BBC Audios - of Complete stories.What's The Point

[Larry]

I can fully understand why the BBC have released all the audios of the missing stories as this is the only chance we will probably ever have of getting to see or hear them. But I simply can't understand why they have now started to release audios of the complete stories and why any one would want to buy them as most people will have the video and DVD release.

I've now even seen that the Audio soundtracks to The Silurians/ Sea Devils and Warriors of the Deap has been released which I just find an unbelievable waste of time and money.

Am I the only one who feels this or like me do you think it's just another cynical ploy by the BBC to exploit the success of the new series to make more money out of us.

[Anthony Williams]

Am I the only one who feels this or like me do you think it's just another cynical ploy by the BBC to exploit the success of the new series to make more money out of us.

I feel exactly the same, Larry. However, I haven't bought any of the BBC audios in years. I prefer the reconstructions

Ant x

[Lissa]

It's probably a good thing they are releasing these - it means people are buying them. They're good for car journeys, in-car listening, bed time excitement and so on.

Plus, Warriors of the Deep has to be better without pictures.

[Wayne]

I agree, Larry. Audio's of missing or incomplete stories is one thing, but audios of complete stories..... As you say; What's the point??
As for a BBC money making ploy, well maybe so. But i say that they wouldn't make any money out of them if completists weren't daft enough to buy them!

It's probably a good thing they are releasing these - it means people are buying them. They're good for car journeys, in-car listening, bed time excitement and so on.

Plus, Warriors of the Deep has to be better without pictures.

If i thought listening to something i've already got on DVD or whatever was the only bedtime excitement i'm gonna get in the future, I think i'll do myself in, now!

[Rob McCow]

I think it's quite a nice idea. The audio range have done a superb job and it's natural for them to want to carry on. But like the tapes of Doctor Who stars reading the Target books, I don't think there'd be a broad appeal for them in this day and age. They should have been releasing them in the 1970's and 80's!

[Andy Frankham]

I kind of like the idea, since it was the one format in which people could own the entire back catalogue of Who. That said, with the recent release of The Invasion on DVD, it seems that the entire back catalogue of TV Who will end up on DVD regardless, thanks to animation. But, no, I kind of approve of the CD idea, too, since it's great for in-car listening, or plonking on your MP3 player/iPod if you're going on a long journey by train or plane or summat.

[Wayne]

Fair points made for the defence, i guess.
I always listen to audios when travelling, but there's plenty of missing story or BF CD's for that. Especially in my case, because i have enough trouble keeping up with the releases as it is!

[Andy Frankham]

I stopped trying to keep up with the audio releases ages ago. A market that is, in my humble view, too saturated. Not against them, by any means, since it's lends plenty of variety for those who dip in and out, but for those completists... well, they must be skint and in serious debt by now.

[Wayne]

skint and in serious debt by now.

Unless you flog 'em on eBay after you've heard them like i do. (Except for mega-favourites - which isn't many these days!)

[Andy Frankham]

Why no mega-faves, Wayne?

[Wayne]

If you mean why don't i sell my mega-faves, i suppose i just like to keep the original cd's of the ones that i really like. No logic to it really.
If you mean why haven't i got many mega-faves lately, Well that's a whole new discussion re. the quality of BF audios that was going on on the old PS for quite some time.
But personally, i've been struggling with my enthusiasm for them for a while, to the point where i'm thinking of cancelling my subscription & just cherry picking from Amazon or Play. (That said, i always seem to enjoy the DW spin-offs more than the main DW range these days). Thing is, my curiosity gets the better of me once i see people talking about them on-line, & i end up wanting to check 'em out for myself. (though i often end up wondering why i bothered, lately) So i haven't decided yet.

[Andy Frankham]

Aha. The latter was the correct answer. Thankee.

[Wayne]

You're welcome.

Meanwhile, Am i right in thinking that 'The Ark', was the first audio release of a complete story, a while back?
I wonder whether it sold well. Presumably, it must've done ok if they're going to release more complete stories.

[Phillip Culley]

You're welcome.

Meanwhile, Am i right in thinking that 'The Ark', was the first audio release of a complete story, a while back?
I wonder whether it sold well. Presumably, it must've done ok if they're going to release more complete stories.

It was Tomb of the Cybermen

However, since then they've released The Ark, as well as the Monsters on Earth tin, and have The Gunfighters coming then they must be doing well.

