Why? Was it a new one?Col wrote:Anyone see the black Dalek on the BAFTA's last night? Causing quite a stir on the OG forums
The Dr Who thread
To be honest, the viewing figures for Doctor Who are depressingly good. To be on schedule for a mid-third season cancellation announcement, we really need to attentuate audience interest exponentially, to indicate a gradual loss of viewer figures in the programme.Col wrote:Fucking hell! How many more times! And i thought that DW was one of the BBC's top shows. They wouldn't do this with friggin Eastenders!
We can use a number of techniques to do this such as "non-stable programme viewing slot" to erode viewer loyalty, as well as annual cuts to programme production budgets and editorial control on script and dialogue content. For series three, we've put together a bunch of religious pressure groups of all types including Mary Whitehouse (remember her?), Fox executives and Janet Street Porter to vet and advise on all aspects of the programme. Alan Sugar will be brought in to fire someone every episode, as part of a tie-in programme "Time Lord Apprentice". We feel that this will help keep costs down, and help reduce the burden of personnel management.
At least four of the series three episodes will be set in Albert Square and feature the Eastender cast, as our research has revealed that most of the viewing figures are Eastenders viewers, and Doctor Who is merely piggy-backing on the success of that programme. It is clear to us that we might as well make a tired format better by combining the two..
I'm sure with all these changes, the future success of Doctor Who will not be in doubt..
</Michael Grade>
"Observation is the path to understanding. Self-observation is the path to self-understanding."
-
HGFB
- Sheepie Whore
- Posts: 23575
- Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2002 8:51 pm 0
- Location: At my desk. Tap tap tapping.
It's not that it's a Dalek. It's the fact that it's black and there have been rumours (Probably false) of a black Dalek being in the final story.
However Russell is a total tease and I wouldn't put it past him to have one sprayed black to wind up the fans and keep the real storyline secret.
However Russell is a total tease and I wouldn't put it past him to have one sprayed black to wind up the fans and keep the real storyline secret.
My bag is called Mr Shitface
-
HGFB
- Sheepie Whore
- Posts: 23575
- Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2002 8:51 pm 0
- Location: At my desk. Tap tap tapping.
Forgot to post this too. Radio Times has a free sticker book with this week's issue. Packets of stickers are 35p each.
I'm a little kid again except this time I have the disposable income to match the rich kid who used to come to school with the entire box of stickers his mum had bought him
I'm a little kid again except this time I have the disposable income to match the rich kid who used to come to school with the entire box of stickers his mum had bought him
My bag is called Mr Shitface
That is a new Dalek! I mean, it's the same body style as the ones from the Christopher Ecclestone Dalek episodes, but black not gold. Which kind of implies that it's from an epsode that they've filmed since. 
Black Daleks were always the field commanders weren't they? Kind of like the Dalek equivalent of a Cyber Leader (the Cybermen with the black "handlebars").
Black Daleks were always the field commanders weren't they? Kind of like the Dalek equivalent of a Cyber Leader (the Cybermen with the black "handlebars").
"I am a very considerate person. If I want to go out all night on my miniature golf course and shoot lizards, well, no reason to keep the neighbours awake..."
Could be a fan-build mod dalek hired for the occasion, as I've seen sites with accurate builds done by people as their own projects.
[EDIT] You can see overspray on the light supports, and the label under the eyestalk seems to be missing, so it looks like someone did a quick respray job on one from the last series. Seems a bit odd that the skirt balls are black as well, where usually they are a constrasting colour to the skirt. Looks very gothic.
[EDIT] You can see overspray on the light supports, and the label under the eyestalk seems to be missing, so it looks like someone did a quick respray job on one from the last series. Seems a bit odd that the skirt balls are black as well, where usually they are a constrasting colour to the skirt. Looks very gothic.
"Observation is the path to understanding. Self-observation is the path to self-understanding."
I've always suspected that there are a few elitist snobs in the BBC's management who absolutely despise the fact that a sci-fi show - one they no doubt see as being "for kids" - is a ratings winner.
Let us not forget that the original Who was delibrately murdered.
They tried to undermine it with cast choices - Sylvester McCoy, Bonnie Langford, Sophie Aldred (but fair play to McCoy who one suspects worked out what was going on and apparently added a darker edge nearer the end of the run and fought back: It was a personal insult to his acting too, after all) - and then when this failed to kill it in the ratings as they'd hoped, the plug was pulled without reason.
They could not manufacture a reason to kill it, that they simply murdered it without any real justification to do so in the ratings.
