Pull To Open
By Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
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!
Bigeneration Gap (HOT TAKE 2: "The Interstellar Song Contest" Post-Credits Scene)
It turns out our dress rehearsal of The Interstellar Song Contest was missing one extremely important reveal! In this emergency analysis of the post-credits scene, we tackle the surprise regeneration of Mrs. Flood into a new Time Lady villain—Archie Panjabi’s take on the classic Rani. Is this just a nostalgia throwback, or are we in for a legit cosmic power play? And what does this say about bigeneration, the show’s new favorite toy? Tune in for rants, theories, and your favorite meta-commentary on meta-commentary — plus Pete accidentally hot-takes his way into agreeing with Steven Moffat. For some reason.
Listen to our hot take on the main episode.
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Pull To Open: The Interstellar Song Contest HOT TAKE 2: Post-Credits Scene
- Season 6
- Episode 15
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2025
Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
Idol Threat (HOT TAKE: "The Interstellar Song Contest")
The Interstellar Song Contest is a full-on sensory overload: galactic glam, massive stakes, and more killer hooks than a Skybox full of Hellions. In this hot take, we break down the Doctor’s most bombastic outing yet — complete with AI cameos, shocking twists, and one jaw-dropping moment that might just redefine the Doctor’s moral compass. Has Russell T Davies gone too far, or just far enough? Join us for a voyage through pop, politics, and planetary peril.
And yes, we did eventually get to that post-credits scene. Listen to our full breakdown of the big reveal.
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Pull To Open: The Interstellar Song Contest HOT TAKE
- Season 6
- Episode 14
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2025
Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
Rightful Hair (HOT TAKE: "The Story & the Engine")
In The Story & the Engine, the Doctor finds himself in a Nigerian barbershop… on a spaceship… on the back of a spider… in the realm of living stories. You with us so far? Good — because the story’s just getting started. Join Pete and Chris as they dissect one of the most surreal, ambitious episodes in Doctor Who history, from map headgames to moral metaphysics. Come for the cosmic barbershop, stay for the existential vibes.
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Pull To Open: The Story & the Engine HOT TAKE
- Season 6
- Episode 13
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2025
Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
The Lies that Blind (HOT TAKE: “Lucky Day”)
It's a Lucky Day… or is it? Is this a bold stand for truth in the age of misinformation, or an unsubtle lecture about trusting the deep state? Can conspiracy theorists exist in a world where UNIT is canon? And what’s the deal with Conrad’s podcast? From shrieks to lip gloss, Mrs. Flood to memory worms, we unpack all the continuity—and the politics. But sorry, we can’t spare a 50p piece.
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Pull To Open: Lucky Day HOT TAKE
- Season 6
- Episode 12
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2025
Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
Fright of Your Life (HOT TAKE: "The Well")
Doctor Who has plunged into The Well — and trust us, you’ll want to keep your back covered. Pete and Chris tackle the chills, thrills, and high-stakes mystery of Season 2’s most intense episode yet. How does the Doctor face the unknown when it stares right back at him? How is the future of humanity suddenly more fragile than ever? And what clever callbacks to classic sci-fi storytelling are hidden just below the surface? Grab your spacesuit (and maybe smash a few mirrors) — it's about to get real.
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Pull To Open: The Well HOT TAKE
- Season 6
- Episode 11
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2025
Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
Heavy Meta (HOT TAKE: “Lux”)
RTD just gave us Alan Cumming as a cartoon god named Mr. Ring-a-Ding, and that’s not even the weirdest part of “Lux.” This episode has 2D-animated monsters, film reel body horror, meta commentary on fandom, and the Doctor using regeneration energy to treat a boo-boo. Pete and Chris are here to unwrap it all — from Mrs. Flood’s nuclear foreboding to the Doctor’s best mini-speech in years. Also discussed: How to acknowledge the racist past without getting lost in it, whether “Lux” secretly out-Blinks “Blink,” and what happens when you trap Doctor Who fans in a movie… and they love it.
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Pull To Open: Lux HOT TAKE
- Season 6
- Episode 10
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2025
Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
Day of the Nurse (HOT TAKE: "The Robot Revolution")
It's the future, and your star registry gift just triggered a robotic uprising. Welcome to Doctor Who: The Robot Revolution, where RTD goes hard on visuals, soft on substance, and maybe too far on consent. The Pull To Open crew picks apart everything from glitchy AI metaphors to Belinda Chandra’s underbaked debut — and Pete almost expected a Robots of Death sequel. But hey, at least the Doctor's rocking pajamas and historian credentials now.
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Pull To Open: The Robot Revoultion HOT TAKE
- Season 6
- Episode 9
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2025
Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
Invade for TV (Discharging “Aliens of London and World War Three”)
Say it with us now: it’s not just Slitheen fart jokes. Aliens of London/World War Three is the Ecclestone-Piper powerhouse that firmly established how NuWho would grow beyond the old-school kind of Earth invasion. It would be smart, twisty, full of “real” fake media and political references. It would stuff the Prime Minister in a closet. And it would put the Doctor in new kinds of domestic jeopardy. In short, despite some slightly dodgy CGI choices, it still holds up, even 20 hours later. Oh wait, we accidentally recorded this review 20 years later. Sorry!
