Episode List in Order

Jim and John find common ground after their Paradise Towers divide, both celebrating the three-part structure as potentially perfect for Doctor Who storytelling. The story features 1950s nostalgia, holiday camp hijinks, and Stubby Kaye from Guys and Dolls. The Relief Factor: After Paradise Towers' evisceration, John feared the worst. Jim's verdict: "It's no Paradise Towers" (thankfully). Discussion of whether you can go lower than a 1 rating and what "having a nice time" means for Doctor Who ev...

Jim and John experience their most polarizing disagreement since the Colin Baker era as Paradise Towers splits them into opposing camps—Jim delivering a devastating 1 out of 15 ("a Billy") while John counters with an enthusiastic 14 out of 15, declaring it his favorite story of Season 24 and a formative influence on his understanding of world building as a young writer. The Ratings Chasm: Final scores: Jim 1, John 14, averaging to 7.5—perfectly appropriate for a story that divides straight down...

John and Jim witness Sylvester McCoy's entrance as the Seventh Doctor with sharply divided first impressions, a regeneration Jim wasn't expecting to see, Kate O'Mara's scene-stealing Mel impression, and listener mail exploding with passionate defenses, dire warnings, and Shag's triumphant return. The Regeneration Confusion: The opening delivers McCoy in a wig tumbling around the TARDIS console, but does blunt force trauma from turbulence really count as a dignified send-off for the most maligne...

SPECIAL PATREON EXCLUSIVE THE OPENING: "Peter, Peter, please forgive me..." A countdown begins the most diplomatic disagreement in podcast history. BELATED BIRTHDAY & TIMING: John's birthday just passed! Next story is Attack of the Cybermen (aired January 5, 1986) - "the year I turned 18!" THE DREAD: John: "I'm filled with a little dread to talk about this with you, Jim, because I know where you stand." Jim: "Listen, we've made too much of it. Every fan has doctors they like and doctors they don...

John and Jim conclude Colin Baker's tumultuous era with a two-part finale born from tragedy, scrambled rewrites, and production chaos - resulting in wildly divergent reactions from the hosts and fandom's most controversial regeneration-that-never-was. The Production Nightmare: John details Robert Holmes passing while writing Part 1, Eric Saward writing Part 2 from Holmes' notes but refusing to release it when JNT rejected his cliffhanger ending (the Doctor and Valeyard falling into an abyss), P...

John and Jim examine the third Trial of a Time Lord story featuring the Doctor's bold defense strategy: presenting evidence from his own future, complete with a new companion who somehow makes Perry instantly forgettable. The Gutsy Introduction: The hosts examine the unprecedented decision to introduce Mel (Bonnie Langford) not at the beginning of her travels but as if she's already been with the Doctor for ages. Discussion covers the instant chemistry between Colin Baker and Bonnie Langford, Me...

John and Jim tackle the second story of Trial of a Time Lord - a divisive entry that Jim describes as "fair to middling" until a jaw-dropping finale that left him questioning everything. Production Challenges: John provides extensive background on Philip Martin's return after "Vengeance on Varos," Ron Jones directing his final Doctor Who story, and Eric Saward's resignation as story editor during production. Discussion covers Robert Holmes' passing during rehearsals and the courtroom set drama c...

John and Jim welcome back special guest artist Jerry Lange to discuss the Season 23 opener - a story that surprises everyone involved and showcases Colin Baker delivering what may be his finest performance in the role. The Return After 18 Months: John provides extensive background on how the show returned after the hiatus with a reduced budget, shorter episode format, and completely different vision from what was originally planned. Discussion covers the tumultuous production environment, Eric S...

John and Jim dive deep into one of the most tumultuous periods in Doctor Who history, exploring the fan response to the show's 18-month hiatus announcement and examining two very different productions from that era. Theme Song Discussion: The hosts review Chameleon Circuit's 2026 version of Peter Howell's 1980s Doctor Who theme. The hosts find it underwhelming, noting it fails to generate the excitement that should accompany the opening of a Doctor Who episode. They express mixed feelings about ...

Episode Title: "Bang Bang A-Boom!" - Season 12 Retrospective & Big Finish Review - Patreon Exclusive #85 SPECIAL MAIN FEED RELEASE - PATREON SHOWCASE DOCTOR WHO THEME MONTAGE: The Tardis Elliot Video: John sent Jim a montage from Tardis Elliot (a fan who makes trailers of Doctor Who episodes) featuring title opening sequences. John's Reasoning: "This is the last, with Tom Baker, the last hurrah for the original version of the Doctor Who theme. After this, we're going to start seeing the variatio...

John and Jim welcome back special guest Felicity Kusinitz to discuss the Colin Baker era finale - a story that generates surprising ratings diversity and sparks debate about Eric Saward's best (or most problematic) work. Production Background: Director Graham Harper returns after "Caves of Androzani" to helm this two-part adventure, the last to be shot using film for location work. John shares fascinating details about Eric Saward writing the script while vacationing in Rhodes, drawing inspirati...

Join hosts John Drew and Jim Beard, along with special guest Alan J. Porter, as they tackle one of Classic Who's most controversial stories - and discover they might be more divided on it than expected! Production Overview: This 1985 two-part adventure was written by Glen McCoy (his only Doctor Who story) and directed by Pennant Roberts in his final work on the series. The production faced several challenges, including John Nathan-Turner pulling Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant out of rehearsals tw...

Join hosts John Drew and Jim Beard, along with , as they tackle one of the most controversial multi-Doctor stories in classic Who history. Production Overview: The hosts discuss the behind-the-scenes details of this 1985 three-part adventure,...

