Sophie Aldred's Ace Odyssey

Something is shushing aboard the Nosferatu 2.5.But who is shushing whom? And why has the Time Scoop delivered Sarah Sutton aboard the ship apparently carrying fragments of a story that never existed?This week, Sarah joins Sophie on the Sofa of Infinite Understanding for a journey through a remarkable career that began when she was just nine years old, playing Baby Roo in Winnie the Pooh, and continued through Alice Through the Looking Glass, The Moon Stallion and, of course, her unforgettable time as Nyssa alongside the Fifth Doctor. Sarah also reflects on her continuing work in audio and her return to the Doctor Who universe through Big Finish.But there is something decidedly strange about this particular visit. Sarah seems to have arrived from somewhere else entirely, and the boundaries between fact, fiction and memory are becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish. As mysterious shushing sounds echo through the ship, Sophie and Hobbes begin to wonder whether the Neverwhen has started writing a story of its own.Meanwhile, the Ffantaface welcomes Dr Adam Scovell, writer, filmmaker and author of Folk Horror: Hours Dreadful and Things Strange. A regular contributor to the BFI and Sight & Sound, Adam has made a particular study of the uneasy relationship between landscape, memory, folklore and horror, while his BFI work has taken him in search of the real locations behind some of cinema and television's most haunting stories. But how does Dr.Who figure in his story? So what happens when a story that never happened starts behaving as though it did?And, perhaps more importantly...who is doing the shushing?Sophie Aldred's Ace Odyssey stars Sophie Aldred with James Showers as Hobbes.Special Guests- Sarah Sutton and Adam ScovellYou can find us all over your social media.Bluesky/Instagram/X: @aceodyssey63Facebook: Sophie Aldred's Ace OdysseyYou can see Adam's work at www.celluloidwickerman.com For listeners who want even more adventure, you can step inside the Ace Odyssey Patreon Community-*Episodes released early and ad free*Two exclusive podcasts every month*Online meet-ups and interactive events*Direct involvement in the evolving universe of the showwww.patreon.com/aceodysseyMusic by Graeme AllanSound Effects & Sound Design by Gavin RymillProgramme Assistant Liz WhitmoreWritten, Produced and Directed by Paul Carmichael You can follow Graeme Allan on Bluesky @graemeallan and listen to more of his music at www.youtube.com/brassbanditYou can follow Gavin Rymill on Twitter & Bluesky @themindrobber, and you can watch his superb Dr.Who series Terry Nation Army on www.youtube.com/dalek6388You can follow Paul Carmichael on Bluesky @paulcarmichaeluk and on Threads @paul.carmichael.1213

This week, the Time Scoop performs another of its increasingly unpredictable acts of temporal mischief, bringing aboard Tracey Eddon ,stunt performer, stunt double and one of the remarkable, often unseen figures behind some of cinema and television’s most memorable moments. Tracey’s extraordinary career includes doubling for Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, as well as stunt work across productions including An American Werewolf in London, Labyrinth, Superman III, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Johnny English and Paddington 2. Her work on Return of the Jedi extended beyond doubling for Leia: she also doubled for Anthony Daniels as C-3PO and performed other stunt and character work during the production. Joining Sophie on the Sofa of Infinite Understanding, Tracey looks back across a career spent quite literally stepping into other people’s stories. Falling, fighting, flying, running and occasionally doing things that most sensible people would regard as a particularly poor use of an afternoon. For Sophie, however, this is also a reunion with someone who occupied a very special place in the world of Doctor Who: the woman who doubled for her as Ace. The conversation explores the peculiar relationship between actor and double, the extraordinary demands of stunt work and the strange business of being present in some of cinema’s most famous moments while remaining, deliberately, almost invisible.Meanwhile, the Ffantaface opens its doors to Laura Burns, whose own journey demonstrates that sometimes the things we love when we are young can take us somewhere wonderfully unexpected. A lifelong Doctor Who fan, Laura found that fascination with science fiction becoming part of a much larger journey into science, technology and space, ultimately leading to a career connected with the world of NASA. Her professional life has encompassed engineering, technology and the development of ideas for the future, while her involvement in speculative fiction communities has included work with the Parsec Awards. With Sophie, Laura talks about the remarkable path from being inspired by imaginary worlds to helping shape real ones: the science, the work, the possibilities and the enduring power of Doctor Who to make a young person look upwards and wonder what might be