Latest Podcast Episodes

The Doctor's quest to get Belinda home takes the Tardis to Miami in 1952, where an abandoned cinema is hiding a terrifying secret. Can the Doctor uncover Lux's power?

What did we make of it? This is our HOT TAKE.

You can follow us on X @theDWshow or Bluesky @thedwshow.net or email us about anything you like at: hello@theDWshow.net

  The Doctor, Audacity and Charley visit many times and places, always with the best of intentions. But others have a different agenda... Puccini and the Doctor by Matthew Jacobs Inspired by his friends, the Doctor takes Charley and Audacity to Milan to meet Puccini and hear the music of love. But the Doctor is not the only alien entranced by humanity. The mysterious Tura is setting riddles, and for those who answer, the experience is transformative... Women's Day Off by Lisa McMullin Iceland, 1975. Charley and Audacity are thrilled to discover that the women have gone on strike. All of them. With potentially disastrous consequences for a girl called Kyla - and everyone she comes into contact with. The Gloaming by Lauren Mooney and Stewart Pringle The Doctor, Charley and Audacity arrive on Gloaming, a luxury sleep clinic in orbit around a dead world. Gloaming is filled with wealthy Sleepers, dreaming through the dark ages of their world in suspended animation. But something is growing here, creeping into minds and poisoning dreams. Something the Doctor fought long ago...

  The Doctor, Audacity and Charley visit many times and places, always with the best of intentions. But others have a different agenda... Puccini and the Doctor by Matthew Jacobs Inspired by his friends, the Doctor takes Charley and Audacity to Milan to meet Puccini and hear the music of love. But the Doctor is not the only alien entranced by humanity. The mysterious Tura is setting riddles, and for those who answer, the experience is transformative... Women's Day Off by Lisa McMullin Iceland, 1975. Charley and Audacity are thrilled to discover that the women have gone on strike. All of them. With potentially disastrous consequences for a girl called Kyla - and everyone she comes into contact with. The Gloaming by Lauren Mooney and Stewart Pringle The Doctor, Charley and Audacity arrive on Gloaming, a luxury sleep clinic in orbit around a dead world. Gloaming is filled with wealthy Sleepers, dreaming through the dark ages of their world in suspended animation. But something is growing here, creeping into minds and poisoning dreams. Something the Doctor fought long ago...

The Doctor's quest to get Belinda home takes the Tardis to Miami in 1952, where an abandoned cinema is hiding a terrifying secret. Can the Doctor uncover Lux's power?

What did we make of it? This is our HOT TAKE.

You can follow us on X @theDWshow or Bluesky @thedwshow.net or email us about anything you like at: hello@theDWshow.net

  The Doctor, Audacity and Charley visit many times and places, always with the best of intentions. But others have a different agenda... Puccini and the Doctor by Matthew Jacobs Inspired by his friends, the Doctor takes Charley and Audacity to Milan to meet Puccini and hear the music of love. But the Doctor is not the only alien entranced by humanity. The mysterious Tura is setting riddles, and for those who answer, the experience is transformative... Women's Day Off by Lisa McMullin Iceland, 1975. Charley and Audacity are thrilled to discover that the women have gone on strike. All of them. With potentially disastrous consequences for a girl called Kyla - and everyone she comes into contact with. The Gloaming by Lauren Mooney and Stewart Pringle The Doctor, Charley and Audacity arrive on Gloaming, a luxury sleep clinic in orbit around a dead world. Gloaming is filled with wealthy Sleepers, dreaming through the dark ages of their world in suspended animation. But something is growing here, creeping into minds and poisoning dreams. Something the Doctor fought long ago...

  The Doctor, Audacity and Charley visit many times and places, always with the best of intentions. But others have a different agenda... Puccini and the Doctor by Matthew Jacobs Inspired by his friends, the Doctor takes Charley and Audacity to Milan to meet Puccini and hear the music of love. But the Doctor is not the only alien entranced by humanity. The mysterious Tura is setting riddles, and for those who answer, the experience is transformative... Women's Day Off by Lisa McMullin Iceland, 1975. Charley and Audacity are thrilled to discover that the women have gone on strike. All of them. With potentially disastrous consequences for a girl called Kyla - and everyone she comes into contact with. The Gloaming by Lauren Mooney and Stewart Pringle The Doctor, Charley and Audacity arrive on Gloaming, a luxury sleep clinic in orbit around a dead world. Gloaming is filled with wealthy Sleepers, dreaming through the dark ages of their world in suspended animation. But something is growing here, creeping into minds and poisoning dreams. Something the Doctor fought long ago...

The Doctor's quest to get Belinda home takes the Tardis to Miami in 1952, where an abandoned cinema is hiding a terrifying secret. Can the Doctor uncover Lux's power?

What did we make of it? This is our HOT TAKE.

You can follow us on X @theDWshow or Bluesky @thedwshow.net or email us about anything you like at: hello@theDWshow.net

  The Doctor, Audacity and Charley visit many times and places, always with the best of intentions. But others have a different agenda... Puccini and the Doctor by Matthew Jacobs Inspired by his friends, the Doctor takes Charley and Audacity to Milan to meet Puccini and hear the music of love. But the Doctor is not the only alien entranced by humanity. The mysterious Tura is setting riddles, and for those who answer, the experience is transformative... Women's Day Off by Lisa McMullin Iceland, 1975. Charley and Audacity are thrilled to discover that the women have gone on strike. All of them. With potentially disastrous consequences for a girl called Kyla - and everyone she comes into contact with. The Gloaming by Lauren Mooney and Stewart Pringle The Doctor, Charley and Audacity arrive on Gloaming, a luxury sleep clinic in orbit around a dead world. Gloaming is filled with wealthy Sleepers, dreaming through the dark ages of their world in suspended animation. But something is growing here, creeping into minds and poisoning dreams. Something the Doctor fought long ago...

  The Doctor, Audacity and Charley visit many times and places, always with the best of intentions. But others have a different agenda... Puccini and the Doctor by Matthew Jacobs Inspired by his friends, the Doctor takes Charley and Audacity to Milan to meet Puccini and hear the music of love. But the Doctor is not the only alien entranced by humanity. The mysterious Tura is setting riddles, and for those who answer, the experience is transformative... Women's Day Off by Lisa McMullin Iceland, 1975. Charley and Audacity are thrilled to discover that the women have gone on strike. All of them. With potentially disastrous consequences for a girl called Kyla - and everyone she comes into contact with. The Gloaming by Lauren Mooney and Stewart Pringle The Doctor, Charley and Audacity arrive on Gloaming, a luxury sleep clinic in orbit around a dead world. Gloaming is filled with wealthy Sleepers, dreaming through the dark ages of their world in suspended animation. But something is growing here, creeping into minds and poisoning dreams. Something the Doctor fought long ago...

The new Doctor Who season has launched with Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor joined by new companion Belinda Chandra, played by Varada Sethu. Both of us agree that Sethu's debut as Belinda was great! We look forward to spending the next seven episodes with her and the Doctor. Ben reflects upon what movies "The Robot Revolution" reminded him of, and David wonders if there wasn't a little bit of a Douglas Adams inspiration to the story. Plus, who was more cringy, AL or the Doctor? Opening music is from "Belinda" by the Eurythmics in 1981. Closing music is "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1" by the Flaming Lips in 2002. We recorded this podcast on 15 April 2025.

The new Doctor Who season has launched with Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor joined by new companion Belinda Chandra, played by Varada Sethu. Both of us agree that Sethu's debut as Belinda was great! We look forward to spending the next seven episodes with her and the Doctor. Ben reflects upon what movies "The Robot Revolution" reminded him of, and David wonders if there wasn't a little bit of a Douglas Adams inspiration to the story. Plus, who was more cringy, AL or the Doctor? Opening music is from "Belinda" by the Eurythmics in 1981. Closing music is "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1" by the Flaming Lips in 2002. We recorded this podcast on 15 April 2025.

The new Doctor Who season has launched with Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor joined by new companion Belinda Chandra, played by Varada Sethu. Both of us agree that Sethu's debut as Belinda was great! We look forward to spending the next seven episodes with her and the Doctor. Ben reflects upon what movies "The Robot Revolution" reminded him of, and David wonders if there wasn't a little bit of a Douglas Adams inspiration to the story. Plus, who was more cringy, AL or the Doctor? Opening music is from "Belinda" by the Eurythmics in 1981. Closing music is "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1" by the Flaming Lips in 2002. We recorded this podcast on 15 April 2025.

The new Doctor Who season has launched with Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor joined by new companion Belinda Chandra, played by Varada Sethu. Both of us agree that Sethu's debut as Belinda was great! We look forward to spending the next seven episodes with her and the Doctor. Ben reflects upon what movies "The Robot Revolution" reminded him of, and David wonders if there wasn't a little bit of a Douglas Adams inspiration to the story. Plus, who was more cringy, AL or the Doctor? Opening music is from "Belinda" by the Eurythmics in 1981. Closing music is "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1" by the Flaming Lips in 2002. We recorded this podcast on 15 April 2025.

The new Doctor Who season has launched with Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor joined by new companion Belinda Chandra, played by Varada Sethu. Both of us agree that Sethu's debut as Belinda was great! We look forward to spending the next seven episodes with her and the Doctor. Ben reflects upon what movies "The Robot Revolution" reminded him of, and David wonders if there wasn't a little bit of a Douglas Adams inspiration to the story. Plus, who was more cringy, AL or the Doctor? Opening music is from "Belinda" by the Eurythmics in 1981. Closing music is "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1" by the Flaming Lips in 2002. We recorded this podcast on 15 April 2025.

The new Doctor Who season has launched with Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor joined by new companion Belinda Chandra, played by Varada Sethu. Both of us agree that Sethu's debut as Belinda was great! We look forward to spending the next seven episodes with her and the Doctor. Ben reflects upon what movies "The Robot Revolution" reminded him of, and David wonders if there wasn't a little bit of a Douglas Adams inspiration to the story. Plus, who was more cringy, AL or the Doctor? Opening music is from "Belinda" by the Eurythmics in 1981. Closing music is "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1" by the Flaming Lips in 2002. We recorded this podcast on 15 April 2025.

On this month's Wanderers in the 4th Dimension: Who Reviews podcast, the Wanderers review the Disney+ season 2 premiere, The Robot Revolution!

Hosts:

• Trevor  @whoviantrev.bsky.social    Trevsplace
• Charlie  @insanityinchaos    The Comic Conspiracy
• David http://www.davidsafar.com/    @gwythinn    MaroonedWhovian    DraconianProgeny
• Connor  The Deadly Emerald

Join us next week for our review of the new episode, Lux!  You can send us feedback on Facebook at Wanderers in the 4th Dimension or on Bluesky @wanderin4d.bsky.social!

Welcome to Episode 15 The Echo Chamber, the final episode in the current series!

In this edition, James and Michele talk about The Mutant Phase by Nicholas Briggs, released in December 2000 – the Fifteenth story in Big Finish’s Main Range.

Listening instructions are very straightforward –

1. Buy The Mutant Phase from Big Finish Productions for just a few pounds (if you don’t own it already of course!)
2. Listen to it!
3. Join us in the Echo Chamber, listen to what we thought and join in the discussion!

Enjoy the show!

