Bad news for 2012

[Bob The Skutter]

I don't get why they don't just have a 8-10 episode season then in late 2012 and call that series 7 with the Christmas Special in December. Then if BBC want to keep the show in the September-November slot then have a big special to celebrate the 50th year in Easter 2013 and another 10 episode season (8th) followed by the christmas special.

If the BBC wants to save money I would be happy to have just 10 episode seasons + The standard X mas special from now on.

We've got no clue of what the reasons are, besides the whole 14 episode series is to make it more attractive for international sales, cutting the order might lose them sales and then work against them as a false economy.

 

[Starkers]

It also might be more cost effective to film 14 episodes than 10 because of economies of scale, you just don't know.

 

[Mr Awe]

No - that's only in 2012, and is a better option than having an 18 month gap between seasons 7 and 8, which is the only other option... and which they had to do anyway because they're moving to bigger and better purpose-built studios during a time when they'd normally be shooting a spring season.

I have to disagree. It's not the only other option. Thinking that way is making excuses for their lack of planning. Sufficiently advanced planning would've eliminated the need for this.

So, another option would've been to plan for the move in advance so that it doesn't impact your shooting schedule!

Getting half a season for one year isn't terrible. But, it does show a lack of organization and professionalism on their part.

Mr Awe

 

[Mr Awe]

I'm utterly puzzled at this fear and loathing over the new schedule.

I don't think it's fear and loathing. At least on my part. It's more annoyance that bad planning means half the amount of Who in 2012!

Mr Awe

 

[Lonemagpie]

No - that's only in 2012, and is a better option than having an 18 month gap between seasons 7 and 8, which is the only other option... and which they had to do anyway because they're moving to bigger and better purpose-built studios during a time when they'd normally be shooting a spring season.

I have to disagree. It's not the only other option. Thinking that way is making excuses for their lack of planning.

It's what I said would happen, back when they announced the season 6 split...

Though I also said I expected them to drop the Xmas special as a separate episode and just schedule one of the 13 for that slot- which they haven't done, surprisingly.

 

[Mr Awe]

No - that's only in 2012, and is a better option than having an 18 month gap between seasons 7 and 8, which is the only other option... and which they had to do anyway because they're moving to bigger and better purpose-built studios during a time when they'd normally be shooting a spring season.

I have to disagree. It's not the only other option. Thinking that way is making excuses for their lack of planning.

It's what I said would happen, back when they announced the season 6 split...

Though I also said I expected them to drop the Xmas special as a separate episode and just schedule one of the 13 for that slot- which they haven't done, surprisingly.

I don't recall your post, but I'll take your word for it. But, that doesn't mean it was the ONLY other option. Better planning could've handled this.

I do think you're right, though, that this was their plan all along. So, kudos for seeing that back then. First, split the season now. We get used to that. Split it next season too but only air half in 2012. One more step in that direction. Then, hopefully, a full seasons worth of episodes in 2013 and beyond. We're happy again. Hopefully.

But, it was also badly handled all around. From Moffat saying this was done for story telling reasons and that we wouldn't have to wait for so long for new episodes, when this was really planned all along for other reasons. To this BBC1 guy blaming Moffat for it and the BBC Online News running with that. To coverup attempts later from others trying to explain it away as a joke, then a dry joke where you'd have to know the guy, etc! Okaaaaay.

Best case scenario: They would've planned for all of this and it wouldn't have affected production and broadcast at all.

Next best case scenario: They're upfront about this from the get go and forgo all of the secrecy, which breeds rumors and suspicion. "Look, we plan to have 14 episodes a year normally, except for 2012 where you'll get 7. Basically, we didn't plan well enough to account for an upcoming studio move." That would be ok. Not ideal, but more professional and organized that what we actually got. They'd actually look like they knew what they were doing.

We're not in the worst case scenario by any means but clearly there were other options they could've done. What we got looked choatic, unplanned, and unprofessional. It led to rumors and suspicion.

Mr Awe

 

[Bob The Skutter]

^Again, we have no clue that this is bad planning, there may be plenty of reasons for it, from business reasons to scheduling, to behind the scenes problems and budgetting reasons, or a combination of things.

 

[Mr Awe]

^^ Well, good planning could've handled all of that, therefore, bad planning.

In all seriousness, I'm not too fussed over this. It's a bit annoying that we'll only get half a season next year but in the grand scheme of things that's not too bad. I do think they could've handled this better, but oh well. We'll survive!

Mr Awe

 

[Jax]

I can't help this is in part a kneejerk reaction to falling live ratings wish is basically the norm in TV these days even though a large portion of the drop in live audience is due to the BBC handling of the show trying to make the sure prop up its failing lead ins and outs shows.

This crazy mish mash of a so called Schedule will probably hurt the show in the long term in the UK anyway because people are creatures of comfort and hate change especially one so poorly planned.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Funny, just as this series started plenty of people here were saying they didn't give a shit what time it started, they may prefer later but otherwise they didn't really care. Now it's killing it.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

^^ Well, good planning could've handled all of that, therefore, bad planning.

In all seriousness, I'm not too fussed over this. It's a bit annoying that we'll only get half a season next year but in the grand scheme of things that's not too bad. I do think they could've handled this better, but oh well. We'll survive!

Mr Awe

Can't exactly plan for all contingencies. Work running late on the construction, unexpectedly large budget cuts, etc. BUt yeah, I don't really care about it being half a series next year, I'd like it to be a full one but I will live without it.