Episode 111: Simple Old-Fashioned Cannibalism (The Talons of Weng-Chiang)

Oh boy… it’s time for us to cover The Talons of Weng-Chiang! For a long time considered one of the greatest Doctor Who stories of all time, but more recently faced with accusations of racism, you just know that this is going to be a wild ride of a discussion!   Join us as we talk about Britbox trigger warnings, John Bennett in yellowface, creepy AF puppets with pig brains, classic Holmesian double acts, Victorian London, time cabinets, unnecessarily verbose dialogue, and justifying sexualization of Leela based on Julie’s prior sexualization of Jamie. Additionally, Reilly tries to get to grips with cockney rhyming slang.   If you would like to watch along with us, this story is available for streaming at both Britbox US (https://www.britbox.com) and Britbox UK (https://www.britbox.co.uk). If you prefer physical media, you can also get it on DVD from Amazon US (https://amzn.to/3REDkp2) or from Amazon UK (https://amzn.to/3tCOxhM), or on Blu Ray as part of The Collection: Season 14 from both Amazon US (https://amzn.to/3SmKq3n) and Amazon UK (https://amzn.to/462oGga).   Other media mentioned in this episode*: Village of the Damned (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/48ftjWl | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/48ho1JP) The Stepford Wives (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3kv61Wc | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3hKmFPWa) Dead of Night (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3RyKyL6 | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3tGG6lq) Community – The Complete Series (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2ZczFaG | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3C1UTpM) Goosebumps (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3tsbeFr | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3REDMne) Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Complete Series (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3H1JDhn | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/4aygoAt) Child’s Play (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3S4tOwU | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3GZfE9M) Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Granada Television Series (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4aHR1fB | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3GZeMSL) Big Trouble in Little China (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/41NmrNy | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/4aPzdiG) Rick and Morty – Seasons 1-4 (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3lAWSLv | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/31pNymB) Austin Powers Triple Feature (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3G4NQit | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3vuHNyO) Looney Tunes – The Platinum Collection (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3Aov8z7 | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3nRkM7w) The Simpsons (Disney+: http://www.disneyplus.com) The Complete Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3EHSRgz | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3AoUA7V) The Phantom of the Opera, by Gaston Leroux (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/46a4aeH | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/454Ayhm) The Moonstone, by Wilkie Collins (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/41KHRL1 | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3S1zibF) The Mystery of Dr. Fu Manchu, by Sax Rohmer (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3TIRMyN | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/48aTq0u) Big Finish’s Jago and Litefoot series (BigFinish.com: https://bit.ly/3NKrGaJ) Colonel Bogey March (YouTube: https://youtu.be/QuVYS4uw0as) Finally, you can also follow us and interact with us on various forms of social media - Facebook, Instagram, and X. You can also e-mail us at [email protected]. If you’re enjoying this podcast, please subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating or review.   *Support Watchers in the Fourth Dimension! We are an Amazon affiliate and earn a small commission from purchases through Amazon links. This goes towards the running costs of the podcast.