Is that the rousing sound of Carl Orff’s O Fortuna assaulting our ears? Yes, it’s time for a genuine “round table” discussion: this episode we look back at Excalibur, John Boorman’s 1981 whirlwind tour of Arthurian legend.

Based on the 15th-century prose work Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory, which collected together many popular legends about King Arthur and his knights, Boorman’s film takes us from Arthur’s conception through to his death, taking in the rise and fall of Camelot and the quest for the Holy Grail. It stars Nicol Williamson, Helen Mirren, Liam Neeson, Gabriel Byrne, Patrick Stewart and other top Thespians.

We’re joined for this magical mosey into the misty middle ages by Joe Abercrombie, bestselling fantasy author of the First Law series, The Shattered Sea books, the Age Of Madness trilogy and more. His latest novel, The Wisdom Of Crowds, drops on 14 September 2021 from Gollancz (Orbit in the US). Joe is a Locus Award winner, an avid gamer, and a social media master with the moniker Lord Grimdark. You can find out more about him at his official site https://joeabercrombie.com/.

Looking for more recent TV and film recommendations? We’re happy to help there too. First up: The Suicide Squad, and a moment so funny that our Dave laughs the cat off his desk. True story. Yes, we hitch a ride with DC’s worst of the worst – and silliest of the silliest – to see if it trumps 2016’s definite-article-free Suicide Squad. Then it’s a show so good that NBC pulled the plug – only for it to become a big hit on Netflix. We get Lost with mystery drama Manifest. 

There’s all this plus Marvel’s What If…?, BBC’s Ghosts and more “requels”, in Robby The Robot’s Waiting, the podcast that is a dream to some – a nightmare to others!

NB There’s no news section this time – we’ve stopped doing that, but we’ll be introducing a monthly news round-up podcast you can hear separately! See our new website www.robbyscifi.com for details. 

Episode highlights:

0:01:00 – WHAT WE’VE BEEN WATCHING: The Suicide Squad, Manifest, Ghosts, and Marvel’s What If…?

0:31:19 – Meet guest Joe Abercrombie! What has he been enjoying on his 72 streaming services? Includes Marvel on Disney Plus and Dark on Netflix.

0:38:01 – Joe Abercrombie introduces his new book The Wisdom Of Crowds, the third novel in his Age Of Madness trilogy.

0:47:07 – REWIND! We rewatch John Boorman 1981 swords-and-sorcery epic Excalibur.

Who do we think we are?

Richard Edwards: film and TV journalist and a former editor of SFX https://twitter.com/RichDEdwards

Tanavi Patel: entertainment reporter for SFX magazine and Digital Spy, panel moderator for MCM, FanExpo and more https://twitter.com/tanavip

Dave Bradley: writer, gamer, book reviewer and another former editor of SFX, who reveals here that he studied medieval literature back in the day https://twitter.com/BoxDaveB

SPECIAL GUEST! Joe Abercrombie is an acclaimed fantasy author. His first book, The Blade Itself, was published in 2006 and began the celebrated First Law series. His latest novel, The Wisdom Of Crowds, is published on 14 September 2021 https://twitter.com/LordGrimdark

We’ve received a premonition of the future and we predict that you’re about to listen to an hour and a bit of sci-fi and fantasy chat. Thanks to our pre-cog mates, we’ve also learned that we’ll be talking about Steven Spielberg’s remarkably prescient Philip K Dick adaptation, Minority Report. We’ll be joined this episode by author, futuregazer and games industry expert Kelly Vero. 

Join us on a trip back 19 years to Steven Spielberg’s thriller Minority Report, in which a troubled cop played by Tom Cruise goes on the run after his psychic pre-crime division predicts he’ll be the next guy to commit a murder. It’s a juicy conspiracy plot in the tradition of the best noir mysteries, but it also touches upon themes of free will and ethical policing, as well as building a vision of 2054 where personalised advertising and driverless cars are everywhere. 

