Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who & Classic Sci-Fi Podcast By Christian Cawley (host producer) | James McLean (host) cover art

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who & Classic Sci-Fi

Kasterborous Classic TV: Exploring Doctor Who & Classic Sci-Fi

By: Christian Cawley (host producer) | James McLean (host)
Listen for free

About this listen

 Regular podcast featuring unique and in-depth discussions covering Doctor Who and other classic TV and movies, usually in the sci-fi and sci-fantasy fields.

Launched in 2007, we've lost count of how many episodes we've actually done. Special episodes include interviews with creatives, writers, actors, and notable commentators in the cult TV field.

Your regular hosts are Christian Cawley and James McLean.



Christian Cawley, James McLean, Brian A Terranova, 2007-2024 Art
Episodes
  • 479: Review guests reflect on Doctor Who Series 15

    479: Review guests reflect on Doctor Who Series 15
    Jun 30 2025
    There is a good chance that Doctor Who Series 15 will be remembered for many of the wrong reasons. But one great thing about it is that it gave us the chance to bring in a diverse collection of opinions and reactions.

    As you may have read, this week I am joined by:

    • Philip Bates

    • Gareth Kavanagh

    • James Whittington

    • Rick Lundeen

    • ...and James McLean

    So, prepare for a tightly edited (!) collection of interactions between 6 people who weren't even on the same call, let alone in the same room. Strangely, I think it works.

    It's a bit shorter than usual, but I think it nicely wraps things up.

    Patreon benefits
    Supporters of the podcast on Patreon got this week’s show ad-free and early. Sign up to enjoy the same benefits.

    From the next episode of Kasterborous, we'll be back to ad-free, early, and complete on Patreon, with the full episode for Patrons and a shorter version of the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc. a few days later.

    Get in touch
    Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out.

    Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitter or Facebook or editor@kasterborous.co.uk, and you’ll get a mention.
    Show more Show less
    20 mins
  • 478: "Jim" Straczynski, and where is The War Between the Land and the Sea?

    478: "Jim" Straczynski, and where is The War Between the Land and the Sea?
    Jun 29 2025
    James and Christian have just recorded an ad hoc conversation about recent events concerning Doctor Who.

    Prepare for a video discussion which looks at J. Michael Straczynski's possible interest in Doctor Who, the current lack of scheduling for The War Between the Land and the Sea, obligatory AI talk, and a look at how much UK and US subscribers are paying for Netflix, Prime, Disney+, et al, compared with other countries.

    Shownotes
    • Babylon 5’s J Michael Straczynski Says He’d “Love Nothing More” Than Writing Doctor Who
    • The War Between the Land and the Sea
    • Gorilla AI advert

    Patreon benefits
    Supporters of the podcast on Patreon got this week’s show ad-free and early on Patreon — and with extra material.

    Get in touch
    Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out.

    Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitter or Facebook or editor@kasterborous.co.uk, and you’ll get a mention.
    Show more Show less
    55 mins
  • 477: Is Doctor Who's narrative commenting on its real world fate?

    477: Is Doctor Who's narrative commenting on its real world fate?
    Jun 20 2025
    During the run of Doctor Who Series 15, Christian Cawley and James McLean got together to discuss how the show was developing.

    This conversation took place against a backdrop of intense speculation about the future of the series, its star, and perhaps even its showrunner. Factor in the internal narrative -- dialogue from Mrs Flood -- and comments from Russell T Davies seeming to downplay the future of Doctor Who, and you have an interesting topic for discussion, namely:

    Were RTD, the BBC, and Disney+ engaged in one of the most audacious publicity campaigns for a TV show ever? Or was this a semi-conscious, modern day retread of the events surrounding Trial of a Time Lord in 1986?

    Find out what we think. Remember, this conversation went out in early May to our Patreon subscribers, so the voices on the end of your podcastmachine have no idea what happened in Episode 8...


    Patreon benefits
    Supporters of the podcast on Patreon got this week’s show ad-free and early. Sign up to enjoy the same benefits.


    Get in touch
    Subscribe to our podcast? Then head to Apple Podcasts to leave a rating and review. Any new reviews will be read out.

    Not on Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review somewhere else, send the link over on Twitter or Facebook or editor@kasterborous.co.uk, and you’ll get a mention.
    Show more Show less
    27 mins
No reviews yet