A live event, watched live, with the chance of social media interaction/texting etc. live, is very different to watching a recording, yes.

Avoiding knowing what has happened in a drama, before you watch it, is hardly a challenge.

Being a spoiler-phobe I'd say, "No it isn't as exciting".

I always want the programme itself to surprise me as much as possible. I don't look on here, for example, until I have watched the ep concerned.

I rarely, if ever, watch anything live these days except live sports events (and breakfast TV to catch up with news while I get up in the morning). In fact, the nearest I've come to live watching recently was last week's episode - I was only about 30 minutes behind the broadcast.

It's not exactly difficult to avoid finding out what happened in Doctor Who for a couple of hours, whereas sporting events will be all over the news, the radio etc

Last Saturday I recorded Doctor Who, watched the rugby, then immediately watched Doctor Who, went on the internet to talk about it, then watched it again! This Saturday I will do the same.

It simply makes more sense to watch the 2 hour sporting event live and record a 45 minute drama, especially when it's not the series finale.

And you think Dr Who isn't?

You've obviously never visited Digital Spy after a broadcast, there were four spoiler headlines here within minutes of the last episode finishing.

And you think it's difficult to avoid looking on here for a few hours after the airing till you've seen the ep?!

Get some therapy, man, or at least a sense of proportion!

That was just one example, I could equally have walked into a pub and someone tell me what happened.

I don't know about anyone else, but I manage to not visit Digital Spy for, ooh, hours at a time.

Your argument is weak, and there's no point in stubbornly holding onto it in the face of a number of people demonstrating just how weak.

And you never go anywhere on a Saturday night and speak to anyone who might have seen it or read a general news page (which invariably include a spoiler for Dr Who). Congratulations!

I don't know where you go drinking but I have never walked into a pub and heard people talking about Doctor Who. I avoid spoilers by not visiting Digital Spy until after I've watched the episode. It's not difficult.

This is pathetic. Yes, I avoid being spoiled for as long as I need with no inconvenience at all. How hard are you going to work with this argument?

Congratulations, I'm very happy for you both. You obviously don't have as many Dr Who watching friends as I do.

If yours are crappy enough to spoil Doctor Who for you, then what kind of friends are they?

They're the kind that watch Dr Who as soon as it's broadcast rather than some stupid sports event.

If I see my friends after it's been broadcast someone will invariably say " have you seen doctor who yet?" And if someone says no we will wait to talk about it. Not hard really.

Yeah, what kind of friends go: "Oh by the way here's everything that happened in *Insert TV show here* in case you missed it." ??

In all of my friendship circles we're always keen to avoid spoilers. Besides, if you miss Who because you're out with your friends then how would your friends have seen Who before you?

Just click on this link, and then tell me there's a problem with Dr Who ratings:

http://www.barb.co.uk/whats-new/weekly-top-30

On Saturday nights, I turn off the phone, lock my door, turn off the lights (so everyone will think I'm out), get myself something scrummy to eat or drink and sit and wait for Doctor Who to start.

Then I watch it with no interruptions.

I want to see it as soon as possible because it's been ages since last week.

I thought everyone did that! I remember threads on here where people describe how they get ready for DW, and essentially saying what I said above.

It's not whether you can or can't watch later, it's that you don't want to.

Sometimes real life gets in the way, as with adams66 and his daughters, so you can't watch live. But when I can, I do.

The Witch's Familiar

Live: 2.878m
Live + VOSDAL: 3.705m
+ Day 1: 4.797m
+ Day 2: 5.139m
+ Day 3: 5.295m
+ Day 4: 5.422m

Thanks Yog.

Where do you think it'll end up?

The majority of us if we don't see any episode live will see in later that evening, and with this week's episode not finishing until gone 9pm, I doubt many people will bother watching it and then going to the pub afterwards!

Last year I was away for one weekend, so literally wasn't able to watch until Sunday evening but there was never a hint of the story being spoilt, whereas a pub full of celebrating sports fans are far more likely to be chanting

Maybe there are pubs full of Doctor Who fans chanting, that might be fun

Bumping this for Yog as a lot of thread has gone by since I posted .

"One NIL to the Do...oc....ter...one NIL....."

"Are you Davros in disguise? Are you Davros in disguise?"

"You're going home in a UNIT ambulance..."

Ahem.

Since it's not being shown till much later than usual there's no excuse this week for not watching it live.

There is for me. I'm away all weekend. My TV schedule revolves around my social life, not the other way around. Sorry if that makes me any less of a 'fan'.

Am still in two minds whether to watch all of the rugby, or the start and the finish. If I was English it would be a no brainer, it's such a vital game. It is possible to like your sport and Who, you know!

Whatever, I refuse to hand in my Doctor Who fan badge and customised Fez.