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We watch classic Doctor Who, The Prisoner, and other old TV shows and movies to determine if they’re still worth watching for a modern audience.
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Two major characters in Doctor Who canon are introduced in this story kicking off Pertwee’s second season, but is the story itself Worth Watching?
We wanted to compare Peter Ustinov in this classic science fiction film to the work he did in “One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing” filmed the same year…don’t trust anyone over 30!
Since we were on the subject of food with our last couple of episodes, we couldn’t help cover this, one of Ron’s favorite food documentaries…
One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing turns out to be about how Won Ton soup came to the UK (spoiler!), so we decided to watch this excellent documentary about how Chinese food came to America, and how America changed Chinese food, and oh yeah, where did General Tso’s chicken come from?
This isn’t one of the better good old Disney movies (one of us likes it a lot more than the other) but sometimes lesser movies make for the best discussions, and this is one of those cases. We spend a lot of time talking about the historical context, and its impact on other films — in particular, Star Wars literally owes a huge debt to Dinosaurs!
And oh yeah, Jon Pertwee is in there somewhere…
An unusually strong season goes out with a world-ending bang in this classic story…but does it hold up for modern viewers?
Doctor Who meets 2001!
The invasion is coming from inside the house!
Jon Pertwee’s first story as the Doctor!
This 10 episode epic ends the Troughton era, and it’s an amazing way to go out!
This is the last reconstruction we’ll ever have to watch — yay!
For a story no one ever talks about and that we knew nothing about, we were pleasantly surprised! It’s a damn shame only one episode of this survived.
Over the years Katherine — Editor in Chief at Reason Magazine — and I have had numerous late night conversations at bars across the country, and this podcast is pretty much a recording of one of those discussions. The starting point is the Dr Who story The Seeds of Death, but the discussion is wide-ranging, philosophical, and funny. Just the way I like it.
The Ice Warriors are back, and this time it’s personal!
“The movie where the guy hangs off the clock.”
Probably the best silent film comedy in history, this is the film where everything Harold Lloyd had learned in his career came together in one sublime package that leaves even modern audiences in stitches.
And that clock image will be eternal.
Listen in to our non-silent podcast to learn more about the film and see what we think about it!
Our first silent film, and if you’re not very familiar with silent films this one will defy your expectations. No Charlie Chaplin pratfalls, no silly acting. This is a serious recreation of the trial of Joan of Arc, considered not only one of the best films ever made, but to have one of the best acting performances of all time. Definitely Worth Watching!
Max von Sydow is a podcast favorite, so we decided to go back to his early career — the movie that put him and Ingmar Bergman on the map. As usual, Max didn’t disappoint!
We have a great discussion about the amazing, intense Whiplash — possibly the best role of JK Simmons’ career?
Well, one of us really likes this one!
The first Dr Who story by Robert Holmes, who would become a legendary Dr Who writer. However, his first effort is often considered his weakest…what do we think? The answer may surprise you!
An official favorite of the podcast, with some of the most amazing villains ever!
We do a deep dive into an 80s classic that totally stands up today…say, are you or are you not “doing it”???
A fun romp with exactly zero budget!
In the first story of Patrick Troughton’s last season, will the revelation of the mighty Quarks change everything?
We love Max von Sydow, so Ron felt it was time to introduce Guy to one of his more serious films. With gritted teeth, Guy agreed to watch a foreign film with subtitles that wasn’t about samurai, and guess what, he liked it!
This amazing film by David Cronenberg is one of Ron’s “drag them to the couch” films, and he finally got an excuse to do that to Guy given that we recently watched another Ed Harris movie, “Needful Things”. (Don’t tell Guy, but this is way better…)
It’s just one of those rare perfectly constructed films that will hopefully go down in film history.
To see why, listen in!
We were surprised by how much we liked this, and how different it was from The Omen, the film it inspired. This is horror for adults, and we find it Worth Watching!
At the end of each Dr Who season, we like to watch a movie that the current Dr was in. In this case it’s The Omen, in which Troughton was a priest…we have a really interesting discussion about this whole Satanic matter!
The Cybermen are back, with a convoluted plan worthy of Heath Ledger’s Joker…And one of the characters in this story will become the next companion!
