Friendly Mushroom Productions: Recent Episodes
Friendly Mushroom Productions
A cause for applause! Welcome to the show, dearest guests. Please be seated. To close the year we thought we'd try something a little different - it's an alternative game awards show! We polled some members of the community and collated our own thoughts on the past year ‘n change, and who’da thunk it - we’ve got plenty to share. So join us in this celebration of everything that is, was, and could be. It’ll be a night to remember! (Also - Sam is very aware of the irony of him claiming the audio will be better while being completely unaware that Discord is sipping from their headset mic again rather than the one they told it to. OOOoOOOPS!)
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Categories and Nominees:
- Game of the Year (2024): UFO 50, Astro Bot, Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom, Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore, Tiny Terry’s Turbo Trip, Judero, Thank Goodness You’re Here
- Backlog Nominee (2025): Pizza Tower, Pokémon Legends Arceus, Metal Gear Solid, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Super Mario RPG (2023), Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Resident Evil
- Best in Wallet: Steam Deck OLED, Celeste, Atari 50: The Anniversary Collection, The Lego Humble Bundle
- Best in Imagination: a Wario Land sequel, a “back to basics” Lego game, a Tomodachi Life/Nintendogs/Seaman spiritual successor, another revival for TimeSplitters 4
- Most “Interesting”: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, P-Racing, Penny’s Big Breakaway, The Plucky Squire, Doctor Who: The Adventure Games, Flower, Journey
- The David Foundation’s “Best in LEGO”: LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, LEGO Batman, LEGO Marvel Superheroes, LEGO City Undercover, LEGO 2K Drive
- Episode of the Year (2024): Casino Royale with Cheese, Toast of Hollywood, The Hunt for Content, Death by Chocolate, A Brief History of Time and Space, and others
- Game of the Era (Year One): Donut Dodo, Root Bear, Jusant, FIFA Street (2005), Ape Escape, Football Manager 2024, Downwell, Virtual Boy Wario Land
Honourable Mentions:
- Week in Gaming:Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Electroplankton, Project Rub (Feel the Magic: XY/XX), Webfishing
- Game of the Year: The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Persona 3 Reload, Crow Country
- Backlog Nominee: Viewtiful Joe, Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright, The Great Ace Attorney
- Best in Wallet:Stardew Valley, Cities: Skylines, Anbernic RG35XXSP
- Best in Imagination:a Gravity Rush sequel, a Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg sequel, a new F-Zero, a new Style Savvy, a new game from the former CiNG development staff
- Most “Interesting”:Flower, Sun & Rain (DS), Amber Isle, Yakuza: Dead Souls, Fashion Dreamer, Kevin (1997-2077)
- Game of the Era:F-Zero GX, Cavern of Dreams, Open RCT2, Dragon Quest VIII, Y School Heroes: Bustlin’ School Life
Music used:
- Gala Premiere - Laurie Johnson
- Pingolf - Gameplay [from “UFO 50”] - Eirik Suhrke
- Astro [from “Astro Bot”] - Kenneth C M Young
- Downhill [from “Thank Goodness You’re Here”] - James Carbutt, Joe Rodwell, Fraser Perry
- Karakara Defense [from “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom”] - Maasa Miyoshi, Manaka Kataoka, Masato Ohashi, Tsukasa Usui
- UFO 50 - Eirik Suhrke
- Clair de Lune [from “Flower, Sun & Rain”] - Masafumi Takada, Claude Debussy
- Everybody Votes Channel - Toshiyuki Sudo
- Doctor Who Confidential Theme - Murray Gold
- Staff Roll [from “Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore”] - Jake “Button Masher” Silverman
Further reading:
- Charlie Brooker teaches Jon Snow to play video games (Channel 4 News, 2013): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FLVjfFKy58
- AI Slop Recap Site That I'm Not Crediting For Anything: https://deepcast.fm/podcast/friendly-mushroom-productions
The night gaming came home! In an extra spooky special, Sam, David and guest Shane Cannon hand out tricks and treats alike as they discuss the rich legacy of illustrious horror director John Carpenter. It’s an eclectic tale spun across cult movies, the games inspired by them, and the famously outspoken gaming tastes of the big man himself. And, uh. Hang on. Didn’t David have something this week too…?
Special thanks to Stephen Follows for reaching out to provide research from his new book - The Horror Movie Report! https://stephenfollows.com/reports/the-horror-report/
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Topics discussed: Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo;Halloween (1978 film, 1983 game), The Fog; Escape from New York, Snake Plissken’s First Escape (cancelled game), John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982 film, 2002 game), Big Trouble in Little China (1986 film and game), They Live; Russell Grant’s Astrology / Astrology DS
Also mentioned: Judero, Kingdom Hearts, David’s PS3 comes out of storage, Myst/Riven, Atari Food Fight (2024); Sonic Unleashed, John Carpenter’s Games of the Year 2013 - 2014 (Borderlands 2, Remember Me, The Last of Us, Assassin’s Creed IV), Dead Space, Until Dawn; Silent Hill, Metal Gear, Bart vs. the Space Mutants
Music used:
- Menu Music 3 (“Okay Fellas”) [from “International Superstar Soccer 2000”] - Kazuhiko Uehara
- Parasail Minigame [from “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild”] - Manaka Kataoka, Yasuaki Iwata, Hajime Wakai
- “Halloween” Theme (1978) - John Carpenter
- Alone in the Town [from “Silent Hill 2” (2001)] - Akira Yamaoka
- Theme of Solid Snake [from “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate”] - Masami Ueda
- Track 04 [from “Sentinel Returns”] - John Carpenter, Gary McKill
- You Idiot [from “Undertale”] - Toby Fox
Further reading:
- John Carpenter profile - Giant Bomb (Patrick Klepek, 2014): https://www.giantbomb.com/john-carpenter/3040-27465/
- John Carpenter interview - The Flashback Files (Roel Haanen, 2014): https://www.flashbackfiles.com/john-carpenter-interview
- Eurogamer - The Making of “The Thing” (Graeme Mason, 2014): https://www.eurogamer.net/the-making-of-the-thing
- Horror master John Carpenter on his 20-year Sonic The Hedgehog addiction - Fact Magazine (Miles Bowe, 2017): https://www.factmag.com/2017/11/09/john-carpenter-sonic-the-hedgehog/
- Cancelled “Escape from New York” game footage (NeoGamer, 2017): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-vp_8s7--Q
Set phasers to “gaming”! There’s a great big universe out there, and by gum, someone’s gotta make sense of it. Join us, as we beam up old-school YouTuber and die-hard Odo fanboy Christopher Bingham (@chriscoolblog) to explore what works about Star Trek (and what so often doesn’t) across a plethora of interactive tie-ins. A most vital engagement!
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Topics discussed: “Star Trek” [1971 text adventure], Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator, Star Trek: 25th Anniversary, Star Trek: Borg, Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force; Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Crossroads of Time, Star Trek: Bridge Crew, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Harbinger; Star Trek: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Fallen, Star Trek: Prodigy - Supernova
Also mentioned: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (GBA), Elden Ring, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, UFO 50 (Pingolf, Magic Garden, Mooncat); Thy Dungeonman (Homestar Runner), Star Raiders (Atari), Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Mass Effect, Rugrats: Search for Reptar
Music used:
- Opening Titles [from “Star Trek: The Original Series”] - Alexander Courage
- Deku Palace [from “The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask”] - Koji Kondo
- Cucumbers in Space [from “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”] - Dennis McCarthy
- Main Theme 2 [from “Star Trek 25th Anniversary Pinball”] - Brian Schmidt
- Battle at Wolf 359 [from “Star Trek: Borg”] - Dennis McCarthy, Kevin Kiner
- Hot Pursuit [from “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Crossroads of Time”, SNES] - Attila Dobos, Steve Zuckermann
- Enterprising Young Men [from “Star Trek” (2009)] - Michael Giacchino
The world’s a stage - and life’s a dance! It all gets a bit hairy-scary as Gamer Era kicks off the big red boots for the spookiest month of the year. Returning guest Lucy (@fortunekookiekrisp) joins Sam for an enchanting Bayonetta special, as a recap on the much-loved game series turns to a spirited discussion of the real-life folklore and superstition that may have inspired it. Cat not necessary, but strongly recommended.
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Topics discussed: The Bayonetta series (1 - 3), Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon
Also mentioned: Monster Hunter Stories 2, Astro Bot, Downwell, Donut Dodo; Clover Studios, Platinum Games, MadWorld, Devil’s Third, Darksiders, Scalebound, Dungeon Meshi
Music used:
- Espresso with Bayonetta (Cyan City Zone Act 3) [from “Sonic: After the Sequel”] - James Landino, Falk
- One of a Kind [from “Bayonetta”] - Hiroshi Yamaguchi
- Moon River (∞ Climax Mix) [from “Bayonetta 2”] - Keeley Bumford, Henry Mancini, Naofumi Harada
- Training and Discipline ~ Morgana’s Theme [from “Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon”] - Masahiro Miyauchi
- Bonneton ~ The Cap Kingdom [from “Super Mario Odyssey”] - Shiho Fujii
- 34ºN, 12ºE …for Mad Space [from “Sonic Adventure 2”] - Fumie Kumatani, Tabitha Fair
Gaming. It’s our business. With conquest on the mind, our brave hosts each explore the various triumphs and blunders of two titans venturing into the digital realm. First, David chronicles The Lego Group’s tentative steps into the 2000s - from the experimental Island series, to the justly forgotten cross-media flop of Galidor, through to the eventual breakout success of Bionicle. Then, Sam finally investigates a lifelong curiosity - just who exactly is multi-millionaire media mogul Alan Sugar, and what was he doing getting involved in the booming British micro-computer scene of the ‘80s? It’s all to play for in another block-busting instalment!
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Topics discussed: The Lego Island series, Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension, Bionicle; Alan Sugar, various Amstrad computers (CPC-464, PCW, PC1512, GX4000, Mega-PC); the Roland “series”, Get Dexter!, Everyone’s A Wally
Also mentioned: Antonball Deluxe / Antonblast, Perfect Dark, Thank Goodness You’re Here, Lego Incredibles, Muppet Monster Adventure; Lego: Fun to Build, the Sega Pico, Pac-Man Ghost Zone, Drawn to Life, Saffire (developer); The Apprentice UK, the ZX Spectrum, Sir Clive Sinclair, the BBC Micro, the Sega Teradrive
Music used:
- Menu Music 3 (“Okay Fellas”) [from “International Superstar Soccer 2000”] - Kazuhiko Uehara
- Brick by Brick [from “Lego Island”] - Lorin Nelson
- Level 1 [from “Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension”] - Mark Ortiz
- Theme of Super Metroid - Kenji Yamamoto
- Tahu Beguiled Rahi [from “Bionicle: The Game”] - Karin Griffin
- Blue Room [from “Island Xtreme Stunts”] - John Hancock, Steven Gow, Stafford Bawler, Mark Hyett
- March of the Knights (Romeo and Juliet) - Sergei Prokofiev
- Everyone’s a Wally - Mike Berry [restored version from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhfxAm_6Xes]
Further reading:
- “Bits ‘N Bricks - Lego Island: Birth of a Lego Video Game” (The LEGO Group, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_x7MiUcT8s
- “Bits ‘N Bricks - The Surreal History of Lego Galidor” (The LEGO Group, 2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O13pz3unFrM
- “LEGO Almost Went Bankrupt. These Heroes Saved Our Bricks.” - Popular Mechanics (David Lumb, 2020): https://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/gaming/a31152877/lego-bionicle-faber/
- “Brick by brick: how Lego embraced video games” - The Guardian (Alysia Judge, 2018): https://www.theguardian.com/games/2018/jul/12/lego-video-games
- “Alan Sugar - The Amstrad Story” (David Thomas, 1991) [ISBN 978-0330319003]: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Alan_Sugar/zj7cNwAACAAJ
- “What You See is What You Get: My Autobiography” (Alan Sugar, 2010) [ISBN 978-0330520478]: https://www.google.com/books/edition/What_You_See_Is_What_You_Get/bVEFCfjadN8C
- “Meet the Amstrad CPC range of British Micros - Show & Tell” (RMC - The Cave, 2019): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzugRfoWZkM
- “Ruthless: The Story of Amstrad and Alan Sugar in the 80's and 90's” (Kim Justice, 2016): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiIXn9Tr5hI
- “The Amazing TRUE Story Of How Amstrad Bought Sinclair” (ChinnyVision, 2016): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGzqvyKYVVI
- “Amstrad Addict - Collectors Edition Magazine” (Pixel Addict, 2023): https://www.pixel.addict.media/shop/amstrad-addict
Welcome back, Agent. Pay close attention. Time is of the essence… Out from the darkness and into the light shine two masters in their fields. First, incumbent agent Sam details the original Perfect Dark - the much-hyped spiritual successor to GoldenEye that continues to draw interest to this day. Then, interstellar traveller Vernon (@meektheraccoon) flashes back to the TimeSplitters series, itself both a contemporary and successor to Perfect Dark with a similarly devout fanbase. These twin titles separated at birth share many commonalities, but it is crucial that focus is not lost. Good luck, listener.
