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September 5th, 2018 68 comments

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Official – The Woman Who Fell to Earth Sunday 7th October

The last time viewers saw the Doctor, she was falling from her TARDIS so it’s about time for the Doctor to land. This time it’s all change, as Doctor Who is moving to Sunday nights, launching on Sunday 7 October.

Never before in the show’s history has an entire series descended to earth on a Sunday. This year marks a brand new era with a new Showrunner, a new Doctor, new friends and a whole host of new monsters – so it’s only fitting that the new Time Lord will land in a new time zone on BBC One.

Chris Chibnall, Showrunner, says: “New Doctor, new home! Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor is about to burst into Sunday nights – and make the end of the weekend so much more exciting. Get everybody’s homework done, sort out your Monday clothes, then grab some special Sunday night popcorn, and settle down with all of the family for Sunday night adventures across space and time. (Also, move the sofa away from the wall so parents can hide behind it during the scary bits). The Thirteenth Doctor is falling from the sky and it’s going to be a blast.”

Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content, says: “With Chris Chibnall at the helm and Jodie Whittaker’s arrival as the new Doctor we are heralding a brand new era for the show and so it feels only right to give it a new home on Sunday nights at the heart of BBC One’s Autumn schedule. ”

Showrunner Chris Chibnall has written the first episode of the brand new series which is titled The Woman Who Fell to Earth. With the Doctor on her way it’s only a matter of time before viewers can enjoy being transported out of this world this autumn.

You can pre-order the series 11 DVD, Blu-ray and Steelbook from www.amazon.co.uk


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68 comments

  • Sam

    September 11th, 2018 - 10:15am

    Bit of a wait for Series 11 usually it returns mid september.

    Reply
  • whovian

    September 10th, 2018 - 11:26pm

    “Never before in the show’s history has an entire series descended to earth on a Sunday.” I think I might be reading a bit too much into that.

    Reply
  • Tim M

    September 6th, 2018 - 10:09am

    The writing and style of the RTD era was perfect for Saturday nights. Moffat’s convoluted jump back and forth timey wimey story telling wasn’t really suitable for a Saturday night.

    Reply
    • Doctor Stu

      September 6th, 2018 - 10:39am

      Yeh on a Saturday you want to sit down and have some light entertainment that’s emotional, action pact, well acted and is a good drama for the family. You don’t need to be jumping back and forth and not having a clue what’s going on

    • Anonymous

      September 6th, 2018 - 11:16am

      Sorry, but I always knew what was going on. Never found moffatts writing confusing, I followed it easily

    • Tim M

      September 6th, 2018 - 11:48am

      Series 6 is most guilty for being convoluted and jumping back and forth. Certainly not suitable for a Saturday night, and even less suitable being split into two series over a year. If Chibnall and the team keep it fairly straight forward, with a beginning, middle and end (and in THAT order) it could be a great success.

    • The Moffat Paradox

      September 6th, 2018 - 3:31pm

      Moffat’s convoluted jump back and forth timey wimey story telling wasn’t really suitable for the whole series if someone else as head writer/produce like RTD wasn’t keeping him in check.

      Then you must be able to follow what the rest of us find annoying incoherence in his time at Who Anonymous like Missy revealed as being in the vault in “Extremis” without any explanation of how she escaped in one piece from Skaro at the end of his “The Witches Familiar”. Quentin Tarrantino jumps back and forth in his storytelling as well but he doesn’t leave unexplained gaps.

    • Anonymous

      September 6th, 2018 - 5:32pm

      The classic era never explained how the master survived! Stranded in castrovalva, stuck on xeriphas without a functioning tardis, burnt to a crisp on sarn, trapped in an out of control tardis with dinosaurs! Not a single explanation was given. Don’t criticise one person for doing what the series has always done

    • Doctor Stu

      September 6th, 2018 - 6:44pm

      Well Moffat continued on from RTD’s New Who, who set a precedent of explaining why things actually happened so Moffat should have continued that trend. Even something like the Doctor being inside the Teselcata was just plain stupid. Might have got a ‘gasp’ but doesn’t make a lick of sense considering how resalistic the doctors actions and dialogue are throughout the entirety of the wedding of riversong compared to the dead pan movements and speech of the Teselecta in Lets Kill Hitler but gotta deliver that shock I guess. Just one of many stupid things

    • The Moffat Paradox

      September 6th, 2018 - 10:47pm

      Anonymous. All those examples of plot irresolution and inconsistency you in fairness correctly identify with each reappearance of the Anthony Ainley Master (who I otherwise liked second only to Roger Delgado in the classic series) coincided with when John Nathan Turner was in charge who of course has become synonymous with the nadir of the classic series.

      Prior to him there was no glaring obvious ambiguity about what happened in plot development so that in the Pertwee era which introduced the Roger Delgado Master from “Terror Of The Autons” through after him clearly fleeing at end of “Frontier In Space” we knew the character was still at large (or captured) to then later reappear in disfigured virtually skeletal form in the Tom Baker story “The Deadly Assassin.”

      Prior to Nathan Turner it was never always thus and Moffat when he got the reigns didn’t just emulate this bad precedent in the modern series. He made it worse,

    • The Outcast

      September 7th, 2018 - 9:36am

      @Anonymous alot of those have been explained away by expanded media though (or at-least, most of them). Also, alot of the Tremas Master’s stories take place directly after the last (or atleast, for him they do), so we do get hints.

      As for Missy’s escape from Skaro, apparently the explanation from that is hidden with in “The Italian Job” or something like that, though I’d imagine we’ll get a proper explanation from Big Finish at some-point, maybe in their upcoming Missy boxset.

