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  1. #1
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    Default Another Bloomin' Gap Year

    The official Who twitter account has just announced that the series won't be back until 2020. It's getting ridiculous now, I can't believe Chibnall wasn't able to make back to back seasons, especially given the massive gap between Capaldi's last season and his first, and it's not as if he's running another show in the same way RTD and Moffat were. I really hope he leaves after season 12 anyway as the scripts haven't been up to standard, and we get someone in who can run the show properly.
    "RIP Henchman No.24."

  2. #2
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    Default

    Yes, I've just seen that too. I've really enjoyed this year, but I do struggle to comprehend why they aren't planning a series for the same time next year. I appreciate they want to get things as good as they can, but does it really take 12-18 months to make 10 episodes - I mean, they finished filming this batch a long time back didn't they, certainly it was all done before they aired. So... On the one hand, you could argue it makes Doctor Who an event every time it comes back; on the other hand, you could argue the BBC is mad to have a successful and popular show which they're happy to have off air for over 12 months. I can't think of any other show which has this weird 'you can have some more when we get round to it' approach apart from, maybe, the Vicar of Dibley!

    But I'm just grumpy about it tonight, I'll no doubt be over it by tomorrow. Well, Tuesday. Probably...

  3. #3
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    Default

    Also (PS) it seems odd to announce it right now. I think they might have been better keeping the 2020 date back until we're into 2019 rather than bizarrely try and use it as an exciting and attractive announcement the minute the current series ends!

  4. #4
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    It's closer to 9 months plus post production, but worth emphasising that the next series is likely to start in early January 2020 which is only 3 months later than we might have expected if they'd started filming a bit sooner. I suspect there may be a variety of reasons for this decision such as scheduling issues caused by an Autumn broadcast. If the result is that it moves back to Saturdays I'm happy to have a slightly longer wait.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andrew Curnow View Post
    Also (PS) it seems odd to announce it right now. I think they might have been better keeping the 2020 date back until we're into 2019 rather than bizarrely try and use it as an exciting and attractive announcement the minute the current series ends!
    I do agree the timing of the announcement was spectacularly bad. Dropping a bomb into a social media environment which is always full of hostility after every episode as it is which has only made the ill feeling that some have expressed to this series even worse.
    To be honest, as if it wasn't bad enough them showing images of all three companions returning for the New Year's Day special, the casting announcement also being included last night has taken a lot of the potential jeopardy away from that episode.
    Last night's episode would have been so much better if we'd actually believed for one second that one or more of the main characters might not make it out alive.

  6. #6

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    Well if they really, absolutely, can't make it work, vital, has to be in production a longer while then OK. But that would mean a rod is created for their backs as it should be as fantastic as they claimed it would be with those resources.
    I don't feel Jodie will be the last Doctor. But they need to have more of a turnover in episode numbers.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andrew Curnow View Post
    I can't think of any other show which has this weird 'you can have some more when we get round to it' approach apart from, maybe, the Vicar of Dibley!
    Actually I think it's been quite common for many years for several series. Apart from The Vicar of Dibley, there was Only Fools and Horses, started in 1981 but had no series in 1984, 1987 or 1988, and from 1991 was only a bunch of special episodes spread over several years. Porridge had no series between the Christmas specials of 1975 and 1976. Morecambe and Wise did two series each in 1970 and 1971 but no regular series at all in 1972, 1975 or 1977 even though they had Chrstmas specials every year between 1969 and 1977.

    I can live with a year off. WHat bugs me is the comments on social media about it being (another) attmept to kil the show. You'd think this was the first time they've done something like this. Why not focus on the fact that there is a new series confirmed rather than worry about the fact it isn't happening during 2019?

  8. #8
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    Hey. That extra 23 million for the EastEnders set isn't t just going to fall off the money tree you know
    Bazinga !

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