Doctor Who is moving to Sundays

[Kristatos]

The new series starts on Sunday, October 7th. I'm a bit nervous about this, because moving from Saturday nights was one of the warning signs of the show's cancellation back in 1989. Ratings were already down to those levels under Peter Capaldi, who was popular with the hardcore fans, but not the mainstream audience. Let's hope Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall can make it a big mainstream hit again.

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[Blowfeld]

I have a feeling the ratings will go down because of the move. Unlike 1989 I think BBC is proud of Doctor Who which is also a irreplaceable revenue source. I think they are trying too hard to be trendy by the pseudo controversy of casting Jodie, their instinct as a sprawling bureaucracy is to have fallback excuse for any ratings failures. What bothered me about Peter's failing ratings was the question of are the numbers actually correct or have modern audiences moved further out from old measuring techniques. Most of the younger people I see watch content on their phones and tablets instead of traditional television.

[Kristatos]

I think the ratings take that into account. There are overnights, +7, +14 and +28 ratings. The ratings in the last season were down across the board. This wasn't like previous years where the drop in overnights was entirely attributable to changing viewing habits, and the overall ratings were steady.

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[Blowfeld]

Since David Tennant left ratings were on the downward trajectory, at least this is how I recall the ratings trends per episode and why I associate the trend in digital consumption with the overall decline in ratings. I am unsure if these next generation of viewers can be counted correctly.
I was disappointed Peter's rating were supposed to the the lowest since the series regenerated, BBC will be able to keep up their ageist policies because of it. Still I think the BBC picked the absolute worst time to of year to air the shows and moved the time slot. October is a good time to get audiences so that is in the favour of the next series however the Sunday movie might be a problem. First few episode will probably be the highest the series is going to be after that we will have a better take on how the audience adapts. I can imagine a lot of fans are aware the show is back and can not find it on Saturday night never thinking to check the scheduled. Whatever the problems are going to be I don't think it will be Jodie, BBC and the new show runner are trying to meddle with what had worked, it will either be successful with nobody noticing they changed the show up or Jodie will take the blame for all of their mistakes. Then again a likely narrative is sexist fans weren't ready for the future or some twaddle.

[Kristatos]

I don't think Capaldi was the problem, I think it's more that during his era, it became more a show for the fans, and less accessible to the casual viewer. Lots of arty, experimental episodes, which I think you can get away with once in a while, but they seemed to predominate in the last couple of years.

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[Blowfeld]

You could be right.
I enjoyed the last few series more than many of the previous series which to my mind had huge build ups for no pay off, The Silence is an example of where the sown runners built up an idea for a series only write it off quickly with little explanation. Peter had a few classic shows in his era, I had hoped he would stay on past Steven Moffat just to see what he was capable off past what had become hackneyed, I think the fix was in for regeneration and the ratings helped BBC stand firm, this and their virtue signalling.

Just had a though about last series maybe the dying Doctor was too much for the casual audience. Peter's last series it was obvious he was dying from show one.

[Kristatos]

The first episode will go out on BBC1 at 6.45pm on 7th October. This pleases me, as I do think the 8.30 timeslot it was in before was another contributing factor to the falling ratings. I know it wasn't a school night, but it's still too late for a family-oriented show like Doctor Who.

[Kristatos]

The Woman Who Fell To Earth got 8.2 million viewers on overnights, the best overnight rating for a season opener in 10 years. It'll be interesting to see if it can keep getting those kinds of figures once the novelty of a female Doctor wears off. Many of those people probably would have tuned in out of curiosity, but they may stick around if they liked what they saw.

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[Kristatos]

Now up to 10.9 million on the +7 figure, the highest rating for a debut episode ever, narrowly beating Rose and episode 1 of Robot.

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[Blowfeld]

Planning on watching all four shows this weekend. I like to give the new Doctor(s) a number of shows to find their voice. Like Peter's first shows order of filming was opposite of broadcast the theory being the show runners wanted the first shows to show the actor more confident as the Doctor.

I just do not have confidence for any of the rating methods of the last ten years are accurate. Althou moving the show does not seem to have hurt, part of the success so far is not trying to compete with summer.

Of the current series topics Rosa gives me pause. Not sure this is a topic to revisit for a science fiction series like Doctor Who. Still I am reminded in general of the 7th Doctor musings at the diner.

[Kristatos]

The Rosa one had a whiff of "education for the kids" about it, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I think Doctor Who fans are sometimes inclined to forget that it's supposed to be a kids' show.

"Doesn't seem to have hurt" is an understatement. The first three episodes have all placed in the ratings top 10 for their respective weeks, which hasn't happened in a long time. The move to Sunday night seems to have been the shot in the arm the show needed, ratings-wise.

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[Blowfeld]

The Rosa one had a whiff of "education for the kids" about it, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I think Doctor Who fans are sometimes inclined to forget that it's supposed to be a kids' show.

"Doesn't seem to have hurt" is an understatement. The first three episodes have all placed in the ratings top 10 for their respective weeks, which hasn't happened in a long time. The move to Sunday night seems to have been the shot in the arm the show needed, ratings-wise.

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It's a good time slot, good time of year, and Sunday is paying off.
To me 'Rosa' was not a good episode, I appreciate the real history which is why I do not like trivializing real events even as sanctimonious as this show tired to be.

