Oi! Spaceman: Adventures In Media Criticism

In which Shana leads the discussion on the latest episode in Doctor Who Series 8, "Time Heist." Discussion of heist movie tropes, the ethics of large institutions, and puppy growling are to be found within. (Also Shana leads discussion for the first time, and it's awesome.) Show Notes Main Topic: "Time Heist." An auspicious start. Beards. Titles. Poetry. Puppy. Beer. Plot. The history of the exterior phone. Co-writers. Worms. Puppy growls. X-men. Hosting duties. Heist movies. Clara's outfit. Puppy barks. Titles before scripts. Boredom. Corridors. The Architect. Potential. Logic. Beer. Female villains. The Teller. Laziness. Verity! Hide. Family. Planet of the Ood. Anti-authoritarianism. Plot. Geography. Cleverness. Physics. Endings. Capaldi. Paper. Systemic corruption. Enjoyment. More on the Ood. Moffat. Dick. Paycheck. Leading. School. Sickness. Wrapping up.  Check us out on iTunes! Email us at oispacemanpodcast@gmail.com We're also on Facebook. Daniel's Twitter Tumblr Shana's Twitter Tumblr Find all our epis

Was the Matt Smith era just one big mistake? Series 8 has been quite good, and finally we get a very Moffaty episode that Daniel and Shana both quite like. Still lots of problems, though, and a thorough discussion of time travel tropes can be found within.   Main Topic: "Listen." An illustrious introduction. Beyonce's "Listen." Shana actually does work for the podcast. The story and nuance of "Listen" make Shana overlook some of the Moffat tropeyness. How many Claras? Clara's agency and skepticism. Upending the "rule monster." Crazy theories. Picking on Clara's looks. Cockblocking. Good teachers. Moffat companions as drivers of plot. Doing timey-wimey well. The Ontological Paradox. Toy soldiers. Orson or Awesome? Daddy Doctor checks out the prospects. Dad jokes. Clara has a Donna moment. Daniel recommends the Web of Queer. The wrongness of the Doctor. The Doctor investigates. Fear is not the mind-killer. Fear Her. Clara and Danny's date. Talkin' about socioeconomics. Clara's Wardrobe. Cinematography. Daniel p

In which Daniel and Shana discuss "Robot of Sherwood," in particular the metafictional nature of mythic heroes meeting discussing mythic heroes, and the place of moral ambiguity in fiction. Also, dick jokes.  Show Notes: Main Topic: Robot of Sherwood. Shana is not snuggling with a kitty. Saving the bitching for the end. A comment from Lee. The Moffat Hate tag. The job of a television showrunner. One-liners in Moffat Who. Responding to responses to Daniel's live-Tumblring of Robot of Sherwood. Daniel appreciates a good dick joke. Jack Harkness does not make dick jokes. Fairy tale Clara. Metafiction, Robin Hood, and Doctor Who. Disney Who. The Doctor and Robin Hood as mythic heroes. Stories as text in Moffat Who. Shana gives us a quote between Robin and the Doctor. Purple writing. Continuity in Doctor Who and other long-running franchises. The historicity of Robin Hood. The Doctor rejects mythic heroic figures. Daniel way over-analyzes "no bantering." Shana launches "rant mode" with another quote. The Keys in t

In this episode, Shana and Daniel actually find a Moffat-era episode they quite like, although that seems to be partly through fulfillment of low expectations. Danny Pink is introduced through crying, Clara gets called a boy, and Peter Capaldi puts a shiver down Shana's spine. Also, some silliness about a Dalek.  Show Notes: Main Topic: Into the Dalek. If you were cast as the Doctor what characteristics would you want your Doctor to have? "Into the Dalek" actually gives us hope for Series 8. Low standards. Daniel uses the word "sperminate." The story arc of Journey Blue. Blue and pink. Is there such a thing as a "good dalek?" On the nose writing and reused elements from previous episodes. Gendered expectations and Danny Pink. Crying over a meet cute. Referring to Clara as a boy. Pink still a cypher. Journey Blue a much more compelling character. Capaldi's movements are purposeful and his Doctor exudes stillness. Shana and Daniel are both fangirling for Capaldi. The Twelfth Doctor cuts through the bullshit. Da

