Downtime

Celebrate 400 episodes with Dom Bettinelli and Jimmy Akin as they tackle Downtime, a rare Doctor Who story without the Doctor. A direct-to-video fan production with classic characters and the Great Intelligence’s sinister web, they uncover its surprising legacy and connections to canon.

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Joy to the World

Unwrap the 15th Doctor’s Christmas special with Dom Bettinelli, Jimmy Akin, and Fr. Chip Hines. With star seeds, time hotels, and a heartfelt nod to the Star of Bethlehem, they discuss themes of hope, humanity, and a very Moffat Christmas.

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Nightmare of Eden

Come along with Dom Bettinelli and Jimmy Akin as they discuss the Fourth Doctor story Nightmare of Eden. They cover its chaotic production, heavy-handed anti-drug themes, and clever sci-fi ideas while reflecting on memorable characters, quirky monsters, and moral dilemmas.

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The Space Pirates

Dive with Dom Bettinelli and Jimmy Akin into The Space Pirates, a 2nd Doctor story full of space Western vibes and colorful characters, but also with pacing issues, stretched plotlines, and minimal Doctor agency.

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The Ark

The First Doctor and the Earth’s destruction! Dom Bettinelli and Jimmy Akin discuss this story of the Doctor encountering the last humans and a race of Monoids in a tale of disease, suspicion, conflict, and betrayal, highlighting the time-jumping narrative, Dodo’s introduction, and more.

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The Creature from the Pit

A metal scarce planet, a metal-rich one, and a dictator. Dom Bettinelli and Jimmy Akin discuss this 4th Doctor and Romana story, especially the humor and clever wordplay, the problematic creature design, and economic themes.

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The Natural History of Fear

The 8th Doctor in dystopia. Dom Bettinelli and Jimmy Akin discuss this story of an Orwellian society, memory manipulation, state-enforced happiness, manipulated rebellion, and a twist that could only occur in an audio story.

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A Life of Crime (Big Finish)

The 7th Doctor in a heist caper! Dom Bettinelli and Jimmy Akin discuss the turn of Mel and her relationship with Doctor given her crime connection; the unique alien crime bosses; the moral ambiguity in Lefty’s journey; and how the Doctor chooses mercy and compassion even for monsters.

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Frontios

The 5th Doctor encounters psychic snails and a human colony on the edge of extinction. Dom Bettinelli and Jimmy Akin discuss Turlough’s evolution from whiny traitor to capable companion; the destruction of the Tardis; and the Doctor’s moral stance on intervening in human history.

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The Green Death

The 3rd Doctor in a Welsh coal mine! Dom Bettinelli and Jimmy Akin discuss this story of AI run amok, environmental disaster, and corporate corruption, plus a Companion leaves and we get the first female Doctor?

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The Seeds of Death

The 2nd Doctor and the Ice Warriors. Dom Bettinelli and Jimmy Akin discuss this story of an invasion via the Moon and themes of hubris and overreliance on technology; redemption for prior cowardice and treason; and dynamic between Jamie and Zoe.

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The Top of the Tree (Big Finish)

The 11th Doctor and Kazran Sardik caught up in the a giant tree. Dom Bettinelli and Jimmy Akin discuss this audio story featuring a colossal tree in space, acidic sap, space insects, and human castaways making a most odd ecology.

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The Massacre

The 1st Doctor and Stephen end up in the midst of France’s Wars of Religion. Dom Bettinelli and Jimmy Akin discuss the religious background of the Catholics and Huguenots; the significance of the Doctor’s double; and how the story ended up as audio-only.

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Destiny of the Daleks

The 4th Doctor and a regenerated Romana return to Skaro. Dom Bettinelli and Jimmy Akin discuss the conundrum of getting caught between two robot-like enemies and how their logic drives a stalemate and how self-sacrifice confounds them.

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The Creed of the Kromon

The 8th Doctor and Charley in the Divergent Universe! Dom Bettinelli and Jimmy Akin discuss their encounter with the termite-like Kromon whose society has been modeled on a soulless corporate bureaucracy and the resistance to their tyranny by the normally peaceful C’Rizz, a new Companion.

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The Belly of the Beast (Big Finish)

Missy is back in this audio story as discussed by Dom Bettinelli and Jimmy Akin. This is capricious and malevolent Missy, manipulating and exploiting others for personal profit, but also amusement in a cautionary tale of dehumanization and cruelty.

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Wink (Big Finish)

Six and Ten together! Dom Bettinelli and Jimmy Akin discuss this audio story that brings David Tennant and Colin Baker together to face the Weeping Angels and a possible bootstrap paradox with all the fun banter you’d expect.

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The Awakening

Reenactment gone awry! Dom Bettinelli and Jimmy Akin discuss this 5th Doctor story of an ancient alien evil feeding off psychic energy in a small village, including parapsychological elements and the capacity for violence by otherwise reasonable people.

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