Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the future. Or the past. Or... what is this?

We have an announcement to make.

But before we do, we owe a huge thank you to everyone who downloaded the first series of the podcast. It was a blast to make, and it’s wonderful thinking that there are people out there enjoying it too. As a bit of a thank you, I thought I’d explain what’s happening with us at the moment.

You may have noticed that we had a break this week.

Don’t worry, that’s only because from this week, we’ll be back with the new, all-singing, all-dancing Series 2 of the Ood Cast!
Well, OK, less of the singing. And, well, dancing doesn’t really work that well on an audio podcast (to Andrew’s obvious surprise).

But, we are moving to a new site. It’s a bit sad to jettison this old home and move to a new one, but if you head on over to www.theoodcast.com, you’ll find us all there, all the posts from this blog, plus all new stuff. And you’ll (sort of) see what we all look like.

Like someone’s first car, this blog has served us well, and is comfy – if a bit shabby nowadays. So we’ve spent ages poring over copies of Exchange and Mart, and chosen ourselves a new set of wheels. We’ve even got one with a radio. And cup holders.

And a go-faster stripe...

It does the same jobs and gets us from A – B, but looks, feels and, well, just is much nicer.

In short, there’s a lot happening. There will be a Facebook page. And we’ll be on Twitter...

I still don’t understand the point of Twitter. But you, know, the kids use it these days. And Uncle Stephen Fry is some kind of King on it, isn’t he? That can only be a force for good...

Well, whether I understand it or not isn’t anywhere near the point. If you are on either of those sites, come and find us and say hi – we’d love to see you!


http://theoodcast.com/

NEW! Ood Cast, Episood 6: The End of Time (part 2)

"Perhaps it’s time. This is only the furthest edge of the Time War. But at its heart, millions die every second. Lost in bloodlust and insanity. With Time itself then resurrecting them, to find new ways of dying, over and over again. We have become a travesty of life. Isn’t it better to end it? At last?”

The end of an era, the passing of a baton. Another man saunters off.

This week, the intrepid crew of the Ood Cast tackle the final episode of the Tenth Doctor’s reign.

We took advice from Tom Baker’s final words as the Doctor (“It is the end. But the moment has been prepared for”) and made sure we all had drinks and snacks to take our minds off the upsetting events that unfolded on the screen.

It was the end. And we had certainly prepared for it. So well, in fact, that we were able to record a podcast afterwards.

So, listen in to see which of us was teary-eyed, which was just a bit ticked off that he took so long to actually shuffle off his tenth mortal coil, and just how much of that last sentence I invented…

Usual method folks:
Click here if you want to do the business via iTunes:
http://bit.ly/6Kw9Na

Or here if you'd rather not give your non-profit-making business to "The Man" and get it straight from Spirit of the Stairwell:
http://oodcast.co.uk


Oh, yes. And keep an eye out in the next couple of weeks for the all new Ood Cast...

New! Ood Cast, Episood 5: The End of Time (Part 1)

It is said that in the final days of Planet Earth, everyone had bad dreams...

To the west of the north of that world, the human race did gather in celebration of a pagan rite. To banish the cold and the dark.

Each and every one of those people had dreamt of the terrible things to come. But they forgot, because they must.

They forgot their nightmares, of fire, and war, and insanity.

They forgot. Except for four...

Legends tell that these four intrepid humans used their rememberances only for good. To guard against evil, protect against invasion.

But the legends are wrong.

They used it to record a podcast.

And this week, in Episood 5, we look at the End of Time (Part 1).

As usual, either subscribe or download the latest installment via the aural wonderment of iTunes:

http://bit.ly/6Kw9Na

Or go straight to the Spirit of the Stairwell if you're not feeling appley today:

http://oodcast.co.uk

NEW! Episood 4: The Waters of Mars

Tap tap tap tap.

Tap tap tap tap.

Do you remember the old days of "Classic Who"? You know, the days when budgets were the size of your mum's weekly housekeeping allowance which meant that stories were claustrophobic and terrifying, even when the monsters occasionally seemed to be constructed from items you saw her making a cake with the week before?

No? Well, it doesn't matter... Not all of us do either. But we've seen a lot of it on VHS...

But Who and isolated bases on the surface of a foreign planet is a marriage made in heaven, right?

Download the newest episood to find out what happened after we watched The Waters of Mars in a darkened room, complete with a few glasses of liquid handy, which members of our happy band then refused to touch for considerable time afterwards.

Oh, and to find out what exactly caused an argument that might yet cause the premature end of the podcast...