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Topics discussed: Perfect Dark (N64, GBC); TimeSplitters, TimeSplitters 2, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect
Also mentioned: Baldur’s Gate III, Midtown Madness 3, Metroid Planets; GoldenEye 007, Rare and the N64 in 2000, Donkey Kong 64, Glover, Conker: Twelve Tales; Free Radical Design, Second Sight, Haze, Punch-Out!!, Body Harvest, Shaun of the Dead, Blinx: The Time Sweeper, Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee, Doom, Halo: Combat Evolved, LittleBigPlanet
Music used:
- dataDyne Central: Defection [from “Perfect Dark”] - Graeme Norgate
- Frontend [from “Midtown Madness 3”] - Olof Gustafsson
- G5 Building: Reconnaissance [from “Perfect Dark”] - Grant Kirkhope
- Siberia [from “TimeSplitters 2”] - Graeme Norgate
- Shop/Collection [from “Blinx: The Time Sweeper”] - Mariko Nanba
- click clock [from “Swinging Circuit”] - nosleeves
- Return to Planet X [from “TimeSplitters 2”] - Graeme Norgate
Further reading:
- “The game’s Bond: the making of Nintendo classic GoldenEye 007” - The Guardian (Simon Parkin, 2022): https://www.theguardian.com/games/2022/aug/19/nintendo-64-n64-goldeneye-007-rare-james-bond-making-of
- “Perfect Dark: the oral history of an N64 classic” - Eurogamer (Wesley Yin-Poole, 2020): https://www.eurogamer.net/perfect-dark-the-oral-history-of-an-n64-classic
- “Perfect Dark Turns 20 - The Definitive Story Behind The N64 Hit That Outclassed James Bond” - Nintendo Life (James Batchelor, 2020): https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/12/feature_perfect_dark_turns_20_-_the_definitive_story_behind_the_n64_hit_that_outclassed_james_bond
- “Rare Revealed: The Making of Perfect Dark” - Rare (2015): https://youtu.be/7CxpdspOV5I?si=gRD2DYgL_OXyAstd
- “What's So Great About Perfect Dark? - A Bright Future for First Person Shooters” - WhatsSoGreatAboutGaming (2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVmxvKeD1H0
- “Perfect Dark - Playthrough Perfect Agent” (Graslu00, 2024): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yb-TcgLL9Q
Hello gamers! Podtor Whocast hosts David and Michel have just popped up on Gamer Era, another Friendlymush.com podcast that David has never been on, to discuss the history of Doctor Who games from the early days up to the end of Series 5! Please enjoy this snippet, and be sure to go over to the main Gamer Era feed to listen to the rest!
We'd be GREAT at curating - we’d be the game curators… It’s a calamity among worlds as PODTOR WHOCAST and GAMER ERA collide for the very first time! Join Sam, David and Michel as they journey through the unknown - from the neon-soaked days of the 1980s, to the twisted nights of the wilderness years in the 1990s, all the way to the “Nu” dawn from the mid-2000s. There's also discussion on Michel's involvement in writing for Fallout London, and the fascinating parallel history of microcomputers in the UK. This episode became such a monster that one instalment couldn’t possibly contain it - look forward to a Part Two somewhere in your future!
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Topics discussed: Doctor Who Adventure, Doctor Who: The First Adventure, Doctor Who and the Warlord, Doctor Who and the Mines of Terror, Doctor What! (unlicensed ZX Spectrum game); Dalek Attack, Destiny of the Doctors; Top Trumps: Doctor Who, Doctor Who: The Adventure Games, Doctor Who: Evacuation Earth, Doctor Who: Return to Earth
Also mentioned: Lego Star Wars II (PSP), PS Plus, Need for Speed Unbound, Bitmap Books, Fallout London, Poker Night at the Inventory, Borderlands (2024 movie); Castle Quest, The Key to Time, Time Lords, Alternative Software, Hogs of War, The Virgin New Adventures, BBC Multimedia, Big Finish; various “Doctor Who” Flash games (The Last Dalek, K9: Deja Who, Art Attack), Doctor Who: Attack of the Graske, Doctor Who Comic Maker / Trailer Maker; Doctor Who: The Runaway
Music used:
- Doctor Who (Latin Arrangement) - Keff McCullough
- The Wedding of River Song [from “Doctor Who: Series 6”] - Murray Gold, BBC National Orchestra of Wales
- Title Screen [from "Dalek Attack", Amiga] - Paul Tankard
- All the Strange, Strange Creatures [from “Doctor Who: Series 4”] - Murray Gold, BBC National Orchestra of Wales
- Doctor in Distress - Who Cares? [yes, that is seriously the name of the ensemble]
Further reading:
- “The Long Game” [Doctor Who games retrospective] - Doctor Who Magazine #496 (Chris Dring, 2016): https://pocketmags.com//doctor-who-magazine/496-feb-16/articles/15557/the-long-game
- “The Long Game” [history of Doctor Who’s post-movie “wilderness years”] - Paul Hayes (2021) [ISBN: 9781908630803]: https://tenacrefilms.bigcartel.com/product/the-long-game-1996-2003-the-inside-story-of-how-the-bbc-brought-back-doctor-who
- “The Long Game” [Podtor Whocast S1E7 - Sam’s first guest-appearance]: https://friendlymush.com/podcast/doctor-who-s1e7-the-long-game/
- “Doctor in Distress” full lyrics: https://genius.com/Who-cares-pol-doctor-in-distress-lyrics
Tales woven across small screen laughs and big screen thrills. It’s a veritable luckfest as our hosts spread the licensed game lovin’ across Rotherham and Tinseltown. Sam starts us off by pitching his idea for the ChuckleVision game that never was, hitching the wagon on various “Chuckle-likes” to find the perfect title to clone. Then, David takes us through the back half of the 90s movie zeitgeist through a pixelated lens, peppered with facts and tidbits. This week’s one is a bit of an unintentional epic - hold on to your ticket!
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Topics discussed: ChuckleVision, Mr. Bean (PS2), Wallace & Gromit: Project Zoo, The Three Stooges (NES); Batman Forever (Game Boy), Independence Day, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Men in Black, The Mummy (PS1)
Also mentioned: Cavern of Dreams, Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club, The Simpsons: Road Rage; Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, Overcooked, Moving Out, Doctor Who: Duo Bundle, CinemaWare (developer), Hugo (game series), ChuckleVision: To Me, To Zoo; Batman Arkham Asylum, Probe Software (developer), Godzilla (1998), Star Fox 64, The Whale, Sega’s MCU Games (Iron Man, Thor)
Music used:
- Training Mode [from "International Superstar Soccer 2000", N64] - Ayumu Kashizaki
- Menu Music 3 (“Okay Fellas”) [from "International Superstar Soccer 2000", N64] - Ayumu Kashizaki
- “ChuckleVision” Theme - Dave Cooke
- Chuckle Chaser - Dave Cooke
- “Mr. Bean: The Animated Series” Theme - Howard Goodall
- Sonata In C [from "The Three Stooges", NES] - Gavan Anderson, Gregg Barnett
- Pop Goes The Weasel [from "The Three Stooges", NES] - Gavan Anderson, Gregg Barnett
- To Me, To You (Bruv) - Tinchy Stryder (ft. the Chuckle Brothers)
- BGM #01 [from "Batman Forever", GB] - Andrew Brock
- Katina [from "Star Fox 64"] - Koji Kondo, Hajime Wakai
- Vivid Memories Turn to Fantasies - Neil Cicierega
- Kiss from a Rose [NSF, VRC6 Cover] - Fearofdark
Further reading:
- “Russell T Davies on Writing ChuckleVision” (DoctorVision, 2019): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb8ZGw1z-7s
- KatanTheVan's ChuckleVision YTPs [NSFW]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-MxgX3ouvM&list=PLyl95lFY39XwViYXww5kmBo6H0ioPyho5
- “To Me, To Zoo!” Full Playthrough (sock puppet, 2019): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvElXdh_KsA
It’s better than bad - it’s good! It’s time to get goopy, gacky, and all kinds of wacky, as Sam invites resident millennial Kit back on the pod to talk through two of Nickelodeon’s earliest animated efforts and their vibrant history in games. How close did Ren & Stimpy get to capturing the anarchic spirit of the show? How much content was cut from the Rugrats’ premiere 3D outing? And how many times can we say the words “lost media” before it loses all meaning? Whatever the answers, one thing’s clear - a gamer’s gotta do what a gamer’s gotta do. Gaming, that is.
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Topics discussed: The Ren & Stimpy Show (Veediots!, Stimpy’s Invention, Fire Dogs, Time Warp); Rugrats: Search for Reptar, Rugrats in Paris, Rugrats: Studio Tour, Totally Angelica!
Also mentioned: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Pokémon Red Nuzlocke, Rayman Redemption, Connie and the Essence of Chaos, Sonic P-06, Sonic SMS Remake, Corn Kidz 64, Tiny Terry’s Turbo Trip; Doug’s Big Game, Smiling Friends, Stan Lee’s Stripperella, Cans Without Labels, Kickstarter, Indivisible, Omori; The Rugrats Movie (Game Boy), n-Space (developer), Duke Nukem: Time To Kill / Land of the Babes, Heroes of Ruin
Music used:
- “Gay Activity” [as heard in “Ren & Stimpy Production Music”] - Clive Richardson
- "lead past evil leavs" [as heard in “Corn Kidz 64”] - Gammis
- Fire Station - The Ren & Stimpy Show: Fire Dogs
- Dog Pound Hop - The Ren & Stimpy Show: Time Warp
- “Take Me There” [from “The Rugrats Movie”] - Blackstreet and Mya (ft. Mase & Blinky Blink)
- Training - Rugrats: Search for Reptar
- Happy Happy Joy Joy - The Ren & Stimpy Show
Further reading:
- “Sick Little Monkeys: The Unauthorized Ren & Stimpy Story” (Thad Komorowski, 2017) [ISBN: 1629331821]: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=YRqKDwAAQBAJ
- “Cans Without Labels” (John Kricfalusi, 2019): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSZqX5Io6AY
- "Rugrats: Search for Reptar" original design document (1997): https://archive.org/details/rugrats-design/mode/2up?view=theater
- “THQ, Sony Team in Rugrats Marketing Bonanza” - IGN (1998): https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/12/04/thq-sony-team-in-rugrats-marketing-bonanza
- Nickelodeon Animation Podcast with Arlene Klasky (2017): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/arlene-klasky/id1112655996?i=1000369921438&mt=2
- "Rugrats at 30: Grown-Up and Revolutionary" – Pop History (2021): https://pophistory.club/analysis/rugrats-at-30-grown-up-and-revolutionary
Put me in, coach - I’m ready to play! In the spirit of a VERY sporting summer, Gabe beams in from @The_Pauldcast to share memories of digital bats, clubs and racquets. In the first half, Sam provides commentary on the contributions of a certain moustachioed plumber to the arcade sports genre, before David rises from the bench to analyse some truly bizarre football (soccer!) tie-ins and off-shoots. Also tangents. So, so many tangents.
(small content warning for NSFW material in the second half of the pod!)
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Topics discussed: Wordle (and its derivatives), Lego Indiana Jones 2, Euro Truck Simulator 2; Mario Sports (predominantly Golf, Tennis and Baseball), Camelot Software Planning, Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball; Mario Strikers Charged Football, The Mission (PS1), International Superstar Soccer 2000
Also mentioned: Duolingo, I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, Rayman; Ace Golf, Tennis for Two, Color-TV Game: Block Kuzushi, Mario’s Tennis, Everybody’s Golf/Stress Buster, Wii Sports, Mario Hoops 3-on-3, NHL Slapshot, Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams; Jumpers for Goalposts, eFootball / PES, Red Card, Lego 2K Goooal!
Music used:
- “Light and Tuneful” [BBC Wimbledon Theme] - Keith Mansfield
- Mario Brothers Court - Mario Tennis (N64)
- Artist on the Court - Mario Power Tennis
- Mario Stadium - Mario Superstar Baseball
- Toad Highlands - Mario Golf (N64)
- Training Mode - International Superstar Soccer 64
- Football (Edit Mode) - Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
- Monkey Soccer - Super Monkey Ball 2
Further reading:
- Fake Baseball Player names: https://twitter.com/lrgmnn/status/813635533658144768, https://twitter.com/ProductiveOuts/status/1504918421762285568
- Nike: The Mission advert (2000): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIpHlhY03Pw
The love WE pod, the love WE pod. David and Michel break down Scrooge plots, strange CG, and adaptation choices (no rat?) as Christmas in July returns -- it's A Christmas Carol!
New guest Mary joins us on our FINAL recap episode, S11E04 "The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat". We talk about the revival seasons, conspiracies during the Trump presidency, and the show's legacy.
Send in any thoughts or questions you have to be included in our wrap up episode to condensedtruthpod@gmail.com.
Tune in next time when we bring you a wrap up and any final thoughts on the show and the podcast!
Dim the lights, set the stage - it’s gaming’s biggest night! After Sam swipes right on Nintendo’s clumsy first year in smartphone gaming, David rolls out the red carpet for Cybermania ‘94 - one of the industry’s earliest attempts at an Oscars-style game awards show. There’s surprise star appearances, incredibly stilted comedy bits, and the secret origins of gaming's strongest warrior, Geoff Keighley. A gala ripe for the picking.
