Gallifrey One is happy to present our list of panels for the Discussion Panel program track at our February 2025 convention, Gallifrey One in 35 Millimetre.
Our Discussion Panel track is one of the most popular parts of the convention: conversations, led by both creative guests as well as fan attendees, and joined in by audience participation, discussing all the various facets of Doctor Who and other related topics. 2025 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 may happen; it’s due to panelist interest and other factors, but we’ll feature as many of them as we can pack into our schedule.
- This is only one track of programming at Gallifrey One 2025… we’ll have plenty of others, including additional 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 2025, 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; you 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!
this year’s convention is DECEMBER 14, 2024.
Please click on the following link to submit your name as a panelist for one of more panels:
Gallifrey One 2025 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. Rogues, Renegades, and Ruby Road – Doctor Who returned in 2024 with an all-new cast and crew, taking us across vast distances in space and time. We’ll look back at the past season of the show, including Series 14 and the following Christmas special, and discuss what worked (and what didn’t), the newest Doctor and his companions and guest characters, the stories and adventures, and where it might all be heading for into Series 15.
2. Thoroughly Modern Millie – While all eyes were on Ncuti Gatwa’s new Doctor, Doctor Who fans generally agree that Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday was a surprisingly refreshing find, both for the companion dynamic, as well as a wonderful addition to the cast herself. We’ll discuss the story of Ruby and her family, Gibson’s performances throughout the season, and our hopes for her return in the next series.
3. Cosmic Joyride – Ncuti Gatwa’s first full season of Doctor Who broke the boundaries like no era before, when it comes to both racial and queer representation… but it’s also far from the only example of this happening on the series. We’ll take a deep dive into the history of Who representation, how various characters have been treated at different times, both throughout history as well as in the context of the series itself.
4. Me? I’m Allowed Everywhere: Revisiting the Second Doctor Era – From Daleks to war lords and everything in between… we’re taking a journey back to the late 1960s, to revisit the era of the Second Doctor. Join us as we discuss the travels of the Doctor, Ben & Polly, Jamie, Victoria and Zoe, reviewing the various stories and discussing the production of the series itself, along with the revelations granted by more recently discovered episodes.
5. The Song Will Never End – Following “The Goblin Song” in the 2023 Christmas special, the first year of the Gatwa era gave us sound and music-related references and influences like no other season in the history of the series. We’ll apply our knowledge of music theory as well as the genre of musicals to help break down and discuss not only “The Devil’s Chord,” but the entire season as well, including a look at this season in the context of one of our most popular topics from years past: the role that characters with musical aptitude play in the narrative.
6. Doctor Who Deathmatch: Battle for the TARDIS – Yet another round of our wildly popular Deathmatch panels! The TARDIS is at the center of Doctor Who in every respect: vessel, companion, home. This time, we’re going through all the iterations of the TARDIS: the very best consoles, console rooms, corridors, and the various incarnations of the police box itself. As always, our panelists will, at a very high rate of speed, review, then vote on, the worthiness of each regeneration, and declare through elimination an outright winner to crown the best of the best.
7. Doctor Who Crossover: The House of Mouse – You knew it was coming, as our panelists & audience crossover the timey wimey & bippity boppity boo. Is Donald or the Doctor the biggest quack? K-9 or Pluto, who’s the goodest boy? Which Disney princess would kick the most butt alongside Mel, Ace & Leela? Would River Song put Indiana Jones in his place? Who wore it best: Mary Poppins or Missy? Does Clara or Alice do more impossible things in a day? With so many IPs of the Mouse to choose from, the possibilities are To Infinity and Beyond! Audience participation is highly encouraged, and remember any advanced form of magic is indistinguishable from science, true believers!
8. The Torchwood Files – Torchwood fandom lives on, even a decade after the last episodes aired on television. Doctor Who’s most enduring spinoff series has a life of its own (especially given the revival on audio for Big Finish). We’ll be discussing why Torchwood remains popular to this day, what made it special for viewers at the time, and our hopes for its future.
9. The State of Classic Who Blu-Ray – As classic Doctor Who continues to be issued, season by season, on Blu-Ray box sets, fans have enjoyed even more stunning special editions with new effects, along with a multitude of amazing special features. We’ll discuss the current state of classic Who releases, review our favorite features, discuss why they’re definitely a great investment for fans, and speculate on future releases.
10. The Myths and Legends of Gallifrey – Though the Doctor left it behind in ages past, and seldom returns unless it’s absolutely necessary, it is no surprise that Gallifrey itself remains a vital and powerful part of Doctor Who mythology. From stories such as “The War Games,” “The Deadly Assassin” and “Hell Bent,” to continuing adventures on audio from Big Finish Productions, we’ll take a look at why the planet Gallifrey and its society is such a unique and important part of the show’s ongoing story.