possible. It is a particularly fitting conversation for a series in which the impossible is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish from reality.And aboard the Nosferatu 2.5, something else has appeared.A library containing every book ever written or, perhaps, every book that ever will be written. Its shelves seem to stretch beyond the dimensions of the ship itself, its stories appear to know things they shouldn’t, and its sudden disappearance may be more troubling than its arrival.Sophie and Hobbes have discovered that stories within the Neverwhen may possess a power of their own.Sophie Aldred's Ace Odyssey stars Sophie Aldred with James Showers as Hobbes.Special Guests- Tracey Eddon and Laura BurnsYou can find us all over your social media.Bluesky/Instagram/X: @aceodyssey63Facebook: Sophie Aldred's Ace OdysseyFor listeners who want even more adventure, you can step inside the Ace Odyssey Patreon Community-*Episodes released early and ad free*Two exclusive podcasts every month*Online meet-ups and interactive events*Direct involvement in the evolving universe of the showwww.patreon.com/aceodysseyMusic by Graeme AllanSound Effects & Sound Design by Gavin RymillProgramme Assistant Liz WhitmoreWritten, Produced and Directed by Paul Carmichael You can follow Graeme Allan on Bluesky @graemeallan and listen to more of his music at www.youtube.com/brassbanditYou can follow Gavin Rymill on Twitter & Bluesky @themindrobber, and you can watch his superb Dr.Who series Terry Nation Army on www.youtube.com/dalek6388You can follow Paul Carmichael on Bluesky @paulcarmichaeluk and on Threads @paul.carmichael.1213

There are some mysteries that announce themselves with explosions. Others arrive much more quietly.The Nosferatu 2.5 continues its impossible voyage, where the familiar laws of time and space have become little more than polite suggestions. Echoes now arrive before the sounds that create them, corridors remember places they have never been, and Hobbes' increasingly concerned scans suggest that the boundaries between memory, story and reality are becoming dangerously indistinct. Somewhere, something is rearranging the order in which events happen.Returning to the Sofa of Infinite Understanding is the incomparable Sylvester McCoy. When he first stepped aboard the Nosferatu 2.5 there simply wasn't enough time to explore a career as extraordinary as his. This time, however, there is a rather unexpected complication: Sylvester has absolutely no recollection of ever having visited before. As Sophie and Hobbes grapple with the implications, conversation drifts effortlessly through a lifetime of remarkable adventures. From his gloriously anarchic early years with the legendary Ken Campbell, where theatrical convention was joyfully abandoned in favour of organised chaos, to memories of spectacular pratfalls, ferrets where no ferrets were ever intended to be, and the sheer delight of discovering that making people laugh could become a career, Sylvester proves once again why he remains one of Britain's most captivating storytellers.Along the way come touching recollections of his dear friend and colleague David Rappaport, reflections on friendship, loss and creativity, and the unmistakable warmth that has endeared Sylvester to audiences for decades. There is, of course, some discussion of a certain Time Lord... although whether Sophie and Sylvester ever quite manage to reach Doctor Who before events intervene once again is another matter entirely.Elsewhere, the Ffantaface welcomes Abbie Foster, whose thoughtful and beautifully crafted social media work has introduced a new generation to the joy, comfort and creativity of Doctor Who. Through TikTok and other platforms, Abbie has built a community founded not simply on nostalgia but on optimism, kindness and imagination, sharing the ways in which the series has helped shape her own life during both its brightest and most challenging moments. Joining Sophie within the ever-shifting currents of the Ffantaface, she reflects on fandom in the digital age, finding your voice through creativity, and how stories have the remarkable ability to arrive precisely when we need them most. In a series where stories are beginning to rewrite reality itself, that feels less like coincidence... and rather more like destiny.Sophie Aldred's Ace Odyssey stars Sophie Aldred with James Showers as Hobbes.Special Guests- Sylvester McCoy and Abbie FosterAbbie's TikTok: abbieinthetardisYou can find us all over your social media.Bluesky/Instagram/X: @aceodyssey63Facebook: Sophie Aldred's Ace OdysseyFor listeners who want even more adventure, you can step inside the Ace Odyssey Patreon Community-*Episodes released early and ad free*Two exclusive podcasts every month*Online meet-ups and interactive events*Direct involvement in the evolving universe of the showwww.patreon.com/aceodysseyMusic by Graeme AllanSound Effects & Sound Design by Gavin RymillProgramme Assistant Liz WhitmoreWritten, Produced and Directed by Paul Carmichael You can follow Graeme Allan on Bluesky @graemeallan and listen to more of his music at www.youtube.com/brassbanditYou can follow Gavin Rymill on Twitter & Bluesky @themindrobber, and you can watch his superb Dr.Who series Terry Nation Army on www.youtube.com/dalek6388You can follow Paul Carmichael on Bluesky @paulcarmichaeluk and on Threads @paul.carmichael.1213

