Well the present series is near an end, with only the finale episode left after next weeks cybermen.

I would really like to see some sort of Who on telly in the space between then and the 50th special / Adventure In Time and Space. For such an iconic show and significant anniversary, there has been very little celebration so far seeing we are already five months into the year.

Granted the series has to be given priority, so when it is out of the way will we see anything? I will feel very let down if the only Who in 2013 is series 7b, 50th special and the docu drama. There are a few BBC channels that can be used after all.

for the anniversary they are also producing a greatest moments type programme for the show with new Doctor segments filmed for it, as well as a live programme that no one knows much about but could end up being a chatty thing with related guest stars. There's also talk of multiple prequels featuring past doctors.

Not much until Nov. Summer will be full of post production for the special.

I'm quite disappointed that there isn't more in the way of spin-off material to keep us entertained until the 50th.

In previous years we've had both SJA and Torchwood in the breaks furthering the adventures of well-established characters and their friends with occasional DW monsters and a similar "save the world from alien invasions" theme.

Although those two aren't possible (due to Liz Sladen's death and RTD's personal issues), it's a shame that a DW writer and the TW/SJA production teams couldn't be roped in for a spin-off mini-series focusing on recent/past characters e.g. Martha and Mickey, UNIT, Vastra, Jenny and Strax, River Song etc.

Even better, the BBC could have licensed an actual DW mini-series (with McGann or another past Doctor), perhaps directed (even financed) by Peter Jackson, who has expressed an interest in working on DW, done in such a way that it ties in nicely with the revived series and provides some nice back-story, setting things up for the anniversary, but at the same time not being essential viewing for the casual viewer.

Didn't Peter Davison say he'd make his own anniversary episode if the classic Doctors weren't in the official one? Surely this would make the hardcore classic fans happy and more forgiveable of the (probable) lack of classic Doctors in Moffat's episode, while at the same time introducing a younger audience to the classic series Doctors and probably shifting a shedload more classic Who DVDs, making the BBC happy.

I'm not getting my hopes up, but I really think it would be great if something along the lines of the above ideas has been filmed in secret to be shown in the interim.

There is also a Christmas Special. And possibly some webisodes ala Pond Life.

He did and there have been some rumours that something is happening.


BBC America have been showing "Doctors Revisited", a 25 min talking heads show followed by a story from the featured Doctor.

They've been on once a month and have done the first 4 Doctors so far.


Maybe the BBC will start showing these once the current series ends and we'll get two a month to fit them in before November.

I'm really disappointed that we're only getting one anniversary special and one Christmas special after series 7 in 2013. On the 50th anniversary year we're getting less episodes than 2005-2008 and 2010-2011. Only 2009 and 2012 have had fewer episodes. Yes, we're getting chat shows and documentaries and docu-dramas, but it just isn't the same as getting actual episodes. The BBC (as far as I know) aren't even planning to show any Classic episodes.
They also cancelled planning into an animated series featuring the Classic Doctors which would have been a brilliant alternative to the lack of 11th Doctor episodes.

The BBC just didn't have the budget to do the things they were planning a few years ago. Moffat had grand visions but those visions cost far too much. So they've had to cut back big time. It's the fans who miss out so it is a real shame.

But the only real DW after S7 will be the 50th and Xmas. The minisodes are part of the 50th and will likely only be a couple of minutes long each like Pond Life was. Nothing substantial though.

Moffat promised more Who than ever. That promise will remain undelivered I'm afraid. But it wasn't in his control.

I, for one, couldn't be happier. We're getting 8 episodes, 2 specials and 1 docudrama in the 50th anniversary year. What other BBC show that premiered in the previous century gets that treatment? Ab Fab only got 3 episodes for their 20th year, and that show's a lot less expensive to make.

The 8 eps of S7 aren't for the 50th though, they would have happened 50th or not.

The only episode deliberately made to celebrate the 50th is the special which is likely to be an hour long. So it really is only getting an hour extra because it's 50.

Ab Fab got three new eps specifically because it was 20. Doctor Who hasn't got that even thought it's the big 5 0.

I think anyone who expected a whole new mini series just for the 50th were expecting far too much tbh. There just wasn't time to do it. Better to make 60mins of quality than 4 hours of nonsense.

Big Finish is doing a multi-Doctor audio story featuring 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.

Blimey! Just be grateful that dr who is on at all! Remember dr who was off for pretty much 16 years, save for the movie, so to have it back and reasonably successful is good news surely.

