Mrs Golightly’s Happy Travelling University and Commentary
In our highest-rated episode since 1979, Nathan, James, Todd and Richard celebrate Christmas aboard the Titanic with champagne, buffalo wings and Kylie Minogue. It looks like it’s going to be a successful maiden voyage — after all, the episode is called Voyage of the Damned.
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Nathan is on Twitter as @nathanbottomley, James is @ohjamessellwood, Todd is @toddbeilby, and Richard is @RichardLStone. The Flight Through Entirety theme was arranged by Cameron Lam, and the strings performance was by Jane Aubourg. You can follow the podcast on Twitter at @FTEpodcast.
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You can find Jodie into Terror, our flashcast on Series 11 of Doctor Who, at jodieintoterror.com, at @JodieIntoTerror on Twitter, on Apple Podcasts, and wherever podcasts can be found. We’re planning to return in the New Year with our ill-considered hot takes on Series 12.
Our James Bond commentary podcast is called Bondfinger, and you can find that at bondfinger.com, at @bondfingercast on Twitter, on Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else as well. We’ve just released a Very Special Christmas Bondfinger, in which we comment on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which shares a surprising amount of DNA with You Only Live Twice.
Episode 179: Mrs Golightly’s Happy Travelling University and Commentary · Recorded on Sunday 8 December 2019 · Download (75.0 MB)
Transcript
Hello, Delissa, and welcome back to Flight Through Entirety, the only Doctor Who commentary podcast that firmly believes that no Christmas can be truly festive without generous helpings of Clive Swift.
I'm Nathan.
I'm James.
I'm Todd.
Oh, and I'm a Harper Mark's cropped yellow fright wig on a singing budgie for this one.
Oh, hi, Kalin. wonderful.
So it's Christmas. and we are watching Voyage of the Damned.
This will be our last episode for a little bit, but we will be back next year for our coverage.
Well, Bondfinger, for our coverage of series 4.
We have our Blu-ray ready to go.
We're on the menu screen and we're going to be pressing the play button when you next hear me say the code word miserable.
So the next time I say that word, I want you to press play.
Oh, he's hoping this works, okay, are we ready to go?
miserable.
And we're off.
I'm taking it personally, Todd.
How about you?
Present company excluded.
Very confused, Richard.
Oh, here's David, looking very glum.
I don't remember being miserable watching this.
I can't even remember doing a proper commentary on this, did we?
No, no, this is it.
We're just doing this I'll be doing it now.
We've been doing it now. doing it now, Richard.
Well, it does look like my apartment.
That is my bathroom and that probably is my cat holed up in the in the wall behind the dummy.
That's my life for the last 24 hours.
Not a euphemism.
What?
Very much like the Titanic. very much like this podcast.
So this is huge, isn't it?
Is this Richard or Todd?
Tods will not.
Ratings?
I think it was 12.8.
No, 13.3?
Oh, even, even, even more, I think.
Isn't it the virtually the highest rated episode to this point, it is.
Is that it's the highest rate.
It's still the highest rated episode of the new series.
Yeah And is it number one or number 3 for the week?
It was number 2 for the week?
After EastEnders.
After EastEnders had broadcast straight after with an extra 600,000 or so.
It's the 8th most watched Doctor Who story of all time.
Wow.
But didn't City of Deer?
City of Death was the highest, but then there was, so it was City of Death 4 was the highest, then three, then Destiny of the Daleks 4.
Wow.
Oh, Bellamy Calendar.
Arc and Space 2, but none of the other parts.
And the web planet.
Of course, the web planet.
So the web planet rated better than this did.
And you can see why.
Oh, so it's giving away that this is the Titanic, but it's probably not the Titanic we were expecting.
Oh.
Yeah, because now we see we see Jimmy V there as Banacafalata.
So suddenly there's an alien.
Oh, and robot angels, obviously.
But wasn't it an exciting moment for the listeners?
Kylie Minogue.
Soul 3.
I just spat a piece of Christmas duck and said, what the hell are they doing not paying off Terry Jones and Douglas Adams?
Yes, Starship Titanic, which was a...
How did we get away with this?
Yeah.
So the original, the working title for this story was Starship Titanic, until someone pointed out that they were infringing on Douglas Adams's copyright.
But just, no, seriously.
I mean, really?
DD, no.
And he probably had read it, read the book at some point.
But also, you know, like that that gay man book is about a starship Titanic that isn't a disaster.
Well, the name Titanic, like it wasn't going to be. of course it is.
Of course it is.
And there's robots and things on it.
It's Douglas Adams.
Yeah.
Probably robot monks.
Voyage of the damn.
It looks spectacular, doesn't it?
I mean, that looks amazing.
And that's our opening shot from Rose that the Titanic is kind of sailing in front of with the moon in the background.
It's the 1st Doctor Who story of the new series that they upscaled into HD for broadcast.
Director James Hall.
I got it wrong several podcasts ago.
Did you?
Was it James Palmer?
No, James Strong.
Charles Palmer, where you said.
Yeah, yeah.
James Strong, isn't it?
James Hawes.
Oh, I thought it was James Strong.
Seems we were both wrong.
There you go.
We'll come up with a few other people who directed this as well.
Russell Toby.
Russell Toby.
Yes.
So they do tell a story about Russell Tovey on the commentary, and it's Phil Collinson and Russell T. Davies guffawing in a very kind of inappropriately sexual way about a story with Russell Tovey and a jet ski.
And his ears.
And.
They say you will never know what it is that we're laughing about listeners at home. think we do.
It wasn't downhill skiing.
So what had he been in at this point?
Appeal to balcony.
Was he in being human yet?
He wasn't being him.
Yeah, okay.
That's where I knew him from.
Oh, okay. have absolutely nothing but discomfort with Russell Toby on my screen.
There is something about his, I could be horribly wrong.
It could just be his actor's style, but I'm picking up all those people you just shouldn't date.
Speaking of which here's one.
Well, I can see what he's doing.
It's actually just an older version.
I'm not going to comment on that because I've heard stories.
I just get that sense of a flaming narcissist, to be honest with you.
I gay man. could be horribly wrong.
I remember actually being a bit relieved when he left being human because the boy who replaced him was lovely.
So the boy that replaced him as the brother of the girl from Misfits.
And Jason cannot watch him because he looks too much like his sister.
I was like, oh, he's very pretty.
He's like, no.
Don't you love how Kylie has dragged up entirely like Jodie Whitaker's grandmother, Gracie Fields.
She does look like, I know it's she's got a period look, but look, and I love loving Kylie. she and I are only a few months different in age, that she really does look like someone's granny in this.
Passenger 57 is Wesley Snipes reference, apparently.
Really?
There was a film.
Passenger 57.
He's passenger 57 and he tries to save a plane from hijackers.
Yeah.
Information.
Well, that's another thing.
It's like saying Chan or Tho at the, you know, at the end of each line.
They have to say information even when they're about to kill you.
I love this introduction because, you know, he just wanders around and sort of sees, we see enough of the characters just appearing and, you know, making it clear who they are, but he doesn't interact with them.
So it's called It's called the Titanic, but no one knows about how the Titanic story ends.
That is a deliberate max headroom as well.
My God, we're showing our age, aren't we?
And there is that...
These robots, of course, remind us all of the robots of death.
Yes.
And all those calendars where we 1st saw gentlemen in swimwear in the 1980s.
Really?
I think some subscribed it as at the time as Herobots of Death meets the Poseidon event.
Well, I mean, it's master race caterers.
They all look like Harry and Christmas decorations.
Oh hello.
But it's, it is, I mean, this stuff too.
That's very robots of death where, you know, the broken robots are up against the wall and everything.
It is very definitely Russell just mining the history of the program for things that he knows work and for things that don't need lots of explanation.
You know, like homicidal robots.
He doesn't need to give us a science fiction explanation.
So we can be stuffed full of turkey and alcohol and still understand what's going on.