  "The Robot Revolution" is the first episode of the  of the  series . The episode was written by , the Doctor Who , and directed by . In the episode, the  (), rescues Belinda Chandra (), after she is kidnapped from  and inadvertently gets involved in a war on another planet. Chandra becomes the Doctor's new . Production for the episode took place in  in late-2023. It was released on , , and  on 12 April 2025. Reception was mostly postive, with Sethu's characterization particularly praised. A novelisation written by  is set to be released in July 2025. Plot [] Belinda Chandra's boyfriend, Alan Budd, gives her a certificate  for her birthday. He  but she rebuffs him. Seventeen years later, on 24 May 2025, Belinda is captured by robots and taken, as their queen, to Missbelindachandra One, a planet orbiting her star. The "Missbelindachandrakind" are composed of humanoids and robots, who coexisted peacefully until the latter took control and some humans began to rebel. The robots are controlled by the Great  Generator, who plans to merge with Belinda. On their spaceship, Belinda blames Alan for registering the star, as it flies through a time fracture. , who had been in pursuit, is sent backward six months, and by the time Belinda arrives, he has become the historian. Exploiting a fault that prevents the robots from hearing every ninth word, the Doctor and the rebels rescue Belinda. The Doctor realises that the robots possess a certificate identical to Belinda's, and have had it for over 5000 years. He concludes that this is related to the time fracture. Belinda allows herself to be captured, asking the robots to spare the rebels. Belinda and the Doctor are taken to the Great AI Generator. They discover that it is not "AI" but "AL", short for Alan. After Belinda had blamed Alan, the robots used the time fracture to capture him ten years earlier in 2015. Seeing life on Missbelindachandra as a game, Alan merged himself with the machines and started the war. Using every ninth word, Alan communicates to them that he is in pain. Belinda touches her copy of the certificate to Alan's, causing them to experience all of time simultaneously. The Doctor rescues Belinda, while Alan reverts to a sperm and egg, which is cleaned up by a robot. Now free, the humanoids and robots rebuild their society, while the Doctor takes Belinda to his . He describes meeting her distant descendant Mundy Flynn and wants to know how the robots acquired the certificate, but Belinda, disturbed at his insistence that their encounter is "destiny" and refusing to be one of his adventures, demands to be taken home. The TARDIS is unable to return to 24 May 2025, instead bouncing off that date. The Doctor tells Belinda that they will need to take the long way around. As the TARDIS dematerialises, debris from several Earth landmarks and the certificate float in space. Production [] Development [] "The Robot Revolution" was written by . He initially conceptualized the idea as a one-off story and later reworked it into a  to serve as a companion introduction. Davies said that it was a "difficult" episode to write, because he struggled with turning a joke about star naming into a full script. He also viewed it as a wider narrative about the concerns surrounding artificial intelligence in a real-world context. A  for the episode included "Belinda and the Robots". Filming [] Screenshot from the film  Promotional poster for  The  team used  and  as references. Set design began at  in October 2023.  Phil Sims said he and Davies took inspiration from  and  when . They were created with a  appearance influenced by the . Millennium FX designed the robot costumes over the course of eight weeks. They were first created digitally and split into 34 different pieces to be . Afterwards, the pieces were assembled with glue and finished with  and . The polish robot that appears in the episode was designed with a similar 1950s aesthetic, primarily being based on cars of the time period. The robot had unique wheels that allowed it to move laterally as well as straight ahead, as the designers wanted the robot to have a unique range of motion compared to other robots of similar size. The AI Generator was similarly designed to appear large and imposing, with the set and art design teams collaborating to determine where the presence of Alan would be inside of the machine. The set for the throne room, where Belinda is initially brought in the episode, is re-used for the AI Generator's room. The design team placed the "head" of the Generator's design just below the room's centerpiece in order to create the illusion that the room acted like a crown for the Generator and that the room is an extension of him. The episode was directed by . It was recorded in the second filming block of series 15 along with the fourth episode, "".  occurred in November 2023 in  while  filming also took place at Wolf Studios. Casting [] The episode stars  as the  of  and introduces  as his , Belinda Chandra. Sethu previously played a separate but related character in the  episode "" (2024).  reprised her role as Mrs Flood, an enigmatic character who was first introduced in  (2023) and recurred in the previous series. Alan Budd (the episode's antagonist) was portrayed by Jonny Green, who formerly voiced characters in various  and . Other members of the guest cast included , Jeff Kunjumon, Evelyn Miller, and Caleb Hughes. Two of the robots were operated by Stephen Love and Robert Strange; the two worked as Wrarth Warriors in "" (2023), while Strange also handled the  costume in "" (2024). Broadcast and reception [] Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating  (Tomatometer) 100%  (Average Score) 7.10/10 Review scores Source Rating B- 6/10 Release [] "The Robot Revolution" was  released on  at 8 a.m.  (BST) in the United Kingdom and on  in the United States at 12 a.m.  on 12 April 2025. A  broadcast followed later in the day at 6:50 p.m. BST.  also handled international distribution of the episode. Ratings [] Overnight viewing figures estimate that the episode was watched by 2 million people on its BBC One broadcast, making it the second most-watched programme on BBC One behind the finale of , as well as the fourth-most watched programme of the day. Critical reception [] On the  website , 100% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.10/10. Will Salmon with  highlighted the setting of the episode and its design, but criticized the episode for being "light", as well as due to confusing plot points toward the end of the episode. Writing for , Stefan Mohamed highlighted the Doctor's characterization and the episode's new visual and directorial techniques, but criticized Alan as a villain and the death of Sasha 55 as a weak narrative moment. 's Roxy Simmons found the episode enjoyable but found the episode to make very little impact on the audience, and found the commentary unsubtle. Belinda's characterization and Sethu's performance was near universally praised.  author Ed Power praised the Doctor's characterization and the fun nature of the episode, though felt that elements of Alan's characterization as a "nerdy" character would receive negative reception, and that Sasha 55's death was unnecessary for the episode's plot.  critic Robert Anderson criticized the episode as feeling "shallow", as well as the twist of the AI Generator being Alan. Reviewing the episode for , Jack Seale highlighted the episode's re-introduction of the Doctor's character and the inclusion of topical issues, but criticized the twists involving the AI Generator as well as the execution of the episode's message. 's Chris Taylor argued that Belinda's characterization was weak, and that she lacked a sense of purpose compared to other past companions. He also criticized the episode's social commentary, feeling that the episode moved to fast to properly critique any aspect of society. Michael Hogan, penning a review for  felt some of the episode's social commentary was not well-executed, and felt jarring given the episode's time slot.

  "The Robot Revolution" is the first episode of the  of the  series . The episode was written by , the Doctor Who , and directed by . In the episode, the  (), rescues Belinda Chandra (), after she is kidnapped from  and inadvertently gets involved in a war on another planet. Chandra becomes the Doctor's new . Production for the episode took place in  in late-2023. It was released on , , and  on 12 April 2025. Reception was mostly postive, with Sethu's characterization particularly praised. A novelisation written by  is set to be released in July 2025. Plot [] Belinda Chandra's boyfriend, Alan Budd, gives her a certificate  for her birthday. He  but she rebuffs him. Seventeen years later, on 24 May 2025, Belinda is captured by robots and taken, as their queen, to Missbelindachandra One, a planet orbiting her star. The "Missbelindachandrakind" are composed of humanoids and robots, who coexisted peacefully until the latter took control and some humans began to rebel. The robots are controlled by the Great  Generator, who plans to merge with Belinda. On their spaceship, Belinda blames Alan for registering the star, as it flies through a time fracture. , who had been in pursuit, is sent backward six months, and by the time Belinda arrives, he has become the historian. Exploiting a fault that prevents the robots from hearing every ninth word, the Doctor and the rebels rescue Belinda. The Doctor realises that the robots possess a certificate identical to Belinda's, and have had it for over 5000 years. He concludes that this is related to the time fracture. Belinda allows herself to be captured, asking the robots to spare the rebels. Belinda and the Doctor are taken to the Great AI Generator. They discover that it is not "AI" but "AL", short for Alan. After Belinda had blamed Alan, the robots used the time fracture to capture him ten years earlier in 2015. Seeing life on Missbelindachandra as a game, Alan merged himself with the machines and started the war. Using every ninth word, Alan communicates to them that he is in pain. Belinda touches her copy of the certificate to Alan's, causing them to experience all of time simultaneously. The Doctor rescues Belinda, while Alan reverts to a sperm and egg, which is cleaned up by a robot. Now free, the humanoids and robots rebuild their society, while the Doctor takes Belinda to his . He describes meeting her distant descendant Mundy Flynn and wants to know how the robots acquired the certificate, but Belinda, disturbed at his insistence that their encounter is "destiny" and refusing to be one of his adventures, demands to be taken home. The TARDIS is unable to return to 24 May 2025, instead bouncing off that date. The Doctor tells Belinda that they will need to take the long way around. As the TARDIS dematerialises, debris from several Earth landmarks and the certificate float in space. Production [] Development [] "The Robot Revolution" was written by . He initially conceptualized the idea as a one-off story and later reworked it into a  to serve as a companion introduction. Davies said that it was a "difficult" episode to write, because he struggled with turning a joke about star naming into a full script. He also viewed it as a wider narrative about the concerns surrounding artificial intelligence in a real-world context. A  for the episode included "Belinda and the Robots". Filming [] Screenshot from the film  Promotional poster for  The  team used  and  as references. Set design began at  in October 2023.  Phil Sims said he and Davies took inspiration from  and  when . They were created with a  appearance influenced by the . Millennium FX designed the robot costumes over the course of eight weeks. They were first created digitally and split into 34 different pieces to be . Afterwards, the pieces were assembled with glue and finished with  and . The polish robot that appears in the episode was designed with a similar 1950s aesthetic, primarily being based on cars of the time period. The robot had unique wheels that allowed it to move laterally as well as straight ahead, as the designers wanted the robot to have a unique range of motion compared to other robots of similar size. The AI Generator was similarly designed to appear large and imposing, with the set and art design teams collaborating to determine where the presence of Alan would be inside of the machine. The set for the throne room, where Belinda is initially brought in the episode, is re-used for the AI Generator's room. The design team placed the "head" of the Generator's design just below the room's centerpiece in order to create the illusion that the room acted like a crown for the Generator and that the room is an extension of him. The episode was directed by . It was recorded in the second filming block of series 15 along with the fourth episode, "".  occurred in November 2023 in  while  filming also took place at Wolf Studios. Casting [] The episode stars  as the  of  and introduces  as his , Belinda Chandra. Sethu previously played a separate but related character in the  episode "" (2024).  reprised her role as Mrs Flood, an enigmatic character who was first introduced in  (2023) and recurred in the previous series. Alan Budd (the episode's antagonist) was portrayed by Jonny Green, who formerly voiced characters in various  and . Other members of the guest cast included , Jeff Kunjumon, Evelyn Miller, and Caleb Hughes. Two of the robots were operated by Stephen Love and Robert Strange; the two worked as Wrarth Warriors in "" (2023), while Strange also handled the  costume in "" (2024). Broadcast and reception [] Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating  (Tomatometer) 100%  (Average Score) 7.10/10 Review scores Source Rating B- 6/10 Release [] "The Robot Revolution" was  released on  at 8 a.m.  (BST) in the United Kingdom and on  in the United States at 12 a.m.  on 12 April 2025. A  broadcast followed later in the day at 6:50 p.m. BST.  also handled international distribution of the episode. Ratings [] Overnight viewing figures estimate that the episode was watched by 2 million people on its BBC One broadcast, making it the second most-watched programme on BBC One behind the finale of , as well as the fourth-most watched programme of the day. Critical reception [] On the  website , 100% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.10/10. Will Salmon with  highlighted the setting of the episode and its design, but criticized the episode for being "light", as well as due to confusing plot points toward the end of the episode. Writing for , Stefan Mohamed highlighted the Doctor's characterization and the episode's new visual and directorial techniques, but criticized Alan as a villain and the death of Sasha 55 as a weak narrative moment. 's Roxy Simmons found the episode enjoyable but found the episode to make very little impact on the audience, and found the commentary unsubtle. Belinda's characterization and Sethu's performance was near universally praised.  author Ed Power praised the Doctor's characterization and the fun nature of the episode, though felt that elements of Alan's characterization as a "nerdy" character would receive negative reception, and that Sasha 55's death was unnecessary for the episode's plot.  critic Robert Anderson criticized the episode as feeling "shallow", as well as the twist of the AI Generator being Alan. Reviewing the episode for , Jack Seale highlighted the episode's re-introduction of the Doctor's character and the inclusion of topical issues, but criticized the twists involving the AI Generator as well as the execution of the episode's message. 's Chris Taylor argued that Belinda's characterization was weak, and that she lacked a sense of purpose compared to other past companions. He also criticized the episode's social commentary, feeling that the episode moved to fast to properly critique any aspect of society. Michael Hogan, penning a review for  felt some of the episode's social commentary was not well-executed, and felt jarring given the episode's time slot.

On this month's Wanderers in the 4th Dimension: Who Reviews podcast, the Wanderers review the Disney+ season 2 premiere, The Robot Revolution!

Hosts:

• Trevor  @whoviantrev.bsky.social    Trevsplace
• Charlie  @insanityinchaos    The Comic Conspiracy
• David http://www.davidsafar.com/    @gwythinn    MaroonedWhovian    DraconianProgeny
• Connor  The Deadly Emerald

Join us next week for our review of the new episode, Lux!  You can send us feedback on Facebook at Wanderers in the 4th Dimension or on Bluesky @wanderin4d.bsky.social!

Welcome to Episode 15 The Echo Chamber, the final episode in the current series!

In this edition, James and Michele talk about The Mutant Phase by Nicholas Briggs, released in December 2000 – the Fifteenth story in Big Finish’s Main Range.

Listening instructions are very straightforward –

1. Buy The Mutant Phase from Big Finish Productions for just a few pounds (if you don’t own it already of course!)
2. Listen to it!
3. Join us in the Echo Chamber, listen to what we thought and join in the discussion!

Enjoy the show!

  "The Robot Revolution" is the first episode of the  of the  series . The episode was written by , the Doctor Who , and directed by . In the episode, the  (), rescues Belinda Chandra (), after she is kidnapped from  and inadvertently gets involved in a war on another planet. Chandra becomes the Doctor's new . Production for the episode took place in  in late-2023. It was released on , , and  on 12 April 2025. Reception was mostly postive, with Sethu's characterization particularly praised. A novelisation written by  is set to be released in July 2025. Plot [] Belinda Chandra's boyfriend, Alan Budd, gives her a certificate  for her birthday. He  but she rebuffs him. Seventeen years later, on 24 May 2025, Belinda is captured by robots and taken, as their queen, to Missbelindachandra One, a planet orbiting her star. The "Missbelindachandrakind" are composed of humanoids and robots, who coexisted peacefully until the latter took control and some humans began to rebel. The robots are controlled by the Great  Generator, who plans to merge with Belinda. On their spaceship, Belinda blames Alan for registering the star, as it flies through a time fracture. , who had been in pursuit, is sent backward six months, and by the time Belinda arrives, he has become the historian. Exploiting a fault that prevents the robots from hearing every ninth word, the Doctor and the rebels rescue Belinda. The Doctor realises that the robots possess a certificate identical to Belinda's, and have had it for over 5000 years. He concludes that this is related to the time fracture. Belinda allows herself to be captured, asking the robots to spare the rebels. Belinda and the Doctor are taken to the Great AI Generator. They discover that it is not "AI" but "AL", short for Alan. After Belinda had blamed Alan, the robots used the time fracture to capture him ten years earlier in 2015. Seeing life on Missbelindachandra as a game, Alan merged himself with the machines and started the war. Using every ninth word, Alan communicates to them that he is in pain. Belinda touches her copy of the certificate to Alan's, causing them to experience all of time simultaneously. The Doctor rescues Belinda, while Alan reverts to a sperm and egg, which is cleaned up by a robot. Now free, the humanoids and robots rebuild their society, while the Doctor takes Belinda to his . He describes meeting her distant descendant Mundy Flynn and wants to know how the robots acquired the certificate, but Belinda, disturbed at his insistence that their encounter is "destiny" and refusing to be one of his adventures, demands to be taken home. The TARDIS is unable to return to 24 May 2025, instead bouncing off that date. The Doctor tells Belinda that they will need to take the long way around. As the TARDIS dematerialises, debris from several Earth landmarks and the certificate float in space. Production [] Development [] "The Robot Revolution" was written by . He initially conceptualized the idea as a one-off story and later reworked it into a  to serve as a companion introduction. Davies said that it was a "difficult" episode to write, because he struggled with turning a joke about star naming into a full script. He also viewed it as a wider narrative about the concerns surrounding artificial intelligence in a real-world context. A  for the episode included "Belinda and the Robots". Filming [] Screenshot from the film  Promotional poster for  The  team used  and  as references. Set design began at  in October 2023.  Phil Sims said he and Davies took inspiration from  and  when . They were created with a  appearance influenced by the . Millennium FX designed the robot costumes over the course of eight weeks. They were first created digitally and split into 34 different pieces to be . Afterwards, the pieces were assembled with glue and finished with  and . The polish robot that appears in the episode was designed with a similar 1950s aesthetic, primarily being based on cars of the time period. The robot had unique wheels that allowed it to move laterally as well as straight ahead, as the designers wanted the robot to have a unique range of motion compared to other robots of similar size. The AI Generator was similarly designed to appear large and imposing, with the set and art design teams collaborating to determine where the presence of Alan would be inside of the machine. The set for the throne room, where Belinda is initially brought in the episode, is re-used for the AI Generator's room. The design team placed the "head" of the Generator's design just below the room's centerpiece in order to create the illusion that the room acted like a crown for the Generator and that the room is an extension of him. The episode was directed by . It was recorded in the second filming block of series 15 along with the fourth episode, "".  occurred in November 2023 in  while  filming also took place at Wolf Studios. Casting [] The episode stars  as the  of  and introduces  as his , Belinda Chandra. Sethu previously played a separate but related character in the  episode "" (2024).  reprised her role as Mrs Flood, an enigmatic character who was first introduced in  (2023) and recurred in the previous series. Alan Budd (the episode's antagonist) was portrayed by Jonny Green, who formerly voiced characters in various  and . Other members of the guest cast included , Jeff Kunjumon, Evelyn Miller, and Caleb Hughes. Two of the robots were operated by Stephen Love and Robert Strange; the two worked as Wrarth Warriors in "" (2023), while Strange also handled the  costume in "" (2024). Broadcast and reception [] Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating  (Tomatometer) 100%  (Average Score) 7.10/10 Review scores Source Rating B- 6/10 Release [] "The Robot Revolution" was  released on  at 8 a.m.  (BST) in the United Kingdom and on  in the United States at 12 a.m.  on 12 April 2025. A  broadcast followed later in the day at 6:50 p.m. BST.  also handled international distribution of the episode. Ratings [] Overnight viewing figures estimate that the episode was watched by 2 million people on its BBC One broadcast, making it the second most-watched programme on BBC One behind the finale of , as well as the fourth-most watched programme of the day. Critical reception [] On the  website , 100% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.10/10. Will Salmon with  highlighted the setting of the episode and its design, but criticized the episode for being "light", as well as due to confusing plot points toward the end of the episode. Writing for , Stefan Mohamed highlighted the Doctor's characterization and the episode's new visual and directorial techniques, but criticized Alan as a villain and the death of Sasha 55 as a weak narrative moment. 's Roxy Simmons found the episode enjoyable but found the episode to make very little impact on the audience, and found the commentary unsubtle. Belinda's characterization and Sethu's performance was near universally praised.  author Ed Power praised the Doctor's characterization and the fun nature of the episode, though felt that elements of Alan's characterization as a "nerdy" character would receive negative reception, and that Sasha 55's death was unnecessary for the episode's plot.  critic Robert Anderson criticized the episode as feeling "shallow", as well as the twist of the AI Generator being Alan. Reviewing the episode for , Jack Seale highlighted the episode's re-introduction of the Doctor's character and the inclusion of topical issues, but criticized the twists involving the AI Generator as well as the execution of the episode's message. 's Chris Taylor argued that Belinda's characterization was weak, and that she lacked a sense of purpose compared to other past companions. He also criticized the episode's social commentary, feeling that the episode moved to fast to properly critique any aspect of society. Michael Hogan, penning a review for  felt some of the episode's social commentary was not well-executed, and felt jarring given the episode's time slot.

