Episode Description
Set aside whatever reality-maintenance you’re currently engaged in (or pointedly neglecting), ensure time is still behaving in a broadly cooperative fashion, and make yourself comfortable as we once again step aboard the venerable Nosferatu 2.5 — a vessel of such seasoned provenance that several of its systems function largely on memory alone. With Sophie Aldred at the helm, our journey continues through reminiscence, imagination, and those delicate intersections where lived history and creative legacy quietly entwine.
At Sophie’s side, as ever, stands Hobbes: the ship’s automaton butler, procedural purist, and indefatigable custodian of standards. Polished to a fault and deeply suspicious of improvisation, Hobbes oversees operations with meticulous care, particularly when faced with temporal anomalies, unscheduled arrivals, and the persistent enigma of the door that stubbornly refuses to open — or explain itself. Together, Sophie and Hobbes navigate temperamental technology, philosophical digressions, and the occasional existential tremor rippling through the bulkheads.
This week, the Time Scoop once again demonstrates its aversion to consultation and retrieves Carole Ann Ford — actor, pioneer, and forever woven into the origins of Doctor Who itself. As Susan Foreman, Carole stood alongside William Hartnell when the programme first aired in 1963, helping to define not only a character but the emotional heart of a series that was inventing itself in real time. Her performance combined curiosity, intelligence, and a quiet otherness that grounded the show’s earliest explorations of time and space. Beyond Doctor Who, Carole’s career has encompassed theatre, television, film, and audio drama, marked by a thoughtful engagement with character and story across decades. Once the Scoop’s formalities are reluctantly satisfied, Carole joins Sophie on the Sofa of Infinite Understanding to reflect on beginnings, endurance, and what it means to be part of a mythology that never truly stops unfolding.
No expedition aboard the Nosferatu 2.5, however, would be complete without a descent into the shimmering depths of the Ffantaface — that vast, ever-shifting reservoir of fan memory, connection, and beautifully obsessive devotion. Standing watch, as always, is Mrs C, the Cockney goldfish, whose telepathic observations are sharp, forthright, and largely unconcerned with chronological decorum. With the appropriate rituals observed, Sophie is granted access to this week’s guide: Arron Lowe — founder of the online community Friends of Ace.
Inspired by Sophie’s portrayal of Ace, Friends of Ace has grown into a welcoming, inclusive space that celebrates not just a character, but the values she represents: courage, loyalty, compassion, and the freedom to challenge injustice. Through community-building, charity initiatives, and shared enthusiasm, Arron has helped transform fandom into something active and connective — a place where admiration becomes action and storytelling sparks real-world solidarity. Together, Sophie and Arron explore how a single character can inspire lasting community, why Ace continues to resonate across generations, and how fandom, at its best, becomes a force for belonging.
You can find us all over your social media.
Bluesky/Instagram/X: @aceodyssey63
Facebook: Sophie Aldred's Ace Odyssey
Follow @FriendsOfAce on Instagram!
For listeners who want even more adventure, you can step inside the Ace Odyssey Patreon Community-
*Episodes released early
*Two exclusive podcasts every month
*Online meet-ups and interactive events
*Direct involvement in the evolving universe of the show
Sophie Aldred's Ace Odyssey stars Sophie Aldred with James Showers as Hobbes.
Special Guests- Carole Ann Ford and Arron Lowe
Music, Sound Effects and Sound Design by Michael Livesley
Programme Assistant Liz Whitmore
Written, Produced and Directed by Paul Carmichael.
Sophie Aldred’s Ace Odyssey is an Eh? Aye! Production © 2026
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