In which Shana and Daniel discuss Peter Capaldi's first full run as The Doctor: Deep Breath. Heteronormative treatment of a lesbian couple, a truly ridiculous cameo, and the mesmerizing performance of Peter Capaldi. Main Topic: Deep Breath. Ca-pahl-di or Ca-PAL-di? Doctor Who porn. Capaldi's performance among the best things about Deep Breath. Vastra and Jenny have vastly different personalities than in previous episodes. Heteronormativity. Lis Sladen's ex-husband. The Moffaty awfulness goes on around Capaldi, not through him. Capaldi's regeneration crazies. Vastra and Jenny's relationship: "Look, Jenny's tits!" Men are Monkeys. Why are we continually watching the Vastra and Jenny show? Comparison of Strax from "A Good Man Goes to War" versus "Deep Breath." Victorian England as the "present day" of the current Who era. Finally moving on into the plot. The Doctor's last name is Doolittle? Empathizing with the dinosaur: beautiful. Daniel likes the bait-and-switch in the plot. Missed opportunities. Clara's respo

Winding up the discussion of the previous year of Doctor Who, Daniel and Shana discuss the 50th Anniversary special Day of the Doctor, the Christmas Special Time of the Doctor, and in addition the online special Night of the Doctor. Despite making an active intent to stay positive, much discussion of plot holes, silly family jokes, and the sexual activity of the Doctor ensue.  Main Topic: The Night, Day, and Time of the Doctor. Excited about Series 8. The announcement that Jenna Coleman will be leaving the show. Trying to be more positive in this episode. Our favorites and least favorites from the main Series 7. Shana gets the numerous "...of the Doctors" confused. Daniel chooses not to make a bad pun. We are very positive on Night of the Doctor and Paul McGann. Loving the almost-companion and the worldbuilding of NotD. Narcissistic Eleven. The Sisters of Karn are a perfect example of a Classic Who reference. "Spooge-fest." Day of the Doctor is efficiently told. Harkening back to previous anniversary specials

In which Shana and Daniel discuss the end of Series 7, with much misogynist writing, some shoddy stories, and some overall entertaining acting. Also comparisons between the Eleventh Doctor and Gregory House. And philosophizing.  Main Topic: The last four episodes of Series 7: Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS, The Crimson Horror, Nightmare in Silver, and The Name of the Doctor. We Don't Do Social Media Very Well. Looking Ahead to Series 8. Shana calls Capaldi "The Thirteenth Doctor." A quote from Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS. The Eleventh Doctor Reboots the Universe. The Doctor is overbearing and creepy. "The Doctor Lies." The Doctor isn't Han Solo. The Dickishness of the Doctor. Comparing the Doctor and Gregory House. Shana mistakes "The Name of the Doctor" with "Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS." Liking much of the set design in "Journey." Learning more about the TARDIS. Sensawunda. Everybody knows women can't drive the TARDIS. Great to have an entire supporting cast made up of people of color,

In which Shana and Daniel discuss the first four episodes of Series 7B: The Bells of Saint John, the Rings of Akhaten, Cold War, and Hide. These are four quite good episodes, but the Mystery Girl arc, the increasing sexism, gender essentialism, and heteronormativity, and the overall schmaltziness of "love conquers all" in every episode continue to vex us.  Main Topic: Series 7b, Part One. The Bells of Saint John, The Rings of Akhaten, Cold War, and Hide. Shana Summarizes the Plot of The Bells of Saint John. Briefly. Burger King. The Mystery of Clara arc. Introduced to Clara for the third time. A cat cries on Daniel's end. Jenna Coleman is very cute. A wonderful moment from the actress who plays Ms. Kislet. Super creepy Eleventh Doctor. Fairy tale Doctor. Seeing the world through Clara's story, but not from her perspective. Clara gets her computer knowledge with no cost. A drunk MST3K-style commentary for Bells of Saint John. Daniel has a jokey moment about creepy Eleventh Doctor. A brilliant quote about super