The pipes! The pipes! The pipes are calling!
See what we think about six episodes of seaweed in the pipes…and the departure of Victoria as a companion. Are we broken up about it or excited to see who comes next?
After seeing Max von Sydow in Flash Gordon, it was time for Guy to introduce Ron to his favorite von Sydow role in Stephen King’s Needful Things…stay to the end for an extended discussion of David Lynch’s career!
Given that Flash Gordon was the movie George Lucas originally wanted to make, and that Guy had never seen it, it was time to fix this![Note that a recording issue makes for a somewhat abrupt ending…]
Yeah our podcast is all about old movies and TV shows, but our origin story started out with video games. In this episode we talk about how we met through making video games, which eventually led to our fascination with Dragon’s Dogma 2…
We’ve all been waiting our entire lives to do this episode! Now you finally get to find out what we think about the franchise known as Star Wars!
Andrew Heaton joins us to discuss the amazing amount of inspiration Hidden Fortress provided for Star Wars, as well as going over the film itself. Without this film, Star Wars would have been something completely different!
This and the previous story, Enemy of the World, were rediscovered 40 years after they’d been lost. This is a story that follows up on recent The Abominable Snowmen, but takes place 30 years later. We loved Enemy of the World, how will this one stand up?
Lost for over 40 years, found a decade ago in war-torn Nigeria…what can I say, we both love this story! It’s now an official Worth Watching favorite. Listen in to find out why!
The definition of a “base under siege” story, this one introduces the enduring enemy The Ice Warriors (technically should be known as “The Martians”!). Does it hold up for a modern audience? We shall see!
Yet another lost Troughton story revived with surprisingly good animation. How well does six episodes of Yetis and Tibetan monks chasing each other around hold up for a modern audience? We shall see!
Finally, a fully live-action Troughton story!
Does this classic Cybermen story hold up today? How did fascination with Egyptian tombs influence this story? Why do Doctor Who villains never learn that you can’t make a deal with the devil? Find out all this and more!
High Noon influenced Outland, so we decided to go back and watch it in this context. We discuss the controversies, the qualities of the filmmaking, how it contrasts with Outland, and how to hold a gun so you can actually hit something!
Inspired by High Noon, with a stellar cast (Sean Connery! Peter Boyle!), coming on the heels of 2001 and Star Wars and directed by the guy who did a fine job on Capricorn One, how does this space western hold up?
With the third Halloween movie, John Carpenter — a favorite director of the podcast — wanted to take the franchise in a different direction, in which every year a new entry would be released that told a stand-alone story rather than just repeating the Michael Meyers thing.
Turned out the public wasn’t interested in Halloween without Michael, so the film wasn’t a success. But as always happens with Carpenter, it gained a cult following over time, and we dive into to see if it turns out to be Worth Watching!
Ron contends this movie has the most perfect 25 minute opening of any movie ever. Prove him wrong.
Also, Harrison Ford with a beard.
At the end of a season of Doctor Who, we like to celebrate the actor by watching one of his non-Doctor films.
In this case we’re watching Jason and the Argonauts, a Ray Harryhausen stop motion film that has had an incredible impact on one of your hosts, actually changing his life. To see what that’s about, listen in!
Wow, we were surprised by this one—the last story of Troughton’s first season, and seemingly the last Dalek story ever—is packed full of surprises, Daleks high on acid, and for once a pretty compelling Dalek plot to force the Doctor to mess with all of human history. Check it out!
An intriguing mystery filmed at Gatwick airport, this is Ben & Polly’s swan song…does it live up to the promise?
One of the weirder stories ever, managing to combine 1984 and Brave New World with giant intelligent crabs, this story surprised and delighted us. Check it out!
We both came into this discussion with our own conclusion, and each of us changed our mind a bit by the end. We make a lot of fun of parts of this story, but ultimately we found a number of things to like, and we had really enjoyed our discussion.
Is this half-missing story the big one that got away? Was a 1960s children’s show ready to compete with the effects of Avatar?
We give you all the answers!
This totally lost story introduces one of the most important companions in the history of Doctor Who…does that mean you should watch it? Or is it really just best to listen to this podcast?
