.

Although cold opens didn’t originate with the new series, they’ve become a staple of it, and it’s fair to say NuWho has perfected the format. There have been so many memorable ones, but there is one Doctor who has a disproportionate number of the best. Join us on our countdown of the 10 best cold opens in Doctor Who — with a few honorable mentions — to find out… Doctor Who?


The Top 10 list begins at 38:19.


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Pull To Open: The 10 Best Cold Opens in Doctor Who

  • Season 4
  • Episode 41


Hosts: ⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Oct 14, 202301:30:24
The Horse Awakens (Venerating “The Myth Makers”)

The Horse Awakens (Venerating “The Myth Makers”)

What exactly is the Doctor’s attitude towards changing history? With all the pure historicals of the era, William Hartnell’s Doctor actually has a lot to say about this. While The Aztecs makes clear his reluctance to interfere in history, The Myth Makers shows his bemusement at becoming a part of it — and his regret at seeing the consequences of that participation. It’s a surprisingly mature takeaway from an otherwise lighter take on the Trojan War, one that at times rivals The Romans for moments of comedy. Even when they’re being tortured, everyone looks like they’re having fun — so much so that Vicki stays behind. That’s really committing to the bit.


Commentary for The Myth Makers begins at 28:42.


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Seriously, please review Pull To Open on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠? What are you waiting for?


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Story Essentials

  • Season 3, Serial 3
  • Story number: 19, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Donald Cotton
  • Director: Michael Leeston-Smith
  • Producer: John Wiles
  • Aired 16 October – 6 November 1965


Pull To Open: The Myth Makers

  • Season 4
  • Episode 40

Hosts: ⁠Pete Pachal⁠ and ⁠Chris Taylor⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Oct 07, 202301:54:55
Red Con (Recovering “The Ambassadors of Death”)

Red Con (Recovering “The Ambassadors of Death”)

If you want hard evidence that the UNIT era — when Jon Pertwee’s Doctor was exiled to Earth after being put on trial by the Time Lords — was set in the “near future,” look no further than The Ambassadors of Death. With routine missions to Mars, nuclear fuel available in factories on the British countryside, and space capsules that can land on solid ground no less, this is a version of the future that the 20th century never delivered on, and much of the advances are still stubbornly out of reach. That doesn’t mean Ambassadors fails, of course. On the contrary, by putting its ’60s spy movie plot in a backdrop “the day after tomorrow,” you get the thrills of an action yarn with all the more reason to comfortably suspend your disbelief. For a few episodes, anyway.


Commentary for The Ambassadors of Death begins at 28:33.


Hold on a second. You mean you haven't reviewed Pull To Open on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠? What are you waiting for?


The Big Finish Pete was rambling about: Dust Breeding https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-dust-breeding-646

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Story Essentials

  • Season 7, Serial 3
  • Story number: 52, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: ​​ David Whitaker
  • Director: Michael Ferguson
  • Producer: Bary Letts
  • Aired 21 March – 2 May 1970


Pull To Open: The Ambassadors of Death

  • Season 4
  • Episode 39


Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sep 30, 202301:51:13
In It to Twin It (Imitating “Meglos,” with guest Mark Cockram)

In It to Twin It (Imitating “Meglos,” with guest Mark Cockram)

An intelligent cactus? A society that worships a giant 12-sided shape? Barbara, but not Barbara? You don’t have to get very far into Meglos to begin to feel this story is the result of a drunken session of Doctor Who mad libs, complete with its own game show segment: How Do Time Lords Get Out of a Time Loop? One thing you can’t take away from Megos — it thoroughly and completely goes for it, and Tom Baker’s double act as both the Doctor and his prickly doppelganger provides a nice throughline for the whole affair. It’s all great fun… until someone loses a dodecahedron.


Special guest Mark Cockram from the All of Time and Space podcast joins! Follow them on X at @MarkCockram (AKA The Human Palindrome) and @TimeNSpacePod.


Commentary for Meglos begins at 19:29.


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Story Essentials

  • Season 18, Serial 2
  • Story number: 110, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: John Flanagan and Andrew McCulloch
  • Director: Terence Dudley
  • Producer: John Nathan-Turner
  • Aired 27 September – 18 October 1980


Pull To Open: Meglos

  • Season 4
  • Episode 38


Hosts: ⁠Pete Pachal⁠ and ⁠Chris Taylor⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠

Sep 23, 202301:32:45
Impending Boom (Diffusing “Kerblam!”)

