Doctor Who series 8 (34): Deep Breath

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > TV IV > Doctor Who series 8 (34): Deep Breath

Trin Tragula: Apr 22, 2005

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5v2JA4Vj_s

Do ye happen to know how to fly this thing?

( Old general waiting around thread: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3609910 )

The long wait is finally over! All the production ructions are finally behind us, and we're set fair for 12 more episodes of the greatest show in the galaxy, which will see us through to mid-October. And all of it in the brand-new company of Peter Capaldi as Doctor Who and the less elaborately-monikered company of Jenna Coleman as Clara. Grand Moff Steven (alongside former script editor and producer Brian Minchin) is still your executive producer and showrunner, and he's written the opening episode. The line producer was Nikki Wilson, and it's directed by Whocomer Ben Wheatley. Deep Breath will be the 242nd Doctor Who story ever told, and the 801st individual episode.

Airdate! Saturday 23rd August (precisely three months short of the show's 51st birthday), at 7:50pm in the Queen's Own Summer Time Zone, on BBC One and in cinemas too! At this time, all suspicious Johnny Foreigner types must vacate the thread immediately (if not quicker) until watching the episode, or risk being foully and irretrievably spoiled! Ye should also be aware that this is no less than an 80-minute extravaganza!

Speaking of spoilers, if you feel the need to satisfy any weird and unnatural urges to discuss what might be about to happen next before it's been aired, there is a no-holds barred spoiler thread where you can pretend that you aren't all sad, broken people who hate fun and mystery.

:siren:

RATINGS GO HERE, IF YOU DON'T CARE, SCROLL RIGHT DOWN :siren:

Eheheh. With no ratings to mention yet, here's how British TV ratings work. There are three things to concern ourselves with. Well, sort of. Possibly four. Actually, probably more than that.

Ahem. The first figure is the overnight rating. As the name suggests, it's calculated the day after transmission, and measures the number of people who watched Doctor Who on original broadcast on BBC One. That's all it does, so the overnights have to be read in conjunction with the final consolidated rating, which appears 10 days after transmission; crucially, it accounts for everyone who watched the episode at least once, up to seven days after the original broadcast, and by any source (except the iPlayer, which annoys GMS a lot, because Doctor Who is usually the most-requested iPlayer programme of the following week).

What kind of numbers are we looking for? Well, anyone making a BBC drama is usually very happy with 5 million or more on the overnights; for most people that means you have a major hit and is cause for extreme celebrations, popping of champagne corks, planning of one's glittering future career, etc. Being a heavily-trailed well-established part of the BBC's most important channel, Doctor Who has more usually sat in the 6 million-8 million overnight range.

However, that isn't the entire story. The show is also judged on the audience share, which measures the percentage of the total TV audience who were watching a particular programme (for Doctor Who, usually somewhere between 35% and 45%) and the Appreciation Index, a score out of 100 that measures how much the audience (or a sample thereof) enjoyed watching the show (anything over 80 is considered "excellent" for drama and Doctor Who usually manages to score in the 85-90 range).

And all of this can then be contextualised by looking at the show's head-to-head, its performance compared to whatever was on ITV (boo, hiss) at the same time; and its chart position. The daily chart for Saturday is compiled from the overnight ratings; Doctor Who is sometimes first and sometimes not, depending on whether one of the big reality shows (or something else particularly ratings-grabbing) is running at the moment. The weekly chart is compiled from the consolidated ratings, and Doctor Who usually appears just below the following: reality shows, the soaps, Champions League football and the news, which usually makes it the highest-rated drama of the week.

So it can be seen that Doctor Who is one of the biggest things on British television right now, and unless any of those measures start to decline, we can expect it to continue being re-commissioned until the heat death of the universe. If you want more ratings chat than we can provide, the best place to go is Gallifrey Base, where Keith Topping curates a number of detailed ratings discussions and draws more pretty graphs than you can shake a sonic screwdriver at.

:siren:

AND FINALLY, this week in Doctor Who history:

22nd August 1964: A Change of Identity, episode 3 of The Reign of Terror, by Dennis Spooner, with William Hartnell, William Russell and Jacqueline Hill. Sounds boffo!

On with the show. Get your "OH HOLKY gently caress"s ready!

Trin Tragula fucked around with this message at 11:02 on Aug 21, 2014

# ? Aug 21, 2014 10:53

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# ? Apr 19, 2024 07:39

Cleretic: Feb 3, 2010; Ignore my posts!
I'm aggressively wrong about everything!

That Chaser sketch is the most important thing Australia has ever provided to the show.

# ? Aug 21, 2014 11:15

vegetables: Mar 10, 2012

Trin Tragula posted:

AND FINALLY, this week in Doctor Who history:

22nd August 1964: A Change of Identity, episode 3 of The Reign of Terror, by Dennis Spooner, with William Hartnell, William Russell and Jacqueline Hill. Sounds boffo!

