Split Season?

[SiHart]

From The Kasterborous.com newsite...

Rumours are circulating this weekend that the 2010 series of Doctor Who - season 31 in Kasterborous' book - will be split in two by the BBC to accomodate the FIFA World Cup which kicks off Friday June 11th 2010.

By this stage, Doctor Who could conceivably be half way through its run (although it could also be nearing a conclusion) but the speculation on io9.com (via Life, Doctor Who and Combom) points to Steven Moffat opting to split the series in two.

If the series took a summer break and returned in October, the run could end with a Christmas special, giving a more realistic 14 episodes that could have the big Christmas finale without breaking into extra valuable BBC One Saturday night programming in the way Doomsday and Journey's End did.

There is another plus side of course - Doctor Who on dark, wet cold Saturday nights in November. Doctor Who as it was always meant to be broadcast - in the dark, in the Winter and getting in your head.

Of course, they could just run the whole series from October - the Karen Gillan casting press release indicates that broadcast will be from Spring 2010 however, so we will watch this one with interest.

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

This is a news site? Sounds like a whole lot of speculation to me.

Rumours are circulating this weekend that the 2010 series of Doctor Who - season 31 in Kasterborous' book - will be split in two by the BBC to accomodate the FIFA World Cup which kicks off Friday June 11th 2010.

Based on what? The fact there is a World Cup. Nothing more, I bet.

By this stage, Doctor Who could conceivably be half way through its run (although it could also be nearing a conclusion)

This line badly needs a "or it could also not have started yet" for complete comedy gold value.

but the speculation on io9.com (via Life, Doctor Who and Combom) points to Steven Moffat opting to split the series in two.

WTF?! What the hecky thump is "Life, Doctor Who and Condoms" when it's at home?! "Speculation points" does it. I see.

If the series took a summer break and returned in October, the run could end with a Christmas special, giving a more realistic 14 episodes that could have the big Christmas finale without breaking into extra valuable BBC One Saturday night programming in the way Doomsday and Journey's End did.

"breaking into extra valuable BBC One Saturday night programming"? Let's not fritter that away on ratings-hogging old Doctor Who eh? Priceless.

There is another plus side of course - Doctor Who on dark, wet cold Saturday nights in November. Doctor Who as it was always meant to be broadcast - in the dark, in the Winter and getting in your head.

I suspect we have at last located the reason for the article!

season 31 in Kasterborous' book

Mooooooo!

Of course, they could just run the whole series from October - the Karen Gillan casting press release indicates that broadcast will be from Spring 2010 however, so we will watch this one with interest.

Or they could just start it a few weeks early or break it for a few weeks while the world Cup is on.

Or just put Doctor Who on after the England game each week and inherit a 15m audience.

Anyway, the World Cup's in Africa next year. The game's won't be on a Saturday night our time will they?

Si.

[Lissa]

South Africa is one hour ahead of us (two in the winter) so there will almost certainly be evening games on a Saturday.

There are endless solutions to this - start a couple of weeks early and the season will be over before the World Cup starts, run half the season then take a month off and come back with the second half, delay the start until after the World Cup has finished etc etc etc. Aside from the fact that speculation about this will increase an unnamed record producer ****'s blood pressure I can't see that it is of any importance.

[Rob McCow]

NOOOO!!! A Split Season would be a S*** season! Moffat wants to kill off Doctor Who because he hates Doctor Who fans so much! He wants to make a show that we all hate and gets cancelled so that he can laugh as we CRY!!!!11!!!

[Martin Curnow]

They did this with Law & Order: UK - just as we got into it, bang - it's off the air.

I'm not sure how Dr Who would fare against the X-Factor live shows. Didn't Planet of the Dead take a bit of a knock from Britain's Got Talent?

[Si Hunt]

No, it didn't, but it was beaten down to #2 by it - there's a bit of a distinction as I don't seem to recall it losing many viewers. Different viewership - all the intelligent people watch Doctor Who, the rest watch Britains Got No Talent.

Si.

[Andrew Curnow]

all the intelligent people watch Doctor Who, the rest watch Britains Got No Talent

I watch both. I can't stand the confusion in my mind!!!!!!!!

[Andrew Curnow]

Oh and can I also register complete apathy about this news story? As long as they show it, I don't mind whether it's split or not.

Tt, and I call myself a fan eh!

