Discussion Panel Track, TARDIS Talks, and Open Panelist Call

Gallifrey One is happy to present our list of panels for the Discussion Panel program track at our February 2024 convention, Gallifrey One’s Miracle on 34th Street.  (Meanwhile, stay tuned for our next news update which will feature our second block of guests!)

Our Discussion Panel track is one of the most popular parts of the convention: conversations, led by fan attendees and joined in by audience participation, discussing all the various facets of Doctor Who and other related topics.  2024 will be no exception, and we are thrilled to release the following list of potential fan discussion panels below for your enjoyment.  Please be aware of the following:

• Not every panel on this list will happen, due to panelist interest and other factors, but as many of them as we can pack in.
• This is only one track of programming at Gallifrey One 2024… we’ll have plenty of others, including discussion panels with many of our guests, as well as specialized panel programming that is invite-only for panelists.

We are also opening up our open panelist call today for 2024, seeking participants who would like to lead one or more of these panel discussions.  In order to participate as a fan panelist on our discussions, you must provide your name and a valid email address, as well as your selections for panels you’d enjoy participating on as a panelist, and some information about why you’d like to be a panelist. Some important things to consider:

• Participation as a panelist on our discussion panel program is entirely the selection of our program director, whose goal is to create a balanced and fun panelist group;
• Panelists are not granted complementary admission; everyone must have a paid convention ticket at the time you are requesting to be a panelist; and 
• Panelists need to provide either their legal name, or the name they use in everyday life; please, no social media handles!  (If the name on your request does not match the name on your ID, please note that on the form so we can verify you have a ticket.)

It is also very important to remember that all attendees of the convention can enjoy these panels as a spectator!  The panelist call is only for the people on the panel who lead the discussion.  Audience participation and feedback is very welcome and highly encouraged!

Please click on the following link to submit your name as a panelist for one of more panels:

Gallifrey One 2024 Open Panelist Request Form
CLICK HERE to submit your requests

A full list of the panels open for fan participants can be found below.  As noted above, the discussion panel track is only one of our program tracks, and the rest of our convention program will be announced in January.

Discussion Panels List

Doctor Who Panels

1. Ncuti to the Moon: The new era of Doctor Who has begun, and by the time of this year’s convention, we’ll be long past the anniversary specials into the era of the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday. We’ll discuss everything we know about the upcoming season and beyond: trailers, photos, set leaks, potential plot spoilers and more. We’ll also discuss what the new era means for the show, and what we think the future of the series promises.

2. Special Features: Familiar face, familiar teeth – the regeneration of the Thirteenth Doctor shocked everyone by bringing back David Tennant, before the eventual transition to new lead Ncuti Gatwa. We’ll take a deep dive into the four Doctor Who specials from the end of 2023 – Tennant’s three anniversary specials and the 2023 holiday special – to review each story, discuss where they’ve changed the series and led it into new horizons.

3. In The House of the Mouse: It’s a new era, as the BBC joined forces with Disney to bring Doctor Who into the future. We’ll discuss what the Disney partnership brings to the table, including how it’s just changed how Americans watch the show, how it’s marketed and adapted for the audience (Doctor Who theme park attractions, anyone?) and the endless possibilities that exist for new spinoffs… perhaps a brand new Doctor Who cinematic universe all its own. Could crossovers abound?

4. Fourth to Doomsday: Even today, the adventures of Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor and his companions remains as one of the most beloved eras of Doctor Who. This panel will take a nostalgic trip to the 1970s, revisiting the highlights and memorable moments of the Fourth Doctor’s travels, waxing nostalgic about his amazing traveling companions and dastardly villains, and discussing why the era remains so popular among fans of the show.

5. TARDIS Represent! Doctor Who has a long history of LGBTQIA+ characters, both those declared in canon and those we find in subtext, as well as embracing the world of diversity and acceptance on both sides of the camera, especially in recent memory. With Russell T Davies back in the saddle and openly queer actor Ncuti Gatwa as its new lead, we’ll ponder what this means for the next few seasons of the series and its fandom, and how it paves the way for the future.

6. Doctor Who Deathmatch: 60 for Sixty: Our annual Deathmatch panel returns, this time being a blatant excuse to celebrate the recent sixtieth anniversary of Doctor Who. Ten panelists will create a list of their favorite Who stories from the entire run of the series (1963 to present); then, at a high rate of speed, each panelist will present a timed, one-minute review of their top six favorites – without repeating anyone else’s choices, and completely from the top of their head – until we have a list of the sixty best stories from sixty years of Who. (This will be in a 90 minute time slot; prospective panelists will need to come up with a list of 10-15 of their favorite stories, so as not to repeat others’ choices, and bring them to the panel.)