Well, that's eerily appropriate.

# ? Aug 21, 2014 11:42

Jerusalem: May 20, 2004; Would you be my new best friends?

Our long global nightmare is almost over, I'm very excited for Capaldi's first episode, though probably not as excited as he is :3:

# ? Aug 21, 2014 11:54

The_Doctor: Mar 29, 2007; "The entire history of this incarnation is one of temporal orbits, retcons, paradoxes, parallel time lines, reiterations, and divergences. How anyone can make head or tail of all this chaos, I don't know."

It's so close I can taste it! Kinda... purple.

# ? Aug 21, 2014 12:18

Box of Bunnies: Apr 3, 2012; by Pragmatica

Series! We've got a new series.

I don't like the colour.

# ? Aug 21, 2014 12:40

CobiWann: Oct 21, 2009; Have fun!

Ah, Doctor. Welcome back. I've...we've been waiting for you.

# ? Aug 21, 2014 12:58

bpc908: Jan 27, 2013; Kacho of My own little gaming world

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuMIiPBb-kU

# ? Aug 21, 2014 13:03

Jerusalem: May 20, 2004; Would you be my new best friends?

Stealing this from somebody else in the last thread: the last scene from Time of the Doctor

Previously on Doctor Who... posted:

# ? Aug 21, 2014 13:09

HD DAD: Jan 13, 2010; Generic white guy.; Toilet Rascal

I'm so pumped. My girlfriend will be at the viewing party at The Waystation the following night, that Doctor Who themed bar in Brooklyn. Alas, I have a work trip that day.

DoctorWhat, if you're going to that also, wear the drat coat. She wants a picture with you.

# ? Aug 21, 2014 13:10

DoctorWhat: Nov 18, 2011; A little privacy, please?

HD DAD posted:

I'm so pumped. My girlfriend will be at the viewing party at The Waystation the following night, that Doctor Who themed bar in Brooklyn. Alas, I have a work trip that day.

DoctorWhat, if you're going to that also, wear the drat coat. She wants a picture with you.

Well, I'm not quite of drinking age, so the Way Station isn't really in my purview.

# ? Aug 21, 2014 13:23

CobiWann: Oct 21, 2009; Have fun!

DoctorWhat posted:

Well, I'm not quite of drinking age, so the Way Station isn't really in my purview.

What, 900 years old and can't use your psychic paper?

CobiWann fucked around with this message at 13:49 on Aug 21, 2014

# ? Aug 21, 2014 13:33

thrawn527: Mar 27, 2004; Thrawn/Pellaeon
Studying the art of terrorists
To keep you safe

I'm hitting up some random Classic Who episodes for the first time (mainly what I can find in Netflix, which is not very much). And getting to the 3rd Doctor...holy poo poo, when did he learn Judo?! (Or whatever that is, I don't know much about this stuff.) I'm assuming this Doctor was the writers trying to cash in the James Bond?

The car, the Judo, more human looking villain (I mean sometimes, I've heard this is where the Master gets introduced), stationary TARDIS, etc. It all seems very much like they're going for late 60's/early 70's spy stuff. Fun stuff. Good times. Pertwee is my favorite classic Doctor so far.

(I'm sure I'm only posting things you all know already, but new to me.)

Also, I've never been around for live episode. Does general Who chat go in here, or does the old thread stick around, leaving this for Series 8 content?

# ? Aug 21, 2014 13:56

CobiWann: Oct 21, 2009; Have fun!

thrawn527 posted:

I'm hitting up some random Classic Who episodes for the first time (mainly what I can find in Netflix, which is not very much). And getting to the 3rd Doctor...holy poo poo, when did he learn Judo?! (Or whatever that is, I don't know much about this stuff.) I'm assuming this Doctor was the writers trying to cash in the James Bond?

The car, the Judo, more human looking villain (I mean sometimes, I've heard this is where the Master gets introduced), stationary TARDIS, etc. It all seems very much like they're going for late 60's/early 70's spy stuff. Fun stuff. Good times. Pertwee is my favorite classic Doctor so far.

(I'm sure I'm only posting things you all know already, but new to me.)

Also, I've never been around for live episode. Does general Who chat go in here, or does the old thread stick around, leaving this for Series 8 content?

Kind of like the old Breaking Bad threads, all chat should go here. Have to keep the fandom from spilling over into the rest of TV IV after all.

And the Third Doctor is where I think the series really took a step forward, and not just by going from the black-and-white Hartnell/Troughton years to the in-color Pertwee years. The Third Doctor, like you said, was an action dandy, using his body where One and Two used their wits more often than not. It gave the show (not that it needed it) some new life by showing just how different each regeneration COULD be.