Meanwhile, fabulous secret powers were revealed to us the day we held aloft our magic sword and said “By the power of Grayskull!” Yes, we’ve been watching Kevin Smith’s Masters Of The Universe reboot, as well as Trollhunters, Wellington Paranormal, Old, American Gods and more. Plus: Space Sweepers, Memories Of The Alhambra and more – our guest this week is Kelly Vero, who shares Tanavi’s love of Korean sci-fi. So if you’re in need of recommendations for new sci-fi films and shows to watch, enjoy their dive into the best Korean entertainment you can find on services like Netflix.

In Kelly’s company, we also speculate about the next Doctor Who, watch the new Ghostbusters Afterlife trailer, consider the Battle Of The Planets reboot and loads more. There’s all this plus the Exorcist and fond memories of Ulysses 31 in Robby The Robot’s Waiting, the podcast that knows what you’ve done before you’ve done it.

NB. Please forgive the variable audio quality in the first five minutes, we had a recording issue. 

Episode highlights:

0:01:00: WHAT WE'VE BEEN WATCHING! Featuring Masters Of The Universe, Old and more

0:23:05: Meet our special guest Kelly Vero – and listen in on our introduction to Korean sci-fi!

0:36:42: REWIND! We discuss the 2002 hit Minority Report.

1:05:51: THE NEWS! In which we discuss Doctor Who, Ghostbusters, Superman, Battle Of The Planets, The Exorcist and loads more. You may be interested to know this is the last time we'll cover the news in this format - we're running things slightly more efficiently from next episode.

The voices in your ears:

Richard Edwards: film and TV journalist and a former editor of SFX https://twitter.com/RichDEdwards

Tanavi Patel: entertainment reporter for SFX magazine and Digital Spy, panel moderator for MCM, FanExpo and more https://twitter.com/tanavip

Dave Bradley: writer, gamer, book reviewer and another former editor of SFX https://twitter.com/BoxDaveB

SPECIAL GUEST! Kelly Vero is an author, game maker, podcaster, lecturer, investor, mentor, futuregazer and general “creative badass”. https://twitter.com/electricgeisha

Have you visited our sci-fi podcast website?

Please visit www.robbyscifi.com and leave us feedback and suggestions.

Join us on a trip back 30 years, as we rewatch Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Rightly regarded as a landmark in movie special effects, James Cameron’s 1991 classic remains a much-loved action film and a high point in the Terminator franchise. The film follows Sarah and John Connor (Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong) as they are targetted by an advanced, shape-shifting Terminator from the future (Robert Patrick). They are accompanied by a version of the original Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger), sent back in time to protect them. Are we still fans, after all this time? Which of us saw it at the cinema first time around? How does it compare to other action films? We don our shades, dust off our leather jackets and discuss.

Meanwhile, we’ve watched The Watch. But would we watch it again? We give our verdict on TV’s Discworld adaptation, now streaming on BBC iPlayer. We’ve also seen Black Widow at the cinema and The Tomorrow War on Amazon Prime.

This week your podcast pals are joined by Matt Maytum, a journalist, editor and movie reviewer, famous from the pages of Total Film magazine. You can hear Matt regularly on the official Inside Total Film podcast. He shares his recent Disney+ finds (Monsters At Work and Loki).

In his company we also commemorate the passing of Richard Donner, consider what Good Omens 2 might bring, pore over the latest trailers, and lament the cancellation of Lovecraft Country and Cursed. 

There’s all this plus Asimov confessions, Lucasfilm’s lawyers, and Chekhov’s father-in-law, in Robby The Robot’s Waiting, the podcast constructed from a prototype mimetic polyalloy.

