With it being a new Doctor it might be better to run 13 episodes back to back, rather than split the season.
^ That's what the email mentioned--letting viewers get familiar with the new Doctor. But, Lonemagpie is right, it didn't specify the number of episodes.
BBC America would prefer a single run of 10 to 13 episodes. They don't like the split seasons because they stretch their marketing budget.
This would be essentially one solid run, but with a month or so off for the winter holidays when viewership for weekly shows normally drops (which is why most shows go into reruns during this period). With only a couple weeks between any single new episode (because you have the Christmas Special in between) there is no need for a big campaign for the second half. I'm not sure if sweeps are still relevant, but it does also give them a presence during two sweeps periods this way.
If you start in Late September - early October, that's too far to make it to late February, without massive communication about when it's on. It would require 6 or 7 episodes, then a couple/few weeks break before Anniversary Special, then a month for the Christmas Special, and then another couple weeks until the final run. That's an awful lot of off and on for the average viewer to have to keep up with
Why would you start in late September or early October? I'm talking about running 6 weeks from the end of October/beginning of November through early-mid December. One or two weeks off, Christmas, one or two weeks off, then another 6 weeks to take it through the end of February.
That's what we have to work with, so, that was the reasonable assumption to make you wre talking about. You didn't indicate it, so, I didn't realize you were proposing your own schedule.
OK, I mistook what you said, in relation to the memo recently being mentioned (And....I put the Anniversary Special in there too ) Yea, yours is the right way, however, Walking Dead is more than just a couple weeks off, it's a couple months, or damned close to it, but yea, take December off from the Regular 13 and air the Xmas Special and start the regular episodes back up after new Year's Day and you're set
I think you've got it! They took about 2 months between the first and second half, yeah, but they were also working with more episodes (16) so they were able to stretch it out to last almost the full TV season that way.
As I recall, the first three series of the new Doctor Who were co-produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), but I don't think the CBC got much input in managing Doctor Who. So I'm not sure how beneficial a co-production would be. (other than the co-production credit at the end of each episode )
It'd be nice to assume 13 plus a Xmas special, but I can't help noticing how so many of the current BBC dramas - Ripper Street, Death In Paradise, etc - are settling on 10-episode seasons these days...
NO! Because once we accept 10 episode seasons (series), then it will be 7, then 5, then 3 (Sherlock, anybody?). The line must be drawn here! No farther! And it should be moved to 15, just to show who is supposed to drawing the line (the viewers).