The Nosferatu 2.5 continues its strange journey beyond the ordinary boundaries of space and time, where corridors refuse to stay in the same place, impossible libraries appear and disappear without warning, and memories seem capable of taking root as though they were living things. As Sophie and Hobbes continue their search for a way home, they discover that the Neverwhen is no empty void. It listens. It remembers. And, perhaps most unsettling of all, it has begun to tell stories of its own.While Hobbes attempts the impossible task of sending a message across the gulf between universes, Mrs C remains gloriously unconvinced that any amount of tinkering will improve matters. Yet even the smallest signal offers a glimmer of hope. Sometimes the quietest sound can become the beginning of an extraordinary journey.This week the Time Scoop reaches back to retrieve one of television's true pioneers, Peter Purves. First appearing in Doctor Who as the ill-fated Morton Dill before returning almost immediately as the courageous space pilot Steven Taylor, Peter became one of William Hartnell's most enduring companions, helping establish the adventurous spirit that would define the series for generations to come.Settling into the Sofa of Infinite Understanding alongside Sophie, Peter reflects on a lifetime of adventures both on and off screen: travelling with the First Doctor, the remarkable chemistry of those early days at the BBC, the enduring appeal of Steven Taylor, and why the greatest journeys are often the ones you never expected to take. It is a conversation filled with warmth, humour and the quiet wisdom of someone who has spent a lifetime exploring, whether by spaceship, climbing rope or children's television camera.No voyage aboard the Nosferatu 2.5 would be complete without a descent into the shimmering landscape of the Ffantaface, where fandom itself becomes part of the adventure. This week's guide is Erica Lear, founder of the much-loved Fans Like Us community and a familiar, welcoming presence on the convention circuit for more than a quarter of a century. Through countless events, gatherings and charitable endeavours, Erica has helped create spaces where friendships flourish, newcomers become lifelong fans, and the shared love of Doctor Who transcends generations. Joining Sophie within the ever-changing currents of the Ffantaface, she reflects on the simple truth that fandom is about far more than television programmes. It is about people, community, kindness and the extraordinary families we sometimes discover for ourselves. In a universe where stories are beginning to reshape reality, that may prove to be the most powerful story of all.Sophie Aldred's Ace Odyssey stars Sophie Aldred with James Showers as Hobbes.Special Guests- Peter Purves and Erica LearPerer's Facebook: Peter John PurvesErica's Instagram: tony_slattery_official / erica_lear_You can find us all over your social media.Bluesky/Instagram/X: @aceodyssey63Facebook: Sophie Aldred's Ace OdysseyFor listeners who want even more adventure, you can step inside the Ace Odyssey Patreon Community-*Episodes released early and ad free*Two exclusive podcasts every month*Online meet-ups and interactive events*Direct involvement in the evolving universe of the showwww.patreon.com/aceodysseyMusic by Graeme AllanSound Effects & Sound Design by Gavin RymillProgramme Assistant Liz WhitmoreWritten, Produced and Directed by Paul Carmichael You can follow Graeme Allan on Bluesky @graemeallan and listen to more of his music at www.youtube.com/brassbanditYou can follow Gavin Rymill on Twitter & Bluesky @themindrobber, and you can watch his superb Dr.Who series Terry Nation Army on www.youtube.com/dalek6388You can follow Paul Carmichael on Bluesky @paulcarmichaeluk and on Threads @paul.carmichael.1213

The Nosferatu 2.5 is changing.Following the devastating collision with another version of itself, Sophie's beloved ship has emerged somewhere beyond the familiar boundaries of time and space, where certainty is becoming an increasingly rare commodity. New corridors seem to appear overnight, echoes linger just a little too long, and an impossible wall of ancient brickwork now stands where polished steel should be. Stranger still, somewhere beyond it all, a clock has begun counting backwards. Whether these are symptoms of damage or signs of something far older awakening aboard the ship remains uncertain, but Sophie, Hobbes and Mrs C are determined to uncover the truth before reality itself slips through their fingers.This week's unexpected visitor is one of Doctor Who's most enduring stars, Louise Jameson. Best known to generations of viewers as the fearless Leela, Louise transformed one of the series' most iconic companions into a character remembered for her