  "The Robot Revolution" is the first episode of the  of the  series . The episode was written by , the Doctor Who , and directed by . In the episode, the  (), rescues Belinda Chandra (), after she is kidnapped from  and inadvertently gets involved in a war on another planet. Chandra becomes the Doctor's new . Production for the episode took place in  in late-2023. It was released on , , and  on 12 April 2025. Reception was mostly postive, with Sethu's characterization particularly praised. A novelisation written by  is set to be released in July 2025. Plot [] Belinda Chandra's boyfriend, Alan Budd, gives her a certificate  for her birthday. He  but she rebuffs him. Seventeen years later, on 24 May 2025, Belinda is captured by robots and taken, as their queen, to Missbelindachandra One, a planet orbiting her star. The "Missbelindachandrakind" are composed of humanoids and robots, who coexisted peacefully until the latter took control and some humans began to rebel. The robots are controlled by the Great  Generator, who plans to merge with Belinda. On their spaceship, Belinda blames Alan for registering the star, as it flies through a time fracture. , who had been in pursuit, is sent backward six months, and by the time Belinda arrives, he has become the historian. Exploiting a fault that prevents the robots from hearing every ninth word, the Doctor and the rebels rescue Belinda. The Doctor realises that the robots possess a certificate identical to Belinda's, and have had it for over 5000 years. He concludes that this is related to the time fracture. Belinda allows herself to be captured, asking the robots to spare the rebels. Belinda and the Doctor are taken to the Great AI Generator. They discover that it is not "AI" but "AL", short for Alan. After Belinda had blamed Alan, the robots used the time fracture to capture him ten years earlier in 2015. Seeing life on Missbelindachandra as a game, Alan merged himself with the machines and started the war. Using every ninth word, Alan communicates to them that he is in pain. Belinda touches her copy of the certificate to Alan's, causing them to experience all of time simultaneously. The Doctor rescues Belinda, while Alan reverts to a sperm and egg, which is cleaned up by a robot. Now free, the humanoids and robots rebuild their society, while the Doctor takes Belinda to his . He describes meeting her distant descendant Mundy Flynn and wants to know how the robots acquired the certificate, but Belinda, disturbed at his insistence that their encounter is "destiny" and refusing to be one of his adventures, demands to be taken home. The TARDIS is unable to return to 24 May 2025, instead bouncing off that date. The Doctor tells Belinda that they will need to take the long way around. As the TARDIS dematerialises, debris from several Earth landmarks and the certificate float in space. Production [] Development [] "The Robot Revolution" was written by . He initially conceptualized the idea as a one-off story and later reworked it into a  to serve as a companion introduction. Davies said that it was a "difficult" episode to write, because he struggled with turning a joke about star naming into a full script. He also viewed it as a wider narrative about the concerns surrounding artificial intelligence in a real-world context. A  for the episode included "Belinda and the Robots". Filming [] Screenshot from the film  Promotional poster for  The  team used  and  as references. Set design began at  in October 2023.  Phil Sims said he and Davies took inspiration from  and  when . They were created with a  appearance influenced by the . Millennium FX designed the robot costumes over the course of eight weeks. They were first created digitally and split into 34 different pieces to be . Afterwards, the pieces were assembled with glue and finished with  and . The polish robot that appears in the episode was designed with a similar 1950s aesthetic, primarily being based on cars of the time period. The robot had unique wheels that allowed it to move laterally as well as straight ahead, as the designers wanted the robot to have a unique range of motion compared to other robots of similar size. The AI Generator was similarly designed to appear large and imposing, with the set and art design teams collaborating to determine where the presence of Alan would be inside of the machine. The set for the throne room, where Belinda is initially brought in the episode, is re-used for the AI Generator's room. The design team placed the "head" of the Generator's design just below the room's centerpiece in order to create the illusion that the room acted like a crown for the Generator and that the room is an extension of him. The episode was directed by . It was recorded in the second filming block of series 15 along with the fourth episode, "".  occurred in November 2023 in  while  filming also took place at Wolf Studios. Casting [] The episode stars  as the  of  and introduces  as his , Belinda Chandra. Sethu previously played a separate but related character in the  episode "" (2024).  reprised her role as Mrs Flood, an enigmatic character who was first introduced in  (2023) and recurred in the previous series. Alan Budd (the episode's antagonist) was portrayed by Jonny Green, who formerly voiced characters in various  and . Other members of the guest cast included , Jeff Kunjumon, Evelyn Miller, and Caleb Hughes. Two of the robots were operated by Stephen Love and Robert Strange; the two worked as Wrarth Warriors in "" (2023), while Strange also handled the  costume in "" (2024). Broadcast and reception [] Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating  (Tomatometer) 100%  (Average Score) 7.10/10 Review scores Source Rating B- 6/10 Release [] "The Robot Revolution" was  released on  at 8 a.m.  (BST) in the United Kingdom and on  in the United States at 12 a.m.  on 12 April 2025. A  broadcast followed later in the day at 6:50 p.m. BST.  also handled international distribution of the episode. Ratings [] Overnight viewing figures estimate that the episode was watched by 2 million people on its BBC One broadcast, making it the second most-watched programme on BBC One behind the finale of , as well as the fourth-most watched programme of the day. Critical reception [] On the  website , 100% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.10/10. Will Salmon with  highlighted the setting of the episode and its design, but criticized the episode for being "light", as well as due to confusing plot points toward the end of the episode. Writing for , Stefan Mohamed highlighted the Doctor's characterization and the episode's new visual and directorial techniques, but criticized Alan as a villain and the death of Sasha 55 as a weak narrative moment. 's Roxy Simmons found the episode enjoyable but found the episode to make very little impact on the audience, and found the commentary unsubtle. Belinda's characterization and Sethu's performance was near universally praised.  author Ed Power praised the Doctor's characterization and the fun nature of the episode, though felt that elements of Alan's characterization as a "nerdy" character would receive negative reception, and that Sasha 55's death was unnecessary for the episode's plot.  critic Robert Anderson criticized the episode as feeling "shallow", as well as the twist of the AI Generator being Alan. Reviewing the episode for , Jack Seale highlighted the episode's re-introduction of the Doctor's character and the inclusion of topical issues, but criticized the twists involving the AI Generator as well as the execution of the episode's message. 's Chris Taylor argued that Belinda's characterization was weak, and that she lacked a sense of purpose compared to other past companions. He also criticized the episode's social commentary, feeling that the episode moved to fast to properly critique any aspect of society. Michael Hogan, penning a review for  felt some of the episode's social commentary was not well-executed, and felt jarring given the episode's time slot.

The new Doctor Who season has launched with Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor joined by new companion Belinda Chandra, played by Varada Sethu. Both of us agree that Sethu's debut as Belinda was great! We look forward to spending the next seven episodes with her and the Doctor. Ben reflects upon what movies "The Robot Revolution" reminded him of, and David wonders if there wasn't a little bit of a Douglas Adams inspiration to the story. Plus, who was more cringy, AL or the Doctor? Opening music is from "Belinda" by the Eurythmics in 1981. Closing music is "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1" by the Flaming Lips in 2002. We recorded this podcast on 15 April 2025.

On this month's Wanderers in the 4th Dimension: Who Reviews podcast, the Wanderers review the Disney+ season 2 premiere, The Robot Revolution!

Hosts:

• Trevor  @whoviantrev.bsky.social    Trevsplace
• Charlie  @insanityinchaos    The Comic Conspiracy
• David http://www.davidsafar.com/    @gwythinn    MaroonedWhovian    DraconianProgeny
• Connor  The Deadly Emerald

Join us next week for our review of the new episode, Lux!  You can send us feedback on Facebook at Wanderers in the 4th Dimension or on Bluesky @wanderin4d.bsky.social!

Welcome to Episode 15 The Echo Chamber, the final episode in the current series!

In this edition, James and Michele talk about The Mutant Phase by Nicholas Briggs, released in December 2000 – the Fifteenth story in Big Finish’s Main Range.

Listening instructions are very straightforward –

1. Buy The Mutant Phase from Big Finish Productions for just a few pounds (if you don’t own it already of course!)
2. Listen to it!
3. Join us in the Echo Chamber, listen to what we thought and join in the discussion!

Enjoy the show!

