Officially no series 8 in 2013

Discussion in 'Doctor Who' started by Samurai8472, Jan 22, 2013.

  1. Sindatur

    Sindatur The Gray Owl Wizard Admiral

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    Utah and New York were co-paid by BBCA. If they hadn't gone, they wouldn't have had the extra money from going
     
  2. DalekJim

    DalekJim Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Because Spain is alright and Dubai is a human rights hell-hole that RTD should be held morally accountable for supporting?

    Let's just say that it's a good job they didn't film any Captain Jack scenes over there...
     
  3. Kelthaz

    Kelthaz Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Woah, let's not go crazy here. There's being responsible with your money and then there's just being a Scrooge.
     
  4. DWF

    DWF Admiral Admiral

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    I could live with that actually.
     
  5. Alidar Jarok

    Alidar Jarok Everything in moderation but moderation Moderator

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    I guess it depends on who "they" are in this context. I was thinking BBC as a whole.
     
  6. Konata Izumi

    Konata Izumi Commander Red Shirt

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    So it's perfectly on-topic to post this The Power of Three reading:

    The optimism's less random and more justified than I first gathered. The Doctor seems to think of himself as one of the 'creatures of hope'. So in the allegory he'd be one of the scientist guys who fix the internet when bad guys take it down. Or put a fatal virus. A bit scarier that one. Before I just thought they're randomly saying it's cool at the end like disregard all danger.

    I guess even the chance discovery of the portal is kind of sensible too as The Doctor's not the only kind scientist in the world, so someone's bound to find one of them. It's an optimistic take on the immense connectivity and possibility within internet with a bit of sensible paranoia too.

    Great how Brian's basically a mostly harmless and quite helpful version of the Shakri mindset. The kid's a troll hacker. No idea what she was in the plot. The Doctor could explode the ship because it was shit.
     
  7. Lonemagpie

    Lonemagpie Writer Admiral

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    TBH I think we'll see 8-part seasons in future for a simple reason - it seems to be the BBC's current paradigm for their top dramas.

    Death In Paradise, Call The Midwife, Ripper Street, etc... all eight-episode runs.
     
  8. Starkers

    Starkers Admiral Admiral

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    Good point. I guess as well that BBC series length has always varied somewhat, in fact aside from Who Torchwood and Merlin (and I guess Robin Hood may have been the same but I never watched it) it’s hard to think of another show I remember having a 13 episode stint since Blakes 7 (though I’m sure there must have been plenty) and it may just be that we need to get used to a truncated series length, I mean there’s nothing that even says a BBC drama always needs to have a set number of episodes per season, Spooks, as I recall, varied greatly from as low as 6 to a high of about ten episodes, and even though the examples you’ve given all have 8 ep runs, Silent Witness still gets 10. Plus of course Torchwood varied greatly too (13,13,5,10)

    I suppose the only thing to point out is that Call the Midwife et al tend to be 60 rather than 45 minute shows, so 8 episodes of Who means less screen time than 8 episodes of Call the Midwife say.

    I could live with 8 episodes a year plus the Christmas special, you’d have to hope that might filter out the crappier episodes but it might sound the final death knell for 2 parters (we might still get one). Part of me thinks the BBC should at least come clean about this, but I’m not sure they do likewise with other shows so it might not even occur to the higer ups that this is any kind of issue?
     
  9. StCoop

    StCoop Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    After the news that they're co-producing AAIT&S, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Series 8 is announced as a full-on BBC/BBC America co-production (rather than them chucking some money in every now and then as they do currently). That looks like being the only way of keeping up full-length (as we currently understand the term) series.
     
  10. Mr Awe

    Mr Awe Vice Admiral Admiral

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    That might work fine for the UK, but it could stunt the momentum it has going here in the States. Not saying that should influence the BBC's decision, just pointing it out. People here are already complaining about the lack of episodes.

    The BBC should be transparent about their plans, whatever they are. The confusion between what is said versus what is done is angering fans and even damaging the brand in terms of marketing, merchandising, and broadcasting. It's hard to plan all of those things when the broadcast schedule is erratic!

    Mr Awe
     
  11. Starkers

    Starkers Admiral Admiral

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    I thought Americans were getting used to fewer episodes of things given the rise of The Walking Dead/Game of Thrones/ American Horror Story et al?

    At the end of the day all I care about is that Who keeps being made, and whether that's 8 or 13 episodes I'll enjoy what there is.
     
  12. Lonemagpie

    Lonemagpie Writer Admiral

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    That'd be cool too.
     
  13. Allyn Gibson

    Allyn Gibson Vice Admiral Admiral

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    If so, we'd likely see the split season malarkey go away. From conversations I've had with people at BBC America, they don't like the split seasons because the run's too short and they don't have the marketing budget to hammer two premieres. If it came down to it, I suspect there would be a compromise between Wales and America on a single run of 10 episodes plus a Christmas special.
     
  14. Sindatur

    Sindatur The Gray Owl Wizard Admiral

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    Yea, my feelings as well. Sure, I'd love 13 or even 20+ episodes a year, but, wether it's 1 episode or 13, I'll happily consume whatever scraps they toss me.
     
  15. Mr Awe

    Mr Awe Vice Admiral Admiral

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    You could be correct about that. Perhaps it's the erraticness of it. I just know that I've heard grumblings over here.

    And, I do agree, 8 episodes is far better than none!

    I just wish the BBC was more straightforward with what their intentions are. I don't watch those U.S. shows with shorter runs that you mention but I don't think they have the erraticness in their scheduling?

    Mr Awe
     
  16. Kelthaz

    Kelthaz Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Game of Thrones has 10 episodes that are 50-60 minutes long (not counting commercials) and they have a massive budget that makes each episode feel like an epic movie. Doctor Who's measly 8 low budget episodes really can't compare to that.
     
  17. Konata Izumi

    Konata Izumi Commander Red Shirt

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    Have you seen Series 7a?
     
  18. Kelthaz

    Kelthaz Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Are you seriously trying to compare "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" with "Blackwater"? Sure, Doctor Who is a great show, but it's a silly adventure series. It's not epic. With Game of Thrones each episodes feels like an event which means you don't feel ripped off for only getting 10 episodes a season.
     
  19. Konata Izumi

    Konata Izumi Commander Red Shirt

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    Nope but I did see these silly epics called The Avengers and The Hobbit without feeling ripped off, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship is quite similar.

    It's funny how much more Hollywood manages to spend on products not much better than ones at a fraction of the cost. Tv can't afford millions of orcs but a million daleks serves almost the same function.
     
    Last edited: Feb 1, 2013
  20. StCoop

    StCoop Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    In what way? The tiny cast, the limited action, the handful of sets?