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:04:42
- Whomoji Challenge 00:08:54
- POLL To Open 00:13:20
- TL;DR 00:19:34
- Commentary: Aliens of London | World War Three 00:22:26
- History Corner 01:06:09
- Four Questions to Doomsday 01:08:11
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:12:05
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:19:40
- Final Judgment 01:25:01
- Randomizer! 01:32:34
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Story Essentials
- Series 1, Episodes 4 and 5
- Story number: 163, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writer: Russell T. Davies
- Director: Keith Boak
- Script editor: Elwen Rowlands
- Showrunner: Russell T. Davies
- Aired 16–23 April 2005
Pull To Open: Aliens of London | World War Three
- Season 6
- Episode 8
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2025
Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
The Reich Stuff (Vivisecting “The Sontaran Experiment”)
Sontar-what now? An odd little two-parter squished between two titanic Tom Baker classics, The Sontaran Experiment manages to downgrade its clone army villain — with a flimsy mask that makes him look more like a bald white dude amid a bunch of South African “colonials”, plus evil experiments that … don’t seem very science-y? We had fun concocting this episode in our cave, though. So join us for a show sponsored by Gravbar, the adjustable all-in-one exerciser that’ll tear your pecs to shreds!
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:03:19
- Whomoji Challenge 00:10:56
- POLL To Open 00:16:13
- TL;DW 00:25:54
- Commentary: The Sontaran Experiment 00:27:46
- Four Questions To Doomsday 01:04:31
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:08:08
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:13:04
- Final Judgment 01:20:07
- Randomizer! 01:25:04
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Story Essentials
- Season 12, Serial 3
- Story number: 76, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writer: Bob Baker and Dave Martin
- Director: Rodney Bennett
- Script editor: Robert Holmes
- Producer: Philip Hinchcliffe
- Aired 22 February–1 March 1975
Pull To Open: The Sontaran Experiment
- Season 6
- Episode 7
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2025
Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
The Companion Falls (Impacting “Earthshock”)
Adric’s fate, an unexpected "asteroid," and the triumphant return of the Cybermen—Earthshock is the definitive Doctor Who game-changer. From its big-budget action sequences to its brutal emotional gut punches, this Davison classic gave us one of the show’s most shocking cliffhangers and its most heart-wrenching companion exit. But does all the spectacle hold up, or is this the original sin of '80s Who? Join us as we crack the last logic code, psychoanalyze the Cyber Leader’s emotions (should Cybermen even have emotions?), and get lost in the cavernous plot holes of one of the show’s most unforgettable adventures. Excellent.
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:02:24
- Whomoji Challenge 00:06:30
- POLL to Open 00:11:06
- TL;DR 00:17:25
- Commentary: Earthshock 00:20:20
- Four Questions to Doomsday 01:11:01
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:16:04
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:20:26
- Final Judgment 01:24:25
- Randomizer! 01:31:48
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Story Essentials
- Season 19, Serial 6
- Story number: 121, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writer: Eric Saward
- Director: Peter Grimwade
- Script editor: Antony Root, Eric Saward
- Producer: John Nathan-Turner
- Aired 8–16 March 1982
Pull To Open: Earthshock
- Season 6
- Episode 6
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2025
Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
Breaking Dad (Reliving “Father’s Day”)
When Doctor Who returned in 2005, timey-wimey twists like Rose saving her dad in Father’s Day had rarely been seen on screen. But one entire Moffat era later, audiences are more sophisticated. So how does this small-scale Tyler tale land 20 years later? Do we still fear the Reapers? Grab your chunky carphone and make it to the church on time as we go all Back to the Future in 1987 — and don’t miss the Rickroll, because Pull to Open really is never gonna give you up.
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:02:01
- Whomoji Challenge 00:08:04
- POLL to Open 00:13:44
- TL;DW 00:20:42
- Commentary: Father’s Day 00:22:17
- History Corner 00:59:07
- Four Questions to Doomsday 01:03:11
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:09:17
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:13:38
- Final Judgment 01:17:29
- Randomizer! 01:25:28
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Story Essentials
- Series 1, Episode 8
- Story number: 166, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writer: Paul Cornell
- Director: Joe Ahearne
- Script editor: Helen Raynor
- Showrunner: Russell T. Davies
- Aired 14 May 2005
Pull To Open: Father's Day
- Season 6
- Episode 5
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2025
Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
Electric Screams (Shipwrecking “Horror of Fang Rock”)
Just this once, Leela … everybody dies! Horror of Fang Rock may be a kind of bottle episode (well, a tall bottle with a big electric light on top), but no Doctor Who story has a higher percentage of guest cast killed. And with this bunch of refugees from an Agatha Christie play, who wouldn’t be rooting for a Rutan to off ’em? Join us as we peer into an atmospheric fog of 1970s class war with our new blue peepers, enter a history corner on the real Fang Rock, and try not to grumble at the fake Somerset accent. T’ain’t natural!