  "The Robot Revolution" is the first episode of the  of the  series . The episode was written by , the Doctor Who , and directed by . In the episode, the  (), rescues Belinda Chandra (), after she is kidnapped from  and inadvertently gets involved in a war on another planet. Chandra becomes the Doctor's new . Production for the episode took place in  in late-2023. It was released on , , and  on 12 April 2025. Reception was mostly postive, with Sethu's characterization particularly praised. A novelisation written by  is set to be released in July 2025. Plot [] Belinda Chandra's boyfriend, Alan Budd, gives her a certificate  for her birthday. He  but she rebuffs him. Seventeen years later, on 24 May 2025, Belinda is captured by robots and taken, as their queen, to Missbelindachandra One, a planet orbiting her star. The "Missbelindachandrakind" are composed of humanoids and robots, who coexisted peacefully until the latter took control and some humans began to rebel. The robots are controlled by the Great  Generator, who plans to merge with Belinda. On their spaceship, Belinda blames Alan for registering the star, as it flies through a time fracture. , who had been in pursuit, is sent backward six months, and by the time Belinda arrives, he has become the historian. Exploiting a fault that prevents the robots from hearing every ninth word, the Doctor and the rebels rescue Belinda. The Doctor realises that the robots possess a certificate identical to Belinda's, and have had it for over 5000 years. He concludes that this is related to the time fracture. Belinda allows herself to be captured, asking the robots to spare the rebels. Belinda and the Doctor are taken to the Great AI Generator. They discover that it is not "AI" but "AL", short for Alan. After Belinda had blamed Alan, the robots used the time fracture to capture him ten years earlier in 2015. Seeing life on Missbelindachandra as a game, Alan merged himself with the machines and started the war. Using every ninth word, Alan communicates to them that he is in pain. Belinda touches her copy of the certificate to Alan's, causing them to experience all of time simultaneously. The Doctor rescues Belinda, while Alan reverts to a sperm and egg, which is cleaned up by a robot. Now free, the humanoids and robots rebuild their society, while the Doctor takes Belinda to his . He describes meeting her distant descendant Mundy Flynn and wants to know how the robots acquired the certificate, but Belinda, disturbed at his insistence that their encounter is "destiny" and refusing to be one of his adventures, demands to be taken home. The TARDIS is unable to return to 24 May 2025, instead bouncing off that date. The Doctor tells Belinda that they will need to take the long way around. As the TARDIS dematerialises, debris from several Earth landmarks and the certificate float in space. Production [] Development [] "The Robot Revolution" was written by . He initially conceptualized the idea as a one-off story and later reworked it into a  to serve as a companion introduction. Davies said that it was a "difficult" episode to write, because he struggled with turning a joke about star naming into a full script. He also viewed it as a wider narrative about the concerns surrounding artificial intelligence in a real-world context. A  for the episode included "Belinda and the Robots". Filming [] Screenshot from the film  Promotional poster for  The  team used  and  as references. Set design began at  in October 2023.  Phil Sims said he and Davies took inspiration from  and  when . They were created with a  appearance influenced by the . Millennium FX designed the robot costumes over the course of eight weeks. They were first created digitally and split into 34 different pieces to be . Afterwards, the pieces were assembled with glue and finished with  and . The polish robot that appears in the episode was designed with a similar 1950s aesthetic, primarily being based on cars of the time period. The robot had unique wheels that allowed it to move laterally as well as straight ahead, as the designers wanted the robot to have a unique range of motion compared to other robots of similar size. The AI Generator was similarly designed to appear large and imposing, with the set and art design teams collaborating to determine where the presence of Alan would be inside of the machine. The set for the throne room, where Belinda is initially brought in the episode, is re-used for the AI Generator's room. The design team placed the "head" of the Generator's design just below the room's centerpiece in order to create the illusion that the room acted like a crown for the Generator and that the room is an extension of him. The episode was directed by . It was recorded in the second filming block of series 15 along with the fourth episode, "".  occurred in November 2023 in  while  filming also took place at Wolf Studios. Casting [] The episode stars  as the  of  and introduces  as his , Belinda Chandra. Sethu previously played a separate but related character in the  episode "" (2024).  reprised her role as Mrs Flood, an enigmatic character who was first introduced in  (2023) and recurred in the previous series. Alan Budd (the episode's antagonist) was portrayed by Jonny Green, who formerly voiced characters in various  and . Other members of the guest cast included , Jeff Kunjumon, Evelyn Miller, and Caleb Hughes. Two of the robots were operated by Stephen Love and Robert Strange; the two worked as Wrarth Warriors in "" (2023), while Strange also handled the  costume in "" (2024). Broadcast and reception [] Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating  (Tomatometer) 100%  (Average Score) 7.10/10 Review scores Source Rating B- 6/10 Release [] "The Robot Revolution" was  released on  at 8 a.m.  (BST) in the United Kingdom and on  in the United States at 12 a.m.  on 12 April 2025. A  broadcast followed later in the day at 6:50 p.m. BST.  also handled international distribution of the episode. Ratings [] Overnight viewing figures estimate that the episode was watched by 2 million people on its BBC One broadcast, making it the second most-watched programme on BBC One behind the finale of , as well as the fourth-most watched programme of the day. Critical reception [] On the  website , 100% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.10/10. Will Salmon with  highlighted the setting of the episode and its design, but criticized the episode for being "light", as well as due to confusing plot points toward the end of the episode. Writing for , Stefan Mohamed highlighted the Doctor's characterization and the episode's new visual and directorial techniques, but criticized Alan as a villain and the death of Sasha 55 as a weak narrative moment. 's Roxy Simmons found the episode enjoyable but found the episode to make very little impact on the audience, and found the commentary unsubtle. Belinda's characterization and Sethu's performance was near universally praised.  author Ed Power praised the Doctor's characterization and the fun nature of the episode, though felt that elements of Alan's characterization as a "nerdy" character would receive negative reception, and that Sasha 55's death was unnecessary for the episode's plot.  critic Robert Anderson criticized the episode as feeling "shallow", as well as the twist of the AI Generator being Alan. Reviewing the episode for , Jack Seale highlighted the episode's re-introduction of the Doctor's character and the inclusion of topical issues, but criticized the twists involving the AI Generator as well as the execution of the episode's message. 's Chris Taylor argued that Belinda's characterization was weak, and that she lacked a sense of purpose compared to other past companions. He also criticized the episode's social commentary, feeling that the episode moved to fast to properly critique any aspect of society. Michael Hogan, penning a review for  felt some of the episode's social commentary was not well-executed, and felt jarring given the episode's time slot.

  "The Robot Revolution" is the first episode of the  of the  series . The episode was written by , the Doctor Who , and directed by . In the episode, the  (), rescues Belinda Chandra (), after she is kidnapped from  and inadvertently gets involved in a war on another planet. Chandra becomes the Doctor's new . Production for the episode took place in  in late-2023. It was released on , , and  on 12 April 2025. Reception was mostly postive, with Sethu's characterization particularly praised. A novelisation written by  is set to be released in July 2025. Plot [] Belinda Chandra's boyfriend, Alan Budd, gives her a certificate  for her birthday. He  but she rebuffs him. Seventeen years later, on 24 May 2025, Belinda is captured by robots and taken, as their queen, to Missbelindachandra One, a planet orbiting her star. The "Missbelindachandrakind" are composed of humanoids and robots, who coexisted peacefully until the latter took control and some humans began to rebel. The robots are controlled by the Great  Generator, who plans to merge with Belinda. On their spaceship, Belinda blames Alan for registering the star, as it flies through a time fracture. , who had been in pursuit, is sent backward six months, and by the time Belinda arrives, he has become the historian. Exploiting a fault that prevents the robots from hearing every ninth word, the Doctor and the rebels rescue Belinda. The Doctor realises that the robots possess a certificate identical to Belinda's, and have had it for over 5000 years. He concludes that this is related to the time fracture. Belinda allows herself to be captured, asking the robots to spare the rebels. Belinda and the Doctor are taken to the Great AI Generator. They discover that it is not "AI" but "AL", short for Alan. After Belinda had blamed Alan, the robots used the time fracture to capture him ten years earlier in 2015. Seeing life on Missbelindachandra as a game, Alan merged himself with the machines and started the war. Using every ninth word, Alan communicates to them that he is in pain. Belinda touches her copy of the certificate to Alan's, causing them to experience all of time simultaneously. The Doctor rescues Belinda, while Alan reverts to a sperm and egg, which is cleaned up by a robot. Now free, the humanoids and robots rebuild their society, while the Doctor takes Belinda to his . He describes meeting her distant descendant Mundy Flynn and wants to know how the robots acquired the certificate, but Belinda, disturbed at his insistence that their encounter is "destiny" and refusing to be one of his adventures, demands to be taken home. The TARDIS is unable to return to 24 May 2025, instead bouncing off that date. The Doctor tells Belinda that they will need to take the long way around. As the TARDIS dematerialises, debris from several Earth landmarks and the certificate float in space. Production [] Development [] "The Robot Revolution" was written by . He initially conceptualized the idea as a one-off story and later reworked it into a  to serve as a companion introduction. Davies said that it was a "difficult" episode to write, because he struggled with turning a joke about star naming into a full script. He also viewed it as a wider narrative about the concerns surrounding artificial intelligence in a real-world context. A  for the episode included "Belinda and the Robots". Filming [] Screenshot from the film  Promotional poster for  The  team used  and  as references. Set design began at  in October 2023.  Phil Sims said he and Davies took inspiration from  and  when . They were created with a  appearance influenced by the . Millennium FX designed the robot costumes over the course of eight weeks. They were first created digitally and split into 34 different pieces to be . Afterwards, the pieces were assembled with glue and finished with  and . The polish robot that appears in the episode was designed with a similar 1950s aesthetic, primarily being based on cars of the time period. The robot had unique wheels that allowed it to move laterally as well as straight ahead, as the designers wanted the robot to have a unique range of motion compared to other robots of similar size. The AI Generator was similarly designed to appear large and imposing, with the set and art design teams collaborating to determine where the presence of Alan would be inside of the machine. The set for the throne room, where Belinda is initially brought in the episode, is re-used for the AI Generator's room. The design team placed the "head" of the Generator's design just below the room's centerpiece in order to create the illusion that the room acted like a crown for the Generator and that the room is an extension of him. The episode was directed by . It was recorded in the second filming block of series 15 along with the fourth episode, "".  occurred in November 2023 in  while  filming also took place at Wolf Studios. Casting [] The episode stars  as the  of  and introduces  as his , Belinda Chandra. Sethu previously played a separate but related character in the  episode "" (2024).  reprised her role as Mrs Flood, an enigmatic character who was first introduced in  (2023) and recurred in the previous series. Alan Budd (the episode's antagonist) was portrayed by Jonny Green, who formerly voiced characters in various  and . Other members of the guest cast included , Jeff Kunjumon, Evelyn Miller, and Caleb Hughes. Two of the robots were operated by Stephen Love and Robert Strange; the two worked as Wrarth Warriors in "" (2023), while Strange also handled the  costume in "" (2024). Broadcast and reception [] Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating  (Tomatometer) 100%  (Average Score) 7.10/10 Review scores Source Rating B- 6/10 Release [] "The Robot Revolution" was  released on  at 8 a.m.  (BST) in the United Kingdom and on  in the United States at 12 a.m.  on 12 April 2025. A  broadcast followed later in the day at 6:50 p.m. BST.  also handled international distribution of the episode. Ratings [] Overnight viewing figures estimate that the episode was watched by 2 million people on its BBC One broadcast, making it the second most-watched programme on BBC One behind the finale of , as well as the fourth-most watched programme of the day. Critical reception [] On the  website , 100% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.10/10. Will Salmon with  highlighted the setting of the episode and its design, but criticized the episode for being "light", as well as due to confusing plot points toward the end of the episode. Writing for , Stefan Mohamed highlighted the Doctor's characterization and the episode's new visual and directorial techniques, but criticized Alan as a villain and the death of Sasha 55 as a weak narrative moment. 's Roxy Simmons found the episode enjoyable but found the episode to make very little impact on the audience, and found the commentary unsubtle. Belinda's characterization and Sethu's performance was near universally praised.  author Ed Power praised the Doctor's characterization and the fun nature of the episode, though felt that elements of Alan's characterization as a "nerdy" character would receive negative reception, and that Sasha 55's death was unnecessary for the episode's plot.  critic Robert Anderson criticized the episode as feeling "shallow", as well as the twist of the AI Generator being Alan. Reviewing the episode for , Jack Seale highlighted the episode's re-introduction of the Doctor's character and the inclusion of topical issues, but criticized the twists involving the AI Generator as well as the execution of the episode's message. 's Chris Taylor argued that Belinda's characterization was weak, and that she lacked a sense of purpose compared to other past companions. He also criticized the episode's social commentary, feeling that the episode moved to fast to properly critique any aspect of society. Michael Hogan, penning a review for  felt some of the episode's social commentary was not well-executed, and felt jarring given the episode's time slot.

On this month's Wanderers in the 4th Dimension: Who Reviews podcast, the Wanderers review the Disney+ season 2 premiere, The Robot Revolution!

Hosts:

• Trevor  @whoviantrev.bsky.social    Trevsplace
• Charlie  @insanityinchaos    The Comic Conspiracy
• David http://www.davidsafar.com/    @gwythinn    MaroonedWhovian    DraconianProgeny
• Connor  The Deadly Emerald

Join us next week for our review of the new episode, Lux!  You can send us feedback on Facebook at Wanderers in the 4th Dimension or on Bluesky @wanderin4d.bsky.social!

Welcome to Episode 15 The Echo Chamber, the final episode in the current series!

In this edition, James and Michele talk about The Mutant Phase by Nicholas Briggs, released in December 2000 – the Fifteenth story in Big Finish’s Main Range.

Listening instructions are very straightforward –

1. Buy The Mutant Phase from Big Finish Productions for just a few pounds (if you don’t own it already of course!)
2. Listen to it!
3. Join us in the Echo Chamber, listen to what we thought and join in the discussion!

Enjoy the show!

  "The Robot Revolution" is the first episode of the  of the  series . The episode was written by , the Doctor Who , and directed by . In the episode, the  (), rescues Belinda Chandra (), after she is kidnapped from  and inadvertently gets involved in a war on another planet. Chandra becomes the Doctor's new . Production for the episode took place in  in late-2023. It was released on , , and  on 12 April 2025. Reception was mostly postive, with Sethu's characterization particularly praised. A novelisation written by  is set to be released in July 2025. Plot [] Belinda Chandra's boyfriend, Alan Budd, gives her a certificate  for her birthday. He  but she rebuffs him. Seventeen years later, on 24 May 2025, Belinda is captured by robots and taken, as their queen, to Missbelindachandra One, a planet orbiting her star. The "Missbelindachandrakind" are composed of humanoids and robots, who coexisted peacefully until the latter took control and some humans began to rebel. The robots are controlled by the Great  Generator, who plans to merge with Belinda. On their spaceship, Belinda blames Alan for registering the star, as it flies through a time fracture. , who had been in pursuit, is sent backward six months, and by the time Belinda arrives, he has become the historian. Exploiting a fault that prevents the robots from hearing every ninth word, the Doctor and the rebels rescue Belinda. The Doctor realises that the robots possess a certificate identical to Belinda's, and have had it for over 5000 years. He concludes that this is related to the time fracture. Belinda allows herself to be captured, asking the robots to spare the rebels. Belinda and the Doctor are taken to the Great AI Generator. They discover that it is not "AI" but "AL", short for Alan. After Belinda had blamed Alan, the robots used the time fracture to capture him ten years earlier in 2015. Seeing life on Missbelindachandra as a game, Alan merged himself with the machines and started the war. Using every ninth word, Alan communicates to them that he is in pain. Belinda touches her copy of the certificate to Alan's, causing them to experience all of time simultaneously. The Doctor rescues Belinda, while Alan reverts to a sperm and egg, which is cleaned up by a robot. Now free, the humanoids and robots rebuild their society, while the Doctor takes Belinda to his . He describes meeting her distant descendant Mundy Flynn and wants to know how the robots acquired the certificate, but Belinda, disturbed at his insistence that their encounter is "destiny" and refusing to be one of his adventures, demands to be taken home. The TARDIS is unable to return to 24 May 2025, instead bouncing off that date. The Doctor tells Belinda that they will need to take the long way around. As the TARDIS dematerialises, debris from several Earth landmarks and the certificate float in space. Production [] Development [] "The Robot Revolution" was written by . He initially conceptualized the idea as a one-off story and later reworked it into a  to serve as a companion introduction. Davies said that it was a "difficult" episode to write, because he struggled with turning a joke about star naming into a full script. He also viewed it as a wider narrative about the concerns surrounding artificial intelligence in a real-world context. A  for the episode included "Belinda and the Robots". Filming [] Screenshot from the film  Promotional poster for  The  team used  and  as references. Set design began at  in October 2023.  Phil Sims said he and Davies took inspiration from  and  when . They were created with a  appearance influenced by the . Millennium FX designed the robot costumes over the course of eight weeks. They were first created digitally and split into 34 different pieces to be . Afterwards, the pieces were assembled with glue and finished with  and . The polish robot that appears in the episode was designed with a similar 1950s aesthetic, primarily being based on cars of the time period. The robot had unique wheels that allowed it to move laterally as well as straight ahead, as the designers wanted the robot to have a unique range of motion compared to other robots of similar size. The AI Generator was similarly designed to appear large and imposing, with the set and art design teams collaborating to determine where the presence of Alan would be inside of the machine. The set for the throne room, where Belinda is initially brought in the episode, is re-used for the AI Generator's room. The design team placed the "head" of the Generator's design just below the room's centerpiece in order to create the illusion that the room acted like a crown for the Generator and that the room is an extension of him. The episode was directed by . It was recorded in the second filming block of series 15 along with the fourth episode, "".  occurred in November 2023 in  while  filming also took place at Wolf Studios. Casting [] The episode stars  as the  of  and introduces  as his , Belinda Chandra. Sethu previously played a separate but related character in the  episode "" (2024).  reprised her role as Mrs Flood, an enigmatic character who was first introduced in  (2023) and recurred in the previous series. Alan Budd (the episode's antagonist) was portrayed by Jonny Green, who formerly voiced characters in various  and . Other members of the guest cast included , Jeff Kunjumon, Evelyn Miller, and Caleb Hughes. Two of the robots were operated by Stephen Love and Robert Strange; the two worked as Wrarth Warriors in "" (2023), while Strange also handled the  costume in "" (2024). Broadcast and reception [] Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating  (Tomatometer) 100%  (Average Score) 7.10/10 Review scores Source Rating B- 6/10 Release [] "The Robot Revolution" was  released on  at 8 a.m.  (BST) in the United Kingdom and on  in the United States at 12 a.m.  on 12 April 2025. A  broadcast followed later in the day at 6:50 p.m. BST.  also handled international distribution of the episode. Ratings [] Overnight viewing figures estimate that the episode was watched by 2 million people on its BBC One broadcast, making it the second most-watched programme on BBC One behind the finale of , as well as the fourth-most watched programme of the day. Critical reception [] On the  website , 100% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.10/10. Will Salmon with  highlighted the setting of the episode and its design, but criticized the episode for being "light", as well as due to confusing plot points toward the end of the episode. Writing for , Stefan Mohamed highlighted the Doctor's characterization and the episode's new visual and directorial techniques, but criticized Alan as a villain and the death of Sasha 55 as a weak narrative moment. 's Roxy Simmons found the episode enjoyable but found the episode to make very little impact on the audience, and found the commentary unsubtle. Belinda's characterization and Sethu's performance was near universally praised.  author Ed Power praised the Doctor's characterization and the fun nature of the episode, though felt that elements of Alan's characterization as a "nerdy" character would receive negative reception, and that Sasha 55's death was unnecessary for the episode's plot.  critic Robert Anderson criticized the episode as feeling "shallow", as well as the twist of the AI Generator being Alan. Reviewing the episode for , Jack Seale highlighted the episode's re-introduction of the Doctor's character and the inclusion of topical issues, but criticized the twists involving the AI Generator as well as the execution of the episode's message. 's Chris Taylor argued that Belinda's characterization was weak, and that she lacked a sense of purpose compared to other past companions. He also criticized the episode's social commentary, feeling that the episode moved to fast to properly critique any aspect of society. Michael Hogan, penning a review for  felt some of the episode's social commentary was not well-executed, and felt jarring given the episode's time slot.