OPENING: THE RANI INTRODUCTION: John: "So here we are again talking The Mark of the Rani, which now for you, Timey Wimey, you've already met the Rani, but this is the Rani 1.0, played by Kate O'Mara, who American audiences might remember appeared on the television show Dynasty." JIM'S INITIAL REACTION: "It is really interesting. I'm glad you brought that up, because it had occurred to me that I had already met the character and was somewhat familiar with her. At least I knew the basic setup beca...

Episode Title: "I'm In The Minority" - Vengeance on Varos Review THE EMPTY TARDIS: The Missing Guest: Felicity Cousins from The Flop Cast was supposed to join but had to bow out about an hour before recording - her voice has been acting up again. "I don't think she ever really fully recovered from the last time she was sick when she was with us." THE SEXY DOCTOR ANNOUNCEMENT: John: "She was going to miss the announcement that we are now dealing with the sexiest Doctor to date!" Jim: "According t...

Episode Title: "Colin Baker Fans Unite!" - Attack of the Cybermen Review THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY! Recorded on January 14th, the anniversary was January 13th! Three years of The Doctor's Beard Podcast! The Early Days: "I wonder how many people were listening back then?" Only a couple dozen, mostly friends. "How many of those people are still with us?" Patreon Originals: Shout-out to Dawn, Jameson, and Jamie Girl who've been there from the beginning! THE OPENING QUESTION: John: "What did you think ...

Episode Title: "Disco Who" - A 70s Retrospective SPECIAL HIATUS EPISODE - PATREON BONUS NOW AVAILABLE TO ALL! This episode was originally produced for Patreon sponsors in July 2025 and is now being shared with main feed listeners to showcase the bonus content available through Patreon membership ($3/month gets early access, exclusive episodes, and more!). THE DECADE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING: From Jon Pertwee's January 3, 1970 debut to Tom Baker's dominance through 1979, John and Jim reflect on te...

Episode Title: "I Am The Doctor, Whether You Like It Or Not" - The Twin Dilemma Review THE GREAT REVERSAL: After three seasons of John defending Peter Davison against Jim's criticisms, the tables turn completely. Jim embraces Colin Baker. JIM'S SHOCKING TAKE: "I don't usually line up with Doctor Who fans because I did not like Caves of Androzani and I liked this. I liked Baker. If it's not what the show needed at this moment in time, it's definitely what I needed. I needed a Doctor who was more ...

Episode Title: "I Need My Pain" - The Caves of Androzani Review & The Fifth Doctor's Regeneration THE CAVES OF ANDROZANI (March 8-16, 1984) Writer: Robert Holmes (returning!) Director: Graeme Harper (debut - directing from studio floor, not control room) PRODUCTION NOTES: The Fake Title: JNT put "The Doctor's Wife" on the production board deliberately to catch office leaks (ironic foreshadowing of Matt Smith's episode!) Graeme Harper's Innovation: Highly innovative direction with unrestricted ca...

Episode Title: "From Carnage to Cleavage" - Planet of Fire Review PLANET OF FIRE (February-March 1984) Writer: Peter Grimwade (his final Doctor Who work) Director: Fiona Cumming (her last story, dating back to The Highlanders) Location: Lanzarote, Canary Islands - chosen after Cumming promoted it with holiday photos! THE SHOPPING LIST EPISODE: Peter Grimwade faces an enormous writing burden with his final Doctor Who script - a literal checklist: Introduce Perry, reintroduce Kamelion (and write h...

Episode Title: "Santa's 3D Printer & The Killer Snowman" - Fantasy Takes Over & The Mechanoids Attack! - Patreon Exclusive Sample CHRISTMAS EVE GIFT TO OUR LISTENERS: The Doctor's Beard Podcast delivers a festive Patreon Exclusive perfect for the holiday! Join John (as Santa Claus) and Jim (as the Evil/Demon Magician) as they unwrap a mixed Santa's bag - three Doctor Who strips from the 12-week Dalek Master Plan era, plus an emotionally satisfying Dalek comic featuring the Mechanoids' first appe...

Episode Title: "Help Me! - Oh No, Don't Hurt My Daleks!" - The Monstrons Defeat & Problematic Depictions - Patreon Exclusive Sample HOLIDAY GIFT TO OUR LISTENERS: The Doctor's Beard Podcast delivers another Patreon Exclusive featuring comics discussion! Join John (as Kenix of the Monstrons) and Jim (as the Golden Emperor Dalek) as they tackle Bill Mevin's Doctor Who strip and confront a troubling but emotionally powerful Dalek comic. DOCTOR WHO STRIP: "ENTER THE GO RAY" (October 25 - November 15...

Episode Title: "Midichlorians Before Midichlorians!" - The Sorcerer's Apprentice Novel Review - Patreon Exclusive Sample HOLIDAY GIFT TO OUR LISTENERS: The Doctor's Beard Podcast presents another special Patreon Exclusive - this time venturing beyond comics into the world of Doctor Who prose! Join John (the Apprentice) and Jim (the Sorcerer Supreme) as they discuss Christopher Bulis's The Sorcerer's Apprentice from the Virgin Missing Adventures line. JIM'S BACKYARD: "I don't know from podcasting...

Episode Title: "18 Word Balloons and Doctor Genocide!" - New Artist Bill Mevin Debuts & The Daleks Fight the Rust Plague - Patreon Exclusive Sample HOLIDAY GIFT TO OUR LISTENERS: The Doctor's Beard Podcast unwraps another special Patreon Exclusive episode for the holiday season! Join John (as Demeter Thor) and Jim (as Emperor Dalek) as they celebrate a double feast - new creative talent on the Doctor Who strip AND the return to form for their beloved Dalek comics! OUT WITH THE OLD: Both hosts ag...