It is wrong to say that we are getting less Doctor Who

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 31
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Hello everybody

The Christmas Invasion was shown on 25/12/05.
The End of Time, Part Two was shown on 01/01/2010.
That means that the David Tennant era lasted 1,469 days.
Using the episode lengths on Wikipedia, the total length of his episodes was 2,304 minutes.


The Eleventh Hour was shown on 03/04/2010.
The Angels Take Manhattan was shown on 29/09/2012.
That means that the Matt Smith era has lasted 911 days so far.
Using the episode lengths on Wikipedia, the total length of his episodes to date is 1,575 minutes.

That means we get the following averages:
10th Doctor – 1.568 minutes of Doctor Who per day.
11th Doctor – 1.729 minutes of Doctor Who per day.

We are currently ahead by 10%! :)

Even if you want to include the 2012 Christmas special, assuming that it is an hour long and shown on Christmas Day, the 11th Doctor’s average is still 1.638

If you start each Doctor’s era from their actual first appearance, the difference is even larger.

So, we are getting more Doctor Who than before, the ratings are about the same (or up, depending on how you count the millions of IPlayer views) and the show is the only one of BBC Worldwide’s international ‘mega-brands’ that is a drama.

I would not worry about the show being cancelled. I would worry about not being able to see the episodes they will still be making when we are all dead! :)

I really hope my sums are okay! :)
«13456710

Comments

  • outsideoutside Posts: 5,610
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    I really don't understand what you're telling us. :confused:
  • allen_whoallen_who Posts: 2,819
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    I suppose no matter how you dress it up we will still only have had 6 new episodes this calendar year.

    It's better than none - don't get me wrong. Also I always felt 13 was too many. I don't know why they felt the need to make that many - especially when the cast and crew were getting so exhausted. Why not just make 9 and always have a steady run i.e. no breaks in transmission?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 31
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    outside wrote: »
    I really don't understand what you're telling us. :confused:

    Hello and sorry.

    The short version is that we are getting more Doctor Who per day now, than we did with the 10th Doctor, so people who say that we are getting less because the series has moved about in the year are wrong.
  • stcoopstcoop Posts: 3,209
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    The short version is that we are getting more Doctor Who per day now, than we did with the 10th Doctor, so people who say that we are getting less because the series has moved about in the year are wrong.

    Talk about jumping through hoops to try and prove Black is White.

    We're getting one series in two years. How is that not less than one series a year?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    allen_who wrote: »
    I suppose no matter how you dress it up we will still only have had 6 new episodes this calendar year.

    It's better than none - don't get me wrong. Also I always felt 13 was too many. I don't know why they felt the need to make that many - especially when the cast and crew were getting so exhausted. Why not just make 9 and always have a steady run i.e. no breaks in transmission?

    6 isn't enough but 9 plus a Christmas special I could handle.

    This years six just flew over:(
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 31
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    stcoop wrote: »
    Talk about jumping through hoops to try and prove Black is White.

    We're getting one series in two years. How is that not less than one series a year?

    Hello

    We have had 230 minutes of Doctor Who this year (and will probably get another 60).

    In 2009 we had 180 minutes.

    Also there was a gap between The Christmas Invasion and New Earth, which the 11th Doctor did not have.

    These mean that we have had more Doctor Who over this Doctor's time than the 10th Doctor's.

    I am afraid that I cannot work out how the second half of this series and anything else in 2013 will affect this average until they are scheduled.

    I hope I have made that clearer.
  • TRT1968TRT1968 Posts: 2,164
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    Quality, not quantity.
  • stcoopstcoop Posts: 3,209
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    Hello

    We have had 230 minutes of Doctor Who this year (and will probably get another 60).

    In 2009 we had 180 minutes.

    If you pick and choose your points of comparison you can prove anything you want.

    How much was there in 2005 versus 2012? 2006 versus 2012? 2007 versus 2012? 2008 versus 2012? 2010 versus 2012? 2011 versus 2012?
  • WebslarkWebslark Posts: 18,946
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    TRT1968 wrote: »
    Quality, not quantity.

    Of course some folks round here would say we are getting neither. Not me. I'm looking forward to Christmas and then Spring and then autumn again :D
  • nebogipfelnebogipfel Posts: 8,375
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    But haven't you factored in the year of specials (=less) into the 2005-2009 number, but omitted the latter half of series ?

    Do the numbers again, assuming for the sake of discussion that 7.2 ends in late April 2013 and consists of whatever length 7.1 episodes were.

    You might also want to provide a figure assuming that there are no further episodes between the end of 7.2 and the 23rd November anniversary special. Just for fun assume it is ninety minutes or something. What would a best guess average look like then?