  "The Robot Revolution" is the first episode of the  of the  series . The episode was written by , the Doctor Who , and directed by . In the episode, the  (), rescues Belinda Chandra (), after she is kidnapped from  and inadvertently gets involved in a war on another planet. Chandra becomes the Doctor's new . Production for the episode took place in  in late-2023. It was released on , , and  on 12 April 2025. Reception was mostly postive, with Sethu's characterization particularly praised. A novelisation written by  is set to be released in July 2025. Plot [] Belinda Chandra's boyfriend, Alan Budd, gives her a certificate  for her birthday. He  but she rebuffs him. Seventeen years later, on 24 May 2025, Belinda is captured by robots and taken, as their queen, to Missbelindachandra One, a planet orbiting her star. The "Missbelindachandrakind" are composed of humanoids and robots, who coexisted peacefully until the latter took control and some humans began to rebel. The robots are controlled by the Great  Generator, who plans to merge with Belinda. On their spaceship, Belinda blames Alan for registering the star, as it flies through a time fracture. , who had been in pursuit, is sent backward six months, and by the time Belinda arrives, he has become the historian. Exploiting a fault that prevents the robots from hearing every ninth word, the Doctor and the rebels rescue Belinda. The Doctor realises that the robots possess a certificate identical to Belinda's, and have had it for over 5000 years. He concludes that this is related to the time fracture. Belinda allows herself to be captured, asking the robots to spare the rebels. Belinda and the Doctor are taken to the Great AI Generator. They discover that it is not "AI" but "AL", short for Alan. After Belinda had blamed Alan, the robots used the time fracture to capture him ten years earlier in 2015. Seeing life on Missbelindachandra as a game, Alan merged himself with the machines and started the war. Using every ninth word, Alan communicates to them that he is in pain. Belinda touches her copy of the certificate to Alan's, causing them to experience all of time simultaneously. The Doctor rescues Belinda, while Alan reverts to a sperm and egg, which is cleaned up by a robot. Now free, the humanoids and robots rebuild their society, while the Doctor takes Belinda to his . He describes meeting her distant descendant Mundy Flynn and wants to know how the robots acquired the certificate, but Belinda, disturbed at his insistence that their encounter is "destiny" and refusing to be one of his adventures, demands to be taken home. The TARDIS is unable to return to 24 May 2025, instead bouncing off that date. The Doctor tells Belinda that they will need to take the long way around. As the TARDIS dematerialises, debris from several Earth landmarks and the certificate float in space. Production [] Development [] "The Robot Revolution" was written by . He initially conceptualized the idea as a one-off story and later reworked it into a  to serve as a companion introduction. Davies said that it was a "difficult" episode to write, because he struggled with turning a joke about star naming into a full script. He also viewed it as a wider narrative about the concerns surrounding artificial intelligence in a real-world context. A  for the episode included "Belinda and the Robots". Filming [] Screenshot from the film  Promotional poster for  The  team used  and  as references. Set design began at  in October 2023.  Phil Sims said he and Davies took inspiration from  and  when . They were created with a  appearance influenced by the . Millennium FX designed the robot costumes over the course of eight weeks. They were first created digitally and split into 34 different pieces to be . Afterwards, the pieces were assembled with glue and finished with  and . The polish robot that appears in the episode was designed with a similar 1950s aesthetic, primarily being based on cars of the time period. The robot had unique wheels that allowed it to move laterally as well as straight ahead, as the designers wanted the robot to have a unique range of motion compared to other robots of similar size. The AI Generator was similarly designed to appear large and imposing, with the set and art design teams collaborating to determine where the presence of Alan would be inside of the machine. The set for the throne room, where Belinda is initially brought in the episode, is re-used for the AI Generator's room. The design team placed the "head" of the Generator's design just below the room's centerpiece in order to create the illusion that the room acted like a crown for the Generator and that the room is an extension of him. The episode was directed by . It was recorded in the second filming block of series 15 along with the fourth episode, "".  occurred in November 2023 in  while  filming also took place at Wolf Studios. Casting [] The episode stars  as the  of  and introduces  as his , Belinda Chandra. Sethu previously played a separate but related character in the  episode "" (2024).  reprised her role as Mrs Flood, an enigmatic character who was first introduced in  (2023) and recurred in the previous series. Alan Budd (the episode's antagonist) was portrayed by Jonny Green, who formerly voiced characters in various  and . Other members of the guest cast included , Jeff Kunjumon, Evelyn Miller, and Caleb Hughes. Two of the robots were operated by Stephen Love and Robert Strange; the two worked as Wrarth Warriors in "" (2023), while Strange also handled the  costume in "" (2024). Broadcast and reception [] Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating  (Tomatometer) 100%  (Average Score) 7.10/10 Review scores Source Rating B- 6/10 Release [] "The Robot Revolution" was  released on  at 8 a.m.  (BST) in the United Kingdom and on  in the United States at 12 a.m.  on 12 April 2025. A  broadcast followed later in the day at 6:50 p.m. BST.  also handled international distribution of the episode. Ratings [] Overnight viewing figures estimate that the episode was watched by 2 million people on its BBC One broadcast, making it the second most-watched programme on BBC One behind the finale of , as well as the fourth-most watched programme of the day. Critical reception [] On the  website , 100% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.10/10. Will Salmon with  highlighted the setting of the episode and its design, but criticized the episode for being "light", as well as due to confusing plot points toward the end of the episode. Writing for , Stefan Mohamed highlighted the Doctor's characterization and the episode's new visual and directorial techniques, but criticized Alan as a villain and the death of Sasha 55 as a weak narrative moment. 's Roxy Simmons found the episode enjoyable but found the episode to make very little impact on the audience, and found the commentary unsubtle. Belinda's characterization and Sethu's performance was near universally praised.  author Ed Power praised the Doctor's characterization and the fun nature of the episode, though felt that elements of Alan's characterization as a "nerdy" character would receive negative reception, and that Sasha 55's death was unnecessary for the episode's plot.  critic Robert Anderson criticized the episode as feeling "shallow", as well as the twist of the AI Generator being Alan. Reviewing the episode for , Jack Seale highlighted the episode's re-introduction of the Doctor's character and the inclusion of topical issues, but criticized the twists involving the AI Generator as well as the execution of the episode's message. 's Chris Taylor argued that Belinda's characterization was weak, and that she lacked a sense of purpose compared to other past companions. He also criticized the episode's social commentary, feeling that the episode moved to fast to properly critique any aspect of society. Michael Hogan, penning a review for  felt some of the episode's social commentary was not well-executed, and felt jarring given the episode's time slot.

On this month's Wanderers in the 4th Dimension: Who Reviews podcast, the Wanderers review the Disney+ season 2 premiere, The Robot Revolution!

Hosts:

• Trevor  @whoviantrev.bsky.social    Trevsplace
• Charlie  @insanityinchaos    The Comic Conspiracy
• David http://www.davidsafar.com/    @gwythinn    MaroonedWhovian    DraconianProgeny
• Connor  The Deadly Emerald

Join us next week for our review of the new episode, Lux!  You can send us feedback on Facebook at Wanderers in the 4th Dimension or on Bluesky @wanderin4d.bsky.social!

Welcome to Episode 15 The Echo Chamber, the final episode in the current series!

In this edition, James and Michele talk about The Mutant Phase by Nicholas Briggs, released in December 2000 – the Fifteenth story in Big Finish’s Main Range.

Listening instructions are very straightforward –

1. Buy The Mutant Phase from Big Finish Productions for just a few pounds (if you don’t own it already of course!)
2. Listen to it!
3. Join us in the Echo Chamber, listen to what we thought and join in the discussion!

Enjoy the show!

  "The Robot Revolution" is the first episode of the  of the  series . The episode was written by , the Doctor Who , and directed by . In the episode, the  (), rescues Belinda Chandra (), after she is kidnapped from  and inadvertently gets involved in a war on another planet. Chandra becomes the Doctor's new . Production for the episode took place in  in late-2023. It was released on , , and  on 12 April 2025. Reception was mostly postive, with Sethu's characterization particularly praised. A novelisation written by  is set to be released in July 2025. Plot [] Belinda Chandra's boyfriend, Alan Budd, gives her a certificate  for her birthday. He  but she rebuffs him. Seventeen years later, on 24 May 2025, Belinda is captured by robots and taken, as their queen, to Missbelindachandra One, a planet orbiting her star. The "Missbelindachandrakind" are composed of humanoids and robots, who coexisted peacefully until the latter took control and some humans began to rebel. The robots are controlled by the Great  Generator, who plans to merge with Belinda. On their spaceship, Belinda blames Alan for registering the star, as it flies through a time fracture. , who had been in pursuit, is sent backward six months, and by the time Belinda arrives, he has become the historian. Exploiting a fault that prevents the robots from hearing every ninth word, the Doctor and the rebels rescue Belinda. The Doctor realises that the robots possess a certificate identical to Belinda's, and have had it for over 5000 years. He concludes that this is related to the time fracture. Belinda allows herself to be captured, asking the robots to spare the rebels. Belinda and the Doctor are taken to the Great AI Generator. They discover that it is not "AI" but "AL", short for Alan. After Belinda had blamed Alan, the robots used the time fracture to capture him ten years earlier in 2015. Seeing life on Missbelindachandra as a game, Alan merged himself with the machines and started the war. Using every ninth word, Alan communicates to them that he is in pain. Belinda touches her copy of the certificate to Alan's, causing them to experience all of time simultaneously. The Doctor rescues Belinda, while Alan reverts to a sperm and egg, which is cleaned up by a robot. Now free, the humanoids and robots rebuild their society, while the Doctor takes Belinda to his . He describes meeting her distant descendant Mundy Flynn and wants to know how the robots acquired the certificate, but Belinda, disturbed at his insistence that their encounter is "destiny" and refusing to be one of his adventures, demands to be taken home. The TARDIS is unable to return to 24 May 2025, instead bouncing off that date. The Doctor tells Belinda that they will need to take the long way around. As the TARDIS dematerialises, debris from several Earth landmarks and the certificate float in space. Production [] Development [] "The Robot Revolution" was written by . He initially conceptualized the idea as a one-off story and later reworked it into a  to serve as a companion introduction. Davies said that it was a "difficult" episode to write, because he struggled with turning a joke about star naming into a full script. He also viewed it as a wider narrative about the concerns surrounding artificial intelligence in a real-world context. A  for the episode included "Belinda and the Robots". Filming [] Screenshot from the film  Promotional poster for  The  team used  and  as references. Set design began at  in October 2023.  Phil Sims said he and Davies took inspiration from  and  when . They were created with a  appearance influenced by the . Millennium FX designed the robot costumes over the course of eight weeks. They were first created digitally and split into 34 different pieces to be . Afterwards, the pieces were assembled with glue and finished with  and . The polish robot that appears in the episode was designed with a similar 1950s aesthetic, primarily being based on cars of the time period. The robot had unique wheels that allowed it to move laterally as well as straight ahead, as the designers wanted the robot to have a unique range of motion compared to other robots of similar size. The AI Generator was similarly designed to appear large and imposing, with the set and art design teams collaborating to determine where the presence of Alan would be inside of the machine. The set for the throne room, where Belinda is initially brought in the episode, is re-used for the AI Generator's room. The design team placed the "head" of the Generator's design just below the room's centerpiece in order to create the illusion that the room acted like a crown for the Generator and that the room is an extension of him. The episode was directed by . It was recorded in the second filming block of series 15 along with the fourth episode, "".  occurred in November 2023 in  while  filming also took place at Wolf Studios. Casting [] The episode stars  as the  of  and introduces  as his , Belinda Chandra. Sethu previously played a separate but related character in the  episode "" (2024).  reprised her role as Mrs Flood, an enigmatic character who was first introduced in  (2023) and recurred in the previous series. Alan Budd (the episode's antagonist) was portrayed by Jonny Green, who formerly voiced characters in various  and . Other members of the guest cast included , Jeff Kunjumon, Evelyn Miller, and Caleb Hughes. Two of the robots were operated by Stephen Love and Robert Strange; the two worked as Wrarth Warriors in "" (2023), while Strange also handled the  costume in "" (2024). Broadcast and reception [] Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating  (Tomatometer) 100%  (Average Score) 7.10/10 Review scores Source Rating B- 6/10 Release [] "The Robot Revolution" was  released on  at 8 a.m.  (BST) in the United Kingdom and on  in the United States at 12 a.m.  on 12 April 2025. A  broadcast followed later in the day at 6:50 p.m. BST.  also handled international distribution of the episode. Ratings [] Overnight viewing figures estimate that the episode was watched by 2 million people on its BBC One broadcast, making it the second most-watched programme on BBC One behind the finale of , as well as the fourth-most watched programme of the day. Critical reception [] On the  website , 100% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.10/10. Will Salmon with  highlighted the setting of the episode and its design, but criticized the episode for being "light", as well as due to confusing plot points toward the end of the episode. Writing for , Stefan Mohamed highlighted the Doctor's characterization and the episode's new visual and directorial techniques, but criticized Alan as a villain and the death of Sasha 55 as a weak narrative moment. 's Roxy Simmons found the episode enjoyable but found the episode to make very little impact on the audience, and found the commentary unsubtle. Belinda's characterization and Sethu's performance was near universally praised.  author Ed Power praised the Doctor's characterization and the fun nature of the episode, though felt that elements of Alan's characterization as a "nerdy" character would receive negative reception, and that Sasha 55's death was unnecessary for the episode's plot.  critic Robert Anderson criticized the episode as feeling "shallow", as well as the twist of the AI Generator being Alan. Reviewing the episode for , Jack Seale highlighted the episode's re-introduction of the Doctor's character and the inclusion of topical issues, but criticized the twists involving the AI Generator as well as the execution of the episode's message. 's Chris Taylor argued that Belinda's characterization was weak, and that she lacked a sense of purpose compared to other past companions. He also criticized the episode's social commentary, feeling that the episode moved to fast to properly critique any aspect of society. Michael Hogan, penning a review for  felt some of the episode's social commentary was not well-executed, and felt jarring given the episode's time slot.