Impending Boom (Diffusing “Kerblam!”)

Doctor Who has its share of metaphors, but perhaps none so naked as the eponymous company featured in Kerblam! (the only TV story so excited to feature an exclamation point in the title). With its motivational corporatespeak, closely monitored warehouse workers, and super-efficient delivery robots (that may or may not be homicidal), Kerblam is an obvious stand-in for Amazon — just projected out several thousand years. As you’d expect, Kerblam! certainly has some things to say about Bit Tech, automation, and the future of work, though how those themes land probably depends greatly on your existing opinions of those things. But do the smart characters and whodunnit plot rise above the debatable morality play? At the end of the day, does Kerblam!... deliver? 


Commentary for Kerblam! begins at 23:58.


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Story Essentials

  • Series 11, Episode 7
  • Story number: 285, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: ​​Pete McTighe
  • Director: Jennifer Perrott
  • Showrunner: Chris Chibnall
  • Aired 18 November 2018


Pull To Open: Kerblam!

  • Season 4
  • Episode 37


Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠

Sep 16, 202301:39:22
Once Upon a Time in Mexico (Sacrificing “The Aztecs”)

Once Upon a Time in Mexico (Sacrificing “The Aztecs”)

It’s not a good idea to bet against the Doctor. There are lots of lessons learned in Doctor Who’s second “pure” historical, The Aztecs, but the folly going against the instructions of the curmudgeon with the time ship is probably the biggest. Of course, Barbara’s attempts to rewrite history by softening the more barbaric instincts of the eponymous civilization are what gives this particular story its weighty drama, so we’ll forgive her for not getting the memo. But the true lesson of this serial is up for debate: Is it the best historical of the entire series? And if so, what does that say about the other 59 years of the franchise?


Commentary for The Aztecs begins at 20:34.


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Story Essentials

  • Season 1, Serial 6
  • Story number: 6, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: John Lucarotti
  • Director: John Crockett
  • Producer: Verity Lambert
  • Aired 23 May – 13 June 1964


Pull To Open: The Aztecs

  • Season 4
  • Episode 36


Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠

Sep 09, 202301:40:51
Monk History (Revising “The Time Meddler”)

Monk History (Revising “The Time Meddler”)

Two full seasons in, Doctor Who finally gave viewers a hint of where its mysterious main character came from in The Time Meddler, a story that introduced the Doctor’s first time-traveling rival, the Monk. If the War Chief was a Master prototype, the Monk is the concept phase — the Doctor’s ideological opposite at a time long before the character became a righter of wrongs on a cosmological scale. Sure, the Monk is simply mischievous, but the fact that he’s morally closer to the Doctor than later villains helps define the lines around the Doctor himself. That’s a sign the show is full of confidence, so why not flaunt it by painting the faces of the regular cast among the stars?


Commentary for The Time Meddler begins at 17:08.


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Story Essentials

  • Season 2, Serial 9
  • Story number: 17, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Dennis Spooner
  • Director: Douglas Camfield
  • Producer: Verity Lambert
  • Aired 3 July – 24 July 1965


Pull To Open: The Time Meddler

  • Season 4
  • Episode 35


Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠

Sep 02, 202301:39:10
The 5 Best Classic Doctor Who Stories for NuWho Fans

The 5 Best Classic Doctor Who Stories for NuWho Fans

When your show goes on hiatus for 15 years, the result is a literal generation gap of fandom. If you happen to be one of the many fans who have grown up on the series “Doctor Who” that began in 2005, you’re certainly aware of the Classic series but you may also be intimidated by just how much of it there is. Twenty-six seasons comprises a whole hell of a lot of television, so it’s difficult to know where to start. Well, we’ve got you covered: Chris and Pete have picked out the five stories from the Classic era that are essential for NuWho fans.


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Pull To Open: The 5 Best Classic Doctor Who Stories for NuWho Fans

  • Season 4
  • Episode 34


Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠

Aug 26, 202327:27
It Came From E-Space (Acclimating “Full Circle”)

It Came From E-Space (Acclimating “Full Circle”)

Doctor Who rarely did season-long arcs in the Classic series, but sprinkled here and there are mini storylines like the E-Space trilogy. After all, what better way to raise the stakes a bit AND introduce a new companion than to maroon your regulars in a pocket universe for a few episodes? Well, if you’re going to use cliche marsh creatures and sad plastic spiders as your chief antagonists, that might be a sign your mini arc isn’t starting on the right foot. Yes, there’s a bit too much nonsense going on in Full Circle, although Tom Baker might be on his game just enough to still earn this adventure a badge for sci-fi-trope excellence. That said, we may have had a little too much riverfruit to properly judge.


