In this episode of Kasterborous, Christian Cawley and James McLean take a trip down memory lane to discuss the infamous "wilderness years" of Doctor Who. 

Inspired by current industry headlines and the recent status of the series, they recall and reflects on how they—and the wider fandom—navigated the period following the show's 1989 cancellation. 

Key topics this week


  • The "Cancellation" Conversation: We break down the current state of Doctor Who and explore whether rumors of cancellation are merely a strategic attempt to generate discourse or a genuine reflection of industry instability. 

  • 1989 vs. Now: Comparing the experience of the late 80s with the modern era, and why it is so difficult for fans to determine the actual status of a production in today’s "post-truth" media landscape. 

  • The 90s Wilderness Years: James and Christian recall how they stayed engaged with the show during the hiatus, focusing on the rise of the Virgin New Adventures novels, VHS releases, and the importance of specialist shops like Forbidden Planet. 

  • Canonicity and Cash Cows: A deep dive into the 90s obsession with "official" canon and the changing perception of tie-in merchandise—from "crass commercial cash cows" to the more integrated, sophisticated marketing seen in modern franchise media. 

  • The Power of Independent Media: We highlight the opportunities for creativity in the "digital wild west," referencing the work of people like Gareth Kavanagh and Cutaway Comics as a blueprint for how fans and creators can keep a franchise alive.

Mentions and links


  • Substack: Follow our latest writing and discussions at gamingretro.substack.com.
  • Cutaway Comics: Check out the excellent work being done by Gareth Kavanagh and the team at Cutaway Comics.

  • Support our work in bringing lost and forgotten interviews and features from our old website to the Kasterborous Archive

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