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Topics discussed: Goofy’s Fun House, Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom; Miitomo, Pokémon GO, Super Mario Run; Cybermania ‘94: The Ultimate Gamer Awards
Also mentioned: Fortnite, Sam gets a Steam Deck; The Mobile GB Adapter, iPad vs. 3DS, Angry Birds, Metroid Prime: Federation Force; Leslie Nielsen, William Shatner, Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, NBA Jam, Double Dragon V, Mortal Kombat
Music used:
- International Superstar Soccer 2000 - Menu Music 3 (“Okay Fellas”)
- Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom - Arcade Panik
- Miitomo - Mii Studio
- Super Mario Run - Underground Theme
- Prestige Production - Neil Richardson
- “The Naked Gun” Theme - Ira Newborne
Further reading:
- Cybermania '94: The Ultimate Gamer Awards (Full Show) - LearnToCounter (2012): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af9M8llS9JA
- Hillary Clinton interviews 100-year-old French Clown - bababoi (2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdkX5mVo5Aw
- “iPad 2 fans square off against Nintendo 3DS fans in our queue-clashing video” - CNET (Luke Westaway, 2011): https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/ipad-2-fans-square-off-against-nintendo-3ds-fans-in-our-queue-clashing-video/
- Iwata addresses smart device concerns in investor meeting (Nintendo, 2012): https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/events/121025qa/03.html
- Miyamoto on the philosophy of Mario Run’s pricing (Nintendo Everything, 2016): https://nintendoeverything.com/miyamoto-nintendo-felt-strongly-about-paying-just-once-for-mario-run-bringing-back-lapsed-fans-with-mobile/
- Super Mario Run - Apple Event announcement (NintendoWire, 2016): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aivv_RNoM3s
End of the season already we must'a been Lost in Time or something cos we've got to say GOODBYE to Season 4 of The Sarpod Jane Castventures! Join us as we delve into time-hopping exploits that have us confused and then some meta-fictional shenanigans that have us REALLY confused -- all this and more, it's Lost in Time AND Goodbye Sarah Jane Smith!
Now the biting makes sense! Unleashed once more from their cellophane wrapping (and accidentally spilling off a bit under the table), Gamer Era RETURNS with a chock-a-block confectionary themed pod! David brings the crunch with a hard-shelled punch-up on the inexplicable M&Ms game “series”, before Sam chews over the surprisingly solid gaming history of Kyoro-chan - the Japanese marketing juggernaut that became so huge he was directly parodied by Nintendo. Chow down, Gamers!
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Topics discussed: M&Ms: The Lost Formulas / Shell Shocked, M&Ms Kart Racing, M&Ms Adventure (DS); Pyoro / Bird & Beans, Kyoro-chan Land (aka Nebulus/Castelian), Pocket Kyoro-chan, Kyoro-chan no Purikura Daisasuken
Also mentioned: Jackass: The Game (PS2), Family Guy Video Game, Burnout Paradise Remastered, Dangerous Driving / Wreckreation; Simon & Schuster Interactive, M&Ms: Break ‘Em / Gem Smasher; WarioWare, Fish ‘n Feathers (Playdate), Reel-istic Fishing, Crank War, Space Boy Solan, Jupiter (developer), the Picross series
Music used:
- International Superstar Soccer 2000 - Menu Music 3 (“Okay Fellas”)
- M&Ms: The Lost Formulas - Get Out of Town
- Lose Yourself - Eminem
- O Fortuna ~ Carmina Burana - Carl Orff
- Pyoro S - WarioWare: Smooth Moves
- BGM #03 (Kyoro-chan’s House) - Pocket Kyoro-chan
- “Summer Halation” [from “Kyoro-chan”] - Coconuts Musume
- M&Ms: Mini Madness - The Conveyors
Further reading:
- “Kyoro-chan Time-Travel: Choco-Ball History” (Morinaga Co.): https://www.morinaga.co.jp/kyorochan/history
- “The Birth of Kyoro-chan!” [episode 1 of the anime series] (1999): https://archive.org/details/KyoroChanEP1
- “The Story of Nebulus” - Antstream Arcade (Graeme Mason, 2021): https://www.antstream.com/post/the-story-of-nebulus
- “Pocket Kyoro-Chan” playthrough with English commentary (Pixelated Crown, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckskwIfo1Mg
- “The most hidden "hidden gem" ever: Kyoro Chan no Purikura Daisakusen” (UHVGN, 2019): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ48z79iIU4
The planet's friggin EMPTY but your podcast feed sure isn't! We sit down to discuss awkward cameos, awkward set ups, kids named Gavin, and more -- it's Death of the Doctor AND The Empty Planet!
Sarah Jane is back with a….who even knows at this point. First we delve into Luke leaving, dream-weaving, and a spirited villain performance that leaves us split, before we both agree that five minutes on whatever the fuck Androvax was up to is enough for now. Join us, won't you, as we delve into The Nightmare Man AND The Vault of Secrets!
The Podorica Opens! Podcast will fall! We break down a thrilling end to a thrilling season, ask the important questions about how the deadly alliance of the Doctor's most dangerous foes actually sat down and organised all of this, and then we wrap up our general thoughts on Series 5 of Doctor Who and give out our rankings live on air! All this and more -- it's The Pandorica Opens AND The Big Bang! Coming soon: The Sarpod Jane Castventures S4 (with a new format -- we're doubling up stories!)
Ding dong! We delve into the Doctor living a normal life with a normal house-mate, the normal spaceship on top of this normal house, and the strange acting career of one of the Most Normal Actors of All Time, Thanks -- all this and more, it's The Lodger!
A content warning for mentions and discussion of suicide and depression.
It's all about your, Podtor Whocast. David and Michel take a trip into the past to see whether Richard Curtis' introduction to Doctor Who feels like an episode of Doctor Who, whether the infamous ending to this one has overshadowed the episode itself, and, having successfully (after a lot of false starts) predicted a Beatles episode, take a shot at predicting a few more "celebrity historical" episodes to come. All this and more - it's Vincent and the Doctor!
Nick (@NickRichWrites) returns to bring us a bad omen: The X Files: I Want to Believe. We talk about the second movie in all its late Bush era X Files glory? We try to piece together this scattered plot, discuss break up MSR, and whether the crew had one left in them.
Some background on the second movie: https://thexfileswebarchive.neocities.org/secondmovie
Tune in next time with our FINAL episode recap with S11E04 "The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat".
The Earth Is HUNGY! We delve into the rise and fall of Chris Chibnall's reptilian renaissance, coin a phrase to describe a type of episode that seems to have fallen to the wayside, and discuss which classic monsters the show should bring back next. All this and more - it's The Hungry Earth AND Cold Blood!
Have you tried blowing on it? As we wrap up this first run of Gamer Era, Sam and David take turns sharing stories around the pixelated campfire, reflecting on editing woes, the emotional gamble of a nostalgic hit, and various highs and lows of producing the show so far. It’s a much smaller and looser episode than usual, but a necessary one as we regroup and prepare to return with a whole new slate of eps in a couple of months’ time. Look forward to it!
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Topics discussed: David's visit to London, CeX price outrage, the Powkiddy RGB30, Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase, Monsters, Inc. Scare Island, Reflecting on the Season
Also mentioned: Mirror’s Edge, Winky the Little Bear (PS1), Treasure Planet (PS1), Ape Escape, Donald Duck: Goin’ Quackers, Plok
Music used:
- International Superstar Soccer 2000 - Menu Music 5
- Atari Karts - Bentley Bear
- Monsters, Inc. - Main Theme
- Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins - Seaside
One world, you listen to the latest episode of Podtor Whocast…the other, you're a freakin' LOSER! I'm sorry. Anyway, Sam returns to talk about Amy and Rory's ever-changing relationship, intense Doctor Who-related tripping experiences, and a dedicated Toby Jones corner. All this and more -- it's Amy's Choice!
You mean the Walkman guys?! Okay, good luck… Sam invites on fellow Nintendo community alum Dylan (@DekuDeluxe) to chat all things PlayStation, and specifically the golden age of creativity in the PS2 days. There’s examinations on Team Ico, Japan Studio, the EyeToy, and big-name executives “doing backflips down the corridor”. There’s also lamentations on what the hell Sony have become in the years since, and our prods and nudges on where they perhaps go from here. Contains no more than the medically-advised dosage of Jim Ryan patter.
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Main topics: 0:00:48 - Guest Introduction, PlayStation Memories0:09:09 - Pokémon Legends Arceus, Donkey Kong ‘940:28:23 - Team Ico, Japan Studio; Demon’s Souls, Bloodborne1:08:50 - EyeToy, London Studio; PlayStation Move, PSVR 21:49:36 - The Absolute State of Play
Also mentioned: Professor Layton, The Simpsons Skateboarding, Virtual Boy Wario Land, Mario Clash, Mario vs. Donkey Kong; Astro’s Playroom, Face Raiders, PaRappa the Rapper, Vib-Ribbon, Direct Drive (Playdate); PlayStation / Vita TV, Game Boy Camera, Dreameye for Dreamcast, The Getaway, L.A. Noire, SingStar, Buzz!, EyeToy: Monkey Mania, Go!Cam / Chotto Shot, Invizimals
Music used:
- Ape Escape - Mission Briefing [with audio from the UK dub]
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong (2024) - Mario Toy Company A
- Face Raiders - Main Menu
- Ico - heal
- PaRappa the Rapper 2 - Noodles Can’t Be Beat (Instrumental)
- EyeToy: Play 2 - Bubble Pop Theme
- Wii U Chat - Menu
- Ape Escape - Oceana ~ Crabby Beach
- When I’m Cleaning Windows - George Formby [as heard in “EyeToy: Play - Wishi Washi”]
Further reading:
- “Military fears over PlayStation 2” - BBC News (2000): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/716237.stm
- “Smile, Gamers: You're in the Picture” [interview with Dr. Marks] - The New York Times (Noah Robischon, 2003): https://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/13/technology/smile-gamers-you-re-in-the-picture.html
- “EyeToy Springs From One Man’s Vision” - LA Times (Alex Pham, 2004): https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jan-18-fi-eyetoy18-story.html
- “PlayStation cam proves a hit” - BBC News (Alfred Hermida, 2003): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3123993.stm
- “The Making of EyeToy Play” - Time Extension (Matt Poskitt, 2023): https://www.timeextension.com/features/the-making-of-eyetoy-play-the-ps2-casual-hit-that-predated-wii-and-kinect
Bleh! David and Michel delve into what may be the most mid episode of all time, as they discuss this episode's shortcomings, briefly ruminate on a forgotten 2006 movie (we also didn't even notice Murray Gold did the score for it!), and chat about whatever. I don't know, I'm just the episode description - it's The Vampires of Venice!
The truth is out there… waaaaay out there. Our newest guest, Lucy, is released from the lamp to share the most secret treasures of the venerable Shantae series, before David gives the debrief on some of the world’s oddest cryptid myths, coloured by the tale of the even stranger developer behind the X-Files tie-in game on PS2. It’s all brought together by perhaps the most inexplicable connection on the show so far - and we don’t mean Sam!
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Topics discussed: The Shantae series (Risky’s Revenge, Pirates’ Curse, Risky Revolution), WayForward, The X-Files: Resist or Serve (and related cryptids)
Also mentioned: Getsu Fūma Den: Undying Moon, Wordle, Word Trip (Playdate), Chibi Robo: Park Patrol, Skip Ltd., Parroty Interactive (Microshaft Winblows 98, The X-Fools: The Spoof is Out There), Black Ops Entertainment, The Mothman, Shin Megami Tensei, Baby T-Rex (Game Boy)
Music used:
- International Superstar Soccer 2000 - Menu 3 (“Okay Fellas”)
- Penny’s Big Breakaway - Jig’s Up, Penny
- Shantae and the Pirates’ Curse - We Love Burning Town; Rave in the Grave
- Materia Primoris [Theme from “The X-Files”] - Mark Snow
- The Sims 2 (GBA) - Aliens
- Jack Bros. - Character Selection
- Mighty Switch Force - Stage Select
Further reading:
- “Celebrating Shantae: from obscurity to cult classic” - whynow Gaming (Paul Cecchini, 2023): https://whynowgaming.com/shantae-from-obscure-game-boy-title-to-indie-darling/
- “Reviving Lost Media With Shantae Advance” - Nintendo Life (Gavin Lane, 2023): https://www.nintendolife.com/features/the-odds-seemed-just-astronomical-reviving-lost-media-with-shantae-advance
- Shantae Developers React to World-Record Speedrun - IGN (2022): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiUHs5kjF_I
- "The Art of Shantae" [out-of-print hardcover book] (Udon Entertainment, 2021): https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Art_of_Shantae/5yy_zQEACAAJ/
The image of a podcast becomes itself a friggin podcast, as Nathan joins us once more to talk about how people are actually really wrong about a lot of things in this two-parter, Michel talks about the potential over-use of I am The Doctor, and the most vicious forum debate of all time rages on: does the Eleventh Doctor have any rizz? All this and more as we delve into The Time of Angels AND Flesh and Stone!
Sometimes, the greatest fears come from within… sometimes, you have to know when to stop looking. Join us, on our most noble of expeditions, as we whack through the metaphorical forest brush in search of segment gold. David sticks a big combat knife into the table as he details the acute difficulty in devising a segment (while accidentally creating [REDACTED]), before Sam swoops in to relay the comic book origins of Acclaim’s notorious arrow-slinging mascot, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter. There’s also a report from the London Gaming Market, and absolutely nothing cursed happens otherwise. Promise?
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Topics discussed: London Gaming Market, Magic-8Ball.com, Akinator, The Sims 4, David Segment, Turok: Son of Stone / Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.