In which Shana and Daniel discuss the second set of three episodes in Series 7: The Power of Three, The Angels Take Manhattan, and The Snowmen. Amy and Rory leave, Clara shows up for real, and lots of silly sexist jokes.  Show Notes: Main Topic: The Power of Three, The Angels Take Manhattan, and the Snowmen. Catching up with a bit from last episode. Comparing Brian to Wilf. The Second Doctor only *feinged* being incompetent. Capaldi's comments about the upcoming Series 8. The most famous quote from Power of Three. Amy's relationship with the Doctor. The Eighth Doctor has Will Sasso burned onto his hearts. "He Doesn't Like to See You Age." Too Little Too Late. Earlier Doctors and Patience. Our headcanon about Kate Stewart. Social media and the cubes. We're not even talking about the plot holes in The Angels Take Manhattan. Talking about the meaning of marriage and the Amy/Rory/Doctor love triangle. The theme of storytelling in Moffat's era. Heroic adventurer River Song. An overly extended pre-credits sequence.

In which Shana and Daniel begin our re-watch of Series 7 in preparation for the new Series in August. Lots of Moffat-hate goodness below. (In this episode we take a brief look at Asylum of the Daleks, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, and A Town Called Mercy.)   Main Topic: Series 7 Rewatch Part One: General thoughts about what we'd like to see in Series 8. Series 7 episodes as mini-movies. Breakneck pacing. Discussing "Asylum of the Daleks." Amy's character feels random for Shana. Oswin is a wonderful character... if this was her only episode. "Ood on the loo." A marriage breaks up in a sixty-second short. Rory/Amy/Doctor love triangle. The worst episode ending with "...of the Daleks." The Daleks are wasted here. Ballerina Dalek. Introducing Oswin Oswald. "Total Screaming Genius." Whendonesque funny quips. Mugging for the camera. The New Robomen? Human allies of the Daleks. Robot henchmen in Dinosaurs on a Spaceship. Homoeroticism between Amy and Nefertiti? Why are Nefertiti and Riddell even in this episode? The chi

Shana was a bit tired at the beginning of this one, but once we started talking about sexy Tom Baker and Lis Sladen she perked right up. Where we've been the last couple of months, a new direction for the podcast, imperialist racism, and The Pyramids of Mars. Main Topic: Pyramids of Mars. A long absence. Turning 30. Queerness. Interrupted by one of our cats. Queerness and Doctor Who. Leaked Series 8 scripts. Moffaty goodness (if you're into that sort of thing). Doctor Who costumes. The Donkey Head of Doom. Shana's attraction to the Fourth Doctor. Shana summarizes Pyramids of Mars. Shana is a bad fan. Daniel doesn't like mummy movies as done by Doctor Who. The "Sam Seely character." The Scarman Brothers. Sarah Jane and sexism. The chemistry between Lis Sladen and Tom Baker. "I walk in eternity." Is Sutekh imprisoned on Mars or in Egypt? Discussing the fate of Sutekh. The late great Robert Holmes. Sutekh as a great villain. Laurence Scarman and the radio telescope. A trivia question for Shana. Sarah Jane shoots

In which Shana and Daniel discuss one of the most maligned episodes in Doctor Who History: Fear Her. Spoiler Alert: they love this episode. Listen to find out why. Main Topic: Fear Her. Shana doesn't hate Fear Her, and doesn't read up on fan consensus the way Daniel does. Shana thinks Fear Her has a very direct line to a child audience. Shana does a brief summary of Fear Her. Rose is the really clever one. "In the name of the Shadow Proclamation!" Daniel summarizes some of the things people claim not to like about this episode. The shippiness of Ten and Rose. Shana and Daniel only have the second-best Doctor Who Love Story. Fear Her's troubled production history vis a vis script. Ultimately a life-affirming episode. The Tenth Doctor gets Rose involved and is very proud of her. The Doctor helps Rose gain sympathy for herself. All of the major non-regulars in this episode are POC. Complex, real characters. A plea for a UK-based listener to speak to the racial issues in their society versus the US. Matthew Graha

