Episodes

  • 465: Adrian Munsey on Wonderland: Science Fiction in the Atomic Age

    465: Adrian Munsey on Wonderland: Science Fiction in the Atomic Age
    Mar 31 2025
    Adrian Munsey, the director and writer of the Sky Arts series Wonderland: Science Fiction in the Atomic Age joined James McLean to explore his four-part documentary.

    We previously shared the raw video version of this chat. Here is the audio podcast, for more convenient listening.

    The series starts on April 3, 2025 on Sky Arts, and runs for four weeks. Further details can be found on Kasterborous. Incidentally, we've learned that the Douglas Adams documentary The Man Who Imagined Our Future is screening before Wonderland. Might as well make a night of it!

    This podcast went live first on our Patreon. Join us free at www.patreon.com/kasterborous, where you’ll also find our podcasts are early, ad-free, and often with extra material!

    Shownotes
    • Wonderland: Science Fiction in the Atomic Age
    • Trailer

    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.
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    47 mins
  • 464: Single takes: Aliens on Sodor

    464: Single takes: Aliens on Sodor
    Mar 24 2025
    This week, Christian Cawley and James McLean mull over the impact of the single take shot in new Netflix drama Adolescence. Single takes, also known as one-shots and continuous shots, have appeared in many movies and TV shows, from Marvel's Daredevil to Alfred Hitchcock's Rope to Orson Welles' Touch of Evil, and many other besides.

    It has been technically difficult to achieve, especially for British TV, but we wonder if its employment in this series might inspire similar approaches from directors.

    Oddly, we also talk about Thomas the Tank Engine's geography, and the 1986 sequel to Alien, James Cameron's Aliens.

    Patreon edition
    For patrons, we also have an extended edition, which looks more at the long takes in Adolescence and their potential impact from a cinematography and narrative point of view.

    Our Patreon is free -- you can sign up at www.patreon.com/kasterborous to get episodes early, ad-free, and extended.

    Shownotes

    • Aliens
    • Thomas the Tank Engine
    • Adolescence

    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.
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    36 mins
  • 463: PODCASTHON SPECIAL: Is Pierce Brosnan part of the future of James Bond?

    463: PODCASTHON SPECIAL: Is Pierce Brosnan part of the future of James Bond?
    Mar 17 2025
    Hello! This is our brand new podcast, which not only talks about James Bond, but also supports Podcasthon.

    James McLean and Christian Cawley reconvene this week to discuss the events surrounding Amazon's purchase of Eon, and the resulting rumours. While we unsurprisingly dwell on the tempting notion of Pierce Brosnan returning as an older James Bond, there is also time to discuss the world of Bond spin-offs.

    Because, ladies and gentlemen, you may not know this, but we *have* been here before...

    Did you know, all our podcasts launch earlier on Patreon? Join us free at www.patreon.com/kasterborous, where you’ll also find podcasts with extra material! For example, the Patreon version of this edition has five minutes worth of extra material.

    What is the Podcasthon?
    James and Christian were approached to take part in the Podcasthon some weeks ago, and thought it was a great thing to do. Each podcast taking part selects a charity (ours is CentrePoint), and records a podcast specifically for the event. The Podcasthon team then use social media to spot our tagging of the podcast, and share it, and the drive raises awareness of all the charities selected by the podcasters.

    Originally a French-language "athon", the Podcasthon is being done by hundreds of podcasts this year, and we're in very esteemed company, so we've tried to behave. As this is a special podcast, the Spotify/Apple version will be identical this week.

    Shownotes


    • Podcasthon
    • Eon/MGM/Amazon news
    • Brosnan on return
    • The Rock (Connery/Cage)
    • Ripper Street
    • Star Trek Discovery
    • Our favourite Bond movies
    • Who on Earth is Tom Baker?
    • How to play GoldenEye 007 in 2025
    • James Bond RPG book
    • James Bond graphic novels
    • Mission Impossible
      • 1960s series
      • 1980s series
      • Tom Cruise series

    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.
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    56 mins
  • 462: Box of Delights RPG, Fighting Fantasy back in print, and Avengers curiousities

    462: Box of Delights RPG, Fighting Fantasy back in print, and Avengers curiousities
    Mar 10 2025
    This week, Christian Cawley looks at some new Box of Delights material, a Fighting Fantasy books Kickstarter, a rediscovered Top of the Pops episode, and a new book about The Avengers (not the lycra superheroes).

    Did you know, all our podcasts launch earlier on Patreon? Join us free at www.patreon.com/kasterborous, where you’ll also find podcasts with extra material!

    Shownotes
    • Ncuti Gatwa, Disney, and Russell T Davies rumours podcast
    • AI's role in the search (and recreation) of lost Doctor Who episodes
    • The Box of Delights RPG
    • The Box of Delights features on BBC podcast
    • Fighting Fantasy gamebooks reissued with Kickstarter campaign
    • Catan Masterpiece Series Kickstarter
    • 1938 BBC broadcast picked up in New York
    • Lost episode of Top of the Pops from 1976
    • Avengers Escapades
    • Lost Talking Heads session tapes found
    • Film Is Fabulous "Cultural Significance"
    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.
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    30 mins
  • 461: Are tech billionaires the new gods of a secular age?