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- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:02:21
- Whomoji Challenge 00:06:14
- POLL To Open 00:11:12
- TL;DW 00:16:00
- Commentary: Horror of Fang Rock 00:19:54
- History Corner 00:55:39
- Four Questions to Doomsday 01:09:05
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:11:49
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:18:04
- Final Judgment 01:21:59
- Randomizer! 01:30:19
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Story Essentials
- Season 15, Serial 1
- Story number: 91, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writer: Terrance Dicks
- Director: Paddy Russell
- Script editor: Robert Holmes
- Producer: Graham Williams
- Aired 3–24 September 1977
Pull To Open: Horror of Fang Rock
- Season 6
- Episode 4
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2025
Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
Slave New World (Liberating “Planet of the Ood”)
How do the Ood serve Doctor Who? Are they more interesting as harbingers of doom, pawns of the literal devil, or rabid victims of capitalist greed? Planet of the Ood takes the latter approach, and the result is a tale so dark even Donna Noble can’t lighten it up. Still, she (and we) can at least get on the Doctor’s case for his heavy-handed analogies. So sit back and take a shot of hair tonic while we absorb you into our giant brain. Just call us the Ood couple! (Actually, don’t.)
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:02:07
- Whomoji Challenge 00:07:08
- POLL to Open 00:14:36
- TL;DW 00:21:00
- Commentary: Planet of the Old 00:23:01
- Four Questions to Doomsday 00:58:51
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:00:57
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:04:14
- Final Judgment 01:09:06
- Randomizer! 01:13:53
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Story Essentials
- Series 4, Episode 3
- Story number: 194, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writer: Keith Temple
- Director: Graeme Harper
- Script editor: Lindsey Alford
- Showrunner: Russell T. Davies
- Aired 19 April 2008
Pull To Open: Planet of the Ood
- Season 6
- Episode 3
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2025
Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
Mazed and Confused (Mythologizing “The Horns of Nimon”)
Time waits for Nimon! Well, time waits for someone to appreciate The Horns of Nimon — the unintended finale to one of the greatest seasons of Doctor Who. With its drunk ballet bulls and a villain on a strict scenery diet, this could be a comedy classic. Or a triumph for Romana and her superior sonic. But is it? Dare to enter the labyrinth with us as we dust off our Greek myths and prepare to be sacrificed on the altar of the mighty Tom Baker.
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:02:03
- Whomoji Challenge 00:07:09
- POLL To Open 00:13:16
- TL;DW 00:21:48
- Commentary: The Horns of Nimon 00:24:26
- Four Questions to Doomsday 01:00:45
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:03:50
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:07:00
- Final Judgment 01:11:14
- Randomizer! 01:15:43
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Story Essentials
- Season 17, Serial 5
- Story number: 107, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writers: Anthony Read
- Director: Kenny McBain
- Script editor: Douglas Adams
- Producer: Graham Williams
- Aired 22 December 1979–12 January 1980
Pull To Open: Planet of the Dead
- Season 6
- Episode 2
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2025
Lord & Lady (Burglarizing “Planet of the Dead”)
A London bus, a mysterious wormhole, and a desert planet teeming with metal stingrays — Planet of the Dead boasts a hearty list of tasty Doctor Who plot ingredients even before you mix in a flirty almost-companion. David Tennant’s Doctor teams up with the aristocratic jewel thief Lady Christina de Souza in this slick, blockbuster-style Easter special. But beneath the high-speed chases and flirty banter lies a looming warning: he will knock four times. Grab your lobster card and hang on tight as we speed through sandstorms, UNIT cameos, and questionable bus seating arrangements!
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:02:43
- Whomoji Challenge 00:09:21
- POLL to Open 00:14:51
- TL;DW 00:21:34
- Commentary: Planet of the Dead 00:24:38
- History Corner 01:00:53
- Four Questions to Doomsday 01:09:41
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:12:38
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:15:13
- Final Judgment 01:18:33
- Randomizer! 01:22:25
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Story Essentials
- 2009 Easter Special
- Story number: 203, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writers: Russell T Davies, Gareth Roberts
- Director: James Strong
- Script editor: Lindsey Alford
- Showrunner: Russell T Davies
- Aired 11 April 2009
Pull To Open: Planet of the Dead
- Season 6
- Episode 1
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2025
A Star Is Born (HOT TAKE: “Joy to the World”)
Good God, what is happening in Joy to the World, possibly the most time-wimey Doctor Who Christmas special to date. We’d expect nothing less from Steven Moffat, who stuffs a dinosaur, a bootstrap paradox, and a multi-Doctor story all into a holiday meal that’s anything but a turkey. You might want to dress yourself in several layers just to keep up pace with this one, but be sure to curl up in your most comfortable chair before diving in.
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Pull To Open: Joy to the World HOT TAKE
- Season 5
- Episode 40
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
A Wrinkle in Flesh Time (Enlightening “Four to Doomsday”)
There's bad Doctor Who that makes you ROFL. There's bad Doctor Who that just leaves you baffled. And sometimes, if you're lucky, you find both in one story. Four to Doomsday, Peter Davison's first dip in the Who pool, was a tale of two reactions for Team PTO. Good thing the political angles (incel Adric, anyone?) were so outnumbered by hilarious/dumb/hallucinatory choices (Tegan can draw like DaVinci and pilot a TARDIS by crying now?) Join us as we hurl a cricket ball of nerd rage right at the fabulous green-suited alien of early ’80s camp. Howzat?!
