Will the xmas special be in HD?

if not will they be shooting series 4 in HD?

with BBC HD a confirmed channel you'd think they would want to get some decent content on there now.

Short answer. No and No.
Guess HD will be the specials or after.

A missed oppurtunity really to push HD. If you gave people the choice of Torchwood in HD or Doctor Who in HD I know what I'd prefer.

It's simply because producing Doctor Who in HD is going to be a hell of a lot more expensive than making Torchwood in HD. There's loads more special effects shots in each episode of Doctor Who than there in in Torchwood, and the cost of producing each one of them in HD is a LOT more expensive.

Added to that, every new episode of Doctor Who is usually set in a new location. Every single new set will therefore have to be 'upgraded' to make sure it doesn't look fake on HD. That's what they're doing in the next couple of years with the EastEnders' Albert Square set - rebuilding a lot of it in more detail so it doesn't look rubbish when it converts to HD.

I'd be very surprised if the production team doesn't use the extra time afforded by the 'three specials' to upgrade their facilities.

P

It's just a bit sad though, you've got American shows that are made in HD from Day One that were commissioned before Doctor Who returned. If the BBC wanted people to take HD seriously, then Doctor Who should of been the example of new shows in HD.

But the US was way ahead of the UK in terme of HD tv's and broadcasting, back in 05 very little was made and nothing was broadcast in HD, and as someone said the sets and post are a hell of a lot more expensive.

DW is the most SFX and CGI laden prod the BBC has EVER done! I think the right call was made to stick with SD for a while, I think also it's a fair bet that with more money available and more time for post then 2009 specials will prob going to be in HD, by that time technology and techniques will have improved to make the 2010 season viable in HD.

I don't really care about HD at the minute. I'm just getting use to digital! Not a lot of people can actually afford HD TVs at this moment in time, so there's not much point making it in HD as very few people can watch it on HD. My monitor may be HD, but my TV isn't! lol

I'd be really annoyed if they went into HD now, we've only just about managed to fork out for my 30" LCD standard def TV in our house without having more of our TV license going towards them spending tonnes on making programs at definition that I'll not be able to take advantage of lol.

Apart from Torchwood, Robin Hood, Silent Witness, Heroes, The Tudors, Cranford, Planet Earth, Bleak House, Vivienne Vyle, Mountain, and all the other existing "decent content", you mean?

Wait, 30'', LCD and Standard Def? You sir are an idiot.

Indeed, didnt think you could still buy them!

HD ready tvs are very reasonably priced these days and anyone thinking of renewing their tv should think of the future.

By the way, I would have loved to see VotD in HD, it really does take programming to another level, Cranford came to life over the last 5 weeks, and I look forward to Torchwood in a couple of weeks.(its fun looking for stray grey hairs )

Lol, pardon me for not being able to afford much better yet.

I'm currently not earning much and my mother works part time.

Whoa whoa whoa whoa! Heroes is going to be on BBC HD? Will it just be season 2 onwards or will they re-run season 1 in HD too?

They have been showing heroes for ages on HD, havent watched it though, for some reasonit doesnt appeal to me.

I believe it is a simulcast with BBC Two, as well as some repeats.