Episode 132: Such is the Burden of a Yokel (Shada)

While The Horns of Nimon was officially the end of Season 17, efforts have been made over the years to complete the unfinished story that was meant to be the season finale – Shada. And we are discussing the “definitive” version of that story that released on the 2021 Blu Ray release, mixing live action with animation in an episodic format. Given that the production team had hoped that this story would make everyone forget The Horns of Nimon, we ask – is this story as great as its legendary reputation would have it?   Join us as we discuss the edits that had to be made to make it work (including new music, FX, and a couple of short scenes), Skagra’s bonkers plan and his amazingly camp stylings, how this story could had been a four-parter, the pettiness of artificial intelligence, and (of course) Tom being Tom. Meanwhile, Reilly imagines how this could look in live action with plenty of alien villains in the prison on Shada!   If you would like to watch along with us, you can find this story available for streaming on Britbox in the USA (http://www.britbox.com) and BBC iPlayer in the UK (https://bbc.in/48GSaCB). If you’re a little old fashioned and prefer physical media (like our very own Anthony), you can find the entirety of Season 17 on Blu Ray from Amazon US (https://amzn.to/4cnZioD) and Amazon UK (https://amzn.to/3yvWfg9)   Other media mentioned in this episode*: The Lord of the Rings (1978 film) (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4cJhrOa | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3XW6rJ5) Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3FucnNC | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3llVpsV) Looney Tunes – The Platinum Collection (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3Aov8z7 | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3nRkM7w) The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3G6YCoH | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3m0qOSc) Phantasm (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/30KUYk4 | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3pm4wMr) Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4eO5p7H | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/4hftl5A) What We Do in the Shadows – Season 1 (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3IJaE7N | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3LhR8AV) Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Complete Series (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3BLoOaw | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/4dQH67D) The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkein (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4dXHbGC | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/4dTcS3R)   Finally, you can also follow us and interact with us on various forms of social media - Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 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.