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Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction

Ryan Lambie


As the BBC announces that the sixth series of Doctor Who is set to be aired in two parts, we gauge the web’s reactions to the news...

Published on Aug 30, 2010

Typical. We take our eye off the latest television news for one day, disconnect from phones, PCs, pads and pods, and some of the biggest Doctor Who news to break in months sneaks right under our noses.

As followers of TV's most famous Gallifreyan will no doubt already know, the BBC revealed over the Bank Holiday weekend that the next series of Doctor Who will be split into two chunks, with one part due to air next spring, and the other to follow on in the autumn.

This reportedly came about as a result of writer Steven Moffat's desire to write an entire new story arc for the Doctor, which will conclude with a potentially huge cliffhanging plot development at the end of the spring. We can, therefore, expect seven episodes in the first half of 2011, and a further six towards the end of the year.

Understandably, this news has led to considerable theorising over what exactly this big plot development may be. Red top paper The Sun ran a story on Bank Holiday Monday that suggested Amy Pond may about to be killed off ("Amy Pond may be EXTERMINATED", ran the typically frenzied headline).

If this is the case, she'll be the first assistant to lose her life since Adric in 1982, though The Sun's track record for accurate Who-related rumours isn't a great one, and should probably be taken with enough salt to preserve a donkey.

Here's a brief round-up of a few of the latest thinkings and opinions from the Twittersphere on the cleaving of the next series of Who ...

sleekituk

My main hope for next year's Doctor Who is that they get Graham Harper back on board, sorely missed IMO.

Kesomon

@steven_moffat - In spring, I'll squee gleefully. Or strangle you. Prolly both.

thoughtcat

Can't Steven Moffat calm down and just write more great standalone episodes without shattering the game and changing the earth?

WHOFAX

Series 6 will be split in half to double the amount of premieres and finales. Series 7 will be a weekly series of 13 finales

CraigRanapia

WTF. #DoctorWho getting the split series treatment? Want to send any Daleks round to Steven's house...

ElenaCPizarro

Bravo to Steven Moffat for splitting next year's #DoctorWho seasons (series) spring and fall. Spread the goodness out over the whole year!

bonkoif

I do hope they keep Amy around for next season. She's possibly better than Rose. And not just because she's a redhead.

TheYoungLiar

#DoctorWho Series 6 will be split into two series, with a big cliffhanger at Episode 7. This is good.

steven_moffat

Back from Edinburgh. Back to the script. Blimey.

So, what are your thoughts on the Doctor Who season break news? Is the hiatus a good thing, or does the thought of it leave you itching with impatience? Have your say in the comments.

Check out the new and ever growing Doctor Who page at DoG, where we are marshalling all the Who content at the site, including interviews, DVD and episode reviews, lists, opinions and articles on our favourite time traveller...

 
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Doctor Who | Doctor Who series 6 | Amy Pond | Matt Smith | Ryan Lambie

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Users Comments

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By Geordie2004 1 August 30, 2010 07:12:33 PM

Well, from a personal point of view, this is great news. I'm currently scheduled to be working abroad in France in spring, so this has stopped the BBC losing me as a viewer in their ratings! xD As for the reasons behind it, I think this may well be a test balloon on the part of the BBC to test the impact of the different broadcasting seasons on ratings.

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By theshadowalker 1 August 30, 2010 07:20:51 PM

Hmn. On both a practical and dramatic level, I can understand the decision. Buuuuut...on an emotional level? I get kind of twitchy, 'cause, when the so-called "SciFi" channel decided to back out of the already announced 5th year of Farscape, they then halved the 4th year and then announced that the second half of that 4th year was, in fact, actually the "5th" year. Bastards. Not to mention what happened to Classic Who when the BBC began mucking about with it in the '80s. $#@&ing bastards.

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By Joseph54 1 August 30, 2010 07:23:30 PM

Creatively, I think this is great. The only problem I can see is that they'll probably get killed in the ratings in autumn by the X Factor (much as it pains me to say). However, the Beeb and Moffat have both publicly stated that the overnights aren't a real concern anymore. At the end of the day, any channel willing to put creativity and story over potentially better business should be commended, I think.