Once you’ve listened you’ll know the answer, and it will be too late to change your mind!
We were pleasantly surprised by this Dalek story, which introduces Patrick Troughton as the Doctor and is one of the more interesting Dalek stories so far.
We use this small appearance in a forgotten but clever British TV show to get our first sense of Patrick Troughton, our next Doctor. Along with a discussion of his life and career and our trademark digressions!
Both of us last saw this as kids in the theatre when it first released. Neither of us knew what to expect now…so we were surprised and delighted to find a tightly plotted thriller with some great action sequences. Worth Watching!
The first “aliens are taking over our bodies” film, and one of the childhood classics for Ron. It’s new to Guy, let’s see whether it’s still Worth Watching!
For our last entry of things inspired by Seven Samurai, we turn to the animated series The Clone Wars (S2E17) for an amazingly faithful rendition of the story. Somehow in 20 minutes they manage to fit in probably more of the original story than anything else we’ve covered!
A Bug’s Life, Pixar’s second film, is a faithful retelling of Seven Samurai with some amusing original twists, with a dollop of Three Amigos.
Come for the discussion of the film, stay for Ron’s extended discussion of what it was like to work with Steve Jobs and Pixar back in the day!
One of Guy’s favorite films — we explore this rather clever and delightful take on Seven Samurai, by director John Landis and the all-star cast of Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Chevy Chase. There’s not much to say but “Did you see the little balls?”
In response to Star Wars, legendary cheap-ass creator of ultra-low budget films Roger Corman put together this film, using the Seven Samurai template. We went in skeptical and were pleasantly surprised — John Boy, George Peppard, Robert Vaughn (of Magnificent Seven!), surprisingly good special effects!
Does it overshadow Seven Samurai? Only one way to find out!
We start comparing Seven Samurai-inspired films with the very first, the Western classic Magnificent Seven. What does it copy and what new ideas does it introduce? Does it stand up to the original?
Well it sure has an amazing cast with Yul Brynner, James Coburn, Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn and more. And an amazing soundtrack by Elmer Bernstein which we guarantee you know even if you’ve never seen the movie.
Check this out to see if it’s officially Worth Watching!
We started by looking at Rashomon and the films it inspired, and now we’re doing Kurosawa’s absolute masterpiece, Seven Samurai.
We’re joined by friend of the podcast, Andrew Heaton, host of Alienating the Audience, to determine whether this classic holds up for a modern audience! (Hint: It does.)
And now Guy presents one of his favorite films…
Hoo boy, this one is dark!
Can Bill Murray pull off being a complete dick without going over the top? Why is the hard as nails drink you under the table chick from Indiana Jones a saint who is helping poor people? Does this thing hold up?
Only one way to find out!
One of Ron’s favorite films of all time, we have a great discussion about this classic film with one of the scariest bad guys of all time.
Directed by immensely talented and famous actor Charles Laughton who put his heart and soul into his first directorial effort, the initial negative reception crushed him and he never directed another film, no doubt depriving us of much great work that could have been.But at least we have this, and it’s now universally recognized as a masterpiece.Listen in and find out why it’s so great!
Ron’s brother was in town so we decided to let him choose the movie… Gladiator is a surprisingly historically accurate Roman romp directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe.We spend a lot of time delving into what was and wasn’t historically accurate, and how well they pulled off an early CGI film… Listen in and find out what we thought of my brother’s choice!
We’ve covered two silly Hartnell outings (Carry On Sergeant and The Mouse that Roared), so what will we think of an officially serious and socially responsible film?
It seemed appropriate to end Hartnell with the kind of “legitimate” film that he considered his legacy.
We love ya, Hartnell. Sorry to see you go.
It’s the last William Hartnell episode, the introduction of a classic villain, and the first regeneration, which would allow the series to continue for decades.
A true Doctor Who landmark, but is it Worth Watching?Only we can say!
(Listen to the end to hear a short post-Who interview with Hartnell that you won’t find on the web!)
No one ever remembers or talks about this early Doctor Who story. Is that because it’s actually bad, or just because it’s a lost story?
Join us as we work to figure it out!
