[joe_000]

since this new group of episodes is nearly a year after the first part of series 7, is it actually series 8 i.e series 7 was only 5 episodes and series 8 (7b - shown in spring) will be only 7 episodes. Who splits a series in half by nearly a year apart. I presume there won't be a group of 13 episodes to follow series 7b in 2013. Have we been diddled out of a whole series?

[Fire Host]

Originally Posted by joe_000

since this new group of episodes is nearly a year after the first part of series 7, is it actually series 8 i.e series 7 was only 5 episodes and series 8 (7b - shown in spring) will be only 7 episodes. Who splits a series in half by nearly a year apart. I presume there won't be a group of 13 episodes to follow series 7b in 2013. Have we been diddled out of a whole series?

Um, the gap between 7a and 7b - the end of September to 'Spring 2013' - isn't really a year gap.
No, there probably won't be a 13 episode run after 7b next year, there'll be whatever's happening for the Anniversary instead (sometime later).

Whether we've lost out on a series or not is down to your own interpretation of the difference between a delay and reduction.

[joe_000]

from september to april is 8 months- its still a long gap - not like 8 days. One series can't really be 8 months apart??? unless the spin put on it by producers tries to convince us otherwise...

[nebogipfel]

Nobody has been diddled out of anything.

Production problems led to a reduced series this year. We had five episodes. They were very good. But budget issues meant they were unable to make a full thirteen episode season.

Nobody was diddled. They made as many episodes as they could. Bit daft that the BBC didn't just say so at the time, but that's corporate spin for you.

[CD93]

Originally Posted by joe_000

One series can't really be 8 months apart???

Do you watch much US television?

[snakecharmer37]

Originally Posted by joe_000

since this new group of episodes is nearly a year after the first part of series 7, is it actually series 8 i.e series 7 was only 5 episodes and series 8 (7b - shown in spring) will be only 7 episodes. Who splits a series in half by nearly a year apart. I presume there won't be a group of 13 episodes to follow series 7b in 2013. Have we been diddled out of a whole series?

In my opinion, yes and no it depends on how you look at it.
Some have done lengthy research on how many episodes we have had compared to the Tennant years. You will have to look for the thread. However, I do think the BBC is not treating Doctor Who as well as it should, specially since it has said repeatedly that Doctor Who is their flagship programme.
All this splitting the series just gets on a lot of peoples nerves, including mine. Either show it all at once, however many episodes it is, or not at all. In the end some will lose interest because they can't be bothered to wait months for the next installment. Yes, I am including myself in that remark. From what I have read on here from other posters, quite a lot are also peeved at having to wait. If it is due to to cuts etc, then get rid of the constant stream of rubbish the BBC put out, then maybe they could film an entire series. I notice they don't do the same with Merlin, just one example.

[Corwin]

Originally Posted by joe_000

since this new group of episodes is nearly a year after the first part of series 7, is it actually series 8 i.e series 7 was only 5 episodes and series 8 (7b - shown in spring) will be only 7 episodes. Who splits a series in half by nearly a year apart. I presume there won't be a group of 13 episodes to follow series 7b in 2013. Have we been diddled out of a whole series?

8 episodes and it will be no where near a year apart.

[joe_000]

totally agree snakecharmer... and no don't watch much US TV

[CD93]

Originally Posted by joe_000

totally agree snakecharmer... and no don't watch much US TV

Mid-season break regularly puts many shows lasting between September and May. They have plenty more episodes to get away with it, though.

[nebogipfel]

Originally Posted by CD93

Mid-season break regularly puts many shows lasting between September and May. They have plenty more episodes to get away with it, though.

I suppose splitting 22 episodes in two is a bit more palatable than splitting 13. I also wonder if part of the annoyance is down to all the spin and secrecy that went with it all. Those contradictory statements, public arguments, enigmatic "we have a plan and I'm not telling you" Twitter crap etc. They'd have been better off just announcing the split up front, and telling people what to expect and when to expect it. They were still implying an almost uninterrupted run spanning Christmas at the official Convention. It seems odd to do that when it turns out to have been unlikely. The BBC, bless them, are often useless at spin.

[Corabal]

April is 8 months away from September? Do your math again.

[JCR]

Originally Posted by nebogipfel

I suppose splitting 22 episodes in two is a bit more palatable than splitting 13. I also wonder if part of the annoyance is down to all the spin and secrecy that went with it all. Those contradictory statements, public arguments, enigmatic "we have a plan and I'm not telling you" Twitter crap etc. They'd have been better off just announcing the split up front, and telling people what to expect and when to expect it. They were still implying an almost uninterrupted run spanning Christmas at the official Convention. It seems odd to do that when it turns out to have been unlikely. The BBC, bless them, are often useless at spin.

I presume the alternative to the spin is to admit the budget was screwed up at some point and that's the reason for the splits, at which point the Daily Mail and company would jump on them, so I can see why they don't wanna do that.

"They let me sign cheques with a stamp!" to quote Homer Simpson and Terry Gilliam.

[Sue_Aitch]

With the tenth Doctor it was a new (or return) of companion(s) every series -incuding SJS in Seies 2 and 4 and the specials); we've had such comparative stability with Amelia Jessica Pond and Rory Arthur Williams (when he wasn't dead or non-existant) I welcome the brak, however it came about.

[CD93]

To be technical and pedantic, we're only a week away from more Doctor Who, then a month away from more Doctor Who, then four months away from more Doctor Who.

Moffat was right, we are only a few months away from more Doctor Who!

( )

[stcoop]

Originally Posted by CD93

Moffat was right, we are only a few months away from more Doctor Who!

Less right on the "More episodes than ever!" front though...