intelligence, courage and uncompromising spirit. Across an extraordinary career spanning television, theatre, film and audio drama, she has continually reinvented herself while remaining a much-loved figure within the Doctor Who family. Joining Sophie on the Sofa of Infinite Understanding, Louise reflects on nearly five decades of adventures through time and space, the lasting legacy of Leela, life beyond Gallifrey, and the friendships that have grown from a programme which continues to inspire audiences around the world.Elsewhere, the Ffantaface opens its shimmering portal to another remarkable member of the Doctor Who community. This week's guest is Mike Rymill, lifelong fan, meticulous researcher and one of the hobby's most accomplished prop builders. Having watched Doctor Who from the very beginning, Mike has spent decades recreating some of the programme's most recognisable artefacts, constructing so many TARDISes over the years that even he has lost count. Widely respected for his unrivalled knowledge of the original Metropolitan Police Box and the real-world history behind television's most famous time machine, Mike joins Sophie to explore the craftsmanship, dedication and extraordinary attention to detail that have helped bring Doctor Who's universe to life far beyond the television screen. Together they celebrate the ingenuity of a fandom that has always believed that, with enough imagination, and perhaps a little plywood and blue paint, the impossible can become wonderfully real.Sophie Aldred's Ace Odyssey stars Sophie Aldred with James Showers as Hobbes.Special Guests- Louise Jameson and Mike RymillYou can find us all over your social media.Bluesky/Instagram/X: @aceodyssey63Facebook: Sophie Aldred's Ace OdysseyFor listeners who want even more adventure, you can step inside the Ace Odyssey Patreon Community-*Episodes released early and ad free*Two exclusive podcasts every month*Online meet-ups and interactive events*Direct involvement in the evolving universe of the showwww.patreon.com/aceodysseyMusic by Graeme AllanSound Effects & Sound Design by Gavin RymillProgramme Assistant Liz WhitmoreWritten, Produced and Directed by Paul Carmichael You can follow Graeme Allan on Bluesky @graemeallan and listen to more of his music at www.youtube.com/brassbanditYou can follow Gavin Rymill on Twitter & Bluesky @themindrobber, and you can watch his superb Dr.Who series Terry Nation Army on www.youtube.com/dalek6388You can follow Paul Carmichael on Bluesky @paulcarmichaeluk and on Threads @paul.carmichael.1213

Set aside whatever sensible plans you had for the immediate future, ensure your temporal bearings are securely fastened, and join us once more aboard the venerable Nosferatu 2.5 — a ship currently operating under conditions best described as “philosophically unstable.” The corridors creak with impossible histories, the walls have developed an alarming enthusiasm for architectural improvisation, and somewhere in the depths of the vessel, a mystery long deferred has finally decided to make itself unavoidable. Because this week… the door opens.And once opened, certain things cannot be closed again.For Sophie Aldred, life aboard the Nosferatu 2.5 is about to change in ways neither Hobbes’ protocols nor Mrs C’s practical pessimism could possibly have prepared her for. Questions that have lingered in the shadows begin to stir. Old certainties wobble. The past, that most unreliable travelling companion, draws unexpectedly close. Yet while revelations wait in the wings, one mystery remains firmly under lock and key: who, or what, has been waiting behind the door? We would tell you… but some stories demand patience, and some shocks deserve to arrive unannounced.At the centre of this most unusual expedition lies an encounter long overdue. This week, Sophie Aldred herself. under circumstances that may involve emotional negotiation, procedural insistence, and at least one raised eyebrow from Hobbes, taks her place upon the Sofa of Infinite Understanding. Performer, companion, storyteller, and the beating heart of the Ace Odyssey, Sophie reflects upon memory, identity, unexpected turns, and the peculiar business of spending decades travelling alongside a character who never entirely leaves you. Yet one question lingers with almost suspicious insistence: if Sophie is on the sofa… then who, exactly, is asking the questions?Meanwhile, with the future of the Nosferatu 2.5 hanging in an increasingly precarious balance, Sophie finds temporary refuge in the strange and shimmering landscapes of the Ffantaface — that endlessly mutating realm where fandom, memory, and imagination collide. Waiting there is Stuart Crouch: designer extraordinaire and the creative force behind a remarkable array of Doctor Who visual history, from iconic DVD ranges to beautifully realised merchandise that has helped shape the way generations of fans experience the Whoniverse. Through design, detail, and an instinctive understanding of visual storytelling, Stuart has transformed nostalgia into something tactile. Objects that do not merely commemorate