Somebody said they "detested" series 2 recently, they kept on watching, I guess in the hope that it improved, just as the OP has the right to.....

I've seen a preview of the voiceover for the Season 8 trailer....

'Hi. You know Doctor Who? Yeah. That show. Its back again soon. Not sure when. Some stuff will happen. Here's some randomly edited shots of some stuff literally happening. On screen. There's the Doctor. Yep. Same old guy. That's his back there. Oh and there he is talking to someone. No idea who. Anyway. Don't pay too much attention. Its coming back to BBC one. At some point. Not sure when. Check the TV listings. You know what its like. Probably be rubbish. But watch if you want. It keeps Steven Moffat busy when Sherlock isn't being made. Oh look. A shot of a cyberman. They're boring aren't they? But they're back again. Watch it if you want. Or don't. I couldn't care either way. Yes Doctor Who back again. Hooray'

Much better.

I thought this was going to be a thread talking about how the BBC seem to have forgot the show is even in the middle of a mini series on the 50th year. Since the show began I don't think I've seen an "advert" for Doctor Who on the beeb. (I know they don't do ads but they normally slap on a plug for the doctor during the week...they only seem concerned about the voice now though)

So yea, not the previews for next week but the lack of promotion outside of the 6-7 slot on a saturday night.

Anyway. More on topic. I think most things these days get over hyped. Just the way it is. Look at Hollywood. You have teasers for teasers for web exclusive clips etc etc. It seems to be de rigueur.

I don't think DW has always delivered on the trailers. How could it. Some of the things in the trailers look great but let you down and vice versa. Its always been that way. I remember seeing the clips of the Crouching Tiger dudes in Tooth and Claw and thinking 'blimey!'. The episode was mostly forgettable and the wire work turned out to be embarrassingly amateurish and shoehorned in. But damn it looked sweet in that preview trailer.

For this series the issue to me is that it seems the Dr Who trailers have strayed into "Hollywood movie" territory for some reason.

We watch the trailer (and get all excited) and then when we watch the actual episode we find all the best bits where shown in the trailers, the episode is nothing like they lead us to believe, it's all rushed at the end and we end up coming out of our living rooms,full of overpriced popcorn and blinking in the evening dusk-light, feeling a bit cheated and wondering if the Directors Cut will actually make anymore sense if it comes out.

Then maybe that's just me

That's always the case though. Not every single episode can be as good as each other. people often judge the episodes relative to each other.
On a Doctor Who forum I'd expect that most poll ratings to rate good or higher.
The negative poll ratings and posts are equally as valid as over time they act as a barometer to measure different episodes against each other.

I don't think it's about reaching a conclusion as such where you say that this bunch of people are more right than some other bunch of people because they make up the majority.
I think all posts and discussions should be taken with a pinch of salt and not be used to reach a consensus conclusion. I think that they should just to be used to compare opinions and inspire discussion and thought.

I think it's a mistake to use polls and discussion as evidence to prove that some episode or the series in 'reality' is good or not. I don't think that should be the point.

If you like an episode then you like it, if you don't then you don't. A poll or a thread shouldn't change that, as it is just there for interest to see what other people think and inspire discussion. If you look to polls to prove any reality to yourself then all you're doing really is using the opinions of other people to validate your own opinion to yourself.

I certainly think they hyped up series 7 too much. Asylum of the Daleks has been the only memorable episode for me to be honest.

I am pretty sure Moffat said Dr Who would take over TV in 2013 and so far we have had a few alright episodes and crap.

The fact is he can't deliver. At least, not often enough for his place as showrunner not to be called into question. Moffat is very good at talking the talk...

Seeing as Caroline Skinner walked out on the show with no explanation, this strongly suggests production issues.

Completely agree. If I hear 'the only mystery solving' one more time I may have to punch something

Look up the definition of the word in bold.

Well, to be fair I don't think publicity per se is the issue. I mean, of course the show is going to be publicised with teasers, trailers etc

It's more the "this is going to be EPIC and you're going to LOVE it" thing and then it just - isn't and I don't. (well, Ok, occasionally I do. I really liked this week's ep for example). But that road usually just leads to damp squibsville for me - or just plain annoyance. I don't like being told how I'm meant to feel about the lead writer's writing - by the lead writer. Y'know?

As in life - always underpromise and overdeliver. Surprising or hidden gems are always so much more satisfying, I find.

^^ This. Moffat is extremely good at lying his curly head off. Trouble is, it comes back to bite him in the ass when the episodes air.
There are some that think all this lying is funny, or a clever way to hype up the show. Me, I just think it's pathetic.
Fortunately, there are many that see through his bulls*** and are not taken in anymore. Unfortunately, there are still quite a few that are willing to put up with lies that spew out of his mouth.
Same goes for the problems in the production team. The people that questioned Moffat, are not longer involved with Doctor Who. Only ones that are left are 'yes' men.

Do you have inside knowledge of the production of the show then?

Now you see. There's constructive criticism and then there are posts such as this...


Maybe there are also some that are still enjoying his work? But I guess that thought didn't occur to you when you were writing your rather brutal summary.

Speak for yourself.

