In our first venture into the world of Doctor Who, guest Andrew Morton adds to Dan's expertise (and Neil's ignorance) to unpack a Fourth Doctor story which has vibes of The Manchurian Candidate and The Matrix (with a bit of a whodunnit and a courtroom drama in the middle). Plus there are fisticuffs!
We take a reverential look at some of the series' tropes, including The Doctor's skill at hiding behind things, the speed at which cliffhangers are negated, stilted deathbed monologues and a villain's inability to finish off his enemy.
We also analyse The Master's ability to turn people into Action Man dolls, short-sighted writers creating continuity nightmares, wonder whether the Timelords would do well to invest in two-factor authentication, and make very early plans for Screen Testing's thirty-year anniversary episode.
Clips from The Deadly Assassin on YouTube (courtesy of BBC Worldwide):
Miscellaneous references:
Doctor Who episodes referenced (ordered by airdate):
We'll be back in a fortnight with Christopher Chant, to discuss one of Neil's all-time favourite movies, WHIPLASH.
Twitters:
@TestingChef
@TheTestDoctor
@neilstudd
Emails:
screentestingpod@gmail.com
Intro music: Doctor Who theme
Outro music: The Timelords - Doctorin' The Tardis