Couldn't they have, they have been from, from the planet Caldor, whatever.
Maybe they are.
So had Kylie been ill?
Yes, this is her comeback after her cancer.
It's her 1st action role after cancer.
Yeah, and like I think she does look...
She's looking fantastic in that case.
That's so cool.
I need to say this.
I've been a Kylie Minogue fan since locomotion in 1987.
Yeah, right?
Like, and I adore her as an entertainer, as a singer.
And I just want to say that the Australian locomotion is still the best thing ever. and SAW remake of the locomotion is a piece of crap.
And I just need to get that off my chest.
But I don't rate her much as an actress.
Not a very good actress.
And anything that she's been in, whether it be biodome or street fighter or that thing with the exploding whale or neighbours.
This is okay in the delinquents.
Or in the Kath and Kim Christmas special.
She does all the right moods.
She says all the right things.
She hits the mark, she's doing it all, but I find that there's a lack of depth.
I don't know whether it's her voice or there's something that I struggle with and maybe it's because I prefer as a singer and entertainer and all that sort of thing.
And I really hated this hair, hated it. absolutely hated it at the time.
It reminded me of the delinquent's hair.
It's not as bad now.
She had her wardrobe.
But again, she is coming back from being ill.
She does look a little bit sort of tired.
I think, I think, though, she's not really required to act because she's required to get 13000000 people watching the episode.
And I think just to be kind of charming and likeable.
And I think she does manage that.
I think she does too.
I thought that at the time I watched this, I thought she was the worst thing you know.
I thought she was going to be ripped to shreds by everybody.
But in fact, everybody just loved her.
So whenever I come back to this, I, she's so warm.
Yeah, that's it.
I do find I do find her much warmer and charming and every time I watch it, I like even more.
This is my favourite Russell T. Davies Christmas special.
Yeah, I'd have to have good reasons too.
And I just love it.
It's called The Voyage of the Damned.
It's just fantastic.
Give me a disaster anytime.
So the Poseidon adventure has a long history of being shown on British TV at Christmas, is that right?
basically.
And so that's Russell is trying to recreate the Poseidon adventure here.
I've never seen the Poseide adventure.
Oh, here we go.
That is so good, isn't it?
That's Russell immediately gets them our sympathy, puts them on our side by having rich people mock them.
Yeah.
Also, I mean, he wrote the character of soon for Debbie Chasen.
So have you seen her lately?
She was going to be in... this lady.
She was going to be a Slaveen in the Sarah Jane Adventures, Janine Slaveen in...
No, seriously.
In a Sarah Jane Adventures, and she said, no, no, no, I'd really like to be in Doctor Who.
There's another thing that the Sonic Screwdriver can do.
And she's in this, and again, I actually think Marvin and Foon are just about the best characters in this.
And Russell is such a complete, he's bastard.
Yeah, yeah.
We've been saying this over the past few weeks of the actual podcast.
How horrible he is sometimes.
And he really genuinely makes us like these people.
And two, Russell is a bit fat phobic, I think, sometimes.
There's a lot of self-down things.
Exactly right, because he's a large man and has had a gay man who's probably struggled with this.
So there, you know, there's lots of cracks about people being fat.
But I think the fact that they're fat makes us like them more as well.
So, you know, like I think that's a kind of nice thing.
I just love all the touches in this.
All the little background pictures, all the costumes, all the details.
It's just beautiful to sort of watch how they've decorated the whole thing.
And here's who, Charles Palmer?
Jeffrey Palmer.
Jeffrey.
His son was the director.
I don't think he's a surgeon.
No, but he should be.
He should be.
Oh look who it is.
The famous miserable bastard.
Mr. Copper.
Hence us.
He is playing to type, though.
You can't, you can't, you know, dismiss his performance as being anything but very similitudinous.
Did he just flash it kindly?
tree ornament, okay.
No, no, it's a Blake 7.
Oh my gosh, it is food.
This is hilarious.
The country of UK.
Yes, only... only Britain's great.
Not anymore.
Not if we can help it.
His wife Mary.
Russell always has a dig doesn't he?
Yeah At Christmas, he can poke all us.
Oh, dear.
But even, this makes me laugh.
It does.
But even the tone of this feels very Terry Jones and riding after Douglas.
Arthopedia.
The interwebs.
Oh, and here we go, Banacafalata.
Because he's dressed as a Christmas conquer, isn't he?
Yeah.
Well, his relatives come back for David Tennant's last episode.
Correct.
Yeah, yeah.
Or distant cousins. played by him again?
No, the Vin Vocce.
Remember the 2 green people with the spiky hands?
And here we are on Earth.
This is really the actual only Christmassy thing about this about this episode.
Oh my goodness.
And I've forgotten just who we're about to be introduced to.
Yes.
Yes, Kylie. right there.
And there's no one around at all?
No.
They're all very scared.
Yeah, now everyone leaves London after the last 2 Christmas specials.
And that's really good as well because it doesn't work from a world building point of view.
Like it just doesn't work, but it's wonderful.
You know what this street is called?
No.
Donovan Street?
Stop it.
Like, you can't see it in the quality of the video, but they specifically hung a sign up, saying on a wall that's at Donovan Street.
Just to troll Kylie.
Are there any other Kylie references that we should be?
No, this is a Bernard of Cripples.
Isn't he lovely?
This is so great, isn't it?
Wow.
Just brilliant.
And this one little bit part, they get him in.
It's massive overcasting for this tiny part because, you know, he's so fantastic.
It's again perfect for Christmas special.
Are you saying this was not a setup for snow?
No.
Well, remember, remember what happens in season 4 is originally they'd been going to have Donna's father who had appeared in the last Christmas special and he was ill.
Yeah, he was too ill.
And so they...
He died during the making of episode one.
Well, episode two.
So he is in episode one.
Yeah, and they reshoot all of the bits with Bernard in them.
So it is just this sort of wonderful, happy accident.
Well, not for Donna's father.
Well, no, but it's funny. how certain showrunners, this sort of thing happens where they don't plan things, but things happen for a reason and it turns out.
Yes, yeah.
Well, we had that talk, I think, with.
Oh, he's great, isn't he?
That's why that's why he's national treasure.
It's all in the eyes.
This episode is full of people who have been in Doctor Who before.
Yeah.
I mean, Jeffrey Palmer?
Yep, yep.
Clive Swift. and then Bernard Cribbins in vinyl.
Golly.
But we've also, haven't we done the Avengers episode?
No, I'm sorry, it's curry on spying.
It all feels the same thing when he's in a Barbara Eden toga and pantaloons.
That was the best.
I think it's just a terrible week, Torch.
She herself is charming, but it's nice to see her playing my age.
I've worn to her so much more.
Why did you not like her?
I don't know.
I guess I'm just super critical of her.
Anything new.
Yes, we know that.
We know that.
No, I, but no, it's an interesting take.
I know, I don't know.
I just had huge high expectations.
When I saw that here, it just put me off completely.
Look, I agree with you.
I remember at the time thinking that her performance was weak, but I think it does exactly what it needs to do, I think, in, you know, I think. in a 1st episode.
I just hate that hair.
I just wish you had the hair from the what kind of fool video clip.
Some people would.
Some people will know what I'm talking about anyway.
You're right that someone like that should have had she should have had her own, you know, budget for that.
She or just brought someone in to be her own hair and makeup person.
Because BBC hair is not Kylie hair.
Did you see both Murray Gold and Ben Foster in that band?
Oh, really?
No, really?
Wow.
I love this guy too.
The horrible guy.
He doesn't say well.
Yeah.
See, I thought I saw Matt Fruer in the crowd, but I can't find him on any of the lists.
Matt Threwett just after we were talking about it. played Max Hedrum.
But I know I don't think he is in there.
The fellow playing Capricorn is superb.
I'm getting, it's just another rhythm.
I can see Brendan doing that.
What?
Doing what?
Oh, really?
