In some alternate universe, the BBC had complete confidence in Colin Baker; Season 23 was produced and premiered right on schedule; and Graham Williams wrote the first of what would be a long line of excellent scripts for the show he once produced. None of those things happened in our universe, of course – but we still got the excellent Graham Will…

Last time Eric Saward squared off against the New Zealand Doctor Who Fan Club, it didn’t go so well for him. What about this time? Has Saward learned from the excesses that laid RESURRECTION so low? Has the NZDWFC provided us a better read yet again? Come listen as Tony Whitt, Dalton Hughes, and Alyson Fitch-Safreed debate whether a bunch of refere…

Some fans have called this story cursed, and after losing two-thirds of our first attempt to record this episode and then having to remount it three weeks later, we agree! (Is this what it felt like to make SHADA? They both have Denis Carey in them, so…maybe HE’S the curse?) Come join Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, and Dalton Hughes as we try to…

You’re listening to your favorite podcast (ha!), and they decide to cover SEARCH FOR THE DOCTOR by Dave Martin, one of the FIND YOUR FATE books featuring the Sixth Doctor. If you decide to stick around and here what Tony Whitt and Dalton Hughes have to say about this bizarre book, go to 159. If you decide you’d rather wait until they get around to …

Name me another podcast where such varied subjects as Season 6B, the morality of vegetarianism, the inherent racism of DOCTOR WHO, and the relative sexual attractiveness of Patrick Troughton come up in the same discussion. I dare you. Come join Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, and Dalton Hughes as we discuss Robert Holmes’ first and only full-leng…

For this synopsis, I tried to come up with jokes about the Master hanging around in a field waiting for the Doctor or the Rani giving one of her victims a woody, but I just couldn’t be bothered. Come join Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, and Dalton Hughes as we try to decide whether there’s any joy to be had in Pip and Jane Baker’s book, or whethe…

What exactly is the literary equivalent of a video nasty? And does the novelization of VENGEANCE ON VAROS really fit the bill, or is it more of a political satire in the vein of 1984 – or maybe both? Come join Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, and Dalton Hughes as we try to figure out exactly what Philip Martin was trying to do with this book, and …

Cybermen, Cryons, and cops – oh my! Add to all of that enough fanwank that the story should come with its own box of Kleenex, and you’ve got a recipe for a bad novelization. So how is it so good – and how did it come from Eric Saward? Again?! Come join Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, and Dalton Hughes as we discuss Saward’s novelization of a Coli…

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Eric Saward’s books are a bit…much. So what is a band of jaded reviewers to do when Saward takes a turd like THE TWIN DILEMMA and polishes it until it’s…well, less of a turd? Come join Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, Dalton Hughes, and our special guest Larry VanMersbergen of the DOCTOR WHO COLLECTORS P…

It’s considered not only one of the best but THE best story of the classic series. But can even Terrance Dicks translate the greatness that is THE CAVES OF ANDROZANI to the printed page? Come join Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, and Dalton Hughes as they ask that very question and many more about the novelization of Peter Davison’s final story! W…

What do you think happened to Turlough and his brother Malcon went they went back to Trion after the events of PLANET OF FIRE? Well, whatever you guessed, you’re likely to be wrong – especially if you said anything at all about Malcon. Come join Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, and Dalton Hughes as they discuss Tony Attwood’s sometimes fascinating…

While we could have done an entire episode full of jokes about how the producer, the writer, and two stars in this story were “flamers,” we didn’t. (Besides, our host has no room to talk.) Instead, we came to have a short discussion and ended up having one of our longest discussions to date, about a book that is surprisingly good. Come join Tony Wh…

Eric Saward’s novelization of his 1984 was almost 40 years in the making. Was it worth the wait? …Seriously, we’re asking. Oh, and we read a much better version by Paul Scoones, too. Come join Tony Whitt, Dalton Hughes, and Danny Celedon for a special 150th episode as they discuss both the fan and official novelizations of RESURRECTION OF THE DALEK…

