This week, we're looking at Twelfth Doctor two-parter The Zygon Invasion and The Zygon Inversion, and - going out on a real limb here - consider whether it might possibly have some sort of socio-political subtext. Along the way, we indulge in some uninformed speculation on show-runners that could have been, throw mild shade at The Thick of It, and …

We're back! And what better way to mark our triumphant return to your ears - and now eyes! - than one of the most consequential Doctor Who stories of all time? This week we unpack Tenth Doctor classic Blink. Along the way, we speculate on what a rare DVD business might stock, extol the virtues of seizing the moment, and consider whether making Doct…

It's the end! And the moment has been reached with our signature lack of preparation. Thankfully we've still got two blockbuster Doctor Who stories to enjoy in our sequeltastic season finale - the Fourth Doctor's first encounter with Davros in Genesis of the Daleks, and the Twelfth Doctor's return to Skaro in The Magician's Apprentice and The Witch…

It's the "Of Death" special! In perhaps our most tenuously-themed episode yet, we discuss the uncanny valley, AI and helium as we consider Fourth Doctor classic The Robots of Death, then we switch mediums entirely to cop a load of X-rated VR while untangling the knots in our minds as we indulge ourselves in Third Doctor radio romp The Paradise of D…

It's a holiday special! Not in the Christmas sense, or indeed in any meaningful way at all beyond that these are two stories where the Doctor and co attempt to take a holiday and fail. Under the microscope this week are Eleventh Doctor double threat The Girl Who Waited and the Seventh Doctor's encounter with Delta and the Bannermen. Questions? Thou…

It's a Welsh special on this week's I'll Explain Later as we hop across the border to enjoy two stories that put Wales at the heart of the action - the Ninth Doctor's tense trip to Boomtown, and the Third Doctor's iconic brush with The Green Death. Email your thoughts and questions to hello@illexplainlater.com or "X" us at @explainlaterpod - and we…

It's a dastardly double bill on this week's I'll Explain Later as we look back on the Doctor's encounters with two diabolical masterminds - Professor Zaroff, in aquatic Second Doctor caper The Underwater Menace, and The Sixth Master (as no-one calls him) in apocalyptic Tenth Doctor series finale The Sound of Drums / Last of the Time Lords. Can anyt…

We're back! Thanks for sticking with us during our extended hiatus - we toyed with releasing a charity single, but instead decided to knuckle down and record a WHOLE NEW SEASON of I'll Explain Later. We'll be dropping new episodes weekly for the next six weeks, covering a slew of Doctor Who adventures past and... even more past. And we're kicking o…

We tackled some weighty issues head-on in this month's livestream, as our analysis of MARCO POLO, THE RINGS OF AKHATEN and REMEMBRANCE OF THE DALEKS took in the Paradox of Tolerance, the history curriculum and advanced horticulture. Luckily, we still found room for our usual array of double entendres and general low-brow humour as well. Come for Ma…

For this month's live show, we fought against our better instincts to bring you a bumper-length consideration of all 14 episodes of 1986's courtroom epic Trial of a Time Lord. Along the way, we discovered a wholly unexpected intersection between the worlds of Doctor Who and reggae, considered the health and safety implications of Time Lord architec…

It's about time! A little more so than usual on this month's live show, as we weigh up the pros and cons of time-wimey classics Day of the Daleks and The Girl in the Fireplace, before going deep on heavyweight Time Lord brawler The Invasion of Time. Along the way we discuss the Doctor's drinking habits, whether Milton Johns minded being typecast, s…

Our second livestream saw John and Matt tackle a trio of returning monster mash-ups in mind-boggling detail - taking in Cyberman sugar-rush THE MOONBASE, Gravity Bar crawl THE SONTARAN EXPERIMENT, and the box-fresh PANDORICA OPENS / BIG BANG two-parter. Along the way, we discussed whether Kit Pedler had an easy gig, enjoyed some prescient Sontaran …

We emerge sleepily from an 18-month hibernation, only to find that we're confined to the house and a lot's changed in the interim. But our debut LIVE episode gave us the chance to find out whether kid's telly fave Doctor Who could tell us anything useful about the Very Strange Times we're living in, as we delved into Hartnell-era viral sensation Th…