I love him because he looks like, um, I'm just trying to think of who was that wonderful actor who was in Carol Burnett and played the boss in 9 to 5 with Lily Tomlin.
Oh, I know who you're talking about, but I can't.
Dabney Coleman.
He looks like thank you.
He looks like, how can we remember Dabney Coleman?
It's a while ago.
I love 9 to five. that he's playing Dabney Coleman?
And Jeffrey Palmer's playing a bulldog because that's what he always does.
And he's like, and even the site, even I think this, every part he's ever played has just led up to this where he's, I wish he had the white John Smith beard from the Titanic captain and because he'd look great as a Christmas.
It's really good getting him in, isn't it?
It's so wonderful.
Palmer or Toby?
Palmer is his Doctor Who royalty, and he's always been...
And Russell Toby is our Roberta Toby, just rebooted.
Well, he's future Doctor Who Royalty, I guess. he will be back.
They promised me Erdle's men.
He's reverted Toby's cousin.
Did you know that?
Another Doctor Who facts.
Alternative, yes.
Fun fact.
So they want David Jason for the Clive Swift.
No, Clive Swift is great.
No, Clive's, no, nobody, nobody's.
Nobody does it better.
Yeah, well, I was going to say, nobody transmits pretty much unveiled menace and disgust like...
He has art of disdain for absolutely everyone involved and everyone watching.
It sort of ruins knowing what he was like in real life sort of ruins a bit of his performances in this and in keeping up appearances.
Because you know he's playing truth.
Yeah, because we know that he's really much more like Joe Bell in real life.
Looks much more like a hyacinth bouquet in real life.
Maybe he just doesn't...
Yeah, I know he is, isn't he?
Was.
Are any of these people still with us?
Is Clive still with us?
No, he passed away.
So we're allowed to say all of this.
Any of Russell Toby's ex-partners?
So is that probably...
Are we allowed to talk about that?
You're all going to die.
Poor old Russell.
It's not going to be silly gate all over again.
No.
Although there's a lot of material.
Rand Blunt.
Rand Blonde in Doctor Who?
in modern Doctor Who?
But I guess they really needed that because the suit is so dark, you can't really see.
But then he seems to recover from a, you know, reasonably well by the end of the episode.
Yeah.
I've been shot.
But no, I'm fine.
Yeah.
Wow.
Like, and quite close to, oh, well, they're aliens, so maybe his heart isn't there.
Maybe it just sort of punctured her.
See, that's another thing too.
This is our 1st set of aliens that look exactly like human beings.
And it was something that happened in classic Doctor Who, but in modern Doctor Who, only Galifraians, only Time Lords look like human beings.
And this is the 1st time that we've ever done it, and they're not humans from the future or doing sort of time tourism or anything.
They are from a completely different planet.
And Russell realised too late that he didn't make that clear enough in dialogue.
Well, I think he wanted to do something very minor and cheap to them to make them look like aliens.
But I think, like, who cares?
You could make them look like Trill.
Well, that sort of thing.
But it would have spoiled this, I think.
I think they did need to look like you.
Run to the left.
Yes, well, the famous panicky idiots running around trope that we need for this point in the story.
Or just have a kind of explanation for it.
Yeah, like they're wearing some sort of perception filters.
Oh, yeah, they've been through a transformation arch.
Hey, boomtish.
Gentlemen and ladies, because, you know, we are all exciting.
And trees and multiform. is exciting.
How much?
How much of season 4 had been?
There you go.
D8?
Do they shoot this, they shoot this with series three?
This was shot in July.
Okay.
With season.
Oh, okay.
So had Catherine Tate been signed up?
I think by that point, yes.
Yeah.
But David Tennant's mother died in the 1st couple of weeks of production and so that's why he kind of pops in and out of shots quite a lot, which works quite well. like me on this microphone.
Which works quite well, but it was because he gave him like a week and a half off to be with her as she died and attend her funeral.
Amazing that he's keeping it together, really.
Well, that was what everyone said, though.
I think at the time was just how incredibly professional. was.
If you've ever been through all of this, you're so grateful to be working because you can block that part of yourself off.
Otherwise, you're just in the misery and stress all the time.
It's really helped, especially acting, you get to be somebody else.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Oh, he's, ladies, gentlemen, and Banacafalata.
I thought that was Matt Frewer, but the Stuart Stanley.
I love this.
That is not matched for for the gentle listener.
Oh, it's not dumb.
This guy is great too.
Is he about to tell us that everything is going to be fine?
horribly tied.
The deck chairs will be rearranged.
We're very much alive for the moment.
Actually, I think he's terribly famous, and if I had IMDb in front of me.
Who played the Great Intelligence?
Richard E. Grant.
He's sort of like a younger...
Here we go.
Everything's going to be fine.
Let me open this door.
Oh yes, no, don't do that.
Oh, we knew he wasn't going to last, though.
No, no, no.
It is a disaster movie.
I had a feeling.
But we really just need Shelly Winters.
Yeah.
Well, I guess is that well, I guess that's why we've got food. yeah.
What's that quote from Stephen Moffatt about Russell really loves to make you fall in love with a character and then melt them.
Melt them horribly.
Yeah.
Wickson's sleigh.
Bixton Slay.
I didn't even know his name.
That's fabulous.
It's a proper sort of 80s, you know, um, do you remember that guy in Futurama?
He's like, he's basically, um, uh, thatcherous kind of...
Well, yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's that that horrible sort of 80s. is a stockbroker.
I mean, we see him doing deals on his phone. just done a line of coke. off screen.
Oh, look, there's more dead people out the window.
This is some super weird choice for Christmas, isn't it?
Don't you think Christmas is kind of synonymous with sort of disaster movies and Jaws.
Yeah, I guess.
We are going to like spoiler alert off Kylie by the end of the thing.
I didn't know that.
Oh, sorry, James.
She'll be fine.
There's the little blue box.
It's such a shame that Clive you didn't get to go in at Astrid, I should say.
Yeah.
Holden Astrid.
Russell did consider us seeing her, but they went, oh, no, I don't want to get in the way of her musical career.
No, no, no, what I meant was, in this episode, not to actually be inside the Tartar console room for, like, you know, a couple of minutes or something.
Would she have been up for it?
No, she said she was too...
She was too busy, but she is a fan.
She's really not bad.
She was at the time.
Wasn't she in the middle of just finishing her homecoming tour?
Oh, I just love it when you get those, sorry, 2006, 2007.
I just had Hayden Christensen in bed wank shot. with that.
Homecoming is the one with the cybermen.
Like she got Cybermen on stage.
Will Baker doing that.
Yeah, because Will Baker's a huge fan.
Stunning in that and had nice hair, didn't she, Todd?
Nice hair.
Well, she seems to be dressed as a Sexy Mavellan as well. in that in that concert tour.
I think Bill's trying to tell us.
She was destined to be in Doctor Who.
I liked her to come now as Jody's grand.
I think that would be great. would be great.
Grandma.
Do the accent. doing the accent, grand.
I'm honestly expecting, gosh, who are we getting this year, Doctor Who?
Honestly expecting Susan Foreman, Ace.
Only the upper middle class players.
That's why I'm on this podcast.
I've got to say, how does everyone feel?
The lighting.
I'm not sure.
I mean the direction's fine, but the lighting is gorgeous in this.
They've done a really good amount of work getting colour palettes, right?
It's usually the last thing anybody gets.
It looks like Russell Toby had had a really hot curry.
Again, we're not allowed to say anything about Russell Dobey, are we?
It's, I mean, this period does a lot of sort of coloured gels and things, like quite a lot.
And, you know, think about the Tartar set and the way that that's lit as well, where everything's sort of green or orange.
Well, they're using a quote, isn't it?
You're right.
Yes, James, because they do green and orange.
He loved that sort of colour gel thing.
But is it actually a physical writing effect or is it all done digital?
No that's physical.
I don't think it's peak word. don't know who it is.
I could be wrong.