It has remained a consistent best-seller for BBC video worldwide (and that was where the film came from: Still popular to justify ignoring central BBC and getting it done with American money and co-operation instead. Pity that American influence fucked up the film because Paul McGann looked to make a good Doctor and if only they could have pulled off the British show but with American money backing it then some really good shit could have come about: Imagine if RTD had that movie's budget instead of the rather more limited BBC one he now has. But, to be fair, they are working miracles for the show on the notoriously tight BBC budgets).
Then the reason Doctor Who is back on our screens was because of a BBC anniversary competition. To celebrate the anniversary, the Radio Times / BBC asked the public what show in all the BBC's history of programming would people like to see resurrected and there was a promise that the show which won would, indeed, be resurrected.
Doctor Who, of course, won this (over twice as many votes as its nearest rival: Further proving that the show always remained popular with the public because it was the clear choice even after so many years off our screens). They had to do it because that was the promise of the competition.
But note closely: Who do they commission to put the show together?
BBC Wales.
Now, I say this with due respect (as I am Welsh, so it's not said on any racial lines), but they delibrately gave it to the worst BBC region they could find.
What I mean is that BBC Wales has the lowest budget and the least experience of any BBC region. They never get any of their programming put on nation-wide across Britain and a chunk of the budget they do get is automatically committed to making Welsh language programming for Welsh language S4C channel (by law: It's part of the deal with government to allow S4C to have its broadcasting licence and tied up with "culture and arts" grants and nonsense like this).
Even in bringing it back, they were still effectively trying to kill it off by not giving it the fair chance it deserved.
Luckily, in doing this, I think they plain forgot that RTD is Welsh and, also being a Doctor Who fan, he'd happily step in under the BBC Wales flag and put the show together because it's a childhood dream of his to do so.
RTD then personally was able to get Eccleston and Tennant onboard because he'd worked with them before.
The cast and crew of the new Doctor Who does look like "nepotism" (and, in the writing department, a conspiracy of Doctor Who fans) at times (except Billie Piper: But she was an unknown quantity which surprised an awful lot of people that she is able to do the part so well) but, in a sense, it has had to be to produce a top quality show against the grain.
But, even then, why was Eccleston's run so short and what was he talking about with "being typecast"? He never satisfactorily explained things because he looked very uncomfortable when the questions were put to him about his decision to leave.
Was he "got at" behind the scenes to give it up with taunts of "your career'll be ruined if you stay with this show" because where did he get the idea of "being typecast" from BEFORE the first series had even been broadcast that he could not have known the full extent of what the recation would or wouldn't be when he made the decision?
And we also see the total disrespect still given to the show regards scheduling its timeslot. Which, as has been rightly pointed out, they'd never mess around like this for any other show of comparable ratings, like Eastenders.
There were certain snobs at the higher levels of the BBC who were embarassed by having "a mere sci-fi kids' show" as one of their strongest programmes when the elitist snobs felt that the BBC should be known for its art and culture and news.
They never liked having Doctor Who on the schedules and they tried poisoning it and then killed it off without any real justification the first time. The public forced them to bring it back and then they've tried to prejudice it into not working (which has only been defeated by Doctor Who fans who are quality writers and RTD getting his "show biz mates" to help him out conspiring to get around it).
But even then, they can't help themselves to fuck up the schedules all the time, in total contradiction to the ratings and praise it is winning.
By the way, this isn't wholly hypothetical because I knew someone who worked for the BBC (admittedly, a while back but presumably many of these faces are still there behind the scenes) and they told me of how there are some seriously elitist snobs in certain parts of the BBC who hate all sci-fi and fantasy because it's "not serious output".
Academic sorts who think only "intellectual arts" programming is worthy of showing their elitist "brilliance". The people who, no doubt, got BBC 4 commissioned with its original "stuffed shirt" attitude of "opera and arts" that had to be watered down because no-one was watching.
They waged a campaign to kill off the old Who because it "embarassed" them and looking at some of the decisions to field it to the BBC region with the lowest budgets and the least experience might possibly suggest that they are still doing it even now.
The (possibly slightly racist) miscalculation was to forget that Wales has some leading animators - good CGI special effects on the cheap - and someone like RTD who'd be wholly committed to the project. Plus the draw that the show has for other people like Mark Gatiss and the other writers. All of whom are happy to be doing it, even if it doesn't command the greatest budgets or praise.
I think they were still trying to kill it off by prejudicing against it but you can't keep a good show down. They only managed to stop it last time by pulling the plug when there wasn't really justification to do so. Even when the ratings fell near the end, the original series was still doing comparatively well compared to the other BBC shows at that time and nothing that was brought in afterwards to replace it came anywhere near even Doctor Who's bad ratings.
The new series is good despite how some in the BBC would actually dearly love to see it fail and die.
Let us not forget that the original Who was delibrately murdered.
