I want the original format back!

FiregazerFiregazer Posts: 5,888
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- 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!
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Comments

  • TheSilentFezTheSilentFez Posts: 11,103
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    I was prepared to explain why 4 or more 25-minute episodes making up one story is a bad idea, but it turns out you mean original as in the 2005-2010 format. :D
    I agree with most things you mention. I really miss the 13 episode run, the two part stories and the story arc which isn't interrupted by a stupid mid-series break.
    I really hope series 8 goes back to this format, but I don't really think it will. The production team will probably try to do something new again to "shake things up" or whatever their excuse is.

    I don't think Doctor Who is any worse than it used to be, I just feel that the large breaks and lack of multi-part stories isn't beneficial to the feel of the series as a whole.
  • rikstan87rikstan87 Posts: 2,359
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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!


    100% agree with everything you said :)
  • ea91ea91 Posts: 2,363
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    You lost me at Camille Coduri. What? Why? :p

    Definitely agree on the future stories, I made a thread about it. I can't remember the last time Doctor Who had a story set on future Earth, but I can easily name loads of recent stories set in the past/present.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 24,080
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    I dont think the format matters...in fact i think the shake up in series 6 and 7 have been brilliantly done...the only thing would be if series 7B were closer to The Snowmen really (end of Jan start would have been better and Easter finale perhaps?) but i think it has ensured it stays EVENT TV despite the fact every episode is standalone with a loose arc...but i do feel that with the hints in last weeks episode we ae heading somewhere intense after The Crimson Horror....and i just love it all the same :D!
  • Face Of JackFace Of Jack Posts: 7,181
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    I totally agree with the OP too!
    "If it ain't broke - don't fix it" I believe is the term!

    It's a mess now - and doesn't know where it's going! :confused:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 24,080
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    ^^^ if it aint broke??? then surely it would still be multi-episodes of 25mins in length for one story!?!?! :P
  • Pull2OpenPull2Open Posts: 15,138
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    I thought you were gunning for the real original format...4 x 25 min episode stories shown between September and March!
  • performingmonkperformingmonk Posts: 20,086
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    If you add getting rid of Moffat to this list then you're on to a winner! The rating show what the people think of the direction the show has gone. The split doesn't help but it's at the lower end of the problem spectrum, I reckon.
  • saladfingers81saladfingers81 Posts: 11,301
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    Blimey I messed that post up.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,753
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    There's a whole thread about ratings- they haven't changed. So, if like you say the BBC mucking about with splits etc. affects it, then that would have meant it would have gone up. So the general public still want to watch Doctor Who.

    I would love it to last in a big unbroken run too. I could cope with a short break of a few weeks ( maybe over the summer hols or over the Christmas/ New Year period to build some tension? But the last split was way way too long. Add that to the huge wait after series 6 ended and it it certainly certainly feels like we've missed out on a lot.

    I loved series 6- best one yet I thought. There's a bit less of an arc at the moment, but there's still something going on. Series 7 has been of a very high standard I think, and if it continues like that then I'd be happy. If it goes back to series 6 style ( with no split or a bit less) then I'd be ecstatic.

    I'd like to see some more future Earth stories. I'd like to see more episodes in general too though, but yeah future Earth=good. I'd also like some more proper historical episodes too though. With some real famous events going on in the background etc.

    Haven't seen anything wrong with the 'monsters' really myself.
  • bbll22bbll22 Posts: 527
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    Go back to the original 05-10 format? No thanks....

    The split, the S6 one in particular, benefitted the show to me as it spread it across the year well and to be honest, I thought the 13-week continuous ran had become stale in itself really. Five years of that just meant it was there becoming appointment viewing if you like. Splitting it made it feel new again for me.

    I'm not quite sure how to word it, but I also felt my excitement got lost somewhere in the middle episodes - S5 being the exception - and that would harm the following finale episodes because of that.

