500 Year Diary: A Doctor Who Podcast

Saturday 1 September 1979. Destiny of the Daleks. It’s the last episode of our fifth season, which means that it’s time to say goodbye to Terry Nation, as the production team turns his final script for the programme into an achingly contemporary Disco Remix of the Dalek–Thal conflict which could only have happened in the last few moments of the 1970s.

Saturday 8 March 1975. Genesis of the Daleks. This week, Nathan, Peter, Simon and Corey are sent back in time on a mission to prevent Doctor Who fandom from concluding that the brilliance of Genesis of the Daleks is somehow not the result of the brilliance of Terry Nation.

Saturday 7 April 1973. Planet of the Daleks. This week, Jeremy Radick joins us for a desperate mission to a low-effort jungle planet somewhere in the northern reaches of Shepherd’s Bush, as Terry Nation tries to reclaim the glory days when Dalek stories took place on a more modest scale — full of incident and thrilling action sequences, but shot in a studio that had once hosted episodes of Morecambe and Wise.

Saturday 9 October 1965. Mission to the Unknown. In an isolated episode on a distant, inhospitable planet, the Daleks are fomenting an intergalactic conspiracy to overthrow the Solar System. And for arcane budgetary reasons, the Doctor isn’t there to stop them.

Saturday 21 November 1964. The Dalek Invasion of Earth. This week, it’s our annual trip to post-apocalyptic 22nd-century London to see how David, Tyler and Jenny are getting on. Turns out, probably better than we let on last time.

Saturday 21 December 1963. The Daleks. Doctor Who has barely even started when the writer of Episode Five shows up and decides to take the show in a whole different direction. That writer was Terry Nation, and that episode, or possibly the one after that, will change the world forever.

Thursday 9 July 2009. Torchwood: Children of Earth: Day Four. Tonight, John Frobisher’s relationship with the 456 turns from sour to ugly, while Captain Jack Harkness’s day starts with humiliation and ends in death. In contrast, the British PM and his advisors are being uncharacteristically dynamic and productive, which doesn’t bode well for anyone really.

Tuesday 7 July 2009. Torchwood: Children of Earth: Day Two. The 456 said they’d drop round some time this evening, so while they wait, Simon and Nathan chat with Johnny Spandrell and Melvin Peña about villains, childlessness, the Home Office onboarding process, how great Eve Myles is, and whether Torchwood really is appropriate viewing for grownups.

Thursday 15 August 1991. Timewyrm: Exodus. Our tribute to the great Terrance Dicks concludes this week with a discussion of his first original Doctor Who novel, but we also take the opportunity to talk about what he achieved and how much we all owe him. Kate Orman and Adam Richard join us for Timewyrm: Exodus.

Saturday 22 November 1980. State of Decay. This week, on a planet where evil carnivorous overlords oppress and prey on a helpless populace, we decide to watch and discuss State of Decay.

Saturday 28 December 1974. Robot. This week, Terrance gives up the script editor’s seat to Bob Holmes — but not before adding a final flourish to his era (and scoring one more paycheque) as the writer of Tom Baker’s first story, Robot.

Saturday 26 April 2025. The Well. The surprising return of a decades-old monster leads not only to the urgent revision of a long-dormant TARDIS Wikia page, but also to an unexpected addition to the current season of 500 Year Diary. So join us, as we join Steven B for one more visit to a diamond planet called Midnight — it’s The Well.

Saturday 4 June 2005. Boom Town. This week, a New Series villain returns for the first time just six weeks after her first appearance — it’s Blon Fel-Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen, wonderfully played by Annette Badland. Hannah Cooper and Pete Lambert join us.