New Series start date ...

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

Good point, I've not yet mentally adjusted to counting 14 episodes rather than 13.
Feb 23rd/March 2nd is probably better as some of us will be in the US on the 16th although I imagine if ep 12 or 13 is broadcast that day it will hopefully get a BBC America showing at Gallifrey.
(of course if we do intend to fly out the previous weekend that opens a whole other can of worms about potentially missing the previous episode...!).

[Martin Curnow]

Didn't the grand Moff tell us, as he praised the mid season break last year, how wonderful that we're only ever gonna be a few short months away from the next series from now on!!!

[J.R. Southall]

That's "publicity speak". They're all guilty of it!

I am quite excited that for the first time since 1980/81 we're having a full series' worth of Doctor Who spanning Christmas and into the New Year.

[Dirk Gently]

About the "clash" with a Doctor Who episode & our annual meet; on a personal note I don't mind leaving the meet penciled in for Sat 24th. It means we see the episode a day or so late, that's not a big problem is it?

[J.R. Southall]

It'll probably only be the Chibnall anyway...

[SiHart]

About the "clash" with a Doctor Who episode & our annual meet; on a personal note I don't mind leaving the meet penciled in for Sat 24th. It means we see the episode a day or so late, that's not a big problem is it?

Indeed not. We've done it before after all. It gives you something to look forward to when you get home!

[Nyder]

I've no problem with that either *prays TiVo doesn't play up that night* Mind you, it'll also be shown on BBC Three a gazillion times during the week too!

[Dirk Gently]

Indeed not. We've done it before after all. It gives you something to look forward to when you get home!

I've no problem with that either *prays TiVo doesn't play up that night* Mind you, it'll also be shown on BBC Three a gazillion times during the week too!

Indeedy! Good, that's settled. I can look forward to watching Doctor Who with Jonno* then...if we're still up to watching TV that is, alcohol will be consumed after all.






*Tim making the huge assumption he's staying @ Jonno's.

[Andrew Curnow]

The new DWM seems to be referring to an Autumn 2012 run of five episodes, and then presumably the Christmas special - so that's only six episodes this year I guess...

[J.R. Southall]

Yes, the first episode is debuting at the Edinburgh festival in late August, so the series might occupy the five Saturdays in September.

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

The new DWM seems to be referring to an Autumn 2012 run of five episodes, and then presumably the Christmas special - so that's only six episodes this year I guess...

That much had been previously confirmed. The five episodes featuring Amy and Rory are due to be broadcast at some point in the autumn with the sixth episode (presumably still an hour long although it hasn't started filming yet) airing on Christmas Day.
The remaining eight episodes will air in early 2013, most likely January/February.

As yet still no news on what will follow in Autumn 2013...

[Anthony Williams]

What I would like to know is what constitutes "Autumn" - will we get five weeks of Doctor Who, beginning in mid-November, leading up to Christmas, with the rest resuming shortly after Christmas?

Or will we get them starting in early September, and then a break from mid-October to Christmas, with the rest following in February?

I honestly think that Series Six suffered from being split, and it'd be a huge shame if Series Seven was split in the same way, too.

[Larry]

What I would like to know is what constitutes "Autumn" - will we get five weeks of Doctor Who, beginning in mid-November, leading up to Christmas, with the rest resuming shortly after Christmas?

Or will we get them starting in early September, and then a break from mid-October to Christmas, with the rest following in February?

.

I think it really depends on where the next series of Merlin fits into the scheduals -I'm still leaning to another run like last year with Doctor Who running August to early October with Merlin then running up to Christmas.

[Anthony Williams]

I think it really depends on where the next series of Merlin fits into the scheduals -I'm still leaning to another run like last year with Doctor Who running August to early October with Merlin then running up to Christmas.

Really, Larry? I mean, Doctor Who is pretty much the biggest money-spinner for the BBC. I'd imagine that they would fit Merlin around Doctor Who, not Who around Merlin!

[Dino]

Really, Larry? I mean, Doctor Who is pretty much the biggest money-spinner for the BBC. I'd imagine that they would fit Merlin around Doctor Who, not Who around Merlin!

Then again... this is modern BBC policies being implemented, remember!

Is everyone here familiar with the BBC Management new stories in Private Eye as "Birtspeak" with a drawing of a Dalek with a humna head? This is what I'm basing my response on.