Also mentioned: Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen, The Queue for the Lying-in-State of Elizabeth II, Paul Murphy’s “Ninty Media”, Castle Retro in Ipswich, Sega in 1995, The Internet Archive / Wayback Machine, Splatoon 3 Hero Mode, MySims (DS), SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge (PS1), David Segment, Western Publishing / Gold Key Comics, Valiant Comics, Nintendo Comics System, the “Mortal Monday” and “Sonic 2sday” launch events, Shadow Man / Shadow Man: 2econd Coming
Music used:
- International Superstar Soccer 2000 - Menu 3 ("Okay Fellas")
- Splatoon 3 - Seep & Destroy
- The Majestic Tale (Of A Madman In A Box) [from “Doctor Who: Series 6”] - Murray Gold, BBC National Orchestra of Wales
- Halo: Combat Evolved - Alien Corridors
- The Sims 4 - It’s The Sims
- David Segment - David Segment
- Turok 2: Seeds of Evil (N64) - Primagen Lair
- Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (N64) - Ancient City
- Turok 2: Seeds of Evil (GB) - Scroll Stage
- The Sims 4 - Test Card 44
Further reading:
- Complete “Turok: Son of Stone” comics (Western Publishing/Gold Key, 1954-1982): https://archive.org/details/turok-son-of-stone-1954-1982-complete-collection_202306/
- Complete “Turok: Dinosaur Hunter” comics collection (Valiant/Acclaim, 1993-2002): https://archive.org/details/TurokDinosaurHunterComicBookCollection/
- Complete “Turok” novelisation series (via the Retro Reading Time Archive, 2023): https://archive.org/details/retro-reading-time/
- “Hunting down the people who legally changed their names to Turok” - VG247 (Connor Makar, 2020): https://www.vg247.com/change-name-to-turok
- David Segment (David Segment, 2024)
- “Acclaim Entertainment Deal For Comics Publisher Near” (Bloomberg News, 1994): https://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/08/business/company-news-acclaim-entertainment-deal-for-comics-publisher-near.html
- “Turok, Son of Stone” retrospective - Toonopedia (Donald Markstein, 2002): https://www.toonopedia.com/turok.htm
- “Valiant Days, Valiant Nights: A Look Back on the Rise and Fall of Valiant” - Sequart Organization (Ryan McLelland, 2006) http://sequart.org/magazine/28120/valiant-days-valiant-nights-a-look-back-on-the-rise-and-fall-of-valiant/
- It Came from the 1990s: Turok, Dinosaur Hunter (Benjamin Herman, 2023): https://benjaminherman.wordpress.com/2023/05/21/turok-dinosaur-hunter/
KPO - Keep Podtoring On! David and Michel travel back to World War 2 era London to investigate whether the episode is successful in introducing this big, colourful, and totally successful no doubt about it Dalek redesign, whether devoting an episode to a noted war criminal is a good idea, and what episodes we find work better within this kind of narrative framework. All this and more, it's Victory of the Daleks!
You’re a kid now - you’re an arachnid now?! SOMEHOW, David has returned... and he brings along tales woven of “spiders-men” and “played stations”. It’s as much of a celebration of the web-slinger’s chequered history as it is a classic rant, true believer! Sam also invites experienced splatmate Kit aboard the good ship Era to talk about the slippery world of Splatoon and the evolving ambition of its single player campaigns. ‘Nuff squid.
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Games discussed: Spider-Man (PlayStation); Splatoon 1-3 (+ Octo Expansion)
Brief mentions: Persona 3 Reload, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, P-Racing, Under the Castle; Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered (2020), Spider-Man (GameCube), Spider-Man (1994 TV series), NeverSoft (developer); Nintendo at E3 2014, Hypnospace Outlaw, Videoverse (Miiverse-inspired indie game), Code Name: S.T.E.A.M., Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars
Music used:
- Splatoon 3 - With Flying Colors
- Spider-Man (PlayStation) - Title Theme
- Theme from “Spider-Man” (1994 TV series) - Kussa Mahchi, Jeremy Sweet, Shuki Levy, Joe Perry
- Spanish Flea - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
- Spider-Man 2 (GBA) - 3D Hub
- Splatoon 3 - Nine out of Tension
- Splatoon (Wii U) - Now or Never!
Friggin Mr. Beast Below? I sure hope not. Join David, Michel, and special guests Peter and Paul of Snappt! as they delve into some incredibly odd Doctor moments, break down some bizarre napkin-eating antics, talk about disappointing action figure namesakes, and fall down a rabbit hole of haunted eBay listings. All this and more - it's The Beast Below!
SHOW NOTES: a link to: the napkin Tracy Ann Oberman's husband tried to eat and the haunted eBay listing
WOAH-SHI - it’s a double Yoshi exploshi! David’s taken a step out for this episode (something about “unfinished business”...?), so Sam calls in long-time friend and resident Yoshi expert Muz (@MuzYoshi) to run through all things Munchakoopas. There’s a particular focus on his N64 outing, but we also take the time to run through all the attempts to follow it up in the years since - and where we think it might be headed next. Forgotten details and lore drops abound! [Apologies for some small audio blips on Sam’s end - we believe we’ve figured out the issue so it shouldn’t pop up again]
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcastGames discussed: Yoshi’s Island, Yoshi’s Story, Yoshi’s Universal Gravitation / Yoshi Topsy-Turvy, and a rapid-fire on the rest of the mainline “Yoshi” series!
Brief mentions: Spyro: Year of the Dragon, Professor Layton and Ace Attorney, Virtual Boy Wario Land, Bound High!, the Bandai WonderSwan, DK: King of Swing/Jungle Climber, Argonaut Software, Croc: Legend of the Gobbos, Render64, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Pokémon Dash, New Super Mario Bros., Artoon/Arzest, Prope, Balan Wonderworld, Good-Feel, Princess Peach: Showtime!
Music used:
- Yoshi’s Story - Yoshi’s Song (Title Screen)
- Jack Bros. - Temple of Nightmare
- Yoshi’s Island - Castle/Fortress
- Yoshi’s Story - Yoshi Standing in the Wind
- Yoshi’s Universal Gravitation - Title Theme
- Yoshi’s New Island - Flower Garden, The Yoshis’ Next Adventure (Opening 3)
- International Superstar Soccer 2000 - Training
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Ending (Yoshi’s Story) / Yoshi’s Tale
Further reading:
- Dan Salvato's tweet about the possible first English language mention of "Pikachu" in Yoshi's Story: https://twitter.com/dansalvato/status/1067092751848693760
- BBC News report on the "Pokémon Shock" incident from 1997 where they absolutely butcher Pikachu's name: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QBsSTajfP0
We're back! (cue I Am the Doctor). CC joins us once again as we delve into the career of star of stage and screen Danny Huston, whether Marc Maron would give us the time of day, and uh, I guess, Doctor Who? A new Doctor, a new showrunner, and a new-ish format (hey that's almost an episode of Class) as the clock strikes that familiar tone - it's The Eleventh Hour!
Recorded moments after the brand new (as of 22nd March 2024) trailer for Doctor Who landed, David and Michel break down their initial response to it and speculate briefly.
Grab your fish fingers and custard, doff your fez, and get ready to talk Danny Huston as Podtor Whocast returns for a triumphant fifth season! A brand new Doctor, brand new format, brand new theme and more -- it all awaits you NEXT MONDAY as we delve into 2010 in ways no one has ever delved into it before!
We are joined by our close, personal friends who are real and alive, the Lone Gunmen, in S09E15 "Jump the Shark". We chat about this send off for The Lone Gunmen (the show) and the Lone Gunmen (the trio), our personal last meals, and post-9/11 The X Files.
Apologies for the weird sounds in the part when Shelby's cat got on her desk, he doesn't behave.
Tune in next time when we watch I Want to Believe and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
When I was a young boy, my father took me into the city… to see the marching band… or rather, “vaguely aspirational hero characters from the mid-aughts that were marketed to boys of about our age”. Cough. Plenty of deep cuts this ep: David frames a discussion on the titular Action Man in musings on plastic capitalism, while Sam beams a computer-generated spotlight at the BBC’s long-buried kids’ multimedia outfit, Ace Lightning. There’s also our essentially live reactions to the now-infamous “Willy McDuff” AI-generated nightmare from a couple of weeks back. Let the truth go out that we bought stock early in The Unknown!
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Games discussed: “Willy’s Chocolate Experience” in Glasgow, Red Viper (Virtual Boy emulator for 3DS), Action Man: Robot Atak (also mentioned: Search for Base X; Operation Extreme; Destruction X), Ace Lightning (both the TV series and the games for GBA/PS2)
Brief mentions: Westlife Fan-O-Mania, What Remains of Edith Finch, Football Manager 2024, Virtual Boy Wario Land, Wario World, Waterworld (Virtual Boy), Blitz Games, Magic Pockets (developer), Thunderbirds, Piczo (website builder), Tiertex, BBC Multimedia
Music used:
- International Superstar Soccer 2000 - Menu 3 ("Okay Fellas")
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (GBA) - Wriggle-Sweets Room
- Everything Stays [from “Adventure Time”] - Rebecca Sugar, Olivia Olsen
- Hypnospace is Cool (Xtra Hypno Mix) - The Chowder Man / Hot Dad
- There’s A Hero [from “Ace Lightning”] - Foursquare
It was a day like no other - the winds of trouble blew into my office like a bad dream, and it’d take one hell of a pinch to wake me. The case was double dutch all the way down; pages and pages of total nonsense. Our first informant, Sam, re-briefed us on one hell of a bad memory from ‘93 - the disastrous alliance of the Philips and Nintendo families. Then, the vigilante David turned the tables - promising us they could finally bring down the Hollywood Noire syndicate with one unassuming link. Could these two crazies have a point? Would it be worth risking it all in the pursuit of justice? What’s that old saying - “where there’s smoke”…?
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Games discussed: Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore, the Philips CD-i (and the early development of the Sony PlayStation), Animation Magic, Link: The Faces of Evil & Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, Hotel Mario, L.A. Noire, James Noir’s Hollywood Crimes 3D
Brief mentions: Jusant, Mad Dog McCree, Let’s Make a Soccer Team, Football Manager, Action Max (VHS-based games console), Sony Imagesoft, Mighty No. 9, The Getaway, Duke Nukem Forever
Music used:
- International Superstar Soccer 2000 - Menu 3 ("Okay Fellas")
- Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore - Norrin Swamp
- Hotel Mario - Reading a Letter
- Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore - Faramore Town
- L.A. Noire - Main Theme; A New Beginning (pts. 1, 2 & 3)
- James Noir’s Hollywood Crimes 3D - Crossing Tracks
- Sonic Unleashed - Skyscraper Scamper Night
Further reading:
- CD-i Magazine (UK) issue 2 (1993), issue 15 (1996): https://archive.org/details/CD-i_Magazine_Issue_02_1993_Haymarket_Publishing_GB_a, https://archive.org/details/cdi-uk-15/
- Translated fan interview with Denis Charnov, one of the Zelda animators (2021): https://www.reddit.com/r/truezelda/comments/ymwfxc/interview_with_denis_charnov_one_of_the_animators/
- Retro Gamer issue 27 (2006) [The Making of ‘Zelda: Wand of Gamelon’ & ‘Link: The Faces of Evil’ by John Szczepaniak]
- “Link Gets a Job at Gwonam's Restaurant So He Can Earn Enough Money to Buy a Playstation 3”, WalrusGuy (2009): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN-Zomwu2Gc
Monsters? In MY pocket? It’s more likely than you think... United under a Pokémon flavoured theme, our brave hosts both venture into strange new lands this week; while David toils in the mines of touchscreen-flavoured mediocrity, Sam takes a flight of fancy through the real-world Japanese legends that inspired the beasts. Includes a whole-ass bumper quiz segment!! Goodness!
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Games discussed: Pokémon Legends Arceus, Pokémon Ranger
Brief mentions: X-Men Legends, Pokémon Rumble World, Yo-Kai Watch, Pokémon Sun & Moon; Sword & Shield; Scarlet & Violet, Monster Hunter Rise, Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins
Music used:
- Pokémon Stadium - Intro (PAL)
- International Superstar Soccer 2000 - Menu 3 ("Okay Fellas")
- Pokémon Legends: Arceus - Jubilife City
- Pokémon Ranger - Legendary/Mythical Capture
- Pokémon Black/White - Hurry Along 2
- Yo-Kai Watch - Theme of Yo-Kai
“The name’s Games. James Games…” Your mission, should you choose to accept it - infiltrate the European Games Manufacturing Complex and retrieve valuable secrets from a family shrouded in secrecy. Agents Sam and David will be your local guides, but take great care. Beyond this point, few have returned…
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Games discussed: NCIS 3D (3DS), James Bond 007 (GB), James Bond Jr. (NES), 007 Legends (Wii U), What’s Cooking? with Jamie Oliver (DS)
Brief mentions: Lego Avengers, Lego Star Wars, Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda, Oddworld Adventure (GB); James Bond (Atari 2600), Embracer Group, Alex Rider: Stormbreaker (2006), The World is Not Enough (N64), 007 NightFire, Quantum of Solace (PS2), GoldenEye 007 (Wii)
Music used:
- GoldenEye 007 (N64) - Control
- James Bond 007 (GB) - Escape
- "James Bond Jr." Theme - Dennis C. Brown, Maxine Sellers
- James Bond Jr. (NES) - Level 1: Silo
- GoldenEye 007 (N64) - Runway
- Cooking Guide: Can’t Decide What to Eat?/ Personal Trainer: Cooking - Recipe Complete!
- What’s Cooking? with Jamie Oliver - Credits
A capsule containing such power... Gamer Era continues into its sophomore offering as David extols the virtues of "Shrek Treasure Hunt" for the PlayStation (and its deeply troubled developer) and Sam continues the handheld love with an ode to Panic's Playdate. All this as decade-old social media drama and the looming presence of a revered Nintendo fantasy series threaten to derail the very structure of the pod itself. Will our brave heroes resist the temptation of barely-related tangents, and deliver us to coherence?! Not if they have anything to say about it.