In which Daniel and Shana discuss William Hartnell's last episode, The Tenth Planet. Also covered: two listener emails, dealing with the Autons as Body Snatchers and the unlikeability of the Moffat-era protagonists. Along the way, we imagine the First Doctor giving fashion advice, reflect on the bellicosity of Americans in world media, and fall in love with Polly. Email us at oispacemanpodcast@gmail.com Main Topic: The Tenth Planet. The history of regeneration. Lee's email about Spearhead from Space and the Pertwee Era. Scary Autons. Awesome Liz Shaw. Jo Grant was a joke, but not. We'd love to read some hate mail. Falling asleep while watching the Tenth Planet. Watching while fully engaged finding it much better. First appearance of Ben and Polly. Shana loves Polly. Pin-ups on a bunk. Badly summarizing The Tenth Planet. The far-off year of 1986. "Disguised" cybermen. William Hartnell as a Tim Gunn of the Cybermen? The Tenth Planet Cybermen have personalities. Shana imitates the voices of the Tenth Planet cybe

In which Shana and Daniel get their Moffate Hate on and do a full hour talking about Matt Smith's first episode, The Eleventh Hour, and the Steven Moffat Era of Doctor Who in general. Sexism, feminism, puzzle-box storytelling, lack of respect for others... all are discussed herein. Lovers of Steven Moffat be forewarned. Main Topic: The Eleventh Hour. Shana's annoyed at Doctor Who Legacy. But she's having a good time looking at cool Doctor Who cosplay online. Daniel's been showing Shana dirty Ten/Rose fanarts. Daniel's been hanging out in the Moffat Hate tag on tumblr. What if Caroline John had played the first female Doctor, with Jon Pertwee as her goofy assistant? Comparing the context of the Eleventh Hour with Spearhead From Space. Talking about our history of watching Doctor Who in general, and The Eleventh Hour in particular. Being distracted by problemmatic elements in Moffat era Who. Daniel was really excited to enter the Matt Smith era when first watching it. Daniel and Shana really test the patience o

In this episode, Shana and Daniel talk about the first episode of Jon Pertwee's tenure: Spearhead From Space. Or, as Shana refers to it, Thunderballs and the Dirty Old Box. We talk about Pertwee as the Doctor, the awesomeness of Liz Shaw, and the beauty of old grifters in Doctor Who. Main Topic: Spearhead From Space. Doctor Who title structure. Shana's experience at Horrorhound in Cincinnati. Daniel doesn't listen when Shana talks. Editorial note: referring to the "RTD Era" more accurately as the "RTD/Gardner Era." A change in format. This podcast at least as academic as Shana's grad classes in creative writing, which in no way precludes use of the term "Thunderballs." What does Shana think of Pertwee's first episode? The history of the show going into season 7. Color Doctor Who as a kind of a shock after the B&W years. Campy Who as a distinct pleasure. The mental real estate occupied by Jon Pertwee. Finally talking about the plot of Spearhead from Space. Who is Sam Seely? Thunderballs! The awesomeness of

We missed a week there. Sorry! Having some difficulties with podcast scheduling and editing.  In any case, this week Shana and Daniel talk about two mindfuck episodes, The Mind Robber from the Second Doctor's run, and the God Complex from Series 6 of the new series. Also: Is Shana Daniel's spunky female companion? Tune in to find out. Show Notes Main Topic: The Mind Robber and The God Complex. Mind-fuckery. Is Shana Daniel's "spunky female companion?" Shana jumps into the gutter very early in the episode. The length of episodes in The Mind Robber. Daniel summarizes the story of The Mind Robber. The famous shot of Zoe's ass. "Sex pests." General kinds of enemies it's possible to send after the Doctor. Shana's feelings about Jame and Zoe. Sexualization of Zoe and her age. Zoe as the "new and improved Susan." Jamie's absence for a couple of episodes. The Doctor picking the wrong face (and being assisted in the correction by Zoe) as a revealing character moment. Back to Harry Sullivan and "old girl." Frazier Hine

