Presenting

RADIO BROADCASTS

I am a regular presenter on The 7th Dimension, BBC Radio 4 Extra’s science-fiction hour between 6-7pm and midnight-1am every Saturday and Sunday. I do three week stints every couple of months. I also regularly see out the year on the show, presenting a round up of the notable losses to the world of science fiction and fantasy in my annual obituary slot.

It’s a great hour of archive gems including everything from Journey Into Space to Fear On Four and – you guessed it – Doctor Who. 

I have also been lucky enough to get whole three hours on BBC Radio 4 Extra’s Archive Hour presenting The Golden Age of American Radio. It got great write ups in many publications including the Radio Times (see below), the Telegraph and the Spectator.

“The whole thing is presented with spark by Toby Hadoke – try it, it’s fun” – Gillian Reynolds, Telegraph

“Presenter Toby Hadoke does a super job” – Simon O’Hagan, Radio Times (Pick of the Week)

Other radio presenting includes Michelle Around Midnight (BBC GMR) and The Allan Beswick Show (BBC GMT – guest co-host holiday relief). I have also banged on alongside Anita Anand, Richard Bacon, Stephen Nolan, Phil Williams and Edwina Currie on their Five Live shows which has involved verbal sparrings with various loons like Christian Voice and Tory MP Philip Davies. I have been a guest on almost every regional radio station in the land, including providing light relief during GMR’s live election coverage. I have also, I hope, provided some levity on Justin Moorhouse’s Key 103 show, for Smug Roberts on Revolution, Terry Christian on GMR, Serious About Comedy (BBC 7), Sunday (Radio 4) and The Fred MacAulay Show on BBC Radio Scotland.

I also did a snippet of Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf on Radio 4’s Loose Ends alongside the legendary Bernard Cribbins, and have been a guest contributor to Radio 4’s The Last Word.

DVD DOCUMENTARIES

I have worked extensively on the Doctor Who DVD and Blu-ray releases, fronting a number of documentaries, some serious, some silly.

Looking for David (Season 2 Blu-ray box set) – in search of script editor David Whitaker which takes me to TV Centre, Australia (via Zoom) and Chiswick. And Barnes Common of course.

Troughton in Tibet (The Abominable Snowmen – animated DVD/Blu-ray) – up a mountain (it’s a big one) with Frazer Hines for a Making of… documentary.

Whose Doctor Who – Revisted (Season 14 Blu-ray set) – Getting the story behind the first ever documentary made about Doctor Who, and tracking down some of its participants.

Looking for Lennie (Season 10 Blu-ray set) – Investigating the life of Lennie Mayne, the popular director killed in a boating accident. Those who remember him include his daughter Sadie, director Andrew Morgan, veteran actors Laurie Webb and Patricia Prior and legends Bernard Cribbins and Elizabeth Seal.

The Doctor Who Cookbook – Revisited (Season 23 Blu-ray set) – Doctor Who meets Masterchef and a very silly (and very 80s) book. A very daft programme that everyone seems to have really enjoyed.

A Weekend with Waterhouse (Season 18 Blu-ray set): In which I get to know the man behind the boy Adric, as I spent a jolly 48 hours as a house guest of the actor who played one of the most misunderstood Doctor Who companions.

Treasures Lost and Found (Enemy of the World Special Edition DVD) – A chance to meet a few participants from this once lost and utterly brilliant story, and a bit of a treasure hunt culminating in rather a sweet moment, but the main thing I came away from it with is that the hat I wear in it makes my face look chubby. Flat caps on screen from now on!

Hadoke Vs HAVOC (Inferno Special Edition DVD) – Director Chris Chapman invited me to reunite the surviving members of the HAVOC stunt team for one of the most popular things I’ve done for the range, as Derek Ware, Roy Scammell, Derek Martin and Stuart Fell persuade me to jump off a tower after reminiscing about their television stunt work.

Living with Levene (The Claws of Axos Special Edition DVD) – I get a bit Louis Theroux by spending a weekend in the company of the eccentric actor who played Sergeant Benton. John Levene was a game subject and the result is a lot of fun.

Looking for Peter (The Sensorites DVD) – As well as being presented by me it is, in fact, the first thing I ever pitched to the range. Chris Chapman made the pitch reality, and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done. Richard Bignell and Marcus Hearn also feature in a programme that uncovers genuinely new material and solves a big mystery – I’m very proud of it.

Casting Far and Wide (Resurrection Of The Daleks DVD – Revisitations 2 box set) – An actor fest, so right up my street, and an interesting piece, benefitting from some candid chat from Roger Davenport, Del Henney, Leslie Grantham, Jim Findley and William Sleigh. Here’s a clip.

Robophobia (The Robots of Death DVD – Revisitations 3 box set) – My first presenting job on the range, a lighthearted look at the history of robots in the world in general and Doctor Who in particular. It should not be confused with the Big Finish drama of the same name in which I am terribly serious and shout a lot.

DVD COMMENTARIES

It has been an honour to feature on the 2/entertain range of Doctor Who commentaries. Hired as a moderator, prodding and prompting various Doctor Who luminaries from the early years of the show as they make observations about the classic episodes they are watching. The Doctor Who range of DVDs feature a wealth of extra material and some incredibly skilful restoration, and it is a genuine privilege to have been asked to contribute. I have also filled a few gaps by recording alternative commentaries for Fantom Films and their Who Talk range.

I have also been used by the BFI to moderate the DVD commentaries for Out Of The Unknown, Out Of This World and Douglas Wilmer’s Sherlock Holmes. I also interviewed director John Gorrie, sound wizard Brian Hodgson and writer Mark Ward on stage for them at the NFT.