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By TheTeacher 1 August 30, 2010 07:29:07 PM

I don't think it's such a bad idea. This could open up the door for "tighter" Doctor Who seasons with stories that are more intertwined than they were until now. Looks like Steven Moffat tried to do it with the last series and maybe it did not work out as well as he had planned. So, I see this move as a chance to do better Who storylines that are up to par with Children of Earth... (Plus, I hate to wait half a year for a new episode of Who. Compare it to eating a box of chocolate: eating it bit by bit is more delicious than swallowing the whole content at the same time)

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By aikota 1 August 30, 2010 09:18:06 PM

I am not worried about the splitting (if it wouldn't be only for viewing figures), but I don't like the fact the bbc writers are doing more and more cliffhangers. I don't even mind them sometimes, but a whole year waiting for a (maybe not so remarkable) solution isn't fair to the audience. Well, in season 6 there might be 2 of them. Wonder if this will increase the figures...

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By raphaelite 1 August 30, 2010 10:04:30 PM

Joseph54 - This may be another cunning ploy by the BBC. It has already been announced X Factor will not start until November 2011. "See a hole..."

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By HampsteadNick 1 August 30, 2010 10:23:24 PM

Watching Dr who on a cold dark autumnal night, what could be better. how it used to be..

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By Discrespective 1 August 30, 2010 10:37:17 PM

Yeah I'm cool with that but then I'm one of those butt fucking annoying anal geeks who counts every special as seperate season of Dr Who ! Meaning the classic did 27 seasons you count the Five Doctors as one off, David Tennant did 10 not 4, Matt Smith is onto his 2 one this christmas. Anything to get the show to 50 seasons by 2013 works for me ! That would be wickardly awesome ! That and the christmas special ! It's offical ! Stephen Moffat has jump the shark as that's what this christmas special is about according to latest leaks !Flying Yuletide Sharks ! That's fucked up !!! :-(

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By Discrespective 1 August 30, 2010 10:42:07 PM

http://www.orange.co.uk/entertainment/television/13785.htm :-(

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By Cmasterno_1 1 August 31, 2010 02:15:17 AM

O MA god I bet we find out who river song is just before the cliffhanger it's in two parts like harry potter!!! Can't wait till autumn 2011!!!

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By Viridis 1 August 31, 2010 07:06:24 AM

Will this mean there will be one extra episode? Split down the middle it would be 7 episodes and 6. Will they make it an odd 7 episodes per split series? I hope so! I understand that this way we'll get Doctor Who all year long, but I'm just concerned that I won't be screaming at my television set after the 7th episode having to wait where I'd normally get to see it next week. I hope we get a 14th episode out of the deal. I like gamechanging. I hope they throw Captain Jack Harkness into the mix, but he's probably busy in the US doing Torchwood.

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By TimBisley 1 August 31, 2010 07:44:28 AM

The 7th episode would be the Christmas special. 14 episodes a year as usual.

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By arwynt 1 August 31, 2010 07:47:21 AM

I'll be the cynical Devil's advocate here. Series 5's ratings suffered from "the glorious summer weather" and a part of the fanbase was not impressed by neither Amy nor Eleven. So why not split the series, avoid the rival sun, manipulate the public's excitement with twice the premiers and finales and milk all we possibly can? Clever! But some may even say 'cheat' and 'sorry, I won't buy'. Just playing the Devil's Advocate.

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By Sprocket 1 August 31, 2010 07:55:06 AM

Why is everyone getting their panties in a twist??? Same amount of episodes, just broadcast at different times, so what! Am I the only one who remembers that this show wasn't even on TV for years? If anything this will give them more time to write, shoot and edit which can only be good for the finished product.

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By Feefers 1 August 31, 2010 09:10:36 AM

Why not go totally crazy and have two 13 episodes series, sure you might end up killing people due to the work load but i'm sure it's what the fans would want.

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By DamonD 1 August 31, 2010 10:39:49 AM

It sounds a bit gimmicky, but I'll approach it with an open mind. I wonder if this might be a trial run for a new schedule - shorter seasons, of about 5 stories, but twice a year?

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By RikkyB 1 August 31, 2010 11:09:32 AM

Good idea. Personally, I'd like to see the whole season shifted to Autumn/Winter, as I think the series is better served by being on when days are short & cold, but this will do. It's also a rather ratings savvy move, as ratings always sufferd due to a warm & sunny May/June. It's a terrible dilemma for anyone (whether you're 8 or 80) do you watch Dr Who or go out & enjy the sunshine?

