Reflecting on 2024: Podcasting Adventures and Community Highlights with The Big Blue Box

As we bid farewell to 2024, it’s time to reflect on another fantastic year where the team at the Big Blue Box has brought you the best in Doctor Who discussions, reviews, and general Who fun.

Whether you’ve been a listener from the beginning or recently joined us, we’ve loved sharing our usual chat, reviews and articles with you all as the world of Doctor Who went through another year of ups and downs.

Podcast Episodes Covering Every Corner of Who

For years now, The Big Blue Box has been a good mix of audio and written content. Except for a couple of months here and there throughout the year, we’ve consistently brought you plenty of Who waffle. A highlight (but also a real bummer, more on that in a minute) for us on the podcasting side was finishing another run of classic Who in our weekly review episodes. This year, we finished every story for the Third, Fourth and Seventh Doctors. Going through those amazing eras was special. Mostly because my co-host Adam’s favourite Doctor is Tom Baker so to watch them and review them all with him was amazing.

The sad part was a by-product of finishing them all, there are no more stories from those Doctor’s to see with fresh eyes. Specifically for me, a sad moment was finishing the last story on the list for my Doctor from the classic era – Sylvester McCoy. I kept The Curse of Fenric on there as long as I could but alas, we had to get to it at some point. They say you should never succumb to the green-eyed monster but I’m genuinely jealous of anyone coming into classic Doctor Who fresh and about to experience it for the first time.

Not to end this section on a bummer though, we also dived into some spin-off territory and reviewed Doctor Who’s very first spin-off – K-9 & Company: A Girl’s Best Friend. This was an interesting watch and while it’s nowhere near as good (due to the fortune of time, excuse the pun) as The Sarah Jane Adventures, it has a certain charm about it. Listen to our review here.

Check out some of the podcast episode highlights below, and don’t forget to follow us on whatever podcast app you use.

• Our final Third Doctor (re)review – Spearhead from Space
• Our final Fourth Doctor review – Shada
• Our final Seventh Doctor review – The Curse of Fenric
• Our review of Ncuti’s first episode from Season One
• Our review of arguably the most Marmite animated story – The Celestial Toymaker

Articles from the Amazing Writing Team

Beyond the podcast, our blog has been brimming with thoughtful reviews, feature pieces and event coverage. This year saw the team tackling everything from obscure classics to the latest Big Finish releases. Among the highlights was a comprehensive review of The Daemons and its spinoff, The White Witch of Devil’s End. Maria delved into this beloved Third Doctor serial with her trademark passion, unpacking its gothic horror roots and the fascinating mythology surrounding Azal and Miss Hawthorne.

The team also provided coverage of fan events like Whooverville 15 (an event I need to get to next year). Harry Walker’s report from the event captured the vibrant energy and camaraderie that makes Whooverville a great event. His behind-the-scenes anecdotes and heartfelt reflections reminded us why fan conventions remain integral to the Doctor Who community. Check out Harry’s report here.

Our roving reporter Maria didn’t disappoint this year! Getting out and about to various screenings at the BFI Southbank to coincide with the blu ray collection announcements and the classic screenings at Riverside Studios, Maria is a busy girl (she also reviewed some Big Finish stories, too)! You can check out some of Maria’s reports here…

• Maria’s first report of the year – Horror of Fang Rock screening at the BFI
• Riverside Studios Dalek Showcase
• Set to Stun exhibition at Gunnersbury Park
• The War Machines screening and Q&A at Riverside Studios

Of course, our Big Finish reviews continued to be a big part of our blog content. From the usual audio dramas featuring the Doctors to stories centred around other characters like Bernice Summerfield and the War Master, we reviewed many new releases this year.

Jordan smashed through plenty of Big Finish (and book reviews) as always, a few of his favourite stories…

• Doctor Who: Goth Opera
• The Fourth Doctor Adventures: Metamorphosis
• Doctor Who: Lost Stories: Deathworld
• Torchwood: End Game
• Doctor Who: Classic Doctors, New Monsters: Volume 4

While Doctor Who merch has been in somewhat of a decline in recent years, there are still plenty of gems and great collectables popping up if you’re willing to hunt them down. Fortunately, our Merch Master, Matt, has kept us up to date in informed on the best of the bunch. He mainly posts in our Discord server but his October round-up article was a stand-out with many items still available.

The Year of Nostalgia and Discovery

One of the recurring themes throughout our content this year was a celebration of Doctor Who’s history. Whether through retrospective reviews of classic episodes or reflections on groundbreaking moments in the modern era, nostalgia played a big role in shaping the conversations. At the same time, there was an eagerness to discover something new, whether it was the next Big Finish release or speculative insights into upcoming episodes. One thing that’s a certainty: regardless of online chatter or negative talk, new Doctor Who being on our screens is always very welcome.

This dual focus—honouring the past while looking forward—was particularly evident in our discussions about the returning companions for the 60th-anniversary specials. Donna Noble’s return, alongside David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor, reignited fan enthusiasm, and our podcast episodes exploring the implications of these reunions were among the most downloaded of the year. The episodes were filled with theories, analysis, and no shortage of excitement.

Equally important was the chance to highlight lesser-known gems in the Doctor Who universe. Our team made a concerted effort to bring attention to overlooked stories, whether through articles like “Lost Stories: Deathworld” or podcast segments on hidden gems from the audio dramas. The feedback from readers and listeners showed that these efforts were appreciated, sparking fresh interest in parts of the Whoniverse that often fly under the radar.

Our Growing Community of Who Fans

What truly makes the Big Blue Box special is, as always, the community that has grown around it. It’s been awesome to see Who fans from all walks of life come together to share their love for the show. If at some point throughout 2024, you chatted with us on our social channels, our Discord server, emailed us, left a review etc… thank you. A big fat timey-wimey thank you. I love chatting with every one of you and being able to converse with other people about something we love is truly unique and special.

Looking Ahead to 2025

As we close the book on 2024, we’re already gearing up for what promises to be another fantastic year. With the next series of Doctor Who on the horizon and plenty of Big Finish releases to dive into, there’s no shortage of material for our podcasts and articles. We’re also planning to expand our content offerings, with a few surprises up our sleeve that we can’t wait to share with you.

It’s been mentioned a few times but we also have a new website launching very soon so keep an eye out for that going live in the first part of 2025.

More than anything, though, we’re excited to keep connecting with you, our fellow fans. Whether through podcasts, articles, or live events, it’s your enthusiasm and passion that inspires us to keep exploring the Whoniverse.

From Maria, Harry, Jordan, Matt, Adam and myself, here’s to 2025—new stories, new adventures, and the same boundless love for all things Doctor Who.

Allons-y!