2 million fewer viewers

[USS Triumphant]

I'm still watching, but I'm really sad for Capaldi, because I know he's actually a Whovian and I feel like HE is doing an excellent job. It's Clara hate: she's kind of annoying anyway, and most importantly, she's guilty of not being Amy and Rory (who are perhaps going to go down as the most beloved companions of the entire show's history).

That, combined with, as someone else here said, them trying too hard to give him his own thing. The sunglasses are dumb. I might actually dig the guitar bit if it wasn't for the sunglasses - they're too consistent with each other, and since when has that EVER been a thing with The Doctor? Metal electric guitar and.... a bubble pipe? Pool floaties? Wearing underwear on the outside like he's a superhero? Any of that, or something else completely random - but not what appears to be just regular cool guitar-playing-guy sunglasses.

 

[Mr Awe]

Capaldi and Moffat have criticized the BBC for using DW as a pawn in the ratings climb, Moffat goes on to say that the 8PM timeslot is "Sherlock O'Clock" and isn't suited for Doctor Who

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/nov/06/doctor-who-scheduling-pawn-bbc-peter-capaldi


Moffat confirms a full 12-episode series will be made in 2016

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015...will-be-a-full-series-of-doctor-who-next-year

Great news!! Hurray!

Mr Awe

 

[Sybok Was Wrong]

It's viewer fatigue after 8 years, coupled with an old guy as the doctor--that is not a sexy casting choice.

Which is unfortunate. No doubt the next Doctor will be young again to boost the ratings.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

It's viewer fatigue after 8 years, coupled with an old guy as the doctor--that is not a sexy casting choice.

Which is unfortunate. No doubt the next Doctor will be young again to boost the ratings.

If ratings continue to decline, I could see the BBC mandating a female Doctor as, essentially, a ratings stunt to draw viewers.

 

[StCoop]

Moffat really has been unusually talkative over the past few days. Another couple of bits of info:

"Class" will be using DW's studio and crew and will shoot before Series 10. Given that they start in January that means a May start at the very earliest.

Osgood won't be the next Companion because "when you're 'relaunching' the series you don't want to tell people they have to have watched any previous episodes."

 

[Guy Gardener]

Wrong.

You want to increase DVD sales by making the Mojos re/watch previous episodes at all or again.

Although someone else is in charge of the DVD division and in competition with Moffat as a department head, working to be thought of well, and maybe even best by the BBC Controller.

It's fricking Thunderdome in there most days.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Seems a little defensive here but I'm sure it must get annoying listening to all the fan whinges.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Osgood won't be the next Companion because "when you're 'relaunching' the series you don't want to tell people they have to have watched any previous episodes."

Did he really use the word "relaunching"? Because that's very interesting. It says that Moffat -- and his bosses -- see the audience bleed as something serious that requires making a big splash to get the eyeballs back.

Though I disagree with Moffat's reasoning for not bringing in Osgood as the next companion, I do get where he's coming from with that quote. It's the old "jumping on point" thing you have in comics all the time, but I have to question if a character who has had five appearances really carries that much baggage that she would be a hindrance to relaunching the series. I admit, I have the uncharitable thought that Moffat's real objection to Osgood as a companion is that Ingrid Oliver isn't twenty-five.

 

[StCoop]

Did he really use the word "relaunching"? Because that's very interesting. It says that Moffat -- and his bosses -- see the audience bleed as something serious that requires making a big splash to get the eyeballs back.

Yeah, I was typing that on my phone in Heathrow Airport but here's the full quote:

When asked if Osgood could be the new companion the writer commented that she would not be the right person to get on board for a "relaunch" of the show; and a previously-seen character from Who is not the direction the production team are currently taking for the role.

"My genuine belief is that it will be someone new. To throw away the chance to say you can start here is foolish. If it's somebody you have to know all about then you've lost that. I think particularly when you get a new companion, more so than a new Doctor, you are sort of saying, 'This is the beginning, this is where it starts - you could join in here."
​

 

[Starkers]

It's viewer fatigue after 8 years, coupled with an old guy as the doctor--that is not a sexy casting choice.

Which is unfortunate. No doubt the next Doctor will be young again to boost the ratings.

If ratings continue to decline, I could see the BBC mandating a female Doctor as, essentially, a ratings stunt to draw viewers.