While there are two more stories in the Hartnell era, in many ways this is the last true Hartnell story. It’s the final one where we have all the video and Hartnell is in fine form and plays a significant role throughout.
Also a good very valid science fiction concept, coupled with dorky ham-fisted robots.
Then there’s the truly awful way that Dodo is issued off the stage, perhaps the worst companion departure in Who history.
The jaded Dr Who guy has nostalgic love for this story—listen in to find out what the newbie thinks!
Ever feel a bit low in energy? Tired even after a full night’s sleep? Forget the C-Pap machine, Doctor Who has the real answer — aliens are draining your life energy!
Listen in to see what we think of this lost story, and discover One Weird Trick for rejuvenating your life force!
The first Doctor Who story that takes place in the United States, this is an amusing jumble of jokes, history, and a theme song that’s played over and over and may have led to multiple suicides.
Listen in and decide if this one is worth watching!
This is our shortest episode ever — is that a reflection on the story we’re talking about? We shall see!
We answer questions like “Is this yellow face?” and “Is this really tedious and not worth watching?”
It’s an almost completely missing story so the answers don’t matter too much, but check it out to see what you’re not missing!
This episode is exactly what this podcast is about: Two best friends discussing a well-meaning treatise filled with great science fiction ideas, dorky aliens with silly suits, and, well, lots of stuff for us to both appreciate and make fun of.
Also we discuss the impact of Spock’s death on us as kids, Mentos commercials, and whatever else comes up along the way.
Check it out!
An entirely missing story based on a true and very disturbing event.
Listen to our coverage to understand exactly what happened, how the Dr always claims to never change history while actually changing it, and whether you should hate the Protestants or the Catholics!
There was absolutely nothing good about the first Doctor Who movie…but this one is definitely a step up!
A couple of good special effects (such as a pretty amazing Dalek spaceship) and some plot improvements are definitely a help…but then there’s the weird disappearance of Barbara and Ian and juggling too many plot lines for a movie.
Tune in to find out whether this is Worth Watching!
This is the first movie where Peter Cushing played Doctor Who.
We love Peter Cushing.
We absolutely hate this movie.
The movie was made in response to the incredible reaction to the second Dr Who story, The Daleks.
Listen as your hosts regularly collapse into gales of laughter and perhaps occasionally tears.
Our pain is your pleasure.
You’re welcome.
Wow did we love Ghost Dog more than we expected! From independent director Jim Jarmusch and starring Forest Whitaker’s unexpected turn as Samurai, this is a beautiful and thoughtful precursor to The Sopranos and John Wick.
But is it truly inspired by Rashomon? Listen in to find out!
Does this Ethan Hawke vehicle meet the definition of a Rashomon-inspired film? Is it okay to date yourself without consent? Does the future happen if you say screw it and take a nap instead?
Answers to these questions along with a deep dive into the impact Robert Heinlein had on one of your hosts, a unique rendition of “Baby Jane”, discussion of the song “I’m My Own Grandpa” and more!
Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, Lou Diamond Phillips, Scott Glenn and many more amazing actors, in an Edward Zwick production inspired by Rashomon. Nothing could go wrong!
Nothing could go wrong, right?
We dive into this very Rashomon-inspired episode of the X-Files, considered by many to be one of the best TV episodes ever.
We do a deep dive into the amazing Charles Nelson Reilly as we try to suss out what actually happened to two lovers on one very strange night...
What is truth? Who is Kaiser Soze? Is this a true Rashomon film? How many people can be canceled in one film?
Only we know the truth!
And so we begin, watching a film where our task as a viewer is to serve as judge, jury, and possibly executioner at a trial where everyone seems to be lying to us.
This was an incredibly important film that put Kurosawa and Japanese cinema on the map and created a new genre of story that has become embedded in world culture.
Does it live up to the hype? And who is the killer? Join us to find out!
(Also stay for the bonus content to hear about a modern day true crime Rashomon story!)
For our next film season topic, we're going to watch an influential Akira Kurosawa film, and then the films inspired by that film to see how they compare.
To help provide context for this journey, we're joined by Peter Tasker, author of On Kurosawa
for a great conversation about Kurosawa, the Yakuza, the Samurai and how Kurosawa created the modern concept of Samurai, whether the director is still relevant in the West, and more!