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:01:17
- Whomoji Challenge 00:06:38
- POLL To Open 00:12:12
- TL;DW 00:15:51
- Commentary: Four to Doomsday 00:19:31
- Four Questions to Doomsday 00:58:19
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:02:08
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:07:58
- Final Judgment 01:15:17
- Randomizer! 01:21:36
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Story Essentials
- Season 19, Serial 2
- Story number: 117, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writer: Terence Dudley
- Director: John Black
- Script Editor: Antony Root
- Producer: John Nathan-Turner
- Aired 18–26 January 1982
Pull To Open: Four to Doomsday
- Season 5
- Episode 39
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Nonrapid Transit (Jackknifing “Gridlock”)
“Stuck in traffic for ages” may be the most mundane sci-fi concept Doctor Who has ever offered. Yet Gridlock shines through the smog, even though we have to wonder why they don’t have smog-free EVs in the year five billion. How did RTD do it? Three words: great artists steal. Even when they’re stealing from the galaxy’s greatest comic, 2000AD. Join us — no, seriously, join us, we need one more passenger to take the fast lane through the snapping Macra of criticism!
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:02:16
- Whomoji Challenge 00:06:21
- POLL To Open 00:12:32
- TL;DW 00:19:08
- Commentary: Gridlock 00:21:05
- 2000AD Corner 00:59:07
- Four Questions to Doomsday 01:04:35
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:07:51
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:11:39
- Final Judgment 01:14:49
- Randomizer! 01:19:47
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Story Essentials
- Series 3, Episode 3
- Story number: 184, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writer: Russell T. Davies
- Director: Richard Clark
- Showrunner: Russell T. Davies
- Aired 14 April 2007
Pull To Open: Gridlock
- Season 5
- Episode 38
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Get Back (Reversing “The Edge of Destruction”)
In a sense, Doctor Who delivered its scariest story ever on its third outing. There’s something truly unsettling about The Edge of Destruction, especially in our unsettled times. The show seems to be tearing itself apart, annihilating dialogue, turning viewers against Ian, Susan and the Doctor (but blessedly not Barbara) when we’ve barely got to know them. But how can we make its premise make sense? Join us in a much-needed memory wipe while we run around with scissors — just don’t touch that fast return switch!
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:01:49
- Whomoji Challenge 00:10:10
- Poll To Open 00:16:25
- TL;DW 00:23:29
- Commentary: The Edge of Destruction 00:25:21
- Four Questions to Doomsday 01:01:09
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:07:27
- Where Is the Clara Splinter 01:15:16
- Final Judgment 01:20:42
- Randomizer! 01:27:42
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Story Essentials
- Season 1, Serial 3
- Story number: 3, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writer: David Whitaker
- Director: Richard Martin (The Edge of Destruction), Frank Cox (The Brink of Disaster)
- Producer: Verity Lambert
- Aired 8 – 15 February 1964
Pull To Open: The Edge of Destruction
- Season 5
- Episode 37
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Axis of Medieval (Besieging “The Time Warrior”)
Did New Who start in 2005 … or 1973? The Time Warrior fell from the stars with a surprising number of firsts for a show in its 11th year: not just the first Sontaran, but the debut of Sarah-Jane Smith, the diamond logo, the time tunnel, and a planet called (checks notes) Gallifrey. But that’s not all: Robert Holmes’ script brings a Moffat-y level of jokes and self-awareness, including the first crack about the Doctor chasing young women. But is its medieval feminism just a load of Rubeish? Join us for a feast of chicken legs, potato hairs and stink bombs. Just don’t eat the sleepy stew!
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:02:15
- Whomoji Challenge 00:08:35
- POLL To Open 00:12:41
- TL;DW 00:22:15
- Commentary: The Time Warrior 00:25:54
- Four Questions to Doomsday 00:59:55
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded 01:03:01
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:09:43
- Final Judgment 01:15:46
- Randomizer! 01:22:49
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Story Essentials
- Season 11, Serial 1
- Story number: 69, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writer: Robert Holmes
- Director: Alan Bromly
- Producer: Barry Letts
- Aired 15 December 1973 – 5 January 1974
Pull To Open: The Time Warrior
- Season 5
- Episode 36
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Repeater Capaldi (Confessing “Heaven Sent”)
If we didn’t know better, we’d say we’ve been waiting to talk about this Peter Capaldi episode for 7,000 years. Or is it two billion? Time seems to drag when you’re punching a wall made of random Doctor Who. Heaven Sent was an instant classic, but is this piece of clockwork perfection also the best story ever? We confess, we’re not sure. Good thing we’ve got Alisa Stern (aka Doctor Puppet) to help us grind its gears. If you’re listening, Gallifrey, the dangerous triple hybrid that will deconstruct your entire torture chamber… is us.
