But while Doctor Who's international future remains uncertain, the BBC is preparing something rather different: TARDIS Crew, a new animated series for CBeebies aimed at introducing younger children to the Doctor's adventures.

Could the key to Doctor Who's survival be attracting a new generation of British children rather than chasing an international streaming audience?

In this edition of Kasterborous, Christian Cawley and James McLean explore three connected aspects of Doctor Who's past, present and future.

We begin with Russell T Davies' forthcoming memoir, The Queerest of Folk, and his reflections on the Disney+ partnership. Was Doctor Who's problem the programme itself, or the platform on which it was being presented?

The conversation then turns to some intriguing Doctor Who projects that never reached television, including abandoned Series 3 story ideas and discussions of the franchise's various spin-offs. It's a reminder that Doctor Who's history is full of alternative directions, unrealised ideas and opportunities that might have changed the programme considerably.

Finally, attention turns to TARDIS Crew.

With 52 short episodes planned for CBeebies, the animated series represents a very different approach to expanding the Doctor Who universe.

James argues that introducing children to Doctor Who could be one of the smartest decisions the BBC has made for the franchise in years. Christian is less certain, questioning the role of merchandising and whether the cartoon will succeed in an increasingly competitive children's television market.

The discussion also takes in In the Night Garden, Bluey, Hey Duggee and the enduring appeal of classic children's television.

What do you think?

Was Disney+ ever the right home for Doctor Who? Are there abandoned stories you'd still like to see produced? And could TARDIS Crew introduce enough new viewers to secure the programme's future?

We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Kasterborous is presented by Christian Cawley and James McLean, discussing Doctor Who, classic television, science fiction and popular culture.

Visit Kasterborous.co.uk for more, subscribe to the podcast, and find us on YouTube and Patreon.

Hello! Another Kasterborous chat for you this week with the full team of Christian Cawley, James McLean, and Brian Terranova.

This time, we're bringing together three conversations about television past and present — from the frustrations of streaming to Doctor Who edits and the decidedly different world of 1970s superheroes.

First, has streaming actually made it harder to discover good television? With programmes scattered across an ever-growing collection of services, we look at how finding something to watch has changed — and whether we've lost something from the days when you could simply stumble across a great programme.

Then we turn to Doctor Who. If you could go back to the original material and make your own edit, what would you change? Which stories could benefit from a little judicious cutting, rearranging or reconsideration?

Finally, it's back to the 1970s and two very different attempts to bring Marvel superheroes to television: Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk. Long before the MCU established what audiences expect from live-action superheroes, television had its own ideas about how these characters should work.

Three conversations, one extended edition of Kasterborous.

In this edition:

• Has streaming killed the accidental discovery of great television?

• The problem with programmes being scattered across multiple services

• What would we re-edit in classic Doctor Who?

• Looking back at television with the benefit of hindsight

• The strange world of 1970s live-action Spider-Man

• Bill Bixby, Lou Ferrigno and The Incredible Hulk

• How superhero television changed long before the MCU

With Christian Cawley, James McLean and Brian A. Terranova. This edition is available as a video on our Patreon, with shorter videos on our YouTube channel.

Who will make Doctor Who next? And after the Disney+ experiment, could the programme be heading for its biggest reinvention since 2005?

In this edition of Kasterborous, Christian Cawley and James McLean discuss the uncertain future of Doctor Who, from the BBC's search for a new production company to the controversy surrounding AI-generated Doctor Who.

We start with the BBC's search for a new production partner. With Jed Mercurio, World Productions, ITV Studios and STV Studios among the names being discussed, Christian and James consider what a change of production company could mean for the series. Could Doctor Who move to Scotland? Would a smaller, more character-driven approach work better? And does the programme need to rediscover what made it successful in the first place?

Then, we move onto the AI comments from new BBC Director-General Matt Britton. They've led to concerns within the organization and beyond about the implications for actors, writers and the wider television industry. Is artificial intelligence a useful creative tool, or does it threaten the very people who make television worth watching?

In this episode

• Jed Mercurio and the companies interested in producing the next era.
• The possibility of ITV Studios or STV Studios taking over production.
• Whether Doctor Who needs a new creative direction as well as a new production company.
• The controversy surrounding AI-generated television and the BBC's response.

Who would you like to see producing Doctor Who? Should the programme embrace a completely new direction, or return to the approach that made it successful?

Share your thoughts with us! Leave a comment, or email podkasterborous@gmail.com

Kasterborous is presented by Christian Cawley and James McLean, bringing you conversations about Doctor Who, science fiction, classic television and popular culture.

This edition was released with additional materal for our Patreon members. Support Kasterborous on Patreon for extended video editions and archive content.