Since there seems to be much variance on different peoples view of when the episode thread is best started, I thought it would be interesting to find out what people think is the best time to start it.

I personally feel it should be started on the day of the episode itself, as close to the episode as possible. I would even be happy if the thread was started automatically the second AFTER the episode finished (although I understand such an idea would surprise some people). I certainly don't get the whole 'what about people who want to discuss before' argument, because before an episode airs, there is nothing that can be said about it that hasn't been discussed multiple times on the spoilers thread or other threads, because at that point your just re-discussing all the speculation and rumour about the episode.

Similarly with those who discuss during the episode. They can't properly give a valid view at any point during the episode, because they haven't yet seen it in it's entirety. What they might post about being happy/sad/indifferent to one minute, may have changed completely a two minutes after they have posted.

For me personally an episode thread is one to discuss the episode you have seen. I personally feel there could be a pre - episode thread for people to discuss that other stuff.


Anyway, what do you think?

Right after the previous episode ends so people will stop their crying and whining on other episode threads.

7pm on a Saturday evening, from January through to Easter.
That, to me, ticks all the boxes.
The current start time of 8.20ish seems rather too late (especially for younger viewers who are much less likely to watch on catch up, and which is contributing to the falling viewer numbers) and anything before 7 strikes me as a bit too early.

I think you have misunderstood. I was talking about when was the best time to start the official episode thread on this forum, not when to start the episode itself. I think your confusion may in part have been due to my thread title, which I only realised when you posted could be taken two ways. I have now changed it to make it clearer what I meant.

Thanks for your post anyway, as it alerted me to what could have been confusion for many.

I think maybe not the very second the episode finishes, give it a bit of room to breathe, so maybe the Monday? Gives us plenty of time to put in the relevant synopsis/trailers/cast list etc and discuss the next episode.

What do you mean room to breathe lots of people hit up the forums after the episode ends

I feel that's way too early, personally.

I don't understand what you mean by that. Why would starting next weeks episode a whole week early in any way help with people 'crying and whining' as you put it?.

I don't understand what you mean?

I don't think it matters at all and people are way too hung up on minutiae here. That outrage over the poll the other night was frankly pathetic to witness.

I think a DS staff should be assigned to doing it themselves and episode threads created by us should be deleted.

if you actually look at the episode threads that get started early 'to enable forum members to discuss the episode before it airs' they rarely run to more than about three posts anyway and that usually includes the synopsis and trailer posts. no one is talking about the episodes before the Saturday.

and to those saying why does it matter? why does it matter to you if it matters to others? if youre so indifferent then why comment?. for me its just a matter of making it quick and easy to use the right threads. in the pub after the episode aired on Saturday using a mobile and there were three episode threads in the top few threads and then another thread about the lack of a poll. people were cross posting and its a mess that would be easily avoided if it was just agreed as a forum and with the mods that we post the episode thread on a certain day and it gets pinned for a certain time.

why not do a poll? its how you decide things as a community? maybe doctor blue box could add one:

1. anytime at all is fine. it should be a free for all
2. the moment the last episode ends
3. on a sunday
4. Wednesday
5. Friday
6. Saturday only and by the mods who then pin it
7. I don't care- theres a new star wars trailer tonight! woohoo!

i
Yep.

If, however, it is left to FMs then hopefully it's someone whose profile is eligible to create the poll and is able to and wants to get the poll up the moment the episode ends.

Maybe the mods should pin a thread to this forum explaining how Polls work so that people who can't create them don't bother trying to. And also something about it being important to know that you will be around at the very moment the episode ends ready to put up the standard poll precisely when it is most needed.

I felt a bit sorry for the person who did it last week - it all went a bit pear shaped for them on the night but it wasn't entirely their fault. Reaction was a bit OTT and could have been handled by (polite) PMs and interaction with the moderators.

Whatever - the thread and the poll should be fun. I don't recall it being as controversial in previous years. Also - didn't it used to get pinned? It hasn't always been pinned this year.

I didn't ask that, I said it doesn't matter. But as to why show interest at all, I think it's worth pointing out a forum member who had done nothing wrong was subject to horrible abuse because he wasn't timely in sorting out a flipping forum poll. Sometimes perspective is valuable.

The DW Forums overeact, like they want to kill someone we need more moderation here.

As I understand it he was delayed in getting his internet connection sorted but then he couldn't fathom out why he couldn't create the poll. That's hardly their fault - it's not exactly obvious.

Just bad luck that he was trying to have a bit of fun but then it all went a bit wrong. Maybe now we all know the rules if someone who can't create the poll creates the thread we can step in early and be friendly about asking them to delete the thread or speak to the mods.

Ironically it may have been through responding to the complaints about a lack of poll that the FM made themselves eligible by post-count to create a poll.

that's an over reaction in itself. no one reacted like that. they were just fed up and it wasn't helped by the les than gracious response from the OP. anyway that's done now. this thread is about sorting it out so it doesn't happen again.

Rephrase that again.

I thought about it, but wasn't sure if I could add one after the fact. is it possible?

I think you can request one but not entirely sure.

Just go to Thread tools and select the Add a Poll option.

As long as you have 100 posts and have been a member for 90 days it will be there.

Thanks for the advice guys. Meant to add a poll from the start, but after I forgot when making the thread I thought I'd lost the oppourtunity to do it. Had no prior knowledge of poll creation as this is the first time I've created a thread where one was appropriate. Poll now requested.

Voted for "I dont mind"......because I, um, don't mind!

The Wednesday before the episode airs seems reasonable to me.

I appreciate that too early a discussion is an annoyance to some posters here (I myself hate those inane posts made during the actual broadcast), but they have the choice of not participating.

Having an additional, separate thread for those wanting to discuss and speculate about an episode before it airs may sound nice in theory, but in practise, it's just too much hassle and would be confusing for some.

Especially with all those others who are super-critical of any public service minded efforts that don't quite go to plan. Entitled much?

My thoughts on it are basically that if you put it slightly earlier then it'll please the people who want to discuss it and then if there's not even that many pages to wade through then everyone's happy.

Plus I like having a place on here to view all the trailers, preview clips, interviews and spoiler free previews at my leisure and discuss them, that isn't, well, the spoiler thread.