7. Music of the Spheres 101: The Akinola Era: For five years, composer Segun Akinola left his stamp on Doctor Who music that will live forever. We’ll take a look at some of his best work on the show, the haunting melody of his opening theme, the character compositions and memorable moments we’ll remember, and how his compositions shaped the era of the 13th Doctor. We’ll also contrast his music with that created by other composers on the show.

8. Music of the Spheres 201: Everything Gold Is New Again: The anniversary specials not only introduced us to new friends, but brought back some old ones as well, like composer Murray Gold, who returns to the show for the first time since 2017. We’ll break down the new music from the specials including the new title theme, hypothesize what we can expect in the near future (including, perhaps, the return of some of the most familiar beats), and compare it to the current state of television soundtracks.

9. The Diaries of River Song: The Doctor’s wife, archaeologist, adventurer, time traveler… River Song has been everything. And not just on television, either; her past (or make that future?) with the Doctor goes back even further thanks to audio. We’ll take a look at all the magic moments of Miss Melody Pond, her interactions with all the various incarnations of the Doctor, and the joie de vivre brought to the role by Alex Kingston.

10. Doctor Who Crossover: To Boldly Go: Doctor Who Crossover is back… this time crossing the Whoniverse into the realms of the United Federation of Planets and the Star Trek universe. Would Captain Jack seduce Captain Kirk (or the other way around)? Would assimilation or upgrade triumph in a match between the Borg and the Cybermen? And who would Captain Picard kick off the bridge more quickly: Wesley Crusher, or Adric? Our panelists, and our audience, will discuss, suggest and opine on all of these and more.

11. Adventures in Animation 101: Recreating Classic Who: The first of our two-part examination of Doctor Who in animation. Parts of Doctor Who’s earliest history has been recreated through animation accompanied by original sound recordings, some wildly successful, others controversial. But most of us expected the days of reanimating stories to be behind us… until recent developments have suggested otherwise. We’ll look at the new potential for Doctor Who reanimation of classic stories, including what we’d like to see and how feasible it might be.

12. Adventures in Animation 201: Trailblazing New Who: The second of our two-part examination of Doctor Who in animation. We’ve already seen Doctor Who animated in the new era (Scream of the Shalka, The Infinite Quest and Dreamland); we’ll take a look at the potential for new animated adventures based on the modern show, who it should target, what it should learn from other genres, where it might segue into spinoffs, and what would make it successful.

13. The Darker Side of Doctor Who: Long before Steven Moffat gave us the Weeping Angels, Doctor Who faced a rich history of creepy, disturbing and sometimes terrifying storylines, worlds and villains. From Zeta Minor to the Zygons, Fenric to the Yeti, the Macra to Morbius and so much more, we’ll discuss the horror stories of Doctor Who through its long history, and analyze how effective they were both on first airing as well as today.

14. The Doctor Who Moments That Moved Us: From thrilling heights to lowest depths, the heartrending drama that is Doctor Who has been full of moments that made us laugh or cry. Our panel will discuss the stories from Doctor Who, be they on the screen, on audio or in print, that moved them beyond expectations, with additional input from the audience.

15. Ex Anniversarium Celebratorium: We Doctor Who fans love milestones, and we’ve done it many times. We’ll compare and contrast the major Doctor Who anniversary stories “The Three Doctors,” “The Five Doctors,” “Day of the Doctor” and the 2023 specials, looking at the eras they celebrated, the stories they told, the characters they brought back (companions, allies and villains), and how they are all products of their time. We’ll also touch on some of the tie-in anniversary stories including books and audios.

16. The Guiding Light: Although rooted in the realms of science fiction and fantasy, Doctor Who storytelling has many times delved into the impact of faith, religion, spirituality and mythology on peoples and planets everywhere. This panel will take a look at the ways the Doctor has dealt with matters of faith and explained, or even influenced, the pathways of legend, from ancient Time Lord history to facing sinister evils on a grander scale, and how it has celebrated many kinds of faith across its history.

17. Gadgets and Gizmos A Plenty: Doctor Who is nothing without a healthy dose of mechanical gadgetry, gizmos and tools, from the TARDIS itself and its infinitely customizable console, to the various permutations of the Doctor’s trusty sonic screwdriver (which seems to do everything except actually be a screwdriver!), from K-9 to Bessie and the Whomobile, and everything else over the years. We’ll take a look at the most – and least – plausible inventions and gizmos, and work out whether much of this stuff would function in the real world, and how.