Why are there two novelizations of RESURRECTION OF THE DALEKS – and why is only one of them any good? This time we discuss the fan version of the novelization with its author, Paul Scoones, to find out what led to the creation of this version, why it took so long for an official version to come out, and why the Daleks are doing what they’re doing i…

What could be worse than being sucked through the earth? Having our panelists make dirty jokes about it. (Heh. “Dirty” jokes.) Come join Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, Dalton Hughes, and special guest J.G. McQuarrie as they discuss Christopher H. Bidmead’s novelization of FRONTIOS.We are now a proud part of the Direction Point Podcast Network, i…

What does Kate Chopin’s 1899 novel about a woman cheating on her husband before drowning herself have to do with a two-part DOCTOR WHO story from 1984? Absolutely f*ck all. Come join Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, Dalton Hughes, and special guest Jim Sangster as they discuss why, with certain types of Pringles, you CAN eat just one.We are now a …

Come on in, the water’s fine! Mind you, it’s infested with Sea Bases, Silurians, and Sea Devils, with the occasional foreign saboteur thrown in, but it’s still warmer than being on dry land in Chicago right now! Come join Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, Dalton Hughes, and special guest Jim Sangster as they take a deep dive into the first story of…

It’s (still, barely) the 60th anniversary of DOCTOR WHO, and to celebrate, we’ve decided to take a little trip back in time ourselves, to discuss the novelization of the very first story of the series, AN UNEARTHLY CHILD! Come join Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, and Dalton Hughes as they revisit a novel that two of them have never read before. (…

It’s the 60th anniversary of DOCTOR WHO, and the moment has been prepared for! Well, mostly, if you consider a PowerPoint presented at Chicago TARDIS “preparing for” anything. Come join Tony Whitt and special guest Larry VanMersbergen as they look at a few of the most notable times an author has gone off target (get it?) to tell a different story o…

We’re back from hiatus, and it’s about time! Actually, this time it isn’t about time, for once. It’s about James Bond pastiches, mid-life crises, and both Freudian and Jungian interpretations of a plot that really makes no damn sense. Join Tony Whitt, Dalton Hughes, and Alyson Fitch-Safreed to discuss Ian Marter’s last, and definitely strangest, bo…

One day we shall come back. Yes, we shall come back. But we’re going on hiatus until November, so you’ll just have to wait. Till then, there must be no tears, no regrets. Just join Tony Whitt, Dalton Hughes, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, and special guests J.G. McQuarrie and Jim Sangster as the Five Critics discuss that sweet confectionery, Terrance Dicks’…

How did the Master seduce a young fan to the Dark Side using only a cricket ball? And why are the Doctor and Tegan suddenly so bitchy with each other? Come join Tony Whitt, Dalton Hughes, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, and special guest Trey Korte as we discuss Terence Dudley’s latest attempt to make a sprawling historical novel out of a two-part story, THE…

Ahoy there, landlubbers! Come join Tony Whitt, Dalton Hughes, and Alyson Fitch-Safreed as we discuss Barbara Clegg’s novelization of ENLIGHTENMENT, leading to questions about what Eternals actually do when they’re not existing, whether Turlough is really a developed character or not, and why the White and Black Guardians are wasting their time host…

Space pirates who look like gay 80s glam rockers! Shambling walking undead zombies! Exposition Patient Zero! Oh, and Nyssa leaves, too. Sounds like a hot mess, and on TV, it is. On the printed page…it’s something entirely different. Join Tony Whitt, Dalton Hughes, and Alyson Fitch-Safreed as we discuss John Lydecker’s novelization of TERMINUS!We ar…

When is a Time Lord not a Time Lord? When is an English schoolboy not an English schoolboy? And for the love of all that’s holy, when, oh when, were the UNIT stories actually set?! Come join Tony Whitt, Dalton Hughes, and Alyson Fitch-Safreed as we discuss Peter Grimwade’s novelization of MAWDRYN UNDEAD and try to figure these oh so important quest…