Yeah, it costs too much and takes so much time to do it any other way.
Didn't he do a lot of the production design on this?
I thought he took over later.
I could be quite wrong, though.
I don't know.
I don't know.
Here we go.
Here's the plan.
Because this is still a factory.
It's a sort of classic.
It's a nylon factory.
Okay, I believe.
Hershey bars and nylon stockings.
It's very wartime.
Oh, here we go.
His hero moment.
Yeah.
And more information than we've had about Gallifrey and everything.
Yeah. and the doctor's age and everything like that, up to this point.
Here we go.
Well, they're looking at a trailer.
Oh, big explosion.
Well timed explosion in the back.
Another one?
See, more than more information than we've had thus far.
Wow.
And I have my own show.
That's right.
I'm super famous.
No, I love those speeches.
He does it so well.
Yeah.
As little children, we love them as silly grown ups, we love them.
Is that the moon?
Yeah, on the side of the moon and just waiting behind the...
It's the earth and its associated moon.
Yay.
You know, there was Jody does get a big speech like that in The Woman Who Fell to Earth.
And I just, like, the Murray, you know, absolutely does all that he can to sell that big giant speech.
But because Akinola's stuff is a little bit more kind of atmospheric and a bit less kind of grandiose.
It just seemed to fall flat a little bit.
But, um, but it's a very sort of new series thing.
And, you know, everyone's at home full of turkey.
We all want to cheer and that's a great moment for us to cheer, I think.
And it's our mission statement, isn't it?
You know, everyone gets through here alone.
How does that go?
Everyone's.
Some people are alive at the end, I guess.
One, two, 2 people are alive.
Three, three.
I see your three, I raise it.
What on here?
Aren't there some people alive?
Some people, some people last.
Yeah, not the ones you'd choose.
No, we'll talk about that later.
Yeah.
Well, that's super racist, David.
Just say his name.
For God's sake.
No, it's only boys.
And Vince did this.
Oh, okay.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It, I think that big set, the big ballroom set or whatever it is, you know, the big room that the fire kind of rolls through is amazingly good.
It looks great.
And it's that thing where, you know, if you get the BBC design department to do, you know, a period thing.
You know, that's always kind of a good.
But I like all the sets.
I like all the sets in this.
That is a location.
The bridge or this particular stairwell set.
Yeah.
And that the strut that they walk across, that big room.
Like they're very good.
He's very good at creating a kind of sense of place of making them look like they're journeying from place to place.
It's not just space corridors.
You know, everywhere is sort of distinctive looking.
Oh, just don't listen to this bit because it'll make you sad later.
It's sad, but it's also very funny at the same time.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And it's a hugely Russell detail.
But isn't it?
Yeah.
It gives these characters character and and warmth and you just care for them so much.
These 2 are great.
Yeah.
So the ballroom scene is the...
It's a real ballroom that they've dressed. inner dress.
It's the exchange building in Swansea.
Right.
And also the coal exchange in Cardiff Bay.
Right, right.
So that was on location.
They were both locations.
Yeah.
Uh, deck 31 is the nylon factory?
Yeah.
And...
The street is obviously Cardiff City Centre.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
But they actually closed it off once.
Right.
Like they, they closed down the, like, that is, that is a street, like, right in the centre of Garden.
Doctor Who's Huge.
It's the hugest thing possible right at this particular point.
And, you know, it's a Welsh export.
They usually wouldn't bother. like they would usually have people just wandering around because it was Kylie and they wanted to keep it secret.
Yeah, okay.
And then they ride into it that everyone's vanished because...
Oh, okay.
So they do that so that...
They can keep Cardi's secret.
Right.
And then they have the dialogue explaining.
Well, I think around April of that year, Russell vehemently denied that she would be in it. within a like 2 days, Kylie and Will Baker had said, oh, yes, no, we're in any Christmas.
Imagine if they couldn't have got her.
They have got Sanita.
Danny?
Danny.
Well, did her best.
She approached them.
Oh, to say she wanted to be in something?
Yeah, Will Will Baker approached them for her and said, you know, Kylie's keen to be in Doctor Who.
But not Danny kind of quickly said.
I think it was at the season, sorry, the series 3 launch party.
Oh, okay.
He was there and...
They had been working.
They had been working on her show.
And so he'd been in contact with them because, you know, they need to get the rights to the TARDIS sound effect and side men voices and get the cyber costume design done as well for that stage show.
So they'd been working with them anyway and I guess, you know, because of that.
Russell Tovey played a cyber helmet, didn't he, at one point?
Isn't he hand, Slater?
Known as handles to his mate for some reason.
I can't think why.
Can't think why.
Don't think about it.
I've just finished watching years and years. aged very well.
Yeah, he has, hasn't he?
He does look older, but I think he looks he looks, you know, better. himself.
He's embalmed. got so much gay shit on his face.
But that's not for here.
He's also, you know, done a lot of work.
Yeah.
At the gym, at the gym.
Oh okay.
Yeah, well, I mean, they were constantly getting it. not a fan, am I?
Well, they were constantly stripping him in being human.
Like, he, he's...
Constantly... covered in dirt and blood.
Yeah, yeah.
That's just rubbing each someone.
We've seen Russell's sketchbook.
I mean Russell, really?
Really?
Drawing your cast members in their under flimsies.
Is that appropriate?
Remember that?
He did, you know, draw Harriet Jones escaping through a trap door after being shot at by Daleks.
And that's cannon.
She's not dead.
Yeah, with Russell Drewitt with a knickers sticking out like pooh bear in the rabbit hole.
These are great, aren't they?
Super simple.
Oh no, they're gorgeous.
And I really do like it when they do them a bit cheap, but graphic.
So the guy doing the voice for them turns up later in under the lake before the flood.
He's not the... he's Morven?
No, what?
Morbin. like Morgan?
should I pronounce, sorry?
The captain.
Oh, okay.
I think he's the captain.
I can't remember.
He dies terribly.
Okay, I think he's the 1st guy to die, isn't he?
Oh, okay.
No, I can't remember that at all.
I'm sure it's fascinating.
I'm sure we all really like it when it comes time to cover it.
Well, the theme tune was good.
That's true.
Oh, wow.
Nope, he's not helping.
Wow.
I'm a bastard.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So I'm taking back all of the things that I said about Russell not being fat phobic this week.
Dear, dear.
Oh, there you go.
And the doctor asked for consent before going with going at more Morven's bum.
So that's a thing.
More than you get in many relationships.
I mean, like, this really sells how much of a bust.
Oh, ow.
How much a bastard Rixton is, you know, leaving the old man to prop up.
See, there's another there's another robots of death reference.
With a hand.
Yeah, yeah.
The hand coming through the thing.
Morphin look food.
I just wish Capricorn had been played by Danny Minogue.
They actually wanted Dennis Hopper.
Oh, oh, yeah, no, I've never kicked Dennis.
I spent the entire 1st time I was watching this thinking that I knew the guy who played Max Capricorn.
He just looked incredibly familiar. from EastEnders?
Yeah, I think he's very good.
It's a, you know, the silliest possible villain, I think.
Well, he's a rat with a gold tooth, isn't he, as we've said previously?
Oh, he's Roland Rat.
Maybe that's it But I've realised that Tovi, especially when underlip like that looks nothing so much as a waxed gerbil.
Well, he is very sweaty in that scene. isn't it?
isn't it?
The rodent show. forward.
Who was the leader of the robots in robots for death?
Miles Fothergill.
Oh, no, Taryn Capell.
Why couldn't it have been Taron Cabell?
Gorgeous.
That would have been a bit more compelling.
No, no, don't even try.
Can it be old?
She's she doesn't. why people say she can't act.
I mean, it does feel like the delinquents again with the same frocks, but she's got a really nice way of moving and she remembers it's the eyes first.
She has the Billy Hartnell school of acting appreciation.
He says, just work with your eyes and everything.
No, I agree with you.
She does all the right moves.
