NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 270: "The Happiness Patrol" Is Up!

 
"Blissful...isn't it, Doctor? Silence."
"A-ha, not quite. I can hear the sound of empires toppling."
-- Earl Sigma and the Seventh Doctor, Doctor Who: "The Happiness Patrol"

Hello again, everyone! My partner in time Jesse Jackson and I are back with a new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast! This time, we're  joined by special guest companions Xan Sprouse & Holly Mac as we discuss "The Happiness Patrol", the second serial from Doctor Who Season 25 in 1988, featuring Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor, Sophie Aldred as Ace, and Sheila Hancock as Helen A!

In this episode, Jesse and I discuss things like Xan's life being cats right now, Holly doing a Doctor Who rewatch to prepare for the 60th anniversary next year, Jesse vs. Upset Bruce Springsteen Fans, Jesse's dislike of the Kandy Man, the character of Helen A being intended to satirize Then-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, director Chris Clough wanting to shoot the story in black-and-white, Chris Clough providing the howls for Helen A's pet Stigorax Fifi, the BBC agreeing to never use the Kandy Man again after complaints from Bassett's that the character resembled their mascot Bertie Bassett, the Kandy Man originally being human in appearance, the original script called "The Crooked Smile", the Doctor's Academy nickname "Theta Sigma", the Seventh Doctor on the spoons jamming with Earl Sigma on harmonica, Xan feeling the Seventh Doctor stories were written around their resources, Susan Q being relieved that she could stop dressing like a member of the Happiness Patrol, Earl Sigma being a Classic Era black character that wasn't a guard or a henchman, the Kandy Man's high-pitched voice being the worst thing about him, Daisy K and Priscilla P totally buying into Helen A's agenda, wondering why the Kandy Man didn't have anything in the Kandy Kitchen to keep him from getting stuck to the floor, Helen A and the Happiness Patrol being female villains, Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher on The Crown, Joseph C bailing on Gilbert M stealing Helen A's shuttle, Holly's appreciation for the Fifi puppet, wondering if Helen A should've been arrested for crying over Fifi's death, our favorite quotes of the episode, my Reverse the Reverse the Polarity segment, new feedback from Sandi from Oregon and Dave Proctor, Holly returning for our discussion of the Big Finish 2-parter "Human Resouces", and more!

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Be sure to come back in two weeks for the next episode of Next Stop Everywhere as Jesse and I are joined by special guest companion Holly Mac to discuss "Human Resources", the 2007 Doctor Who audio drama from Big Finish Productions, featuring Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor, Sheridan Smith as Lucie Miller, Katarina Olsson as the Headhunter, and the return of the Cybermen!