We can dance, we can dance, everybody’s taking the chance, it’s the Snakeydance! Come join Tony Whitt, Dalton Hughes, and Alyson Fitch-Safreed as we discuss the sequel no one was really asking for and how, just sometimes, the first movie really IS better.We are now a proud part of the Direction Point Podcast Network, including such fine shows as TH…

Omega’s back, and it’s about…something or other in Amsterdam, apparently. What is the Arc, and why is it infinite? Does it have f**k all to do with the plot? And who thought that giant pile of chicken bones was a good idea? Come join Tony Whitt, Dalton Hughes, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, and special guest J.G. McQuarrie as we discuss these and other abso…

It’s often been said that the main reason that TIME-FLIGHT is considered such a poor story is its utter lack of budget. But the wonderful thing about novelizations is that budget is no longer a consideration, and when a writer adapts his own script for the page, it’s generally going to be much better than it ever was onscreen. Isn’t it? Come join T…

It’s the end of an era. Never again will we be able to make jokes about Matthew Waterhouse – at least, not any good ones, anyway. Come join Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, Dalton Hughes, and special guest Jim Sangster as we discuss why we’ve all been unfair to Waterhouse, to Adric, and even to Ian Marter as we talk about his novelization of Eric …

In our newest episode, Tony gets lost in the walls of a stately manor, Dalton gets lost in the labrynthine rules of cricket, and special guest Jason Miller gets lost in showing us just how much his podcast and ours are “Two peas in a pod…positively two peas in a pod.” It’s time for murder, cricket, and horticulture as we discuss the somewhat overgr…

It’s the very first Peter Davison novelization, the very first novel by Eric Saward, and the very first photo cover that doesn’t suck. It’s also the very first appearance on our show of special guest Jim Sangster, as he, Tony Whitt, and Dalton Hughes discuss the novelization of the story that put gaudily decorated androids and plague mice on the ma…

And you think you woke up on the wrong side of the bed... When Tegan takes a nap on an alien planet and wakes up in a bad mood, everyone has to deal with the consequences. Oh, and Matthew Waterhouse tries to teach acting. This and more are in store as Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, and Dalton Hughes discuss Terrance Dicks’ novelization of KINDA!…

Alyson claims she’s never heard Tony sputter with rage before this episode. (She has, but that’s beside the point.) Come join them and Dalton as the three discuss the sheer stupidity that is FOUR TO DOOMSDAY, made only nominally better by the novelization by Terrance Dicks. As Adric would say, it’s “silly.” As Peter Davison would say of Matthew Wat…

It’s the beginning, and the moment…ah, you get it. Come join Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, Dalton Hughes, and special guest J.G. McQuarrie as we discuss Christopher H. Bidmead’s introduction to the Fifth Doctor, CASTROVALVA, and try to figure out if the new guy is actually going to work out. (Come to think of it, we’ll likely be talking about t…

It’s wintertime, when all of our fancies turn to snowmen, gifts under the tree, and sacrificing virgin boys to Hecate. OK, maybe not everyone does that last one, but “religious freedom,” right? Come join Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, and Dalton Hughes as we do our not-so-special Holiday Special and discuss Terrance Dudley’s bizarre novelization…

It’s Chicago TARDIS weekend (or rather, it was), and so it’s time for a special live recording to mark a special occasion in our podcast…the debut of the Cloister Bell! (JK, LOL, as the kids say.) Come join the discussion with Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, Dalton Hughes, and special guest J.G. McQuarrie as we are pleasantly surprised at how eng…

What exactly is it with the effed up society that Nyssa of Traken comes from? Maybe that weird figure in the Grove is doing us all a favor by getting rid of them all – but only if he also gets rid of the novelization by Terrance Dicks. Come join the discussion by Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, and Dalton Hughes to find out why this book should b…

What is going on in this story? If that’s something you’ve always wondered…well, the book will make it clearer, and maybe the discussion by Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, Dalton Hughes, and special guest Jennifer Picker might help. Might. Let us know what you think!We are now a proud part of the Direction Point Podcast Network, including such fi…