18. Canon Cops on the Doctor Who Superhighway: The “canon” argument has been part of many genres of fandom for decades, and it’s always a bitter argument: hold fast to the past, or play with it and open up new possibilities? With a rich, sixty year history of Doctor Who out there, and the way the show can play with alternate timelines and realities, we will discuss the ways the show (and its books and audios) has played with canon, skirted around it or ignored it entirely, and how this has impacted storytelling potential.

19. The Grandfather, The Dandy and the Clown: Although many of the original actors are no longer with us, Big Finish Productions has invested heavily in recreating the First, Second and Third Doctor eras of the show, recasting many of the roles, including the Doctors themselves, with new actors (or in some cases, children of the actors themselves). This panel will take a look at the different ways they’ve brought back the early years of the show for a new generation of fans, and suggest some of the best of the early adventures.

20. Stay On Target! In the days before home video was accessible to all, fans stayed connected to Doctor Who through the novelizations published by Target Books. But now, many years later, the Target imprint continues to publish, including some new versions of classic Doctor Who serials, as well as print versions of many of the episodes from today’s updated show. We’ll have a lively discussion on hand about all things Target Books and Doctor Who.

21. Navigating the Sirens of Time: For nearly 25 years, Big Finish has created Doctor Who audio adventures spanning both eras of the show and featuring many members of the original cast. However, for those who are just getting started with this rich tapestry of stories, the sheer amount of content can be daunting. Our panel will offer advice on the best places for fans of any era to immerse oneself in Doctor Who audio drama.

22. K-9 Down Under: Did you know that K-9 starred in his own television series? We’re not talking about the one-off episode in 1981… he was the subject of an entire season of TV made in Australia in 2009, a mix of live action and animation starring the beloved voice of John Leeson. We’ll discuss why the show was made, whether it’s remotely watchable to anyone other than its target audience (Who-obsessed tweens), and can we consider it a part of the canon of the parent show we love?

23. The Doctor Who Confession Dial After Dark: Yet another installment of one of our most popular panels, but this year we’re putting a purely adult-themed spin on it. Do you have an unpopular opinion about something in the Doctor Who universe? Have you been afraid to admit it and it’s been burning a hole in your soul for ages? If so, this is your chance… our safe-space panel will hear your confessional and open up the discussion from there. Adult-oriented confessionals welcome this year (and you can submit something in writing at the door to the panel room, too)… just keep it about the TV show itself, please! (18+ only)

24. Doctor Who and Magic The Gathering: In 2023, Doctor Who came to the original and oldest trading card game, Magic: the Gathering, as part of Magic’s “Universes Beyond” range. We’ll discuss Magic: the Gathering (and other games) from the perspective of a Doctor Who fan and why such a tie-in is a massive deal for Doctor Who as a franchise. The panel is also intended to be an introduction to MTG for Who fans who don’t know anything about it and discuss exactly what this crossover entails; we’ll also briefly discuss the history of Doctor Who‘s game tie-ins beyond Magic.

25. Doctor Who Beyond the Screen: The Year In Review: Our annual panel discussion of Doctor Who in other genres from the past year, in the comics, in new fiction and non-fiction from the BBC and other publishers, and in audios from Big Finish. We’ll sort through the rich catalog of products from the past year, as well as discuss some of the amazing stuff we see coming on the horizon.

26. Podcasting Who: The cybersphere is alive with the sound of Doctor Who fans. Podcasting has never been more popular, and everything from the show to its spinoffs, books and audios is covered by various podcasts that comb through each with unparalleled depth. We will take a look at the current state of Doctor Who podcasting, talk about some of the best and brightest podcasts you should be listening to, and find out where there might be room for your voice, too.

27. Silence in the Zine Library: Doctor Who has a rich history of fanzines: stories and articles independently published by fans, clubs, and associations. Collecting zines has become a fandom hobby and has also allowed newer fans to dig through previous decades and eras of fandom. We’ll look at the history of Doctor Who zines, the different types that existed (including newsletters, charity zines and special printings), and examine where we can find zine culture to this day and the benefits of physical media.

General Panels

28. Blake’s 7: Mission to Destiny: Forty-five years ago, the series Blake’s 7 hit the airwaves in the UK, and left an indelible mark on science fiction television. Our panel will take a look back at the remarkable show created by Terry Nation (who also created the Daleks), its rich characters and storytelling, and discuss why it’s still popular with audiences, and how it continues to influence science fiction and storytelling today.

29. Fight The Future: 30 Years of The X-Files: We’re celebrating 30 years of The X-Files, Chris Carter’s landmark television drama (and two feature films) that gave us Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, Assistant Director Skinner and the Cigarette Smoking Man, Millennium and The Lone Gunmen, and taught us to question everything and trust nothing. This panel will take a fond look throughout the history of the show and its many contributions to television and sci-fi.