They tried to undermine it with cast choices - Sylvester McCoy, Bonnie Langford, Sophie Aldred (but fair play to McCoy who one suspects worked out what was going on and apparently added a darker edge nearer the end of the run and fought back: It was a personal insult to his acting too, after all) - and then when this failed to kill it in the ratings as they'd hoped, the plug was pulled without reason.
They could not manufacture a reason to kill it, that they simply murdered it without any real justification to do so in the ratings.
It has remained a consistent best-seller for BBC video worldwide (and that was where the film came from: Still popular to justify ignoring central BBC and getting it done with American money and co-operation instead. Pity that American influence fucked up the film because Paul McGann looked to make a good Doctor and if only they could have pulled off the British show but with American money backing it then some really good shit could have come about: Imagine if RTD had that movie's budget instead of the rather more limited BBC one he now has. But, to be fair, they are working miracles for the show on the notoriously tight BBC budgets).
Then the reason Doctor Who is back on our screens was because of a BBC anniversary competition. To celebrate the anniversary, the Radio Times / BBC asked the public what show in all the BBC's history of programming would people like to see resurrected and there was a promise that the show which won would, indeed, be resurrected.
Doctor Who, of course, won this (over twice as many votes as its nearest rival: Further proving that the show always remained popular with the public because it was the clear choice even after so many years off our screens). They had to do it because that was the promise of the competition.
But note closely: Who do they commission to put the show together?
BBC Wales.
Now, I say this with due respect (as I am Welsh, so it's not said on any racial lines), but they delibrately gave it to the worst BBC region they could find.
What I mean is that BBC Wales has the lowest budget and the least experience of any BBC region. They never get any of their programming put on nation-wide across Britain and a chunk of the budget they do get is automatically committed to making Welsh language programming for Welsh language S4C channel (by law: It's part of the deal with government to allow S4C to have its broadcasting licence and tied up with "culture and arts" grants and nonsense like this).
Even in bringing it back, they were still effectively trying to kill it off by not giving it the fair chance it deserved.
Luckily, in doing this, I think they plain forgot that RTD is Welsh and, also being a Doctor Who fan, he'd happily step in under the BBC Wales flag and put the show together because it's a childhood dream of his to do so.
RTD then personally was able to get Eccleston and Tennant onboard because he'd worked with them before.
The cast and crew of the new Doctor Who does look like "nepotism" (and, in the writing department, a conspiracy of Doctor Who fans) at times (except Billie Piper: But she was an unknown quantity which surprised an awful lot of people that she is able to do the part so well) but, in a sense, it has had to be to produce a top quality show against the grain.
But, even then, why was Eccleston's run so short and what was he talking about with "being typecast"? He never satisfactorily explained things because he looked very uncomfortable when the questions were put to him about his decision to leave.
Was he "got at" behind the scenes to give it up with taunts of "your career'll be ruined if you stay with this show" because where did he get the idea of "being typecast" from BEFORE the first series had even been broadcast that he could not have known the full extent of what the recation would or wouldn't be when he made the decision?
And we also see the total disrespect still given to the show regards scheduling its timeslot. Which, as has been rightly pointed out, they'd never mess around like this for any other show of comparable ratings, like Eastenders.
There were certain snobs at the higher levels of the BBC who were embarassed by having "a mere sci-fi kids' show" as one of their strongest programmes when the elitist snobs felt that the BBC should be known for its art and culture and news.
They never liked having Doctor Who on the schedules and they tried poisoning it and then killed it off without any real justification the first time. The public forced them to bring it back and then they've tried to prejudice it into not working (which has only been defeated by Doctor Who fans who are quality writers and RTD getting his "show biz mates" to help him out conspiring to get around it).
But even then, they can't help themselves to fuck up the schedules all the time, in total contradiction to the ratings and praise it is winning.
By the way, this isn't wholly hypothetical because I knew someone who worked for the BBC (admittedly, a while back but presumably many of these faces are still there behind the scenes) and they told me of how there are some seriously elitist snobs in certain parts of the BBC who hate all sci-fi and fantasy because it's "not serious output".
Academic sorts who think only "intellectual arts" programming is worthy of showing their elitist "brilliance". The people who, no doubt, got BBC 4 commissioned with its original "stuffed shirt" attitude of "opera and arts" that had to be watered down because no-one was watching.
They waged a campaign to kill off the old Who because it "embarassed" them and looking at some of the decisions to field it to the BBC region with the lowest budgets and the least experience might possibly suggest that they are still doing it even now.
The (possibly slightly racist) miscalculation was to forget that Wales has some leading animators - good CGI special effects on the cheap - and someone like RTD who'd be wholly committed to the project. Plus the draw that the show has for other people like Mark Gatiss and the other writers. All of whom are happy to be doing it, even if it doesn't command the greatest budgets or praise.
