The voice of K-9 has fallen silent. In this edition of Kasterborous, Christian Cawley, James McLean and Brian A. Terranova remember John Leeson, the actor who brought one of Doctor Who's most beloved companions to life.

From his early days alongside Tom Baker to K-9's return in School Reunion and The Sarah Jane Adventures, Leeson's distinctive performance helped transform a robotic dog into an enduring part of Doctor Who history.

We reflect on his career, his dedication to the character and the remarkable affection K-9 continues to inspire among fans.

The conversation also turns to Walter Koenig, whose performances as Pavel Chekov in Star Trek and Alfred Bester in Babylon 5 made him a familiar face to generations of science-fiction viewers.

Then we return to Doctor Who and Peter Capaldi. The former Doctor's recent comments prompt a discussion about the programme, its creative direction and what the future might hold.

Along the way, we consider the lasting impact of familiar television performers and why the passing of actors associated with our favourite programmes can feel surprisingly personal.

Finally, we look ahead to a forthcoming discussion about Patrick Stewart and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

In this episode:

• Remembering John Leeson and his work as K-9.
• The enduring appeal of the Doctor's robotic companion.
• Walter Koenig's contributions to Star Trek and Babylon 5.
• Peter Capaldi's thoughts on Doctor Who.

• The changing relationship between audiences and their favourite science-fiction programmes.

What are your favourite memories of John Leeson and K-9? And what do you make of Peter Capaldi's comments about Doctor Who?

We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Enjoyed the episode? Support Kasterborous on Patreon for extended video editions, additional discussions and exclusive content.

Support Kasterborous on Patreon

Kasterborous is presented by Christian Cawley, James McLean and Brian A. Terranova, bringing you conversations about Doctor Who, science fiction, classic television and popular culture.

Hello! Another Kasterborous chat for you this week with the full team of Christian Cawley, James McLean, and Brian Terranova.

This time, we're bringing together three conversations about television past and present — from the frustrations of streaming to Doctor Who edits and the decidedly different world of 1970s superheroes.

First, has streaming actually made it harder to discover good television? With programmes scattered across an ever-growing collection of services, we look at how finding something to watch has changed — and whether we've lost something from the days when you could simply stumble across a great programme.

Then we turn to Doctor Who. If you could go back to the original material and make your own edit, what would you change? Which stories could benefit from a little judicious cutting, rearranging or reconsideration?

Finally, it's back to the 1970s and two very different attempts to bring Marvel superheroes to television: Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk. Long before the MCU established what audiences expect from live-action superheroes, television had its own ideas about how these characters should work.

Three conversations, one extended edition of Kasterborous.

In this edition:

• Has streaming killed the accidental discovery of great television?

• The problem with programmes being scattered across multiple services

• What would we re-edit in classic Doctor Who?

• Looking back at television with the benefit of hindsight

• The strange world of 1970s live-action Spider-Man

• Bill Bixby, Lou Ferrigno and The Incredible Hulk

• How superhero television changed long before the MCU

With Christian Cawley, James McLean and Brian A. Terranova. This edition is available as a video on our Patreon, with shorter videos on our YouTube channel.

Who will make Doctor Who next? And after the Disney+ experiment, could the programme be heading for its biggest reinvention since 2005?

In this edition of Kasterborous, Christian Cawley and James McLean discuss the uncertain future of Doctor Who, from the BBC's search for a new production company to the controversy surrounding AI-generated Doctor Who.

We start with the BBC's search for a new production partner. With Jed Mercurio, World Productions, ITV Studios and STV Studios among the names being discussed, Christian and James consider what a change of production company could mean for the series. Could Doctor Who move to Scotland? Would a smaller, more character-driven approach work better? And does the programme need to rediscover what made it successful in the first place?

Then, we move onto the AI comments from new BBC Director-General Matt Britton. They've led to concerns within the organization and beyond about the implications for actors, writers and the wider television industry. Is artificial intelligence a useful creative tool, or does it threaten the very people who make television worth watching?

In this episode

• Jed Mercurio and the companies interested in producing the next era.
• The possibility of ITV Studios or STV Studios taking over production.
• Whether Doctor Who needs a new creative direction as well as a new production company.
• The controversy surrounding AI-generated television and the BBC's response.

Who would you like to see producing Doctor Who? Should the programme embrace a completely new direction, or return to the approach that made it successful?

Share your thoughts with us! Leave a comment, or email podkasterborous@gmail.com

Kasterborous is presented by Christian Cawley and James McLean, bringing you conversations about Doctor Who, science fiction, classic television and popular culture.

This edition was released with additional materal for our Patreon members. Support Kasterborous on Patreon for extended video editions and archive content.