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Games discussed: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (et. al), Shrek Treasure Hunt (et. al), the Panic Playdate
Brief mentions: Lego Marvel Superheroes 2, Jussant, Donut Dodo, Lego Star Wars, Libble Rabble; Vivendi's The Hobbit (2002), Dalmatians 3 (The Codemonkeys/Phoenix Games), Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue, The Simpsons Wrestling (and various Acclaim Simpsons games); Casual Birder, Root Bear, Resonant Tale (and discussion on Link's Awakening), the ONM Facebook page, MAZE, P-Racing
Music used:
- International Superstar Soccer 2000 - Menu 3 ("Okay Fellas")
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Palace of Twilight
- Shrek Treasure Hunt - Main Swamp
- Imagine All Star People - Neil Cicierega
- Casual Birder - Title
A podcast you can hold in your hands! Join Sam and David in this inaugural edition of Gamer Era as they invoke handheld gaming guilty pleasures, puzzling over the Evercade's insanely niche appeal and a carefully curated selection of licensed paff for the Game Boy Advance. All this and more wrapped in unexpectedly violent public domain newspaper cartoons, truly toe-curling childhood anecdotes and nonsensical British pop culture deep cuts. Attention Gamers - your Era has arrived.
Follow us on Twitter, Bluesky and Backloggd: @GamerEraPodcast
Games discussed: Lego Marvel Superheroes 2, Donut Dodo, the Evercade handheld, The Incredibles; A Series of Unfortunate Events; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (GBA)
Brief mentions: Shrek 2 (and various similar movie tie-in titles for GBA), Gremlin Collection 1 (Evercade), PIKO Interactive, Barkley/Hoops Shut up and Jam, Devil's Third, Nitro Rad's Jimmy Neutron reviews, Helixe, Griptonite Games, Digital Eclipse, American Idol (GBA)
Music used:
- International Superstar Soccer 2000 - Menu 3 ("Okay Fellas")
- Donut Dodo - Construction Site Chaos
- A Series of Unfortunate Events (GBA) - The Attic
- Mario Kart: Super Circuit - Shy Guy Beach
Vincent (@scullygirl96) joined us to examine the numerology of S09E13 "Improbable". We meet the lovely Reyes as she solves a serial killer case using numerology and owning those psychologist bozos at the FBI. We talk Reyes as new Mulder, Burt Reynolds as God, and Scully as perpetually annoyed by 9 years of this.
Check out Vincent's X Files archive! https://thexfileswebarchive.neocities.org/
Tune in next time when we watch S09E15 "Jump the Shark" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
Since the dawn of time, humanity has tried to establish just what it is about gaming that draws us in, shapes us, drives us to greater things. Whether it be the simple pleasure of Mario, the complex twists and turns of Master Chief, the beauty of Chuckie Egg, we have all been defined by what we play, in a way, wouldn't you say? No? OK, well, look you could've just -- this is ad copy, you could've just agreed with me and moved on, it's not like--oh, oh I see how it is, I get it. You know what else I get? The fact we all have GAMER ERAs. Yeah! So join Sam and David as they delve into the games, consoles, and phenomena that have defined their lives and explore just what makes their Gaming Eras tick. Oh, now you're back. Got you eating right out of my hand, don't I? Good! Gamer Era premieres February 7th, available wherever you get your podcasts.
Woof! We're back in a SURPRISE drop! Join us as we certainly talk about K-9 episodes Liberation and the Korven, and about everything to do with those episodes and those episodes alone. And Ian Levine.
Join us as we talk about the William plot! We focus on S08E13 "Per Manum" as well as a number of later season episodes involving William Scully-Mulder. We talk Scully's struggles, the puppy dog that is John Doggett, and the unkillable nature of CSM's sons.
Tune in next time when we watch S09E13 "Improbable" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
And so it came to pass that the Podtor Whocast hosts took their final places behind their microphones, making ready the podcast that was to come (one of them is quite ill in this episode, for what it's worth). A big series/Doctor finale sat in its empire of Max and Blu-Ray cases, little knowing of the discussion it would generate. While its podcasters looked upon their notes in the hope of delving into how they felt about potions, grand farewells, and meta-narratives. Far away, the listeners and idle subscribers dreamt of a shining new future. A future now set to happen when Podtor Whocast returns in 2024. As Earth rolled onwards into night the people of that world did sleep. And shiver. And encounter a surprise celebrity Cameo. Somehow knowing the dawn would bring only one thing: The Podtor Whocast episode about The End of Time Parts 1 and 2. See you in early 2024 for K-9: Series 1 and Doctor Who: Series 5!
We're walking awkwardly here! We delve right back into animated Doctor Who, the expanded Whoniverse at large, and one of us even forgets an entire episode of Podtor Whocast happened! All this and more - it's Dreamland!
Listen to this episode? You know I really think you might. We rank every story in The Sarah Jane Adventures S3 and waffle about some stuff for a while, as well as give our thoughts on the season as a whole. Wrap up warm!
What are they Blathereen on about now?! We dive into an incredibly lacklustre ending to an incredibly lacklustre season of television, as far as things go. More or less just this and not much else, it's The Gift!
A stick, a stone! We delve into the Doctor's decision to say goodbye to all that when it comes to the laws of time, the ways in which this episode subverts Doctor Who (person), and of course, the multimedia event Time Lord Victorious, among many other things. It's The Waters of Mars, and we even talk about literature - so get listening!
So we somehow accidentally recorded ourselves listening to a tape from 1963, so we said, free content! Join us as we listen to an interesting tape that was sent to us by a mysterious stranger, who is supporting us in our battle to prove Beep the Meep is real. You can hear us talk about the anniversary of the three days after JFK's assassination, our Beep crusade, and some weird old radio show about some Doctor Who thing from the 60s, who even knows man, who even knows. They're saying it's about some friggin Unearthly Child? I don't know!
Mona Lisa evil alien prank REAL??? Join us as we delve into a baffling tale of sentient paintings, DeviantART contest winners, and to be quite honest, even the basic idea of the Louvre allowing its like, most celebrated and crowd-drawing piece to be sent to a museum in London, as we stumble through Mona Lisa's Revenge!
You disappoint us, Sarah Jeen Smeeeeeeth! We delve into a haunted house, a cursed performance, a villain that honestly we kind of do dirty because in retrospect he's the bright spark, and our general misgivings with this season of The Sarah Jane Adventures - it's The Eternity Trap!
We briefly pop in to wrap up season 7 as we near the end of our journey. We talk about the season 7 finale, discuss what we have left, and just chat about the show generally.
Tune in next time when we talk S08E13 "Per Manum" and the William story line generally and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
Affirmative! We finally open the book on K-9, and boy, do we want it to slam shut quick! We talk dodgy accents, dodgy scripts, and dodgy pseudonyms. We won't have to watch the rest of this until April, cool. Turn it off! TURN IT OFFFFFFFF! Anyway - it's K-9: Regeneration!
It's wedding season! We delve into underwhelming cameos, problematic villains, computers that hate each other and more! It's The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith, and you're invited! Just be sure to check the gift registry.
Just heard another podcast about us watching someone mad in attick (sic), completely false - NOT! We talk Ship, cancelled reunions, K-9, and more - it's The Mad Woman in the Attic!
We're back! After like a week. But still! Join us as we delve into Judoon physical comedy, deranged lead performances, and the Third Doctor's cringe compilations - all this and more, it's The Sarpod Jane Castventures Season 3 and it's also Prisoner of the Judoon!
Enjoy a sneak preview at some of the wildly insightful things Podtor Whocast has to offer in the next couple of weeks!
We've reached the end of Podtorch Woodcast: Podchildren of Earthcast, and boy, are we feeling shattered. Join us as we react to some perhaps accurate in a way predictions, some incredibly depressing (and for some, mildly unsuccessful) twists and turns, and a nice little flashback at the end. This is also more or less our wrap-up for the season because it was kind of hard to see a need to rank these episodes. Next time? Listen to find out, we're about to hit chaos mode. All this and more, it's Day Five.
Phew. Things are uh, starting to get quite grim! Join us as we delve into what is perhaps the most harrowing moment in Doctor Who history, the most deranged act in Doctor Who fan history, and wouldn't you know it, the man the myth the monster that is Rick Yates, politician at large. All this and more, it's Day Four! Poetry.
New guest Sam joins us to mull over our three wishes we got from S07E21 "Je Souhaite". We discussed genies, dead invisible bodies, and Mulder's attempt to stop 9/11 with his "Peace on Earth" wish. Also, are we sure Barbara Eden never killed anybody?
Tune in next time when we wrap up season 7 and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
On the third day, we talked about the role of the wider Doctor Who expanded universe, or perhaps the lack of one, as the 456 begin to make their presence known - their big, vomiting, Muppet-y presence - and a shocking truth about Jack is revealed. All this and more, it's Day Three!
It's beeen one day since we podcasted! Day Two of the event that is Podtorch Woodcast: Podchildren of Earthcast brings with it a discussion of cranes, PC Andy being incredibly horny, glass cubes, and mostly importantly, methods of preparing potatoes. All this and more, it's Day Two!
It begins! We start our week-long examination of Torchwood's infamous third season by delving into our own initial thoughts on the matter, as Earth's children start to freak out, the government decides enough is enough with Torchwood, and the SUV is stolen by a lad with his arse hanging out. All this and more - it's (the good) Day One!
All aboard! We're on a bus! Join us as we begin the 10th Doctor's last few hurrahs with a rather middle of the road Easter special. We delve into whether Lady Christina is a Tory, try to figure out what's missing from this episode, and jump right into a discussion of Lee Evans' career. All this and more - it's Planet of the Dead!
Ho ho holy moley, we're almost done with David Tennant! In fact, we've just met his successor! Oh wait. Anyway. Join us as we delve into creepy anniversary content, undercut twists, and that poor poor man at Big Finish once again - all this and more, it's The Next Doctor!
Super guest Tori (@torlinnea) joined us in Tinseltown where we talked S07E19 "Hollywood AD". We talk David Duchovny's second directed episode, him casting his then wife Téa Leoni as movie Scully, and baby counterculture Mulder. We try to make sense of the plot and talk the memorable bubble bath scene.
Tune in next time when we watch S07E21 "Je Souhaite" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
Wrap up warm! We like, vaguely talk about From Raxacoricofallapatorius with Love in passing - we watched it, we broke our rules (and we're doing so again given we're doing Dreamland next rather than before this or during one of our previous episodes but who cares, really) and watched something from 2009 during our 2008 run - before delving into our final thoughts and definitive rankings of The Sarah Jane Adventures S2! Coming soon - Doctor Who: Dreamland, The Next Doctor, and more!
It would be extremely PODCAST....for you. We end series 2 of The Sarah Jane Adventures on a low, as we delve into reunions - three of them! - that don't quite work, script issues, strange decisions, and literally anything other than Enemy of the Bane!
The Trickster? I hardly knew her! We delve into hitting the Graske once more, sepia-toned flashbacks, the fact this one is GOOD, and of course, the return of Hot Dad and his computer hacking skills - all this and more, it's The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith!
We are joined by Abriana (@abriana) to talk about the girlboss episode S07E17 "all things". We get crunchy with Gillian Anderson's writing and directorial debut, talk Moby, and Scully's terrible taste in men. Join our white woman Buddhist journey towards answering important questions like "does time pass in moments?"
Check out Abriana's vintage shop at https://www.instagram.com/ambrosiavintage_/
Tune in next time when we watch S07E19 "Hollywood AD" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
I'm wearing the Berserker amulet or whatever and telling you to listen to this episode! We talk about whether Sarah Jane needed to be in this episode, whether Rani's friend also needed to be in this episode, Clyde's dad, and of course, Paul Anka. All this and more - it's The Mark of the Beserker!
out the show COPS and its legacy, copaganda and The X Files place within cop media, and also just how incredibly funny this episode is.
Knock LA's piece about the LASD gangs: https://knock-la.com/tradition-of-violence-lasd-gang-history/ Article about the shows COPS: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/jun/11/cops-american-police-tv-show
Tune in next time when we watch S07E17 "all things" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
I can channel all the power of the PODCAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASTS! Join us as we (briefly) delve into an episode we didn't particularly enjoy! Come for the soundclips, stay for the brief discussion about poor breakfast cereal choices, it's Podtor Whocast and we're talking Secrets of the Stars!
Clowning! That's what we're here to do as we delve into Bradley Walsh's dedication to insane accent work, the fact that Rani and her family already have better chemistry with the main characters of this show than Maria did, and did we mention Bradley Walsh's insane accent work in this one? All this and more, it's The Day of the Clown!
The Sarpod Jane Castventures are BACK and they're back with a whatever this is! Maria's leaving, there's a Sontaran hanging about, and we're kinda struggling to come up with anything that isn't just "OK, then." Join us as we delve into this season opener and figure out just what it is that makes us go "sure" about The Last Sontaran!
Returning guest Mikaela (@xalexspark) chatted with us about S07E10/11 "Sein Und Zeit" and "Closure". We share our thoughts about this unconventional approach to an X Files episode and the conclusion of the Samantha Mulder story. We talk protective Scully, Mulder muldering, and "Walk-ins"…whatever that means.
Apologies for the bit of audio issues in this episode.
Tune in next time when we watch S07E12 "X-Cops" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
Welcome to the Quiz! Join your Quizmaster David as four Podtor regulars - Michel, Sam, CC and Nathan - are put through their paces in rounds that challenge their obscure Doctor Who knowledge, their improv abilities, their Gist-delivering (if I can use such a term in front of you) and their powers of guessing random numbers as they battle it out to be named the winner of, well, this episode!
Coming soon!!! Join Podtor Whocast as they delve into series 2 of The Sarah Jane Adventures with all the power of the staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaars, Fake Pennywise, and Tubi Anka. Trailer!
Wrap up warm! David and Michel reconvene to rank Series 4 of Doctor Who, in an episode that we tried to speed-run because to be quite honest we've already told you all about our Series 4 thoughts/views/opinions. See you soon for series 2 of The Sarpod Jane Castventures! Serve the Gorgon!
