DW returns Aug 27: Zap2It.com

[DimesDan]

Although I understand the reasons behind why BBC doesn't announce the airdate too far in advance, there are times when they take things a bit too far. Like with Doctor Who when all the international broadcasters announce when they are going to air it. BBC obviously isn't going to air it after that date, so the competition can figure it out and make their plans accordingly.

And it does surprise me just how tightlipped BBC can be about airdates. According to The Writer's Tale, RTD never knew the airdates until the public did. Prior to public announcements, no one from BBC would tell him anything about airdates, they wouldn't even confirm the Christmas specials would air on Christmas.

Does it actually matter though one way or another?

Does it ruin your viewing pleasure?

Does it mean you won't be able to see it where ever you are in North America?

No, no, and no.

Like I said, I do understand why its done, but in a case like Doctor Who when everyone else has announced a month in advanced when they are airing it, what does BBC gain by not announcing the same date as well? And does confirming that a Christmas special is going to air on Christmas day really screw them over that much?

But like you say, it doesn't really matter one way or the other, it's just an oddity I felt like commenting on. That is permissable, no?

Of course it's permissible, given that you will be able to watch it one way or another, the fact you and several other posters are continuing to take issue with this is just silly as it's irrelevant.

I'm glad you accept that you understand why the BBC and other major broadcasters do this.

Tell me, if you weren't here discussing this and you didn't know that the BBC had not as yet announced when "Lets Kill Hitler" will be aired on BBC One on Saturday 27th August 2011, would you know and would you mind that the BBC had not announced it?

Personally, I don't mind if they don't announce these things, weeks, if not months in advance. I don't plan to far in advance and with iplayer and Sky Plus, I don't worry if I miss things when first broadcast. When season 6.1 was shown, due to one thing or another, I only watched three of the seven "live".

Torchwood has taken a noticeable hit in the UK ratings due, most likely, to people downloading the US broadcasts a week earlier

Has it? The viewing figures look pretty respectable to me.

In the top 10 for BBC1 every week.

Yes. I'd like to see some hard evidence for this claim, including evidence downloads are hurting the show as opposed to a natural drop-off as is normal.

So would I. Something tells me that this assertion that Miracle Day is suffering from a week long lag is just total hyperbolic bollocks, I would happily accept being proved wrong though on this matter.

 

[The Wormhole]

Tell me, if you weren't here discussing this and you didn't know that the BBC had not as yet announced when "Lets Kill Hitler" will be aired on BBC One on Saturday 27th August 2011, would you know and would you mind that the BBC had not announced it?

Most certainly not. At the end of the day, the only thing that really matters is that I can watch Doctor Who within a reasonable timeframe compared to everyone else. However since the topic of BBC's announcement practices was being discussed, I decided to weigh in with my thoughts on the matter. I was just adding to an ongoing discussion, nothing more than that.

 

[StCoop]

Well gosh, confirmed by the BBC exactly on (their) schedule. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2011/08_august/16/doctor.shtml (Please note that link also gives synopsis of all the remaining episodes.)

 

[Turbo]

Well gosh, confirmed by the BBC exactly on (their) schedule. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2011/08_august/16/doctor.shtml (Please note that link also gives synopsis of all the remaining episodes.)

Wow. That trailer is...wow. I dunno if it's been around here yet but I hadn't seen it and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I really hope that something timey-wimey occurs and...

Spoiler: Trailer

Amy and Rory get to raise River/Melody.

 

[wamdue]

nice to see it confirmed

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I don't think they can cross over their past (while not strictly enforced, that's a rule Doctor Who tries to keep). Which means:

Spoiler: re: your spoiler

They won't be able to raise Melody from a baby, but they certainly could find her after that first regeneration and raise her from a young girl

 

[Turbo]

I don't think they can cross over their past (while not strictly enforced, that's a rule Doctor Who tries to keep). Which means:

Spoiler: re: your spoiler

They won't be able to raise Melody from a baby, but they certainly could find her after that first regeneration and raise her from a young girl

Well, if my crack theory is right...

Spoiler: theory

another Ganger of baby Melody becomes real, so Amy & Rory get to raise one baby as Melody, while the other baby becomes River.

 

[23skidoo]

So would I. Something tells me that this assertion that Miracle Day is suffering from a week long lag is just total hyperbolic bollocks, I would happily accept being proved wrong though on this matter.

