Daniel Hill- "I Put My Hand In A Hairy Bush"

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

www.michaellivesley.com

Series Researcher- Soula Carmichael

Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson

Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris

Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson

Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!

www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive

Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com

Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive

Instagram: tony_slattery_official

BlueSky: @ramblingclub

Paul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelV

Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk

Daniel's Instagram: @danielhillactor

© Fanfaronade Productions 2025

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.