This past year since the show was last on the air, I’ve been rewatching a bunch of classic serials, and quite enjoying the longer format. It’s delightful to have big chunks of story developing over several episodes, not unlike the double (or rare triple) whammys we’ve had in the modern show.
It’s got me thinking, given the difficulties the BBC seem to have shouldering the expense of producing Doctor Who these days — wouldn’t it be feasible to release one or two multi-episode “event” series per year, one finished story each, plus a holiday special?
Altogether they could land at eight or less episodes a year, with lower production costs (say, locations and casting) across each serial. I’m sure there are still quarries and stately manors that weren’t used during Tom Baker’s stint, or deserve a revisit…
Maybe it will even be more realistic to fit a few blocks of shooting in between the main cast’s other engagements, and we could have a steady TARDIS team for (gasp!) three years or more?
Yeah, I’m reaching. Anything would be better than this current “hurry up and wait” BS.
Oh, I’m sure. What I actually know about TV production is vastly overshadowed by the confidence with which I present it 😄
I do assume creating sets and finding locations for one limited series would be cheaper than for the same number of individual episodes. Similarly casting the roles. And I would suppose different serials could be shot in one block if that saves money, too?
But I barely understand how a TV works, much less how shows end up on it. Like I said, I’m grasping for any straw of a likely way to see Doctor Who semi-regularly back on screen.