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Is it time to rethink the broadcast format of Doctor Who? (kbin.earth)

submitted 1 week ago by haverholm@kbin.earth to c/doctorwho@startrek.website

13 comments fedilink hide all child comments

This past year since the show was last on the air, I've been rewatching a bunch of classic serials, and quite enjoying the longer format. It's delightful to have big chunks of story developing over several episodes, not unlike the double (or rare triple) whammys we've had in the modern show.

It's got me thinking, given the difficulties the BBC seem to have shouldering the expense of producing Doctor Who these days — wouldn't it be feasible to release one or two multi-episode "event" series per year, one finished story each, plus a holiday special?

Altogether they could land at eight or less episodes a year, with lower production costs (say, locations and casting) across each serial. I'm sure there are still quarries and stately manors that weren't used during Tom Baker's stint, or deserve a revisit...

Maybe it will even be more realistic to fit a few blocks of shooting in between the main cast's other engagements, and we could have a steady TARDIS team for (gasp!) three years or more?

Yeah, I'm reaching. Anything would be better than this current "hurry up and wait" BS.

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[–] haverholm@kbin.earth 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

What made the original Who fun, was they were running on the same budget as a family making Halloween costumes.

Wellll — I'll agree it was part of what made classic Who fun 🙂 The infamous bubble wrap monster of "The ark in space" was a bit of a nadir that we don't need to stoop to again...

On the other hand, I didn't particularly see the big Disney-padded budgets doing much for the quality of the show, when it's really done quite well on less. The powers that be (and viewers) need to embrace that Doctor Who can be janky and still work. The eyeball monster in "The eleventh hour" wasn't great CGI, but Matt Smith sold it.

And I think writers would have a ball exploring a story at more length than one 45 minute episode. Add some twists and turns that otherwise might be sanded off. Imagine "Flux", but with a story that actually makes sense 😉

[–] Eldritch@piefed.world 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The infamous bubble wrap monster of "The ark in space"

Or the cyclops people from that original Hartnell series. Where they wore mops on their heads, covering most of their face. And had a ping pong ball with a dot on it that they moved with their tongue as an eye.

[–] haverholm@kbin.earth 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Hey now, that was top of the line special effects 😄

[–] Eldritch@piefed.world 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I still watch the classic series more. I don't know if it's just nostalgia, or if I really just enjoy the quarry most of it was shot in. For me the jump in the budget didn't really add anything of value. Yes it was cheap and hokey, but Pertwee and Baker eras were definitely peak storytelling for me.

[–] haverholm@kbin.earth 2 points 1 week ago

To be fair, I believe there just is more of the classic show? 🙂 I like either incarnation of the show equally, but I do think some of the very early nuWho episodes have aged worse than classic era serials. That could also be because I was an adult (of a sort) through the aughts and cringe at the way contemporary society was portrayed...