Get out your tourniquets and your butterfly syringes, and put those pesky crosses away – it’s time for the blood letting to commence! Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, and Dalton Hughes try their damnedest to celebrate Halloween as they discuss Terrance Dicks’ novelization of his own script for STATE OF DECAY and find themselves wishing he’d stolen…

EPISODE 123: FULL CIRCLEIf Limahl had been cast as Adric, we could’ve made endless jokes about FULL CIRCLE being a Never-Ending Story. Instead, we get Matthew Waterhouse. F*ck. On the other hand, we also get Andrew Smith’s surprising novelization! Come join Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, and Dalton Hughes as we discuss how much better Adric is o…

Can the puny minds of Tony Whitt, Dalton Hughes, and Alyson Fitch-Safreed even conceive the power of Terrance Dicks’ novelization of MEGLOS? Make sure to bring your towel and some Band-aids (sticking plasters if you’re in the UK), because this one is a little sticky. Ouch!We are now a proud part of the Direction Point Podcast Network, including suc…

We finally, and I mean FINALLY, begin looking at Tom Baker’s final season as the Doctor, as Tony Whitt, Dalton Hughes, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, and special guest Jennifer Picker talk about the very last (and possibly very best) David Fisher novelization we will ever read, from his script for THE LEISURE HIVE. Bring your beach chair and your winter coa…

We join the Fourth Doctor on a fishing trip (a Fisher trip?) as Tony Whitt, Dalton Hughes, and special guest Erik Gulbrandsen talk about the BBC Books Target release of David Fisher’s THE ANDROIDS OF TARA! Thrill to swashbuckling sword fighting and cybernetic sadism as Fisher tries to inject some interest into this tepid tale – but does he succeed?…

Was it really worth it for David Fisher to demonstrate how much he hated Terrance Dicks’ novelization of THE STONES OF BLOOD by going and writing his own? The only way you’re going to know (except by going out and buying a copy yourself, ya cheap mook) is by listening in as Tony Whitt, Dalton Hughes, and special guest Jenny Ingersoll talk about the…

EPISODE 118: PAUL SCOONES INTERVIEWIt’s rare that we ever get to talk to an author about a DOCTOR WHO novelization – it’s only happened once before – and now we get to do it again! This week, as a special episode before we dive back into the world of David Fisher, we interview Paul Scoones, the author of the fan version of SHADA and former editor o…

Why is it so much easier to successfully emulate Terrance Dicks than it is to emulate Douglas Adams? Maybe it’s easier to do when it’s a better Douglas Adams script, and SHADA…well… Come join Tony Whitt, Dalton Hughes, and special guest Trey Korte as they discuss the New Zealand Doctor Who Fan Club adaptation of the notoriously incomplete story, an…

There are times when a novelization can just about rehab even the most reviled story, and this is…almost one of those times. Tony Whitt, Dalton Hughes, and guest panelist Jason Miller discuss the general horniness of the Nimon and why Terrance Dicks is still the best when it comes to making a silk purse out of a bull’s ear.We are now a proud part o…

After a long series of mishaps keeping us from recording, we finally get to the one story we’ve been looking forward to for months now. Just kidding – we’re discussing THE NIGHTMARE OF EDEN, a story that lives up to its name both behind and in front of the cameras. Come join Tony Whitt, Dalton Hughes, and guest panelist Jennifer Picker as we figure…

In a new installment of TECHNICALLY TARGET, we tackle a book that’s neither a Target book nor a novelization of a televised story. Instead, we look at the novelization of the movie DR. WHO AND THE DALEKS by Alan Smithee (yes, that’s actually the name on the book). Come join Tony Whitt, Dalton Hughes, and guest panelist Danny Celedon as we grapple w…

EPISODE 113: CREATURE FROM THE PITThe cast is great, the writing is clever, the creature is…turgid. What’s not to like about CREATURE FROM THE PIT? Just about everything, really, even in book form. Come join Tony Whitt, Alyson Fitch-Safreed, and Dalton Hughes as they consider whether there’s such a thing as too much Tom Baker, and whether Erato had…