She does do a lot of work on stage.
Yeah.
So maybe she can act on...
Pushing 2 chart trollies and so it's all in the face.
Yeah, okay.
Tom White?
Because I was the same.
Why didn't we not appreciate her?
Is it just that as fans we had this overweening expectation of perfection?
You know, this this humpy, you know, I don't know.
Even when I watch Kylie in interviews, I'm always a little bit underwhelmed and I don't know why that is.
On stage, she's just got this energy and this and video clips.
It's just this aura.
Underneath, she's just probably still a nice normal sort of girl.
Maybe that's maybe that's why she's so normal.
It's sort of like we expect it to be something a little bit more.
What's this?
Oh, that's...
Don't spoil it, boys.
No, well, see, these 3 are the TARDest team for this episode. really.
And despite the fact that he is a miserable old bastard.
He's actually kind of endearing.
Oh, there is nothing like anger to enforce charm.
We tend to, I wonder if that's not the placating nature of so many of us, mammals is, and when we're faced with someone of that persona, we really do work a lot in the opposite direction.
And it's the same.
It's a parent, you know, a child with a difficult parent and it's probably the same in audience member with someone who gives that vibe.
Look, it's obvious that both Kylie and David are really acting their socks off here just to stomach being in a scene with him.
Was he really difficult on set as well?
I don't know.
I have no idea.
We know.
No, all we really know is that?
I think he's crazy.
DWA interviews where he's less than charming.
The way he treated Benjamin Cook.
But they are hilarious.
Maybe he just has no time for the press, you know, he might be different on set.
I hope not.
That would ruin everything for you.
Yeah, no.
I hope he's just as horrendous modern as we would hope.
He's like, oh, here we go.
Yeah, this this is fantastic, isn't it?
The strut, I think it's called in the script.
Oh, you see, you don't need George Lucas, do you?
Well, you kind of have George Lucas.
Oh, I would die.
I would be gone.
No, that's it.
I could not get across that, you know?
Everyone's just standing there going, oh, for goodness sake, it's just another Ian McKellen review, isn't it?
flashing his bits and bobs and singing away.
Oh, no, this is just this is just like, oh, my God.
It's just like, oh, Sean, it's nice.
Oh, he bloody did though, didn't he?
That's so...
Russell's not very lovely to the people that he casts himself, doesn't he?
He's not loving to his apotheosi.
Shut up.
No, that's the real Clive Swift.
But it brings back the danger that, you know, Yeah, yeah.
We had got comfortable.
We'd had to stop, you know, we'd had a chance to stop and chat.
And momentarily escape from the angels of death.
Yeah, yeah.
Oh, no, I think that's just, it's so heartbreaking.
Like, it's that thing. a horrid demand won't die.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
Where's he going to go, love?
I mean, come on.
Help me?
Oh, it's like Utah.
Help me.
Are you equating me again?
Never.
Only in this moment.
Well, we're both up in middle class.
Yes, Christ.
I think that's going to be my sake for this episode.
That should inconveniently circumstance.
I'm sorry?
Because my parents, I had no say what my parents did to me either.
Inconveniently circumscribe. changed my mind.
Estrod's wonderful.
She is.
She's got a...
And she would have made a lovely companion.
I just watched a Danny Minogue video clip.
She looks so young.
I know it's awful.
This is horrible too, isn't it?
Like that...
Oh, oh, God.
Oh, no.
I've been watching succession, the barely veiled, you know, drama of the Murdochs, and there's definitely he's in it.
We're all waiting for him to fall off it.
Well, he's like a large adult son, isn't he now?
Yeah, exactly.
Do you want to talk to my father?
Well, I'm going to talk to my father.
I do love how the Rupert Murdoch character leaves scenes in that.
I can't say it on this podcast because we don't have the explicit text, but it begins with an F and ends with off.
Yes, you have.
And he wheeze on carpets and things like that.
This is fine.
Practically every scene.
Yeah, he has a disagreement.
Well, you could...
Oh, the doctor's company.
The whirring key thing.
Still wearing key.
She'll get us all killed.
Yeah, he's really awful.
Oh, this is the thing, isn't it?
I think we're seeing Darwinian tropes in action here, huh?
are we?
Do you know that the 10th time doctor is showing more warmth to Fern, Astrid, and Mr. Copper than to Deer Math from last season?
I'm really, it's funny you say that because I was not getting, this feels like a wholly different show and a reboot.
I'm not getting anything of the last season in Tennant.
Well Russell reboots the show every season.
Yeah.
Oh my God. don't know how they're still on that game trick.
But tenants, persona, and performance is a different character.
Well, it's a big Christmas special, isn't it?
And it is kind of out of continuity in the sense that, you know, it doesn't have any effect on anything that comes after it and nothing before it matters either.
Which is different from the last 2 Christmas specials.
This is like a big self-contained movie.
It's the longest episode so far, isn't it?
Yeah.
And he's also in the tux and that as a pastry is normal outfit too. which makes it a bit different, I think.
I always like him when he does Bond Light.
I love that tax.
And you know, you know term was thinking.
You know, Janet was thinking, oh, maybe I could get the part.
You know, I mean, you're not maybe.
Yeah, that could.
That's a beautiful shot.
Because suddenly it looks like a cathedral, doesn't it?
The pipes look like organ pipes and all of that.
And everything's golden.
Danny sent them.
She wants her career back.
Honey, you lost that in young talent time.
Hooray.
This is great.
Oh, go for it, Kylie.
Nice one.
Well, she's Australian, surely she can play cricket.
Yeah, and we've all played Frisbees on the beach.
She knows what she's doing.
There are a bloody lot of them, aren't there?
Oh, he's not going to come to good.
You can just feel it, can't you?
No, he's gonna be great.
He'll end up as president of the United States.
Yeah. end up as Chris North.
Oh, no, he's gonna off himself now, is he?
Wow.
Yes, he will.
Shazam.
Well, he's not legally permitted to marry Kylie at this point in human history.
So, um, He's just going to create an impulse.
No, not just it.
No, well they have that, which I thought was kind of good.
She, you know, they flirt slightly and he says that he can't get married or she says I know that cyborgs can't get married right now.
Not right now.
Yeah.
Like, no, they've changed the law.
You can get married everything.
Oh, have they?
They have changed the law.
Okay.
When does the law change in Britain, do you know?
You mean the marriage law or the civil partnership?
So partnerships 2007, I think.
Okay.
Yeah.
It was about 10 years into Blair.
Right.
Oh, dear.
Well, he's he's been in a whole bunch of Doctor Who's, hasn't he?
The hands don't lie, Kylie.
Old man hands.
When did that happen?
Yeah, Jimmy V was...
Actually, they look quite young, actually.
He was the pig in Aliens of London.
He was the monster Melhoun.
Yeah.
Oh.
He was the Scofox Blitzer in The Caretaker.
Terrible, terrible Gareth Roberts episode.
And he also played the grass.
Yes.
Grosk.
The grosk and the grosk?
In Attack of the Grass and the Sarah Jane Adventures.
He's also played a Slithine, I believe.
Look, he's got a cafe that is thing.
Ah yeah, okay.
Oh wow.
He's got both things at once from both hands and both in both news.
Oh.
I think Russell's actually having a go at Australians.
We're the only people that play Frisbees on the beach, aren't we?
Oh, security protocol.
He's trying all these different numbers, isn't he?
One.
42.
I do remember at the same time. yet another Douglas Adams reference.
Yeah, exactly.
Oh, clever.
We're so engrossed with this.
I know.
I know, and I had to run off because I locked my husband out of the house.
It's a standard thing we do.
Yes.
It's a Sunday.
It is the plan.
I kind of wish Max Capricorn had been Taran Capel.
Well, because no one cares.
Do you know what I mean?
Exactly, it's just been his name.
And I guess... and fanny nun nungs. fanny nung nungs.
No, but again, I guess...
Oh no, no, don't do that, darling.
You don't need to do that.