    Splitting in the S6 way made sure my excitement was there all the time as you knew it was only there for a short burst before taking a break, made it feel more worthwhile oddly. Again wording how I feel there isn't easy, but overall a split series in the style of S6 again and I'll be chuffed to pieces!
  • CoalHillJanitorCoalHillJanitor Posts: 15,634
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    Pull2Open wrote: »
    I thought you were gunning for the real original format...4 x 25 min episode stories shown between September and March!

    YANA.
  • TEDRTEDR Posts: 3,413
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    YANA.

    But isn't the proposal actually more like Season 22 than New Who — the poster wanted exclusively two-part stories, for example.
  • johnnysaucepnjohnnysaucepn Posts: 6,775
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    The last thing Who can afford to do is to settle down into a rut. While the split has been messy (and I think that's actually more to do with the transition of characters than the scheduling), it has at least created attention and got people talking, and that can't be underestimated.
  • CD93CD93 Posts: 13,939
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    There are reports that the S1-S5 format returns for S8. From those generally 'in the know.'
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,029
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    I agree about the two-parters and the unbroken run.

    In regards to the two-parters, I can see the advantages of having pure standalone adventures and of having two-parters. I used to dislike the two-parters back in the day, but nowadays I find myself missing them. Having all episodes stand on their own makes things feel somewhat disconnected, and it definitely harms the finales that would strongly benefit from having more time to spread things out and explore the story with. 'The Wedding of River Song' was one of these episodes.

    In regards to the run of the series, I definitely miss the unbroken nature of the earlier times. That being said, I think they had the right idea with the short break in the middle of series six. It wasn't too long, but it wasn't too short either, and it managed to balance the tension quite well, as well as spreading the series out nicely across the year. But the wait between the end of series six and the start of seven was ridiculous.

    Above all, I just wish Doctor Who had a consistent timeslot in a consistent period. For this series, the timeslot is constantly changing, and we had series five running in Spring, series six started later in April and then resumed towards September, and series seven started a whole year later and then finished before returning in Spring this year. There's no consistency, and it makes things difficult to keep up with. At least in series 1-4, you always knew roughly when it would air.
  • doublefourdoublefour Posts: 5,977
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    The gaps between chunks of a so called series is frustrating. There is no ebb and flow to your viewing experience. It's taken from spring 2011 to spring 2013 to get through series 6 + 7 it's ridiculousn
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 942
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    Firegazer wrote: »
    - 13 episodes shown weekly from April-July.

    I agree with some of what you say, but i totally disagree about a April-July broadcast.

    It needs to be shown in January-February. No clashes with other top ITV shows, plus being shown when it's dark outside.

    Watching 'scary' episodes don't work for me when it's bright and sunny and 25c outside! ;)
  • JohnnyForgetJohnnyForget Posts: 24,061
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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 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!
  • ShevkShevk Posts: 1,134
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    Firegazer wrote: »
    - Camille Coduri.
    The Twelth Doctor? :)

    Coduri has been spotted wearing a fluffy pink dressing gown on the set of the 50th anniversary. ( the Twelth Doctor's signature outfit?)
    The thing is, I'd probably enjoy the above more than I am enjoying the current series of Who :p
  • smudges dadsmudges dad Posts: 36,989
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    CD93 wrote: »
    There are reports that the S1-S5 format returns for S8. From those generally 'in the know.'

    The Hartnell / Troughton format?:confused:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 82,262
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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!

    Agreed, I certainly want to see a return to having some 2 parters
  • The_abbottThe_abbott Posts: 26,930
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    Firegazer wrote: »
    - , this is Doctor Who not a history lesson :p!

    Actually, thats exactly what Dr Who was originally intended as ;)
  • talentedmonkeytalentedmonkey Posts: 2,639
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    having at least a 2 part story generates more discussion and interest rather than the now standard long story arc.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,003
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    having at least a 2 part story generates more discussion and interest rather than the now standard long story arc.

    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.
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