Our second reconstruction is one of the longer Doctor Who stories ever.
This is our three episodes about this story consolidated into one podcast.
This podcast endorses the Mavic Chen/Sarah Kingdom ticket for rulers of the universe!
Our first real Doctor Who reconstruction!
Doctor Who does the Trojan Horse. We both really enjoyed this story: Well-written, clever and funny.
You don't need to hunt down reconstructions in shady corners of the internet, we've done it for you, and you can experience the story along with some bad jokes and witty observations.
After going through the story proper, we do a deep dive into the mythology and how the writers played with it. Given it a listen, you'll learn something!
This is a one-episode story that doesn't have the Doctor or the crew in it, and which is a missing story. So a couple of years ago the University of Central Lancashire's film department did a recreation, using the same methods as were done back in the day.
This is also a prequel to an upcoming 12-episode epic story, so required viewing for any classic Doctor Who fan.
What did we think of the story and the recreation? Only one way to find out!
YouTube: University of Central Lancashire recreation
YouTube: Making of University of Central Lancashire recreation
Finally we get back to our core mission, watching ancient Doctor Who stories!
This is an animated reconstruction of a completely missing story, and there are many non-animated missing stories coming up, which results in us debating whether we should start watching photo-based reconstructions, even though Ron has sworn he never will. As it turns out this was the start of a discussion that has some surprising twists that will be revealed over time...
Meanwhile, check out this 60+ year old story that predicted Maga and gender issues in our current times!
And so our season of Rage comes to an end with the one movie where the characters actually rage against an actual machine!
This felt like the perfect way to end it, and we have some interesting theories about the film...
Check it out, and feel free to take some cake but don't eat the guacamole!
How many women need to be killed to make a film worth watching?
Does being a good father justify being a mass murderer?
This is the only podcast that dares to ask (and answer) the most important questions!
With guests @MightHeaton of the Alienating the Audience podcast and @srsiskind.
We were surprised by the direction the second movie took!
Find out what we think about the conclusion of the 2-movie epic, and next week we have a discussion of both films with two fabulous guests...
And so we begin our epic coverage of Kill Bill!
Over the next three episodes, Guy and I will do our traditional walk-thrus of the two films, and then we'll conclude with a discussion with two great guests.
Follow along, it will be worth it!
And we finish up our epic discussion...
Between me perhaps having a scotch or two too many (hey it was a 3 hour recording session!) and some recording problems, I sound like crap. But hopefully the sparkling content makes it worth it!
Who Watches the Podcasters?
We were teenagers when Watchmen was published and it's been a part of our lives ever since, so we have a *lot* to say about it, both how it was created and the story itself.
Don't fall for the big joke being played on society, listen in to find out the Truth!
One of us absolutely hated this film, one liked it more than he expected.
Thankfully, hate can still lead to interesting conversations, as this episode proves. We do a brief recap of the movie, then spend most of our time contrasting it to the other Rage-filled films we've watched.
Check it out and choose a side!
We're proud of this one -- it turns out that V for Vendetta is much more relevant today than when it was released, and that your hosts have some serious disagreements about recent political events!
But...we have a real, mature discussion about it, the way people should.
Listen to this episode and check out the movie -- you'll be glad you did!
After Ron has spent half the podcasts mentioning he's never seen Fight Club, we finally talk about Fight Club.
Or we don't, because, you know, the first rule of Fight Club is...
This is the first time we're recommending that you watch the movie before the podcast, if you haven't already seen it. We treat this as "Worth *Re*-Watching, because we take the opportunity to talk about all the clues you wouldn't notice the first time through.
Join us on this strange trip indeed!
This movie is NOT what we expected!
Is it about white guy rage watching immigrants move in and take his job, or is it...about something else entirely?
We disagree with the writer of the film on this -- listen in to find out the truth!
What would you do on the hottest day of summer? Would you be proud of it?
This is the only podcast that asks, even if you're drunk all day, do you deserve some love?
Actor Aldo Billingslea helps us answer some of the big questions brought up by this movie, and provides his perspective as an actor on how things went down.