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By TimBisley 1 August 31, 2010 11:13:17 AM

If it gives Moffat more time to oversee each batch of episodes, maybe even write more of them, that's a good thing. Alternatively, if a third of the second run is taken up by dreck like that Silurians two-parter, that's when we can complain.

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By dave1159 1 August 31, 2010 11:41:58 AM

I think this is probably good news, it will mean more media attn and odds on the cliffhanger will be who River Song REALLY is... there will be a swirl of FX as she turns around and the muisc cuts in and we have to wait till autumn to see Kate O Mara say `hello Sweetie' ... opps was that a spoiler

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By FonceFalooda 1 August 31, 2010 02:09:12 PM

Sounds perfectly wonderful in concept and on paper. HOWEVER, this idea could come back and bite us in the ass a little down the road when they decide they only need ONE series of six episodes a year. That's the only danger I see to this seemingly innocuous gamble. Really hope that doesn't happen!

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By JonTheGod 1 August 31, 2010 10:01:29 PM

Am I the only one who thinks this is just a ploy to give Moffat more time to write Sherlock season 2?

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By jambom 1 September 1, 2010 12:42:02 AM

No, JonTheGod, you're not alone. But SM hasn't written all the Holmes, MG has his hand in it, too. The loverly thing is that when SM has the time to sit with something, he's bangin' spot on (usually). I love both shows, I hope they respect the god of tv hits (his blessings don't come easily or often), and do whatever it takes to make both as good as they can be. All the better for all. SM made a passing, professional allusion to the summer not being all that good for ratings, so the solution solves three problems at once.

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By mark27b 1 September 1, 2010 07:01:48 AM

I wonder if the 2011 season two part split is a one-off or we will get that split every year now although perhaps in 2012 it will be all in the Autumn as oppossed to the spring when more may watch also as we move to Nov'2013 being the 50th aniversary. As long as we don't get a season .1 and a season .2 boxset too which always cost more when split as well as the 'vanilla' releases

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By DamonD 1 September 1, 2010 11:18:35 AM

It's a good point about extra time being better for the show. I think Beast Below, for instance, would've been a much better Moffat script if he'd had time to do a couple more drafts on it (seriously, what's going on with those Smilers?)

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By DigThatFunk 1 September 2, 2010 01:41:43 AM

Shows do this pretty regularly over here in the US. It really is no big deal, and when done well(which DW usually is) just leaves you wanting more.

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By Discrespective 1 September 4, 2010 12:22:27 AM

What I love most man, is how no one has mention that by spiltting the next season into two makes Matt Smith three season contract that he reportely sign up for grabs ! Maybe guys the BBC has finally realises that the guy really has to go and this is the way to do it ! What ? Come on, I can dream can't I ? Please :-) ...

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By GARZIE 1 September 4, 2010 05:53:43 PM

The reason why nobody has noticed Discrespective is that nobody is quite as myopic and lame brained as yourself.What dreams are made off schhhezze. Personally I can see the advantages of the hiatus. I think what will be interesting is the length of every episode. Will the mid series before hiatus finale be over an hour long like the usual series finale . Moreover will there be more than one overiding story arch? thus the first 6 episodes clear up one story and then the final seven start and resolve another

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By angim350 1 September 5, 2010 09:39:56 AM

This will mean the end of Merlin then... right? Plus... what does this mean for the 2011 christmas special? Or the 2012 series? Will that be pushed back now? I'm sensing a plan a few years in advance here.

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By gotheek 1 September 6, 2010 07:26:32 AM

awesome idea - means there's no Great Wait until Chrissy - 6 months plus really sucks. Loved this series, can't wait for the next. Well, have to wait as it's not on yet and I don't have Steven's number on quickdial.

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By paulychilds 1 September 6, 2010 12:47:37 PM

To the people complaining about it going up against X-Factor... Dr. Who is usually finished by the time X-Factor starts - time to watch both, or more likely, if my suspicions are correct, the Beeb are hoping DW viewers might be more inclined to stay tuned for the following show (i.e. Strictly). As long as we don't get an animated Brucie over the most exciting part of the episode...

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By Cmasterno_1 1 November 27, 2010 05:12:43 PM

river song = lucy saxon. it makes sense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Doctor Who series 6 mid-season hiatus reaction
Posted By petra52 1 February 28, 2011 08:46:28 PM

Write great scripts and we will come!..Doesn't matter when they air... Still can't get into the new Doctor and sidekick...I TRIED!Watched some of the old episodes with David Tennant..Brilliant! sadly missed
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