Pertwee himself was in the secret agent business during World War II as well, working with Naval Intelligence alongside none other than Ian Fleming. So it was a bit of the writers cashing in on the Bond hype and a bit cashing in on the fact that Jon Pertwee probably did HALF the stuff the Doctor did during the war. Also, Pertwee loved to drive anything really really fast, so that got worked in to a lot of episodes as well.

# ? Aug 21, 2014 14:15

ImpulseDrive: Jul 25, 2008

Wonder if I'll be able to catch the new season as it airs on Amazon or Hulu Plus?

# ? Aug 21, 2014 14:28

bpc908: Jan 27, 2013; Kacho of My own little gaming world

you could always catch it on iPlayer

# ? Aug 21, 2014 14:34

Bicyclops: Aug 27, 2004

ImpulseDrive posted:

Wonder if I'll be able to catch the new season as it airs on Amazon or Hulu Plus?

Unfortunately, no. You can buy individual episodes through Amazon but they air day after. I know because it's how I watch the show, so I'm always a day late for the thread.

iPlayer does day-of airing, though.

# ? Aug 21, 2014 14:44

MrL_JaKiri: Sep 23, 2003; A bracing glass of carrot juice!

Boffo!

# ? Aug 21, 2014 14:49

ImpulseDrive: Jul 25, 2008

Bicyclops posted:

Unfortunately, no. You can buy individual episodes through Amazon but they air day after. I know because it's how I watch the show, so I'm always a day late for the thread.

iPlayer does day-of airing, though.

iPlayer seems to be a UK only thing. Guess I'll have to watch through Amazon.

# ? Aug 21, 2014 16:25

Gaz-L: Jan 28, 2009

ImpulseDrive posted:

iPlayer seems to be a UK only thing. Guess I'll have to watch through Amazon.

And Hulu is a US only thing, yet people from both sides of the pond manage to use both... :tinfoil:

# ? Aug 21, 2014 16:37

Bicyclops: Aug 27, 2004

ImpulseDrive posted:

iPlayer seems to be a UK only thing. Guess I'll have to watch through Amazon.

It's at least affordable, you only have to wait one day, and as long as you have a Smart TV/Googleplay/whatever, you can watch it on your TV instead of your laptop.

# ? Aug 21, 2014 16:37

CobiWann: Oct 21, 2009; Have fun!

Wait, we have two active (three, if you count the spoiler threads) Doctor Who threads�

Which one is Hartnell, which one is Troughton, and which one is Pertwee?!?

(Or Hurt/Tennant/Smith?)

# ? Aug 21, 2014 16:51

DoctorWhat: Nov 18, 2011; A little privacy, please?

CobiWann posted:

Wait, we have two active (three, if you count the spoiler threads) Doctor Who threads�

Which one is Hartnell, which one is Troughton, and which one is Pertwee?!?

(Or Hurt/Tennant/Smith?)

You've forgotten Occupation's Toxx thread. Four threads. It'll be three when the 2014 break thread closes.

# ? Aug 21, 2014 16:53

PoshAlligator: Jan 9, 2012; When SEO just isn't enough.

CobiWann posted:

Wait, we have two active (three, if you count the spoiler threads) Doctor Who threads�

Which one is Hartnell, which one is Troughton, and which one is Pertwee?!?

(Or Hurt/Tennant/Smith?)

So these were the replacement threads? A dandy and a clown?

# ? Aug 21, 2014 17:04

The Action Man: Oct 26, 2004; This is a good movie.

thrawn527 posted:

I'm hitting up some random Classic Who episodes for the first time (mainly what I can find in Netflix, which is not very much). And getting to the 3rd Doctor...holy poo poo, when did he learn Judo?! (Or whatever that is, I don't know much about this stuff.) I'm assuming this Doctor was the writers trying to cash in the James Bond?

The car, the Judo, more human looking villain (I mean sometimes, I've heard this is where the Master gets introduced), stationary TARDIS, etc. It all seems very much like they're going for late 60's/early 70's spy stuff. Fun stuff. Good times. Pertwee is my favorite classic Doctor so far.

(I'm sure I'm only posting things you all know already, but new to me.)

Also, I've never been around for live episode. Does general Who chat go in here, or does the old thread stick around, leaving this for Series 8 content?

Jon Pertwee's Venusian Aikido will always put a smile on my face.

I really hope that Capaldi brings it back with just as little explanation as when Pertwee introduced it.

# ? Aug 21, 2014 17:20

egon_beeblebrox: Mar 1, 2008; WILL AMOUNT TO NOTHING IN LIFE.

The Action Man posted:

I really hope that Capaldi brings it back with just as little explanation as when Pertwee introduced it.

This is my main hope for the upcoming series, as well. That, and since UNIT's back, they really need to bring back Bessie. Why not go full-Pertwee?

# ? Aug 21, 2014 17:38

CobiWann: Oct 21, 2009; Have fun!

egon_beeblebrox posted:

Why not go full-Pertwee?

