Will the BBC commission a new spin-off?

[23skidoo]

With the Sarah Jane Adventures ending this year, and Torchwood going into what's likely to be limbo for a year or two after Miracle Day ends, we're going to be back to having only a single Doctor Who franchise TV series for the first time in about 5 years. (I'm not counting the K-9 series here because it's not BBC.)

That's not necessarily a bad thing - ask Star Trek fans about oversaturation - but I do have to wonder if the BBC might push to get a new spin-off going to fill the gap. The obvious choice would be a Vastra and Jenny spin-off (if Neve McIntosh is down with doing the make-up full time or they cheat and give Vastra a shimmer suit or something), but who knows what they might come up with.

Do you think the BBC will try and get something in the pipe, especially if Torchwood doesn't get an immediate Series 5 greenlight (or perhaps is even cancelled)? Or do you think they'll instead "clear the decks" for the next couple years and let the parent series take the whole spotlight as we barrel towards the anniversary?

Alex

 

[C.E. Evans]

I think they'll just continue with Torchwood myself. No new spinoffs.

 

[wamdue]

I dont think they will, one problem the BBC has at the moment is the Cardiff Drama centre they are building around Doctor Who and its spin-offs. Torchwood even if it continues is unlikely to film there full time, whilst as before SJA is ending.

This leaves Doctor Who, ok so the BBC moved Casualty there as well, but what seemed like a good idea now seems like it might be a failure, I guess if it gets really bad they can move Holby City as well, but the future for the centre is not as bright as it once was.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Jago and Litefoot!

*ahem*

Sorry, I have been hanging out in the audio play forum at Gallifreybase for too long.

On a serious note, I wouldn't be surprised if BBC did another spin-off but it would have to be already established product. I just hope they don't try to force introduce such a product on Doctor Who just so they can do a spin-off.

As much as I would love to see a Vastra and Jenny spin-off, I don't see it getting much viewership because it's such a narrow focus (lesbian alien/human duo fighting crime in Victorian times).

 

[Sindatur]

I can see a one off special with Jenny and Vastra, but, I don't think they'll go full blown series.

If the available space and expense of filming Doctor Who during the Studio move is a concern, I can't see them investing resources in a spinoff, until the Studio move is all settled in and functioning efficiently, which probably takes us into 2013.

 

[captcalhoun]

UNIT!

 

[Starkers]

I don't think there'll be another spin off any time soon, much as I'd love to see Rani And Clyde: The new adventures. And frankly I'm not sure I want another Who spinoff. I'd much rather the BBC invested in a new sci-fi/fantasy show. I mean despite tenuous links (The Daleks might have shown up) on the whole there's nothing to link Who with Blakes 7 in terms of the actually story, yet both ran at the same time.

Sadly I think the failure of Outcasts has probably put back the non-Who sci-fi agenda, and austerity won't help. Why put money you may not have into a big budget sci-fi show when you can create a new cop show for half the price. (Of course they could just remake Star Cops with an 80's budget and do both )

Be interesting to see what happens with Torchwood. It hasn't exactly been pulling up trees from what I can tell.

 

[MacLeod]

I doubt that they will, what with the BBC having to make cutbacks elsewhere.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Well ITV is ploughing £30m more in to drama, Channel 4 £20-50m, Sky are increasing their original programming budget to £100m or so and BBC are being forced to make cuts. Seems wrong some how.
Personally I'd prefer more original (or non-Doctor Who) related shows. Being Human still going strong, but BBC Three are bringing The Fades soon, hopefully that'll be good, but it's looking like Three and Four will be losing drama budgets so I don't think we'll get much more of that. Hopefully with BBC Two being "Britain's HBO" now we'll see some investment in strong, adult, genre shows on BBC Two.

 

[Starkers]

If BBC2 makes more things like the Shadowline I'll be happy. I almost wish Outcasts had been a BBC 2 production!

Whilst ITV/SKy and Channel 4 might be ploughing more money into drama, it is a huge gamble, especially for ITV. Whilst the licence money might be dropping, it is at least a consistant revenue stream so I think the BBC is still in a healthier place than some others.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

If BBC2 makes more things like the Shadowline I'll be happy. I almost wish Outcasts had been a BBC 2 production!

Whilst ITV/SKy and Channel 4 might be ploughing more money into drama, it is a huge gamble, especially for ITV. Whilst the licence money might be dropping, it is at least a consistant revenue stream so I think the BBC is still in a healthier place than some others.

I reckon Outcasts would have survived if it was a BBC Two show.

Well ITV have actually been doing well from their drama lately. Unsurprisingly people like Drama. Though apparently since Downton Abbey is a hit they want it to run for 6 years or more, and they're having Julian Fellowes do a Titanic drama for next year.

BBC are actually supposed to be hoping to put more of their budget in to programming too, so despite the cuts there might be an increase in the programming budget. I just hope they follow through with their goal of making BBC Two the home of good drama.

 

[Starkers]

Yeah I think half the problem with Outcasts was that the Beeb were marketing it as a prime time show and wrote it off once it didn't get remotely big numbers.

Well hopefully moving a lot of production out of London and trimming some fat will ensure the BBC don't have to cut back on the quality too much.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

^I've seen that both BBC and Channel 4 have committed to making more shows in Scotland, and a few months back the Beeb said they would make more shows in the North at places where they already had a presence. Manchester, Leeds, Hull, Newcastle, etc. I hope they do, it would be nice to see more of the country in their shows.

 

[Starkers]

Well it's already been revealed that Waterloo Road is moving to Scotland apparently!

 

[diankra]

Russell T Davies said something relevant recently: basically, that he was lucky that Who came back so successfully when it did, because in the current financial climate at the BBC, he wouldn't be able to get Torchwood and SJA off the ground. So that suggests no new spin-offs any time soon.
The only pointer the other way is that BBC Wales had assumed that they'd have Doctor Who and Sarah Jane in more-or-less permanent residence at the new drama centre, so obviously they now need something to fill the SJA-shaped gap in their financial plans. But that needn't necessarily be Who-related...

 

[Starkers]

Rani and Clyde!

I really need to copyright that!

 

[captcalhoun]

Clyde and Rani sounds better.

is reality TV dying at last?

 

[Pindar]

Well it's already been revealed that Waterloo Road is moving to Scotland apparently!

How does that programme get made, it's awful.

 

[LOKAI of CHERON]

Well it's already been revealed that Waterloo Road is moving to Scotland apparently!

How does that programme get made, it's awful.

Because viewers in their multiple millions tune in to watch, week in, week out!

 

[Pindar]

Well it's already been revealed that Waterloo Road is moving to Scotland apparently!

How does that programme get made, it's awful.

Because viewers in their multiple millions tune in to watch, week in, week out!

We need better criteria for programming.