I'm grateful for any Who in any format, but does today's audience (which includes those of us able to deal with half hour episodes if necessary) really prefer hour long or is that what they're given now?


I was brought up with half hours, so I'd be fine. Besides, Sarah Jane seems to manage it extremely well, and countless other children's series actually made by CBBC and similar, so obviously they are well able to cope with it. You can get a lot in half an hour, see Sarah Jane again.


Why have story arcs at all, though? That's the way it's gone the last 5 years, but if we had several stand-alone adventures they'd be just as much fun and have a lot of scope, in fact more as they don't have to have some sort of connection with the others. Like they used to in fact.

I agree with you about having more variety within the series but I don't understand what you mean by "filler" episodes. "Filler" is normally used as a derogatory term, are you suggesting that just because a story isn't a 2 parter or part of the overall arc it is somehow less important?

It certainly wasn't a good thing for "Last of the Timelords". That would have been better if it had been 60 minutes shorter. More does not equate to better.

But being on 25% of the year (and even having a year of just specials) does help to keep the series fresh. The worst thing would be for people to get bored with Doctor Who and start switching off. Look at the World Cup - that's only on once every 4 years!

Yes they have.

100% agree!

I'd just like to say a massive thank you for all the work you've done on recovering lost episodes.

21 years ago that was released (around this time of year as well). I'm sure also the first B&W VHS release. These days we take the DVDs for granted but it was absolutely amazing and fantastic at the time to see the first Dalek story again.

No, probably that was the wrong word to use-what I mean is, standalone episodes which rarely have an obvious connection to the now apparently compulsory story arc and which are frequently a bit lightweight.

Oh, OK - thanks for clarifying.

Ditto from me. Hope you have to award that Dalek one day.

We need 6 Four-Parters in a series, with the last one a 5 parter. And make them 20 minutes each.

I didn't think that particular episode was affected by being longer for me. However, all The Specials suffered from being too long and the 2nd Episode of The End Of Time definitely did. It sagged badly in the middle I thought.

So would I.

A two parter starter
A poet yet didn't know it!

For a bit of variety, and to keep the show fresh and to maintain anticipation, I think the series should be shown like this:

Year 1: 15 episodes:

Ep 1 & 2: Two part opener
Ep 3: Standalone episode
Ep 4: Standalone episode leading into two parter
Ep 5 & 6: Two parter set on another planet
Ep 7: Doctor lite episode
Ep 8: Standalone episode
Ep 9 &10 Two parter set in a historical era on earth
Ep 11: companion lite episode
Ep 12: Obligatory dalek episode
Ep 13, 14 & 15: Three part series finale

NO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

Year 2: 4 Special Episodes

Ep 1: Easter Special
Ep 2: Summer Special (August Bank Holiday)
Ep 3: Autumn Special (halloween or early November)
Ep 4: Christmas special

[b]Year 3: 15 Episodes[/B
As year one but maybe in a different episode layout.

NO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

Year 4: Special Episodes

As year 2.


This would just give the show continued momentum.

The first black & white VHS release was the edited together version of The Seeds of Death. The Daleks was the second, IIRC. And also the first two tape release.

To be honest, i think we are all missing why the series is currently the format it is, international sales.

Its 45 minutes, as this will equal an hour show in most countries (when ads are taken into consideration) , so makes it more marketable and sellable to Australia, USA and Europe. Look at most countries, and outside of the Soaps, dramas are 60 minutes. Most channels around the world divide very heavily between sit coms being 30 minutes long, dramas an hour.

As for the length of the season, every country is now used to American lengths (approx 22 episodes) of series. Due to the format and smaller main cast of Dr Who, it would really suffer if 22 episodes were done. The UK has also found it very hard to sell 8 part series abroad, as they just dont fit in with the tv schedules in most countries. The 13/14 episode basis of a series works alot better. American cable stations have had a number of world wide successes that have been this length, it also fits in very well with stations that would are used to american programmes being axed after the first 13 episodes, and just generally fits in better with most countries tv seasons (especially the main autumn block).

Now before any one says this is a BBC drama that should be made for the British audience, it is. Why shouldnt the BBC have an eye on selling a quality product abroad, especially at a time when drama budgets are feeling the strain. AT the end of the day i think people would much prefer the BBC kept an eye on the international tv market for opportunities rather than paying more for there tv licence.

It wouldn't work today, let's be honest. The 45minute-1hour format works much better,,, and it's better for over-seas sales as well.
OK, the original series did ok in its little dinky little 24 minute form - but that was then! Who would bother to hastily get to the TV every Saturday night for half an hour nowadays?
Remember in 'those' days - there was only two chanells to watch (don't count BBC 2 ...it was too high brow!)

I'm not sure what the length of the episode has to do with there being only two channels? And in any case, there weren't, for a fair bit of the shows run. BBC2 did indeed have an audience, despite being 'highbrow', and Channel 4 was launched in 1982.

Thanks for that. Was The Daleks also the first episodic release?

I said in an earlier post that I'd have liked some of the episodes to have been 55 minutes like TEH, apart from the 2 parters. This wouldn't leave sufficient time for adverts on foreign channels. One of the reasons I prefer BBC to most other channels is the lack of adverts! I accept that the world being as it is, this has to be factored in. Dr Who is watched in many countries around the world and it would be short sighted to do anything to put this at risk. I'm willing to pay to be advert free but not everyone shares this view.

So, how about a 55 minute opener, followed by six 45 minute two parters?

I think it was, I couldn't swear to it without checking.

Hell to the no.

Sorry, a year of "specials" as the norm could be disasterous.

Thanks. I think it was too.