Quel dommage, Davros! David, Michel, and special guest Nathan (@NathanForMeee) are here to delve into what they think works and doesn't work about "The Original Endgame" (spoiler: we're quite split on the subject!) as well as which celebrities are underselling themselves on Cameo, our favourite fake leaks, and the hit videogame Among Us. We're quite tired, quite loopy, it's podcasting baybee. Detonate the reality bomb, it's The Stolen Earth AND Journey's End!
We bring y'all a busy episode while we wrap up season 6 and talk about Chris Carter's canceled Amazon pilot "The After". We also attempt to explain the season 6 finale and season 7 openers, "Biogenesis" and "The Sixth Extinction". We do some Diana hating, talk brain surgery, and try to list all the nameless characters in "The After".
Tune in next time when we watch S07E10/11 "Sein Und Zeit" and "Closure" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
Wow! Coming this July, a special pilot episode of a potential new Podtor Whocast spin-off. Join Quizmaster David as they pit four Podtor regulars against each other in search of the thing we all know and love - points! Four rounds, four games, some incredibly iconic chicken. July 24th - get ready to quiz down!
David is joined by returning guest Peter (PJQ97) and new guest Paul (@pauldevlinn), hosts of Snappt (@SnapptPod), to talk about alternate realities, the incredibly depressing realisations brought on by this episode, Big Finish, and of course, John Levene's A Star is Born moment. All this and more, don't turn right on listening to this one - it's Turn Left!
Allie (@allie_lingren) was dropped off by aliens to talk S06E21 "Field Trip" with us. We talk about Mulder and Scully's hallucinations from a big mushroom and how the episode explores the Mulder and Scully believer/skeptic dynamic in a fresh way. We talk about Scully and Skinner's friendship, Scully's lackluster theory, and Mulder's beleaguered neighbors.
Tune in next time when we wrap up season 6 and talk about Chris Carter's failed amazon pilot "The After" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
David and Michel are joined by Shezza (@swampcreaturee and host of The Condensed Truth podcast) on a Podtor Whocast space-bus as they discuss bleakness, supposed fandom, high-concept Who, and of course, The X-Files. Stop copying me stop copying me it's it's - Midnight! midnight
David and Michel are in the library! David and Michel have been PODCASTED!! They talk River Song, the uh, INTERESTING guest stars in this one, and finally set the record straight on whether this year's Academy Award winning - and nominated - actors would ever be in Doctor Who. All this and more - it's Silence in the Library AND Forest of the Dead!
With David mysteriously murdered, it's up to Michel, CC (@ccmcloughlin), and their special guest, Detective Charms Extra, to delve into a giant alien wasp whodunnit, picking up clues as they go, discuss five potential Doctor Who historical episodes, and more - it's The Unicorn and the Wasp!
Rocío returns and we talk baseball and love and other stuff pertaining to S06E19 "The Unnatural". We discuss baseball and the Negro League, cacti, and the ICONIC Mulder and Scully baseball scene.
Tune in next time when we watch S06E21 "Field Trip" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
DAVIS returns, having been trapped on the TARDIS somehow, to talk Doctor Who's daughter, the wasted potential of the Hath, and whether Doctor Who's been stealing ideas from other shows. There's even time for the first of many John Levene tangents this season. All this and more - it's The Doctor's Daughter!
Returning guest Brianda chats about fake marriage shenanigans in S06E15 "Arcadia". We talk American suburbia, professionally undercover annoying Mulder mode, and a delightfully irritated Scully. We also spend some time trying to figure out if Scully or Gillian has ever worn jeans.Tune in next time when we watch S06E19 "The Unnatural" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
Sam returns to talk Sontarans, UNIT, Mark Zuckerberg stand-ins, past Doctors, and how everything is so freakin PURPLE in The Sontaran Stratagem and The Poison Sky!
David and Michel are joined by Dylan Roth of the Are You Afraid of the Dark Universe? podcast to discuss the treatment of the Ood in Doctor Who, the fact one of them is an assassin (again), and of course, The Sensorites, because we love the Sensorites. It's Planet of the Ood!
Ey Ey Oh Ey Oh! DAVIS (@dread_davis) of Broke Canon joins us to talk about the moral problems faced by the Doctor when it comes to Mount Vesuvius, the many ways this episode echoes throughout Doctor Who the TV show (never seen it) afterwards, and of course, jacking off. All this and more - it's The Fires of Pompeii!
est Mikaela (@xalexspark) entered into the time loop with us to experience S06E14 "Monday" over and over again. We talk Mulder's Monday from time loop hell, the story of his water bed, fate and free will, and big spender at the expense of his savings Mulder. We also offer some better solutions to the curious ending of this episode.Mikaela's The X Files s1-ftf newsletter: https://kaedrabbles.substack.com/p/kaes-the-x-files-journey-part-1-ofTune in next time when we watch S06E15 "Arcadia" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
We're back! After a brief tribute to the late Murray Melvin, Podtor Whocast returns to talk Donna's noble return, whether the Adipose could've actually maybe gotten away with it if they'd just asked nicely, and uh, Austin Powers. Groovy baby, it's Partners in Crime!
On Monday the 8th of May, the world will be changed forever, i guess. Podtor Whocast is back, baby! Tune in this Monday for the first of many thrilling episodes about Doctor Who and his friend Donna Noble!
New guest Allie (@allie_lingren) joined us to chat about death in S06E10 "Tithonus". We get a great Scully story with her patented belief/non-belief, Mulder's extreme boredom and lack of enrichment, the parallels of this episode with "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" and the final answer on whether Scully is immortal.Tune in next time when we watch S06E14 "Monday" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
We talked S06E08 "The Rain King" with returning guest Rocío. We talk about the funny/odd vibes of early season 6, loser Mulder, the fan fic type fun of the plot, and all things weird Midwestern weather. We discuss Holman's character 90s vibe compared to how that character works today and laugh a lot, to be honest.Tune in next week when we talk S06E10 "Tithonus" with a guest and follow us @condensedtruth!
The Podtor Whostcasts (trying something new) are back (not trying that Whostcasts things anymore it's hard to say) and you know what that means - podcasts! Coming soon, Podtor Whocast Season 4. Hear some sneak previews of some great episodes in this first exclusive trailer.
Christmas in March as Kevin (@droneymitchell) joins us to celebrate Christmas with S06E06 "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas". We have a cheap set and two very special guest stars with Ed Asner and Lily Tomlin. Mulder and Scully are up to their usual co-dependent ways as they spend Christmas Eve in a haunted mansion being psychoanalyzed by ghosts.Tune in next time when we watch S06E08 "The Rain King" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
Tori (@torlinnea) returns again to chat S06E03 "Triangle". We talk this fun and silly masterpiece that features lots of long continuous shots and what it took to make that happen. Shelby presents her argument as to why this episode is Chris Carter's best work on the show and we talk miscellaneous topics towards the end.Tune in next time when we watch S06E03 "Triangle" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
ick (@nickrichwrites) returns to talk Vince Gilligan and Bryan Cranston's first project together, S06E02 "Drive". We arrive in Cali and immediately get taken on a wild car chase through the western US. Mulder and Scully play hooky on their regular jobs, Mulder's driving gets put to the test, and we get used to The X Files without the x files department. We also talk about the source of inspiration for this episode, a season 6 episode of Homicide: Life on the Streets "Subway".Tune in next time when we watch S06E03 "Triangle" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
We finally get to the big moment and talk The X Files: Fight the Future (1998)! Chris Carter and company try to wrap the mytharc up a bit and we offer our opinions on the attempt. We talk the Syndicate's colonization plot, the specter of Bill Mulder on the show, and the bees are back in a big way. Most importantly, we talk about the big hallway scene.Join us next time as we dive into season 6 with S06E02 "Drive" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
This week we wrap up season 5! We talked a mix of topics, mostly David Duchovny and the backlash he received after some comments about Vancouver's weather and David and Gillian's relationship with each other over the course of the show and beyond.Tune in next time as we finally talk about the first movie, The X Files: Fight the Future and follow us at @condensedtruth!Vancouverites ambushing David Duchovny: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PirBjo2vjcADavid Duchovny on Conan O'Brien after his statement on Vancouver's weather: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byHTI0nif9E
ney) returned to talk S05E19 "Folie à Deux". We join Mulder on his vibes based investigating of a threat, talk about the Marxist undercurrent of Gary's war against his boss, and The X Files venture into cubicle office culture critique.Tune in next time with our S5 wrap up and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
Podtor Whocast bids farewell to the second season of Torchwood, as they finalise their thoughts, rank each episode, and give a quick update on what's coming up next.
Torchwood goes flashback mode in more ways than one as we delve into the end of an era, talk about bad (in more ways than one!) forgotten siblings, and, most importantly, react IN REAL TIME to the announcement that Millie Gibson is the new companion (note: we've both seen that interview she and Ncuti Gatwa did together since then and have decided that there's no way the 15th Doctor's era will be bad, really fun interview, they both seem really cool, this is being lined up as both an episode and a post on November 19th so that'll give you an idea of when this was scheduled). It's FRAGMENTS and EXIT WOUNDS!
Join Podtor as we delve into fandom reactions to Chris Chibnall, developments in Gwen's relationship with Jack and her work, and the question that's on everyone's lips: who would be more likely to slam the door in the Doctor Who casting department's face: Adam Driver, or Joaquin Phoenix? All that and more in ADRIFT!
Podtor Whocast is here and it's having none of this evil ghost circus nonsense. We still find time to talk about what works, and what doesn't, but it's mostly the latter, I guess. Don't look at me I'm just the episode description.
We talk S05E13/14 "Patient X" and "The Red and the Black" this week with what is probably our last main story mytharc episode! Mulder is in full disbeliever mode and this leaves Scully and Skinner at a loss of what to do. The aliens start to make moves and our favorite shady guys, the syndicate, are struggling to keep pace with events.Here is the Mulder rating line graphs: https://twitter.com/condensedtruth/status/1591555713393909762Please send in any questions for the S5 wrap up to the email or twitter DMs!Tune in next time when we watch S05E19 "Folie à Deux" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
Torchwood goes shapeshifter mode as Podtor addresses, among other things, the elephant in the room - why are our episodes so short now? - while a funny error means this episode ends like, incredibly quickly. Like we only have like what, 13 minutes with you today? Use your free time wisely. Read a book - write a book, too! Text your crush. Put yourself out there. Listen to that song you haven't listened to in weeks because you're trying to be a "different" person but feel miserable without it. Pet your dog. Talk to your cat. Tell someone you love them. Go to the beach. Play some video games - watch Doctor Who. Catch up with a friend. Do something, even if it's just taking a nap, with the time you have - right after you listen to our episode about Something Borrowed!
Friend of the pod Tori (@torlinnea) returns to talk an all timer with S05E12 "Bad Blood". Mulder and Scully bicker as they try to sort out what exactly happened when they went to investigate a vampire in Texas as we get to see how they view each other's annoying habits and how they see themselves. Laughs are had by all!Tune in next time when we watch S05E13/14 "Patient X" and "The Red and the Black" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
Podtor Whocast is here to talk all about superglue, Lone Cyberman revelations, and I guess Torchwood too. We liked the episode - you may not know it but we did! We swear.
This week on Podtor Whocast - Owen returns from the dead, there's a screensaver on the lose, Martha gets very poetic, and the Goofs section gets incredibly pedantic. All this and more - it's Dead Man Walking!
Here's Podtor Whocast's very special look at why Alan Dale is Alan Dale, how Martha's introduction changes the show and why she should've been allowed to say fuck or something. Oh, and Owen dies, so we delve into that - all that and more, it's Reset, baybee.
Meagan returns to talk spooky dolls in S05E10 "Chinga". We talk about Maine and Stephen King, Scully failing to complete a successful vacation, and Mulder's near death by boredom.Lobster guy on instagram is @jknowles831Stephen King's original script: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UquaLQLpwPPUeYYn5qGOtdATN-SZ3gCW/viewMeagan's Actual Play podcast: https://linktr.ee/derpsanddragonsTune in next time when we watch S05E12 "Bad Blood" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
Your beloved Podtor hosts, joined as always by our good friend Brian, delve into Torchwood being inflitrated by a parasitic memory worm, Ianto being turned into the Joker, and the fact that Scongo is real. It's Adam, baybee.
Us Podtor Whocasters agree to try and make an episode about Torchwood with an awkwardly realised CG block of whale meat worthwhile for you, the listener, as they delve into what works and what doesn't in the episode you cannot beat, Meat.
We bring you Scully pregnancy trauma as we talk about S05E06/07 "Christmas Carol" and "Emily". We discuss Scully's autonomy (or lack of) and motherhood and its portrayal in sci-fi, the course of the mytharc in season 5, and our long lost beloved, Melissa Scully.
Tune in next time when we watch S05E10 "Chinga" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
David and Michel talk about how it would feel to be woken up once a year while being kept in a cupboard the other 364 days, while also delving into how this episode is literally just a retread of multiple episodes of Torchwood Season One. It's To the Last Man!
David and Michel dissect sleeper agents, sitcoms with the name Todd in them, and other shows I guess. We do talk about the sleeper agents, though. Definitely. It's Sleeper! I hardly knew her!
Nick (@NickRichWrites) returns to finally talk an eco-horror monster of the week episode with S05E04 "Detour". Mulder and Scully ditch a work seminar in Florida to find an elusive creature famously from the area, hijinks ensue!
-Slight correction, the role in "Post-modern Prometheus" was written for Roseanne Barr!
Tune in next time when we watch S05S6/7 "Christmas Carol" and "Emily" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
Torchwood! Is!! GOOD?! David and Michel are back on that Cardiff beat like the PC Andy enthusiasts that they are as they rave about how Torchwood is actually kinda good now???? Wild!