Page Peter Snow, brace for the exit poll - I’ll Explain Later goes psephological to explore three Doctor Who tales with political guru special guest Lewis Baston. A duped demos dragged into drudgery slave away to fly the ship of state into unknown territory. If someone can get the Haynes manual off eBay. Live vivisection is just one of the highligh…

Rocks, redemption and referendums in episode 35 of I'll Explain Later. Tom Baker does his best to hold his own against unexpressive and rigid screenmates, while the Ogri and Romana I co-star in 1978's The Stones of Blood. The Eleventh Doctor battles wobble boards and has to eat humble pie as a hopeless dad beats off wooden dolls - disturbing pyjama…

We're back - and it's ABOUT TIME! In our long-awaited comeback special, we enjoy a bit of horseplay with the First Doctor in The Myth Makers, relish a chicken dinner with the Tenth Doctor in Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead, and get schooled by the Fifth Doctor in Mawdryn Undead. Along the way, we asked whether the First Doctor was a mas…

It's ninety minutes of hellos and goodbyes on this somewhat delayed, erm, April instalment of I'll Explain Later. This month, the Third Doctor encounters some harsh imperial measures in The Mutants; the Eleventh Doctor rolls up his sleeves and gets under the hood in The Doctor's Wife; and the Fourth Doctor gets all big-headed about The Face of Evil…

Genius abounds in this slightly delayed 32nd I'll Explain Later. With the Tardis crew keen to escape the clutches of Butcher Cumberland, the Second Doctor channels all his thespian guile to hoodwink his adversaries in 1966-7 knockabout romp The Highlanders. A schlub or a savant? Rose wants to know more about her deceased dad and uncovers his yogurt…

Some scenes filmed in Tiger Bay, some set by the Silvery Tay, Daleks seek their glory day - Cybermen in Haringey! That's right, folks - hit us with your rhythm stick (aka sonic device) for this 31st episode of I'll Explain Later. Monopoly capitalism, camp sneering and Patrick Troughton more animated than usual in 1968 epic The Invasion. The Tenth D…

Sometimes, inspiration does just fall from the sky. This 30th I’ll Explain Later explores three mysteries centred on alien threats mistaken as meteorites. The Third Doctor goes topless in fashion-centric debut Spearhead from Space. Public school and planetary peril in 2007 two parter Human Nature/The Family of Blood. And Who does Hammer Horror, as …

Because what says Christmas like honeymoon-based sex cosplay? That’s right, I’ll Explain Later delves deep into St Nick’s bulging sack to pull out, parboil and roast 2010 Yuletide special A Christmas Carol. Jingling along the way, Jim pulls a cracker, Matt spills his port and John goes deep throated. Have a very merry Christmas, and see you on 3rd …

A December Dalek double as I’ll Explain Later heads back to 1973. A beleaguered leader inches towards a conflict with her trading allies she knows to be folly, egged on by forces internal and external and lacking the courage needed to face down the populist nonsense of her critics. Meanwhile, we review Frontier in Space. The Third Doctor asks for h…

Double trouble for the Doctor and pals in this 28th episode of I’ll Explain Later. Troughton meets his match - literally - in recently discovered deadly doppelgänger demagoguery thriller The Enemy of the World. Frozen in lifeless, arid suspension...or dying of cold in the Tardis? Karen Gillan must act, fast, to make Amy’s Choice. And a Fourth Docto…

How many impossible things can you believe before breakfast? I'll Explain Later's 27th episode whisks you away to unimagined realms and mythical times. Tegan might not be well drawn, but her draughtswoman credentials are not in doubt. A smörgåsbord of cultures let bygones be Bigon as the Fifth Doctor takes Four to Doomsday. Incoming showrunner Chri…

Doors to manual! The I'll Explain Later cabin crew are delighted to disembark you into three more terminals of Doctor Who adventure! No perfume counter and no flight-side 'Spoons, but one almighty immigration problem as the Fourth Doctor, Harry and Sarah Jane arrive at The Ark in Space. An overzealous border official goes beyond a cavity search and…