Commentary for Full Circle begins at 23:28.


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Story Essentials

  • Season 18, Serial 3
  • Story number: 111, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Andrew Smith
  • Director: Peter Grimwade
  • Producer: John Nathan-Turner
  • Aired 25 October – 15 November 1980


Pull To Open: Full Circle

  • Season 4
  • Episode 33


Hosts: ⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠

Aug 19, 202301:51:21
Who Is the Best Actor to Play the Doctor?

Who Is the Best Actor to Play the Doctor?

Doctors come and go, and each leaves their mark on the role — one as iconic as Sherlock Holmes or James Bond. But outside of their undeniable impact on Doctor Who, some of the actors who have played the Doctor go on to impress and find audiences in other roles. Even if those parts may not match the level of notoriety a franchise like Doctor Who bestows, those performances sometimes demonstrate a range and expertise in their craft few can match.


Who are the actors who best fit that description? It's a hard question to answer even if you adhere to the "orthodox" view, sticking to the actors who played the lead in the series on an ongoing basis. However, the nature of the show — in particular the way it both reboots and revisits its central character — means there are plenty of wild cards.


Everyone knows the major players: William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, Jodie Whittaker, and, soon, Ncuti Gatwa. But if the criteria is "actors who played the Doctor," we're also forced to consider David Bradley, Richard Hurndall, Peter Cushing, and John Hurt, among others.


In this Pull To Open Side Trip, we set out to answer — or at least address — the potentially unanswerable question: Who is the best actor to ever play the role of the Doctor?


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Pull To Open: Who Is the Best Actor to Play the Doctor?

  • Season 4
  • Episode 32


Hosts: ⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠

Aug 12, 202341:53
Dutch Ado About Nothing (Bending “Arc of Infinity”)

Dutch Ado About Nothing (Bending “Arc of Infinity”)

Returning to Gallifrey to fight an old enemy sounds like a surefire formula for a Doctor Who epic. So why then is Arc of Infinity so bland? Kicking off the show’s 20th anniversary season, this story seems determined to undermine the memories of classics like The Deadly Assassin and The Three Doctors, turning the formidable Omega into a cowering refugee and completing the Time Lords’ reduction from gods to members of a squabbling afterschool club with ostentatious collars. Even the refreshing Amsterdam location shoot is ruined in series of interminable scenes with the TARDIS team chasing Peter Davison’s stunt double. Are there any signs of life in this lonely anti-drama universe? Well, perhaps one — or rather, Six.


Commentary for Arc of Infinity begins at 23:45 .


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Story Essentials

  • Season 20, Serial 1
  • Story number: 123, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writers: Johnny Byrne
  • Director: Ron Jones
  • Producer: John Nathan-Turner
  • Aired 3 January – 12 January 1983


Pull To Open: Arc of Infinity

  • Season 4
  • Episode 31

Hosts: ⁠Pete Pachal⁠ and ⁠Chris Taylor⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠

Aug 05, 202301:57:36
10 Times the Doctor Was Cruel or Cowardly

10 Times the Doctor Was Cruel or Cowardly

We don't always live up to our own ideals. Doctor Who's main character is no exception: The Doctor's mantra is "never be cruel or cowardly" — created by writer Terrance Dicks as an off-screen guideline during the classic series until it became official in the new series, with Peter Capaldi's Doctor going so far as to remind Jodie Whittaker's of the catchphrase in his dying moments. But there have been numerous times in the Doctor's adventures that he's acted in ways that contravene this philosophy — sometimes coldly unattentive to his companions' feelings or even committing what could (and possibly should) be considered serious crimes. While all that is arguably good for the show — complicated heroes are better for drama, after all — it's worth calling out the character on his (or her) occasional hypocrisy, if only to point out the exceptions that prove the rule. And boy are there a lot of exceptions. Here are 10 times the Doctor was cruel or cowardly (or both!): 10. Calling Danny Pink "PE" 08:06 9. Shouting at the Sensorites 12:37 8. Not saying goodbye 16:01 7. Crushing Yaz 20:40 6. Ditching Clara in Kill the Moon 23:11 5. Letting others "take the hit" 28:25 4. Torturing a helpless Dalek 31:13 3. Imprisoning the Family of Blood 34:09 2. Murdering a Time Lord 38:38 Honorable mentions 41:14 1. Not killing the Master 46:28