Whatever your views on the show can some people please refrain from this insidious lie about how anyone who actually enjoys the show is somehow deluded and blinkered and its only those that tear it to shreds who have somehow got special access to 'truth' and 'facts'? Its arrogant nonsense.

I think "lying" is going a bit far - as if it's all part of some Evil Masterplan of Moffat's to fool us or something!

You've got to have a certain amount of arrogance to be in the showrunner role - RTD did as well, and it was that in part that got the show back on the road. But I think Moff is less good at the publicity side and overeggs it. Personally, I do find him a bit smug (and did as far back as Coupling, tbh) - but his first episodes for Who were great, and so is Sherlock. I think he's talented but publicity isn't his forte. And poss not showrunning on two major shows.

The best thing about Dr Who, the marketing.

Those "posters" they produce, and as the OP says; the trailers.

But take that away and it would still be a disappointing show, currently at least.

That just about sums up most of series 6 onwards for me.

The directors cut is a great idea, "Dr Who Extended"

------------------------------------------------
My feeling is that the show needs to be rebooted as either:

a) 90 minute TV movies (6 x year)

b) 30 minute serials (20 x year)

God no!

Yeah- that's exactly what I was trying to get across. One thing being put across as 'proof' is the large number of people saying how crap the whole show is in a lot of threads, especially the episode threads. And saying how everyone is switching off and not watching anymore

I'm saying you can't use that as proof, when in the same thread there is a poll showing the complete opposite. And the ratings for each episode aren't dropping, so the whole country is not switching off.

Some people will like an episode and some wont. All that example shows is that the ones that don't like it are currently shouting a lot louder

I haven't liked the odd episode here and there, but when that happens I have specific things I didn't like about that particular one. Mostly it's good stuff, which is why I will keep watching.
With the ones I didn't like as much, I don't suddenly think that the one or 2 things I didn't like about an episode must therefore equal a huge disaster of a screw up for the Dr Who production team and the BBC as a whole, and every individual involved must be sacked immediately for not living up to my individual expectations.

I was talking to a couple of people at work last week. One of them has been a casual-ish viewer and started really getting in to it properly in series 6 because they loved the big story arcs going on (also my favourite series lately). I think their boyfriend is more into it and he's a fan. They think that the writing has gone down hill a bit in series 7, with conclusions that are too easy and not much linking it all together to keep you hooked for the next week. That's fair enough. There were bits they liked about episodes too and they want to keep watching because there is the Clara mystery that's keeping them interested a bit.

Another one was saying he'd heard from people that this series was good and was going to start watching with his son, but was worried he couldn't just start because he'd missed a few and wouldn't know what was going on. After talking to the first person I mentioned, he was going to watch because they explained this series was more individual than series 6 had been and you could just pick up anywhere. They said all you need to know is that he met this girl 2 times before and she died then he met her again and is trying to figure her out- that's why she's on the Tardis with him. Everything else is part of the individual episode.

So the thing the first person didn't like was perfect for the second to watch with a young son. The one that was a bit turned off now since series 6 actually persuaded the other, making it sound perfect for them.

I do agree with bits of this post. The bit about S6 is a good example, the first finale I did find to be a let down and I really did worry about the whole arc thing when the words 'Let's Kill Hitler' appeared at the end. I just couldn't believe that this was really going to be the name of a Doctor Who episode! The game changer promise changed no games, and I didn't feel like I cared about the story any more. So I wasn't really that excited when it restarted but, I thought LKH was a brilliant episode and I enjoyed much more the following stories. That episode answered the things that I needed to be resolved , Who was River? Who was the girl that regenerated in the alley? What's the gig with Storm Cage? So there was less baggage. The 'Who killed the Doctor?' thing was always going to be a shaggy dog story so I wasn't too bothered how that worked out.

The stuff about S7 , I can't agree with much. I think Clara is a delight and am enjoying her story line more than any other recent compistant. The stories have had excellent, good, good, good, good, excellent, excellent, average, good, excellent (twice if could!) excellent from me and I have never marked a series so consistently high before. Can't explain why and what the sudden improvement in the programme is down to. Matt Smith, though, is probably a lot to do with it. I just think he is The Doctor, and when a Doctor is this good it takes a lot for me not to like Who

Finally, as a piece of poetry, your post is a bit lacking. It doesn't scan well, feels a bit pinched in places and tries to cram too many of the same sentiments into lines that rambled a bit compared to others. Perhaps it could be a bit more punchy?

P.S. Hide was top, top stuff wasn't it?

Feels like the OP is a throwback to a gentler time before exaggeration became de rigeur. It's like a complaint that Utterly Butterly tastes nothing like real butter. Trailers are marketing and... The Marketer lies. (Blimey, there a sh1t new timelord for you right there).

How about you don't watch the trailers? I hate the "coming up next" bit in Who anyway - I'm a fan, I'm going to watch next week, regardless. One of my best moments this (half) season was when the chap in the haunted house turned round... and it was Dougray Scott! Wow! Now I wouldn't have got that feeling if I'd been trailered and spoilered up to my eyeballs. If the publicity is affecting your enjoyment of the show, there's a pretty easy answer.

Here's one of my problems with the moffat era:

Exhibit A
Exhibit B

It reeks of "superheros are very popular right now.. we need to hit that demographic"