Doctor Who: Radio Free Skaro

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!

Chris absconded to Las Vegas  this week for liquor, gambling, and other licentious pursuits, so it was left to the other two pillars of RFS to hold the fort, which they barely managed. The subject at hand? "Turn Left,' which served as not only this season's "Doctor Lite" episode but also as a fantastic return to the series for Billie Piper, not to mention a sterling performance by Catherine Tate. The usual digressions and drivel-making were of course present, but without our tall co-host's derisive sneers and seething hate, it wasn't quite the same.

For once, the Three Who Rule were in total agreement that "Midnight," the psychological thriller/Donna-lite episode of this season's Doctor Who, was a fine bit of viewing. That left us with little else to do besides mock Who overseer Phil Collinson and engage in many a ridiculous digression, as per usual. Next week, Rose, dead Doctors, and atomic weaponry. Allons-y!

Dissent in the ranks this week, as the Third Guy forsakes a life of marital bliss with Who scribe Steven Moffat and rips “Forest of the Dead” a new one. Steven and Warren, on the other hand, were charmed and entertained by the concluding episode of the two-parter that began with last week’s “Silence in the Library,” and thus did vigorous debate and pointless digression occur for about an hour and change.

Silence in the Library marks not only the return of Doctor Who to TV screens after a week's absence but also easily the best episode of the season thus far. The Three who Rule waxed lyrical on the many excellent aspects of this Moffat-penned tome, speculated madly on the mysteries and plot twists sure to be answered next week, and of course digressed and went on mind-melting tangents as per usual.

With the villainy of Eurovision erasing Doctor Who from England's screens for the week, all we were left with was a corking trailer for the second half of Season Four and the wonderful news that Steven Moffat, ace writer and life partner of the Third Guy, will take over whip cracking duties from Russell T Davies come 2010. And, as threatened last week, we actually did a commentary for "The Brain of Morbius", one of Tom Baker's more violent excursions from the classic series. This is by far the longest RFS we've ever done, so let us know by telegraph, carrier pigeon or new-fangled electronic mail if we've jumped the shark or whether you'd like to hear more of our extended ramblings on the Classic Series (which, given the semi-hiatus next year, you surely will in one form or another.)

Another week of lackluster Who, this time set in 1920's England, starring Agatha Christie...and resulting in a bit of inconsequential fluff that added up to an at best average viewing experience. The RFS crew, always ready to make lemonade out of crap, soldiered bravely on and veered so wildly off-topic that they might just have gone full circle and accidentally gone back on topic again. Digressions ahoy!