I do have a problem with his next shot because she jumps 1st and she's away and then it's there and then...
Oh, and then she...
Oh, no.
That's not how things fall.
I know.
But gravity's doing weird thing.
Okay, yes, no, it is a gravity thing.
Yeah.
So I guess this foreshadows what Kylie's going to do a bit later, I guess.
With a forklift truck.
And I was wondering whether Max Capricorn, because he is the rich guy who owns the whole kind of thing. that we can have one rich guy survive provided we kill off another rich guy, you know, just because this is a Russell story and...
Well, also, there's not just one rich guy.
It's a whole ship of rich guys, but they're like Sith.
It's only one.
No, you have a couple.
There can only be a master in it.
That's right.
And a slave.
It does go like that.
Hi, Russell, Toby.
I also like that everything's a fleshy blue light, if you need to get out of something.
Are there any other references?
Because I'm really just getting the humour is Terry Jones and Douglas Adams.
Naughty Russell.
Back to my thing.
Well, I mean, he's stealing from a whole heap of things. sort of knock about comedy humour tends to be very, very Monty Python, very Douglas Adams-y kind of thing.
You know, it's always funny, sort of overly long names and weirdly named characters with funny heads.
Well, also that thing that Mr. Copper does about getting the history of Earth wrong is from the end of the world.
So Kylie is now, or Astrid is now, auditioning, saying, oh, well, look, can I come with you?
And I think when you ask, that's not a very, doesn't end very well.
Yes.
Like Linda with a Y.
Well, in fact, the other thing too is that we know at home that they're only really ever going to get Kylie, like Catherine Tate, she's only ever going to do a Christmas special, so there's no chance she'll ever actually.
So I think at this point we know that something terrible will happen to her.
Yeah.
Or maybe she meets Russell Tovey and sees how handsome he is and they go off together and, you know, then she realises he's gay.
Yeah, she's a big disappointment.
And what they he'd love her because she's Kylie.
Yeah, well, that's it.
All gay men love Kylie.
That is the law.
Apart from my husband.
Really?
He prefers Danny.
Hey, should be on this podcast.
This is so glorious.
This is cute.
It's really cute.
And it's another well-timed explosion in the background.
Getting to kiss all of your companions will want to be companions.
Oh, yeah.
It's rule.
It's a rule.
So, you know, if you did have Kylie as a companion, wouldn't you?
Well, I think that's a that's kind of a sweet kiss of encouragement, though.
I don't think that's quite the DNA sample thing that we got with mastery.
Kiss of death.
The kiss of death.
I do like that.
I just took a DNA sample turns out 100% that bitch.
Sorry.
Hooray.
Okay, we're exploding them.
Oh, and he's kind of joining in.
Horrible Brixton is part of the team.
Oh.
Yeah, that's really not going to work.
It's a ridiculous.
The whole 3 questions thing.
It is.
You've been programmed to kill us, but there's an easy loophole in your programming.
But again, it's Christmas.
Do you know what I mean?
Like, we can just paper over it.
Who cares, I think, at this point.
Does he accidentally ask, Oh no, he does get to ask the right question, right, doesn't he?
He's not like, do you remember Homer asking a, the, you know, a Pooh takes him to the Quickie Mart guy?
entirely differently.
No, it doesn't.
I really did.
And then I had pictures of Winnie the Pooh without your pants on stuck in the rabbit hole again and we're back to this.
Well, that was...
With more of an early on.
Well, I just see Russell Toby.
If they ever do an x-rated stage version of AA Milm, I can really see Toby with a massive jar of honey, a red t-shirt, nothing else.
Yeah.
Can you get a duper?
think I've seen that video.
David looks really young in those close-ups.
He looks like he's gurning.
I just love all the little nods to Eccleston without any of the actual gravitast.
Oh, she does a pulse.
But you have to think, you know, that just felt like a big can of impulse.
That whole thing of, you know, you run after a woman in Martin Place and give her flowers, but the opposite.
Do you know that that very 1st video clip has impulse in it?
That's right.
She had some sores, didn't she?
Thank you for picking up on my such subtle reverence there, Todd, which must have been unconscious because I've totally forgotten till you told me.
I remember.
It is Blake City.
It is, isn't it?
It really is.
Oh my golly gosh.
And absolutely, deliberately.
Abso more.
Oh, I wish we'd had a Paul Darrow, Laura.
Well, in fact, you have to have Jan Chappell, someone in this thing.
You know, some knobbly old creaky old thespe wannabe that, no, not hard times.
They could have just wheeled them in in a chair and just creaked them across the set.
Yeah, they didn't have to do anything.
I'd have like Su Lin.
She would have been good in this crisis.
Please send me to Tech 31.
I need I need to get ready for my close up fall off.
Spoilers.
Do you know who I'd actually really love to see again, and he's still working?
Michael Keating.
Villa.
I would just love him to guess him one of these things.
He could play Bernard Cribben's, you know, love slave or something.
I mean, you know, he's always playing the past.
He's always playing.
But I never thought I'd hear.
Bernard...
Don't even fight.
We just worked...
Well, except in some of those scenes in Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 AD. I love those old-fashioned talky things.
It reminds me of horror horror fame rock. what Oh, yes, the speaking tubes.
Yeah, yes.
Oh, there's Kylie having a moment as Hayden Christensen in the big sheets as well.
There's a lot of that transition, you know, transcendent gasping going on in this, isn't there?
Beautiful lighting again.
Physical effects.
Do you know, I'd forgotten how good this looked.
I've got to say, I remember it being a bit thin, but I'm getting heaps.
I think it's really well plotted as well because you've got, again, you've got that, um, uh, you know, we establish the, the teleport bracelets, um, we have, when, when Morvin falls down the shaft, Foon says, no, no, no, there has to be some science fiction reason why he's still alive.
All prefiguring what happens to Kylie.
But that all came about towards the end of the scripting process.
Initially, she wasn't wearing the teleport bracelet.
Brian Minchin suggested to him to Russell that they needed to be away for the doctor to try and save her.
And so the teleport bracelet thing was something he came up with so that they could have the whole Kylie being Stardust Kissy Kissy thing at the end.
Originally, she just...
It falls off the edge and it's terribly tragic.
You don't get that extra 10 minutes.
Why are they killing Kylie at Christmas?
such a strange choice.
He's not just a little too dark.
To just kill Carly at Christmas.
He had to bring her back for one last stop before blowing her off.
Yeah, so to speak.
It's like he's in a war machine.
Yeah, yeah.
That's a nice thought.
I was just picking up the rise of the sideman stuff again, but I mean, these are all Doctor Who.
Tropes, can I say?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I mean, this is, you know, like, it's, it's shorthand for Doctor Who Villa.
It's what the people who don't normally watch Doctor Who, but are tuning in for Christmas because they're being forced to by their children or whatever that they can easily identify. actually a massive 1979 microwave, isn't it, Charlie Wheels?
That is glorious.
That is gorgeous.
So, do you remember those rumours at the time that Astrid was actually part of the TARDIS?
Well, because her name is an anagram of TARDIS?
Well, her name is, yeah, her name is, is an anagram of TARDIS?
Peth is the Welsh word for thing.
She's a name of the artist thing.
Thingy.
I think initially her name was going to be Peth.
That was the first to be Peth.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, thing.
Sorry, it's like Tegan Javanka.
Wasn't she going to be a banker?
Oh.
Where's that steak?
Chug, chug, chug.
Oh, I get it.
He's the Christmas little steam train toys.
Yeah, he does.
He does look like something that you would sort of, you know, repeatedly sort of push along the ground before letting it go and then and all the angels are based on Val Kilmer because that's pretty much what he's doing with his career. sitting getting a facial back to Russell Tovey.
Oh, I also like the glassy eye and the bad tooth that if you really want to know.
God, he does have a gold tooth.
No, no.
And the, and the light that the, the glint off the tooth is real.
It's not a special effect on the on the promotional videos.
