Are you missing a new series of Doctor Who?

[MacNimon]

By this time of year, we're usually well into the latest new series of Doctor Who. Of course, this year we aren't.

So a simple poll here. At the moment, are you missing new Who? Or not? And if not, why not? Will the gap year make you look forward to next year's full new series more than you may otherwise have?

[Dirk Gently]

To be perfectly honest I'm not missing it at the moment, but I'm sure I will be by the new year.

It's not a staple of my TV habit like it was when I was a kid, there's just not enough of it to miss really. The series is too short to make it a habit for me. I just wait for it to turn up & then spend 13 weeks watching it.

[Rob McCow]

It's like the past four years were just a dream!

We had the special, I suppose. That came and went, much like a whole new series. The thing with the new series is that each run of 13 episodes is such a HUGE EVENT that it gets a bit wearying.

[MacNimon]

I just feel that the excitement of 2005 is long gone, and I'm simply not too bothered about it at the moment. I think the format has become pretty predictable, and I feel that I'll hopefully enjoy Series 5 all the more after a break.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

I'm not missing it for the simple reason that I don't much rate the RTD version of the programme. Not that I want to whinge particularly here, but you DID ask for reasons why

I looked forward to the 2005 series of course, and I looked forward to the 2006 series too because I thought the 1st series was a reasonable success, and there was talk about how that had been a learning experience and it should be even better the next time round. Plus I really did like the first Christmas special and was looking forward to seeing more of David Tennant too. But the 2006 series was a real disapointment for me, and the Christmas special that year was even worse. So I haven't really looked forward to either of the last two series, and by and large they haven't excited me.

I'm definitely looking forward to the 2010 series as at least it will be something different, and in a way I do wish that was on now instead of being a year away. But I'm definitely not missing another RTD series this year.

[Pip Madeley]

Must be just me but I always miss Doctor Who when it's not on - MORE MORE MORE!

I guess there is a new series of Doctor Who starting soon, so it's not all bad

[MacNimon]

I'm not missing it for the simple reason that I don't much rate the RTD version of the programme. Not that I want to whinge particularly here, but you DID ask for reasons why

I looked forward to the 2005 series of course, and I looked forward to the 2006 series too because I thought the 1st series was a reasonable success, and there was talk about how that had been a learning experience and it should be even better the next time round. Plus I really did like the first Christmas special and was looking forward to seeing more of David Tennant too. But the 2006 series was a real disapointment for me, and the Christmas special that year was even worse. So I haven't really looked forward to either of the last two series, and by and large they haven't excited me.

I'm definitely looking forward to the 2010 series as at least it will be something different, and in a way I do wish that was on now instead of being a year away. But I'm definitely not missing another RTD series this year.

That pretty much sums up my feelings as well. It's RTD's version of the series that I'm fed up with, rather than the series as a whole. It was good to begin with, and even now it's watchable, but that's about it. There's nothing to excite me any more...it's simply time for new blood. I'm really looking forward to a fresh take on the series next year, but I'm not missing another RTD series at all.

[Philipnet]

Like the vast majority of people (* going by this poll only!) I'm not missing a series of Doctor Who. I've got too much stuff to do to watch a silly TV program about some guy jaunting around the Universe - such as:

• gym, yoga and eating heathily
  Did you know I've given up tea and coffee drink buckets of water and have started making -and drinking! - smoothies (but I still end up snacking )
• building a server, documenting it and backing it up
  I've just finished a new backup script and I think I'm ready to wipe the machine and test the backup and rebuild process!
• self-improvement
  including Time Management (I'm getting to grips with GTD!) procrastination (which is Not GTD), meditation, EFT and some other stuff that might be a bit too woo-woo for this board.
• other tv
  I watch 20 four-wheeled vehicles go in circles every other week (F1) or watch Eliza Dushku pretend to be someone new each week (DollHouse).
• oh, and work, but that's the least of my priorities!

[Andrew Curnow]

May my bones rot for admitting it, but... I'm actually not missing a new series, no.

Better qualify that before I'm stripped off my anorak - for starters, obviously, we know there's another full series next year. So it's not like Who has gone away, there's just a longer gap between the last full series and the next one. As fans we've already done that before - 85/86, not to mention the large gap post-1989!! So playing the waiting game is no problem.

