Podcast
Pull To Open: A Random Doctor Who Podcast
Hosted by Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor · EN
There are many Doctor Who podcasts. Only one dares review the entire show... in entirely random order!
Join journalists Pete Pachal and Chris Taylor as they summarize stories in record time, play the Whomoji game, enter the History Corner, answer the Four Questions to Doomsday, and cower in fear before the almighty Randomizer.
New episode every Saturday!
17episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Drawn Apart (Illustrating "Fear Her")
2w ago01:17:13Tap to summarizeDoctor Who fans have long feared Fear Her—and not necessarily for the reasons the episode intended. A lonely child, a suburban street, a cupboard-dad, a doodle monster, a rogue Isolus, and one baffling Olympic torch relay all add up to what may be the most filler-y filler episode Russell T Davies ever filled. But is it really as bad as its reputation suggests? Chris reaches for the Ogron almost immediately, while Pete shocks the universe by defending the value of low-stakes Doctor Who, especially when David Tennant and Billie Piper are still bringing the charm. Grab your crayons, keep an eye on the TARDIS, and join us as we ask the terrifying question: what if the scariest thing about Fear Her is that it’s… kind of fine?Give your own rating for Fear Her on Spotify!Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and become a True Companion of the podcast to get new episodes before everyone else!Subscribe to our newsletter at pulltoopen.net for extended notes on Fear Her.Support the podcast by becoming a patron of Pull To Open on Patreon.Please review Pull To Open on Apple Podcasts.Timeline:Intro 00:00:00Previously… 00:03:34Whomoji Challenge 00:07:09POLL To Open 00:12:42TL;DW 00:18:07Review: Fear Her 00:19:33Four Questions to Doomsday 00:55:21What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 00:57:36Where Is the Clara Splinter? 00:59:57Final Judgment 01:05:33Randomizer! 01:11:26Follow us on:TikTok: @pulltoopenInstagram: @pulltoopen63Facebook: @pulltoopen63X: @pulltoopen63Threads: @pulltoopen63Bluesky: @pulltoopenPlay Pull To Open BingoStory EssentialsSeries 2, Episode 11Story number: 179, per the The Pull To Open CodexWriter: Matthew GrahamDirector: Euros LynScript Editor: Simon WinstoneProducer: Phil CollinsonExecutive Producers: Russell T Davies and Julie GardnerAired 24 June 2006Pull To Open: Fear HerSeason 7Episode 11Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris TaylorMusic: Martin West/Thinking Fish©️AnyWho Media LLC 2026Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
Transcribe →Time’s New Romans (Rebooting "The Pandorica Opens” and “The Big Bang")
4w ago01:31:49Tap to summarizeIt’s the end of the universe as Moffat knows it, and somehow we feel fine. The Pandorica Opens and The Big Bang two-parter throws every monster in the closet at Stonehenge, locks the Doctor in the most mythic box since the TARDIS, shoots Amy, explodes reality, gives Rory 2,000 years of plastic husband duty, and then fixes everything with a wedding phrase. Does it all make sense? Frequently! Does it cheat? Occasionally! Does it still make Team PTO cry happy tears? Like Karen Gillan reading the deepest-blue terms and conditions. Join us as we salute Matt Smith yelling at spaceships, interrogate Moffat’s monster fan service, ponder whether Sutekh got rebooted with the TARDIS, and ask whether this fairy-tale finale is really as good as we remember.Give your own rating for The Pandorica Opens and The Big Bang on Spotify!Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and become a True Companion of the podcast to get new episodes before everyone else!Subscribe to our newsletter at pulltoopen.net for extended notes on The Pandorica Opens and The Big Bang.Support the podcast by becoming a patron of Pull To Open on Patreon.Please review Pull To Open on Apple Podcasts.Timeline:Intro 00:00:00Previously… 00:02:12Whomoji Challenge 00:12:27POLL To Open 00:15:39Comment of the Week 00:17:56TL;DW 00:24:11Review: The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang 00:27:39Four Questions to Doomsday 01:02:20What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:06:17Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:12:45Final Judgment 01:19:44Randomizer! 