  "The Robot Revolution" is the first episode of the  of the  series . The episode was written by , the Doctor Who , and directed by . In the episode, the  (), rescues Belinda Chandra (), after she is kidnapped from  and inadvertently gets involved in a war on another planet. Chandra becomes the Doctor's new . Production for the episode took place in  in late-2023. It was released on , , and  on 12 April 2025. Reception was mostly postive, with Sethu's characterization particularly praised. A novelisation written by  is set to be released in July 2025. Plot [] Belinda Chandra's boyfriend, Alan Budd, gives her a certificate  for her birthday. He  but she rebuffs him. Seventeen years later, on 24 May 2025, Belinda is captured by robots and taken, as their queen, to Missbelindachandra One, a planet orbiting her star. The "Missbelindachandrakind" are composed of humanoids and robots, who coexisted peacefully until the latter took control and some humans began to rebel. The robots are controlled by the Great  Generator, who plans to merge with Belinda. On their spaceship, Belinda blames Alan for registering the star, as it flies through a time fracture. , who had been in pursuit, is sent backward six months, and by the time Belinda arrives, he has become the historian. Exploiting a fault that prevents the robots from hearing every ninth word, the Doctor and the rebels rescue Belinda. The Doctor realises that the robots possess a certificate identical to Belinda's, and have had it for over 5000 years. He concludes that this is related to the time fracture. Belinda allows herself to be captured, asking the robots to spare the rebels. Belinda and the Doctor are taken to the Great AI Generator. They discover that it is not "AI" but "AL", short for Alan. After Belinda had blamed Alan, the robots used the time fracture to capture him ten years earlier in 2015. Seeing life on Missbelindachandra as a game, Alan merged himself with the machines and started the war. Using every ninth word, Alan communicates to them that he is in pain. Belinda touches her copy of the certificate to Alan's, causing them to experience all of time simultaneously. The Doctor rescues Belinda, while Alan reverts to a sperm and egg, which is cleaned up by a robot. Now free, the humanoids and robots rebuild their society, while the Doctor takes Belinda to his . He describes meeting her distant descendant Mundy Flynn and wants to know how the robots acquired the certificate, but Belinda, disturbed at his insistence that their encounter is "destiny" and refusing to be one of his adventures, demands to be taken home. The TARDIS is unable to return to 24 May 2025, instead bouncing off that date. The Doctor tells Belinda that they will need to take the long way around. As the TARDIS dematerialises, debris from several Earth landmarks and the certificate float in space. Production [] Development [] "The Robot Revolution" was written by . He initially conceptualized the idea as a one-off story and later reworked it into a  to serve as a companion introduction. Davies said that it was a "difficult" episode to write, because he struggled with turning a joke about star naming into a full script. He also viewed it as a wider narrative about the concerns surrounding artificial intelligence in a real-world context. A  for the episode included "Belinda and the Robots". Filming [] Screenshot from the film  Promotional poster for  The  team used  and  as references. Set design began at  in October 2023.  Phil Sims said he and Davies took inspiration from  and  when . They were created with a  appearance influenced by the . Millennium FX designed the robot costumes over the course of eight weeks. They were first created digitally and split into 34 different pieces to be . Afterwards, the pieces were assembled with glue and finished with  and . The polish robot that appears in the episode was designed with a similar 1950s aesthetic, primarily being based on cars of the time period. The robot had unique wheels that allowed it to move laterally as well as straight ahead, as the designers wanted the robot to have a unique range of motion compared to other robots of similar size. The AI Generator was similarly designed to appear large and imposing, with the set and art design teams collaborating to determine where the presence of Alan would be inside of the machine. The set for the throne room, where Belinda is initially brought in the episode, is re-used for the AI Generator's room. The design team placed the "head" of the Generator's design just below the room's centerpiece in order to create the illusion that the room acted like a crown for the Generator and that the room is an extension of him. The episode was directed by . It was recorded in the second filming block of series 15 along with the fourth episode, "".  occurred in November 2023 in  while  filming also took place at Wolf Studios. Casting [] The episode stars  as the  of  and introduces  as his , Belinda Chandra. Sethu previously played a separate but related character in the  episode "" (2024).  reprised her role as Mrs Flood, an enigmatic character who was first introduced in  (2023) and recurred in the previous series. Alan Budd (the episode's antagonist) was portrayed by Jonny Green, who formerly voiced characters in various  and . Other members of the guest cast included , Jeff Kunjumon, Evelyn Miller, and Caleb Hughes. Two of the robots were operated by Stephen Love and Robert Strange; the two worked as Wrarth Warriors in "" (2023), while Strange also handled the  costume in "" (2024). Broadcast and reception [] Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating  (Tomatometer) 100%  (Average Score) 7.10/10 Review scores Source Rating B- 6/10 Release [] "The Robot Revolution" was  released on  at 8 a.m.  (BST) in the United Kingdom and on  in the United States at 12 a.m.  on 12 April 2025. A  broadcast followed later in the day at 6:50 p.m. BST.  also handled international distribution of the episode. Ratings [] Overnight viewing figures estimate that the episode was watched by 2 million people on its BBC One broadcast, making it the second most-watched programme on BBC One behind the finale of , as well as the fourth-most watched programme of the day. Critical reception [] On the  website , 100% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.10/10. Will Salmon with  highlighted the setting of the episode and its design, but criticized the episode for being "light", as well as due to confusing plot points toward the end of the episode. Writing for , Stefan Mohamed highlighted the Doctor's characterization and the episode's new visual and directorial techniques, but criticized Alan as a villain and the death of Sasha 55 as a weak narrative moment. 's Roxy Simmons found the episode enjoyable but found the episode to make very little impact on the audience, and found the commentary unsubtle. Belinda's characterization and Sethu's performance was near universally praised.  author Ed Power praised the Doctor's characterization and the fun nature of the episode, though felt that elements of Alan's characterization as a "nerdy" character would receive negative reception, and that Sasha 55's death was unnecessary for the episode's plot.  critic Robert Anderson criticized the episode as feeling "shallow", as well as the twist of the AI Generator being Alan. Reviewing the episode for , Jack Seale highlighted the episode's re-introduction of the Doctor's character and the inclusion of topical issues, but criticized the twists involving the AI Generator as well as the execution of the episode's message. 's Chris Taylor argued that Belinda's characterization was weak, and that she lacked a sense of purpose compared to other past companions. He also criticized the episode's social commentary, feeling that the episode moved to fast to properly critique any aspect of society. Michael Hogan, penning a review for  felt some of the episode's social commentary was not well-executed, and felt jarring given the episode's time slot.

On this month's Wanderers in the 4th Dimension: Who Reviews podcast, the Wanderers review the Disney+ season 2 premiere, The Robot Revolution!

Hosts:

• Trevor  @whoviantrev.bsky.social    Trevsplace
• Charlie  @insanityinchaos    The Comic Conspiracy
• David http://www.davidsafar.com/    @gwythinn    MaroonedWhovian    DraconianProgeny
• Connor  The Deadly Emerald

Join us next week for our review of the new episode, Lux!  You can send us feedback on Facebook at Wanderers in the 4th Dimension or on Bluesky @wanderin4d.bsky.social!

Welcome to Episode 15 The Echo Chamber, the final episode in the current series!

In this edition, James and Michele talk about The Mutant Phase by Nicholas Briggs, released in December 2000 – the Fifteenth story in Big Finish’s Main Range.

Listening instructions are very straightforward –

1. Buy The Mutant Phase from Big Finish Productions for just a few pounds (if you don’t own it already of course!)
2. Listen to it!
3. Join us in the Echo Chamber, listen to what we thought and join in the discussion!

Enjoy the show!

  "The Robot Revolution" is the first episode of the  of the  series . The episode was written by , the Doctor Who , and directed by . In the episode, the  (), rescues Belinda Chandra (), after she is kidnapped from  and inadvertently gets involved in a war on another planet. Chandra becomes the Doctor's new . Production for the episode took place in  in late-2023. It was released on , , and  on 12 April 2025. Reception was mostly postive, with Sethu's characterization particularly praised. A novelisation written by  is set to be released in July 2025. Plot [] Belinda Chandra's boyfriend, Alan Budd, gives her a certificate  for her birthday. He  but she rebuffs him. Seventeen years later, on 24 May 2025, Belinda is captured by robots and taken, as their queen, to Missbelindachandra One, a planet orbiting her star. The "Missbelindachandrakind" are composed of humanoids and robots, who coexisted peacefully until the latter took control and some humans began to rebel. The robots are controlled by the Great  Generator, who plans to merge with Belinda. On their spaceship, Belinda blames Alan for registering the star, as it flies through a time fracture. , who had been in pursuit, is sent backward six months, and by the time Belinda arrives, he has become the historian. Exploiting a fault that prevents the robots from hearing every ninth word, the Doctor and the rebels rescue Belinda. The Doctor realises that the robots possess a certificate identical to Belinda's, and have had it for over 5000 years. He concludes that this is related to the time fracture. Belinda allows herself to be captured, asking the robots to spare the rebels. Belinda and the Doctor are taken to the Great AI Generator. They discover that it is not "AI" but "AL", short for Alan. After Belinda had blamed Alan, the robots used the time fracture to capture him ten years earlier in 2015. Seeing life on Missbelindachandra as a game, Alan merged himself with the machines and started the war. Using every ninth word, Alan communicates to them that he is in pain. Belinda touches her copy of the certificate to Alan's, causing them to experience all of time simultaneously. The Doctor rescues Belinda, while Alan reverts to a sperm and egg, which is cleaned up by a robot. Now free, the humanoids and robots rebuild their society, while the Doctor takes Belinda to his . He describes meeting her distant descendant Mundy Flynn and wants to know how the robots acquired the certificate, but Belinda, disturbed at his insistence that their encounter is "destiny" and refusing to be one of his adventures, demands to be taken home. The TARDIS is unable to return to 24 May 2025, instead bouncing off that date. The Doctor tells Belinda that they will need to take the long way around. As the TARDIS dematerialises, debris from several Earth landmarks and the certificate float in space. Production [] Development [] "The Robot Revolution" was written by . He initially conceptualized the idea as a one-off story and later reworked it into a  to serve as a companion introduction. Davies said that it was a "difficult" episode to write, because he struggled with turning a joke about star naming into a full script. He also viewed it as a wider narrative about the concerns surrounding artificial intelligence in a real-world context. A  for the episode included "Belinda and the Robots". Filming [] Screenshot from the film  Promotional poster for  The  team used  and  as references. Set design began at  in October 2023.  Phil Sims said he and Davies took inspiration from  and  when . They were created with a  appearance influenced by the . Millennium FX designed the robot costumes over the course of eight weeks. They were first created digitally and split into 34 different pieces to be . Afterwards, the pieces were assembled with glue and finished with  and . The polish robot that appears in the episode was designed with a similar 1950s aesthetic, primarily being based on cars of the time period. The robot had unique wheels that allowed it to move laterally as well as straight ahead, as the designers wanted the robot to have a unique range of motion compared to other robots of similar size. The AI Generator was similarly designed to appear large and imposing, with the set and art design teams collaborating to determine where the presence of Alan would be inside of the machine. The set for the throne room, where Belinda is initially brought in the episode, is re-used for the AI Generator's room. The design team placed the "head" of the Generator's design just below the room's centerpiece in order to create the illusion that the room acted like a crown for the Generator and that the room is an extension of him. The episode was directed by . It was recorded in the second filming block of series 15 along with the fourth episode, "".  occurred in November 2023 in  while  filming also took place at Wolf Studios. Casting [] The episode stars  as the  of  and introduces  as his , Belinda Chandra. Sethu previously played a separate but related character in the  episode "" (2024).  reprised her role as Mrs Flood, an enigmatic character who was first introduced in  (2023) and recurred in the previous series. Alan Budd (the episode's antagonist) was portrayed by Jonny Green, who formerly voiced characters in various  and . Other members of the guest cast included , Jeff Kunjumon, Evelyn Miller, and Caleb Hughes. Two of the robots were operated by Stephen Love and Robert Strange; the two worked as Wrarth Warriors in "" (2023), while Strange also handled the  costume in "" (2024). Broadcast and reception [] Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating  (Tomatometer) 100%  (Average Score) 7.10/10 Review scores Source Rating B- 6/10 Release [] "The Robot Revolution" was  released on  at 8 a.m.  (BST) in the United Kingdom and on  in the United States at 12 a.m.  on 12 April 2025. A  broadcast followed later in the day at 6:50 p.m. BST.  also handled international distribution of the episode. Ratings [] Overnight viewing figures estimate that the episode was watched by 2 million people on its BBC One broadcast, making it the second most-watched programme on BBC One behind the finale of , as well as the fourth-most watched programme of the day. Critical reception [] On the  website , 100% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.10/10. Will Salmon with  highlighted the setting of the episode and its design, but criticized the episode for being "light", as well as due to confusing plot points toward the end of the episode. Writing for , Stefan Mohamed highlighted the Doctor's characterization and the episode's new visual and directorial techniques, but criticized Alan as a villain and the death of Sasha 55 as a weak narrative moment. 's Roxy Simmons found the episode enjoyable but found the episode to make very little impact on the audience, and found the commentary unsubtle. Belinda's characterization and Sethu's performance was near universally praised.  author Ed Power praised the Doctor's characterization and the fun nature of the episode, though felt that elements of Alan's characterization as a "nerdy" character would receive negative reception, and that Sasha 55's death was unnecessary for the episode's plot.  critic Robert Anderson criticized the episode as feeling "shallow", as well as the twist of the AI Generator being Alan. Reviewing the episode for , Jack Seale highlighted the episode's re-introduction of the Doctor's character and the inclusion of topical issues, but criticized the twists involving the AI Generator as well as the execution of the episode's message. 's Chris Taylor argued that Belinda's characterization was weak, and that she lacked a sense of purpose compared to other past companions. He also criticized the episode's social commentary, feeling that the episode moved to fast to properly critique any aspect of society. Michael Hogan, penning a review for  felt some of the episode's social commentary was not well-executed, and felt jarring given the episode's time slot.