The second reason, though, is that I'm taking the opportunity, and enjoying doing so, to rewatch the new series from "Rose" onwards (last watched was "Father's Day" so I've a ways to go yet). I've been oddly reluctant to rewatch the 'new' stuff while there's been even newer new stuff each year; now there's a gap (specials notwithstanding) and I'm filling it with the recent past. In general, I haven't rewatched the 2005 onwards episodes all that much - there are quite a few, in fact, that I've only ever watched the once, and even those that I've seen more often haven't been seen in a long while. Case in point - watching "Father's Day" last week I'd totally forgotten how it plays out, in terms of Pete knowing who Rose is from very early on (not to mention the very funny "We're not going there - that, for you, is like... the Bermuda triangle" sequence). So a lot of it is still coming to me 'as new'.

Plus, thirdly, I think the 'pay off' for our patience this year will be that the launch of season 5 will feel that extra bit special because it will have been a while.

[Wayne]

No.

I feel sure that everybody here knows how i feel about it by now.
I'm more excited by HaRpi Who than WaLes Who these days.
And i don't think things under Moffat will be all that different. As far as the BBC are concerned, they have a successful show, & i don't think they'll want character of the show to change that much.
There you go. All the optimism that you were expecting.
I just hope they cast an older companion, so that there's at least one person in the show who could pass for 30.

[Larry]

well I'm currently enjoying the current series of Robin Hood, plus I did say that I thought the years break was a good thing so I have to be honest and say no I'm not missing it.

[Tom Simpson]

No at all.

[cyberchris35]

I am not missing Doctor Who because I am getting a Who fix on BBC 3 all be it repeats of the David Tennants series. I have also got Battlestar Galactica on DVD to keep me going in the new sci-fi area. The only thing I wish is that the specials were more evenly spaced out through out the year, instead of having one at Easter and the rest near Christmas.

[Milky Tears]

I miss nothing.

[Stuart Wallis]

I always thought the word to describe you was crackshot.

The new series did actually encourage me to come out of a period where I hadn't been watching or reading any Who at all, apart from DWM out of force of habit. I think it's a combination of that and those of us of a certain age having been used to next-to-no new material since nineteen-hundred-and-frozen-to-death that's got me used to waiting. I suppose I've also become somewhat desensitised to RTD-produced Who, and I'd like to see what Stephen does with it.

[Dino]

I am missing it.
Robin Hood is a very poor replacement.

I'm really missing a "Totally Doctor Who" series even more though.

[Rob McCow]

I'm really missing a "Totally Doctor Who" series even more though.

Hear Hear! Totally Doctor Who was the most fabulous piece of TV tripe ever broadcast!

[Fate]

i suppose i should be missng it. but i have poor timekeeping skills. plus the easter offering was fun but not exceptional enough to make me crave more.

[Rob McCow]

plus the easter offering was fun but not exceptional enough to make me crave more.

I don't think I'd be that excited about a whole season of stories like Planet of The Dead either.

[Fate]

well if they spent the whole series travelling the universe in the time and space travelling red bus i'd be worried the whole series that dave tennant was going to regenerate into cliff richard at the end

[Pip Madeley]

Well the hair's there

[Antony Cox]

I voted 'no', too, pretty much for the reasons already stated.

The novelty has worn off, and the repetetive nature has become predictable. That's not to say I dislike the series, but I'm certainly not missing it.

I do hope it has a fresh approach when the series returns next year so I can actively look forward to it agin.

[Dirk Gently]

well if they spent the whole series travelling the universe in the time and space travelling red bus i'd be worried the whole series that dave tennant was going to regenerate into cliff richard at the end

Or indeed Iris Wildthyme.

[Jonno]

I've voted "No" and I'm about as staunch a supporter of the modern show as you can get! It's given me time to start unsealing the new series box-sets and doing the commentaries - Empty Child up next and much anticipated, plus I've still got plenty of original series DVDs to get through - currently on 42D. And with new series of Torchwood and SJA still to come this year, plus 3 more specials, there's plenty of the Whoniverse to look forward to!

[Si Hunt]

Me neither. Doctor Who hasn't really gone away - there was a story at Christmas, another at Easter and another three at Christmas. Replacing the series with specials means less total output, but actually less gaps throughout the year between episodes. Plus with rumours and casting news for months between each special, there's always something to look towards. Plus DWM, Big Finish and everything else goes on...

Plus, as always, there's always Classic Series episodes to enjoy.... there's still too much to watch!

And for anyone who "lived through" fifteen years of waiting for Doctor Who to come back, it's a handful of heartbeats anyway!

Si.