http://www.cultbox.co.uk/news/headli...tor-who-season

You must have not seen, but that quote was known at least over a week ago when all the Chibnall stuff was announced. If you look at the 'all change at the top' thread, started on the 22 Jan, the first post has a link to a radio times article containing the same quote

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2131532

Also, there was a 'do you feel spoilt with all the national moments' thread mocking the explanation, as most (me included) think it is a poor excuse which they just came up with at the last minute to make it sound like the delay was all sort of some plan. Even though, blatantly not.

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2131758

It's nonsense. The Euros are in June, Olympics are in august! Didn't stop the bbc putting last season on while the rugby world cup was on or season 2 and season 5 while the football world cup was on. Why lie?

Back when the no series thing was just a strong rumour, People were speculating what sort of PR nonsense the bbc might come up with to downplay it, or pretend it was somehow a good thing, and now we know, and nonsense it is.

For the series of doctor who that is such an event we have to wait a year for it, and it is simply too big to put in a sport heavy year as they are suggesting, the only thing that could justify such a ridiculous explanation is if it turned out to be a 20 episode series with Multi doctors, and companions from throughout the show, which obviously won't be the case.

It's obviously complete bollocks.

Ah but what hasn't been made public knowledge yet is that Wayne Rooney and Jessica Ennis have been cast as the new companions and it was felt that we'd be seeing too much of them if we had the Euro's, Olympics and Doctor Who in the same year

The blunt truth is Doctor Who is crying out for a rest, but they can hardly come out and say that, so the sport excuse is the kindest way of sugar-coating things.

As I said already elsewhere, the BBC were really clutching at straws with this nonsense.
I hardly think that a new series of Doctor Who, much as I and I'm sure all of us love it, is comparable as a television event to a major international football tournament or an Olympic Games, and to imply that it is, is (as someone already said) complete bollocks!

As soon as the BBC decide to opt out of the fight for The Voice, it was clear Doctor Who would move to Spring 2017.

BBC One doesn't NEED Doctor Who in Autumn/Winter - it has it's biggest ratings banker - Strictly. Having Who and Strictly is a strong lineup but, particularly when Strictly is airing longer episodes causes scheduling difficulties - Who fans moaning Who is on too late, ITV moaning that Strictly clashes with X Factor, Usual suspect politicians and newspapers moaning because they can...

The Voice going means BBC don't have any ratings banker in the Spring, well unless Demot's Total Wipeout with cars programme does a lot better than I think it will.

So BBC move Who - which hasn't been regularly on in autumn anyway, to Spring. Stops rating going from boom pre-christmas to nothing after. Means they can schedule shows they hope will be hits in the future around Strictly AND Who, to try to get them some inhereted audience.

It really is as simple as that.

Siggh I remember Series 5 it had the best line up Spring just after Total Wiepout which was on at 17:00 and it had other gameshows and it was BBC One Saturdays and they had little animation idents it literaly was the place

There should be a rule that a show like Doctor Who needs a break after 5 series.

Like when the 6th series was shown, that could have happened in 2012 not 2011.

Why? If the fans are enjoying the show and the BBC makes money out of it every year, it makes perfect logical sense to put it on every year. We've already had 2009 and 2012 where the episode count hasn't hit double digits - 2016 to add to that list with the lowest episode count to date (just one).

In relevance to the thread topic though, frankly, even as a Beeb employee this 'explanation' rings as nothing but convoluted nonsense. One of the main points that is stressed with BBC broadcasting is diversity, and the promise of something for everyone. Whether they live up to that promise is open to interpretation, but excusing the lack of Doctor Who through the increase in sporting output flies in the face of that promise altogether.

Nope not buying this at all, it appears Moffatt is dictating the pace, he should have went last year, a years wait for another badly written mess is hardly a temptation to return to the show in my opinion, he has been a very mediocre show runner.

Then we'd likely be in the middle of a two-year gap.

Hopefully Private Eye will be able to tell us the true story.

I hope its actually Winter 2017 AKA January when TV goes dead on a Saturday that its shown! Spring is too much of a wait really! It would run from January 7th 2017 thought to March 25th 2017 in my scenario.

Charlotte Moore says its Spring 2017, which makes me think its going back to a late March/early April start which I am pleased about. I think the rest of her comments are complete baloney though.

The show should never have been moved from Spring. If it ain't broke don't fix it. I loved the spring schedule. I loved the show finishing at the end of June and then having the Christmas special to plug the gap before the next season. I loved the 'new season trailer' we used to get at the end of the Christmas special too.

And I never believed that line about "returning the show to its ancestral home of the autumn". I always felt the autumn move was simply a reflection of all the production problems from the past six years.

It essentially bought the Doctor Who team an extra six months to pop out season 8. And that was after the 2013 gap year (that no one is supposed to have noticed).

If I'm honest, I can't help but think the move back to Spring is a production issue again, rather than a legitimate scheduling decision. But, hey ho, at least its going back to the spring whatever the reason.

Hopefully one thing Chibnall will bring back to Doctor Who is consistent production.

Based on what, exactly? Your personal distaste for SM's output? Can you cite any evidence for this opinion?

On the contrary, actually it appears he himself wanted to leave some time ago and only stayed because he too is a fan and wanted to protect Doctor Who while the BBC found a replacement.

You appear to be a fully signed up member of the small but vocal "Moffat is Evil and Must be Destroyed" group.

I'm no fan of Moffat but I don't think he's to blame for this one. I think he would have happily left by now and has only stayed on due to the fact that Chibnall cannot start until 2017.

It looks like the extension to Moffat's Who responsibilities clashes with his Sherlock responsibilities - but that's not his fault. He was planning to have left by now.

I agree. Moffat would have liked to have left Doctor Who, by now. Neither Moffat nor Chibnall can control when the show is aired.

You'd hardly expect the BBC to admit that moving Doctor Who from the Spring was a mistake in the first place, now would you?

Is this some strange new definition of the word explain? A bit like how 'random' now refers to anything an ignoramus doesn't understand.

Next time I'm asked to 'explain' something, I think I'll just come out with some irrelevant guff about sports events.

for me that's the only "good" thing about the delay moving it back to the spring.
Agree with other posters should never have been moved to the Autumn. Xfactor isn't the powerhouse it was but still strong enough to do damage.

It made sure Merlin only got 4.9-5.5 when up against it. I know two people within BBC production and they likened the current atmosphere to the late 80's everyone is so paranoid about money or being made redundant.

Still wouldn't be surprised we see an outside party come as a joint venture and part fund Dr who and other shows. the DG has already stated he would like to see more of this

I have my own theory.

I reckon It's a bit of a coincidence they announced that both Doctor Who and the next Star Wars films were delayed by about 6 months within a week of each other.

Perhaps Moffat is doing the announced re-write of Episode VIII?

Interesting you mention the 80s, thats the Thatcher era! Its politics getting in the way of what should be an independent broadcasting organisation!

Said in Captain Blackadder style.