What I don't get, however, is why on earth people are getting so worked up about it? If you don't want it, you don't have to get it! If they don't sell, then the BBC will be out of pocket, and then you can be smug and say I told you so. It's not like the problem with the Series 2 set for which people would have a right to complain about, since they bought it with expectations what weren't fulfilled, but if you buy a CD of The Ark and then complain they're releasing existing stories, then you've only got yourself to blame.

Unless you're really annoyed that there are new interviews with Peter Purves et al that you won't get unless you buy the audio

[Paul Clement]

Well that's a whole new discussion re. the quality of BF audios that was going on on the old PS for quite some time.
But personally, i've been struggling with my enthusiasm for them for a while,

The same thing happened to me. I was listening to audios becuase I'd got into the habit of doing it, but I wasn't looking forward to hearing them in the same way I was when I first listened to them. I think the last great audio I listened to was Jubilee, after that it was either good, average or more often poor.

[Wayne]

If you don't want it, you don't have to get it! If they don't sell, then the BBC will be out of pocket, and then you can be smug and say I told you so.

True enough. I never thought of it like that!

but if you buy a CD of The Ark and then complain they're releasing existing stories, then you've only got yourself to blame.

Oh, i'm not going to buy it!

Unless you're really annoyed that there are new interviews with Peter Purves et al that you won't get unless you buy the audio

Really? Oh, i shall get it first thing Monday then! (not)

[Pip Madeley]

However, since then they've released The Ark, as well as the Monsters on Earth tin, and have The Gunfighters coming then they must be doing well.

That's Ralph's Christmas present sorted out then.

[Andrew Curnow]

I think it's quite a good idea (and by no means limited to Doctor Who) - there are a lot of situations when one could listen to a story while doing something else (driving, ironing, going for a walk, even just pottering around doing housework) whereas you have to sit down and 'make the effort' to watch one. And also, without being contentious, some stories benefit from being sound-only - it's unlikely to ever happen, since I imagine the take-up on these soundtrack releases is probably not massive, but it's possible that people's opinions on certain stories might be revised up or down by just hearing the soundtrack, and thus concentrating far more on the basic story itself.

Plus, as a child of the 'recording the sound onto tape each week' generation, there's just something stirringly nostalgic about having just the sound, without the pictures!

[Rob McCow]

They've done it with whole runs of comedy shows, like Blackadder.

[Fatso the wombat]

What I don't get, however, is why on earth people are getting so worked up about it? If you don't want it, you don't have to get it!

Indeed!

I'm looking forward greatly to the (surely) inevitable release of The War Machines, at which point I'll have the complete Polly-phonic spree on CD! I think. I'm sure I've got them all so far...

[SiHart]

As Steve says there are loads of series that have been released as audio books despite them existing as TV episodes: Blackadder, Fawlty Towers, One Foot in the Grave...

I think they're also great for blind people. At the library we have so many people who take out audiobooks because they can't read. With the added narration they work really well for the people who can't watch the series. We got The Ark a couple of months back and it'a already issued three times.

If you don't want then, don't buy them, but there are people who will and do borrow them/ buy them, so there's obviously a market for them. Lets face it, if there wasn't, they wouldn't release them.

Si xx

[Logo Polish]

Also, of course, most of the videos are long deleted and could be very hard to find (OK, admittedly there's things like eBay, but still). There might be some who'll be willing to settle for soundtracks if they can't get hold of any other kind of copy...

[Si Hunt]

I think it's a perfectly fine idea, and would buy them if I had just a shade more disposable income. People who say "what's the point?" are, in my view, thinking in a very narrow-minded fashion because they are judging it on the old fans "completist" view - you own a story on DVD, so why audio? Well because some things are bought to actually enjoy them, rather than just to physically aquire them, and they make just as great listening experiences in the car or on the iPod as a missing story.

Si.

[Pip Madeley]

I think it's a perfectly fine idea, and would buy them if I had just a shade more disposable income. People who say "what's the point?" are, in my view, thinking in a very narrow-minded fashion because they are judging it on the old fans "completist" view - you own a story on DVD, so why audio? Well because some things are bought to actually enjoy them, rather than just to physically aquire them, and they make just as great listening experiences in the car or on the iPod as a missing story.

Si.

I agree, I listened to The Ark audio the other day and I greatly enjoyed it - I didn't miss the visuals much either.

[Wayne]

I agree, I listened to The Ark audio the other day

It's all coming now the defense team has been in.