Doctor Who returns… at a cost
Posted by dailypop on March 28, 2008
Doctor Who could lose viewers in new timeslot
28/03/08
Doctor Who could lose up to 1.5million viewers when it returns in a new 6.20pm slot next month, BBC chiefs were warned yesterday.
The writer and executive producer, Russell T Davies told a drama conference that bosses should keep the later 7pm-7.15pm slot and the budget for the sci-fi series, but it had mucked it up.
The BBC is confident the show will do as well in the new slot, but he said. “We’ll see, but I think I’m right.”
Mr Davies vowed to resist any move to film the series in HD because it would be too expensive and it was “rubbish” to think no one would watch unless it was in high definition. Doctor Who will be rested next year to allow stars to work on new projects.
Rumor has it that RTD wanted to put the show on a hiatus to give him time to work on more late night adult programming. Who will save us from more Russell T Davies ‘adult’ programming? His idea of ‘adult’ so far has involved snide innuendoes and humping aliens. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that what most frustrated teenage boys write about?
In any case, the timeslot change is nothing new in the annals of Who and has always resulted in a loss in viewers. During Peter Davison’s era, the program made a shift in time and lost a large portion of viewers, later McCoy’s series was put up against Coronation Street which was the equivalent of the firing squad. Yet this is a new era of digital entertainment and when you can just set your TiVo or DVR to record Who whenever it’s on… who really cares?
I think this is just the production team’s latest attempt to make noise in a desperate bid for attention. If you don’t think RTD and company are terrified of losing viewers, explain Evolution of the Daleks. That terrible story seemed to exist solely to put Daleks on the screen again… and in a musical theater setting.
I have hopes that season four will be the charm that allows star David Tennant to rise to the occasion and overcome some of the poor scripts that have come his way. After his great performance in the dreadful finale last year featuring a cross between Jesus and Tinkerbell saving the day, I think he can do anything.
Series 4 trailer
Doctor Who returns to the airwaves on April 5th on BBC 1.
Joanie Lee said
OK, this should be interesting. And what’s with the black rimmed glasses? He doesn’t look disturbing enough…now he’s wearing those things. It does look like some cool special effects though. Give me “Captain Jack” any day of the week. I could ‘turn’ him!!!!