7 more episodes of this season will air next year.
As well as the Christmas Special before then.
I'm sure if the BBC had the budgets and the sheer amount of writers and producers that the American shows have we'd likely get more eps per season over here.

Mark

You get 13 episodes a year, which is a quarter of the year's allotment of Saturday evenings. American TV shows can run from 13 episodes to 22, some with filming schedules that would cripple the actors' abilities to do other work. That, I feel, can only do them more good than harm. At one time, the actors were held to an exclusive contract - which royally pissed off Colin Baker when the series went into a hiatus and he was contractually bound not to work elsewhere. He never played his part in the regeneration into McCoy's Doctor.

I also understand that the Who filming schedule can be very tiring, and while the media seems to live the buzz of a regeneration, I think it would be wise to keep the main actor inboard the TARDIS for a few years. Driving them away by wearing them out is not a wise move. The show would get a reputation, and lose the cachet it has. You want good actors to want to be cast as the Doctor because you need good actors to play the Doctor.

The fact that people want a longer series is good - the producers and writers must be doing something right. I'm OK with the current episode count. I'd like to see the series made out of more 2 part stores, with a three after thrown in for good measure. That would allow to plot and character development within each story, and wild lead to some expositions feeling less rushed.

I'd rather have 13 eps of Who + Christmas Special and three 90 minutes of Sherlock than 19 or 20 episodes of just one show.
As much as I like Who (and just in case there's any doubt, I do like Who!) I know that Moffatt has other producing duties, the fact that it's also on a show that I like a great deal helps, I suppose.

Mark

There can be too much of a good thing. One of the planks of showbiz is to keep 'em wanting more.

My only concern is the fashion of breaking TV sies in the middle. That's generally been the signal of a failing show in the USA, and for this reason it unsettles me.

Next year will be a BIG Who year.

I think I prefer the British 10-16 episode series approach than the American 24-episode approach, but I do really dislike split-series. I'm just getting into a Dr. Who Saturday-evening routine, and bang, it's gone. (8-(

Not long until Christmas, Edd, and there's always Merlin to look forward to...

Now I know there's bloody cards and decorations for sale, but Christmas is a way off in everyone but the retail executives' minds, and I don't mind that. I just like the routine of 3 months of a TV show running.

Wo how many episodes left this year..?

I think it's just the Christmas "special" left, but I'm sure Mark will be here soon to clear that up if needs be.

I'm not arguing for 24 episodes. I just think 5 episodes is piss poor. Trying to argue that it's just a mid season break is equally piss poor - three months does not constitute a break; that's the start of a new season, IMO.

Yup, I agree. And I think that's the way lots of people will think of it.

Yep, just the Christmas Special left this year.
Oh and Edd, it's Doctor Who.

I think part of the reason this year is split by such a gap is to help with the celebrations next year.
As Paul said a page or two back (or was it a post or two?) next year is going to be a big Who year.

Mark

Urg noooooo! Using my elite internet skills, it says "Series 7 Episode 5 of 5" on the BBC web site.

I had Saturdays organised around the show for the next few weeks. I should pay more attention to these details, although that wouldn't magic up more episodes. I guess I need to pull out a trans-dimensional hitch-hiking thumb if I want to catch the special next weekend.

<- disappointed

:edit: - thanks Mark. Next year is soooo far away

It'll seem to arrive in record time, they always do these days.

Mark

Plenty of Yank shows have taken a 2/3 month hiatus in the past. Lost being a famous recent example. A hiatus is ok. What annoys me is the timing of it. Had they started with a more "normal" October start time, we could resume in around February and that would be cool.

As for the number of eps. I watch far more 13 ep/season shows these days. Not deliberately, just that the best shows are on cable and have shorter seasons. So 13 is a great number AFAIC.

With this ep, have to say yes - it was emotional. But I'm not sure if I preferred the RTD emotion of Dave's most teary eps Honestly can't decide. Moffat and Smith have definitely changed things and a lot of that I really like. But Dave had a real sense of his loneliness and the change of tone with Matt seems to detract from the sadness of the occasion for me.

Dunno....

Love the ep though.