Bikinis and budgie-smugglers at the ready, as the 25th episode of I'll Explain Later accompanies your summer break with another trio of tales! Why have one when you can have two? A duo beating down on them, can Tom Baker and Louise 'Leela' Jameson ride out the heat and avoid the taxman in 1977 yarn The Sun Makers? Oh no, it's clouded over! A typica…

We're on a summer break so no new episode from us this month, sadly. However, to tide you over until our August return, here's a treat from our archives. Earlier this year we were thrilled to be invited to contribute to the spectacular 250th episode of JR Southall's Blue Box Podcast, and we recorded this minisode where we discuss what makes for Bad…

Roll up, roll up – pay your shilling to play the game as the 24th episode of I’ll Explain Later runs the gamut from intergalactic tag to the grandmastery of an existential chess match! Hartnell & Co take in some costume dramas, dodge Daleks in their cardboard quantum coach and encounter anachronistically-named planets in 1965’s The Chase. Ninth Doc…

Shuffling shag, a horny monster - and the Myrka. I'll Explain Later once again waves its torch at Doctor Who where the sun's May rays don't shine. As much Midnight at the Lost and Found as Down in the Tube Station at Midnight - yes, we examine recently-discovered Second Doctor epic The Web of Fear. Only one man engenders sufficient faith to make us…

Clocking on and plunging deep into the shaft, I'll Explain Later returns with a heavily accented "Trouble Down t'Pit" special. The Doctor dangles, as David Tennant and chums confront evil itself in The Impossible Planet / The Satan Pit. Tyneside tykes and wooden miming as the Sixth Doctor tries to rub off The Mark of the Rani. And we make all the o…

It's 1st April, so what better time to examine three more Doctor Who adventures that have flown under the radar. Okay, so it's not the ACTUAL episode 22 - check back on 15th April for your regular dose of I'll Explain Later fun...

Salty seamen and terrified cabin boys aplenty as we set sail for a pirate-themed 21st voyage aboard the good ship I'll Explain Later. The Fourth Doctor and Romana marvel at the Captain's massive spheres on The Pirate Planet. Plank or catwalk? Tough to tell, as Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith encounters fashion muse Lily Cole in The Curse of the Black Sp…

Roses are red, police boxes are blue... In this twentieth, Valentine's edition of I'll Explain Later, The Third Doctor muses on tea ladies and gentlemen's clubs in Terror of the Autons, Ten and Rose mix feline and saline during visiting hours on New Earth and Peter Davison is not the first Brit to stagger around Amsterdam in a dazed state of collap…

Happy New Year! We start 2017 as we mean to continue, with three Doctor Who big-hitters. The First Doctor gets stuck into some Saxon violence in The Time Meddler, the Fourth Doctor smells a rat in The Talons of Weng-Chiang, and the Eleventh Doctor raids the fridge in The Eleventh Hour. Along the way, we admire the Meddling Monk’s methodical approac…

Christmas bonus time for I'll Explain Later listeners, as this second Yuletide edition materialises. With only sherry, port, stilton, cheddar, a selection of artisan-baked crackers, stollen and mince pies to sustain them, our gouty guides explore Tenth Doctor David Tennant's 2006 nixed-Noël-nuptials spectacular The Runaway Bride. Amid musings on Sc…

Joyful all ye Nation's guys! Nothing can exterminate the festive fun, as the I'll Explain Later crew encounter three podcasting poltergeists and take on sprawling Hartnell epic The Daleks' Master Plan. Lithium-fuelled cricket commentary and the cooling effects of a Panama titfer are just two of the fascinating topics of debate, while Jim casts a cr…

Don your mittens and light the sparklers as we run the Gallifreyan gamut from toxic to saccharine in I'll Explain Later's November display. The Ninth Doctor and Rose risk sunburn on a weekend break to The End of the World; The Master sucks on a stogie while Team Third Doctor tackle the origami ogre that is The Time Monster; finally, The Seventh Doc…

It's a seafood smorgasbord on this month's I'll Explain Later as we tuck in to three more thrilling Doctor Who adventures. The Second Doctor and pals hit Butlins during an outbreak of crabs in The Macra Terror, The Fourth Doctor and Leela get stuck into a prawn cocktail in The Invisible Enemy, while the Tenth Doctor catches up with pretty much ever…