  "The Robot Revolution" is the first episode of the  of the  series . The episode was written by , the Doctor Who , and directed by . In the episode, the  (), rescues Belinda Chandra (), after she is kidnapped from  and inadvertently gets involved in a war on another planet. Chandra becomes the Doctor's new . Production for the episode took place in  in late-2023. It was released on , , and  on 12 April 2025. Reception was mostly postive, with Sethu's characterization particularly praised. A novelisation written by  is set to be released in July 2025. Plot [] Belinda Chandra's boyfriend, Alan Budd, gives her a certificate  for her birthday. He  but she rebuffs him. Seventeen years later, on 24 May 2025, Belinda is captured by robots and taken, as their queen, to Missbelindachandra One, a planet orbiting her star. The "Missbelindachandrakind" are composed of humanoids and robots, who coexisted peacefully until the latter took control and some humans began to rebel. The robots are controlled by the Great  Generator, who plans to merge with Belinda. On their spaceship, Belinda blames Alan for registering the star, as it flies through a time fracture. , who had been in pursuit, is sent backward six months, and by the time Belinda arrives, he has become the historian. Exploiting a fault that prevents the robots from hearing every ninth word, the Doctor and the rebels rescue Belinda. The Doctor realises that the robots possess a certificate identical to Belinda's, and have had it for over 5000 years. He concludes that this is related to the time fracture. Belinda allows herself to be captured, asking the robots to spare the rebels. Belinda and the Doctor are taken to the Great AI Generator. They discover that it is not "AI" but "AL", short for Alan. After Belinda had blamed Alan, the robots used the time fracture to capture him ten years earlier in 2015. Seeing life on Missbelindachandra as a game, Alan merged himself with the machines and started the war. Using every ninth word, Alan communicates to them that he is in pain. Belinda touches her copy of the certificate to Alan's, causing them to experience all of time simultaneously. The Doctor rescues Belinda, while Alan reverts to a sperm and egg, which is cleaned up by a robot. Now free, the humanoids and robots rebuild their society, while the Doctor takes Belinda to his . He describes meeting her distant descendant Mundy Flynn and wants to know how the robots acquired the certificate, but Belinda, disturbed at his insistence that their encounter is "destiny" and refusing to be one of his adventures, demands to be taken home. The TARDIS is unable to return to 24 May 2025, instead bouncing off that date. The Doctor tells Belinda that they will need to take the long way around. As the TARDIS dematerialises, debris from several Earth landmarks and the certificate float in space. Production [] Development [] "The Robot Revolution" was written by . He initially conceptualized the idea as a one-off story and later reworked it into a  to serve as a companion introduction. Davies said that it was a "difficult" episode to write, because he struggled with turning a joke about star naming into a full script. He also viewed it as a wider narrative about the concerns surrounding artificial intelligence in a real-world context. A  for the episode included "Belinda and the Robots". Filming [] Screenshot from the film  Promotional poster for  The  team used  and  as references. Set design began at  in October 2023.  Phil Sims said he and Davies took inspiration from  and  when . They were created with a  appearance influenced by the . Millennium FX designed the robot costumes over the course of eight weeks. They were first created digitally and split into 34 different pieces to be . Afterwards, the pieces were assembled with glue and finished with  and . The polish robot that appears in the episode was designed with a similar 1950s aesthetic, primarily being based on cars of the time period. The robot had unique wheels that allowed it to move laterally as well as straight ahead, as the designers wanted the robot to have a unique range of motion compared to other robots of similar size. The AI Generator was similarly designed to appear large and imposing, with the set and art design teams collaborating to determine where the presence of Alan would be inside of the machine. The set for the throne room, where Belinda is initially brought in the episode, is re-used for the AI Generator's room. The design team placed the "head" of the Generator's design just below the room's centerpiece in order to create the illusion that the room acted like a crown for the Generator and that the room is an extension of him. The episode was directed by . It was recorded in the second filming block of series 15 along with the fourth episode, "".  occurred in November 2023 in  while  filming also took place at Wolf Studios. Casting [] The episode stars  as the  of  and introduces  as his , Belinda Chandra. Sethu previously played a separate but related character in the  episode "" (2024).  reprised her role as Mrs Flood, an enigmatic character who was first introduced in  (2023) and recurred in the previous series. Alan Budd (the episode's antagonist) was portrayed by Jonny Green, who formerly voiced characters in various  and . Other members of the guest cast included , Jeff Kunjumon, Evelyn Miller, and Caleb Hughes. Two of the robots were operated by Stephen Love and Robert Strange; the two worked as Wrarth Warriors in "" (2023), while Strange also handled the  costume in "" (2024). Broadcast and reception [] Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating  (Tomatometer) 100%  (Average Score) 7.10/10 Review scores Source Rating B- 6/10 Release [] "The Robot Revolution" was  released on  at 8 a.m.  (BST) in the United Kingdom and on  in the United States at 12 a.m.  on 12 April 2025. A  broadcast followed later in the day at 6:50 p.m. BST.  also handled international distribution of the episode. Ratings [] Overnight viewing figures estimate that the episode was watched by 2 million people on its BBC One broadcast, making it the second most-watched programme on BBC One behind the finale of , as well as the fourth-most watched programme of the day. Critical reception [] On the  website , 100% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.10/10. Will Salmon with  highlighted the setting of the episode and its design, but criticized the episode for being "light", as well as due to confusing plot points toward the end of the episode. Writing for , Stefan Mohamed highlighted the Doctor's characterization and the episode's new visual and directorial techniques, but criticized Alan as a villain and the death of Sasha 55 as a weak narrative moment. 's Roxy Simmons found the episode enjoyable but found the episode to make very little impact on the audience, and found the commentary unsubtle. Belinda's characterization and Sethu's performance was near universally praised.  author Ed Power praised the Doctor's characterization and the fun nature of the episode, though felt that elements of Alan's characterization as a "nerdy" character would receive negative reception, and that Sasha 55's death was unnecessary for the episode's plot.  critic Robert Anderson criticized the episode as feeling "shallow", as well as the twist of the AI Generator being Alan. Reviewing the episode for , Jack Seale highlighted the episode's re-introduction of the Doctor's character and the inclusion of topical issues, but criticized the twists involving the AI Generator as well as the execution of the episode's message. 's Chris Taylor argued that Belinda's characterization was weak, and that she lacked a sense of purpose compared to other past companions. He also criticized the episode's social commentary, feeling that the episode moved to fast to properly critique any aspect of society. Michael Hogan, penning a review for  felt some of the episode's social commentary was not well-executed, and felt jarring given the episode's time slot.

On this month's Wanderers in the 4th Dimension: Who Reviews podcast, the Wanderers review the Disney+ season 2 premiere, The Robot Revolution!

Hosts:

• Trevor  @whoviantrev.bsky.social    Trevsplace
• Charlie  @insanityinchaos    The Comic Conspiracy
• David http://www.davidsafar.com/    @gwythinn    MaroonedWhovian    DraconianProgeny
• Connor  The Deadly Emerald

Join us next week for our review of the new episode, Lux!  You can send us feedback on Facebook at Wanderers in the 4th Dimension or on Bluesky @wanderin4d.bsky.social!

Welcome to Episode 15 The Echo Chamber, the final episode in the current series!

In this edition, James and Michele talk about The Mutant Phase by Nicholas Briggs, released in December 2000 – the Fifteenth story in Big Finish’s Main Range.

Listening instructions are very straightforward –

1. Buy The Mutant Phase from Big Finish Productions for just a few pounds (if you don’t own it already of course!)
2. Listen to it!
3. Join us in the Echo Chamber, listen to what we thought and join in the discussion!

Enjoy the show!

  "The Robot Revolution" is the first episode of the  of the  series . The episode was written by , the Doctor Who , and directed by . In the episode, the  (), rescues Belinda Chandra (), after she is kidnapped from  and inadvertently gets involved in a war on another planet. Chandra becomes the Doctor's new . Production for the episode took place in  in late-2023. It was released on , , and  on 12 April 2025. Reception was mostly postive, with Sethu's characterization particularly praised. A novelisation written by  is set to be released in July 2025. Plot [] Belinda Chandra's boyfriend, Alan Budd, gives her a certificate  for her birthday. He  but she rebuffs him. Seventeen years later, on 24 May 2025, Belinda is captured by robots and taken, as their queen, to Missbelindachandra One, a planet orbiting her star. The "Missbelindachandrakind" are composed of humanoids and robots, who coexisted peacefully until the latter took control and some humans began to rebel. The robots are controlled by the Great  Generator, who plans to merge with Belinda. On their spaceship, Belinda blames Alan for registering the star, as it flies through a time fracture. , who had been in pursuit, is sent backward six months, and by the time Belinda arrives, he has become the historian. Exploiting a fault that prevents the robots from hearing every ninth word, the Doctor and the rebels rescue Belinda. The Doctor realises that the robots possess a certificate identical to Belinda's, and have had it for over 5000 years. He concludes that this is related to the time fracture. Belinda allows herself to be captured, asking the robots to spare the rebels. Belinda and the Doctor are taken to the Great AI Generator. They discover that it is not "AI" but "AL", short for Alan. After Belinda had blamed Alan, the robots used the time fracture to capture him ten years earlier in 2015. Seeing life on Missbelindachandra as a game, Alan merged himself with the machines and started the war. Using every ninth word, Alan communicates to them that he is in pain. Belinda touches her copy of the certificate to Alan's, causing them to experience all of time simultaneously. The Doctor rescues Belinda, while Alan reverts to a sperm and egg, which is cleaned up by a robot. Now free, the humanoids and robots rebuild their society, while the Doctor takes Belinda to his . He describes meeting her distant descendant Mundy Flynn and wants to know how the robots acquired the certificate, but Belinda, disturbed at his insistence that their encounter is "destiny" and refusing to be one of his adventures, demands to be taken home. The TARDIS is unable to return to 24 May 2025, instead bouncing off that date. The Doctor tells Belinda that they will need to take the long way around. As the TARDIS dematerialises, debris from several Earth landmarks and the certificate float in space. Production [] Development [] "The Robot Revolution" was written by . He initially conceptualized the idea as a one-off story and later reworked it into a  to serve as a companion introduction. Davies said that it was a "difficult" episode to write, because he struggled with turning a joke about star naming into a full script. He also viewed it as a wider narrative about the concerns surrounding artificial intelligence in a real-world context. A  for the episode included "Belinda and the Robots". Filming [] Screenshot from the film  Promotional poster for  The  team used  and  as references. Set design began at  in October 2023.  Phil Sims said he and Davies took inspiration from  and  when . They were created with a  appearance influenced by the . Millennium FX designed the robot costumes over the course of eight weeks. They were first created digitally and split into 34 different pieces to be . Afterwards, the pieces were assembled with glue and finished with  and . The polish robot that appears in the episode was designed with a similar 1950s aesthetic, primarily being based on cars of the time period. The robot had unique wheels that allowed it to move laterally as well as straight ahead, as the designers wanted the robot to have a unique range of motion compared to other robots of similar size. The AI Generator was similarly designed to appear large and imposing, with the set and art design teams collaborating to determine where the presence of Alan would be inside of the machine. The set for the throne room, where Belinda is initially brought in the episode, is re-used for the AI Generator's room. The design team placed the "head" of the Generator's design just below the room's centerpiece in order to create the illusion that the room acted like a crown for the Generator and that the room is an extension of him. The episode was directed by . It was recorded in the second filming block of series 15 along with the fourth episode, "".  occurred in November 2023 in  while  filming also took place at Wolf Studios. Casting [] The episode stars  as the  of  and introduces  as his , Belinda Chandra. Sethu previously played a separate but related character in the  episode "" (2024).  reprised her role as Mrs Flood, an enigmatic character who was first introduced in  (2023) and recurred in the previous series. Alan Budd (the episode's antagonist) was portrayed by Jonny Green, who formerly voiced characters in various  and . Other members of the guest cast included , Jeff Kunjumon, Evelyn Miller, and Caleb Hughes. Two of the robots were operated by Stephen Love and Robert Strange; the two worked as Wrarth Warriors in "" (2023), while Strange also handled the  costume in "" (2024). Broadcast and reception [] Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating  (Tomatometer) 100%  (Average Score) 7.10/10 Review scores Source Rating B- 6/10 Release [] "The Robot Revolution" was  released on  at 8 a.m.  (BST) in the United Kingdom and on  in the United States at 12 a.m.  on 12 April 2025. A  broadcast followed later in the day at 6:50 p.m. BST.  also handled international distribution of the episode. Ratings [] Overnight viewing figures estimate that the episode was watched by 2 million people on its BBC One broadcast, making it the second most-watched programme on BBC One behind the finale of , as well as the fourth-most watched programme of the day. Critical reception [] On the  website , 100% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.10/10. Will Salmon with  highlighted the setting of the episode and its design, but criticized the episode for being "light", as well as due to confusing plot points toward the end of the episode. Writing for , Stefan Mohamed highlighted the Doctor's characterization and the episode's new visual and directorial techniques, but criticized Alan as a villain and the death of Sasha 55 as a weak narrative moment. 's Roxy Simmons found the episode enjoyable but found the episode to make very little impact on the audience, and found the commentary unsubtle. Belinda's characterization and Sethu's performance was near universally praised.  author Ed Power praised the Doctor's characterization and the fun nature of the episode, though felt that elements of Alan's characterization as a "nerdy" character would receive negative reception, and that Sasha 55's death was unnecessary for the episode's plot.  critic Robert Anderson criticized the episode as feeling "shallow", as well as the twist of the AI Generator being Alan. Reviewing the episode for , Jack Seale highlighted the episode's re-introduction of the Doctor's character and the inclusion of topical issues, but criticized the twists involving the AI Generator as well as the execution of the episode's message. 's Chris Taylor argued that Belinda's characterization was weak, and that she lacked a sense of purpose compared to other past companions. He also criticized the episode's social commentary, feeling that the episode moved to fast to properly critique any aspect of society. Michael Hogan, penning a review for  felt some of the episode's social commentary was not well-executed, and felt jarring given the episode's time slot.

