If you ask me what Doctor Who needs most right now is a consistent run of the same number of episodes each year (pick a number, any number - just stick to it) broadcast at roughly the same date each year (preferably autumn rather than spring).
I'm sure if you could be bothered to calculate the mean viewing figures and the standard deviation of each, you'll find that the standard deviation bars overlap indicating no significant statistical difference.
Not much tbh I love the current Doctor and companion, the only things I can ask for are more stories written by the Moff, more Daleks and for Mark Gatiss to quit
Would be nice if they shifted a little from constantly making the Doctor and his companion the story instead of where they are visiting.
At times it feels like the place (and time) where the Tardis has landed was just shoe-horned in as a back-drop.
Also in the old days the companion was supposed to help the viewer to connect with the odd-world of the Doctor, these days the companions seem to be the bigger mystery, frankly it's getting old.
More straightforward storylines and less convoluted shite.
I defy anybody to go back and watch the Ecclestone shows and tell me that the current ones are better.
Yeah, personally, I think that Series 7 is a far more developed and interesting batch of stories than Series 1. Don't get me wrong, Series 1 was brilliant, but I think Series 7 pips it based on stories. Character-wise, Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor is amazing, and the combination of him and Billie Piper as Rose is something that I loved best about that series. Matt and Jenna are on equal terms with them in terms of chemistry as the Eleventh and Clara, IMO.
And iPlayer exists, so if they were counted, Series 7 would be trumping Series 1's ratings with room to breathe.
Series 7 offers by far the most variety of any series so far, but that has come at the expense of pacing.
Doctor Who has been subjected to pacing hell since late 2011, with Series 7 bursting at the seams in that regard. The ideas are too big for 45 minutes, and need to be a little bit less frantic, a little more refined. Asylum of the Daleks and The Crimson Horror are perhaps the only episodes that escaped massive pacing problems in my opinion, with every other story craving an extra 5-15 minutes to flesh themselves out.
So what does Doctor Who need the most right now? Either it needs to expand to 60 minutes per episode, or it needs to reintroduce two-parters. I admire the efforts to keep the show refreshing and try new things, and understand that many two-parters of the past have hardly been the cream of the crop, but they help slow a series down a bit, and establish a sort-of identity for it. In a series that can't be defined by a single companion (thanks to the mid-series exits and intros), Series 7 could have really used some bigger stories with more depth to make it more memorable, rather than feeling like a sprawl of specials. It's gained some coherency near its end, but it's slightly too late I think for a full recovery. I'm hoping Series 8 will address the franticness we've got at the moment, above anything else.
Bringing back the odd two-parter is an absolute must.
That's why I think they should just bring back the old 2005 - 2010 format which consisted of one 13 episode run, 6 of which were two parters.
I can't understand why people think the episodes are too rushed and need to be longer.
Most of the episodes in series 5, especially the 2 parters were stretched to the point of tedium in my opinion. It all got very boring. Series 6 wasn't much better for the most part. Why was the Ganger thing dragged out so much?
Series 7 has picked up tremendously. Snip snap! That's what I like in my Doctor Who. You should be left with your head whirling.
I think, and this is in agreement with many others, that we need to return to the 2005-2010 format. I'm not bothered if it airs in the Autumn as opposed to the Spring, I just really want it back that way. One straight run, two two parters plus a two part finale.
I can't understand why people think the episodes are too rushed and need to be longer.
Most of the episodes in series 5, especially the 2 parters were stretched to the point of tedium in my opinion. It all got very boring. Series 6 wasn't much better for the most part. Why was the Ganger thing dragged out so much?
Series 7 has picked up tremendously. Snip snap! That's what I like in my Doctor Who. You should be left with your head whirling.
My main problem with it is the lack of character it brings to the show. I'd agree that the two-parters of Series 5 and 6 were weak, but I still think there's room for them...at least for a finale. We're whizzing by so quickly, with the story trying to be 'cool' and 'impressive' but there's no heart in it all any more, and the story suffers overall as a result - a very bad thing when Moffat insists on so many ongoing storylines, as it becomes harder to care about them or believe they'll lead anywhere remotely interesting.
The Wedding of River Song was so busy trying to explain why we were playing outer space Viking chess, then riding a steam train to Area 51 in a pyramid that it all became a redundant mess when the actual resolution to the Series 6 arc came about. It had little time to resonate, and a story so rooted in human emotion ran cold for me.
The Angels Take Manhattan was an even bigger culprit I think. The closing scenes with Amy and Rory were literally a third of the length of the closing scenes with Rose in Doomsday. Whilst I wouldn't suggest that every development needed to reflect another, how was such an emotionally important scene kept so short when it covered two companions?! A character like Brian Williams was introduced near the end of their story because he was good for exposition, not because the writers cared to develop a proper character - he wasn't given a proper ending. Instead, we get shown drawings of "what could have been" in out-of-episode content, because they fail to fit it all into the story. Never mind the plot holes we're subjected to now in such episodes - Moffat jokingly responded that the Statue of Liberty "tip-toed" up to Winter Quay. Never mind explaining the story properly, so long as it can offer a cool sequence to gawp at for 45 minutes.