I was referencing another thread on that particular topic, which I believe was citing blogs, etc. Plus, even the final ratings numbers aren't exactly in Doctor Who territory. Purely anecdotally everyone I know over there who watches TW downloads the US version, though that also has as much to do with the censorship issue as anything else.

Anyway, as far as DW is concerned it's moot since the BBC has finally confirmed the date. However just to show I'm not some idiot crying in the wilderness, Doctor Who's brand manager even thinks the practice "seems nuts", though, he says "there's a reason" though in that wonderful way Twitter renders communication useless he doesn't elaborate:

http://twitter.com/#!/edwardrussell/status/103392745120477184

Alex

 

[StCoop]

Plus, even the final ratings numbers aren't exactly in Doctor Who territory.

So what? 99.9% of the programmes of television don't get DW's ratings. 5-6 million for a post-Watershed drama are good figures.

MD has won it's timeslot every week and been in the BBC's Top 10 programmes every week and gets AI figures on a par with DW. And while not at Spatacus levels, Starz seem happy with its ratings in the US and interested in doing another series if approached by RTD about it.

 

[MacLeod]

Well as expected the BBC has finally confirmed the date, though it would be interesting to know the reasons why it can't announce it earlier. It is after all one of the channels flagship shows.

 

[StCoop]

Well as expected the BBC has finally confirmed the date, though it would be interesting to know the reasons why it can't announce it earlier. It is after all one of the channels flagship shows.

Is 11 days notice not enough?

Unlike US television where schedules are rigidly fixed, British TV schedules can and do change up to the last minute. (The last minute usually being 10 days before transmission.) So there's no point saying in July that it'll be back on a certain date in August, when it's not 100% certain it will be.

 

[MacLeod]

Shows like DW are shown the world over, and in the case of DW we had a BBC subsiduary in this case BBC America announcing an airdate before it's "home" channel had announced it's airdate. So we have one part of the BBC saying it'll return to American screens on such a date, yet the parent company saying we can't tell you when it'll be returning to BBC One.

If not annoucing it's airdate was to keep it's rivals in the dark (in this case unlike the US there is only one main rival to the BBC, ITV 1), most of us suspected that it would return on the same date. So why wouldn't ITV execs deduce the same thing?

 

[Bob The Skutter]

^Because if BBC change their mind then BBC America have to change their schedule and look like idiots.

 

[Mr Awe]

They're going to wait till the following weekend with the assumption that BBC America will pre-empt Doctor Who on Sept. 3 due to the Labor Day weekend.

Contrary to past patterns, BBC America isn't pre-empting Who on September 3rd. They're announced they're doing a six-week straight run.

Good, they learned from the last time!

Mr Awe

 

[Mr Awe]

God, what is it with you lot. This happens every time, do you do have selective amnesia or something?

Was it even five weeks ago when exactly the same thing happened with 'Torchwood' not being listed?

The BBC don't list when it's on until the last possible moment because they don't want ITV to know.

ITV can check when it's on in the States and make their own assumptions!

Mr Awe

 

[Rarewolf]

So would I. Something tells me that this assertion that Miracle Day is suffering from a week long lag is just total hyperbolic bollocks, I would happily accept being proved wrong though on this matter.

I was referencing another thread on that particular topic, which I believe was citing blogs, etc. Plus, even the final ratings numbers aren't exactly in Doctor Who territory. Purely anecdotally everyone I know over there who watches TW downloads the US version, though that also has as much to do with the censorship issue as anything else.

Torchwood can never have the audience figures Doctor Who does; many of them would be in bed! Who is a family show, Torchwood wouldn't want to be.

I'm a huge fan of the show, but even I can wait a week. No promises when we get to the last episode mind

It's only really accidentally reading spoilers that bother me about the delay.

Anyway, as far as DW is concerned it's moot since the BBC has finally confirmed the date. However just to show I'm not some idiot crying in the wilderness, Doctor Who's brand manager even thinks the practice "seems nuts", though, he says "there's a reason" though in that wonderful way Twitter renders communication useless he doesn't elaborate:

http://twitter.com/#!/edwardrussell/status/103392745120477184

Alex

That mearly confirms what you correctly guessed in post 1, it's post 53 you in your own words went 'crying in the wilderness' jumping to other conclusions. The lack of announcement may be nuts, but him claiming that doesn't entirely defend the false assumptions you started suggesting.

As it happens the announcement came just after the BFI Press Screening of the episode. Maybe they wanted extra publicity for the annoucement?