Episode highlights:

0:00:51: WHAT WE'VE BEEN WATCHING! Black Widow, The Watch, The Tomorrow War

0:26:48: Meet Matt Maytum, from Total Film in London, who’s been watching Monsters At Work and Loki

0:32:24: REWIND! We discuss the time travelling terrors of Terminator 2

1:00:00: THE NEWS! Featuring Richard Donner RIP, Foundation, Good Omens 2, Star Wars Visions, Zack Snyder’s Star Wars-inspired movie, Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, Old Guard 2, Lovecraft Country, Cursed, and Simon Pegg’s Galaxy Quest TV show

They absolutely will not stop:

Richard Edwards: a film and TV journalist and a former editor of SFX https://twitter.com/RichDEdwards

Tanavi Patel: entertainment reporter for SFX magazine and Digital Spy, panel moderator for MCM, FanExpo and more https://twitter.com/tanavip

Dave Bradley: writer, gamer, book reviewer and another former editor of SFX https://twitter.com/BoxDaveB

SPECIAL GUEST! Matt Maytum is a writer, movie critic and deputy editor of Total Film magazine https://twitter.com/mattmaytum

Have you bookmarked our website?

Please visit www.robbyscifi.com and leave us feedback and suggestions

Black holes. Warped time. The end of the world! It’s all relativity as we look back – and forward – at Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar.

We're joined by Andrew Glester, acclaimed science writer, award-winning radio presenter and podcast host, film producer and director. Andrew's Cosmic Shed podcast was recently named as one of the Guardian's Favourite Podcasts, and he's also worked with BBC Worldwide, The Natural History Museum, Physics World, and more. He's perfectly placed to help us understand the time- and space-bending drama of Interstellar. The 2014 epic stars Matthew McConaughey as an astronaut recruited to save a dying Earth by piloting the ship Endurance across space (and time).

From theoretical physics to a complete contempt for physics… Fast & Furious 9 takes a muscle car into orbit – and it’s not the most implausible thing about the movie. We're also watching last year's time loop comedy Palm Springs, plus Luca, Mars, The Bad Batch and more. And there’s all this plus Who, Q and Lord Of The Rings too in our news section. Welcome to the latest Robby the Robot’s Waiting, the podcast that understands the gravity of the situation.

Episode highlights:

0:00:53: WHAT WE'VE BEEN WATCHING! Fast & Furious 9, Luca, Mars season 2, Palm Springs [beware: minor spoilers]

0:25:22: Meet Andrew Glester, who's been watching The Bad Batch and Netflix space movies

0:32:10: REWIND! We discuss the highs and lows of Interstellar [beware: relativistic physics]

1:04:59: THE NEWS! Featuring a Marvel/DC crossover, an animated Middle-earth spin-off, Jodie Whittaker leaving Doctor Who, Star Trek: Picard trailer (with added Riker pizza), Jameela Jamil in She-Hulk, The Book of Boba Fett and more

Your surplus military robots:

Tanavi Patel: entertainment reporter for SFX magazine and Digital Spy, panel moderator for MCM, FanExpo and more. https://twitter.com/tanavip

Dave Bradley: writer, gamer, book reviewer and a former editor of SFX. https://twitter.com/BoxDaveB

Richard Edwards: film and TV journalist and another former editor of SFX. https://twitter.com/RichDEdwards

SPECIAL GUEST! Andrew Glester is a science communicator, podcast host, lecturer, director and producer. https://twitter.com/astrondrew

We have a website now!

Please bookmark www.robbyscifi.com immediately.

We’ve got answers, but if you’re looking for questions… Well, you’re going to have to ask Deep Thought. We take a trip through life, the universe and everything as we celebrate The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy. 

Which is the definitive version of Douglas Adams' masterpiece? The radio series hit airwaves in 1978, the first novel followed in 1979, there's a much-loved 1980s TV series and oft-maligned 2005 movie, with videogames, comics and stageplays appearing along the way. Saturated with Adams unique voice, the story is infinitely quotable and hugely influential. Join us as we spend an evening celebrating its humour, sci-fi credentials and memorable characters. 

We take our trip to the planet Magrathea in the company of writer, editor, book reviewer and Doctor Who superfan Rhian Drinkwater, who'll be a familiar name to followers of SFX magazine and the Arthur C Clarke Award. 

Shhh… Don’t tell anyone but we’ve seen A Quiet Place Part II. Is it worth shouting about? We've also caught Loki on Disney+ and post-apocalyptic fairytale Sweet Tooth and new episodes of Lucifer on Netflix. 