01:24:24Follow us on:TikTok: @pulltoopenInstagram: @pulltoopen63Facebook: @pulltoopen63X: @pulltoopen63Threads: @pulltoopen63Bluesky: @pulltoopenPlay Pull To Open BingoStory EssentialsSeries 5, Episodes 12 & 13Story number: 215, per the The Pull To Open CodexWriter: Steven MoffatDirector: Toby HaynesScript Editor: Lindsey AlfordProducer: Peter BennettExecutive Producers: Steven Moffat, Piers Wenger and Beth WillisAired 19–26 June 2010Pull To Open: The Pandorica Opens | The Big BangSeason 7Episode 10Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris TaylorMusic: Martin West/Thinking Fish©️AnyWho Media LLC 2026Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
Transcribe →Tachyons We Meet on Vacation (Touring "The Leisure Hive")
Apr 2501:31:31Tap to summarizeThe Leisure Hive should be a relaxing holiday: a beachside opening, fabulous costumes, and Lalla Ward dressed like she just won regatta season. Instead, we find a story with enough ideas for three serials and enough pacing for half of one. Is it a commentary on nuclear war? A tourism satire? A hard-sci-fi flex? A lizard-mafia caper? Somehow it’s all of them, plus the moment Doctor Who quietly kills off the Randomizer and ushers in the John Nathan-Turner era with neon, synths, and pure style. Join us as we step into the tachyon chamber to confront old-man Tom Baker and the most leisurely chaos in the Fourth Doctor’s final stretch.Give your own rating for The Leisure Hive on Spotify!Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and become a True Companion of the podcast to get new episodes before everyone else!Subscribe to our newsletter at pulltoopen.net for extended notes on The Leisure Hive.Support the podcast by becoming a patron of Pull To Open on Patreon.Please review Pull To Open on Apple Podcasts.Timeline:Intro 00:00:00Previously… 00:02:15Whomoji Challenge 00:07:52POLL to Open 00:12:36Comment of the week 00:15:03TL;DW 00:22:17Review: The Leisure Hive 00:24:51Four Questions to Doomsday 01:05:14What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:08:57Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:13:14Final Judgment 01:18:18Randomizer! 01:24:02Follow us on:TikTok: @pulltoopenInstagram: @pulltoopen63Facebook: @pulltoopen63X: @pulltoopen63Threads: @pulltoopen63Bluesky: @pulltoopenPlay Pull To Open BingoStory EssentialsSeason 18, Serial 1Story number: 109, per the The Pull To Open CodexWriter: David FisherDirector: Lovett BickfordScript Editor: Christopher H. BidmeadProducer: John Nathan-TurnerExecutive Producer: Barry LettsAired 30 August–20 September 1980Pull To Open: The Leisure HiveSeason 7Episode 9Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris TaylorMusic: Martin West/Thinking Fish©️AnyWho Media LLC 2026Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
Transcribe →Circus Breaker (Performing "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy")
Apr 1101:25:09Tap to summarizeCome one, come all to the Psychic Circus — where the audience kills, the clowns are robots, and the Doctor may be only one striped scarf away from becoming one himself. This week, Pull To Open tackles The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, a late-McCoy oddity that somehow manages to be creepy, funny, ambitious, and weirdly relevant all at once. Is the Chief Clown an all-time villain? Are the Gods of Ragnarok a brilliant meta-commentary or a giant last-minute shrug? And most importantly: is the Doctor, in fact, a hippie? Grab some popcorn and keep your hands inside the clown car at all times.Give your own rating for The Greatest Show in the Galaxy on Spotify!Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and become a True Companion of the podcast to get new episodes before everyone else!Subscribe to our newsletter at pulltoopen.net for extended notes on The Greatest Show in the Galaxy.Support the podcast by becoming a patron of Pull To Open on Patreon.Please review Pull To Open on Apple Podcasts.Timeline:Intro 00:00:00Previously… 00:02:41Whomoji Challenge 00:08:00Poll to Open 00:13:14TL;DW 00:21:16Review: The Greatest Show in the Galaxy 00:23:48Four Questions to Doomsday 01:01:05What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:05:01Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:07:36Final Judgment 01:12:32Randomizer! 01:19:10Follow us on:TikTok: @pulltoopenInstagram: @pulltoopen63Facebook: @pulltoopen63X: @pulltoopen63Threads: @pulltoopen63Bluesky: @pulltoopenPlay Pull To Open BingoStory EssentialsSeason 25, Serial 4Story number: 155, per the The Pull To Open CodexWriter: Stephen WyattDirector: Alan WareingScript Editor: Andrew CartmelProducer: John Nathan-TurnerAired 14 December 1988–4 January 1989Pull To Open: Time and the RaniSeason 7Episode 8Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris TaylorMusic: Martin West/Thinking Fish©️AnyWho Media LLC 2026Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
Transcribe →The Halftime Show (Marking the Midpoint)
Mar 2801:21:32Tap to summarizeFive years, 160 stories, one increasingly suspicious Randomizer. Pull To Open has reached the exact midpoint of its mad dash through all of Doctor Who, so Pete and Chris are taking a break from the usual TL;DW chaos to ask the big questions: How did this thing start? When did the podcast actually get good? Which Doctors and eras has the Randomizer weirdly favored — or avoided — and why does Doctor Who somehow work better in random order than almost any franchise alive? Join us as we look back on listener Homojis, cursed pirate detours, guest-star highlights, production growing pains, and the dawning realization that this “five-year mission” is really a ten-year one. The back half starts now.Follow us on:TikTok: @pulltoopenInstagram: @pulltoopen63Facebook: @pulltoopen63X: @pulltoopen63Threads: @pulltoopen63Bluesky: @pulltoopenPlay Pull To Open BingoPull To Open: The Halftime ShowSeason 7Episode 7Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris TaylorMusic: Martin West/Thinking Fish©️AnyWho Media LLC 2026Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
Transcribe →It’s a Tetrap! (Disguising "Time and the Rani")
Mar 1401:27:36Tap to summarizeSeptember 7, 1987: a date that lives in Doctor Who infamy—at least for Chris, who rage-quit the show the moment Time and the Rani introduced the Seventh Doctor in the most cursed way imaginable. Bad wigs, mangled aphorisms, quarry overload, neon overkill, and a regeneration scene that practically dares you to change the channel: this one has it all. But is the story merely a disaster, or a pivotal disaster? Join us as we revisit Sylvester McCoy’s bumpy debut, marvel at Kate O’Mara’s all-time great “Rani pretending to be Mel” performance, and ask how the same show that made Caves of Androzani wound up here. Time and tide melts the snowman.Give your own rating for Time and the Rani on Spotify!Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and become a True Companion of the podcast to get new episodes before everyone else!Subscribe to our newsletter at pulltoopen.net for extended notes on Time and the Rani .Support the podcast by becoming a patron of Pull To Open on Patreon.Please review Pull To Open on Apple Podcasts.Timeline:Intro 00:00:00Previously… 00:02:31POLL to Open 00:07:55Comment of the Week 00:11:10TL;DW 00:21:19Review: Time and the Rani 00:23:59Four Questions to Doomsday 01:02:02What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:06:27Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:11:59Final Judgment 01:15:37Randomizer! 01:21:14Follow us on:TikTok: @pulltoopenInstagram: @pulltoopen63Facebook: @pulltoopen63X: @pulltoopen63Threads: @pulltoopen63Bluesky: @pulltoopenPlay Pull To Open BingoStory EssentialsSeason 24, Serial 1Story number: 147, per the The Pull To Open CodexWriter: Pip and Jane BakerDirector: Andrew MorganScript Editor: Andrew CartmelProducer: John Nathan-TurnerAired 7–28 September 1987Pull To Open: Time and the RaniSeason 7Episode 6Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris TaylorMusic: Martin West/Thinking Fish©️AnyWho Media LLC 2026Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