Thanks to Alisa Stern for joining! You can see her work at:
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously 00:01:28
- This Time There’s 3 of Us! 00:06:01
- Whomoji Challenge 00:08:42
- POLL To Open 00:15:43
- TL;DW 00:23:36
- Commentary: Heaven Sent 00:25:10
- Four Questions to Doomsday 01:12:41
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:19:00
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:22:51
- Final Judgment 01:30:08
- Randomizer! 01:36:31
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Story Essentials
- Series 9, Episode 11
- Story number: 264, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writer: Steven Moffat
- Director: Rachel Talalay
- Showrunner: Steven Moffat
- Aired 28 November 2015
Pull To Open: Heaven Sent
- Season 5
- Episode 35
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Better Call Thal (Refrigerating “Planet of the Daleks”)
Destination: not Skaro! “The Planet* of the Daleks” is Terry Nation’s anniversary rewrite of the classic Hartnell tale that kickstarted Doctor Who. It’s “The Daleks” in color, decades before the BBC colorized “The Daleks.” But did those weird blond Thal heroes really jive with Jo Grant and the whole groovy Pertwee era? And what’s up with the invisible heavy-breathers and squirting plants of Spiridon? Lay down on some IKEA furniture as we dust off purple fake furs from Burning Man and infiltrate the Dalek City!**
*Not actual planet of the Daleks
**Not actual city
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:01:38
- Whomoji Challenge 00:09:14
- POLL to Open 00:14:18
- TL;DW: Planet of the Daleks 00:20:16
- Commentary 00:24:20
- Four Questions to Doomsday 01:08:28
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:11:35
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:14:19
- Final Judgment 01:19:37
- Randomizer! 01:25:56
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Story Essentials
- Season 10, Serial 4
- Story number: 67, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writer: Terry Nation
- Director: David Maloney
- Script Editor: Terrance Dicks
- Producer: Barry Letts
- Aired 7 April – 12 May 1973
Pull To Open: Planet of the Daleks
- Season 5
- Episode 34
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
The Hateful Eight Legs (Reincarnating “Planet of the Spiders”)
A tear, Sarah Jane? The Third Doctor on his deathbed forbids it! We (and tear-friendly Fifteen) may look askance these days at the end of Planet of the Spiders, but the bigger question is: has any of the preceding story aged well? Join us as we examine a Frankenstein’s spider with too many legs: Pertwee stunts, far-future colonists, “Flowers for Algernon,” ambiguous Mike Yates, arachnophobia, crystallography, tantric Buddhism, one clairvoyant, one exotic dancer, and a little something called reincarnation — whoops, we mean regeneration.
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:01:31
- Whomoji Challenge 00:07:24
- POLL To Open 00:14:28
- TL;DW 00:23:30
- Commentary: Planet of the Spiders 00:28:07
- Four Questions to Doomsday 01:16:53
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:18:57
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:24:11
- Final Judgment 01:30:47
- Randomizer! 01:38:27
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Story Essentials
- Season 11, Serial 5
- Story number: 73, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writer: Robert Sloman, Barry Letts (uncredited)
- Director: Barry Letts
- Script Editor: Terrance Dicks
- Showrunner: Barry Letts
- Aired 4 May 1974–8 June 1974
Pull To Open: Planet of the Spiders
- Season 5
- Episode 33
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Forgotten Realm (Rectifying “The Girl Who Waited”)
Just how dangerous is traveling with the Doctor? It’s a fair question after revisiting The Girl Who Waited, which looks surprisingly dark 13 years after it aired — especially now that many who watched it back then are now closer in age to older Amy Pond. Join us as we ponder: Did this “Doctor Lite” episode portray Matt Smith as excessively cowardly? Why couldn’t Amy and Amy pass the Bechdel test? And what’s up with all those flying syringes?
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:01:56
- Whomoji Challenge 00:05:52
- POLL to Open 00:11:47
- TL;DW 00:18:58
- Commentary: The Girl Who Waited 00:21:27
- Four Questions to Doomsday 00:58:39
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:01:16
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:03:50
- Final Judgment 01:10:24
- Randomizer! 01:17:49
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Story Essentials
- Series 6, Episode 10
- Story number: 224, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writer: Tom MacRae
- Director: Nick Hurran
- Script Editor: Caroline Henry
- Showrunner: Steven Moffat
- Aired 10 September 2011
Pull To Open: The Girl Who Waited
- Season 5
- Episode 32
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Island Time (Cast Interviews from Long Island Who)
We shared a long, hot summer with Doctor Who, and we couldn't think of a better way to close it out than getting our TARDIS on at the 2024 Long Island Who convention! Blessedly, we were able to interview several people involved with the show — both actors and people behind the scenes — and we coaxed some original thoughts out of them. We also got a peek into what the future holds for the Toymaker, which was news to us. Please enjoy this XXL episode of Pull To Open, packed full of interesting thoughts, observations, and experiences about Doctor Who by the people who make it. Intro 00:00:00 Annette Badland 00:15:26 Nev Fountain 00:30:39 Jacqueline King 00:59:37 Terry Molloy 01:11:00 Mark Strickson 01:29:50 John Peel 01:57:38
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Pull To Open: Long Island Who Interview Special
- Season 5
- Episode 31
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Burning a New Leaf (Mulching “Terror of the Vervoids”)
Terror of the Vervoids isn’t exactly the greatest Doctor Who story ever. Those plant-based villains were just … weird. But this bizarre aria from Colin Baker’s long swan song is now surprisingly relevant to the age of Ncuti. Why does Mel just appear out of nowhere? Is the Doctor just allowed to browse his future, or is there something more sinister at play? Pour a nice cool carrot juice, and don’t rage-quit the pod when we bring Sutekh’s gift of headcanon!