As usual, we take a wry look at the latest sci-fi announcements too. Jupiter’s Legacy has been cancelled, Sandman casting has ruffled fan feathers, and Hugh Jackman dazzles in the trailer for high-concept film Reminiscence. There’s all this, plus Pushing Daisies, Marvel movie news, a bleeped-out bad word, and a proposed Disneyland trip, in Robby The Robot’s Waiting, the podcast that’s mostly harmless.

#VoteRobby

Please vote for us in the Listeners’ Choice Award, supported by BBC Sounds! Head to https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/vote and type Robby The Robot's Waiting in the search box, enter your details and hit Submit. Thank you!

Episode highlights:

00:00:38 – What we’re watching: Loki, Sweet Tooth, A Quiet Place II, Lucifer

00:27:32 – Meet guest Rhian Drinkwater (plus: Star Wars and Marvel rewatch, Black Water Sister by Zen Cho, Inside Number 9)

00:33:06 – The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, in all its glorious forms.

01:04:57 – News: Jupiter’s Legacy, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Kraven The Hunter, JJ Abrams, Sandman, Reminiscence 

Bipedal ape descendants:

Tanavi Patel: entertainment reporter for SFX magazine and Digital Spy, panel moderator for MCM, FanExpo and more. https://twitter.com/tanavip

Dave Bradley: writer, gamer, book reviewer and a former editor of SFX. https://twitter.com/BoxDaveB

Richard Edwards: film and TV journalist and another former editor of SFX. https://twitter.com/RichDEdwards

SPECIAL GUEST! Rhian Drinkwater is a writer, editor, awards judge, Doctor Who expert and regular contributor to SFX magazine. https://twitter.com/rhian82

We have a website now!

Please bookmark www.robbyscifi.com immediately.

Don’t lose your head! Your sci-fi podcast is back for its second season. We’ll be rewatching 1986 sword-and-accents fantasy Highlander in the company of top author Guy Haley. Plus we’ll reveal the current shows we recommend, and cast our eyes over the news. It’s a lot of fun and – gasp! – features our first ever bleep censor.

We check out The Nevers, the Victorian women-with-mysterious-powers show originated by Joss Whedon. And we’ve also watched Army Of The Dead on Netflix, the Ocean's Eleven meets Land of The Dead meets Escape From New York movie by Zack “Snyder Cut” Snyder. Are either worth your time? 

Highlander, though, is a classic. Right? We dive into the world of immortals, duelling and Queen riffs to reveal whether it stands the test of time, or is just a moody two-hour rock video.

For this rewatch we’re joined by former SFX mag deputy editor Guy Haley, who’s now a prolific and much-loved author. He tells us what he’s been watching and playing this month before we launch into a discussion of how sci-fi has changed in the 21st century. It gets deep. Guy Haley himself has a new book out now, Richards & Klein, plus we talk about his Black Library and Warhammer work.

There’s all this plus the latest trailers and announcements, with added Ram-Man, Evil-Lyn and Fisto thanks to Kevin Smith's Masters Of The Universe remake. 

Stream or download this chat for free, and join us for a jolly jaunt into sci-fi past, present and future. It’s a kind of magic.

Episode highlights:

00:00:53 – What we’re watching: The Nevers, Army Of The Dead

00:14:20 – Meet Guy Haley (plus Jupiter's Legacy, Epic, Inside No 9)

00:18:33 – How has sci-fi changed since the end of the 20th century?

00:25:00 – Guy Haley’s new books

00:32:10 – Highlander! Yes, the original. There can be only one.

00:57:00 – News: Eternals, Last Night In Soho, JJ Abrams, Attack The Block 2, Lucasfilm, The Vindicators, Masters Of The Universe

Your hosts:

Tanavi Patel: entertainment reporter for SFX magazine and Digital Spy, panel moderator for MCM, FanExpo and more. https://twitter.com/tanavip

Dave Bradley: writer, gamer, book reviewer and a former editor of SFX. https://twitter.com/BoxDaveB

Richard Edwards: film and TV journalist and another former editor of SFX. https://twitter.com/RichDEdwards

SPECIAL GUEST! Guy Haley, author of Richards & Klein and also many best-selling Warhammer novels including those in the Siege Of Terra and Horus Heresy series. https://twitter.com/guyhaley

Coming soon!