Transcribe →Water War (Submerging "The Sea Devils")
Mar 101:32:44Tap to summarizeThe Sea Devils should be an all-timer: the Master returns, the Navy shows up, the Doctor tries to broker peace, and the monsters have one of the most iconic “emerging from the sea” entrances ever. And yet… why do we learn so little about Sea Devil society? Why is the prison run by a duffer with sword décor and futuristic venetian blinds TVs? And why does this story quietly force the Doctor into the same moral corner as Doctor Who and the Silurians — with a choice that looks an awful lot like annihilation? Strap on your string vest: we’re going deep.Give your own rating for The Sea Devils on Spotify!Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and become a True Companion of the podcast to get new episodes before everyone else!Subscribe to our newsletter at pulltoopen.net for extended notes on The Sea Devils.Support the podcast by becoming a patron of Pull To Open on Patreon.Please review Pull To Open on Apple Podcasts.Timeline:Intro 00:00:00Previously… 00:01:29Whomoji Challenge 00:07:14POLL to Open 00:12:20Comment of the Week 00:15:05TL;DW 00:22:33Review: The Sea Devils 00:26:32Four Questions to Doomsday 01:05:11What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:10:01Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:14:39Final Judgment 01:19:21Randomizer! 01:26:01Follow us on:TikTok: @pulltoopenInstagram: @pulltoopen63Facebook: @pulltoopen63X: @pulltoopen63Threads: @pulltoopen63Bluesky: @pulltoopenPlay Pull To Open BingoStory EssentialsSeason 9, Serial 3Story number: 61, per the The Pull To Open CodexWriter: Malcolm HulkeDirector: Michael E. BriantScript Editor: Terrance DicksProducer: Barry LettsAired 26 February–1 April 1972Pull To Open: The Sea DevilsSeason 7Episode 5Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris TaylorMusic: Martin West/Thinking Fish©️AnyWho Media LLC 2026Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
Transcribe →3 Days in the Gally (Scenes from Gallifrey One 2026)
Feb 2101:12:40Tap to summarizePull To Open goes on location! Pete and Chris hit Gallifrey One in Los Angeles as total Gally virgins, gawping at “chemicals on fire” sunsets, accidentally learning how expensive fandom can be, and collecting hot takes like they’re limited-edition prints. Along the way: Peter Davison (and the Tom Baker advice he still can’t hear), Millie Gibson popping in like it’s no big deal, and a convention floor vibe check that can best be summarized by one hoodie: “I told you Disney was a bad idea.” Plus: fans tell us where Doctor Who goes next… including the boldest pitch of all: put it on YouTube.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and become a True Companion of the podcast to get new episodes before everyone else!Subscribe to our newsletter at pulltoopen.net.Support the podcast by becoming a patron of Pull To Open on Patreon.Please review Pull To Open on Apple Podcasts.Follow us on:TikTok: @pulltoopenInstagram: @pulltoopen63Facebook: @pulltoopen63X: @pulltoopen63Threads: @pulltoopen63Bluesky: @pulltoopenPlay Pull To Open BingoPull To Open: Gallifrey One RecapSeason 7Episode 4Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris TaylorMusic: Martin West/Thinking Fish©️AnyWho Media LLC 2026Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
Transcribe →Parallel Metal (Initializing “Rise of the Cybermen” and “The Age of Steel”)
