I think Saturday proved it to me. The success of stand alone episodes compared to the double episodes. The double episode success rate is since the new start is that about 50% are excellent, where the stand alone ones are about 35%(obviously my own opinion), so i think we need at least 1 more double episode a series, which would mean 1 more cliff hanger.

Surely, the conclusion to be drawn is that good stories should be told in double episodes, rather than double episodes making for better stories?

And your criteria for success may be very different to someone else's.

Actually I agree with johnnysaucepn. I don't think that double episodes are necessarily synonymous with good stories. It depends on the stories. Some stories are better as 1 parter (because a two parter would end up with too much filling material), and some are better off as two parters (because vital information goes missing if it is shortened too much).

I would welcome a one hour format, split into two half hour shows shown at 7pm on Saturday and the following Sunday. It's 15 minutes more footage (basically what gets cut in the edit) and can lengthen stories.

Of course then cliffhangers may have to be written into stories which would be annoying, although you could always just leave it hanging on an ominous shot.

But i believe that the writers go about writing single or double episodes. Otherwise we wouldn't get 3 double episodes a series, every series, they would base it on the story.

I do believe that the extra time to build the plot works certainly in the sci-fi/fantasy genre. Maybe it wouldn't guarantee better episodes, but it should certainly be tried.