In this episode, Daniel and Shana discuss all of the New Who Companions, starting with the six "main companions" and moving on to a discussion of the more minor characters. We should have split this into two parts, but figured what the hell? Consider it a bonus-sized episode of Oi! Spaceman. Daniel: Twitter Tumblr Shana: Twitter Tumblr Show Notes: Main Topic: New Who Companions. Introducing ourselves with Twitter and Tumblr. A multilingual podcast. Shana ruins the surprise. Does Shana think there should be a female Doctor? Ignoring Moffat's writing. A thank-you to the couple of dozen listeners we've accumulated. Moffat shouldn't write a female Doctor. Blindsiding Shana. Female representation behind-the-scenes in Doctor Who. "Enlightenment" and the Black Guardian Trilogy. The Six Major New Who Companions. Wilf is in surprisingly many episodes. Rose and kissing in Doctor Who. Daniel makes an overly-gendered assumption. Comparing the Doctor to James Bond. Family TV and representations of sexuality. Kissing as a

In which Daniel and Shana talk about Doctor/Rose Shipping, the nature of the Space Nazi as a villain, similarities between the Daleks and the Doctor, and erotic tension as a Ganatus/Ian/Barbara love triangle forms in "The Daleks." Also: a hypothetical 90s "grunge Doctor" and a (mostly) sincere request for fanfiction. Show Notes: Main topic: Hartnell's "The Daleks" and Eccleston's "Dalek." Is Shana a Doctor/Rose shipper? Eccleston as Shana's favorite Doctor? Hanky-panky in the Tardis? Nine playing the musical instrument in "Dalek." Sexual tension in Series 1 of New Who. Shana plays with her plush Dalek. Daniel is a Bad Fan. Then explains the origin of "Bad Fan." The pacing of the Hartnell era. Shana sings "Homoerotic tension." Spelunking in Terry Nation scripts. The pacing of "The Daleks" and the personalities of the Daleks in "The Daleks." The ultimate evil businessmen. Daniel forgets Sydney Newman's name, but talks a bit about the educational origins of Doctor Who. What might this episode had been without th

Recorded all of two hours after Episode One, we were perhaps a bit too sleepy to really grapple with "Revenge of the Cybermen" and "Genesis of the Daleks," but no doubt we'll come back to these themes again and again. Lots of random douchiness from Harry Sullivan for those amused by such.  Show Notes:  Main topic: Genesis of the Daleks and Revenge of the Cybermen. Daniel plays a joke on Shana, because he's a dork. Recording a couple of hours after recording Episode 1. Talkin' about Harry Sullivan. Forgetting about Harry Sullivan. "Old Girl" and the snippiness of Harry Sullivan. The male "action hero" as a companion in Doctor Who. Daniel uses the word "fisticuffs" unironically. Perhaps even Ian Marter realized how useless Harry Sullivan was? Shana barely remembers Revenge of the Cybermen. The plottiness of RotC. Reconnecting wires and red veiny face things as plague effects. Bad science to motivate reasonable storytelling. Daniel is bored by sequences involving court politics. (At least) borderline racist make

In this first official episode of Oi! Spaceman: A Doctor Who Love Story, Shana and Daniel discuss Tom Baker's first three stories: Robot, The Ark in Space, and The Sontaran Experiment. Also discussed: Doctor Who: Legacy, Colin Baker's dickishness, the feminism of Sarah Jane, and much, much more. Show notes:Main topic: Robot, the Ark in Space, and The Sontaran Experiment. Doctor Who: Legacy. A bit on Colin Baker. Extra-legally-obtained episodes? Another little bit on William Hartnell's antepenultimate episode The Smugglers. Shana's physical attraction to the iconic Tom Baker. Everyone's love for Sarah Jane Smith. The Third Doctor Era and Benny Hill. First mention of Harry Sullivan and "old girl." Sarah Jane's investigative reporting instincts in "Robot." The Third Doctor as the prototypical "Scientist Doctor" versus the Scientific Reform Society. "Burninating." Doctor Who and Isaac Asimov? Sarah Jane as the everywoman. Previewing future episodes on Jo Grant and the Third Doctor. The Ark in Space: one of Daniel