[Jonno]

They seem to forget that S2 aired during a World Cup and S4 aired during Euro 2008 and there were no scheduling problems! Indeed, as Si pointed out, massive audiences are guaranteed for England games (and it's extremely likely we will be involved next year).

I still don't get this obsession with it needing to be on when it's cold and dark and wet (come to think it, it was pretty grotty and chilly this weekend just gone!). Fans can always record it and watch it later in the night when it is dark! They forget also that if it were on in the autumn, it would be up against X Factor, the ratings would be affected, and then they'd be fretting that their show would be DOOOOOMED!!!

[Si Hunt]

Jonno speaks the truth!

Si.

[shada pavlova]

Mind you, they don't mind taking a break for Eurovision, do they?

[Perry Vale]

This "rumour" seems to surface every year for some reason or other, likely source is old fans wanting it on dark nights.

[SiHart]

I'm an old fan and I like the show where it's scheduled. I'm quite easy to please.

Si xx

[Zbigniev Hamson]

I've never really got this "but it's supposed to be on in the Autumn!!!" attitude. For the first 6 years of its life the show was on virtually all year round. Then for the next 6 it was January to June. It was only ever on in the Autumn during most of the Tom Baker run and then again for the last four (half-) seasons. In fact, even discounting the 21st century stuff, the show has probably spent more time NOT being on in Autumn than the reverse.

I can only think it's a load of people "of a certain age" who grew up in the late 70s and wish Tom Baker was still in the role who hold this opinion.

[Rob McCow]

Ah yes, the heady days of Sylvester McCoy where Autumn meant Doctor Who on the TV, with such dark and gothic treats as Paradise Towers, Silver Nemesis and Battlefield.

[Si Hunt]

It's quite simple really - one of Doctor Who's most endearing traits is its ability to frighten, because scary things are most memorable. It's debatable if it ever really was frightening (and if it was, it was arguably when you were a certain age, no matter what the weather was like) buy as we cling desperately to the hope that the experience of being scared by Doctor Who can be recaptured, we reason that it's more likely to happen when it's dark and cold out than warm and sunny.

It's not completely loopy - there have been modern day adventures bordering on the chilling even to adults, and one feels mildly stupid trying to absorb oneself in them when there are kids outside playing football in the sunshine.

Si.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

That's different though, that's just saying it would be nice for it to be on in the Autumn, which it probably would. It's not the same as saying that Autumn is the traditional home of Doctor Who, which it clearly isn't unless you cherry pick your favourite seasons that happened to be shown at that time of year.

[Si Hunt]

Don't get what your point is. No-one said "nice to have" or "traditional home", we're just observing what seems to be a general wish for them to show it later. Who said they were the same thing?

Si.

[Rob McCow]

The Five Doctors scared the crap out of me on a sunny midday at a birthday party.

That was either 25 years ago or last week.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

Don't get what your point is. No-one said "nice to have" or "traditional home", we're just observing what seems to be a general wish for them to show it later. Who said they were the same thing?

Si.

I was referring to the story in the opening post which contains the phrase "as it was always meant to be broadcast". I suppose he could just mean the tone of the series suits dark nights. But I've read quite a few other people spouting about how Autumn is the "traditional" home of Doctor Who, and that comment seems to be made by one of that brigade. This was my point. Thank you for listening.

[Si Hunt]

This was my point. Thank you for listening.

That's alright. You know I'm always here if you need me.

Si.

[Ian Lethbridge-Stewart]

I can only think it's a load of people "of a certain age" who grew up in the late 70s and wish Tom Baker was still in the role who hold this opinion.

Ahh, you got me there!
I am one of these fans, sorry about that!!!

Love Steve's comment about the Sylvester McCoy stories!!!!

[Larry]

They seem to forget that S2 aired during a World Cup and S4 aired during Euro 2008 and there were no scheduling problems! Indeed, as Si pointed out, massive audiences are guaranteed for England games (and it's extremely likely we will be involved next year).

I!

very true but the 2006 world cup was held in Germany, which makes it a bit easeir not having to re arrange programms though having said that as Lisa said with South Africa only being an hour or two ahead of europe there shouldn't really be a problem. At the end of the day any world cup where ever it is held the kick off for the evening games will always be dictated by the europeon tv companies and that will normaly meen a 7.45pm k/o.