Doctor Who: Radio Free Skaro

Chris ran into some serious technical difficulties this week, but eventually sucked up his pride and used a PC rather than his beloved Mac to deliver unto you, our loyal fans, a commentary of "Forest of the Dead." And that's it really, there was no news (other than a rather impressive changing of the guard in Washington, D.C.) to discuss, and for the most part the Three Who Rules stayed on-topic and focused on the episode playing out in front of them. Amazing.

Our commentary on "Silence in the Library" was upstaged somewhat by one David Tennant's decision to quit the role of The Doctor after the four 2009 specials. Fandom was agog, aflame and otherwise a-twitter with speculation on who the next Doctor will be, and we were no different, making this one of our longer prognostications. And we sort of stayed on topic every once in a while....occasionally. Also, as of next week we promise there'll be no more political appeals to our American listeners, for better or for ill.

Chris returned to the fold and lost no time flinging acerbic barbs in the direction of "The Unicorn and the Wasp," quite possibly the low point of Season 4, and certainly a story we mostly ignored in our commentary. One can hardly blame the Three Who Rule for their disinterest, but at least there's goings on in the Library (silent ones) to indulge in next week.

Steven and Warren braved the depths of mediocrity in order to bring you "The Doctor's Daughter," one of the lesser lights of Season Four. But after six months since our original viewing, it must be said that David Tennant rises to the occasion and puts in some first-rate acting in an otherwise fourth rate story. Brace yourselves and listen, chums.

With Chris still wandering around London without anything more than a 3G iPhone, it was up to Warren and Steven to again take the helm and offer the latest morsels of news about all things Who and bloviate on the Poison Sky, the second part of the Sontaran's return to form. Though precious little was actually aid about the episode at hand, Warren did manage to transfigure the Sontaran war cry into OBAM-HA! surely a new rallying cry for these final days of the American election campaign.

With the Third Guy back in England and without any Internet to speak of at the moment, it was up to Warren and Steven to bring...very little in the way of news, a brief review of the first episode of Season 2 of the Sarah Jane Adventures, and a commentary for "the Sontaran Stratagem," a welcome return of an old favorite enemy from the classic series. Not that the pair stayed on topic all that much (if at all) but nonetheless, things of a potato-headed nature were duly noted and celebrated.

The Three Who Rule tackled "Planet of the Ood" this week, one of the better efforts of Series Four and, due to the strange nature of the Ood visage, a chance to make many jokes about ladyparts. There were also terrible puns involving the word "ood." Oodly enough (ouch.) Enjoy, all!

The Three Who Rule waxed eloquent this week upon "The Fires of Pompeii", one of the highlights of Season Four and ruminated upon a surfeit of news, most of it debunking headlines from the Sun (which will later prove to be true, most likely.) Hilarity and shenanigans for all! Or...something. Anyway, enjoy the episode.

And with that, Radio Free Skaro reached 100 episodes. It's been a strange trip for the Three Who Rule to internet femto-celebrity and renown as slightly amusing Whovian reprobates, but here we are. And we celebrate this milestone by beginning our Season Four commentaries with "Partners in Crime." Allons-y!

More fake news and the continuation of our commentary for "Monster of Peladon" which, using our amazing ability to create nonsensical backstories to sustain interest, became a compelling after-school special about Ruprecht, the Special Needs Ice Warrior who just can't get a break.

The Three Who Rule were joined by a fourth, RFS friend Michael, who not only chimed in with commentary but also provided Chris with much needed Internet tubes for said conversing. The subject at hand? “The Monster of Peladon,” one of Pertwee’s lesser lights. Our bile was relentless as we criticized just about everything this story had to offer…which was little to begin with. Enjoy!

Never let it be said that Radio Free Skaro digresses or makes up its own back story for the classic series episodes that we commentate on...because that's precisely what we do, especially in Day of the Daleks, our latest butchery of the works of Jon Pertwee. Not a bad story overall, enhanced by our analysis of Jo's mental state (lukewarm), the secret life of Sir Reginald (tawdry) and the gaseous state of Chris's belly.

Things took a turn for the psychedelic this week, as the Three Who Rule recorded a commentary for "The Claws of Axos", a story best described as a product of its time. And what a time it was, with nasty video effects, UNIT mayhem, and the inimitable Bill Filer, Yankee Unit Operative and suave man of action. Filer!!

News was sparse this week, but all the better for us to leap into commentary on "The Five Doctors," one of the most pleasurable bits of fanwank to grace the British small screen, at least until "The Stolen Earth." Next week, the adventures of the intrepid Bill Filer in "Claws of Axos." Whee!

A titanic torrent of news was only the beginning of this mammoth episode of Radio Free Skaro, which featured almost an hour's worth of banter even before we got around to commentary on "Robot", Tom Baker's debut story. Much as the crew has a certain fondness for this tale of fascistic scientists, errant droids and wonky regenerative antics, they were unsparing in their criticism of the silliness on screen...and Warren said "MADOC!" a lot. Enjoy!

Despite the madness of Comic-con and Warren's current geographical position in San Diego, Radio Free Skaro continues with the second part of our "Talons of Weng Chiang" commentary. Wit, abandon, and politically correct tut-tutting of Chinese stereotypes await!

The three jaunty fellows were pleased as punch to commentate on one of the high points of Tom Baker's career, "The Talons of Weng Chiang," a fantastic set of episodes by the late, great Robert Holmes (though unfortunately marred by the casual racism of the period.) Since Talons is longer than a trip on a Victorian steamer to the colonies, we decided to split the commentary into two parts. Warren will be at San Diego Comic-Con next Sunday, but he'll do his best to get Part 2 off his hard drive and onto the Internet in a timely fashion.

The dark times begin as we enter a solid half year with no new Who, but the august crew at Radio Free Skaro have ably responded to this gulf in quality televisual spectacle with a new series of Classic series commentaries, beginning (sort of) with Black Orchid, a Davison two-parter done on the cheap and set in the 1920s. Sarcasm and japes, anyone?

After last week's mind-melting funfest, things could only go downhill...and they did! The Three Who Rule were unsparing in their criticism of a finale episode that had its moments but seriously underwhelmed. Still, that didn't stop Warren, Steven and Chris from staying mostly on topic and ranting about what will be the last bit of new Who for quite some time. Next week, a Black Orchid commentary, take it or leave it!

"The Stolen Earth," the penultimate episode of Series 4, was a barnburning spectacular of fanwankian proportions, and the RFS crew did their level best to keep their geeky selves in check before effusively praising (or in the case of Chris, begrudgingly praising) a jam-packed episode full of danger, Davros, Daleks, derring-do, and other things starting with the letter "D". Delightful!