[Grafelfing]

Originally Posted by stcoop

Less right on the "More episodes than ever!" front though...

True, so far there has been absolutely no Doctor Who in 2013.

[nyder]

2012 - 5 episodes + Christmas Special

2013 (probable) - 8 episodes + Anniversary Special + Christmas Special

Normal year (ie 2010 or 2011) - 13 episodes + Christmas Special

Personally I'm viewing the split series as series 7 and series 8. They're too far apart and not even linked. Obviously two years of reduced series will have saved a lot of money (virtually a whole series worth) so hopefully the books are now balanced and 2014 will see a return to normal.

It's just a shame that the anniversary year that Moffat stated would see more Who than ever before is simply a reduced series and a couple of specials.

The BBC should have just been honest from the start, at least we would have known where we stood and looked forward to the anniversary year and a full series in 2014. I understand the economic issues and wouldn't have been bothered as long as DW's future was safe. Instead they fed us all a load of balls, got our hopes up and then produced less than normal and still try to tell us we're getting more.

This isn't spin, it is simply lying.

[Grafelfing]

Originally Posted by nyder

This isn't spin, it is simply lying.

By 'lying', I think you mean 'guesswork'.

[johnnysaucepn]

Originally Posted by nyder

The BBC should have just been honest from the start, at least we would have known where we stood and looked forward to the anniversary year and a full series in 2014. I understand the economic issues and wouldn't have been bothered as long as DW's future was safe. Instead they fed us all a load of balls, got our hopes up and then produced less than normal and still try to tell us we're getting more.

This isn't spin, it is simply lying.

They haven't been any less than honest. The process of scheduling and budgeting is a complicated one - it's only people spreading rumours and jumping to conclusions that have even made it an issue.

Do you hear anyone demanding details months in advance exact dates of when their favourite shows are going out, and how they are funded?

It's not their business to spin, it's not their business to give out that kind of information in advance at all.

[nyder]

Originally Posted by Grafelfing

By 'lying', I think you mean 'guesswork'.

I meant that the BBC were not producing spin but simply lying to us.

My post isn't really 'guesswork' the only DW episodes slated for 2013 are the 8 episodes, anniversary special and Christmas special.

I know a lot of people on here believe that some magical official series 8 will appear but 7B hasn't even begun filming yet so they still need to film 8 episodes and 2 specials so please don't kid yourself that your getting any more than that. That's not guesswork, just common sense.

[Grafelfing]

Originally Posted by nyder

I meant that the BBC were not producing spin but simply lying to us.

My post isn't really 'guesswork' the only DW episodes slated for 2013 are the 8 episodes, anniversary special and Christmas special.

I know a lot of people on here believe that some magical official series 8 will appear but 7B hasn't even begun filming yet so they still need to film 8 episodes and 2 specials so please don't kid yourself that your getting any more than that. That's not guesswork, just common sense.

What Christmas special? What's happening for the anniversary?

As I say - guesswork.

[nyder]

Originally Posted by Grafelfing

What Christmas special? What's happening for the anniversary?

As I say - guesswork.

The anniversary special has been confirmed and even discussed publicly (in a light sense) by MS and Moffat. I admit that I have not seen any official confirmation regarding the Christmas special, but without that, then that would make it all even worse.

Guesswork requires no knowledge, it is blind. I have examined the facts and used common sense. At worst it is simply 'in all likelihood' but not simply guesswork.

[stcoop]

Originally Posted by nyder

I know a lot of people on here believe that some magical official series 8 will appear but 7B hasn't even begun filming yet

Uh, yeah it has. They've only got two episodes left to shoot.

Now that doesn't change the fact that they don't shoot the Anniversary Special until after Sherlock Series 3 (so that's next May at the earliest) , so there won't be any more regular episodes in 2013 but it's worth pointing out.

(I'm starting to see the folks who think that 2013's going to be a year stuffed full of new episodes as being like the Republican Party prior to last Tuesday night; refusing to acknowlege the math in favour of what they want to believe.)

[Grafelfing]

Originally Posted by nyder

The anniversary special has been confirmed and even discussed publicly (in a light sense) by MS and Moffat. I admit that I have not seen any official confirmation regarding the Christmas special, but without that, then that would make it all even worse.

Guesswork requires no knowledge, it is blind. I have examined the facts and used common sense. At worst it is simply 'in all likelihood' but not simply guesswork.

Apart from guessing that there's a Chritsmas special, guessing that there will only be one anniversary special and guessing that nothing else will be announced.

Originally Posted by stcoop

(I'm starting to see the folks who think that 2013's going to be a year stuffed full of new episodes as being like the Republican Party prior to last Tuesday night; refusing to acknowlege the math in favour of what they want to believe.)

Funny, I must have missed all the polls of people to see how many episodes of Doctor Who there are going to be next year.

From this thread I'm startying to see people who insist that they know the schedule for 2013 as TV psychics, making vague guesses so they can then claim that they knew all along, if they pan out.

[nebogipfel]

Originally Posted by johnnysaucepn

They haven't been any less than honest. The process of scheduling and budgeting is a complicated one - it's only people spreading rumours and jumping to conclusions that have even made it an issue.

Do you hear anyone demanding details months in advance exact dates of when their favourite shows are going out, and how they are funded?

It's not their business to spin, it's not their business to give out that kind of information in advance at all.

It very much is the business of the public relations department to put out press releases, which is what they did right back at the start of all this. But they cocked it up, retracted it and them fumbled the replacement statements. It was classic BBC spin. I.e. not very well done. Nobody was demanding exact details of what to expect or when. it was their own choice to put out a misleading press release that started it all.