Thoughts so far: [spoiler=]Three of the four done with tonight's to go. Really Did not like 'The Woman Who Fell to Earth', enjoyed 'Ghost Monument', hated 'Rosa'. Maybe Moffat should have stayed on one more series?
My problem with: Episode one 'The Nan Who Fell to Earth' is this was a very bad imitation of the failed spin off series, from Torchwood to Class & Sarah Jane. The new show is trying too hard to be, I am not sure what the correct phrase would be. Political Correct maybe? Thou 'Virtue Signalling' is probably correct. Also the guest stars names in the preview was off putting.

Episode two 'Ghost TARDIS' was average Doctor Who adventure, reusing a themes from the books of the TARDIS phasing in and out like a phantom waiting for the Doctor to return. Nice to see the Grandmaster from Thor Ragnarok was running a race.

Episode thee 'Lets fictionalize a real historical event for science fiction show so we can congratulate ourselves' fell in line with the ethnic cleansing theme so far in the
series. Also hated the song over the ending credits. Adric much?

What I liked: opening theme and graphics, Jodie, the cast is decent better than a lot of series I could name. The secondary villains seem to have some depth. Hate the fortress of solitude TARDIS interior however love the new doorway (kept thinking of Logopolis)


The John Goodman episode is next with that detective bloke from Law & Order[/spoiler]

[Blowfeld]

Is it possible Chris Chibnall is deliberately sabotaging Jodie?

So far only one episode I consider half way worthy of Doctor Who. The plots are vapour thin often not resolving anything, only goal seems to be giving Chris Chibnall a platform to make some sort of statement. If the series continues on like this I might be done until a new show runner takes it on.

[Kristatos]

Is it possible Chris Chibnall is deliberately sabotaging Jodie?

So far only one episode I consider half way worthy of Doctor Who. The plots are vapour thin often not resolving anything, only goal seems to be giving Chris Chibnall a platform to make some sort of statement. If the series continues on like this I might be done until a new show runner takes it on.

I liked last night's episode a lot, despite (or perhaps because of) it basically being a remake of Father's Day.

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[Blowfeld]

Is it possible Chris Chibnall is deliberately sabotaging Jodie?

So far only one episode I consider half way worthy of Doctor Who. The plots are vapour thin often not resolving anything, only goal seems to be giving Chris Chibnall a platform to make some sort of statement. If the series continues on like this I might be done until a new show runner takes it on.

I liked last night's episode a lot, despite (or perhaps because of) it basically being a remake of Father's Day.

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Father's Day is still far superior.
Jodie has yet to be come the Doctor. As of right now she is a quirky Matt Smithish character with the correct eccentricity to become the Doctor however the current series is one that if the brand name were removed it would be an average fiction series with time travel as a plot device. So far this series concentrates on the companion reactions and moralistic affirmations of Chris Chibnall's personal political beliefs. There is potential to me it seems wasted so far.

[Kristatos]

I take your point, and you're not the only person to make these criticisms. I suspect that Chibbers will be making some changes for the next season. RTD's first season now looks pretty poor in hindsight, compared to his three with David Tennant. I don't think that was Christopher Eccleston's fault at all, I just don't think RTD had quite hit his stride yet, and I suspect that in future years, I may look upon this season the same way. But I'm enjoying for now, with reservations.

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[Kristatos]

Kerblam: most traditional episode of this season so far. To me, it felt like a McCoy story (in a good way).

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[Blowfeld]

I take your point, and you're not the only person to make these criticisms. I suspect that Chibbers will be making some changes for the next season. RTD's first season now looks pretty poor in hindsight, compared to his three with David Tennant. I don't think that was Christopher Eccleston's fault at all, I just don't think RTD had quite hit his stride yet, and I suspect that in future years, I may look upon this season the same way. But I'm enjoying for now, with reservations.

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RTD's self-serving regeneration special annoyed me more than the many missteps with first series. There was a chance for a great send off of David, and great role for Timothy as Rassilon, both were wasted to defy expectations with a throw away plot lines never really revisited. Speaking of bad Gallifrey story lines I also think the Clara is dead Hell Bent wanna be Valeyard story arc was a complete waste of effort, simple because why would Clara be a breaking point for someone who lost their entire family and also survived the time war?
Back to the first series Christopher Eccleston was another problem because Doctor Who was so far beneath him he had contempt for the series. Although by the last three shows I think he started to get the character a little by then he had already quit.
RTD was a poor choice for show runner however on some level he got Doctor Who, over all some of the more meaningful adventures worked while I painfully try to forget the farting aliens and LINDA.

[Blowfeld]

Kerblam: most traditional episode of this season so far. To me, it felt like a McCoy story (in a good way).

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That is hopeful, I like Sylvester’s Doctor eventhou it was not really given a chance by BBC top men. For me it was interesting to have a 7th Doctor more about planning it out than simply reacting, I know some fans did not like this attempt to redefine a series that had not evolved since the golden years of nineteen-seventies Tom Baker. However I also glommed on to the Virgin New Adventures book series and loved it for better or worse.

As for Jodie I will be giving the show a rest until this series finishes up, I will catch up on the reaming episodes with the hope the series actually goes somewhere and becomes Doctor Who again. With the rumour Chibnall and Jodie are exiting next year at this moment I am not to hopeful this was anything more than a virtue signalling effort by the good and virtuous people at BBC.

[James]

I have to say I'm finding this season of Doctor Who very bland and forgettable so far. Apart from Bradley Walsh the companions are wooden and dull and Jodi must be one of the weakest actors to play the part. That thing she does where she delivers the dramatic expositional dialogue as if she's out of breath is starting to become tiresome. Hopefully it'll get better in the next season.