You NEVER go full-Pertwee!

# ? Aug 21, 2014 17:44

egon_beeblebrox: Mar 1, 2008; WILL AMOUNT TO NOTHING IN LIFE.

CobiWann posted:

You NEVER go full-Pertwee!

Nice.

# ? Aug 21, 2014 17:46

The_Doctor: Mar 29, 2007; "The entire history of this incarnation is one of temporal orbits, retcons, paradoxes, parallel time lines, reiterations, and divergences. How anyone can make head or tail of all this chaos, I don't know."

Quoting for the new thread:

PoshAlligator posted:

So I'm putting together a little fan project/challenge. I would be interested in knowing what people think or if they would be interested in taking part or hearing more.

It's called Target Novelisations Regenerated, and here is a link to an empty WordPress that will eventually be filled.

The idea is to write sort of Target-esque novelizations of modern Doctor Who stories, but the twist is that they feature different Doctors than they're "Supposed to". Someone who is taking part in the challenge (which is what it is, it's not a full blown project really) is, for instance, doing Midnight with Troughton; another is doing Voyage of the Damned with both Hartnell and T. Baker (actually that's me). Ideally it will be interesting to explore the differences, while at the same time writing around a pre-existing story, but with enough leeway to change things. Of course, Midnight will be called Doctor Who and the Midnight Creature.

It's called Regenerated, but it's sort of like a remix, really.

I'm surprised nobody has done this before, so let me know if they have. If anyone would like to take part or whatever, let me know.

DWM did something similar years ago imaging stories with different Doctors, like having Spearhead from Space as 8's first story, etc. good feature.

Suffice to say I'm up for this too! Email me here: doctorwhosecretsanta [at] gmail [dot] com

And anyone who uses the Fifth Doctor and doesn't employ the phrase "pleasant, open face" is no real Who fan! :argh:

# ? Aug 21, 2014 17:53

The Action Man: Oct 26, 2004; This is a good movie.

DoctorWhat posted:

Well, I'm not quite of drinking age, so the Way Station isn't really in my purview.

When you turn 21, we'll have to get as many Doctors as possible together to teach you how to drink like Tom Baker.

# ? Aug 21, 2014 18:08

PoshAlligator: Jan 9, 2012; When SEO just isn't enough.

The_Doctor posted:

Quoting for the new thread:

DWM did something similar years ago imaging stories with different Doctors, like having Spearhead from Space as 8's first story, etc. good feature.

Suffice to say I'm up for this too! Email me here: doctorwhosecretsanta [at] gmail [dot] com

And anyone who uses the Fifth Doctor and doesn't employ the phrase "pleasant, open face" is no real Who fan!

That sounds cool. Anyone know what issue that was?

# ? Aug 21, 2014 18:13

Burkion: May 10, 2012; by Fluffdaddy

Can't wait for this episode to air proper...

# ? Aug 21, 2014 18:14

DoctorWhat: Nov 18, 2011; A little privacy, please?

Burkion posted:

Can't wait for this episode to air proper...

Yeah, I saw it just a few hours shy of a week ago and I've been dying to actually talk about it.

# ? Aug 21, 2014 18:19

Bicyclops: Aug 27, 2004

The Action Man posted:

When you turn 21, we'll have to get as many Doctors as possible together to teach you how to drink like Tom Baker.

Whoa, I know he posts a lot, but that's no reason to kill the poor kid!

# ? Aug 21, 2014 18:20

Xibanya: Sep 17, 2012; Clever Betty

The_Doctor posted:

Quoting for the new thread:

DWM did something similar years ago imaging stories with different Doctors, like having Spearhead from Space as 8's first story, etc. good feature.

Suffice to say I'm up for this too! Email me here: doctorwhosecretsanta [at] gmail [dot] com

And anyone who uses the Fifth Doctor and doesn't employ the phrase "pleasant, open face" is no real Who fan!

I remember listening to an audio that had a throwaway character named "Pleasant Open Faced Pete"

# ? Aug 21, 2014 18:22

Pocky In My Pocket: Jan 27, 2005; Giant robots shouldn't fight!

Feels good to have a new home. Boy am I excited for Capaldi, plus i've managed to resist watching the leaked eps

# ? Aug 21, 2014 18:23

DoctorWhat: Nov 18, 2011; A little privacy, please?

Xibanya posted:

I remember listening to an audio that had a throwaway character named "Pleasant Open Faced Pete"

That'd be The Kingmaker, noted Very Good Audio and overall Wonderful Thing.

# ? Aug 21, 2014 18:26

The_Doctor: Mar 29, 2007; "The entire history of this incarnation is one of temporal orbits, retcons, paradoxes, parallel time lines, reiterations, and divergences. How anyone can make head or tail of all this chaos, I don't know."