It actually happens in real life, any comments on it.
But it is a special effect.
Oh, it is, especially...
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's not supposed to be.
But they get this.
I mean, you can't do everything, anything except physically.
It costs so much. oh that's cute.
That's very cute.
Oh, you are, yes.
Loser.
Telling a narcissist, he's a narcissist is the best way to get them to lose their guard.
It's quite...
The truth is, yeah, no, the truth will always come.
They cannibalise the John Lumick's cyberchair?
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, well, Richard was saying that earlier.
Those are the same tubes.
Very same tube, still damp.
You don't want to destroy yet another Dyson to make a...
They very expensive.
Very expensive, darling.
And yet none of this actually looks expensive, even though it's gold and they put a lot of work.
It really does feel like something school did, didn't it, didn't they, on the last day of term?
We got to do a Doctor Who Christmas show.
It is every Doctor Who Christmas show.
That's also very Christmasy, isn't it?
It is.
It is.
And it's Christmas Panto.
And even the villain you want to explain.
Where everyone dies.
Put sauce on and give him a lick, don't you?
He's just lovely, chubby, chunky Christmas pudding of a thing, isn't he?
In his own, you know, Bain Marie.
Of his existence.
Doggle, doggle.
Oh, no, not Kylie.
Come on, Kylie.
Don't do it.
So Kylie is Beryl Reed for this.
Kylie is...
I was going to say Sigourney Weaver, but I had to keep it within context.
Yes, Sigourney Reed.
She is Beryl Reeder, Sigourney Weaver with the forklift suit. right.
Get away from her, you bitch.
Come on, Kylie, you can do it.
That's the name that's the name of her wig.
The gorny weave.
Oh, that really almost...
I like how there's actually dialogue there to show.
Brake lines have been cut, so she has to die.
Oh, so she can't break.
Here we go.
Yes.
So the signposted.
Oh, Kylie.
Charlene.
Get off the forklift.
Oh, jeez.
Doctor.
She's really good.
No, she's wonderful.
But Kylie, wonderful.
I love you.
Yes, yes.
But come on, she cooked.
That Jason Donovan.
Yeah, poor old Jason.
Oh, they should have got Jason Donovan to play Max Capitol.
There's his career.
But seriously, come on.
And she maybe has to just sort of jump out.
Yeah, how did she get out of that thing?
Do we have to lose everybody?
Yeah.
Yeah, she could have jumped at the last 2nd and grabbed hold of something.
Yeah, other Doctor Who stars. have done things like that.
And now on Star occasions.
Yeah, but like, you know, you give David Tennant the chance to do some acting, you, you know, all of that sort of thing.
Like, I can see why he chooses to do it, rather than, you know, like, you know, she reaches out ahead and then we have a fascinating scene of him pulling her...
Him burning, spitting.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
See, these, these fabulously operatic and absurdly ridiculous montage of, you know, everything going to hell.
Then he's James Bondman.
Yeah, this is awesome isn't it?
Like a ridiculous lo-mo fades, giant flavour.
You know they're wanting him to go. if Daniel decides to go home.
We've got David.
Shirley.
And you know what?
No.
No.
It's Pierce Brosnan's...
Yeah, slightly smaller attache case.
And it's like watching, I'm not watching this and going, what is going on?
Oh, really?
There were a number of complaints at the time because of because of the messianic imagery here.
I just thought it was because it just felt like I'm heaven 17 from 1987 groups.
Sorry?
Well, they don't own angels.
But it's a heaven 17 video clip.
Temptation.
But this is also Blake, and it's also Milton.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I actually kind of like that the doctor is the fallen one. but constantly attempting to ascend because the doctor is the one that's fallen from grace for the time lords.
He is the 1st, well, at least he's the most notable outcast, who's constantly seeking redemption.
You punched a hole in my floor and now my doors are open.
Russell Tovey.
I have to say that I do love that trope where you only have to kill the leader to disable all of the...
Oh, here we go.
Only it worked in politics.
I do love how he gets to say this.
He doesn't he has said before that he would like to meet someone called Alonso, like in series 2 or something.
Right, he did.
He did.
Now, again, because Russell is a terrible person, the... the original plan had been for it to destroy... to crash... to crash... just missing it.
Who vetoed that?
I don't know.
But he does get to go back and have a do over.
Julie.
Julie said no, I remember.
Yeah, and then he decided to do it anyway.
Later next year.
Well, well, yes, in the next season.
Yeah.
That's our Poseidon adventure moment.
I just thought, you know, killing Kylie and then destroying Buckingham Palace probably a pit much for Christmas Day.
Although what they drain the Tiber, the Tiber, for God's sake, they drain...
I have a Latin teacher, shut up.
Carry on up for Thames.
Oh, no, that's the kiber.
So they drained the Thames last year.
And what if they done?
They've destroyed Big Ben.
They've destroyed the Girk and like it would have been just another London landmark for Russell to destroy, but...
They also talking to Clarence house, apparently, about getting... destroying the Charles to do a cameo because he's a huge fan.
Is he?
Yes.
Oh okay.
Because no one was so upper middle class.
And so this is, of course, Doctor Who royalty as well, because Jessica Martin.
Jessica Martin who played Mags in Greatest Show in the Galaxy.
No way.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
And he's back on Big Finish playing exactly the same character.
And also recently wrote a comic strip about her character.
I'd have to have seen the queen turn into a werewolf in this.
That'll never happen.
That's canon.
We have established that she is a werewolf.
He really wanted it to fly through it.
No, I don't think the nation would have loved him for that.
But he does get to destroy it later, so it's fine.
It's a great choice.
Which isn't it wonderful?
And that's Yamato.
That is Star Blazers...
Utris and Kanya Mato.
I mean, we'll get there next year, but the fact...
Thank you.
Happy Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
I like her rollers.
But she uses Daimlers normally.
It's a dad joke.
It's Christmas.
And there he goes.
He's happy playing every partner.
Now I get why the can they all open their mouths any wider?
Every single one of them.
I'll kiss.
Go on, go and produce.
Oh, that was acting.
Even Russell still got a bit, you know, happening there.
And there goes Max.
Hooray, he exploded.
Oh, gosh, Doctor Who looks great at this time, doesn't it?
It does, doesn't it?
Yeah.
Really, this episode has much more budget than it ought to have.
Yeah, well, you know, like I can see them saving up for this.
This is their big... their biggest Christmas special ever.
Yeah.
They wanted to be and it was and it's still, you know, their highest rating episode.
Oh there we go.
He does remember that a whole bunch of people got killed.
I just thoroughly enjoyed this yet again.
Shouldn't it have been called a transmit?
No, no, it's...
No, because it's a Blake 7 reference.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
A Blake 7...
He's doing exactly what exactly what Foon was doing early on.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's wonderful.
Name that.
It's a pretty straightforward plot, but it's like all of the points are quite well seated.
It's a good standard old.
Yeah, Doctor Who bit of fun.
Oh, and of course, because it's Christmas, she comes back as the spirit of BBC ratings.
As a BBC one ident at Christmas.
Yes.
Oh, and ethicles and...
I do like that.
It just shows her warmth that she's still regarded and still popular and still, you know, earning over there.
She wouldn't have done so well had she stayed in Australia because we know what she...
She's a grease monkey.
Oh.
Stop me from falling.
Oh, isn't that a reference to one of her songs?
I've made a few during this podcast.
Under my breath.
We'll see people pick up on that.
Stop even falling.
It's actually a reference to this episode because it was recorded later.
Yeah.
Isn't that off golden?
anyway.
She becomes she becomes Stardust.
I had this dream where the stardust was scooped up by the celestial toy maker, and reconfigured into a real Kylie, and then the doctor would, uh, go and rescue her.
In another Christmas special, would meet her again versus the celestial toy maker.
What a wonderful idea.
Or she turns into... puddle... a puddly lesbian.
Oh, that could be a thing.
And makes out with Bill.