We're really proud of this episode -- Aldo, thank you for making this something special!
What's the big deal with sexy sunglasses?
Is mindless consumerism so bad after all?
In this episode we ask all the big questions, and we're all out of gum!
(Really, do you like have some gum you could loan?)
Today is a delightful discussion about one of the few perfect movies ever made, Ghostbusters!
Learn how Sherlock author Arthur Conan Doyle directly impact this film, the ins and out of the ethics of psychological testing, and the secrets that make this film work. No matter how much you know about Ghostbusters, you are guaranteed to learn something new!
1974: Banks can deny single women bank accounts.
1977: Sexual harassment is recognized as a legal claim.
1980: The movie Nine to Five is released.
2022: We do an episode on it with rebecca christiansen (Twitter: @rebeccarightnow).
Sort of a feminist remake of Bonnie & Clyde, this week we have Thelma & Louise! We're joined by the incomparable Sarah Rose Siskind to talk about the various ways men treat women, whether the initiating event was murder or self defense, the different ways women have found justice through time, and a whole lot of joking along the way. Just a plain old fun romp.
Next up in our Rage Against the Machine season is Bonnie & Clyde, the outlaws who embodied the myth of sexy bank robbers and captured the hearts of the nation (who were all just waiting to see how they'd die; it was the reality TV of the time). Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor in Chief of Reason, joins us to provide her unique and anarchy-tinged take on this story, and we have a great conversation.
Was Clyde really impotent? When they finally did do it, was Bonnie telling the truth about how good it was? Only one way to find out: Listen to this episode!
We continue our exploration of films that rage against the machine with perhaps one of the earliest to do so, and what might be essentially a prequel for Network, A Face in the Crowd. Film Professor Maura Spiegel helps guide us through this amazingly modern and relevant film, with a particularly surprising performance by Andy Griffith in his very first movie.
This film is a treat, and it we had a very enjoyable discussion -- check it out!
Welcome to our first rage-filled film, Network!
We have a fascinating and wide-ranging discussion with Nick Gillespie about media past and future, whether corporations really rule the world, did Walter Cronkite end Vietnam, do people have agency or are they slaves to the boob tube? And much, much more -- buckle in folks, it's a ride!
Rage Against the Machine!
We're kicking off a season of rage-filled films with a fascinating and wide-ranging discussion with Professor Maura Spiegel, who teaches film and wrote the biography of director Sidney Lumet. We discuss the purpose of and approaches to teaching film, the career of Lumet, and finally we do a walk-thru of the films we'll be discussing this season.
This is one really worth checking out.
Another comedy with William Hartnell! And Leo McKern whom we last saw in The Prisoner! And with Peter Sellers in multiple roles!
How does this compare to our previous Hartnell film, Carry On Sergeant, which launched the longest running British movie series ever? Which one would we rather show a loved one that we dragged to the couch? Listen in to find out!
One of our best episodes ever -- a delightful discussion with Toby Hadoke in which we discuss Season 2 all over again.
Who was the best/worst villain? What was the best Dr moment of the season? Which was the most impactful companion departure? You'll never know unless you listen to this episode!
We've reached the final story of Season 2! This is a delightful romp, only marred by the absence of Ian and Barbara, and we have yet to learn most of the secrets of the story...check it out with us!
It's another Terry Nation Dalek story directed by Richard Martin -- so how well does it turn out this time? How many Nationisms can we spot? And what's the Worth Watching official solution to the Mary Celeste mystery?
Listen to find out!
We sobered up enough after the bizarre experience that is The Web Planet to check out this latest outing. It's a bit of whiplash going between these two stories...don't forget to go through the gift shop on the way out of the Space Museum!
(This was originally broadcast as two episodes.)
Ray Greer is the kindest, humblest person I know, and the only person I know who worked on Tremors! He shares his wonderful stories with us about how this classic B-horror film came to be. This is a must-listen episode!
(This episode was recorded long before the great Fred Ward died...thankfully we had some very nice things to say about him!)
This is such a special episode...Toby Hadoke is well-known as a foremost Dr Who scholar, but he is also probably the world's expert on Quatermass, a massively influential series of TV shows (and later Hammer films) that laid the foundations for all science fiction TV and movies, yet is unfortunately largely unknown in the US.