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:01:58
- Whomoji Challenge 00:06:52
- POLL To Open 00:11:23
- TL;DW 00:16:32
- Commentary: Terror of the Vervains 00:19:40
- Four Questions to Doomsday 01:06:09
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:09:45
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:16:22
- Final Judgment 01:20:21
- Randomizer! 01:26:41
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Story Essentials
- Season 23, Serial 3
- Story number: 145, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writer: Pip and Jane Baker
- Director: Chris Clough
- Script Editor: Eric Saward
- Producer: John Nathan-Turner
- Aired 1 – 22 November 1986
Pull To Open: The Trial of a Time Lord — Terror of the Vervoids
- Season 5
- Episode 30
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Some Like It Scot (Reconstituting “Terror of the Zygons”)
Och aye the noo, it’s Scottish stereotype Who! Terror of the Zygons, written by an actual Scot, really packs them in: bagpipes, kilts, haggis, Nessie, North Sea oil, and monsters who look like they’ve eaten too many deep-fried Mars bars. It’s stylish, it’s suggestive, but does it hold up against 21st century Zygon yarns? Did we really have to lose a companion? Did the Doctor leave the TARDIS open to Sutekh attack? And who is that female Prime Minster anyway? Join us as we save money on our return fares by traveling with the Randomizer!
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:01:51
- Whomoji Challenge 00:05:53
- POLL to Open 00:10:00
- TL;DW 00:15:28
- Commentary: Terror of the Zygons 00:21:01
- History Corner 1 00:36:02
- History Corner 2 00:57:18
- Four Questions to Doomsday 01:06:59
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:10:21
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:15:04
- Final Judgment 01:18:49
- Randomizer! 01:25:06
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Story Essentials
- Season 13, Serial 1
- Story number: 79, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writer: Robert Banks Stewart
- Director: Douglas Camfield
- Producer: Philip Hinchcliffe
- Aired 30 August – 20 September 1975
Pull To Open: Terror of the Zygons
- Season 5
- Episode 29
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Better With Two (Trimming “Partners in Crime")
We’d say Partners in Crime is the long-awaited rebirth of one of the best TARDIS teams ever, but that sounds way too dramatic for the Doctor and Donna. After all, they’re just a couple of mates mucking about in time and space, helping out where they can, and having a few laughs, right? Emphasis on that last part: the kickoff to David Tennant’s final season as Ten definitely tickles the funny bone — not only thanks to his reunion with Catherine Tate but also Sarah Lancashire’s brilliant turn as baddie nanny Miss Foster. And it wouldn’t be a Russell T Davies joint if we didn’t mix in some family drama to ensure those jokes pack an emotional punch. Tennant and Tate are the centerpiece, though — the bloom will never fall off that Rose…
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:02:24
- Whomoji Challenge 00:06:31
- Poll To Open DELAYED 00:13:26
- TL;DW: Partners in Crime 00:16:46
- Commentary 00:18:52
- Four Questions to Doomsday 00:58:43
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:02:21
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:05:32
- Final Judgment 01:10:20
- Randomizer! 01:17:04
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Story Essentials
- Series 4, Episode 1
- Story number: 192, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writer: Russell T. Davies
- Director: James Strong
- Showrunner: Russell T. Davies
- Aired 5 April 2008
Pull To Open: Partners in Crime
- Season 5
- Episode 28
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Battle of the Planets (Strafing “The Armageddon Factor”)
It’s all been leading to this: The Key to Time season promised a big payoff, one that would assemble the most powerful artifact in the universe and put the Doctor in the middle of a cosmic conflict between the Guardians (well before they had silly birds on their heads). But with the stakes so high, why are we spending so much time pondering princesses and marshals on boring, radiation-soaked planets with nothing but corridors? It all has to be a metaphor for something, but don’t ask us: we’re having a hard time concentrating with two Romanas on screen, not to mention a double agent K-9. It all gets a little bonkers by the end, but as the Randomizer’s origin story, The Armageddon Factor is fire… fire… fire.. fire…
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:01:46
- Whomoji Challenge 00:05:57
- POLL To Open 00:11:30
- TL;DW 00:18:57
- Commentary: The Armageddon Factor 00:22:47
- Four Questions to Doomsday 01:06:02
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:10:16
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:14:10
- Final Judgment 01:20:01
- Randomizer! 01:25:01
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Story Essentials
- Season 16, Serial 6
- Story number: 102, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writers: Bob Baker and Dave Martin
- Directors: Michael Hayes
- Producer: Graham Williams, David Maloney (uncredited)
- Aired 20 January – 24 February 1979
Pull To Open: The Armageddon Factor
- Season 5
- Episode 27
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
The Dying Game (HOT TAKE: "Empire of Death")
Is it getting dusty in here? “Empire of Death” delivers a canon bomb that changes 49 years of Doctor Who history, alongside an emotional twist at the end. If you’re not crying Ncuti Gatwa-style at Ruby and her mum, check to see if you just crumbled into dust. But does the rest of the finale work? And is the Doctor a bad dog owner now? Join us as we bring our headcanon into the time vortex, and clean it all up with the Sutekh Swiffer!
MORE SUTEKH: Listen to our podcast on Pyramids of Mars
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Pull To Open: Empire of Death HOT TAKE
- Season 5
- Episode 26
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Wait of the World (HOT TAKE: "The Legend of Ruby Sunday")
It’s official: The One Who Waits has been waiting since 1913 (or 1975, depending on the dating protocol). Everything’s gone a bit pyramid-shaped in “The Legend of Ruby Sunday,” as RTD’s multiple twists kept us mostly distracted from the return of this classic villain. So what has he been up to for the last 7,000 years, and how exactly did he seduce the TARDIS into giving itself indigestion? Join us as we drop a few canon bombs, defuse others, and consider which other ‘Doctor Who’ gods might be in RTD’s Disney-money spreadsheet.
