Miscellaneous
Guest George Chachanidze Host of the Snappy-Tech YouTube channel. Fundraiser by George Chachanidze : George is smartphone-less for a year! George Chachanidze ? (@g_chachanidze) | Twitter Mark gets wobbly-wobbly and timey-wimey with tech YouTuber George Chachanidze. The pair started by discussing their favourite incarnations of the Doctor, and then their favourite — or least favourite — companions. Spoilers abound If you’re not caught up with Doctor Whoand you intend to, be warned that Mark and George will spoil the hell out of it for you. Honourable mentions The Family of Blood Kerblam! The Empty Child The Eleventh Hour Mummy on the Orient Express George’s picks In order of discussion: Heaven Sent (S09E11; Peter Capaldi) This highly dramatic and Groundhog Day reminiscent episode takes place shortly after the death of the Doctor’s companion Clara, and is pretty much entirely a monologue. The names of the two episodes got mixed up in the recording: Heaven Sent (the one Make and George both like) is the first in a two-parter that concludes with Hell Bent (which George does not like, and Mark couldn’t remember). Blink (S03E10; David Tennant, Freema Agyeman) Blink is regarded by many Whovians as the best of the revival. It introduces the Weeping Angels, who are older than the universe, and zap you back in time to feed off the energy displaced by the life you would have led. Or something. Midnight (S04E10; David Tennant, Catherine Tate) Another Doctor-heavy episode, this takes place on the planet of Midnight, which is made entirely of diamonds. It has a horror movie feel, but is almost a bottle episode (in as much as bottle episodes are often made out of a necessity to keep an eye on the budget.) Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead (S04E08-9; David Tennant, Catherine Tate) This two-parter introduces space archeologist River Song, who would be an important recurring character across multiple Doctor incarnations. It also introduces the Vashta Nerada, a species of space piranha Dalek (S01E06; Christopher Eccleston, Billie Piper) This episode reintroduces the Daleks in a Utah bunker filled with alien bric-à-brac. It brought them back defeated and weakened, which laid the groundwork for a new generation to be terrified by them all over again. Mark’s picks In order of discussion: Father’s Day (S01E08; Christopher Eccleston, Billie Piper) This episode came early on in the reboot’s run, and takes place in 1987, wherein Rose saves her dad from being hit by a car, only to unleash a squadron of time-devouring pterodactyls called reapers. The Beast Below (S05E02; Matt Smith, Karen Gillan) This steampunk episode takes place on Starship UK, which carries England, Northern Ireland and Wales — but not Scotland — on the back of a giant space whale, who is kept in perpetual agony to ensure it keeps moving. The finale of the episode see the Doctor’s companion Amy realise that the whale would’ve carried the citizens regardless, because it couldn’t stand to see the children cry. The Impossible Planet / The Satan Pit (S02E08-9; David Tennant, Billie Piper) This two-parter takes place on a planet that we believe to be Hell, and where the villain is the actual devil. It introduced the Ood, and wasn’t afraid to make religious points (given that this is a show for children). World Enough and Time (S10E11; Peter Capaldi, Pearl Mackie, Matt Lucas) The first in a two-parter that sees Bill become a Cyberman, Mark picked this for very specific reasons. More of George Chachanidze You can follow George on Twitter, find him and Paul on YouTube discussing tech, and follow his journey living a life without a smartphone. Links Support the podcast