And the others probably talked about High Definition, and CGI "rendering", resolution and other aspects of watching a lighty-up screen on the other side of the room that I don't understand.

Save your tissues though, because we've almost got to the final of the 5 death rattles Mssrs Tennant and Davies served up for our viewing pleasure. And those were where the real tear-jerking moments were... (well, that's what it said in the Radio Times...)

As usual, either subscribe or download the latest installment via the marvel of iTunes:

http://bit.ly/6Kw9Na

Or go straight to the Spirit of the Stairwell if you're not feeling appley today:

http://oodcast.co.uk

New! Ood Cast, Episood 3: Planet of the Dead...

It’s episode three of The Ood Cast and this week we’re talking about the first installment in the ‘He will knock 4 times’ saga that ends the Tenth Doctor’s life – the aptly named Planet of the Dead.

Flies in boiler suits, dodgy CGI, a wrecked double decker bus, Lara Croft and fires of iniquity all feature in our rambling review of the story. Allies are made, old enemies revealed and friendships tested – and that’s just during the podcast. The story itself is even more exciting.

Join us as we discuss cinematography, production logistics, morality, travel cards and Laura’s huge crush on David Tennant.

Next week: The Waters of Mars and one almighty bust up that threatens to destroy the Ood Cast.

Forever.

Don't miss it!

Find us on iTunes: http://bit.ly/6Kw9Na

Or direct from the website: http://oodcast.co.uk

NEW! Ood Cast, Episood 2: The Next Doctor

A hearty, and slightly world-weary welcome to you.

Think back to Christmas Day 2008. The evening.

There you are – on the sofa – feeling a bit bloated because your nan insisted that you had that third helping of turkey and at least two goes at the Christmas pud. You’re becoming steadily more pickled as the afternoon draws on, and your eyes are feeling a bit heavy.

Then something lovely hits your screen. You hear some familiar music. You haven’t been paying attention to the first couple of minutes because you saw that a few weeks before on Children In Need night. But now you’re a bit more interested.

You start searching your mind for what it is like a brain surgeon wearing boxing gloves…

And then you see him. A skinny man with an unmistakable pin-stripe suit, spiky hair and glasses. You know what this is…

You yawn. Then your eyes start to flutter as you desperately try not to fall asleep. But you can’t combat such a force… Just before you do, you see a blurry thing that looks a little like a creature made from a milk bottle top and strips of crepe paper (a la early 1980s Blue Peter).

And the rest is darkness.

Wonder what you missed? Well, let us discuss it in your ear. For in this installment of the podcast, The Ood Cast Episode Two, we will be discussing The Next Doctor… because it started off the year of specials.

So come and join us.

Please.

We miss you when you don’t let us talk at you.

Here's where to go...

iTunes link:

http://bit.ly/6Kw9Na

Or direct download from:

http://oodcast.co.uk

And with a scraping of piano wires...

It’s here. The Ood Cast: Episood 1. (That’s right, we’re busting out puns right from the get go – that’s just how we roll.)

The most important thing we want everyone to know before we start (and we say it on the podcast too) is that we love the show. Utterly. Even when we are disappointed by what we see, we love it.

Even, it seems, when we have quite large, uber-geeky reasons for never wanting to see that hour of TV again, we still do. And we still go and buy the DVDs.

Because, to us, Doctor Who isn’t something we can take or leave. It’s almost the thing that has been with us since we were wee bairns in the highlands. Or small children from the south of England (delete according to the way you wish to think of us).

In the words of countless Mitchell characters in Eastenders (so I’m told), “It’s family”. And it is.

Chris has said on this very blog that the Doctor has had a massive effect on the way he chose to do things (I’m still a little unsure about the blazer and the celery in the lapel, although I’m sure we’ll all get used to it), but for the three of us who make up the male contingent of the podcast, it’s something that rings a – cloister – bell. (Ha! See what I did there?! Oh, never mind)

Laura brings a fresh and sharp view to proceedings to prove that we are just old school idiots sometimes. And that sometimes we do have a point. But not all the time.

We would readily admit that we are sometimes critical. But it’s simply, and only, because we love the show and like to sit around daydreaming about what we’d like to see happen next, or how something should be done.

That could be just me.

And sometimes, life really doesn’t come to any harm if you ask a few questions about things.

Join us for our little journeys through (limited) Time and (cramped) Space. We’d all love you to.

This song is ending, but the story never ends … I’m kidding, that was a terrible line.

Here's the choice:

Subscribe via iTunes:

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=351653679

Or download straight from The Spirit of the Stairwell:

http://www.spiritofthestairwell.net/the-ood-cast/