MORE SUTEKH: Listen to our podcast on Pyramids of Mars
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Pull To Open: The Legend of Ruby Sunday HOT TAKE
- Season 5
- Episode 25
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Boy Story (HOT TAKE: "Rogue")
Feeling Rogue-ish? This proud Regency romcom takes Who to places old and new, with enough charm and confidence to fill a shed. It’s a meta love letter to all kinds of fandoms, and cheekily drops in a mystery Doctor (and/or villain?!) like we wouldn’t notice. Join us as we cosplay a couple of podcasters and pour one out for another charming companion — the original, you might say.
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Pull To Open: Rogue HOT TAKE
- Season 5
- Episode 24
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Happy Daze (Rockin’ “Delta and the Bannermen”)
A trip to 1950s Earth to visit Disneyland? Ranking by stories that got our hopes up, Delta and the Bannermen is near top of the charts. But this is actually a bait-and-switch we don’t mind, because the detour to rural Wales sets off a nostalgic romp filled with period music, motorcycle chases, and hostile bees that are most definitely not disappearing. And boy, if you ever wondered why do fools fall in love, this one is going to be an absolute head-scratcher. Best not to think too hard. Oh, and be sure to blink in key places so any genocides or mass murders don’t bother you too much.
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:04:23
- Whomoji Challenge 00:08:06
- POLL To Open 00:19:29
- TL;DW 00:26:10
- Commentary: Delta and the Bannermen 00:29:07
- Four Questions to Doomsday 01:06:28
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:11:42
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:14:41
- Final Judgment 01:18:50
- Randomizer! 01:25:10
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Story Essentials
- Season 24, Serial 3
- Story number: 149, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writer: Malcolm Kohll
- Directors: Chris Clough
- Producer: John Nathan-Turner
- Aired 2–16 November 1987
Pull To Open: Delta and the Bannermen
- Season 5
- Episode 23
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Blackest Mirror (HOT TAKE: "Dot and Bubble")
It’s been subtle in the past, but Dot and Bubble is Doctor Who’s first overt homage to Black Mirror, the groundbreaking series that satirizes our relationship with technology in the darkest of ways. It’s ironic, then, that this story has one of the subtlest pieces of subtext in the show’s history, with a moral message lurking just beneath the skin of a biting script full of references to social media, popular culture, and gadgets that lull us into separating ourselves from the real world. This might be Doctor Who allegory at its finest.
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Pull To Open: Dot and Bubble HOT TAKE
- Season 5
- Episode 22
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Isolation Game (HOT TAKE: "73 Yards")
It might sound like a really spectacular field goal, but 73 Yards is one of the most unusual episodes of Doctor Who to date. With the Doctor missing, Ruby Sunday must stand alone against… whatever seems to be stalking her. Simple enough, but thanks in large part to a tour de force performance by Millie Gibson, what results is a terrifying story — one that will leave you thinking about it long past the credits roll. We honestly can't think of a better analogy than "spectacular field goal."
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Pull To Open: 73 Yards HOT TAKE
- Season 5
- Episode 21
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Carnival With Monsters (Cracking “Thin Ice”)
How much fun time travel is can often depend on the amount of melanin in your skin. That’s one of the lessons Bill Potts learns in Thin Ice when she and the Doctor take a quick detour to Regency London. At first it looks to be a lively visit to one of the Frost Fairs on the river, but mysterious lights beckon the pair, and soon they’re up to their tophats in street urchins and circus performers. Sure, we knew there had to be a monster involved, but color us surprised that it’s not the enormous serpent lurking under the Thames.
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:01:16
- Whomoji Challenge 00:05:46
- POLL To Open 00:10:11
- TL;DW 00:16:33
- Commentary: Thin Ice 00:18:22
- History Corner 00:40:21
- Four Questions to Doomsday 01:02:26
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:04:29
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:08:21
- Final Judgment 01:12:56
- Randomizer! 01:19:02
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Story Essentials
- Series 10, Episode 3
- Story number: 270, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writers: Sarah Dollard
- Directors: Bill Anderson
- Showrunner: Steven Moffat
- Aired 29 April 2017
Pull To Open: Thin Ice
- Season 5
- Episode 19
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Mine Craft (HOT TAKE: "Boom")
When Doctor Who veterans Steven Moffat and Russell T Davies get together, the results can be … explosive. In Boom, Moffat manages to mine classic Who history (hello, Genesis of the Daleks!) while referencing many of his own post-2005 Who scripts. But how will it land with new fans? Stand still with us as we try to defuse this situation with a hot take that definitely won’t raise your blood pressure.
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Pull To Open: Boom HOT TAKE
- Season 5
- Episode 19
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Getting Meta With It (HOT TAKE: "Space Babies" and "The Devil's Chord")
Beatles and butterflies, oh my! ‘Doctor Who’ is back, babes, and we’re cautiously optimistic about it. The first two episodes of the new season, ‘Space Babies’ and ‘The Devil’s Chord,’ show off the range of the show for newbies, but still manage to intrigue, please and irritate the old folks all at once. Join us as we reveal what RTD has to say about all that winking — and about the Susan reference! Bum notes not included.
