Tenth Doctor – No Not the Mind Probe

No Not the Mind Probe: A Doctor Who Podcast

Fresh Start - “Christmas Invasion” & “Spearhead from Space”

00:00 / 1:10:23

Blithely ignoring the fact that we’ve actually completed a full season in this Podcast, we barrel into The Christmas Invasion excited to meet the 10th Doctor for the first time – 35 minutes later. Will Porter fall in love with the new Who? Will John fall in love with the UNIT call-back to the classic series? Will we lament a society where we throw the word “love” around so casually?

But take not the time for such reflection as we have to nip backwards to another debut episode, Spearhead from Space, the introduction of one Jon Pertwee as Doctor #3. But that’s not all – for the same low, low price you also get the introduction of Cambridge scientist, Liz Shaw, and the re-re-introduction of the legendary Brigadier. Will Porter notice the subtle, blink-and-you-miss-it similarities to Rose? Will John revel in the first glimpse of the legendary Season 7? Well, yes, probably, as it would be weird if the answer to these questions was, “No.”

No Not the Mind Probe: A Doctor Who Podcast

Masquerade - “New Earth” & “Meglos”

00:00 / 1:02:45

Wracked by the guilt of destroying Earth in Series 1, Russell T. Davies, like a parent replacing a deceased hamster, gives us a New Earth – nearly indistinguishable from the old except for the cat medical staff. Will Porter revel in the smug self-satisfaction that comes with at last recognizing a returning villain to Doctor Who? Will John revel in the fact that he knows the secret of the Face of Boe and Porter does not, thus firmly establishing John as the superior person at every level?

Our revels now are not nearly ended, however, as we grasp the tenuous thread of body swapping to journey back to the sands of Zolfa-Thura, home to Meglos, played in a commanding performance by a potted cactus. Will Porter recognize Season 1 favorite Jacqueline Hill returning to the series in the guise of Lexa? No. Will John now escalate his reveling at yet further confirmation that his Who knowledge is so vast? Yes. Yes, it’s somewhat the premise of the whole Podcast.