When it's not a regeneration special, yeah. Regenerations are a whole different ball game.
-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
When it's not a regeneration special, yeah. Regenerations are a whole different ball game.
I was curious too, though now I realized I made a mistake: I forgot Doctor Falls was 60 minutes long...
Only counting the 12 episodes of s10, it's about 560 minutes long. S11 with its 65 opener and 9 50 minute long episodes would end up being 515 minutes long. A full regular episode shorter (and two eps shorter than pre-Capaldi WHO :( )
Nah, it's 50 minutes. You can see runtime details and whos' producing and directing the first block in the reports Spectromixer posted (there aren't really any story spoilers if y'all are afraid of clicking)
50 minutes isn't bad. Means the episodes probably won't be cut down for ad space as much as they would have to be if they were a full 60 minutes every week.
Damn, all the news stories were going around singing the praises of full hour, which I was excited about. An extra five minutes per episode is nothing to write home about.
Oh well.
Usually yes, but that's not a hard and fast rule. I believe all of the 2009 specials were considered part of Series 4, and the 50th anniversary specials part of series 7.
I am betting Twice Upon a Time is only going to be a standalone release and included in whatever 'Complete Capaldi era' collection they build. It is already getting a standalone release early next year. If S11 comes out late 2018, the complete set for that may not be out until the following year which would mean the 2018 Christmas special may be included in it.
The Time of the Doctor also was not included in any complete series set, if I remember correctly.
The Snowmen was also in the middle of a series, so it really is all over the place.
I think this Christmas Special would still be part of Season 10 from a pure story perspective. It wraps up some of the remaining plot points like the companion's story and the transition from Capaldi's Doctor to Whittaker's Doctor at the end probably. No reason for selling it as a standalone episode (except pure greed, yuck).
Been wanting to say all week how much I'm digging the cast. I had reservations about having too many people onboard the TARDIS, but seeing the cast together really sold me on it.
Probably not, but 10 episodes closer to an hour rather than 42 minutes isn't an unusual format in a world where HBO and Netflix have quickly become the standard for Western TV. If international networks can find room for 10 Game of Thrones episodes ranging anything from 50 minutes to a little over an hour then they should be able to do the same for Doctor Who.
Probably not, but 10 episodes closer to an hour rather than 42 minutes isn't an unusual format in a world where HBO and Netflix have quickly become the standard for Western TV. If international networks can find room for 10 Game of Thrones episodes ranging anything from 50 minutes to a little over an hour then they should be able to do the same for Doctor Who.
I watched them both again the other day. They are really great episodes.
Power of Three? I loved that. I would love it even if all it did was present a comic vehicle for the splendid character of Brian Williams. The same goes for Dinosaurs on a Spaceship.
I'm really excited for Christmas but also painfully aware of the wait that will occur between it and the start of series 11. Praise be to Yevon for giving us Big Finish to listen to in the interim.
I don't know about everywhere, but shows like Game of Thrones are generally broadcast on paid tv services that don't air adverts when they broadcast those shows.
And considering depictions of violence, nudity, and strong language in these shows, they generally stay in those paid services or they have to be edited down significantly
Internationally, new Doctor Who episodes might first end up on similar channels, but eventually they're on free to air and ad-supported channels, too. That's why it's still a problem regardless of other shows' formats
Glad to see people made the move. I was this close to checking GallifreyBase
Like most elements about S11, I'm cautiously curious about the new companions. I like a TARDIS team, and the different dynamics could be amazing, but there is a part of me that wishes the 13th Doctor could just have one, 'iconic' companion, at least initially.
Roll on Christmas though. Which is now disturbingly close.
Like most elements about S11, I'm cautiously curious about the new companions. I like a TARDIS team, and the different dynamics could be amazing, but there is a part of me that wishes the 13th Doctor could just have one, 'iconic' companion, at least initially.
Roll on Christmas though. Which is now disturbingly close.
I only use GallifreyBase for spoilers now. The ratings threads are always full of people rating every single episode a 0/10 unchallenged.
I mean, of course, everything other than 6th Doctor is trash and gets a 0. It's science.
lol. Can never understand why they keep watching. If I hated a season that much, you bet I'd stop watching the show for a while :/
Hate-watching something is far too easy. There's some measure of enjoyment to be had from watching something you know you won't enjoy, and then picking it apart afterwards. And if you get to be the dissenting voice among people who actually liked it? All the better.
Apathy is the actual reason people stop watching shows. I fell off of GOT not because I particularly disliked it, but mainly because it was just boring me.
I hate watched Gotham and the Walking Dead for a little while because I wanted to see how bad they got, but I gave up on Gotham after the end of last season and I think I gave up on the Walking Dead at the end of Season 5.
