Shows
A Hamster With a Blunt Penknife - a Doctor Who Commentary podcastSCH 3 - Season Eleven (featuring James Lark & John Bensalhia)Welcome to Strictly Come Hamster Episode Three. Rod, Joe, James & John discuss the stories of Season 11 - The Time Warrior, Invasion of the Dinosaurs, Death to the Daleks, The Monster of Peladon & Planet of the Spiders! Which story will be triumphant?2024-01-082h 02A Hamster With a Blunt Penknife - a Doctor Who Commentary podcastTalks to John Bensalhia about his choice of Pyramids of Mars (1/4)Joe & John; ‘as long as Albert didn’t wear it.’ Is this the all conquering classic of repute? What is the magic about this story that brought that reputation forth? Are Tom & Lis unbeatable?2023-08-2037 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastDEN OF THE DOCTOR SERIES 1 EPISODE 1Dragon's Den meets Doctor Who!In this pilot episode, four businesses are offered to the Dragons including a virtual reality gizmo, a plastics factory, a robotics company and a big world-domineering electronics giant.2023-06-2943 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: John's A-Z Of Albums - Genesis: AbacabJohn kicks off a new series in which he browses his record collection from the 1960s to the 1980s with Genesis' 1981 album.2023-01-2322 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Larry Grayson's Generation Game 20th October 1979The Perpetual Outsider podcast is back! Join John as he looks at the highest rated episode of The Generation Game. Are the producers trying to poison the contestants? Is Billy Bunter making a comeback? And can the finalists keep up with the all-new Brother Lees routine?2022-10-1757 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who Horror Of Fang Rock Part FourIt's the final showdown on Fang Rock as John looks in to this stone cold Doctor Who classic. Did Vince steal Ben's voicebox? Should Mr Scream from Wayne's World 2 be hired for scream coaching? And why is the Everybody Dies approach a healthier one than Moffat's tedious Everybody Lives?2022-08-1124 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who Horror Of Fang Rock Part ThreeJohn's stuck on a lighthouse with no way out - cheers for that, Doc. Is it a case of Karma Shameleon? Who would win the battle of the death screams? Come to that, who would win the battle of the death facial expressions?2022-08-1024 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who Horror Of Fang Rock Part TwoJohn revisits his 3rd birthday by spending it on Fang Rock Lighthouse. Does Horror have the edge over Talons when it comes to grisly remains? Which actor has a very tenuous link with Danny Kendall from Grange Hill? And could Reuben do with a tummy tablet or two in the cliffhanger?2022-08-0924 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who Horror Of Fang Rock Part OneIt may be sunny on the outside but indoors it's gloomy time as John pays a visit to a lighthouse for Doctor Who classic Horror Of Fang Rock. Why are the haircuts too long for the turn of the century? Is John becoming a modern-day Reuben? And why did an attempt to record the story off UK Gold onto video go awry?2022-08-0824 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: 3-2-1 The '20sJoin John as he revisits the '20s (1920s, not 2020's) with some help from Ted Rogers and Dusty Bin.2022-08-0651 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Blake's 7 Cygnus AlphaJohn's eardrums take a pasting as he lands on Cygnus Alpha where the Great God Neil (played by Brian Blessed) holds court.2022-08-0552 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Fawlty Towers The Hotel InspectorsJohn checks in to a 1975 episode of the hotel sitcom.2022-08-0429 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider Doctor Who Black Orchid Part TwoJohn returns to the 1920s as he ponders on Part Two of the Doctor Who story, Black Orchid. Is Ann actually Penelope Pitstop? Have the local policemen been eating enough porridge to lug the TARDIS down the street? And is being defeated by Mr Plod from the Noddy books the ultimate insult for The Doctor?2022-07-2125 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider Doctor Who Black Orchid Part OneJohn travels from the 2020s to the 1920s as he explores the Peter Davison Doctor Who story, Black Orchid. Why wasn't 9 year old John's Black Orchid book not a bestseller? Will Tegan progress beyond Round 1 of Strictly Come Dancing? How does Justin Fletcher manage to barge his way into proceedings?2022-07-2025 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: The Young Ones CashBack to 1984 for a