The official Robby The Robot’s Waiting website will launch this summer. Join our newsletter to find out more: https://tinyurl.com/robbynewsletter

We're back! But we haven't yet returned to our original form...

As a precursor to the upcoming, hotly anticipated second season of Robby The Robot's Waiting, we've put together an elegantly titled What We've Been Watching And/Or Reading: Special Edition rounding up the sci-fi and fantasy we've been cramming into our eyeballs since we've been on hiatus. 

What does "fantasy man" Dave think of Netflix's latest dose of magic? Which superhero show caused Tanavi to rage quit? Why have we been rewatching Green Lantern, FlashForward and Terra Nova? And how much did Chewits influence Godzilla Vs Kong? The answers can all be found here...

The following sci-fi/fantasy product is contained within:

Shadow And Bone (0:43)

For All Mankind (10:26)

Project Hail Mary (18:00)

The Mitchells Vs The Machines (22.57)

Love And Monsters (30:00)

Godzilla Vs Kong (32:43)

Jupiter's Legacy (37:20)

Green Lantern (41:33)

FlashForward and Terra Nova (46:29)

The Bad Batch (54:09)

Our season 2 premiere, featuring our trip back to Highlander, will be heading your way very soon – though not before the end of May, as we claim at the end of this episode. Unless you want to lend us a time machine – we'd be happy to take one off your hands.

Your podcast pals:

Richard Edwards: film and TV journalist and former editor of leading sci-fi mag SFX. https://twitter.com/RichDEdwards

Tanavi Patel: entertainment reporter for SFX and Digital Spy, panel moderator for MCM, FanExpo and more. https://twitter.com/tanavip

Dave Bradley: writer, gamer, book reviewer and another former editor of SFX magazine. https://twitter.com/BoxDaveB

Robby’s mailing list:

We are about to restart the regular podcast. Stay up to date with episode announcements by pointing us at your inbox. Here's the sign-up link: https://tinyurl.com/robbynewsletter

The latest MCU series felt like a film told in six instalments. Soaring action, powerful themes, exotic locations, old allies and new foes... it's been a thrill ride. We've had a week to recover from the finale of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, with its battles and character reveals. So what did we think of it overall?

The six-episode Marvel series ran weekly on Disney+ and took us on a fraught journey across a world dealing with the outcomes of Avengers: Endgame. In many respects, it's an origin story for our new Captain America. With some familiar faces from the films and new villains in the form of the Flag Smashers, it tackled issues of race, identity, history, propaganda, personal trauma, guilt, justice and politics. And it delivered the kind of aerial fight scenes more usually witnessed on the big screen. 

With superhero fans still buzzing about it, it's time to take a break from our regular podcast format and discuss the adventures of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes in depth. Did we love the series as much as WandaVision? What stories touched us most? Where does the Marvel universe go from here? All this and more, in about 40 minutes of informal chat. 

Be warned, this episode contains whopping spoilers for the Marvel and Disney+ original series. We assume you’ve seen every episode, and are aware of all the twists. You must only listen to this recording if you're up to date. Seriously, if you haven’t watched to the end, stay away until you've caught up.

Your podcast pals:

Richard Edwards: film and TV journalist and former editor of leading sci-fi mag SFX. https://twitter.com/RichDEdwards

Tanavi Patel: entertainment reporter for SFX and Digital Spy, panel moderator for MCM, FanExpo and more. https://twitter.com/tanavip

Dave Bradley: writer, gamer, book reviewer and another former editor of SFX magazine. https://twitter.com/BoxDaveB

Robby’s mailing list:

We are about to restart the regular podcast, with season two coming your way in late May. Stay up to date with episode announcements by pointing us at your inbox. Here's the sign-up link: https://tinyurl.com/robbynewsletter