30. The Legacy of Douglas Adams: Gone, but never forgotten… the popularity of one of Britain’s greatest satirists continues to inspire us and endures even today. From his early contributions to Doctor Who to the universality of his timeless classic The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, we’ll take a look at Adams’ contributions to the human zeitgeist and why his humor, and his humanity, will live forever.

31. The Big Crunch: It was to be TV’s new golden age, an era of choice and cord-cutting and content as far as the eye could see. But that golden age has now hit back, and many factors (including rising costs and, yes, even hard-fought strikes) have ushered in a new reality, where shows last only a single year, and some even disappear entirely from their platforms (we’re looking at you, Westworld, Willow and Star Trek: Prodigy!)  The streaming wars have even claimed some of the services themselves in mergers that have resulted in less choice, or vanished entirely (hello, Quibi.) We’ll take a look at the state of streaming TV today, and what the near future may hold.

32. The Truth Is Out There: The wild west of the Internet was already scourged enough with fake TV spoilers and bogus bought-and-paid-for reviews, but the rise of AI and imagery generated from other people’s content has helped to make it almost impossible to tell fact from fiction. Deepfakes, review-bombing, AI-generated blog posts for clicks… we’ll discuss the best options to avoid these pitfalls, and navigate through the TV, film, comics and gaming news worlds without being bombarded with nonsense.

33. Worlds That Might Have Been: TV and film are full of alternate takes on both history and future. We’ll take a look at the genre, in both science fiction & fantasy TV and film as well as pop culture touchstones (the Marvel and DC universes tend to do it more than any other, it seems!), and ask ourselves why reimagining our past and future is so appealing… and if we can live with the unpredictable consequences, good or bad.

34. The Best of British: Besides our love of Doctor Who, one of the things that unites us at this convention is our shared love of all things British. We will discuss the Anglophiles in each of us, our tastes in film, television, music and pop culture from the UK (and where they converge with our own), and the best ways we can feed this passion, be it BritBox or PBS or otherwise.

35. Look Upward and Share The Wonders I’ve Seen: In the time-honored tradition of sharing our guiltiest television and film pleasures with other attendees of the convention (something we’ve done many times in the past), this panel will be a rousing discussion of shows and movies that are nearest and dearest to our hearts, yet may very well have gone totally unseen by most of the people in the audience.  And speaking of which… audience members, be sure to bring your lists, too!

36. SF Television: The Year In Review: Gallifrey One’s annual retrospective of the best and worst in science fiction & genre television. Our panel will take a look at what’s been on offer since we last convened a year ago, from TV series on networks and streaming services; stick around and you may find some new shows to add to your list!

37. Film: The Year in Review: Our regular look back at the best and worst in science fiction, fantasy, genre, horror and comic-themed films that were released over the past year. We’ll look at the major events in film over the past year, the good, the bad and the ugly, and discuss all the latest releases, biggest trends and hot topics (and we’ll even touch on the Barbenheimer phenomenon!)

38. I Have All These Ribbons, Now What? Although the craze around collecting badge ribbons didn’t start at Gallifrey One (it’s actually a much older notion from general SF conventions), we certainly have kept things going, and it’s never been more popular. We’ll talk about the history of convention badge ribbons, how to get your own made in time for the next convention, the proper etiquette to use in ribbon trading, and ideas for organizing, displaying or crafting with them.

39. Does This Cape Make Me Look Evil? It’s time for costuming as your favorite villain! Our panel of costumers will show you how to make even your generic Doctor Who or genre cosplay look more villainous, including with capes, dark fabrics, sharp cuts and flashy accessories. We’ll also show you how your favorite villains achieve their world-conquering good looks.

40. Cosplay for the Marginalized Body: As a follow-up to last year’s ‘breaking the stigma’ panel, we discuss resources, tips, and tricks for cosplayers whose bodies are outside mainstream designers expectations due to size and/or disability. We’ll outline the challenges faced when you can’t cosplay by simply walking into a store/thrift shop or order a premade costume online and ways to combat those challenges for a variety of abilities and budgets.

41. Gallifreyan High Fashion: Doctor Who cosplay wouldn’t be complete without a Time Lord thrown in for good measure. We’ll talk about how to make that perfect Time Lord collar, to accessorize as any era of Gallifreyan nobility, soldier or outcast, and of course, we’ll talk about all the ways the Doctor has strayed from, but possibly even borrowed from, Gallifreyan haute couture.

More news soon!