I'm looking forward to the new doctor and the christmas special but at the same time I don't want to say goodbye to 12 :( (Well I mean i'm like that every single time there's a regeneration)
Im also kinda bummed that Bill is leaving the show, but at least she had a nice ending.
Im also kinda bummed that Bill is leaving the show, but at least she had a nice ending.
I'm really unsure of what to expect going forward. I'm really not convinced about Chibnall. I guess I'm most concerned about the writer's room concept as I really enjoy standout works by some writers. I think my favourite Who writer is Bob Holmes and with a writer's room we are less likely to get brilliant stand alone episodes. As far as the cast is concerned I'm open, I love a big Tardis team - my favourite being Troughton, Jamie, Ben and Polly (closely followed by Troughton, Jamie and Zoe).
Do we know who the new composer is yet?
Do we know who the new composer is yet?
God, I can't. I might laugh a bit at the stupid stuff, but I'd eventually just get tired
Don't think we know if Murray Gold is staying or leaving
Too many people who've known a few bits and bobs that have turned out to be true have said he's gone. I had heard that Chibnall wanted a greater use of incidental music.
Here's hoping we don't lose out. All of my favourite episodes from NuWho have been single stand alones with no plot or thematic ties to the overall arc.
I hate arcs.
Hyped for Jodie! Series 10 was utterly fantastic and it got me back in the groove of being excited for Doctor Who, unlike series 8 and 9, as well as the latter half of 7. I wanted to like those series, and I loved Capaldi's performance as Twelve, but I just couldn't feel as excited as I was before. Might have been because prior to those, I was catching up and thus binge watching.
*secretly hoping Eleven shows up in the Christmas Special for whatever reason because I miss that giraffe so damn much*
*secretly hoping Eleven shows up in the Christmas Special for whatever reason because I miss that giraffe so damn much*
Excited for 13! I can't believe that Bradley Walsh rumour turned out to be true. Every gameshow or misc thing he's been on I've enjoyed so it's gonna be great to see how he interacts with Jodie. Having a TEAM in the TARDIS is gonna be super refreshing too.
You hate overarching story arcs in general or do you simply not like how they are executed in Doctor Who?
I would love seeing something like they attempted in Season 8 with MissyMaster and her plan again but maybe not have the payoff and resolution in the same episode.
I think arcs have been done very badly by Doctor Who. I also really like the 'I'll just watch this episode' aspect without any annoying foreshadowing or contrived plot ties at the end. The absolute worst arc was the River Song arc. Really destroyed Season 33/Series 6 for me. Hated the 'Me' arc. Hated the 'Missy' arc.
I just want good sci-fi without all the self-referential nonsense we've got over the last few years.Keep some aspects of the melodrama, but keep it moving forward without too much looking back.
I love River Song's character but the story got very muddled over the time. Real shame. Season 10 didn't really have a full arc like that so I'm guessing that was more enjoyable?
If it's not an arc over the span of a season I would at least like some stories that span over two or three parts more often. Sometimes I feel like the writers rush the plot too much so that might help.
I like two or three parters but again, I can only think of one I truly enjoyed and that was in Eccleston's series (The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances). In general there is always one good one and one really naff one that loses the tone or the impetus of the other.
I thought series 10 was pretty average actually. Liked the lack of arc but I thought the episodes themselves were rather disappointing, barring a couple.*
*disappointing in terms of their potential, not bad episodes.
I'm very excited for the Christmas special and cautiously anticipating the next era.
S11 may be the first time I try to go on media blackout for Who. I've realised how much the artificial cycle of expectations that the show's promotion creates (the filming news, the trailers, the interviews about upcoming episodes, the summaries, the preview screenings, the next time trailers the spoiler-free reviews...) has actually damaged my experience of each new episode by taking away most of the element of discovery. I feel like Doctor Who must be so much better of a show when you come into each new episode clean, with no expectations, and get totally curveballed.
The Chibnall era will be the perfect time to put this to the test.
S11 may be the first time I try to go on media blackout for Who. I've realised how much the artificial cycle of expectations that the show's promotion creates (the filming news, the trailers, the interviews about upcoming episodes, the summaries, the preview screenings, the next time trailers the spoiler-free reviews...) has actually damaged my experience of each new episode by taking away most of the element of discovery. I feel like Doctor Who must be so much better of a show when you come into each new episode clean, with no expectations, and get totally curveballed.
The Chibnall era will be the perfect time to put this to the test.
I sometimes forget how good RTD's era was at it's peak. Still wouldn't say it was better overall than the stories we get now are but not as bad as I often falsely remember it.
As I already said I'm in favour of having longer stories since I feel like that makes it all the sweeter once you have that payoff. And even if the finale sometimes fell flat or was just kind of boring the epsiodes leading up to them could be fantastic like Turn Left or Heaven Sent, making it still worthwhile to me.