  "The Robot Revolution" is the first episode of the  of the  series . The episode was written by , the Doctor Who , and directed by . In the episode, the  (), rescues Belinda Chandra (), after she is kidnapped from  and inadvertently gets involved in a war on another planet. Chandra becomes the Doctor's new . Production for the episode took place in  in late-2023. It was released on , , and  on 12 April 2025. Reception was mostly postive, with Sethu's characterization particularly praised. A novelisation written by  is set to be released in July 2025. Plot [] Belinda Chandra's boyfriend, Alan Budd, gives her a certificate  for her birthday. He  but she rebuffs him. Seventeen years later, on 24 May 2025, Belinda is captured by robots and taken, as their queen, to Missbelindachandra One, a planet orbiting her star. The "Missbelindachandrakind" are composed of humanoids and robots, who coexisted peacefully until the latter took control and some humans began to rebel. The robots are controlled by the Great  Generator, who plans to merge with Belinda. On their spaceship, Belinda blames Alan for registering the star, as it flies through a time fracture. , who had been in pursuit, is sent backward six months, and by the time Belinda arrives, he has become the historian. Exploiting a fault that prevents the robots from hearing every ninth word, the Doctor and the rebels rescue Belinda. The Doctor realises that the robots possess a certificate identical to Belinda's, and have had it for over 5000 years. He concludes that this is related to the time fracture. Belinda allows herself to be captured, asking the robots to spare the rebels. Belinda and the Doctor are taken to the Great AI Generator. They discover that it is not "AI" but "AL", short for Alan. After Belinda had blamed Alan, the robots used the time fracture to capture him ten years earlier in 2015. Seeing life on Missbelindachandra as a game, Alan merged himself with the machines and started the war. Using every ninth word, Alan communicates to them that he is in pain. Belinda touches her copy of the certificate to Alan's, causing them to experience all of time simultaneously. The Doctor rescues Belinda, while Alan reverts to a sperm and egg, which is cleaned up by a robot. Now free, the humanoids and robots rebuild their society, while the Doctor takes Belinda to his . He describes meeting her distant descendant Mundy Flynn and wants to know how the robots acquired the certificate, but Belinda, disturbed at his insistence that their encounter is "destiny" and refusing to be one of his adventures, demands to be taken home. The TARDIS is unable to return to 24 May 2025, instead bouncing off that date. The Doctor tells Belinda that they will need to take the long way around. As the TARDIS dematerialises, debris from several Earth landmarks and the certificate float in space. Production [] Development [] "The Robot Revolution" was written by . He initially conceptualized the idea as a one-off story and later reworked it into a  to serve as a companion introduction. Davies said that it was a "difficult" episode to write, because he struggled with turning a joke about star naming into a full script. He also viewed it as a wider narrative about the concerns surrounding artificial intelligence in a real-world context. A  for the episode included "Belinda and the Robots". Filming [] Screenshot from the film  Promotional poster for  The  team used  and  as references. Set design began at  in October 2023.  Phil Sims said he and Davies took inspiration from  and  when . They were created with a  appearance influenced by the . Millennium FX designed the robot costumes over the course of eight weeks. They were first created digitally and split into 34 different pieces to be . Afterwards, the pieces were assembled with glue and finished with  and . The polish robot that appears in the episode was designed with a similar 1950s aesthetic, primarily being based on cars of the time period. The robot had unique wheels that allowed it to move laterally as well as straight ahead, as the designers wanted the robot to have a unique range of motion compared to other robots of similar size. The AI Generator was similarly designed to appear large and imposing, with the set and art design teams collaborating to determine where the presence of Alan would be inside of the machine. The set for the throne room, where Belinda is initially brought in the episode, is re-used for the AI Generator's room. The design team placed the "head" of the Generator's design just below the room's centerpiece in order to create the illusion that the room acted like a crown for the Generator and that the room is an extension of him. The episode was directed by . It was recorded in the second filming block of series 15 along with the fourth episode, "".  occurred in November 2023 in  while  filming also took place at Wolf Studios. Casting [] The episode stars  as the  of  and introduces  as his , Belinda Chandra. Sethu previously played a separate but related character in the  episode "" (2024).  reprised her role as Mrs Flood, an enigmatic character who was first introduced in  (2023) and recurred in the previous series. Alan Budd (the episode's antagonist) was portrayed by Jonny Green, who formerly voiced characters in various  and . Other members of the guest cast included , Jeff Kunjumon, Evelyn Miller, and Caleb Hughes. Two of the robots were operated by Stephen Love and Robert Strange; the two worked as Wrarth Warriors in "" (2023), while Strange also handled the  costume in "" (2024). Broadcast and reception [] Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating  (Tomatometer) 100%  (Average Score) 7.10/10 Review scores Source Rating B- 6/10 Release [] "The Robot Revolution" was  released on  at 8 a.m.  (BST) in the United Kingdom and on  in the United States at 12 a.m.  on 12 April 2025. A  broadcast followed later in the day at 6:50 p.m. BST.  also handled international distribution of the episode. Ratings [] Overnight viewing figures estimate that the episode was watched by 2 million people on its BBC One broadcast, making it the second most-watched programme on BBC One behind the finale of , as well as the fourth-most watched programme of the day. Critical reception [] On the  website , 100% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.10/10. Will Salmon with  highlighted the setting of the episode and its design, but criticized the episode for being "light", as well as due to confusing plot points toward the end of the episode. Writing for , Stefan Mohamed highlighted the Doctor's characterization and the episode's new visual and directorial techniques, but criticized Alan as a villain and the death of Sasha 55 as a weak narrative moment. 's Roxy Simmons found the episode enjoyable but found the episode to make very little impact on the audience, and found the commentary unsubtle. Belinda's characterization and Sethu's performance was near universally praised.  author Ed Power praised the Doctor's characterization and the fun nature of the episode, though felt that elements of Alan's characterization as a "nerdy" character would receive negative reception, and that Sasha 55's death was unnecessary for the episode's plot.  critic Robert Anderson criticized the episode as feeling "shallow", as well as the twist of the AI Generator being Alan. Reviewing the episode for , Jack Seale highlighted the episode's re-introduction of the Doctor's character and the inclusion of topical issues, but criticized the twists involving the AI Generator as well as the execution of the episode's message. 's Chris Taylor argued that Belinda's characterization was weak, and that she lacked a sense of purpose compared to other past companions. He also criticized the episode's social commentary, feeling that the episode moved to fast to properly critique any aspect of society. Michael Hogan, penning a review for  felt some of the episode's social commentary was not well-executed, and felt jarring given the episode's time slot.

Tony Jordan joins us to look back on the DWAS Capitol Cutaway event.

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SHOW NOTES

(00:00:00) The Polish Social and Cultural Center (POSK for short) in London’s Hammersmith district was founded by the Polish community in the UK.

(00:18:57) A video of Peter Davison receiving his DWAS award can be seen on Facebook here.

(00:37:20) Regulars at the Capitol events are of course cosplayer supreme, Huw Dennis, and his “dresser” Lisa. This year Huw was cosplaying Noah from “Ark in Space” and Professor Scarman from “Pyramids of Mars). Photos can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(00:40:21) Capitol 9 in 2026 will be held at the Crowne Plaza hotel on 9th and 10th May. Details will be made public in early May 2025.

The Diddly Dum Podcast acknowledges the copyright of anyone we’ve pinched anything from.

Tony Jordan joins us to look back on the DWAS Capitol Cutaway event.

Find us on Bluesky

Find us on Twitter

Find us on Facebook

Find us on Mastodon

Find us on Instagram

We can also be found on the Doctor Who Podcast Alliance

Find Diddly Dum pics on Tumblr.

Visit our Youtube page.

Email us at diddlydumpodcast@yahoo.co.uk

SHOW NOTES

(00:00:00) The Polish Social and Cultural Center (POSK for short) in London’s Hammersmith district was founded by the Polish community in the UK.

(00:18:57) A video of Peter Davison receiving his DWAS award can be seen on Facebook here.

(00:37:20) Regulars at the Capitol events are of course cosplayer supreme, Huw Dennis, and his “dresser” Lisa. This year Huw was cosplaying Noah from “Ark in Space” and Professor Scarman from “Pyramids of Mars). Photos can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(00:40:21) Capitol 9 in 2026 will be held at the Crowne Plaza hotel on 9th and 10th May. Details will be made public in early May 2025.

The Diddly Dum Podcast acknowledges the copyright of anyone we’ve pinched anything from.

Tony Jordan joins us to look back on the DWAS Capitol Cutaway event.

Find us on Bluesky

Find us on Twitter

Find us on Facebook

Find us on Mastodon

Find us on Instagram

We can also be found on the Doctor Who Podcast Alliance

Find Diddly Dum pics on Tumblr.

Visit our Youtube page.

Email us at diddlydumpodcast@yahoo.co.uk

SHOW NOTES

(00:00:00) The Polish Social and Cultural Center (POSK for short) in London’s Hammersmith district was founded by the Polish community in the UK.

(00:18:57) A video of Peter Davison receiving his DWAS award can be seen on Facebook here.

(00:37:20) Regulars at the Capitol events are of course cosplayer supreme, Huw Dennis, and his “dresser” Lisa. This year Huw was cosplaying Noah from “Ark in Space” and Professor Scarman from “Pyramids of Mars). Photos can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(00:40:21) Capitol 9 in 2026 will be held at the Crowne Plaza hotel on 9th and 10th May. Details will be made public in early May 2025.

The Diddly Dum Podcast acknowledges the copyright of anyone we’ve pinched anything from.

Tony Jordan joins us to look back on the DWAS Capitol Cutaway event.

Find us on Bluesky

Find us on Twitter

Find us on Facebook

Find us on Mastodon

Find us on Instagram

We can also be found on the Doctor Who Podcast Alliance

Find Diddly Dum pics on Tumblr.

Visit our Youtube page.

Email us at diddlydumpodcast@yahoo.co.uk

SHOW NOTES

(00:00:00) The Polish Social and Cultural Center (POSK for short) in London’s Hammersmith district was founded by the Polish community in the UK.

(00:18:57) A video of Peter Davison receiving his DWAS award can be seen on Facebook here.

(00:37:20) Regulars at the Capitol events are of course cosplayer supreme, Huw Dennis, and his “dresser” Lisa. This year Huw was cosplaying Noah from “Ark in Space” and Professor Scarman from “Pyramids of Mars). Photos can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(00:40:21) Capitol 9 in 2026 will be held at the Crowne Plaza hotel on 9th and 10th May. Details will be made public in early May 2025.

The Diddly Dum Podcast acknowledges the copyright of anyone we’ve pinched anything from.

Tony Jordan joins us to look back on the DWAS Capitol Cutaway event.

Find us on Bluesky

Find us on Twitter

Find us on Facebook

Find us on Mastodon

Find us on Instagram

We can also be found on the Doctor Who Podcast Alliance

Find Diddly Dum pics on Tumblr.

Visit our Youtube page.

Email us at diddlydumpodcast@yahoo.co.uk

SHOW NOTES

(00:00:00) The Polish Social and Cultural Center (POSK for short) in London’s Hammersmith district was founded by the Polish community in the UK.

(00:18:57) A video of Peter Davison receiving his DWAS award can be seen on Facebook here.

(00:37:20) Regulars at the Capitol events are of course cosplayer supreme, Huw Dennis, and his “dresser” Lisa. This year Huw was cosplaying Noah from “Ark in Space” and Professor Scarman from “Pyramids of Mars). Photos can be seen on our Tumblr page here.

(00:40:21) Capitol 9 in 2026 will be held at the Crowne Plaza hotel on 9th and 10th May. Details will be made public in early May 2025.

The Diddly Dum Podcast acknowledges the copyright of anyone we’ve pinched anything from.

Doctor Who is back, and that means Verity! is back!

Join Erika and Tansy as they break down "The Robot Revolution"!

What are your thoughts on this season opener? Was it a success as a companion intro? What do you think of Belinda? And what the heck is up with Mrs. Flood?

Drop us a message on Bluesky, Facebook, or Instagram.

^E