Ro! Ro! ROBOT?! Podtor Whocast delves into Doctor Who's Christmas adventures once again - but WAIT! There's more! Before we talk heads in boxes, recency bias in magazine polls, and short hand, we talk about Peter Davison and uh, yeah, I don't know. Not much else. I don't know. It's TIME CRASH and VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED!
Returning guest Kat comes on to talk about the origins of our beloved nerds, the Lone Gunmen, in S05E03 "Unusual Suspects". We fall into the conspiracy rabbit hole with Frohike, Byers, and Langly as a run in with a mysterious woman alters their lives. We talk about this episode placing The X Files in the Tommy Westphall universe.
Tune in next time with S05E04 "Detour" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
Wrap Up Time! David and Michel rank serials, field an important question, and talk about holograms - it's our Sarah Jane Castventures Season One Wrap Up Spectacular! Next Time: Doctor Who! Then Torchwood! We're thriving!
We have a guest on for a mytharc as Rocío joins us to talk S05E01/02 "Redux I & II". We get the resolution of Scully's cancer arc and the beginning of Mulder's disbelief era. This episode has it all: voiceovers, the Syndicate, angst, lies, truths, men fighting over Scully.
Tune in next time with S05E03 "Unusual Suspects" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
In the season finale of The Sarpod Jane Castventures Season One, David and Michel talk secret Slitheen, computers going Bilis mode, and why Rodney is a plonker - it's The Lost Boy!
Tricksters, Postman Pat, and going Sam Raimi mode - it's only Podtor Whocast's episode on Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?! (that question mark is part of the episode title, we aren't surprised, because we recorded it, etc)
Aliens in smoking jackets, the legacy of laser tag, and THE Mark Grantham - all this and more as David and Michel delve into Warriors of Kudlak!
This week, we wrapped up season 4 and watched Contact (1997). This movie fits right in with the season 4 finale as we talk more about science, religion, Carl Sagan, aliens and break down whether Ellie Arroway is more Scully or Mulder coded (Mulder).
Tune in next time with the season 5 two parter premiere S05E01/02 "Redux I and II" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
For us, the Gorgon is the juice! Join David and Michel as they talk about nuns, Doctor Who's approach to difficult subject matter, and Michael Mann's 1995 classic Heat - it's Eye of the Gorgon (thrill of the fight)!
It's the Sarpod Jane Castventures! It's a brand new theme song! It's...Daniel Day Lewis? Join David and Michel as they discuss returning villains, retiring bits, and more - it's Revenge of the Slitheen!
We wrap up our long coverage of season 4 with S04E24 "Gethsemane". Mulder and Scully are both in crisis in their own way as they have a bit of a role reversal with Mulder defending his beliefs despite all evidence to the contrary. Mulder cries to a Carl Sagan speech, Scully closes herself off from everyone, and we're left missing Melissa Scully.
Tune in next time with our season 4 wrap up + watching Contact (1997) and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
Abriana (@abriana) is on again to talk Mulder family drama in S04E23 "Demons". We see what they get up to on the weekends as Mulder goes to Providence to get treated by a highly unethical doctor and Scully shows up to bail him out of this pickle he finds himself in. Mulder reflects on some suppressed childhood memories and learns more than what he hoped from his mom.
Tune in next time when we watch the season 4 finale "Gethsemane" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
In this special bootlegged copy of our secret live show, David and Michel wrap up their thoughts on Series 3 of Doctor Who, realise the importance of verifying exactly what is being asked of you, and have a fun, uneventful quiz! Coming soon: The Sarpod Jane Castventures Season 1!!
We finally follow our favorite Assistant Director as Skinner tries to save Scully's life by committing a series of felonies in S04E21 "Zero Sum". Skinner is called in to dispose of evidence of a bee related crime as Mulder slowly catches onto him. That's right, the bees, and their nonsensical science, are back!
Tune in next time when we watch S04E23 "Demons" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
In an episode that is reportedly about The Infinite Quest, but is really more about the state of Doctor Who (again!), recorded when David was on the verge of falling asleep at midnight. He and Michel break down Doctor Who's first venture in animation among other things.
It's time for the Time Lords to end! David and Michel talk about finale failings, John Simm's performance, music rights, and more - it's The Sound of Drums AND Last of the Time Lords!
Tori (@torlinnea) joined us for another episode as we discussed the hilarious S04E20 (nice) "Small Potatoes". We talked Amanda Nelligan's quest to watch Star Wars 400 times, the "loserness" of Mulder, and the 90s cop show vibes of this episode.
Tune in next time when we watch S04E21 "Zero Sum" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
David and Michel talk surprise twists, Blue Peter contest winners, and Diamonds - get on the rocket, we're going to Utopia!
With Michel stuck in the past, David is joined by special guest CC to discuss whether Blink is simply too good to even talk about at this point.
Tori (@torilinnea) returned to discuss the beginning of the cancer arc with S04E14 "Momento Mori"! The writers bring us some high quality angst as Scully learns she has cancer and while she's getting treatment, Mulder runs off action hero style to find answers, accompanied by the Lone Gunmen.
The deleted Bill Scully Jr clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRtut9taHyU
The deleted kiss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IaiIP6JzEM
Tune in next time when we watch S04E20 "Small Potatoes" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
David and Michel break down Doctor Who's first adaptation of expanded universe material, and also give a hearty L + Ratio to Ferb - it's Human Nature AND The Family of Blood
In an episode that has a very uh, well...look, you'll know exactly what happened as soon as you hit play, David is joined by Peter Quinn to discuss Doctor Who's first (kind of??? because it doesn't really stick to that run time) real-time episode, as well as Big Finish, Doctor Who videogames, and MUCH more. It's 42!
David, Michel, Sam, and Nathan all get together to discuss cigars, break down their thoughts on that big casting news (we're recording this super-late), AND play two different games! All that, and more, it's The Lazarus Experiment!
David, Michel, and special guest Emilio Diaz talk Doctor Who's politics, the state of those guest stars (Andrew who??), and the implications of the Cult of Skaro - it's Daleks in Manhattan AND Evolution of the Daleks!
Adam Bumas returns as Podtor talks about the Face of Boe, the accuracy of New New York, and the pandemic, I guess. It's Gridlock!
We're joined by Brianda to talk Scully in her slut era in S04E13 "Never Again". While Mulder is banished to taking a vacation, Scully follows a case to Philadelphia and has a bit of a midlife crisis. We get a redpilled tattoo voiced by Jodie Foster, see a train wreck of a first date at a biker bar, and Scully gets a tattoo. Mulder only shows up to be the worst kind of guy throughout the episode, leading to a long awaited Mulder rating from Shelby. Tune in next time when we watch S04E14 "Momento Mori" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
David, Michel, and special guest Sam delve into the idea of being horny, whether this episode has aged particularly well or not, and the state of Doctor Who celebrity encounters as they work their way through The Shakespeare Code.
David, Michel and special guest Nathan bring season 3 of Podtor Whocast in with a bang by collectively losing their minds while talking Smith and Jones. There's Virgin New Adventures talk, Michel's been listening to Big Finish, and a rogue Battles in Time card turns each of us into 10 year olds.
This week we're joined by Zoe (@maurastierney) to talk our heads off about S04E12 "Leonard Betts". The X Files gives fellow 90s show ER a run for its money with a EMT with a supernatural gift. We talk Walkmans, the writer's ideas about what cancer is, and Mulder's joke density. Also, this Monster of the Week episode leaves us with a little surprise at the end.
Article about Fox-NFL deal: https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2018/12/13/18137938/nfl-fox-deal-rupert-murdoch-1993-john-madden-terry-bradshaw-howie-long-jimmy-johnson-cbs-nbc
Tune in next time when we watch S04E13 "Never Again" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
Catch Michel, David, and a whole host of special guests as they delve into the third season of Doctor Who! Episode One lands May 9th.
We returned to talk to our friend Meagan about S04E10 "Paper Hearts"! We discuss the procedural heavy Vince Gilligan penned episode that makes us question that the main driving force of the show--that Samantha Mulder was abducted--was instead a non-extraterrestrial kidnapping. Mulder spirals as Scully tries to keep him together and Skinner mostly yells at both of them. Check out Meagan's podcast at https://derpsanddragons.buzzsprout.com/ Tune in next time when we watch S04E12 "Leonard Betts" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
Here we are, once again, to talk the mythology with S04E8/9 "Tunguska" and "Terma". Mulder travels around the country to flirt with every one of the mytharc regulars he can find as Scully tries to find out what's in this ROCK FROM MARS! We see some beloved faces (Pendrell) and some ones we love to hate (Krycek) as the conspiracy goes global. Tune in next time when we watch S04E10 "Paper Hearts" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
"Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man". We follow his journey as CIA hit man, rejected author, and man behind the curtain as the X Files writers take a big swing and overexplain the mysterious antagonist. We ask the important questions about this episode: how can the most powerful man on Earth not get his silly little spy novel published??? Tune in next time when we watch S04E08/9 "Tunguska" and "Terma" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
This week we are joined by our friend Kevin (@droneymitchell) to talk The X Files episode that was banned from re-airing, S04E02 "Home"! Join us as we discuss this gory episode that ping pongs between extreme violence and jokes, while exploring the receding of rural life in the 90s and today by globalization, technology and modernity. Tune in next time when we watch S04E07 "Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
We return to the humble mytharc roots to talk S04E01 "Herrenvolk" as Jeremiah Smith struggles to explain the Syndicate's plan for colonization to a PEAK sad boy Mulder. We navigate some old staples of the mythology (Samantha and her never ending clones, smallpox vaccines) with some new elements (bees!) and discuss what we think of this new shift in the ongoing plot. Tune in next time when we watch S04E02 "Home" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
We wrapped up season 3 by watching S03E18 "Teso Dos Bichos", the lowest rated X Files episode on imdb so y'all don't have to. We talk archaeology and dogs who eats cats who eat rats. Tune in next time when we watch S04E01 "Herrenvolk" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
We finally made it to the season 3 finale "Talitha Cumi" where this stellar season ends with an ok mytharc finale. We see the return of Shelby's nemesis, Teena Mulder, and learn some…interesting things about her past. We also have a scene inspired by a 19th century Russian novel, some biblical references, and another face off between Mulder and X.
Tune in next time when we watch S03S18 "Teso Dos Bichos" for a bonus episode/season 3 wrap up and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
In September of 2021, David, Michel and Nathan got together and spent five hours discussing what Doctor Who would look like had it been the product of American television. Months later, and after some online requests, they sat down and recorded an overview of that original conversation. Join us, as we break down the history of Doctor Who, ABC's crowning achievement.
This week we chatted about the overwhelming 90s S03E23 "Wetwired", which we watched via a VHS, of course :P. We talked about the fantastic score, Mulder's inability to pick up on Scully's deteriorating sanity, and a very convenient medical condition given to Mulder that is never mentioned again. This episode brings in almost the whole squad in right before the s3 finale.
Tune in next time when we watch S03S24 "Talitha Cumi" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
In this special Torchwood S1 Wrap-Up bonanza, David and Michel rank every episode, pitch their own spin-offs, and receive a visit from a celebrity's legal counsel. Coming soon: Podtor Whocast S3 and The Sarpod Jane Castventures!
In this blockbuster finale episode (we threw Captain Jack Harkness and End of Days together because it's easier tbqh), David and Michel talk about their mutual admiration for one of these episodes and their mutual dislike for the other one. They're opening the Rift. They're going to open the Rift. Hang around for Abaddon chat too.
Abriana joined us this week to talk about S03E22 "Quagmire". We discussed all the animals, including the return of Queequeg, the ancient 90s tech featured, and the midnight boat ride turned disaster. Most importantly, we finally got to talk about the crucial Conversation on the Rock and discussed the importance of this scene in understanding Mulder.
Tune in next time when we watch S03S23 "Wetwired" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
Sarah Jane's here, which means it's time for The Sarpod Jane Castventures! We begin our second spin-off series with a bang and some Bubbleshock as David and Michel delve into Invasion of the Bane. Yes, they do the Bane voice.
Merry Christmas! Anyway, in this very special of Christmas specials, David and Michel talk Catherine Tate, immobile big spiders, and more, as we celebrate The Runaway Bride! Not the Julia Roberts/Richard Gere movie!
Coming in 2022: David, Michel and Nathan break down the complete history of Doctor Who, the hit ABC show that swept the nation before being revived as a hit movie franchise in the mid 2000s by Disney.
David and Michel spend very little time on the episode Combat, which is just Fight Club kind of, but they DO question the logistics of fake jellied eel promos...and they manage NOT to talk about The X-Files!
We were joined by our friend Nick (@NickRichWrites) to talk the legendary S03E20 "Jose Chung's From Outer Space". We discussed the meta nature of this episode and whether it's actually making fun of The X Files, the incredible directing by Rob Bowman, and the cultural impact of the show. Of course, we also try to piece together what "the truth" is, if it even exists, and what sort of plot is provided through the constant jumping timelines.
Tune in next time when we watch S03S22 "Quagmire" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
David and Michel gush over what may be Torchwood's crowning achievement (with some big reservations), go on a brief Among Us tangent, and somehow find a way to bring The X-Files up in conversation again.
David and Michel talk about their mutual dislike of Eugene and question whether Random Shoes is just a bad version of Love & Monsters.
David and Michel talk a lot about The X-Files in this episode about Torchwood's most X-Files-y episode yet, They Keep Killing Suzie, but don't worry, there's also some actual discussion of this episode.
David and Michel express their utter bemusement over what the hell Greeks Bearing Gifts is trying to do, express their utter dismay at the absolutely horrifying transphobia on display, and more.