    461: Are tech billionaires the new gods of a secular age?
    Mar 3 2025
    This week, Christian chats with comedian Garrett Millerick about his standup show, Just Trying to Help, which is available to watch on YouTube now, and is recommended.

    The thrust of the conversation is about our relationships with people like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg (and to a lesser extent Richard Branson...) and how they influence the modern world.

    While it might be a slight diversion from the usual conversation on this show, we do refer to generative AI, a regular topic of discussion here.

    Our wide-ranging chat takes in everything from baby names to iPhone-based immortality, and I think you will enjoy it.

    Did you know, all our podcasts launch earlier on Patreon? Join us free at www.patreon.com/kasterborous, where you’ll also find podcasts with extra material! For example, the Patreon version of this edition has five minutes worth of extra material.

    Shownotes
    • Just Trying To Help (Full Comedy Special)
    • Do Gooders on Radio 4
    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.
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    27 mins
  • 460: Has Ncuti Gatwa quit Doctor Who, and is Disney pulling out?

    460: Has Ncuti Gatwa quit Doctor Who, and is Disney pulling out?
    Feb 26 2025
    Christian Cawley and James McLean discuss the recent media reports that Ncuti Gatwa has quit Doctor Who. This is the full-length discussion, which also features exchanges on accusations of "wokery" across the show's recent storylines, Disney's involvement, and how the BBC still doesn't seem to know who the show's audience is.

    Let us know what you think about all of this.

    Shownotes
    • Sun reports Ncuti Gatwa has quit Doctor Who, Disney possibly cancelling deal
    • BBC issues response to Ncuti Gatwa/Disney/RTD rumours
    • Telegraph report on the story, with quotes from "insiders" (paywalled)
    • Why you should watch Life on Mars
    • We discuss Doctor Who and the Communist with author Michael Herbert
    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.
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    40 mins
  • 459: Artificial Intelligence and Doctor Who Missing Episodes

    459: Artificial Intelligence and Doctor Who Missing Episodes
    Feb 19 2025
    Welcome to a new edition of the famously non-award-winning podcast, now in its 18th year of critical acclaim-free production!

    This week, Christian Cawley and James McLean are here to talk about Doctor Who topics: Tom Baker's OBE, the passing of David A McIntee, and the activities of generative AI creators.

    Is it a good idea to create missing episodes of Doctor Who with generative AI? Does it have artistic merit? Do the power requirements negate its relative trivial relevance? These, and many other questions, are posed and discussed by your hosts.

    Shownotes
    • Tom Baker (finally) gets CBE
    • Doctor Who In Memoriam 2024
      • David A McIntee (Wikipedia)
    • Doctor Who AI Missing Episodes sample (also used as our featured image)
    • Marvel's new Fantastic 4 using AI art for promo poster?
    Get in touch
    If you subscribe to our podcast, please 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.

    Did you know, all our podcasts launch around 4 days earlier on Patreon? Join us free at www.patreon.com/kasterborous, where you’ll also find podcasts with extra material!
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    42 mins
  • 458: Beam Me Up… Star Trek! New Bowie tracks! And Alien Too!

    458: Beam Me Up… Star Trek! New Bowie tracks! And Alien Too!
    Feb 13 2025
    We're back! It has been a few weeks, but 2025 is in full swing, so it makes sense to get the podcast up and running again. This week Christian covers a bunch of stuff, from Star Trek Discovery being ejected from continuity to a new Alien RPG. Oh, and a look at those David Bowie tapes from the Young Americans era.

    It's all in the latest edition of Kasterborous, the podcast that explores the biggest stories in retro pop culture

    Shownotes
    In this week's show:

    • New ZX Spectrum
      • Christian's retro site at www.gamingretro.co.uk
    • Century 21 Films wins rights to some Network DVD extras and the Filmed in Supermarionation documentary
    • Robin of Sherwood 1987 annual reissued
    • Star Trek Discovery deleted
      • We discuss Star Trek Discovery episode 1
    • Missing Believed Wiped:
      • Songs of Praise from 1979
        • Not the Nine o'Clock News "Songs of Praise" sketch
      • John Craven's Newsround from 28/10/1982
      • Open University production of St Joan (starring Angela Pleasance) from August 1977
    • Lost David Bowie session tapes found, but cannot be played
    • Becoming Led Zeppelin trailer
    • Alien RPG Evolved Edition heads to Kickstarter
    • Blake's 7 Magazine
    Never before have these words been typed in this order.

    Get in touch
    If you subscribe to our podcast, please 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.

    Did you know, all our podcasts launch around 4 days earlier on Patreon? Join us free at www.patreon.com/kasterborous, where you’ll also find podcasts with extra material!
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    30 mins