In addition to an insanely in-depth discussion with Toby on all things Quatermass, Guy and Ron do a thorough walk-thru of Quatermass and the Pit, so you can experience what it's all about if you don't want to go to the effort of digging up ancient BBC series not sold or streamed in the US.
Is it worth watching for a modern audience? Are you kidding us -- a thousand times yes, already!
This story came after Web Planet, and the contrast couldn't be more stark. This one has great writing, great acting, and a distinct lack of dancing bees. But is great writing and acting enough to make it a proper Doctor Who story? Join us as we wrestle with this question!
Strap in, boys and girls, we're heading into one of the most controversial classic Who stories, and our newbie has no idea what's coming his way! It's certainly a...unique...story. But is it worth watching for a modern audience? There's only one way to find out!
A strangely humorous romp thru Rome in the time of slavery and murder all around...does it work for a modern audience? Does Zero Mostel get a solo? Who inevitably ends up facing the lions in the arena?
Listen in to find out!
One of the shortest Dr Who stories ever! But does that mean it isn't good? And what do we think of the new companion replacing Susan? There's only one way to find out! Us
We cover the story that was *supposed* to kick off season 2 with a bang, the return of the Daleks, the one that Ron loves unconditionally and that convinced him to watch Dr Who from the beginning, and see how it holds up. Ron is pulling every emotional trick in the book to get Guy to recognize this for the gem that it is -- will he succeed? Listen to find out!
We're back to Dr Who, with the first story of season 2, a rare three episode story. Join the jaded Dr Who guy and the now not-so-newbie as we discover the meaning of the title and determine whether this one is worth watching for a modern audience!
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This is the earliest movie Guy can remember watching that he wanted to revisit (other than "The Apple Dumpling Gang").
We had a blast talking thru this movie about a horny giant ape. We discussed important topics like why you should always take the clothes off a woman before giving her CPR, how to juggle multiple boyfriends when one is human and one is not, and what Peter Jackson got wrong in his later remake of this story.
Listen to discover the answers!
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Listen to the jet-lagged Ron recording from a NY hotel room and his podcasting partner Guy as we explore this unexpectedly high-quality Disney kids romp!
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The movie was not commercially successful, but that's okay, because we rewrite it for you to come up with an approach that would have been a big hit!
Also, should this movie be considered a part of The Prisoner canon? Listen to hear our surprising conclusion!
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Here are the final two of the four episodes Ron cruelly left out of his ordering. Was he wrong to do so? Only Guy can decide!
Also, our epic discussion about re-ordering the episodes based on this listening experience.
The resulting order:
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Here are the first two of the four episodes Ron cruelly left out of his ordering. Was he wrong to do so? Only Guy can decide!
Listen as your co-hosts try to navigate the shoals of disagreement to come up with the perfect ordering (or as Guy says, eh, he doesn't really care about the perfect ordering...)
Hint: Ron has a change of mind about at least one of them!...
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Wow, we made it to the final two episodes of The Prisoner, which, let's face it, are the definition of controversial.
What made the British so angry that Patrick McGoohan had to flee into the mountains and disappear?
Who is #1, after all? A rocket or a monkey?
Andrew Heaton, of Alienating the Audience, helps us figure it all out.
Listen to the very end for a very special coda...
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But there's no question this is an amazing story, half of it being silent, the other half very consequential.
Why is the milkman the most significant character in The Prisoner?
Can #6 ever come closer to escaping than this?
Also, listen to the very end for some very personal stories, involving actual death, and, believe it or not, one of our hosts possibly saving the other from being robbed.
We're almost at the end, folks!
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What's a Jammer? How much can you trust your underlings? Just who is out to get you, and why do they want you to wear that shiny medal?
You can only find out by listening to this episode!
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This is a dark one! It starts with suicide and ends with a career shattered. Whose suicide and whose career? Listen on to find out!
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Is a fast gun or a fast horse more important in the Wild West? Can you change a man's soul without changing your own? Is refusing to wear a gun equivalent to protesting the Vietnam war?
As always, all the answers are contained within!