I think they were still trying to kill it off by prejudicing against it but you can't keep a good show down. They only managed to stop it last time by pulling the plug when there wasn't really justification to do so. Even when the ratings fell near the end, the original series was still doing comparatively well compared to the other BBC shows at that time and nothing that was brought in afterwards to replace it came anywhere near even Doctor Who's bad ratings.
The new series is good despite how some in the BBC would actually dearly love to see it fail and die.
"Words ought to be a little wild - for they are assaults of thought on the unthinking."
- John Maynard Keynes
- John Maynard Keynes
-
HGFB
- Sheepie Whore
- Posts: 23575
- Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2002 8:51 pm 0
- Location: At my desk. Tap tap tapping.
Final viewing figures for the season's third episode, School Reunion (broadcast on April 29), are in: according to the BARB, with timeshifted viewings taken into account, the episode was watched by an average of 8.31 million viewers, the twelfth most watched programme of the week and the fifth highest ranking television show. This is an upwards adjustment of approximately 700,000 additional viewers. Also, BBC3 repeat of "School Reunion" on Friday night May 5 was watched by 430,900 viewers (2.8% audience share), seventh for the evening on the non-terrestrial channels, peaking at 471,200 viewers. Interestingly, the earlier repeat of "School Reunion" on Sunday April 30 achieved a massive Audience Appreciation Index (AI) score of 89.
Meanwhile, the latest transmitted episode this season, The Girl in the Fireplace broadcast last Saturday (May 6), achieved another high initial AI figure of 84, the second-highest ranking of Saturday evening. The Sunday evening (May 7) repeat of the episode on BBC3 was watched by 686,000 viewers (3.5% audience share) according to Viewingfigures, peaking in the five-minute intervals at the end of the transmission to 878,000 viewers, ranked fifth in the non-terrestrial channels for the evening. The installment of "Doctor Who Confidential Cut Down" that immediately preceded it had 299,000 viewers (1.8% audience share). The AI ranking for the Saturday night episode of "Confidential" (May 6) was 82
My bag is called Mr Shitface
-
DutchLlama
- Baaaaaaa!
- Posts: 6038
- Joined: Fri May 03, 2002 1:09 pm 0
- Location: Fhloston Paradise with llovely Leeloo... Sweet! :)
Exactly, they had some excellent episodes near the end such as Battlefield, Ghostlight and The Curse of Fenric.KlaxonCow wrote:They tried to undermine it with cast choices - Sylvester McCoy, Bonnie Langford, Sophie Aldred (but fair play to McCoy who one suspects worked out what was going on and apparently added a darker edge nearer the end of the run and fought back: It was a personal insult to his acting too, after all) - and then when this failed to kill it in the ratings as they'd hoped, the plug was pulled without reason.
Most people who completely slag him off stopped watching when he did naff shows like the one with the monster who was built up from liqourice sweets.
Boy: "Have you met monsters before?" The Doctor: "Yes."
Boy: "Are you scared of them?" The Doctor: "No, they are scared of me!"
Boy: "Are you scared of them?" The Doctor: "No, they are scared of me!"
Yes, I stopped watching it religiously at the end of Peter Davison's era, stopped watching completely the instant they replaced Nicola Bryant (Peri) with Bonnie Langford (aargh!), but did start watching again when they got rid of her and introduced Sophie Aldred (Ace).DutchLlama wrote:Most people who completely slag him off stopped watching when he did naff shows like the one with the monster who was built up from liqourice sweets.
However, the appalling Bertie Bassett robot of death and the horrid sickly allegorical story put me off Doctor Who completely until the start of Christopher Ecclestone's run.
I think in hindsight that might have prejudiced me against Sylvester McCoy. I recently bought Remembrance of the Daleks on DVD and he's actually quite good.
"I am a very considerate person. If I want to go out all night on my miniature golf course and shoot lizards, well, no reason to keep the neighbours awake..."
What is people's problem with The Happiness Patrol? It rocked.Firefox wrote:Yes, I stopped watching it religiously at the end of Peter Davison's era, stopped watching completely the instant they replaced Nicola Bryant (Peri) with Bonnie Langford (aargh!), but did start watching again when they got rid of her and introduced Sophie Aldred (Ace).DutchLlama wrote:Most people who completely slag him off stopped watching when he did naff shows like the one with the monster who was built up from liqourice sweets.
However, the appalling Bertie Bassett robot of death and the horrid sickly allegorical story put me off Doctor Who completely until the start of Christopher Ecclestone's run.
I think in hindsight that might have prejudiced me against Sylvester McCoy. I recently bought Remembrance of the Daleks on DVD and he's actually quite good.