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Pull To Open: 10 Times the Doctor Was Cruel or Cowardly

  • Season 4
  • Episode 30


Hosts: ⁠Pete Pachal⁠ and ⁠Chris Taylor⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠

Jul 29, 202353:07
Plane of Terror (Deepening “Flatline”)

Plane of Terror (Deepening “Flatline”)

Being the Doctor is a tough job, but when he’s unavailable, few are better qualified to fill in for him than Clara Oswald. Flatline’s clever script thrusts her into the position after the Doctor is trapped in the TARDIS by one of the most ingenious monsters of the series, a group of silent two-dimensional invaders the Doctor names the Boneless. Building on its intriguing role reversal, Flatline is a suspenseful thriller packed full of smart visual gags, an excellent guest cast, and pertinent themes of urban art. Plus it delivers one of the most spine-tingling climaxes in the show’s history. How come no one talks about it?


Commentary for Flatline begins at 36:51.


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Story Essentials

  • Series 8, Episode 9
  • Story number: 253, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writers: Jamie Mathieson
  • Director: Douglas Mackinnon
  • Showrunner: Steven Moffat
  • Aired 18 October 2014


Pull To Open: Flatline

  • Season 4
  • Episode 29


Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠

Jul 22, 202301:52:58
Sinking Out Loud (Capsizing “Legend of the Sea Devils”)

Sinking Out Loud (Capsizing “Legend of the Sea Devils”)

Is it possible for Doctor Who to have too much time and money? Judging by Legend of the Sea Devils — one of just three stories made since 2021 — the answer is, “Aye!” Boasting some of the biggest sets Doctor Who has ever had and the return of a mostly well-remembered classic        monster, this pirate adventure seemed destined to be a treasure. But nobody’s heart seems in this outing — not the inept villain, nor the creatively dressed Team TARDIS, nor the diverse and capable guest cast ready to dive deep into China’s rich pirate history. But ahoy, what’s this? We’re finally addressing the burgeoning romance between Yaz and the Doctor? That could be the lifeline this Legend needs.


Commentary for Legend of the Sea Devils begins at 27:52.


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Story Essentials

  • “Easter” 2022 Special
  • Story number: 301, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writers: Ella Road and Chris Chibnall
  • Director: Haolu Wang
  • Producer: Chris Chibnall
  • Aired 17 April 2022


Pull To Open: Legend of the Sea Devils

  • Season 4
  • Episode 28


Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠

Jul 15, 202301:49:24
A Lice Place to Live (Renovating “Knock Knock,” with guest Bryan Young)

A Lice Place to Live (Renovating “Knock Knock,” with guest Bryan Young)

Finding a new place to live takes a lot out of you. Between the lease, the hassle of moving, and the endless viewings, you hardly have any time left to comb the flat for glowing bugs from space that might want to absorb you into the walls. Luckily for Bill, she’s got a… uh, “granddad” to do that, and Knock Knock nicely sets up its tale by starting with the pleasant banality of college life before sucking us into a Doctor Who mystery about a creepy landlord, even creepier insects, and something that out-creeps them both living high above Bill’s new apartment. Did we mention it’s creepy? At least that’s what the story is really trying to make us to feel — but you know what they say about trying too hard.


Commentary for Knock Knock begins at 22:57.


Guest Bryan Young joins from the Full of Sith podcast!


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Story Essentials

  • Series 10, Episode 4
  • Story number: 271, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Mike Bartlett
  • Director: Bill Anderson
  • Producer: Steven Moffat
  • Aired 6 May 2017


Pull To Open: Knock Knock

  • Season 4
  • Episode 27 (Episode 100 overall!)


Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠⁠

Jul 08, 202301:32:33
We Aren’t Marshal (Decolonizing “The Mutants”)

We Aren’t Marshal (Decolonizing “The Mutants”)

There are struggling planets, there are troubled planets, and then there’s Solos: a world so uniquely unlucky in the cosmos as to inherit a ruler like the Marshal, one of the most uniformly evil dictators to ever appear in Doctor Who. Set in a bleak future where Earth has seen better days, The Mutants is in no way subtle in its criticism of colonization and the racist policies that often result. But it wouldn’t be a Doctor Who story if there wasn’t a bug-eyed monster, a mystery involving ancient artifacts and a lost scientist, and a marathon of running through brightly lit corridors. WARNING: Some cliffhangers may cause extreme confusion and shortness of breath (and patience), so keep your oxymask handy.