stories, but continue them. Together, he and Sophie explore craft, fandom, aesthetics, and the quiet art of making the familiar feel magical all over again.And just when it seems the turbulence might finally be settling, the ship itself begins to whisper that calm is sometimes merely the moment before something notices you’re there.You can find us all over your social media.Bluesky/Instagram/X: @aceodyssey63Facebook: Sophie Aldred's Ace OdysseyStuart's X/Bluesky: @SCrouchCreativeFor listeners who want even more adventure, you can step inside the Ace Odyssey Patreon Community-*Episodes released early*Two exclusive podcasts every month*Online meet-ups and interactive events*Direct involvement in the evolving universe of the showwww.patreon.com/aceodysseySophie Aldred's Ace Odyssey stars Sophie Aldred with James Showers as Hobbes.Special Guest- Stuart CrouchMusic, Sound Effects, Sound Design and Post Production by Michael Livesleywww.michaellivesley.co.ukProgramme Assistant Liz WhitmoreWritten, Produced and Directed by Paul CarmichaelSophie Aldred’s Ace Odyssey is an Eh? Aye! Production © 2026

We would like to apologise for the delay in transmission of episode twelve of Sophie Aldred’s Ace Odyssey.Due to what engineers are describing as “an entirely avoidable wormhole incident,” the episode was accidentally redirected to the 2nd of June, 1953.The Bi-Galactic Broadcasting Company would like to assure all listeners that normal service has now resumed, whatever “normal” currently means!Set aside whatever temporal maintenance you are currently attempting (successfully or otherwise), ensure all nearby clocks are proceeding in the correct direction, and make yourself comfortable as we once again step aboard the venerable Nosferatu 2.5, a ship of such considerable age and personality that several of its systems now appear to operate according to folklore, emotional memory, and whatever wiring Mrs C last threatened with a spatula. With Sophie Aldred at the helm, our voyage continues through nostalgia, narrative instability, and those curious moments where performance and reality become almost impossible to separate.This week, the Time Scoop stays silent but, nevertheless, we find ourselves in the presence of none other than Bonnie Langford, actor, singer, dancer, and one of the most enduringly beloved figures in the wider Doctor Who universe. A performer whose career began astonishingly young and has spanned theatre, television, music, and live entertainment with seemingly inexhaustible energy, Bonnie has become synonymous with versatility, resilience, and reinvention. From West End stages to prime-time television, from Cats to Chicago, and from companion Melanie Bush’s first adventures to her triumphant modern return, Bonnie’s journey through performance has been one of remarkable longevity and constant evolution. Once Hobbes has reluctantly grumbled about noises “indicative of narrative misbehaviour,” Bonnie joins Sophie upon the Sofa of Infinite Understanding for a conversation rich in memory, laughter, survival, and the peculiar alchemy of growing up in public whilst somehow remaining gloriously yourself.No excursion aboard the Nosferatu 2.5, however, would be complete without another immersion into the strange and shimmering tides of the Ffantaface, that endlessly shifting archive where fandom, identity, and imagination collide. Presiding over proceedings, naturally, is Mrs C, the Cockney goldfish, whose telepathic commentary remains gloriously direct and only occasionally actionable under intergalactic law. This week’s guide through the Ffantaface is Jordan Winn: filmmaker, advocate, and passionate voice for autism awareness, whose work combines creativity, honesty, and a deep affection for Doctor Who and the communities it inspires. Through filmmaking, online outreach, and thoughtful discussion around neurodiversity and representation, Jordan explores the power of storytelling not merely as entertainment, but as connection. A way of understanding ourselves and one another a little better. Together, Jordan and Sophie discuss creativity, fandom, perspective, and the importance of spaces where difference is not merely accepted, but celebrated.And somewhere, deep within the shifting corridors of the ship… the door begins to open!You can find us all over your social media.Bluesky/Instagram/X: @aceodyssey63Facebook: Sophie Aldred's Ace OdysseyJordan's Instagram: @jordanactorwFor listeners who want even more adventure, you can step inside the Ace Odyssey Patreon Community-*Episodes released early*Two exclusive podcasts every month*Online meet-ups and interactive events*Direct involvement in the evolving universe of the showwww.patreon.com/aceodysseySophie Aldred's Ace Odyssey stars Sophie Aldred with James Showers as Hobbes.Special Guests- Bonnie Langford and Jordan WinnMusic, Sound Effects, Sound Design and Post Production by Michael Livesleywww.michaellivesley.co.ukProgramme Assistant Liz WhitmoreWritten, Produced and Directed by Paul CarmichaelSophie Aldred’s Ace Odyssey is an Eh? Aye! Production © 2026