I just find it frustrating that the show can't slow down and be a bit less frantic to develop stories I can properly invest in. I used to get pulled into the stories, but now it feels like I'm watching them through a window. For me, The Crimson Horror was a tease of what it used to be like and I absolutely loved it - a slower story not filled with over-the-top sequences that are frankly too ambitious for 45-minute standalones.
This is all of course just my opinion...I'll hide behind a rock or something to avoid an onslaught
If you ask me what Doctor Who needs most right now is a consistent run of the same number of episodes each year (pick a number, any number - just stick to it) broadcast at roughly the same date each year (preferably autumn rather than spring).
I agree - 13 episodes from September to November and then a Christmas special, so effectively 14 episodes like we've usually gotten to be honest.
No more spilt series rubbish. The format doesn't actually work to be honest, especially with the gaps.
A mixtures of stories too. Less obvious historical places, the odd Earth invasion plot here and there, some recurring allies like with UNIT and Paternoster Gang from time to time and a few more planet based ones.
Also, a bloody thumping return for both the Master and Davros to be honest. Both of them are overdue at this point.
Series 7 offers by far the most variety of any series so far, but that has come at the expense of pacing.
Doctor Who has been subjected to pacing hell since late 2011, with Series 7 bursting at the seams in that regard. The ideas are too big for 45 minutes, and need to be a little bit less frantic, a little more refined. Asylum of the Daleks and The Crimson Horror are perhaps the only episodes that escaped massive pacing problems in my opinion, with every other story craving an extra 5-15 minutes to flesh themselves out.
So what does Doctor Who need the most right now? Either it needs to expand to 60 minutes per episode, or it needs to reintroduce two-parters. I admire the efforts to keep the show refreshing and try new things, and understand that many two-parters of the past have hardly been the cream of the crop, but they help slow a series down a bit, and establish a sort-of identity for it. In a series that can't be defined by a single companion (thanks to the mid-series exits and intros), Series 7 could have really used some bigger stories with more depth to make it more memorable, rather than feeling like a sprawl of specials. It's gained some coherency near its end, but it's slightly too late I think for a full recovery. I'm hoping Series 8 will address the franticness we've got at the moment, above anything else.
Gotta say I agree a lot with this, and I think a return to a full 13 episode run would be the best thing overall at the moment.
More timey-wimey stuff. Not popular with some people, but I love it.
More historical stories with no sci-fi content (like several stories in the Hartnell era and "Black Orchid" in the Davison era).
Less stories set on modern day Earth, and certainly no more modern day Earth invasions. For me they sucked in the Pertwee era, they sucked in the Tennant era and they'll suck in any future era.
No more the Doctor being a romantic lead. Hated the Ten/Rose relationship, and wasn't that keen on Eleven/River Song one (although I like River Song as a character).
Because of the length of the episodes which i think is 42 minutes just to sell it to other countries so much is packed into it it leaves you wondering what the hell is going on sometimes.
Slow the pace down,maybe have a few 2 parters to explain things a little more.
Stop making the episodes so complicated.
give the companions more time to grow instead of throwing them to the sharks & expecting fireworks straight away
This plus a new showrunner. Give Moffatt the boot.
The main thing for me is the pacing and/or editing. Series 7 part 2 builds up episodes quite nicely, but the endings feel a little rushed. A few of the episodes feel like they needed another 5 minutes. I don't think it's a case that the ideas are too big, I think it's more an issue about how they're presented on screen.
The other issue is the writing. Clara has yet to be given anything interesting to do, and I find the 'flirting' between the Doctor and River Song to be cringeworthy.
Two part episodes would also be nice, but I don't mind too much if they can produce a series of great single episode stories.
Comments
Clue: Yes.
Oh dear...:eek:
Actually they do. There is very little significant difference in the ratings then and now:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who_(series_1)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who_(series_7)
I'm sure if you could be bothered to calculate the mean viewing figures and the standard deviation of each, you'll find that the standard deviation bars overlap indicating no significant statistical difference.
It nearly happened with The Crimson Horror.
At times it feels like the place (and time) where the Tardis has landed was just shoe-horned in as a back-drop.
Also in the old days the companion was supposed to help the viewer to connect with the odd-world of the Doctor, these days the companions seem to be the bigger mystery, frankly it's getting old.
Yeah, personally, I think that Series 7 is a far more developed and interesting batch of stories than Series 1. Don't get me wrong, Series 1 was brilliant, but I think Series 7 pips it based on stories. Character-wise, Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor is amazing, and the combination of him and Billie Piper as Rose is something that I loved best about that series. Matt and Jenna are on equal terms with them in terms of chemistry as the Eleventh and Clara, IMO.
