I want the original format back!

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Comments

  • Face Of JackFace Of Jack Posts: 7,181
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    having at least a 2 part story generates more discussion and interest rather than the now standard long story arc.

    I agree here. I hate those long story-arcs. But the two-parters are good enough - cliff-hanger and all that! Even a three-parter like we had in Series Three would be ok.
    But the long drawn-out arcs they had in Matt's first two series got on my nerves to be honest. That's why I got so fed up with Amy, Rory and River!! And all that timey wimey crap - that was just a cop-out! "Let's kill Rory this week....we can bring him back again!" etc...
    I'd like to see normal (?) weekly adventures again :):):)
  • sebbie3000sebbie3000 Posts: 5,188
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    On the other hand it can also deliver disappoitment, when the build up is great in the first part and the second one lets you down.

    Also, the viewing figures are almost always down on the second part of a two-parter. Not sure why, but the figures show it... :confused:
  • degsyhufcdegsyhufc Posts: 59,251
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    Firegazer wrote: »
    - 13 episodes shown weekly from April-July.
    - Three two-part stories including a two-part finale.
    - Not so many story arcs and complications or rushed endings.
    - More interesting monsters rather than just ghosts that aren't ghosts, creatures that turn out to be the 'nice guys', or episodes with no monsters at all (shoutout to Bells of Saint John...)
    - More future stories, this is Doctor Who not a history lesson :p
    - Bigger cast! I feel like the crew have been lazy this year having the past three episodes with a five-person cast maximum.
    - Camille Coduri.

    I just feel that Doctor Who is losing it's touch and I hope the series doesn't continue to go downhill Series 8 - I just want a S1-S4 type season and something more family orientated.

    I'm still a massive Doctor Who fan all the same! I just prefered how the first few series' were formatted over the last couple!
    I agree about the period episodes. It's verging on steam punk. They're in Victorian Yorkshire and a woman 'possessed' by a parasite has built a rocket?

    Stick the the future where they things can be glossed over.


    And the return of the smegging Cybermen :rolleyes:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    Forum Member
    Firegazer wrote: »
    - 13 episodes shown weekly from April-July.
    - Three two-part stories including a two-part finale.
    - Not so many story arcs and complications or rushed endings.
    - More interesting monsters rather than just ghosts that aren't ghosts, creatures that turn out to be the 'nice guys', or episodes with no monsters at all (shoutout to Bells of Saint John...)
    - More future stories, this is Doctor Who not a history lesson :p
    - Bigger cast! I feel like the crew have been lazy this year having the past three episodes with a five-person cast maximum.
    - Camille Coduri.

    I just feel that Doctor Who is losing it's touch and I hope the series doesn't continue to go downhill Series 8 - I just want a S1-S4 type season and something more family orientated.

    I'm still a massive Doctor Who fan all the same! I just prefered how the first few series' were formatted over the last couple!

    I completely agree with you. I think this format worked so much better. They came up with a great formula when the show came back in 2005, and it worked well for 5 series, so why did they have to mess with it?
  • Granny McSmithGranny McSmith Posts: 19,622
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    sebbie3000 wrote: »
    Also, the viewing figures are almost always down on the second part of a two-parter. Not sure why, but the figures show it... :confused:

    I'm always amazed by this. Surely if you've watched the first half you want to see how it ends? :confused:
  • Whovian1109Whovian1109 Posts: 1,812
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    I agree with most of what the OP says, I am yearning for a good old 13 ep run, lasting the Easter - Summer period with good old two part series finales (when was the last time we had a good old fashioned two-parter eh?). However, I wouldn't say that the formatting changes have had a negative impact on the show as a whole, this series has been very strong.
  • TheSilentFezTheSilentFez Posts: 11,103
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    I agree with most of what the OP says, I am yearning for a good old 13 ep run, lasting the Easter - Summer period with good old two part series finales (when was the last time we had a good old fashioned two-parter eh?). However, I wouldn't say that the formatting changes have had a negative impact on the show as a whole, this series has been very strong.