Oh, here we go.
Oh my lord, it's Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore.
But he's, like, he's so much the romantic lead.
He is so, like, I, you know, I know that you don't like the doctor snogging the companion structured, but I don't mind that here. think we've heard that.
Oh, there she does.
She is the Tardis-ish thing really is.
And even Mr. Upper Middle Class is even sad.
Yeah, yeah.
You kind of think out of this, he might actually be redeemed in some way.
There was this next line.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. to show that he's still a horrible person.
But he was showing sort of upset and slight embarrassment when the doctor was refusing, you know, the doctor's so clearly in denial about how she can't be saved and there's a shot of Rickston or whatever his name is looking kind of sad.
I believe it's Prixton.
Yes, quiet.
Thank you, don't talk.
Lovely shots. lovely montage.
Charles Palmer's really knocking it out of the park today.
I know, it's Graham Harper.
Sorry.
Graham Harper.
That was time crash.
Isn't it Peter Moffin?
It's Ron Jones.
He's learned how to direct.
I thought it was Warris Hussein. would like to see that.
Oh, So he's going to abandon his home planet of Stowe.
And run off in an all time.
Why is he going to jail?
I can't remember.
Because he perjured himself, basically.
Because he lied on his resume.
He ate his way through an entire primary school.
I don't know.
I don't know how Frank Thring, as Frank Thring would say, a primary is.
Nobody even has to go for a medical checkup or anything because then they'll have to go to unit or something, won't he?
And he's got 8 hearts.
Oh, there's a happy ending.
And like he's he's selling this as if they've attended it's going to be hugely, the doctor's going to be hugely impressed by this happy ending.
Hooray.
Rickston's rich.
I didn't really want a redemption from Rickston, but I guess that's the point of Christmas.
No, no, we don't, we don't. don't get a redemption.
He gets rich and learns nothing and is still a deeply horrible bastard.
But he's still here.
Yeah, yeah.
But I mean, then we get this bit of dialogue here about that, don't we?
That's the point of Christmas.
You have to make...
Make fun with people you hate.
And David's doing it now.
Ironic, that's a good line.
I played Rickston Slade was lovely.
And this lovely old man was a bust.
You're going to be on Blake 7.
A slave.
And also they don't treat their guests very well in the 4th season.
No, under no circumstances, agree to repair the spaceship's engine.
Did you see Pitt Madley's one where he spliced Tom into that moment.
So you've got Avon saying doctor, you have a minute.
No, this is Bulls Tom.
That woman, the doctor.
Yeah, Dr. Blackton.
You've got yes in a minute and poor Tom.
Again, it's, it's, um, it's snow.
Great France and great Germany. here we go No, no, it's just France and great.
And Germany.
Only Britain is great, yeah.
But give us 10 years.
And we'll do something about that.
So this is snow and it is fake, not real snow. again. again.
Okay.
So the Christmas invasion, it's the ballast of snow.
It's the, the, it's all, yeah, it's the ballast from the sheep.
Christmas Invasion, it's all burned up... isn't it?
Yes.
Well, at least they're consistent.
Yeah.
And this one, it's Clive's Clive Swift standard.
Oh, atmospheric exciting.
Exmospheric excitation.
I'm just going to press this buttonless. just conveniently inside the Tartar store.
Oh, well.
Say, this is our last good Christmas special for a while, spoiler.
Okay, sorry.
I'm being horrible I can't even remember what next year's one is at the end of season four.
It involves a king.
No, still nowhere.
The next doctor.
Oh, I didn't.
Oh, okay.
That felt terribly sad.
I don't think anyone redeems what happens possibly in season 4 spoilers.
I don't think it's possible to go.
I mean, this one, it sort of has moments to go forward and it's a lightness of touch, even though there's a sadness.
You know, when he gives him a 1000000 pounds, at the time, I thought, that's not enough.
Yeah, I was thinking that too.
He sets up a whole charitable foundation and pays for something later on.
What does he pay for?
It would have been nice for $10 million.
It's not even enough to buy a small flat in London.
Yes, the Mr. Copper Foundation does something really good in season four.
Yeah, it's in stolen Earther Journey's end or something.
There's some reference too.
Yeah, yeah.
Harriet Jones mentions it, I think.
Well, we'll get there eventually.
Maybe he invests it in...
This is card of copper.
It's a copper foundation.
Spotify.
He's actually a terrible industrialist.
He's destroying the planet.
And a door.
A dog.
Oh, door.
You're doing Todd Stick. without even realising it.
And this is actually a lovely...
I have a kitchen for the French.
No, that comes later.
He's dancing to a Kylie Minogue song.
The ultra modern Spatoon.
Why couldn't we have had a Kylie song at the end of Christmas, Kylie?
No, that's nice.
There's some nice final shots here.
They really are beautiful.
And there's just beautiful emotion from both of them and Mr. Copper, you know, David's great.
And the music here is beautiful.
There she goes.
Off to see the celestial toy maker.
Off to sea to the celestial toy.
Oh, that's not going to go well for anyone.
That's it, isn't it?
I know, it does facts.
And it tumbles off into the tents.
Well, or Cardiff Bay.
Whatever it is.
The Ghost of Adjoc is shot that.
That has just come down.
Oh, I forgot that, wasn't it?
I've forgotten that too.
Oh, wow.
And the ghost of Matthew Waterhouse who's still in the fluid link somewhere.
Oh here we go.
Oh, so comedian.
Clearly, we do have a fair amount in the can by the time this...
Yeah we did.
By the time it airs, yes.
No, but I meant when they were, yeah, this was shot. sort of 5 months before it was broadcast.
Like, you know, the traditional Christmas special shot in July.
Yeah, yeah.
The hottest time of the year.
Yeah.
Well, we could saw that last year, certainly.
Oh wow.
There's actually a lot in this trailer, isn't there?
Yeah, yeah.
They're from the 1st two, channel 4 recording blocks.
Yeah, the 1st 5 episodes.
Donna's got real Liz Sladden.
We saw Agatha Christie in there?
Yeah, we did.
That's much later.
Though the Agatha Christie episode was supposed to be broadcasted the very, like, you know, episode 3 or 4 at some and was pushed way back.
It's like the 1st 7 episodes.
But they already had that in the can, is what I'm saying. was supposed to be brought across the team was pushed back.
Macononey?
Has anyone seen and you just, oh, yes, that's the same face.
That's a great way to end it too.
With a vicar saying what an entertaining evening.
It has been very entertaining.
Yeah, it really has.
It really has been. was much better than it ought to be.
Oh no, I agree.
I think it's really really great.
And there's a lovely, jolly rollicking pace, which I don't remember.
This titles, my gosh.
Lots of titles.
No, I don't remember it being that rap at all that well that tight.
No.
And we say as we say farewell to Russell Toby.
Yeah.
All right.
Well, I think we might wind it up.
What do you think?
Any final thoughts, gentlemen?
Kali was great.
Kali's lovely.
Best Russell Christmas special.
Hands down.
Yeah, I think that's fair.
And the forcemeat stuffing award goes to Russell too.
I like Russell Toby.
I didn't comment on the new version of the theme, wasn't it great?
No, loved it.
Actually notice this.
No.
Doesn't feel that much different, does it?
No, it's a lot more orchestrated.
A bit boomier.
Yeah, yeah.
More violins.
All right.
Well, dear listener, that's all we have time for this week.
We'll be back early next year with our coverage of series 4 and back ridiculously soon for our series 12 coverage on Jody and Taterra.
In the meantime, you can find us wherever you get your podcasts and you can keep up with us at Flight through Entirety on Facebook, at FTE Podcast on Twitter, and on our website, Flight through Entirety.com, where you'll find links to our other podcasts, Bondfinger, and Jody into Terra.
Until next time, may your Christmas be joyous and somewhat less final than Astrid Peth's was in 2007.
Thank you very much for listening and good night.
Good night.
See you soon.
Good then.