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.

But while Doctor Who's international future remains uncertain, the BBC is preparing something rather different: TARDIS Crew, a new animated series for CBeebies aimed at introducing younger children to the Doctor's adventures.

Could the key to Doctor Who's survival be attracting a new generation of British children rather than chasing an international streaming audience?

In this edition of Kasterborous, Christian Cawley and James McLean explore three connected aspects of Doctor Who's past, present and future.

We begin with Russell T Davies' forthcoming memoir, The Queerest of Folk, and his reflections on the Disney+ partnership. Was Doctor Who's problem the programme itself, or the platform on which it was being presented?

The conversation then turns to some intriguing Doctor Who projects that never reached television, including abandoned Series 3 story ideas and discussions of the franchise's various spin-offs. It's a reminder that Doctor Who's history is full of alternative directions, unrealised ideas and opportunities that might have changed the programme considerably.

Finally, attention turns to TARDIS Crew.

With 52 short episodes planned for CBeebies, the animated series represents a very different approach to expanding the Doctor Who universe.

James argues that introducing children to Doctor Who could be one of the smartest decisions the BBC has made for the franchise in years. Christian is less certain, questioning the role of merchandising and whether the cartoon will succeed in an increasingly competitive children's television market.

The discussion also takes in In the Night Garden, Bluey, Hey Duggee and the enduring appeal of classic children's television.

What do you think?

Was Disney+ ever the right home for Doctor Who? Are there abandoned stories you'd still like to see produced? And could TARDIS Crew introduce enough new viewers to secure the programme's future?

We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Kasterborous is presented by Christian Cawley and James McLean, discussing Doctor Who, classic television, science fiction and popular culture.

Visit Kasterborous.co.uk for more, subscribe to the podcast, and find us on YouTube and Patreon.

Classic Doctor Who featured an extraordinary range of guest actors, from familiar television faces to established stars of stage and screen. But how many were actually recognisable to audiences at the time?

In this edition of Kasterborous, Christian Cawley and Brian A. Terranova revisit some of the more intriguing casting choices of the classic series.

There's Dolores Gray, the American musical theatre star who appeared in Silver Nemesis, Don Henderson's memorable performance as Gavrok in Delta and the Bannermen, and Michael Gough, whose career extended far beyond his appearances in Doctor Who.

The conversation also turns to the pleasure of recognising familiar actors in other programmes, particularly when revisiting classic British television.

And what about Tom Baker? Brian recalls discovering the Fourth Doctor in an unexpected television role, leading to a discussion of Baker's career outside the TARDIS, from television drama and comedy to his distinctive voice work.

It's a journey through classic Doctor Who, British television history and the actors who made these programmes memorable.

Who is your favourite guest actor from classic Doctor Who? And what's the most unexpected Tom Baker appearance you've encountered?

Join Christian and Brian for another Kasterborous conversation about Doctor Who and classic television.

Enjoyed this episode? Support Kasterborous and watch our extended video editions on Patreon.

Over the years, Doctor Who has attracted some remarkable guest stars. But does casting a famous face necessarily make an episode better?

This week, Christian Cawley and Brian A. Terranova explore the programme's history of celebrity casting, from established stars making special appearances to relatively unknown actors who went on to become household names.

What separates a genuine celebrity guest appearance from an actor who simply became famous later? And how much difference does a recognisable name make to the success of a story?

The conversation takes in some of the biggest names to appear in modern Doctor Who, including John Hurt, Kylie Minogue and Anthony Head, alongside performers such as Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield and Tom Ellis, whose careers developed considerably after their appearances.

There's also the question of whether a guest star should disappear into their character or whether their celebrity status is part of the attraction...

As ever, Christian and Brian bring their own perspectives, memories and occasional disagreements to a discussion about Doctor Who, television and the actors who make it memorable.

Who is your favourite Doctor Who guest star? And which famous appearance didn't quite work for you?

Let us know what you think!

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

Support Kasterborous on Patreon

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

Why did radio drama and comedy remain such a strong part of British broadcasting — while largely disappearing from American radio?

In this edition of Kasterborous, Christian Cawley and Brian A. Terranova start with the very different audio traditions on either side of the Atlantic. Along the way, they encounter The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Star Wars on radio, Big Finish, and some almost-forgotten Doctor Who radio productions.

That leads to the peculiar British tradition of bringing television comedy to radio, including Dad's Army, Fawlty Towers and Blackadder.

But why did The Black Adder change so dramatically after its first series? Christian and Brian discuss the huge scale of Rowan Atkinson's original medieval comedy, the reduced budget that helped reshape the programme, the transformation of Blackadder and Baldrick, and whether moving comedy into the studio actually made it better.

There's also Red Dwarf, live studio audiences, Jeeves and Wooster, Not Going Out, Fawlty Towers, panel shows, and the question of why British and American sitcoms developed such different approaches to comedy.

In this episode:

• Why radio drama survived in Britain
• Doctor Who before Big Finish
• The British tradition of comedy on radio
• The Black Adder vs Blackadder II
• What happened when the budget disappeared
• Do sitcoms need a live audience?
• Red Dwarf: Back to Earth
• British vs American sitcoms
• When sitcoms start becoming dramas

Presented by Christian Cawley with Brian A. Terranova.

Kasterborous: Doctor Who, classic television and science fiction conversation since 2007.

The BBC has formally begun looking for the production team that will take Doctor Who into its next era — and some of the details suggest the series could be made rather differently in future.

This week, Christian Cawley and James McLean examine the BBC's new Invitation to Tender for Doctor Who, including its emphasis on high-concept science fiction, distinctively British storytelling and episodic writers — and the intriguing suggestion that the programme may no longer follow the traditional showrunner model.

Does the tender represent a genuine fresh start for Doctor Who? What does the BBC's instruction not to consult previous BBC Studios or Bad Wolf production teams tell us about its intentions? And with a new production unlikely to reach television until 2028 or 2029, what happens in the meantime?

That leads to something rather more controversial: Doctor Who Reboot, a fan project using generative AI to create an unofficial continuation of the series.

Christian and James discuss the results, the potential intellectual-property problem, and the much bigger question of whether using AI to recreate Doctor Who is fundamentally at odds with the programme itself.

After all, if the Doctor is a character who repeatedly champions human creativity, individuality and freedom over technological conformity, is AI-generated Doctor Who a particularly strange contradiction?

Plus: the Master's latest trick may have nothing on the Kasterborous YouTube channel finally passing 200 subscribers.

With Christian Cawley and James McLean.