    Everyone's favourite Ganger story! :D:D
  • sebbie3000sebbie3000 Posts: 5,188
    Forum Member
    I'm always amazed by this. Surely if you've watched the first half you want to see how it ends? :confused:

    Indeed. Baffling, isn't it?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,043
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    Firegazer wrote: »
    - 13 episodes shown weekly from April-July.
    - Three two-part stories including a two-part finale.
    - Not so many story arcs and complications or rushed endings.
    - More interesting monsters rather than just ghosts that aren't ghosts, creatures that turn out to be the 'nice guys', or episodes with no monsters at all (shoutout to Bells of Saint John...)
    - More future stories, this is Doctor Who not a history lesson :p
    - Bigger cast! I feel like the crew have been lazy this year having the past three episodes with a five-person cast maximum.
    - Camille Coduri.

    I just feel that Doctor Who is losing it's touch and I hope the series doesn't continue to go downhill Series 8 - I just want a S1-S4 type season and something more family orientated.

    I'm still a massive Doctor Who fan all the same! I just prefered how the first few series' were formatted over the last couple!

    Plus you want to add no more kissing or relationships or making the story all about the companion.
  • CLL DodgeCLL Dodge Posts: 115,627
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    ea91 wrote: »
    You lost me at Camille Coduri. What? Why? :p

    Yes, keep the companion's family out of it.
  • TheophileTheophile Posts: 2,931
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    I thought eveyone was aware that this year is the 50th anniversary of the start of Doctor Who, and yet the there are some who are still referring to the format established at the 2005 re-launch as the original format, which is quite irritating for us Classic fans. Oh well, never mind.

    In the true original format 50 years ago, it was four, six and sometimes even seven 25 minute episodes per story with an elderly Doctor. It's ironic that you say that Doctor Who is not a history lesson, because 50 years ago that's exactly what it was (well, some of the time anyway) with stories alternating between a science fiction story and a pure historical story (with no science fiction content), and very good those pure historical stories were too.

    As far as the format established at the re-launch in 2005 is concerned, all I can agree with in your post are the first two points (a non-split series and some two-parters). Apart from that I like everything else about the show in its current form, especially the absence of that bloody awful woman played by Camile Coduri!

    Heck, there were even 12 episode serials (The Dalek's Master Plan). And there were 40+ episodes per season. Yes! I want that format back! :):):)
  • JohnnyForgetJohnnyForget Posts: 24,061
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    Theophile wrote: »
    Heck, there were even 12 episode serials (The Dalek's Master Plan). And there were 40+ episodes per season. Yes! I want that format back! :):):)

    Ah, "The Dalek Masterplan", what a classic! I think I've read the Target novelisation (a 12-episode story required two books!) of it about half a dozen times, I utterly love it. I thought it was a pity that Sara Kingdom was killed off, as she could have gone on to become one of the all time great companions. Mavic Chen was a great villain too. A real tragedy that so much of the original TV story is missing.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 72
    Forum Member
    Get rid of Moffat and bring in someone who knows what they are doing and isn't a nerd.
  • GDKGDK Posts: 9,467
    Forum Member
    D.j. wrote: »
    Get rid of Moffat and bring in someone who knows what they are doing and isn't a nerd.

    Why?

    Would you care to backup your implied claims that
    "Moffat doesn't know what he's doing"
    and that
    "he's a nerd"

    You realise, I suppose, that you may not be in full posession of the facts? For example the constraints he has to work under, what level of influence he has on scheduling, budget and other resources etc etc?

    You might not like some of the stories lately, but it's a bit of a leap to go from that to "he's a nerd and he doesn't know what he's doing", isn't it? He must be doing something right as the viewing figures attest and he did win the job of showrunner in the first place.
  • paulschapmanpaulschapman Posts: 35,536
    Forum Member
    Firegazer wrote: »
    - More future stories, this is Doctor Who not a history lesson

    Originally Doctor Who was seen as an educational programme hence the Marco Polo story - however when the Daleks became so successful it dropped this part and it became the programme we know.

    PS Would prefer to see 4 and 6 part 25 minute episodes - but I'm not convinced modern TV writers are up to it - many 90 minute stories still seem to have a lot of padding.
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