[Larry]

Really, Larry? I mean, Doctor Who is pretty much the biggest money-spinner for the BBC. I'd imagine that they would fit Merlin around Doctor Who, not Who around Merlin!

yet the BBC might d argue that the viewing figures for the last series of Merlin, were very good in that October to November time slot that there is no need to mve it.

[J.R. Southall]

Really, Larry? I mean, Doctor Who is pretty much the biggest money-spinner for the BBC. I'd imagine that they would fit Merlin around Doctor Who, not Who around Merlin!

There's a theory that Doctor Who gets such good figures wherever you put it (particularly once you add in the catch-up figures), that the BBC are more inclined to favour series that might be expected to perform less well in the better slots, just to try and give them a bit of a head-start. After all, Doctor Who will still get great figures even if Merlin is given priority in the schedules, whereas if Doctor Who is given priority, it might actually kill Merlin off.

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

So we now know that the first episode is being previewed at the BFI on August 14th.
This is pretty much on a parity with the date of the preview for Let's Kill Hitler last year before the second half of the series began airing in September.

[J.R. Southall]

I did hear that the five Saturdays in September this year are when we should expect those episodes, but pinch of salt.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

There's a theory that Doctor Who gets such good figures wherever you put it (particularly once you add in the catch-up figures), that the BBC are more inclined to favour series that might be expected to perform less well in the better slots, just to try and give them a bit of a head-start. After all, Doctor Who will still get great figures even if Merlin is given priority in the schedules, whereas if Doctor Who is given priority, it might actually kill Merlin off.

Shame really, because Merlin is tonnes better

[Alex]

Could be late August now, according to Digital Spy.

'Doctor Who' series seven to air in August, says Matt Smith

Matt Smith has said that Doctor Who's seventh series will be airing in a matter of weeks. Speaking at the TV Guide Magazine Fan Favourites' panel at San Diego Comic-Con today (July 14), the actor revealed that the series's first episode 'Asylum of the Daleks' would be broadcast some time in August.

The confirmation comes after news that the episode will be given a public premiere at BFI Southbank in London on August 14, while it will also be screened at the Edinburgh International Television Festival, which takes place from August 23 to August 25.

Series six episode 'Let's Kill Hitler' was given its first showing at the Festival last year and broadcast on BBC One the following day, with Smith's revelation suggesting that this may also be the case with 'Asylum of the Daleks'.

However, the BBC has yet to confirm an official air date for the new series.

I'm not too happy about it, I thought the move to the autumn was so that it would be screened on cold dark evenings, which would be more atmospheric (and hopefully a bit of a ratings boost as well). But there's a very good chance of a late burst of Summer this year. Well, if we get one at all.

[Andrew Curnow]

So can we safely conclude that although they are making them together, this year's five/six episodes will be 'season seven' with 'season eight' being the batch that are on next year? I still feel a little bit confused about why such a hugely popular show is on so little this year?

[J.R. Southall]

I think it's probably because it takes longer than a year now to make the 14 episodes that used to be achievable when RTD was in charge. Most other series would struggle with a 13 episode a year run, with things like Merlin perhaps coping better due to the fact that it's mostly filmed on the same sets and locations from one episode to the next. Doctor Who also mounts a sixty-minute Christmas Special every year, and for the most part has a new location and a new guest cast on a weekly basis. RTD worked wonders pretty much when he was in charge, but I do think the fact that production was on such a turnaround began to show in Series Three and Four, particularly around the mid-point (I'm thinking of stories like The Lazarus Experiment and The Doctor's Daughter). To my mind, Doctor Who - while still quite a punishing programme to work on - is moving away from this "production line" feel now, and if the sacrifice is that we can expect 14 episodes over 15 - 18 months rather than once a year, then so be it (after all, it's not something I can have any influence on, so it's something I find I just have to accept). Besides, this is still a lot better than the amount of Doctor Who we were getting between 1990 and 2004, and if it encourages actors of the calibre of Matt Smith to stay with the programme longer than they otherwise might (he didn't come to the show as a fan, after all, and might only have lasted two series under a regime of the kind we initially had - a regime that Christopher Eccleston saw fit to leave after a single series, it must be said), then all the better.

[Jon Masters]

Amazon have the series 7 part 1 boxset already listed with a release date of Nov 12th, which suggests the 5 episodes will be done and dusted by then.

[Dino]

Amazon have the series 7 part 1 boxset already listed with a release date of Nov 12th, which suggests the 5 episodes will be done and dusted by then.

Thanks! Just looked and no word on The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe will be included. (A friend has refused to buy it because he's convinced it'll turn up on a box set so he'll be buying it twice)