Episode 139: Bowie: Keeper of Earth (The Keeper of Traken)

Back in N-Space, we find ourselves in the very odd (but apparently extremely harmonious) society of Traken, ruled over by an apparently all-powerful Keeper in The Keeper of Traken! All is not as it seems, as an old, kinda crispy enemy lurks in the background, ready to steal all of our bodies in his quest to keep living…

 

Join us as we discuss the clear influences of Shakespeare, how the Trakenites were able to procure weapons so quickly, the rampant use of ring tropes, how Adric calls the Doctor out on his nonsense, the issues with Trakenite architecture not being load-bearing, and the interesting story parallels between The Keeper of Traken and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.

 

If you would like to watch along with us, you can find this story available for streaming on Britbox in the USA (http://www.britbox.com) and BBC iPlayer in the UK (https://bbc.in/48GSaCB). If you’re a little old fashioned and prefer physical media (like our very own Anthony), you can find the entirety of Season 18 on Blu Ray from Amazon US (https://amzn.to/4fvAcqb) and Amazon UK (https://amzn.to/4etoACE)

 

Other media mentioned in this episode^*:

• All Creatures Great and Small: The Complete Collection (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3DS2Uhx | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3aNiAGr)
• Space: 1999: The Complete Series (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3pbTv08 | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3p7W43u)
• The Pallisers (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3AQEL96 | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3vkwF7K)
• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3G6YCoH | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3m0qOSc)
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream (ballet version) (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4jugiOG | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/4aFcWo4)
• Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3ptuM83 | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3BSULsQ)
• Captain Planet: The Complete Franchise (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4aucJUx | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/40Lhnds)
• Avengers: Infinity War (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3aV91Fj | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2Z0eIz4)
• Dr Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4hdc5xo | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3PO29hN)
• Return of the Living Dead (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3CrxSlJ | Amazon UK:)
• The Wizard of Oz (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3ATvg9t | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3ARGSd3)
• The Three Stooges: The Ultimate Collection (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3Mbal7v | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3Mm1AHv)
• Marillion: The Best of Both Worlds (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3PQwufq | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3CBejau)
• The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/48vQjkz | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/45RC3AL)
• The Bible (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4awKvII | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/4hwnYOE)
• The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkein (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4jsKgCD | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/42o8bwZ)
• The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkein (Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4dXHbGC | Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/4dTcS3R)
• Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights (YouTube: https://youtu.be/-1pMMIe4hb4)
• Kelis – Milkshake (YouTube: https://youtu.be/pGL2rytTraA)
• Millenialism (Wikipedia: https://bit.ly/4jtFCEp)

Finally, you can also follow us and interact with us on various forms of social media - Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can also e-mail us at watchers4d@gmail.com. If you’re enjoying this podcast, please subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating or review.

 

^*Support Watchers in the Fourth Dimension! We are an Amazon affiliate and earn a small commission from purchases through Amazon links. This goes towards the running costs of the podcast.