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Who are the black pieces, who are the white? Who are the guardians, who are the prisoners?
Listen to this episode if you want to learn how to win against a chess master (satisfaction not guaranteed) or how not to treat your employees if you'd like to escape The Village!
We had a really fun discussion with this episode -- join us!
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Robby Soave, Senior Editor at Reason and guest host of the YouTube channel for The Hill, and author of Tech Panic, helps us sort it out.
Is Jesse Eisenberg's portrayal of Zuckerberg fair and accurate? Did the Winklevoss twins deserve their windfall? Is Larry Summers an upstanding guy?
For answers to these questions and a hilarious disagreement about the ending, with proposed alternate endings, check this episode out!
Stay to the very end for a fascinating little bonus bit from Robby.
Robby: @robbysoave
Tech Panic: Amazon
Us: @WorthWatching4 and Facebook
Sarah is an expert on psychedelics, a comedian, and an all around great person. We had a blast talking to her.
Sarah: @srsiskind
Us: @WorthWatching4 & Facebook
These and other philosophical questions are answered (or not answered) in this episode!
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Nothing is more important in The Village than the democratic process! If you want to know who to vote for, join us as we discuss the most important election of our times.
(Warning: Candidates may make promises they can't actually keep once in office...)
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Per Ron, this is a foundational episode, really what people think of when they think of The Prisoner.
Is Leo McKern the bestest #2 ever? Can art represent both the profundity of the religious experience and a rickety boat at the same time? Is it ever a good idea to allow for illegal weaponish items in the Village? Can a woman ever be trusted?
You won't know the answer to any of these questions if you don't listen to this episode!
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It's the episode that dares to ask, "Who the heck is C?" -- and does that mean this story is based on algebra? As we'll discover, the world is but #6's dream, and we're all just players on his sleepy stage. Join us to discover whether this is a worthy entry in the series, and don't forget to bring your bow tie!
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Is Speed Learning the next big fad? Who the heck is The General? How did Napoleon accidentally shape modern education in the US? And most importantly, what kinds of logic questions can you use to short out your computer?
Check out Heaton's podcast, Alienating the Audience!
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Is one of the most influential TV shows in history actually Worth Watching? Only one podcast is qualified to tell you!
Stay for the very end for a bit of a treat...
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There's only one way to find out!
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Uncover the mystery of the powerful Sensorites, the scariest aliens since the Terminator! They control people's minds, they float through space...what can't they do? Also, what's the fate of England in 400 years? To find out the answers to this and more, join the know-it-all Dr Who addict and the new guy who's not quite sure why he let himself get into this mess to see what we think!
Listen now (61 mins) | Does The Aztecs live up to its reputation? Is it really the template for Dr Who stories going forward? Does it have the best bad guy ever? Finally, is it worth watching for a modern audience? Join the jaded Dr Who addict and the new guy who's warming up to the series to see what we think!
Terry Nation's first story after his incredible success with The Daleks. Can he do it again? And will his new diving suit monster survive the test of time? Listen to the jaded Dr Who junkie and the somewhat intrigued new guy debate the matter!
(This was originally released as two episodes, which will explain some statements that would be otherwise nonsensical…)
We originally skipped this story, as we weren’t covering reconstructions (stories where episodes are missing and fans have put together still shots to go along with the audio), but eventually we changed our minds. So this episode was recorded as two episodes much later, and is being brought back in time...
Let's find out if it was worth it!
The jaded Dr Who guy and the newbie disagree on this bizarre story -- will it be the premature end of the podcast? What will their official recommendation be?
About Time 1: Seasons 1-3 (Comprehensive Dr Who book)
Resources
About Time 1: Seasons 1-3 (Comprehensive Dr Who book)
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Resources
About Time 1: Seasons 1-3 (Comprehensive Dr Who book)
Corrections
Ron refers to the composer of the theme, Ron Granier, as the head of the BBC Radiophonic workshop, which is incorrect. He was contracted by them to compose the theme, but it's accurate that he felt Delia Derbyshire deserved credit and royalties for her work on it.
Resources
About Time 1: Seasons 1-3 (Comprehensive Dr Who book)
En liten tjänst av I'm With Friends. Finns även på engelska.