There far too much I want, I want, I want these days!!

nothing for the finale on DIgiguide yet

SCIENCE FICTION SERIES: Doctor Who
On: BBC 1 (101)
Date: Saturday 18th May 2013 (starting in 13 days)
Time: 19:00 to 19:50 (50 minutes long)

Science fiction series about the adventures of an alien time-traveller, known as The Doctor. He explores space and time, solving problems and righting wrongs.
(Stereo, Last In Series, Widescreen, Subtitles, 5 Star)

Nonsense!

As I've said before, the BBC isn't making Doctor Who out of kindness to a few geeks. It's a very popular programme.

The way they have treated it is abominable. Especially this year which will never occur again.

Even if I wasn't a fan and didn't care when or if it was on TV I would be able to see that!

I can't understand all this "I'm grateful for a bowl of gruel" stuff. Far too much servility these days - no wonder the country is going to the dogs.

arent all the ex doctors coming back? apart from 1

no only David Tennant is returning (in terms on Doctors)

oh right, dont know where i got that from then

50 - it's only a number! As for it being a popular programme, it is no more popular than Merlin or Primeval - both of which are no longer on our screens.

Furthermore, the BBC can treat the programme exactly how they wish - they own it. The unreasonable behaviour is on the forums with the demands, and the claims that the BBC should be showing wall to wall Dr Who. They can cancelled again without giving two hoots towards sentimentality.

try being a Trekkie, with a film every 3-4years, or a BSG fan, lamenting the woeful decision not to pick up Blood & Chrome as a series... Then tell me how the current amount of Dr Who is unfair!

trekkie fans do have it tough

Don't know about Merlin, but Doctor Who is much more popular than Primeval. Primeval got cancelled due to poor viewing figures (which were much lower than Doctor Who's before someone tries to justify cancelling Doctor Who)
Anyway, I'm not really complaining or think it's unfair. I'm just slightly disappointed that the BBC can't give us a full 13 episode series each year like they used to. They probably have their reasons, but I just can't help but feel slightly disappointed.

I completely disagree with that. Firstly, Merlin was a program which always had a shelf life; once the story was told it would have to end. Secondly, although I enjoyed Primeval myself, the ratings speak for themselves. How you can claim Doctor Who is no more popular than either of these programs I have no idea. Merlin was the more popular of the two, but even so, it never reached the heights of Doctor Who. I think what people forget, is that Doctor Who has spanned FIFTY YEARS. That's five generations whom have had a chance (okay minus out a bit in the middle) to see the program and enjoy it. Even people that don't like it acknowledge just how popular it is and how much of a fanbase it's built up; for a time as a cult classic known for a curly haired scarf wearing man, now as a popular modern day drama reaching out and rooting itself in more countries than ever. I should think you'd be hard pushed for find someone British who has never heard of the program; that in itself speaks of the fans and status the entire franchise has amassed.

I fail to see how Star trek of BSG is relevant to the discussion.

I am, however a Sherlock fan and when the next series is aired I will have waited 2 years for it. I will watch 3 episodes of 90 minutes which will be on at a specified time every week. I know the reason why there has been the 2 year gap. The BBC has been quite reasonable.

The BBC can cancel Doctor Who at any time, of course, it can tell us lies about the amount of screen time it will get, it can put it on any old time it likes (I suppose by your standards they are very kind letting it always be on on a Saturday!) but that's not reasonable by any standards.

I repeat - they are not doing us a favour, they are producing a popular programme. Why don't they act like it?

As for 50 being only a number - I'm baffled as to how to answer that. You must be the only person to think that! Most of this forum would be very despondent if the BBC had decided not to do anything special for DW's 50th anniversary!

No they couldn't. They'd never cancel Doctor Who. Never. They did it once in 1985 and it was a PR disaster that there had to be a u-turn on in under a week. If they wanted to stop making it, they'd come out and say they thought it was tired, needed refreshed and while there definitely would be more, it could be a while. And as they're apparently desperate for more Sherlock and to keep Moffat onside for that reason them resting Who seems unlikely at the moment.

The BBC kept beating around the bush regarding Last of the Summer Wine being cancelled because they were presumably worried about negative reaction, and that was in a show where they couldn't get insurance for location filming for the two main characters as the actors were both over 90 years old. To suggest they'd publically come out and say Doctor Who is cancelled is laughable.