This month it's a triple history lesson as the Doctor and chums take a trip into the past. The Fifth Doctor reaches for the Mace in The Visitation, the Eleventh Doctor enjoys the fish in Vampires of Venice, and the First Doctor is seeing double in The Massacre (of St Bartholomew's Eve). Along the way, we considered whether the Fifth Doctor's TARDIS…

We could have spent the August holidays outside enjoying the sun, but instead we spent it cooped up indoors watching Doctor Who in order to bring you our thoughts on three more adventures. This month, the Fourth Doctor's epic quest to find some perspex gets off to a thrilling start in The Ribos Operation, the Tenth Doctor has woman trouble in Schoo…

We're back! After taking a summer break last month, we put three more Doctor Who adventures under the microscope. This month, the Second Doctor's peddling acid to the locals in The Krotons, the Eleventh Doctor joins the clergy in The Time of Angels, while the Fifth Doctor watches the bodies pile up in Resurrection of the Daleks. Along the way, we h…

The clock is ticking in this months selection of Doctor Who adventures that feature our favourite Time Lord in a desperate race against time. This month, the First Doctor and pals get a bit stir crazy during a quiet night in as they face The Edge of Destruction, the Tenth Doctor soaks up the sun in 42 and the Fourth Doctor visits the old folks at h…

This month, it’s a trilogy of subterranean Doctor Who adventures as we go beneath the surface. The Third Doctor tries to balance the scales in the confusingly-entitled Doctor Who And The Silurians; the Seventh Doctor’s left dangling in Dragonfire; and the Eleventh Doctor has a whale of a time aboard Starship UK in The Beast Below. Along the way, we…

This month we endure six hours in make-up to bring you three Doctor Who adventures notable for their use of prosthetic masks (to varying effect). First up, it's off to the planet Dido [N.B. CHECK SPELLING], where the First Doctor makes a new friend, and Ian and Barbara are ready for cockylickin'. Then we drop by Oodsphere, where the Tenth Doctor an…

We celebrate Valentine’s Day the only way we know how - by putting three more Doctor Who adventures under the microscope. This month, the Second Doctor encounters something nasty in the freezer section in Tomb of the Cybermen, the Fifth Doctor finds himself stuck on on a spaceship that’s gone to the dogs in Terminus, and the Tenth Doctor has a wet’…

Happy New Year! We kick off 2016 with three Doctor Who adventures that see an exotic mini-break go badly awry. A trip to Butlins-in-space sees the Fourth Doctor endure some mind-mangling entertainment in The Leisure Hive; the Ninth Doctor’s plans to visit Naples take a turn for the worse when he ends up dealing with a gas leak in Cardiff in The Unq…

Merry Christmas! At this special time of year, we dig deep into our bulging sack to bring you three festive adventures for Doctor Who and chums. The First Doctor, Steven and Sara enjoy a seasonal Scouse runaround in The Feast of Stephen, the Tenth Doctor spends most of the day sleeping off the night before in The Christmas Invasion, and it’s Crinkl…

"I do love a knees-up!" This month, we look at three occasions where the Doctor and chums are menaced by disembodied threats. The Fourth Doctor teams up with a bunch of renaissance men in The Masque of Mandragora, the Tenth Doctor eats his words in Midnight, while the Fifth Doctor gets a treat AND a surprise in Kinda. Along the way, John reminds us…

"This is an ambulance!!" This month: three Doctor Who adventures set in America but (for the most part) filmed elsewhere in the world. We look at the First Doctor's rootin' tootin' adventure at the OK Corral with The Gunfighters, the Tenth Doctor's porcine encounter with Daleks In Manhattan, and the Eighth Doctor's attempts to stave off the millenn…

"Tricky things, mammoths." In our fourth show, we take a trip back to 19th century England for three slices of Victoriana, Doctor Who style. This month we go through the looking glass with Patrick Troughton for Evil of the Daleks, see Matt Smith get tickled pink by the Crimson Horror, and scratch our heads while Sylvester McCoy is dazzled by Ghost …