We were joined by our friend Kat to talk S03E17 "Pusher". We discussed Supermarket Sweeps, Mulder and Modell both being weeaboos, and Scully's hair being in top form. We lovingly made fun of the 90s fashion on display and the hyper masculine battle of strength and Russian roulette going on.
Tune in next week as we talk S03E20 "Jose Chung's From Outer Space" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
It's here. David and Michel talk about one of the most notorious episodes of the show, Countrycide, in between talking about The X-Files. There's also chat about how successful this episode's twists and turns are, and I guess more talk about The X-Files.
It's a Small World(s) after all! David and Michel dive deep into fairy lore and how weird this episode of Torchwood is in comparison to the episodes surrounding it. Plus: a returning friend.
Laura and I return to the mytharc once again for S03E15/16 "Piper Maru" and "Apocrypha" to talk ships, ships, and more ships! We discuss more about the stranglehold WWII has on this writers' room, an overabundance of nineties energy, and Skinner's polar opposite relationship with Scully versus Mulder. We see our favorite cranks, the Lone Gunmen, ice skate, and get further pulled into Syndicate beef history.
Tune in next week as we talk S03E17 "Pusher" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
David and Michel disagree over the quality of the episode Cyberwoman, while agreeing that some elements don't work. There's also chat about the ol' BBQ sauce-and-pterodactyl approach, as well as some movies this episode kind of feels like.
CONTENT WARNING: Mentions of sexual assault and suicide.
David and Michel work their way through what is arguably Torchwood's best, but also darkest, episode so far, as they talk about where this episode succeeds and fails, introduce a new running segment, and witness a failed attempt at reverse psychology.
We were joined by our friend Sam to talk S03E12 "War of the Coprophages", which involved a lot of bug talk. We discussed Scully's 90s lazy weekend in look, Mulder's bizarre idea of a vacation, and them joining forces again to beat cockroaches. Sam gave us their guesses on what exactly is the deal between Mulder and Scully and we all weighed in on the hot entomologist, Bambi.
Tune in next week as we talk S03E15/16 "Piper Maru" and "Apocrypha" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth.
CONTENT WARNING: Mentions of sexual assault.
David and Michel talk about Chris Chibnall's first contribution to the world of Doctor Who, as they try to dissect exactly what this episode is trying to say, what it's trying to do, and the implications of what is ultimately featured in it.
CONTENT WARNING: Mentions of suicide and sexual assault.
David and Michel finally start on their first spin-off, as Torchwood begins! There's talk of how this show came about, how it compares to both Doctor Who and other TV shows of its ilk, and vegetables, I guess.
We return to the mytharc well for a stellar two-parter: S03E09 and 10 "Nisei" and "731". We talk the episode's namesake and how it fits into Mulder and Scully's quest, catalog Mulder's increasingly poor decision making going on, and TRAINS. Scully learns some upsetting news about what happened to her a year ago and Mulder take a train ride. The writers give us an ever expanding scope of the conspiracy, but with two equally plausible stories of what exactly is going on with alien abductions.
Tune in next time as we return to the mytharc and watch S03E12 "War of the Coprophages", and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
It's Season Two wrap-up time! David and Michel fancast David Tennant, rank these episodes, and finally talk about a coward's hotspot, as well as the technical difficulties you've unfortunately been hearing a lot of, and a big celebrity guest appearance. Coming soon: Podtor Whocast Torchwood!
David and Michel talk about a finale that may have broken New Who for years to come, the show's current accessibility, and like, I don't even know what to tell you, something weird happened to the audio towards the end but it seems to be OK now? I don't know.
This week we are joined by first time guest/X Files watcher Abby to discuss an all time favorite and one of Darin Morgan's best scripts, S03E04 "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose". We talk about the Emmy winning performance by Peter Boyle as the depressed lonely old man who happens to be psychic and this episode as a sendup of The X Files as a show. Most importantly, Scully gets a dog!
Tune in next time as we return to the mytharc and watch S03E09 and 10 "Nisei" and "731", and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
David and Michel talk about one of the most critically-frowned-upon episodes of the show's entire 57-and-a-bit long history - where one of them reveals they actually really like this one. The #FearHerReAppreciation starts HERE.
Peter (@PJQ97) returns to talk about one of the most controversial (well, really, to be honest, is it that controversial anymore?) episodes of the show, as well the TRUE winner of the Design a Monster contest Sad Tony, other iconic Blue Peter competitions and the merits of ignoring fan reaction.
CW: We talk about stalking a bit in this episode.
This week David rejoined us to talk S03E03 "DPO", about a burnout teen boy somehow getting lightning powers and using them to do what all terrifying teen boys do: crash cars and kill animals. Also featuring someone even more skeptical than Scully!
Apologies for the late episode, sometimes people get sick.
Tune in next time when we watch an all-timer, S03E04 "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose", and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
David and Michel discuss New Who's first foray into cosmic horror, planned Pit prisoners, and how they put lore on a t-shirt. They put lore. On a t-shirt.
Evie (@LeftEvie) returns to talk about The Idiot's Lantern in an episode which one hundred percent does not involve Michel watching the wrong episode or David having to leave halfway through.
We are back with a new season! We talked S03E01/02 "The Blessing Way" and "Paper Clip". This week we discussed the formal introduction of the mythology "Big Bads" The Syndicate, Operation Paper Clip and the behavior of a certain three letter government agency, Skinner's big moment, and check in on the state of Mulder and Scully's partnership.
Tune in next time when we watch S03E03 "DPO" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
Welcome to Podtor Whocast, hosted by Michel, with special guests David and Sam (@sammy_crow), where we talk about the fictional tv show Doctor Who which is from another universe, in particular the episode where the Cybermen come back. There'll even be a good old game of the Wikipedia game! Come join us, won't you?
David and Michel spend very little time talking about about there being a girl in the fireplace, but don't let that put you off this episode, which features the return of the TARDIS Wiki Game as well as a SHOCKING cliffhanger.
We take a breather after the season 2 finale to take some questions and discuss our favorite conspiracy theories. Then, we discuss David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson's guest roles as Mulder and Scully on S08E10 The Simpsons episode "The Springfield Files".
If you have any other ideas for future bonus episodes or questions for future episodes, email us at condensedtruthpod@gmail.com. Tune in next time when we watch S03E01/02 "The Blessing Way" and "Paper Clip" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
David and Michel talk Sarah Jane, hammy villains and our own school memories, while David has an on-air epiphany about this episode that changes everything for them.
David and Michel talk wild intros, werewolves, and Doctor Who Confidential revelations in this, an episode that is truly about teeth and claws.
In a special bonus episode, scooped awkwardly out of our yet-to-be-released episode on Torchwood episode Day One, Michel and David talk about the future of the show after Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whitaker announced they would be leaving Doctor Who.
This week we wrap up season 2 with S02E25 "Anasazi". We discuss the depiction of the Navajo characters, Mulder's extra moody behavior, and how we feel about the direction the mythology takes. We get the return of some old foes and the return of Mulder's father, Bill Mulder.
Tune in next time for our first between season bonus episode, where we answer questions and watch The Simpsons S08E07 "The Springfield Files" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
avid and Michel talk the return of Lady Cassandra, the sad fact that the brain meat expired, and how absolutely kinda bland and boring this episode is? It's kinda boring folks I don't know what to tell you.
Nathan (@NathanForMeee) joins the Podtor Whocast fold to talk about the show's first Christmas special, as well as whether Harriet Jones should've been put in front of the Hague and, most importantly of all, SHADA! There's also format changes a plenty. Podtor Whocast, we're back, awooga. Check out Nathan's great Heathcliff shitposting account @Heathcinema!
Our friend @torilasso dropped back by the circus to talk S02E20 "Humbug". We talk about the circus town setting, its status as the first comedic episode of the x files, and how Mulder and Scully are too hot to be FBI agents.
Tune in next time when we wrap up season 2 with S02E25 "Anasazi" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
We return to the mythology to talk about a two parter neither of us cared much for, but we discuss it anyway to figure out what worked and what parts of the ongoing mythology need some more fine tuning. We meet the much discussed Samantha Mulder, the rest of the Mulder family, and a new foe in the Alien Bounty Hunter.
Tune in next time when we talk mythology with S02E16/17 "Colony/End Game" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
This week we were joined once again by our friend Kevin to talk S02E14 "Die Hand Die Verlezt" and talk about about this satanic panic inspired episode of The X Files. We discuss snakes, the devil, and this episode's commentary on Christianity, as well as how this plays now that a new version of satanic panic is back.
Tune in next time when we talk mythology with S02E16/17 "Colony/End Game" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
This week, we wrap up the Scully Abduction Arc with "One Breath", observe and comment on Mulder's ongoing spiral, and talk about the shadowy forces that are putting their thumbs on the scale against the two of them. We also discuss the return of the Lone Gunmen, the appearance of Scully's New Age sister, Melissa, and the very 90s cigarette machine.
Tune in next time when we talk S02E14 "Die Hand Die Verletzt" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
We bring you two pivotal episodes of The X Files, which is also our first super-sized two parter. We discuss "Duane Barry", full of twist and turns and speedos, then cover the suspenseful "Ascension", with Mulder Taking it Personally (TM). We admire some stellar guest acting from CCH Pounder and Steve Railsback, a too in detail discussion on the depiction of grocery stores, and the roots of the mythology as established in this two parter. In the segments, we have our most contentious Mulder rating to date and a fruitful reflection on the medium of tv and its strengths.
Tune in next time when we talk S02E08 "One Breath" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
In a special wrap-up episode, David and Michel rank every episode of Doctor Who Series 1, pitch their own fancasts for some of the main players of the Ninth Doctor's era, and look ahead to (the other) Series 2 of Doctor Who.
Peter returns (although this is technically his first episode) to discuss the Dalek-filled series one finale, as well as the ridiculousness of Big Finish, whether Julia Roberts has heard of Doctor Who, and various merchandise of yore.
In a monster of the week episode where Laura and I fly solo, we talk about "Sleepless" and cover a variety of topics like the legacy of the Vietnam War and its portrayal in media in the 90s, how we think the themes of this episode could've been explored better, and Mulder's inability to work well with anyone other than Scully. Most importantly, we meet Mulder's new source, X, and Alex Krycek (rat boy).
If you have any questions, feel free to email or DM us them for a potential mailbag episode. Tune in next time when we talk S02E05 and 6 "Duane Barry" and "Ascension" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
David and Michel talk about the return of Margaret Slitheen, in what is sure to be the shortest episode we ever record. Michel also notices a running theme throughout many of our episodes.
David and Michel are joined by Kayleigh (@tropheyhusband) in a fairly freewheeling (and technical-issue plagued) episode to talk about Steven Moffat's entry into canonical televised Doctor Who, as well as TARDIS Wiki nightmares, and whether any of the Baldwins have heard of Doctor Who.
Our friend Brett joins us to talk "The Host" and we bring y'all a gross flukeman to haunt your dreams. We talk Russian sailors, Mulder's job prospects outside of the FBI, Soviet fears, and human's role in creating the radioactive flukeman.
If you have any questions, feel free to email or DM us them for a potential mailbag episode. Tune in next time when we talk S02E04 "Sleepless" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
David is joined by his friend Peter (@PJQ97) to talk about how wild it is that he's actually making his second appearance (his first is in an upcoming episode!), while David tries to argue that the Reapers should be cancelled. There's also discussion of Father's Day but we both kind of realized there probably wasn't enough.
David and Michel are joined by Sam (@sammy_crow) to talk about...well, everything but The Long Game, really. Don't miss out on some great chat about Nick Briggs' Christopher Eccleston impression, Simon Pegg, and...seriously, that impression, wow.
We start off season 2 with "Little Green Men" and talk about Mulder's mental health after being reassigned from The X Files as he jets off to Arecibo Observatory (rip) to get some clarity on his life's mission looking for aliens. We finally get to discuss Samantha Mulder's abduction and we also learn a lot of facts about Martha's Vineyard, mainly that it's an island.
If you have any questions, feel free to email us them for a potential mailbag episode. Tune in next time when we talk S02E02 "The Host" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
David and Michel talk about the return of Doctor Who's most iconic villain (as well as the replacement villain we almost got), Michel does a funny Dalek voice, and we wax lyrical about how great Nick Briggs is and why we should get free Big Finish stuff.
David and Michel talk about the Slitheen, extol the joys of fart noises, and ask why the Beatles haven't been featured (properly) in an episode yet.
We have made it to the season one finale! This week we watched "The Erlenmeyer Flask" and this episode has it all: Car chases! Alien viruses! Deep Throat! We discuss how this episode lays the foundation for The X Files' interesting and frequently convoluted mythology episodes, and have a long discussion about the science of the alien bacteria and/or virus. We hope y'all liked season one and hope you continue to watch along.
Tune in next time when we talk S02E01 "Little Green Men" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
David and Michel talk about New Who's first foray into the past, as well as how the Gelth need to "log the heck off" and how much that new Dracula sucked.
David and Michel are joined by Adam to talk about one of the most expensive episodes of Doctor Who ever made, as well as the costs of keeping verified bops in every home media release, what makes the Face of Boe a friend to many, and the Moxx of Balhoon's brother.
This week we were joined by Tori (@torilasso) to talk "Darkness Falls". We talk about this episode's climate change message and how it plays in 2021, ecoterrorism, Mulder being an idiot, the beauty of the Vancouver forest, AND the iconic 90s jackets in the episode. And even after all that, we managed to talk a little about David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson's post-X Files careers!
Tune in next time when we talk S01E24 "The Erlenmeyer Flask" and follow us on Twitter @condensedtruth!
David and Michel are joined by Evie (@LeftEvie) to discuss the first ever episode of Doctor Who (well…the other first ever episode of Doctor Who), as well as questionable novelisation content, and which Doctor would work well in The X-Files.