Would you credit it? Our guest President this week is the ever-excellent Daniel Hill — actor, sitcom stalwart from Waiting For God, and a man forever entwined with one of Doctor Who’s most tantalising “what might have been” stories: Shada.
Pull on something warm and set off with us on another leisurely ramble as President Hill takes the helm, steering us through three destinations drawn entirely at random by Tony’s enchanted bingo machine — a device that hums with quiet menace and occasionally appears to choose subjects based on personal grudges. As always, the calm, all-seeing narration of Sir Stephen Fry hovers reassuringly overhead, like a benevolent weather system.
Our first port of call is 992: History. Naturally, this raises the all-important question: if you could time travel, where would you go? For President Hill, the answer is unequivocal — Ancient Rome. What follows is a vivid wander through emperors, architecture, spectacle, and the sheer logistical horror of togas, as we wonder whether history is best observed, corrected, or left firmly alone.
Next, we find ourselves veering sharply into 632: Plant Injuries & Diseases, a subject that immediately puts Paul on edge. Childhood trauma resurfaces in the form of a nightmare involving Triffids at the tender age of six — an image that has never truly loosened its grip. Daniel, however, holds the stronger hand this time, recounting a very real-life encounter with a plant that came alarmingly close to blinding him. Botany, it turns out, is not to be trusted.
Our third and final destination is 753: Symbolism, Allegory, Mythology & Legend, which opens the doors wide for tales of scarves, Time Lords, and television history that slipped through the cracks. It’s time to talk Tom Baker. As the guest star of the infamous, unfinished Doctor Who story Shada, President Hill shares memories of what was planned, what was filmed, and what was ultimately thwarted by circumstance — alongside whispered legends of fearsome BBC commissioners and the peculiar atmosphere of a production that never quite reached the screen.
And then, inevitably, it’s back to the Presidential shed, where history is rewritten, plants are viewed with suspicion, and unfinished stories continue to haunt the corners — much like Shada itself.
Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club is a free-associating conversation, involving very special guests. It drops every Friday on every podcasting outlet known to man. We’d love it if you came along for the walk. If nothing else, it’ll help you get your steps in!
Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear
Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell
The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley
Series Researcher- Soula Carmichael
Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson
Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris
Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson
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Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com
Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive
Instagram: tony_slattery_official
BlueSky: @ramblingclub
Paul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelV
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Daniel's Instagram: @danielhillactor
© Fanfaronade Productions 2025
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