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Pull To Open: Space Babies and The Devil's Chord HOT TAKE
- Season 5
- Episode 18
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Doctor Who 'Season 1' PREVIEW: Countdown to RTD2
The first two episodes of Ncuti Gatwa's first season as the Doctor — Space Babies and The Devil's Chord — are just days away. And here at Pull To Open, we've already seen them. And we say "we," we mean Chris. There's only so much he can say about the stories, however, so it's up to Pete to carefully probe the limits of his forbidden knowledge without revealing too much. Did The Church on Ruby Road properly prepare us for what's to come? Does the Disney money stick? And just how many nappy jokes are in Space Babies? We dive into all of it* *Note: There are no major spoilers in this preview, although we do discuss elements of each story that haven't been reported until now.
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Pull To Open: Doctor Who "Season 1" Preview
- Season 5
- Episode 17
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
O Holy Plight (Beholding “The Church on Ruby Road”)
Coincidence is how goblins surf time, according to The Church on Ruby Road. So when the Randomizer took us to Ncuti Gatwa’s Christmas special mere days before his first season, you can forgive us for being a little freaked out. Join us as we argue over literally everything in this light-hearted romp, from Ncuti’s narration at the start to Mrs. Flood’s wink at the end. But the moment has been prepared for: who is the Watcher, and why is he pointing silently at episodes that are still in the future?
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:03:16
- Whomoji Challenge 00:07:10
- POLL To Open 00:12:22
- TL;DW 00:17:06
- Commentary: The Church on Ruby Road 00:19:00
- Four Questions to Doomsday 01:11:34
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:14:33
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:18:12
- Final Judgment 01:20:54
- Randomizer! 01:27:07
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Story Essentials
- 2023 Christmas Special
- Story number: 306, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writers: Russell T. Davies
- Directors: Mark Tonderai
- Showrunner: Russell T. Davies
- Aired 25 December 2023
Pull To Open: The Church on Ruby Road
- Season 5
- Episode 16
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Disasters of the Universe (Unleashing “Flux”)
What the Flux? No, seriously, what was the actual Flux that happened in Series 13, and why has the Randomizer brought us here now? Can Chris Chibnall’s sprawling Time vs. Space opera even be explained? And did anyone notice the 7 billion dead dogs? Join your totally professional tour guides to Liverpool — er, Doctor Who — as we journey down the time tunnels to the ancient world of 2021 and summarize the whole story in our longest TL;DW yet. Like Evil Dan, we’re good at this!
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:01:30
- Whomoji Challenge 00:11:51
- POLL To Open 00:20:12
- TL;DW 00:31:02
- Commentary: Flux 00:39:08
- History Corner 01:30:34
- Four Questions to Doomsday 01:34:46
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:38:37
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:48:04
- Final Judgment 01:53:59
- Randomizer! 02:06:38
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Story Essentials: Flux
- Series 13
- Story number: 299, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writers: Chris Chibnall, Maxine Alderton (Village of the Angels)
- Directors: Jamie Magnus Stone (The Halloween Apocalypse, War of the Sontarans, Village of the Angels), Azhur Saleem (Once, Upon Time; Survivors of the Flux; The Vanquishers)
- Showrunner: Chris Chibnall
- Aired 31 October – 5 December 2021
Pull To Open: Flux
- Season 5
- Episode 15
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
A Message From Pull To Open
We interrupt this podcast for an important message.
The Media Copilot podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-media-copilot
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Lost in Transport (Contemplating Teleportation in Doctor Who)
Beam us up, Doctor! From T-Mat to the Kerblam Man, Doctor Who has a rich history of playing with teleportation. We lock onto the show’s best and most notorious materializations, examining how instantaneous travel between two points in space can be amazing or infuriating storytelling. Does teleportation make for lazy plotting or does it open up a universe of narrative possibilities? Grab your vortex manipulator and join us as we also tackle the ultimate question about transmats: Aren’t they killing you every time you use them?
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Pull To Open: Teleportation in Doctor Who
- Season 5
- Episode 14
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
Do You Dream What I Dream? (Awakening “Last Christmas”)
Ho-ho-holy hidden depths, Santa! Last Christmas is the Who holiday special where Steven Moffat bakes an impossible tangerine cake: light and Christmassy on the surface, frosty chills and an arctic expanse of meaning underneath. Plus it changes Capaldi’s Doctor forever. But why has the randomizer, famed for its seasonal programming, served it up to us now? One word: Easter.
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Timeline:
- Intro 00:00:00
- Previously… 00:01:44
- Whomoji Challenge 00:09:33
- POLL To Open 00:14:55
- TL;DW 00:17:28
- Commentary: Last Christmas 00:21:27
- Four Questions to Doomsday 00:54:37
- What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 00:57:51
- Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:03:56
- Final Judgment 01:08:26
- Randomizer! 01:14:36
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Story Essentials
- 2014 Christmas Special
- Story number: 256, per the The Pull To Open Codex
- Writer: Steven Moffat
- Director: Paul Wilmshurst
- Showrunner: Steven Moffat
- Aired 25 December 2014
Pull To Open: Last Christmas
- Season 5
- Episode 13
Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor
Music: Martin West/Thinking Fish
©️AnyWho Media LLC 2024
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.
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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
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
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.
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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
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!
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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
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!
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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
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.
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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