Did that for most seasons of NuWho. Loved being surprised as often as I was (Never saw that SimmMaster reveal or the OG Cybermen design coming!). I never watch any teasers or trailers about films and series I know I want to watch because nowadays they already put most of the jokes and reveals in the advertisment material.
Last edited:
I think the payoffs are actually the bit that turns me off most multi-part stories. They are often rushed or hand-wavey. Heaven Sent is one of the best episodes I've seen of anything but the two parter is massively crippled in my eyes by the follow up. Same with 'World Enough and Time'. Fantastic and what I want more of whereas The Doctor Falls was narrative guff and undid the bravest thing Moffat did during is tenure.
I have a massive love of multi-part stories (I'm a huge classic Who geek who is far too excited about the new Shada Blu-Ray!) but maybe I hold modern writers to too high of a standard or weight of expectation, given that some classic Who was awful.
Last edited:
I think I'm definitely in the overall "not really a fan of single arcs in Doctor Who" camp. I don't think it would help the show much, and with less episodes per season it basically means we'd be seeing a lot less new Doctor Who per year.
Doesn't help that I haven't found any of Chibnall's serialized storytelling particularly exciting in the past, so a total structural change for the show isn't hugely appealing.
But there's still merit in those episodes, even if the story following it is not as good. It doesn't undo how amazing (for example:)Turn Left was. And that episode was only made to lead up to the "meh" finale.I think the payoffs are actually the bit that turns me off most multi-part stories. They are often rushed or hand-wavey. Heaven Sent is one of the best episodes I've seen of anything but the two parter is massively crippled in my eyes by the follow up. Same with 'World Enough and Time'. Fantastic and what I want more of whereas The Doctor Falls was narrative guff and undid the bravest thing Moffat did during is tenure.
I have a massive love of multi-part stories (I'm a huge classic Who geek who is far too excited about the new Shada Blu-Ray!) but maybe I hold modern writers to too high of a standard or weight of expectation, given that some classic Who was awful.
Can't really talk too much about Classic Who since I haven't watched even half of all those series. Maybe one fourth of it. :p There's some exceptional series like the one in where the Second Doctor gets caught in some imagination of an evil genius but most of the time it's pretty standard sci-fi programme, not in a bad way of course. Some of the old series I watched were mostly bad because the pacing was horrible, or they made the protagonist too unlikeable or the companion (the young brunette girls the Doctor never ran out of) too ditzy and without agency.
Oh, didn't know we are getting less episodes per season now. Bummer. But it might mean the budget doesn't get stretched thin as much so that's an upside, right?
Unfortunately, that's not how budgeting works. In an ideal world, yeah, you'd be right, but in reality the season is budgeted around the number of episodes they get, rather than the season getting a set budget and the production team having to figure out how to make it under those constraints.
And since the BBC isn't a for profit venture like, say, HBO, they aren't going to bump the funding up just because they're doing a few less episodes a year.
I wish it could happen, but honestly unless they had a huge jump in cash inflow we probably wouldn't get too much higher than SciFi Channel Original-level budgeting.
Oh, I agree. I wouldn't be such a fan of classic Who if I couldn't forgive a few dodgy parts here or there.
Given I was born after classic Who ended, I visualise them like plays now when I watch them as acting, the effects, the pacing and what is acceptable socially has moved on. I see them as 'a [insert year here] vision of the future' etc. Some of the companions were given sod all to do, but I would definitely go back and watch Troughton's episodes featuring Jamie, arguably the best companion Who has ever had (and he was from the past!)
Conversely, I think NuWho has swung too far in the opposite direction and made the companions/assistants too much of the focal point. Martha, for all her shortcomings, at least wasn't at the centre of how the universe operates.
By far the worst for this was Clara. I liked that Bill was an ordinary person, but it is a shame (for me) that Moffat went back on her tragic fate.
And the fact they're redoing the TARDIS, sonic screwdriver, and god knows what else, they could only get so much cash under the guise of reinvigorating the brand
Depending on how that's handled, it could be great or awful.
Other than the River origin episodes, I tend to like her appearances a lot. Alex Kingston is great.
My first impression of the "10 episodes, but longer" format is that it sounds like a step back for me. Longer Who episodes generally seem too long to me, and even if the length is justified by better pacing or something, 10 eps instead of 12-13 still means we're getting 2-3 fewer new stories each again.
Then again, this will be a new show with a new showrunner and writing team behind the scenes, so drawing comparisons to overly long RTD or Moffat episodes is probably going to be off.
Then again, this will be a new show with a new showrunner and writing team behind the scenes, so drawing comparisons to overly long RTD or Moffat episodes is probably going to be off.
Yeah, I do wonder what an extra 5 minutes will get us. In my heart it would be endings that aren't rushed and are built to properly so they are satisfying, but I don't think that'll be the case.
OP
OP
River and Tombo, you say? I'm game. Can't wait to hear the flirting.