Jan 3101:37:11Tap to summarizeSome stories upgrade the villains. This one upgrades everything. We venture to Pete’s World to face the stompiest reintroduction of a classic foe in rRise of the Cybermen and The Age of Steel. But are these metal men truly scary, or are they just Bluetooth bullies from Big Tech? Let’s debate the genius of rewriting Cyber-history, discuss what the story steals from Spare Parts, and say goodbye (maybe?) to Mickey. Wherever you land on this story, you have to admire it for accurately predicting Apple AirPods.Give your own rating for Rise of the Cybermen and The Age of Steel on Spotify!Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and become a True Companion of the podcast to get new episodes before everyone else!Subscribe to our newsletter at pulltoopen.net for extended notes on Rise of the Cybermen and The Age of Steel.Support the podcast by becoming a patron of Pull To Open on Patreon.Please review Pull To Open on Apple Podcasts.Timeline:Intro 00:00:00Previously… 00:03:37Whomoji Challenge 00:08:11POLL to Open 00:12:43Comment of the Week 00:15:03TL;DW 00:20:04Commentary: Rise of the Cybermen | The Age of Steel 00:22:31Four Questions to Doomsday 01:08:41What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:13:06Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:18:30Final Judgment 01:24:45Randomizer! 01:30:30Follow us on:TikTok: @pulltoopenInstagram: @pulltoopen63Facebook: @pulltoopen63X: @pulltoopen63Threads: @pulltoopen63Bluesky: @pulltoopenPlay Pull To Open BingoStory EssentialsSeries 2, Episodes 5 and 6Story number: 175, per the The Pull To Open CodexWriter: Tom MacRaeDirector: Graeme HarperShowrunner: Russell T. DaviesAired 13–20 May 2006Pull To Open: Rise of the Cybermen | The Age of SteelSeason 7Episode 3Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris TaylorMusic: Martin West/Thinking Fish©️AnyWho Media LLC 2026Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
Transcribe →Bonnie Dangerously (Quartering “The Highlanders”)
Jan 1701:24:16Tap to summarizeIt’s the Second Doctor’s second story, and he’s already cross-dressing, bashing heads, and doing the worst German accent this side of Oktoberfest. The Highlanders is a story where the Doctor flails through post-regeneration weirdness while Ben, Polly, and proto-companion Jamie navigate the aftermath of Culloden and a plot to sell Scots into slavery. With violent slapstick, dodgy disguises, and an unexpected showdown on a boat, this might be the most violent—and historically faithful—Doctor Who story ever made. But does the Randomizer’s gift of Jamie McCrimmon come wrapped in tartan triumph… or just more post-battle trauma?Give your own rating for The Highlanders on Spotify!Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and become a True Companion of the podcast to get new episodes before everyone else!Subscribe to our newsletter at pulltoopen.net for extended notes on The Highlanders.Support the podcast by becoming a patron of Pull To Open on Patreon.Please review Pull To Open on Apple Podcasts.Timeline:Intro 00:00:00Previously… 00:03:05Whomoji Challenge 00:07:07POLL to Open 00:13:23TL;DW 00:19:55Commentary: The Highlanders 00:22:26History Corner 00:47:20Four Questions to Doomsday 01:02:08What If the Evil Plot Had Succeeded? 01:05:13Where Is the Clara Splinter? 01:09:10Final Judgment 01:12:57Randomizer! 01:17:14Follow us on:TikTok: @pulltoopenInstagram: @pulltoopen63Facebook: @pulltoopen63X: @pulltoopen63Threads: @pulltoopen63Bluesky: @pulltoopenPlay Pull To Open BingoStory EssentialsSeason 4, Serial 4Story number: 30, per the The Pull To Open CodexWriters: Elwyn Jones, Gerry DavisDirector: Hugh DavidScript Editor: Gerry DavisProducer: Innes LloydAired 17 December 1966–7 January 1967Pull To Open: The HighlandersSeason 7Episode 2Hosts: Pete Pachal and Chris TaylorMusic: Martin West/Thinking Fish©️AnyWho Media LLC 2026Doctor Who ©️BBC 1963
Transcribe →