11. Death and the Doctor – Death and, more importantly, regeneration is an ongoing theme: we see Doctors ready for change, unhappy to let go, or even outright resistant to what comes next. This panel will discuss the coming of regeneration for each incarnation of our favorite Time Lord, how they cope with it, and the differences between each portrayal… and how that bodes for their next persona.
12. The Memory TARDIS – To celebrate the sixtieth anniversary, Doctor Who introduced us to the Memory TARDIS, where memories are a type of time travel. But throughout Series Fourteen, the show may be just a season long Memory TARDIS itself: sprinkling Modern and Classic Who references throughout, giving a sense of nostalgia to long-time viewers while gently introducing new viewers to the dense history of the show. Was it successful or confusing? Let’s dive into the memories…
13. Gods and Legends – Science fiction & fantasy loves to play with mythology in different ways, and Doctor Who is no exception. From the Gods of Ragnarok and Fenric (straight out of Norse mythology) to different versions of the fall of Atlantis, takes on Greek mythos (such as The Horns of Nimon and Underworld), and even more recently, Egyptian legend (hello again, Sutekh, our old friend), we’ll take a look back at human mythology and how it has influenced Doctor Who storytelling.
14. The Other Roads Taken – Although the Virgin and BBC Doctor Who novels are long out of print, and the Big Finish audio stories accessible only through purchase, the many characters and situations they introduced persist to this day. The adventures of Benny Summerfield, Chris and Roz, Charley and C’rizz, Fitz Kreiner, Erimem and Evelyn Smythe, amongst many others, are as important to Who mythology as the show itself. We’ll explore the various pathways these off-screen adventures have taken, how they fit into the larger narrative, and why fans keep going back to them.
15. A Voyage With Iris Wildthyme – Our guest Paul Magrs created a wonderful character in Iris Wildthyme for both novels and Big Finish audio adventures, the latter of which featured the inimitable Katy Manning herself. We’ll take a journey deep into the world of Iris Wildthyme, spirited adventurer through space and time… and if MIAOW or the Putney Common 22 sound like a lot of “murmur, murmur” to you, you’ll definitely want to join us!
16. Procrastination of the Daleks – Like, what are they all waiting for? So many alien races and villains have tried to invade Earth over the years… and yet, they’re foiled time and time again. But only sometimes by the Doctor. What happens when our favorite Time Lord is nowhere to be found? Is UNIT stronger than we realize? Are there other heroes defending our homeworld, or are these monsters just terrible at alien invasions in general? We’ll discuss what’s keeping all the bad stuff in the universe at bay when the Doctor’s back is turned.
17. Recreate! Animate! Exterminate! – While some classic Doctor Who stories have been restored via animation – much of which remains quite controversial – many stories remain fully missing. While audios have been released for the missing ones, fans have recently taken it upon themselves to restore episodes, some using AI, others (such as “Mission to the Unknown”) completely restaged with new actors. This panel will discuss restoration of classic Who, the pros and cons, where we are headed, and how much is left before everything is watchable again.
18. Who, American Style – Imagine a world in which our favorite Time Lord arrived on our screens through a different continent. What if Doctor Who had been a US TV production? What actors might have taken on the role of the Doctor and their companions, going all the way back to 1963? Would the show have been cancelled or found success in the American TV landscape? And just how different would this show look like if it had been born across the pond? We’ll come up with fun combinations as we explore what kind of effect it could have on American TV.
19. Building a Better Screwdriver – It’s the prop that keeps on giving: the Doctor’s deus ex machina in screwdriver form. What should the trusty sonic screwdriver be able to do… and what shouldn’t it solve? Which sonics look, sound and feel the best? Our panel will discuss the many versions of the sonic screwdriver, and come up with our own ideas of what the best version might be.
20. Love Letters to Passionate Who Fans – It’s the most passionate of fans who only made fandom spaces so popular: they also in many ways saved the show we all love so much. We’ll dive into many examples of this – from the fans who recorded early episodes on audio tape or took “telesnaps” off air for future reference, to fans who made it their mission to save the show from cancellation (“Doctor in Distress,” anyone?), and fans who even became professionals to make the show again, in TV movie, audio and eventually episodic television form – to determine just how much we owe them for what we view today.
21. Past Perfect – It’s easy to forget these days that the community of Doctor Who viewers and fans in America was a completely different experience a few decades ago. From public television pledge breaks to choppy VHS recordings traded amongst eager fans; from omnibus editions of classic Who serials to haunting the local bookstore for Target novelizations; and from fan gatherings to convention video rooms… the 1970s, 80s and 90s were an altogether different time to be a Who fan. We’ll discuss our favorite memories of those Doctor Who yesteryears.