classic episode of The Young Ones, which John hasn't seen for 30-odd years.2022-07-1929 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Roy Castle & The Generation Game 29th November 1975Brucie's off ill, so Roy Castle steps into the breach for this episode of The Generation Game from 1975. Can Roy's nerves overcome lippy guests, bagpipes and a grumpy haggis filler? Find out with John!2022-07-1855 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who Dragonfire Part ThreeIt's scorching! On a boiling hot day like today, why not chill out with John as he settles down to look at the last part of Dragonfire? Why doesn't McLuhan want to be in a Pudding club? Is Iceworld taking a frozen Internet signal to extremes? And is Kane's grisly melting head the most unpleasant demise in Who history?2022-07-1725 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who Dragonfire Part TwoWith the heatwave in full flow, John cools down in Iceworld for another instalment of the Doctor Who adventure, Dragonfire. Where has the quirk gone? Is Kane's melted statue a blessed improvement? And can John make it third time lucky recording the commentary?2022-07-1625 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who Dragonfire Part OneJohn attempts to get cool on a boiling hot day by selecting Doctor Who Dragonfire. Would Zed from the Police Academy movies worked as a man on the run? Is a certain sorry excuse for a Prime Minister hiding in the freezer? And what is the deal with that literal cliffhanger?2022-07-1524 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Space 1999 The ExilesJohn looks at another sci-fi series, Space 1999. Is it heresy to prefer the funky new Season 2 theme tune? Where's Clouseau when you need to crack a smile? And is Helena's Barry Manilow obsession being taken that bit too far?2022-07-1451 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Blake's 7 Space FallLondon calling as John boards the prison ship en route to the Liberator for the 2nd Blake's 7 episode. Would Blake make a good Marcie from the Charlie Brown cartoons? What's on tonight's Top Of The Pops with your host, Raiker? Will you like Vila's magic, or not a lot?2022-07-1353 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: 3-2-1 CrimeIt's a fair cop, guv, as John looks back at an early episode of 3-2-1, first broadcast in October 1978.2022-07-1253 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who The Underwater Menace Episode 4More wanton Atlantis destruction in the final episode of The Underwater Menace. Why is a NO a classic yes for doomed baddies? Will Polly ever stop her sobbing? And can John make it through the slide show?2022-07-0823 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who The Underwater Menace Episode 3You demand? You demand?? An Underwater Menace Episode 3 podcast?? You got it! What's the Atlantis equivalent of Friends' Central Perk? Is Lolem a relative of Biggins? Would Zaroff make a good Hell's Kitchen judge? 2022-07-0724 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who The Underwater Menace Episode 2Hurray! Moving images again as John looks at the earliest surviving Patrick Troughton episode. Why is Zaroff's birthday buffet a flop? How have we moved on from the back pages of Peter Haining's Celebration book? And how brilliant is it to see Troughton's facial expressions and Buster Keaton-style tribute on screen?2022-07-0625 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who The Underwater Menace Episode 1John looks at an alternative view of Atlantis with the 1967 story, The Underwater Menace. Is Brigadier Bambera threatening to hijack the podcast? What are Jamie and Ara listening to in the record booth? Can John sit through a slide show?2022-07-0525 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Blake's 7 The Way BackJohn begins his Blake's 7 odyssey with the dystopian nightmare of The Way Back. Which actress lectured at John's (best forgotten) university? What's with the clerk's Upper Class Twit Of The Year voice? And can John actually work out what El Tel's obsession with the name Tarrant was?2022-07-0449 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: BlackAdder II MoneyJohn takes a look back at a classic BlackAdder episode from 1986.2022-07-0330 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: The Goodies Punky BusinessGoody Goody Yum Yum! It's back to 1977 for this classic bit of Goodies wackiness. Warning: Includes off-key warbling.2022-07-0230 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Larry Grayson's Generation Game 14 October 1978More classic Generation