    I assume this is just for fun. Nobody is seriously thinking about the average number of minutes of Doctor Who per day they've watched.
  • vampirekvampirek Posts: 4,022
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    stcoop wrote: »
    Talk about jumping through hoops to try and prove Black is White.

    We're getting one series in two years
    . How is that not less than one series a year?

    We are not, we are getting one series in one year, just because it goes into another year doesn't add a year up. Its still practically the same, 13 episodes within a set amount of time, its just moved a bit so they dont all air back to back.
  • outsideoutside Posts: 5,610
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    Hello and sorry.

    The short version is that we are getting more Doctor Who per day now, than we did with the 10th Doctor, so people who say that we are getting less because the series has moved about in the year are wrong.

    I see. :)

    I doubt many fans average out the screen time into minutes per day, though. We're still getting 14 episode seasons so nothing's changed except the way they're broadcast.
  • cat666cat666 Posts: 2,063
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    In all honesty the TV production in the UK is severeley lacking when compared to the USA. Most UK shows rarely go over 10 episodes a year, and when they do they always seem to find ways to stem the flow of new episodes for no real reason. Compare this to the USA where the average season is 20+ episodes on a yearly basis and it is no wonder UK fans are wondering what the hell is going on. Even the USA shows which do have only 12 episodes a year, have it yearly, without fail.

    As for the above mathematics, they mean nothing. The figures are skewed as David Tennant's reign had a "year off" with only specials aired in it, whereas Matt Smith has never had this year off (until now maybe).

    As for Doctor Who, a 13 episode series really isn't a lot. The classic series had far more than that yearly. However 13 episodes feels right and may were happy with it. Quite why they are now splitting a series in 2 makes no sense. I understand a 2 week break for Xmas, like they do in the USA, but there is no reason for this split. Doctor Who makes the BBC a lot of cash, in my eyes they should be putting out as many episodes as they can in order to maximise revenue, not messing everyone around by splitting the series into 2.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 31
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    stcoop wrote: »
    If you pick and choose your points of comparison you can prove anything you want.

    How much was there in 2005 versus 2012? 2006 versus 2012? 2007 versus 2012? 2008 versus 2012? 2010 versus 2012? 2011 versus 2012?

    I was not picking points of comparison, I was showing where the bigger gaps are.

    Sorry if that was not clear.

    If there is something wrong with my sums, please let me know.

    Thank you.
  • nebogipfelnebogipfel Posts: 8,375
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    Hello

    We have had 230 minutes of Doctor Who this year (and will probably get another 60).

    In 2009 we had 180 minutes.

    Also there was a gap between The Christmas Invasion and New Earth, which the 11th Doctor did not have.

    These mean that we have had more Doctor Who over this Doctor's time than the 10th Doctor's.

    I am afraid that I cannot work out how the second half of this series and anything else in 2013 will affect this average until they are scheduled.

    I hope I have made that clearer.

    But if you aren't willing to offer a projection of the likely figure including 7.2, presumably because you only want to use historical facts, then you have jumped the gun with this thread?

    Don't you think its a bit odd to say "Dont worry about the lack of episodes this year because I've found a year that was even worse!". It's hardly a reason to pop the champagne corks. ;)

    How about telling everyone they are wrong about the lack of 2012 episodes because in 1962 and 2004 there was a total of zero episodes.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 31
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    nebogipfel wrote: »
    But haven't you factored in the year of specials (=less) into the 2005-2009 number, but omitted the latter half of series ?

    Do the numbers again, assuming for the sake of discussion that 7.2 ends in late April 2013 and consists of whatever length 7.1 episodes were.

    You might also want to provide a figure assuming that there are no further episodes between the end of 7.2 and the 23rd November anniversary special. Just for fun assume it is ninety minutes or something. What would a best guess average look like then?

    I assume this is just for fun. Nobody is seriously thinking about the average number of minutes of Doctor Who per day they've watched.

    Hello

    If the second half of this series starts on Easter Saturday, which is 30/03/2013, it will end on 18/05/2013.

    If the episodes are all 45 minutes long, then the 11th Doctor's total will be 1,995 minutes over 1,142 days, so the average will go up to 1.747 minutes per day.

    If there is nothing until a 90 minute special on 23/11/2013, then the 11th Doctor's total will be 2,085 minutes over 1,331 days, so the average will go down to 1.566 minutes per day.

    This is very slightly below the 10th Doctor's average.

    But I do hope that there will be more than that for the anniversary.
  • cat666cat666 Posts: 2,063
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    outside wrote: »
    I see. :)

    I doubt many fans average out the screen time into minutes per day, though. We're still getting 14 episode seasons so nothing's changed except the way they're broadcast.

