Since Doctor Who returned in 2005 it has always aired in the Spring except for Series 6 Part 2, Series 7 Part 1 and a number of Specials.

Series 8 will air in the autumn and this looks to be true for all future series'. Do you prefer it in the autumn or would you rather have it back in the Spring?

I got so used to it in the Spring I sort of liked it. I don't really subscribe to the whole 'lets have it on dark autumn nights' thing. But I don't really mind whenever its on as long as it is. And its an entire run. The first series split just about worked. The second one didn't.

What salad said.

But the benefit is that I will likely be on before/after Strictly, and get a bit of a ratings boost.

Do you think that maybe darker more "Kick Ass" Doctor Who stories (as Moffat refers to the next series) will be better staged/received in darker gloomier autumn viewings, and childlike friendlier portrayals suited the summer?

Or am I just smoking some weird stuff and talking out of my arse?

I agree with you about getting used to the show airing in the Spring but as long as it airs as a whole series I will be happy.

The split for Series 6 was to shake things up a bit and to have a mid series cliffhanger. The split for Series 7 was just pointless. It was just a way for the BBC to save money. The BBC's excuse is that they split the series to make the show more creative but the truth is they did not want to spend money on a whole series and the 50th in one year.

Technically we should be heading into Series 10 by now if the BBC had made a series in 2009 and in 2013.

Just think if the makers had started filming when they announced Capaldi as the next Doctor we would have the show in March/April

At this rate the Autumn is going to have a lot of shows airing in the same night. Strictly, Doctor Who, Casualty and Atlantis.

I have a feeling Atlantis will shift to Spring, people were expecting The Musketeers to be the Spring Saturday Night drama but it's now been announced as airing Sunday evenings.

I think that the Autumn will work, but I also think that if they are chopping of one of the 13 for the Christmas episode, then we could also have a Easter special and possibly a Summer special, for just before the kids break up so not too many people are on holiday!
This would mean we have some Who all year round, at fairly equal points of the year too!

Makes no difference whatsoever. If you want it dark, close the curtains. If you want it bright, record it and watch it during the day.

In summary: could not care less. I just want it to be made to a consistent schedule and then broadcast.

I prefer watching it in the bath on a spaceship that is stuck on the pinnacle of mount Everest, whilst the Roman Empire falls in the lands below.

Damn, that was a good episode. Shame the BBC never scheduled any others for that season. Beyond that, I'll settle with either the spring or the autumn, just so long as I get to watch a full series.

The whole ambience of the dark autumn and winter evenings in the run-up to Christmas were part of the Doctor Who watching experience for me in the days of the so-called "classic" series.
Just drawing the curtains when it's bright sunlight outside is hardly that same, sorry!
I believe that the 2005 relaunch was premièred at Easter because the BBC at the time did not have enough confidence in its success to begin it in the autumn, prime time for starting major series.
Of course with hindsight it could have been started in the autumn, and would have presumably then stayed there. We've only got used to 21st century Doctor Who being a "spring" thing because of that.
Personally I'm delighted it's going back to the autumn, even if there will now be a long wait.
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder" remember!

I don't think this is viable with the sheer amount of work that it takes to make the series. It's already a 9 month shoot. They're basically going to finish editing, have a few weeks break and go straight into pre-production on the next series. Also, making the schedule too demanding is a sure fire way to take too much out of your cast and limit their time on the show (Matt mentioned several times how exhausting it was even on his broken up schedule).

My only current concern about them moving it to Autumn is that they do the right thing and chuck Atlantis out of that prime slot. If DW starts in August that's not going to do its ratings many favours.

Its interesting that you mention that the Autumn is the big première slot for TV series, Dr Who doesnt need that per-say to bring in the ratings, but it will improve them nonetheless!
It is about time that Who is give that big première treatment again, more that it being about whether its light or dark!
Although its because its dark at that time of the year, that more people are in watching TV!

As long as we get 14 a year including the Christmas Day special, I don't care when they go out.

Why would some extra episodes be an issue if they are done with the main series?
If it that much of an issue then they should limit it to 14 episodes, but make 3 of them to be specials and 11 for the main run.
They can all be done in a block, they dont have to make a special at a different time of the year!

So it could be done like this Dec/Jan to Aug filming 14/15 episodes, 11/12 are shown as a complete run in the Autumn, 1 at Christmas, 1 at Easter the next year and another in the Summer of that same year.

The Specials would be filmed with the previous years series, but they would tie into the series for the next year.

Thats what I mean we still get 14 but they film them as a block and dont do specials separately. The BBC then just hold episodes back for later 'Special' showings!

You can't film 14 or 15 episodes in 8 months. Merlin had the same sort of schedule - it filmed from March through to the end of October for 13 episodes. They were often still filming when the first episode went out. The early episodes were in post production whilst the latter ones weren't even finished on set. Then there was a few weeks break before they were back in pre-production for the next series. To make 15 episodes you'd be pushing a 10 or 11 month shoot and that isn't really viable.

Provided I get a full uninterrupted series, I don't really care either way.
However, the one problem with autumn is that there's only a couple of weeks between the finale and the Christmas special, then a huge wait until the next series.

As I don't watch it (or anything really) live then the particular season and shade of light outside does not interest me. As long as it's a full regular run then I couldn't give a piss.

OK so it has to be 14 episodes in say 9-10 months I suppose, but it was done before back in the RTD days with series 2, 3 and 4, so it can be done!
The only difference is that they are in HD now which I cant see making a huge difference especially to the filming!

what I dont understand is that it is mainly played before strictly, and other such reality programmes as sort of a starter, when in my mind it is far superior and should be the other way around, with thing's like strictly being the build up to who.

anyway, as someone who didn't grow up with it(born in late 80's) and only discovered it in 2005 I wil alway's favour the spring start with unbroken run as to me, spring start is tradional

I think a lot of the issue with that they is it's just exhausting for the cast and crew which means you're more likely to lose good people after a couple of years. Tbh I'm not sure a separate Christmas special is needed any more. It'd be a pity because some of my favourite episodes (like The Snowmen) have been Christmas ones but it won't really feel like an event any more if a stand alone story comes so close after the series finale. Either that or they'll save the finale for Christmas Day.

That's presuming they don't decide to start showing it in August and give Atlantis the later in the year and better slot which would be a mistake imo.


If it goes in the Merlin/Atlantis slot then it'll be on after SCD. That's been the way it's worked for the last few years.

Well I still dont get how they did 14 episodes a year before in the RTD days and they may only manage 13?


Yes it would be good if its on the build up to Christmas with a big final on Christmas Day and also in the late Merlin/Atlantis slot!

Spring. I'm used to watching it in the Spring and Spring doesn't feel the same without DW just as DW doesn't feel right when it's on in Autumn. There's also generally less on TV in the Spring so it fills a nice hole. What matters more to me though is having 13 uninterrupted episodes that aren't split into two parts!

completely agree on both points