Which is fine, they just need to make sure the casting is good, otherwise after a huge spike you wind up back where you are now (though I do think it's annoying given that this is turning out to be my favourite season since 6...)

 

[The Wormhole]

I really don't get Moffat's thing about Osgood. After all, one of the more popular modern day companions was someone who was actually introduced in a Christmas special from a couple years prior to her being brought back as a regular companion (Donna). Granted, Donna was brought back in a manner that didn't require you to be familiar with The Runaway Bride, but I'm certain Osgood could be brought in as a regular in a way that doesn't require anyone to be overly familiar with her prior appearances. And besides, she was introduced in Day of the Doctor, the most watched episode of the Moffat era, so it's not like the general audience isn't already familiar with her.

Okay, to be honest, I never really expected Osgood to become a companion anyway, so this news doesn't really disappoint me that much. But I would have hoped for a bit more of a logical reason from Moffat than "so people don't have to re-watch earlier episodes."

 

[Stevil2001]

Publicity is probably the real factor here, though. The answer to the big question of "Who is the new Who Girl?" isn't sexy if it's "This actress who already appeared in five episodes." Catherine Tate may have appeared in the programme before, but of course she had a fame all her own that generated publicity.

 

[The Wormhole]

After having just finished watching The Zygon Inversion what I don't get now is what is the point in resurrecting dead characters only to abandon them right away. We saw this back in Name of the Doctor where the Paternoster Gang were killed and resurrected in the same episode, but then they make just one more appearance in Deep Breath and Moffat has since said they won't be returning. Now, Osgood is not only brought back after killing her in Death in Heaven, but they've even brought back her double in a manner of speaking. And now we have Moffat saying she won't be a companion.

Okay, so that doesn't preclude her never returning to the show, but if this keeps up and dead characters are resurrected only to be ditched right away, what's the point in resurrecting them, or in even killing them off to begin with?

 

[Guy Gardener]

Well she's going to be part of the Big Finish audio stories about Unit.

Hmmm?

I wonder if both Osgoods are going to be in UNIT: Extinction, or if the writers at Big Finish had been told to stray away from her duality?

 

[sttngfan1701d]

After having just finished watching The Zygon Inversion what I don't get now is what is the point in resurrecting dead characters only to abandon them right away. We saw this back in Name of the Doctor where the Paternoster Gang were killed and resurrected in the same episode, but then they make just one more appearance in Deep Breath and Moffat has since said they won't be returning.

He said that? That's unfortunate. I enjoy their stories.

 

[The Wormhole]

After having just finished watching The Zygon Inversion what I don't get now is what is the point in resurrecting dead characters only to abandon them right away. We saw this back in Name of the Doctor where the Paternoster Gang were killed and resurrected in the same episode, but then they make just one more appearance in Deep Breath and Moffat has since said they won't be returning.

He said that? That's unfortunate. I enjoy their stories.

Yep.

“I’m always slightly worried that you can’t keep repeating the joke. And there’s always talk of the spin-off, and the Beeb would do it in a heartbeat… but… I dunno. The moment you start relying on something, you should probably throw it away. I always kind of feel that nothing should stay in the Doctor’s life.

 

[sttngfan1701d]

Well he says in the very next sentence "River has to go," yet he's bringing her back at Christmas. So...never say never with Moffat?

 

[Newspaper Taxi]

The next show-runner could easily decide to bring any of the characters back, provided the actors are willing.

 

[Stevil2001]

Well she's going to be part of the Big Finish audio stories about Unit.

Hmmm?

I wonder if both Osgoods are going to be in UNIT: Extinction, or if the writers at Big Finish had been told to stray away from her duality?

Big Finish's UNIT series takes place prior to "Day of the Doctor" so there will be only one Osgood.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Publicity is probably the real factor here, though. The answer to the big question of "Who is the new Who Girl?" isn't sexy if it's "This actress who already appeared in five episodes." Catherine Tate may have appeared in the programme before, but of course she had a fame all her own that generated publicity.

That's a pretty valid reason, now that I think about it.

Well he says in the very next sentence "River has to go," yet he's bringing her back at Christmas. So...never say never with Moffat?

Moffat's bringing River back for two reasons -- RTD planted the idea in his head, and he was thinking about leaving and thought River would be a good note to go out on.