    Rubbish! Discounting the Christmas specials:

    Series 1 - March 2005
    Series 2 - April 2006
    Series 3 - March 2007
    Series 4 - April 2008

    2009 Specials

    Series 5 - April 2010
    Series 6 - April 2011

    Series 7-A - Sep 2012
    Series 7-B - 2013

    That is the pattern. So we are late, as Series 7 has changed from March/April to September, and then not fully aired. So in March/April 2013 series 8 should be starting it's 13 show run but instead we will be getting series 7-B. Series 8 may start airing in September 2013, but you then run into the overlap when series 9 should be starting in March/April 2014.
  • Granny McSmithGranny McSmith Posts: 19,622
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    vampirek wrote: »
    We are not, we are getting one series in one year, just because it goes into another year doesn't add a year up. Its still practically the same, 13 episodes within a set amount of time, its just moved a bit so they dont all air back to back.

    What?:confused:
  • stcoopstcoop Posts: 3,209
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    vampirek wrote: »
    We are not, we are getting one series in one year, just because it goes into another year doesn't add a year up.

    Who said it did?

    In the 24 months following the end of Series 6 there'll have been one series broadcast. Dress it up any way you like, but that's the reality.
  • nebogipfelnebogipfel Posts: 8,375
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    Hello

    If the second half of this series starts on Easter Saturday, which is 30/03/2013, it will end on 18/05/2013.

    If the episodes are all 45 minutes long, then the 11th Doctor's total will be 1,995 minutes over 1,142 days, so the average will go up to 1.747 minutes per day.

    If there is nothing until a 90 minute special on 23/11/2013, then the 11th Doctor's total will be 2,085 minutes over 1,331 days, so the average will go down to 1.566 minutes per day.

    This is very slightly below the 10th Doctor's average.

    But I do hope that there will be more than that for the anniversary.

    So the current Doctor might just possibly squeze ahead in average minutes per day compared with a Doctor who had a handful of specials instead of a final series. But this marginal lead might realistically be lost by the time we get to November?

    I'm not quite sure what has been shown. Are we saying that its lucky for the current producers that Tennant didn't make a full last series? That in future all they need do is make 181 minutes per year to satisfy the audience?
  • outsideoutside Posts: 5,610
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    cat666 wrote: »
    Rubbish! Discounting the Christmas specials:

    Series 1 - March 2005
    Series 2 - April 2006
    Series 3 - March 2007
    Series 4 - April 2008

    2009 Specials

    Series 5 - April 2010
    Series 6 - April 2011

    Series 7-A - Sep 2012
    Series 7-B - 2013

    That is the pattern. So we are late, as Series 7 has changed from March/April to September, and then not fully aired. So in March/April 2013 series 8 should be starting it's 13 show run but instead we will be getting series 7-B. Series 8 may start airing in September 2013, but you then run into the overlap when series 9 should be starting in March/April 2014.

    What's "rubbish"? I didn't go into minute detail because I don't think it's important. We are getting 14 episode seasons, arent we? Did I dream that?
  • stcoopstcoop Posts: 3,209
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    outside wrote: »
    We are getting 14 episode seasons, arent we? Did I dream that?

    Spread out over twice the amount of time. But don't worry about minor trivial details like that.
  • nebogipfelnebogipfel Posts: 8,375
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    If you are doing average minutes a day, probably best to do from 2006 series two episode one to 2008 Christmas special.

    Compare that with 2010 series 5 episode one up to 2012 Christmas special. What does that look like?
  • ukgnomeukgnome Posts: 541
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    Awesome use of maths - the Doctor would be proud
  • cat666cat666 Posts: 2,063
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    outside wrote: »
    What's "rubbish"? I didn't go into minute detail because I don't think it's important. We are getting 14 episode seasons, arent we? Did I dream that?

    You said nothings changed when it quite cleary has.

    Historically Doctor Who has 13 episodes a year starting in March/April. This was the case up until 2009 when it was just specials, and true again until this year when the series was put back to the September, and also split into 2, the latter half screening, when series 8 should historically have been starting. Yes we are getting the same number of episodes per series filming wise, but moving it to September and splitting it into 2 is a change.

    It could also easily be viewed as series 7 being only 5 episodes long and late, and series 8 only having 8 episodes, as series 7-b is airing when series 8 should be. Obviously it was all filmed at the same time so it's series 7 but the fact remains, we were about 6 months behind when series 7 started, and will be a whole year out of date by the time it finishes. Maybe Series 8 will have an entire 13 episode run in September 2013, but I doubt it.
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