Game as John settles down to watch an episode from 1978. Guest starring K9 from Doctor Who!2022-07-0153 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who The Time Monster Episode SixJohn reaches the end of The Time Monster. How did John get the Minotaur's autograph? Where have all the guest cast gone? And is the Daisiest Daisy speech the ultimate Moment of Pertwee Charm?2022-06-3026 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who The Time Monster Episode FiveFunctioning DVD permitting, it's off to Atlantis with John for Episode 5 of The Time Monster. Did JoJo Grant inspire CBeebies? Would Prue-fessor Sorenson have made a good Sarah Jane? And can John actually stop laughing his head off?2022-06-2925 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who The Time Monster Episode FourThe Doctor and Jo are on the trail of The Master and Krasis as John looks at another episode of The Time Monster. Can Mike Yates hold out against the Barry Sheene of Doom? Did Forbes from Spearhead From Space actually live another day and become a farmer? And how does Macca influence the big central concept of this episode?2022-06-2825 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who The Time Monster Episode ThreeChow down on a marmalade sandwich with John as he reaches the halfway point of The Time Monster. Can Percival hack a lifetime of non-existence? Should there be a Doctor/Master school spin-off? Why do first names add a bit of cliffhanger drama?2022-06-2724 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who The Time Monster Episode TwoThe postman makes a cameo as John continues to look at The Time Monster. Which Elton John LP isn't much cop? Can Jon Pertwee cope with a weathered boa? Does chickenpox improve your opinion of the story?2022-06-2625 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who The Time Monster Episode OneSimmer down, John, for Pete's sake. It's time to talk about the 1972 Jon Pertwee story, The Time Monster. Is The Doctor still haunted by the events of Inferno? Why is John so rubbish at sales pitch? And is this story aggorant nonsense? 2022-06-2527 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: 3-2-1 My Word Is My BondThe name's Bensalhia. John Bensalhia. With a licence to kill - the mood in the room with too many bad jokes. John changes channels to ITV to big up the channel's gameshow mainstay of the late '70s and early '80s, 3-2-1. This commentary remembers a February 1984 edition starring Don Estelle as a somewhat unlikely James Bond substitute. Will the contestants be left shaken and stirred by the prize that they go home with or is it a case of From Dusty With Love?2022-06-2450 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Only Fools And Horses The Longest NightJohn Bensalhia looks at the ultimate John Sullivan comedy experience Only Fools And Horses in a classic episode from 1986.2022-06-2328 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Citizen Smith The Party's OverPower To The People! In the 1st of 2 John Sullivan-themed podcasts, John Bensalhia remembers the revolution of 1979 with an episode of classic comedy Citizen Smith.2022-06-2230 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who Revelation Of The Daleks Part TwoGear up your shiny new Blu-rays (or in John's case, old DVD) and return to Necros as John comments on the final thrilling instalment of Revelation Of The Daleks Part Two. How does the story pre-empt daytime telly adverts? Why does it feel like the end of an era? And was Grade right to put the show on ice for 18 months?2022-06-2146 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who Revelation Of The Daleks Part OneJohn visits the forbidding climes of Necros as he recalls the classic season 22 finale. Was JNT's famous face casting on the money? Why were the 1990s repeat seasons a frustrating experience? And will John ever be tempted to go Blu-ray?2022-06-2045 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Bruce Forsyth & The Generation Game 17 December 1977Good game! Good game! All right, my loves? John Bensalhia is your host as he travels back in time to the shivering cold of December 1977, where he takes a look at a classic edition of Bruce Forsyth & The Generation Game. Why don't modern day entertainers come and offer you free show tickets at your place of work? What does David Dickinson know about Punch & Judy? And why are so many classic archive telly shows sitting around gathering dust?2022-06-1754 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who The Deadly Assassin Part FourJohn Bensalhia comments on the final part of this Master-piece from 1976. Would the Eye of Harmony make a good centrepiece? How is Engin's cocktail making skills? And what's The Master crowing "Hoo boy!!" about?2022-06-1624 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who The Deadly Assassin Part ThreeRevisit the world of the Matrix with John Bensalhia as he ventures into the murky locale of The Deadly Assassin Part Three. What's with the goofy eyes on the cliff? Did the Whitehouse Manifesto win in the long run? Why is Saturday Night not alright for fighting on telly, ratings wise? 2022-06-1524 min
Perpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who The Deadly Assassin Part TwoScream and scream again with John Bensalhia as he looks at Part Two of the Doctor Who horror-a-thon, The Deadly Assassin. Would the Tom Baker version of John Kettley Is A Weatherman have made the charts? Do Time Lords hatch from eggs? Is there a risk of taking fan fiction too far? 2022-06-1425 minPerpetual Outsider PodcastPerpetual Outsider: Doctor Who The Deadly Assassin Part OneJohn Bensalhia travels back in time to revisit Part One of the classic Tom Baker adventure, The Deadly Assassin. How would social media have reacted to this story if it had been around in the 1970s? Should Gallifrey have its own organist rising out of the Panopticon floor like in the days of the old cinemas? And can John stop doing terrible Spandrell and Engin impersonations?2022-06-1122 minA Hamster With a Blunt Penknife - a Doctor Who Commentary podcastTalks to the wonderful John Bensalhia about his choice of The Web of Fear (6/6)Joe & John; things are coming to a crispy, frazzled head! Who is the agent of the Great Intelligence? Is there an optimum length of a Doctor Who story? Also, the first recorded dialogue between Tryst of Eden and Spandrell of Gallifrey.2021-10-1030 minA Hamster With a Blunt Penknife - a Doctor Who Commentary podcastTalks to John Bensalhia about his choice of The Web of Fear (5/6)Joe & John; something funny is coming over us. What is the fine line between chilling possessed acting and pure pantomime? How do you do a Who whodunnit? Did they disguise who the villain of the piece is effectively?2021-10-0929 minA Hamster With a Blunt Penknife - a Doctor Who Commentary podcastTalks to John Bensalhia about his choice of The Web of Fear (4/6)Joe & John; brutality overdrive! Is this the best single episode of classic Doctor Who? We’re astonished by the relentless action and atmosphere and discuss what is appropriate to put children in front of. Will they ever sleep again?2021-10-0829 minA Hamster With a Blunt Penknife - a Doctor Who Commentary podcastTalks to John Bensalhia about his choice of The Web of Fear (3/6)Joe & John; meeting the Brig for the first time! We discuss the nature of missing episode reconstructions and how on Earth we’re in relationships for loving them. When is Nick Courtney given real acting opportunities? What is The Great Omnirumour? What is the Ultimate Scream?2021-10-0730 minA Hamster With a Blunt Penknife - a Doctor Who Commentary podcastTalks to John Bensalhia about his choice of The Web of Fear (1/6)Joe & John; heading into dark tunnels! What is the most shocking oversight of 🐹? We talk the return of the stories and what we did when the news hit. The best directed story in Doctor Who’s run? New series or old series Great Intelligence?2021-10-0535 minA Hamster With a Blunt Penknife - a Doctor Who Commentary podcastTalks to John Bensalhia about his choice of The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe.Join Joe & John as we head for bargain basement Narnia via economy Mary Poppins. We choke down on extreme levels of Christmas, baulk at the waste of incredible guests stars, broad, obvious humour, and decide the (very simple) plot isn’t worth figuring out. We enjoyed this, but we’re not sure you will (especially if you like it).2021-04-101h 15A Hamster With a Blunt Penknife - a Doctor Who Commentary podcastTalks to John Bensalhia about his pick of City of Death (3/4)Join Joe & John as they pop through time, figure out why the Jaggaroth want all the chickens and do a few more daft impressions! Why oh why is this the best cliffhanger of all time? ‘No! Not that switch!’2021-03-0627 minA Hamster With a Blunt Penknife - a Doctor Who Commentary podcastTalks to John Bensalhia about his choice of City of Death (2/4)Join Joe & John (a beautiful man, probably) as they join the heist to steal the Mona Lisa (1/8). Just how many impressions can you squeeze into one episode? And why is the cliffhanger to this episode so good?2021-03-0525 min