And iPlayer exists, so if they were counted, Series 7 would be trumping Series 1's ratings with room to breathe.
Doctor Who has been subjected to pacing hell since late 2011, with Series 7 bursting at the seams in that regard. The ideas are too big for 45 minutes, and need to be a little bit less frantic, a little more refined. Asylum of the Daleks and The Crimson Horror are perhaps the only episodes that escaped massive pacing problems in my opinion, with every other story craving an extra 5-15 minutes to flesh themselves out.
So what does Doctor Who need the most right now? Either it needs to expand to 60 minutes per episode, or it needs to reintroduce two-parters. I admire the efforts to keep the show refreshing and try new things, and understand that many two-parters of the past have hardly been the cream of the crop, but they help slow a series down a bit, and establish a sort-of identity for it. In a series that can't be defined by a single companion (thanks to the mid-series exits and intros), Series 7 could have really used some bigger stories with more depth to make it more memorable, rather than feeling like a sprawl of specials. It's gained some coherency near its end, but it's slightly too late I think for a full recovery. I'm hoping Series 8 will address the franticness we've got at the moment, above anything else.
That's why I think they should just bring back the old 2005 - 2010 format which consisted of one 13 episode run, 6 of which were two parters.
Most of the episodes in series 5, especially the 2 parters were stretched to the point of tedium in my opinion. It all got very boring. Series 6 wasn't much better for the most part. Why was the Ganger thing dragged out so much?
Series 7 has picked up tremendously. Snip snap! That's what I like in my Doctor Who. You should be left with your head whirling.
My main problem with it is the lack of character it brings to the show. I'd agree that the two-parters of Series 5 and 6 were weak, but I still think there's room for them...at least for a finale. We're whizzing by so quickly, with the story trying to be 'cool' and 'impressive' but there's no heart in it all any more, and the story suffers overall as a result - a very bad thing when Moffat insists on so many ongoing storylines, as it becomes harder to care about them or believe they'll lead anywhere remotely interesting.
The Wedding of River Song was so busy trying to explain why we were playing outer space Viking chess, then riding a steam train to Area 51 in a pyramid that it all became a redundant mess when the actual resolution to the Series 6 arc came about. It had little time to resonate, and a story so rooted in human emotion ran cold for me.
The Angels Take Manhattan was an even bigger culprit I think. The closing scenes with Amy and Rory were literally a third of the length of the closing scenes with Rose in Doomsday. Whilst I wouldn't suggest that every development needed to reflect another, how was such an emotionally important scene kept so short when it covered two companions?! A character like Brian Williams was introduced near the end of their story because he was good for exposition, not because the writers cared to develop a proper character - he wasn't given a proper ending. Instead, we get shown drawings of "what could have been" in out-of-episode content, because they fail to fit it all into the story. Never mind the plot holes we're subjected to now in such episodes - Moffat jokingly responded that the Statue of Liberty "tip-toed" up to Winter Quay. Never mind explaining the story properly, so long as it can offer a cool sequence to gawp at for 45 minutes.
I just find it frustrating that the show can't slow down and be a bit less frantic to develop stories I can properly invest in. I used to get pulled into the stories, but now it feels like I'm watching them through a window. For me, The Crimson Horror was a tease of what it used to be like and I absolutely loved it - a slower story not filled with over-the-top sequences that are frankly too ambitious for 45-minute standalones.
This is all of course just my opinion...I'll hide behind a rock or something to avoid an onslaught
I agree - 13 episodes from September to November and then a Christmas special, so effectively 14 episodes like we've usually gotten to be honest.
No more spilt series rubbish. The format doesn't actually work to be honest, especially with the gaps.
A mixtures of stories too. Less obvious historical places, the odd Earth invasion plot here and there, some recurring allies like with UNIT and Paternoster Gang from time to time and a few more planet based ones.
Also, a bloody thumping return for both the Master and Davros to be honest. Both of them are overdue at this point.
Gotta say I agree a lot with this, and I think a return to a full 13 episode run would be the best thing overall at the moment.
Ha ha ha.
More timey-wimey stuff. Not popular with some people, but I love it.
More historical stories with no sci-fi content (like several stories in the Hartnell era and "Black Orchid" in the Davison era).
Less stories set on modern day Earth, and certainly no more modern day Earth invasions. For me they sucked in the Pertwee era, they sucked in the Tennant era and they'll suck in any future era.
No more the Doctor being a romantic lead. Hated the Ten/Rose relationship, and wasn't that keen on Eleven/River Song one (although I like River Song as a character).
This plus a new showrunner. Give Moffatt the boot.
The other issue is the writing. Clara has yet to be given anything interesting to do, and I find the 'flirting' between the Doctor and River Song to be cringeworthy.
Two part episodes would also be nice, but I don't mind too much if they can produce a series of great single episode stories.