A thought occurred to me - the second series of Merlin is currently scheduled to be broadcast on BBC1 over the autumn. And, according to RTD, WoM will be shown "November-ish". It seems to me very unlikely that, if Merlin were shown in the autumn on Saturday nights, they would break the run to show the special, or put both on in the same evening, when they usually have the same timeslot - I doubt the BBC would waste the opportunity to spread new and popular material over a number of nights, especially in Merlin's mid-run.

To me, that leaves a number of possibilities. Perhaps Merlin won't be broadcast in the autumn after all and held over until the New Year to plug the gap before DW Season 5, or maybe it will be moved from Saturday (very unlikely, as this "family fantasy" slot now seems fairly fixed).

Alternatively, WoM could be shown at the start or the end of Merlin's run, which would mean either early September, or some time in December. Finally, perhaps it will be scheduled (gasp!) on a different day of the week.

Any thoughts?

I see no reason at all why Doctor Who can not be on the same night as Merlin. For a start Planet of the Dead was screened on the same night as Robin Hood, the BBC's other fantasy family drama. They will just put one on between 6.30/7.00 and the other following I would imagine. RTD has stated several times that WOM will be scheduled at some point in November so we can assume it definitley won't be on as early as Sept it could be early Dec at a push. There is also no way they will reschedule a whole series of Merlin to accomodate one episode of Doctor Who!

It's true that everything about WoM has been very hush-hush, due mainly to most filming being staged on inside sets. Apart obviously from the trailer and a couple of outside set reports (huge explosion, plus a scene with doctor with Adelaide, crew members and robot in a street outside the Tardis), we know very little about it compared to the Christmas 2-parter. That said, I fail to see the point of scheduling 'stunt', though for me, the sooner it's shown the better! (although since it leads into the Christmas 2-parter, they probably won't schedule it too long before, so I'll just have to try and conquer my impatience...).

I don't think it would be a question of rescheduling Merlin, but I thought it might be a clue as to whether that series was actually going to be postponed to 2010 (unlikely though that may be) anyway. And I think that the PotD situation was different as it was Easter, and therefore a more significant scheduling date for the BBC - I can't think of a significant Saturday in November which would warrant both being shown on the same night.

Like I said, a passing thought, nothing more.

Might it be on a Sunday? Showing on 1st November would probably get a pretty good audience, many people having a quiet day at home after the halloween festivities.

Failing that, the next weekend is probably a bad one (nearest weekend to 5th November= lots of bonfires, fireworks etc, less telly watching), nothing to mark the other weekends out particularly.

I'm convinced it will be scheduled for Halloween night.
It looks like a scary episode and still fits with the 'November-ish' description. With a possible Children In Need special at the back end of November.

A Who/Merlin double bill might just be what The Doctor ordered.

The prescdent has already been set by Robin Hood sharing a schedule with Who quite happily, and successfully, on Easter Saturday.

I wouldn't expect any Saturday evening family drama between January and April, as the BBC will be showing Six Nations rugby (Feb 6 to March 20) with a number of games having late afternoon/early evening kick offs.

It would be nice if it was broadcast on November 21st - my birthday!

Like the idea of The waters of Mars getting a Halloween screening -a little later in the evening after x factor and when everyone has returned from their trick or treating would be good I think.

If not Halloween my guess TWOM will be screened the Saturday of the first Strictly Come Dancing live show -for a big heavily promoted BBC Saturday night.

Well I am going to stick a at you and say that I hope TWOM airs on the 7th...as that is my B-day!!!!

That'll be September.

G

Here is some motre thought on this: The last saturday in september will see The Eurovision Dance Contest on BBC1. That means Strictly Come Dancing won't be on until the following Saturday. Therefore. on Saturday October 4th, SCD and Merlin will launch. Now for the first couple of weeks SCD is boy/girl only contests so this will take us to October 18th. Nothing will happen until Saturday November 8th (a week before Children in Need where a rumoured special is going to be broadcast). Now the WoM episode could lead into the special like Parting of the Ways led into Christmas Invasion via the CiN special and Time Crash led from Last of the Timelords and into The Voyage of the Damned. This means that WoM would be scheduled as thus:

November 8th:
6.00 Merlin
6.45 SCD
7.55 Doctor Who: WoM
8.55 The National Lottery draws
9.10. casualty
10.00 News

or on November 15th the day after CiN. What do you reckon?

that is much better!

Dunno where you got that from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovis...e_Contest#2009

G

The Eurovision Song Contest Website........but you are corrrect in pointing out the Wikipedia snippet. The show has now been postponed for a year due to lack of interest! I didn't know that!!!! Whole new perspective on events there then! I still think Doctor Who will air on the 8th or 15th November though!

This makes a lot of sense - I'm thinking the top one with the CIN sketch being a link to the Xmas 2 part special.

And Children in Need is apparently on 20/21 November (not 13/14 November).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_in_Need#2009

G

I'm sure RTD has said they'd never put DW on as late as 8-9pm before. Edit: also The X factor will likely be on then and methinks it unlikely they'll put DW directly against it.

Actually, November the 8th isn't even a Saturday!

Is this an elaborate wind-up?

G

I was just about to say....again....that Saturday is not the 8th....but the 7th!!!!! I should Know!!!!!!!




Also....I think the latest they would put on DW is around 7. 30ish....as they have done in the past....but as this will be na hour long....chances are they may not.....but they always put on SCD on after both Merlin and DW...rather than sandwich it....like they did for POTD....

Last year they fannied about with Merlin and SCD, you never knew which way round they'd be. And "Doctor Who" has only ever been on the same day as SCD on Christmas Day.

G

LOL sorry I missed a word out....I meant that they "could" always put SCD after DW and Merlin....as SCD starting around 8pm shouldn't affect SCD in any way....unlessof course it clashes with the Xfactor.....