Commentary for The Mutants begins at 18:49.


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Story Essentials

  • Season 9, Serial 4
  • Story number: 62, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Bob Baker and Dave Martin
  • Director: Christopher Barry
  • Producer: Barry Letts
  • Aired 8 April – 13 May 1972


Pull To Open: The Mutants

  • Season 4
  • Episode 26


Hosts: ⁠Pete Pachal⁠ and ⁠Chris Taylor


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠

Jul 01, 202301:38:30
Rage of Empires (Beguiling “Frontier in Space”)

Rage of Empires (Beguiling “Frontier in Space”)

If you have two enormous, powerful entities, sure as hell someone will think it’s a great idea to have them fight. If they’re galactic space empires, so much the better for raising the stakes — at least on paper. But what Frontier in Space is really about is fear: fear of the unknown, the unfamiliar, the notion you might be wrong, and how that fear can lead people (and Draconians) to do terrible things. Oh, it’s also about getting captured repeatedly, and the varying ways one can escape from prison cells, particularly if you happen to have the combined skills of a Time Lord and a special agent from a global peacekeeping force. Yep, you can learn a lot from this very Star Trek-inspired story, although what Ogrons do for fun will forever remain a mystery.


Commentary for Frontier in Space begins at 15:44.


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Story Essentials:

  • Season 10, Serial 3
  • Story number: 66, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Malcolm Hulke
  • Director: Paul Bernard
  • Producer: Barry Letts
  • Aired 24 February – 31 March 1973


Pull To Open: Frontier in Space

  • Season 4
  • Episode 25


Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠

Jun 24, 202301:56:12
A Bug’s Strife (Sterilizing “The Ark in Space”)

A Bug’s Strife (Sterilizing “The Ark in Space”)

We’ve all been there: After waking up from a long sleep, you open your eyes only to witness a buzzing insect that’s invaded your bedroom. So we can all relate to the human refugees on Nerva Station, although when the pest is a man-sized space parasite that wants to consume you and absorb your memories PLUS you and your friends are the last of the human race — well, the stakes get a bit raised. There’s no question The Ark in Space sets up a suspenseful tale for the ages, and even functions as a prototype for the Alien series. But the thing about prototypes is their main purpose is to work out the, uh, bugs.


Commentary for The Ark in Space begins at 20:37.


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Story Essentials

  • Season 12, Serial 2
  • Story number: 75, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writers: Robert Holmes, John Lucarotti
  • Director: Rodney Bennett
  • Producer: Philip Hinchcliffe
  • Aired 25 January – 15 February 1975


Pull To Open: The Ark in Space

  • Season 4
  • Episode 24


Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠⁠

Jun 17, 202301:46:14
Sphere of Fear (Plundering “The Pirate Planet”)

Sphere of Fear (Plundering “The Pirate Planet”)

The hottest sci-fi writer on the planet in 1978 was Douglas Adams. Not only was he about to bestow upon the world the original radio plays of The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, he also wrote his first Doctor Who adventure, The Pirate Planet. There are so many similarities — in tone, plotting, and effortlessly clever dialogue — that it’s easy to tell this story came out of the same creative spigot as Hitch Hiker’s, but the recycling doesn’t detract from this incredibly ambitious story about a planet-size genocide machine commanded by a cybernetic pirate captain. But is it still as good as its author’s reputation? By the cavity-ridden teeth of the sky demon, we’re going to find out.


Commentary for The Pirate Planet begins at 27:01.


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Story Essentials

  • Season 16, Serial 2
  • Story number: 98, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Douglas Adams
  • Director: Pennant Roberts
  • Producer: Graham Williams
  • Aired 30 September - 21 October 1978


Pull To Open: The Pirate Planet

  • Season 4
  • Episode 23


Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠

Jun 10, 202302:06:07
In Dickens and in Gelth (Reanimating “The Unquiet Dead”)

In Dickens and in Gelth (Reanimating “The Unquiet Dead”)

How does a family show like Doctor Who do a zombie horror story? You start by subtracting (most of) the gore, then add a sci-fi twist. That’s good, but what would really make it stand out is if you take a real person from history and cast the best possible actor to play the role. The Unquiet Dead ticks all those eerie boxes, deftly telling a tale of walking corpses, teasing the show’s (then) new mythology of the Time War, and showcasing the show’s central premise of time travel by involving Charles Dickens himself. It’s all thanks to a promising writer named Mark Gatiss — whatever happened to him?