22. Classic Who Cosplay 101 – The original “classic” Doctor Who remains a very popular inspiration for cosplayers… even if many of the materials used to make the original were specific or aren’t even made any more, and fashions may have changed in the intervening years. We will cover some weirder builds and props, how to source unusual patterns or types of materials, some pros and cons of these materials, and discuss how important true screen accuracy is when creating items with these limited or different resources.
23. The Further Adventures of the Confession Dial – Our ever-popular panel returns once again. Do you have an unpopular opinion about the Doctor Who universe? Is there something that’s been bugging you or that you don’t understand? Maybe you love something about the show or a character so much you need to share it with the world! Have you been afraid to admit to it and it’s been burning a hole in your soul for ages? This is your chance! Our panel will hear your confessional and open up the discussion from there.
24. Stop Me Before I Collect Again, 2025 Edition – Another installment of our always-popular collecting panel. From autographs to Dapol Davros figures with 2 arms all the way to the modern mass market explosion things like BBQ tongs and serving platters, collecting Doctor Who memorabilia is an expensive and time consuming hobby, There are as many different ways to be a Doctor Who collector as there are things to collect. Our panel of enthusiastic collectors will discuss their prime pieces and share tips of how to get started, what to focus on and how to find that Holy Grail item.
General Interest Panels
25. Let’s Do the Time Warp Again – 2025 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the longest film release in the history of the world, the much-beloved and endlessly-parodied piece of brilliance that is The Rocky Horror Picture Show. We’ll discuss the broad and enduring appeal of the cult classic film, how it has brought fans from all walks of life together to endlessly mock it from the audience, and how it has ultimately shaped pop culture for half a century.
26. Never Give Up, Never Surrender – Galaxy Quest, the beloved science fiction comedy, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Part parody, part homage, and part love letter to fans of all ages, it is still as cherished as it was upon its release. We’ll take a look back at the film and discuss all the ways it made us feel about ourselves as fans and viewers.
27. 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.
28. 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.
29. Separating Art from Problematic Artists – We all face moral quandaries when we continue to enjoy what we like – shows, books, films, comics and more – while gripping the disturbing things we hear about their creators. But where do we draw the line? And how do we live and let live, when it comes to the creative works that inspire us? We’ll have a frank and honest discussion about defining the boundaries between the work and its creators.
30. Short Seasons, Long Waits – No one likes waiting two years (or longer) for a season of television when we’re passionate about the show (a problem even Doctor Who has faced of late.) But there are reasons that a dozen episodes of TV take much longer to produce today than the 26-episode seasons we enjoyed a few decades back. We’ll talk about the ever-increasing production schedules, why we should continue to expect the delays… and even how best to cope with the long wait.
31. From Console to TV Screen – Shows based on video games have become a huge draw for streaming services; recent hits such as The Last of Us, Fallout, Arcane, The Witcher, Twisted Metal, Halo and others are just the tip of the iceberg. We’ll discuss our favorite game-turned-shows, where to find them, their successes and failures, and what we hope might be on the horizon.
32. Neurodiversity, Fandom and Creativity – There’s a lot of neurodivergence in science fiction fandom, including Doctor Who fandom; it’s a welcoming space for everyone, including people on the spectrum, or who function more easily online or in small groups. That fact has also bred a great deal of creativity, in art, costuming, writing and much more. We’ll talk about how welcoming our fan spaces are to neurodivergent people, and how far we have yet to travel.
33. Crossing the Streams – It sometimes feels like you could throw a pebble down the street and hit 16 different streaming services. But within all of that mess, there’s just gotta be some good science fiction and fantasy television out there to watch, right? We’ll discuss some of our favorites, both current shows and past gems, and help you navigate your way to them.
34. One-Season Wonders – History is full of stories given the briefest life on television, and yet they endure in our hearts for years and decades that follow. Our panel will discuss the best single-season science fiction, fantasy, horror and genre shows, the ones that live on through literature and games and fan spirit, and why it is they still matter to us.
35. Drawing the Line: AI and the Creative Process – It’s a major topic on everyone’s minds today… when is artificial intelligence acceptable to use in assisting creative work, and where should we draw the line? Is AI an inevitable partner in the creative process, or is it tantamount to theft of other people’s material? And how do we achieve a happy medium?
36. The Cutting Room Floor – We all enjoy films and shows adapted from our favorite books and comics… and when they leave out the best bits, we’re the first ones to grumble. But often times, it’s better left out entirely; some scenes just don’t translate well, and some just bring the pace down entirely. We’ll talk about various films and shows adapted from the page that didn’t adapt as faithfully as we might have expected… and why it was a really smart move.