Commentary for The Unquiet Dead begins at 29:53.


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Story Essentials

  • Series 1, Episode 3
  • Story number: 162, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Mark Gatiss
  • Director: Euros Lyn
  • Showrunner: Russell T. Davies
  • Aired 9 April 2005


Pull To Open: The Unquiet Dead

  • Season 4
  • Episode 22


Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠

Jun 03, 202301:51:23
Big Trouble in Ancient China (Traversing “Marco Polo”)

Big Trouble in Ancient China (Traversing “Marco Polo”)

Often when Doctor Who visits Earth’s past, a lot is made of whether the characters can “change” history or not. Outcomes vary, but it’s oddly refreshing to look back on the series’ first historical, Marco Polo, where the question never comes up. Instead, the story creates stakes by thrusting the TARDIS team smack in the middle of the rivalries, duplicity and politics of quasi-real events in history, and letting the drama naturally unfold. At seven episodes, it’s a gradual unfolding — and some accounting for the time it was made is a given — but even if you don’t grade on a curve, Marco Polo sets a strong standard for Doctor Who historicals, missing or not.


Commentary for Marco Polo begins at 21:21.


Color reconstruction of Marco Polo (audio combined with telesnaps and audio) at DailyMotion.


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Story Essentials

  • Season 1, Serial 4
  • Story number: 4, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: John Lucarotti
  • Director: Waris Hussein (1–3, 5–7), John Crockett (4)
  • Producer: Verity Lambert
  • Aired 22 February – 4 April 1964


Pull To Open: Marco Polo

  • Season 4
  • Episode 21


Hosts: ⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠

May 27, 202301:59:38
Ultimate Fighting Championship (Disarming “The War Games”)

Ultimate Fighting Championship (Disarming “The War Games”)

The Doctor tends to find himself thrust in the middle of many battles throughout history, but what if he landed in the middle of all of them? That may well have been the inspiration for The War Games, the epic-length finale of the Patrick Troughton era of Doctor Who. By taking the idea of multiple wars — each a live-action board game played for the amusement of powerful aliens — with the soldiers eventually realizing the deception and resisting, the story puts forward one of the most powerful anti-war messages of the series. To top it off, The War Games concludes with the revelation that the Doctor is a member of a race of beings called the Time Lords: frighteningly god-like in their first appearance, ending all the wars with a wave of their perfect hands. But the end of the fight is just the beginning.


Commentary for The War Games begins at 31:35.


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Story Essentials

  • Season 6, Serial 7
  • Story number: 49, per the The Pull To Open Codex
  • Writer: Terrance Dicks and Malcolm Hulke
  • Director: David Maloney
  • Producer: Derrick Sherwin
  • Aired 19 April – 21 June 1969


Pull To Open: The War Games

  • Season 4
  • Episode 20


Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠

May 20, 202302:22:46
The Trouble With Gallifrey

The Trouble With Gallifrey

The original revelation of the Doctor’s origins was a slow burn: It took Doctor Who six seasons to finally give concrete answers to who he was and where he came from. But after the landmark reveal at the end of The War Games, going back to Gallifrey seemed to be an exercise in diminishing returns for the show. True, The Deadly Assassin gave a compelling new perspective on Time Lord society, though if you look at what came after — Arc of Infinity, The Trial of a Time Lord, and even Hell Bent — the Time Lords get blander and weirder, with shifting motivations that are forgotten about when it’s inconvenient.

The greater point is that Doctor Who seemed oddly unsure of what to do with the most important planet in the cosmos, and one could make a solid case that it was at its best when it was simply gone — destroyed in the Time War but remembered for everything it represented to the show and its central character. Now that it’s gone again in the post-Chibnall era, is that necessarily a bad thing? Is Doctor Who stronger or weaker with an active Gallifrey, full of Time Lords watching the universe to ensure it plays by their rules? And should the show bring it back — again?

Let’s enter the Matrix and talk.


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Pull To Open: The Trouble With Gallifrey

  • Season 4
  • Episode 19


Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠Pete Pachal⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Chris Taylor⁠⁠⁠


Music: Martin West/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thinking Fish⁠

May 13, 202301:10:26