37. Trek to Madness – Popular Star Trek shows are axed (like Lower Decks and Prodigy), new shows are booked with less than excited response (Academy instead of Legacy… really?) and older concepts become one-shot films (Section 31). What exactly is going on over there with the Trek powers-that-be, and where do we think we’ll be in five years? We’ll discuss.
38. Forward… LARP! – Live-action role playing, also known as LARPing, has a huge international following; think fully immersed games such as Dungeons & Dragons, historical reenactment, commedia dell’arte and much more, all rolled up into one. Join us as people involved in the LARP community discuss what it is, how they enjoy it, and how you can get involved, too!
39. How Sci-Fi Shaped The Future – Once upon a time, films, television shows and printed media promised life in 2025 would be full of wrist communicators, fancy video screens and scanning devices… and now we live in a world with smartphones, tablets and wearable technology. We’ll talk about where speculative fiction thought we would be heading, how much we’ve achieved, and how much is yet to come (will we ever see those flying cars?)
40. Anime-zing! – Anime offers such a wide range of genres and subjects, with content spanning many decades. Many of us got into anime when we were in our teens…some of us never left. Our panelists will give you insights into the best of anime in film and television, as well as the most convenient places to start getting into everything Japan’s powerhouse has to offer.
41. Into the Fan-verse – Time to get creative… it’s a discussion about how one can get involved in the Doctor Who and science fiction & fantasy fandom sphere, creating fan art (visual or physical), fan videos & films, fanzines, fan spaces and so much more. We’ll also discuss collaboration within the greater fan community, where to find said communities, and how to connect with people who share the same passions as yourself.
42. Do-It-Yourself Cosplay – Creating that perfect costume for the media you love, Doctor Who or otherwise, might be daunting, but you don’t have to spend huge sums of money or take a master class in costume design. Our panel of experts will offer tips on getting started with costume design right at home, using material you may have laying around (or can grab with a quick trip down the road.)
More news soon!
Julie Gardner is an award-winning television producer. As BBC’s Head of Drama at BBC Wales, she spearheaded the 2005 revival of BAFTA-winning Doctor Who and launched new series Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures with Russell T Davies, and oversaw brand enhancing events such as Doctor Who at the Proms. Since co-founding Bad Wolf with Jane Tranter in 2015, she has executive produced titles including I Hate Suzie and I Hate Suzie Too, The Winter King and Red Eye. In the US, for sister company Bad Wolf America, she produced the limited series Lady in the Lake starring Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram, the company’s first scripted title. As BBC Commissioner, Gardner led an award-winning slate of independent programming including The Girl in the Café, Casanova, Life on Mars, Being Human, and Stuart: A Life Backwards. At BBC Worldwide Productions, she executive produced titles such as Da Vinci’s Demons and Getting On. Gardner is an honorary fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the University of West Glamorgan. She is the recipient of the Sian Phillips Award at BAFTA Cymru 2013. In 2014 she was made an MBE for her contribution to the growth of the television industry in Wales. Gardner received the Outstanding Contribution to Television Award at BAFTA Cymru 2024.
Phil Collinson trained in drama at Bretton Hall College and began his TV career as an actor before becoming a script editor and later television drama producer. In 2004 he became producer of Doctor Who, helping to steer the revival of the series to huge critical acclaim. He remained as Producer and Executive Producer of Doctor Who and its spin off series The Sarah Jane Adventures until 2008, after which time he returned to Manchester as BBC Head of Drama for the region. He subsequently developed and produced many award winning dramas including Gentleman Jack and Its A Sin for HBO, as well as produced such series as Coronation Street, Midwinter of the Spirit, Bancroft and Good Omens. He returned to the Whoniverse as Executive Producer in 2023, alongside fellow guests Julie Gardner and Joel Collins. We were delighted to welcome Phil once before to Gallifrey One, at our 2009 convention, and we are thrilled he will be joining us again.
Joel Collins is an Executive Producer at Bad Wolf, where as of 2025 he has produced 21 episodes of Doctor Who. He is currently in post-production on The War Between The Land And The Sea, the much-anticipated Doctor Who spinoff starring Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Joel began his career in 1992 as a modeller and creature designer on Babe, The Flintstones and Muppet Treasure Island, and gained experience at the world-famous Henson’s Creature Shop in London. He went on to become an award-winning production designer, playing a key role in the creative team Hammer and Tongs, designing the films The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy and Son Of Rambow. Joel’s role evolved from designer to editorial creative following his close collaboration with Charlie Brooker on award-winning anthology series Black Mirror. He joined Bad Wolf in 2017, helping Jane Tranter to launch the His Dark Materials trilogy. He has won multiple awards for Production Design, VFX and Titles, and brings his vast creative experience to the shows he now produces. (Photo credit: Bad Wolf/Sekh-Fei De Lacy)