    • Anonymous

      September 7th, 2018 - 5:23pm

      Yes but unless you follow expanded media it’s meaningless. Just because something is retrospectively explained in a CD or book doesn’t make it correct. I found Davies writing overblown and saccharine at times. Doesn’t mean I didn’t watch or that I was up in arms demanding change. It’s just a tv show, it really doesn’t matter. There is so much more in the world to worry about. I still get the feeling that most of the complainers will not care if it’s good or not. They’ll just complain. People complain about chibnall’s lack of who experience, nobody mentions that Davies wrote one who novel before becoming head writer! One novel! All three head writers have had big successful series outside of who. For God’s sake will people just be thankful that we even have doctor who on tv.

    • Tyler Prescott

      September 7th, 2018 - 5:40pm

      Series 6:
      The Impossible Astronaut – The Doctor is shot, then comes back to life at a different point in time

      Day of the Moon – The little girl begins to regenerate, she might be Amy’s daughter

      The Almost People – Amy turns into flesh, turns out she was flesh from before TIA

      A Good Man Goes To War – Amy is at Demons Run, but her baby turns into flesh, turns out she grows up to be River Song

      Let’s Kill Hitler – Mels turns out to be Melody, Amy and Rory’s daughter, also River Song, also the girl who regenerated in DotM

      The God Complex – The TARDIS lands in a hotel which is actually a hologram for some reason

      Closing Time – The Doctor is going to die

      The Wedding of River Song – The Doctor is shot, but he isn’t, and then ‘everything happens at once’, then he marries River, but then that never happened because he fixes time. Also, the Doctor on the beach turns out to be the Teselecta from LKH, so the whole ‘River doesn’t kill the Doctor’ subplot is irrelevant anyway, as that wasn’t the Doctor. The Doctor finally tells River his name, except she doesn’t, and everything goes back to normal. Amy (who has previously kissed the Doctor) finds out she’s his mother-in-law…

      And that’s not confusing, especially for casual viewers?

    • Anonymous

      September 7th, 2018 - 7:29pm

      No it wasn’t. I know lot’s of people who only started watching from Matt Smith’s era, including children, and not one complained about it being complicated. I still remember an eight year old telling her grandmother exactly what was going on. And she got it all right. The only people complaining are fans who just don’t like Moffat. Which is pointless! He was in charge, his era was massively popular across the world, now he’s left. What is the point in whinging!

  • Gordon

    September 6th, 2018 - 8:58am

    With the recent success of poldark and the bodyguard on Sunday nights for the bbc it makes sense to move doctor who to a day that is becoming quite prestigious. Saturday maybe the traditional slot for doctor who but with how saturday’s are more for light entertainment and how the last season wasn’t the best ratings maybe change is a good thing. It worked in 1982. Ratings were way up from season 18 so it makes changing day worth trying

    Reply
    • arthurian2

      September 6th, 2018 - 3:40pm

      Poldark and The Bodyguard are on at 9.00pm generally a slot allotted to drama. Dr Who will be on either before the Strictly results, which usually air at 7.15, or after. I would imagine that they would be more likely to put it on before those results. That said I think the first episode could get the later slot as they will try and capitalise on the hype.

  • DoctorYou

    September 5th, 2018 - 10:30pm

    I’m all for the change, but here in Australia, doctor who has always been on a Sunday (because that’s the closest time we can get it to England) so I believe this change will mean doctor who will be changed to a Monday here, something not completely ideal and as Australia makes up a large amount of the doctor who fans, something that might not go down so well. But as far as I can tell, nothing official has been announced by the ABC so we will just have to wait and see…

    Reply
    • The Outcast

      September 6th, 2018 - 11:45am

      It has been confirmed us Aussies will get it on the 8th (though I believe it’ll still be simulcast like in the past).

    • Mick C

      September 6th, 2018 - 11:26pm

      Yep will be setting the Alarm Clock for about 5am Monday Morning to watch it on ABC(Australia) Iview.

    • The Outcast

      September 7th, 2018 - 9:30am

      As will I. I can’t do anything on the computer unless I’ve watched Doctor Who, cause otherwise I’d get massively spoiled.

  • The Moffat Paradox

    September 5th, 2018 - 8:58pm

    Now there’s a confirmed date I’m as one here who’s opposed here the gender change not intending to watch on the actual date. I intend to record/iPlayer it after seeing the reaction here up to three episodes in .Then considering watching after taking a “Deep Breath” .(Pun intended.)

    It’s been argued on social media that Who’s inherently OK because it could recover from this being a disaster because of the series’s regeneration premise; just rush in another actor as the 14th male Doctor (Unlike the mess that’s potentially been made of the “prime universe” of Star Trek with Star Trek Discovery.)

    But let’s suppose us naysayers here are to be proved wrong;it’s now getting to crunch time for Moffat (because though he’s left he made this change in the Who universe possible) and Chibnall et al to show that they REALLY DO KNOW what they are doing.

    Reply
  • 1

    September 5th, 2018 - 8:41pm

    I think it might work on a Sunday. I think if they show it at 7:00 then that will be the right time for families to able to watch & providing it’s on constantly at 7:00, then I think it will do well.

    Reply
  • Pats86

    September 5th, 2018 - 8:27pm

    Better for me as Saturday evening were always difficult for numerous reasons, will see how it goes.

    Reply
  • When The Doctor Was Me

    September 5th, 2018 - 6:42pm

    Finally! We have out a date! I really do feel that the move to Sunday evenings is a brilliant Choice. No one stays in on a Saturday night to watch drama anymore. I personally had my doubts about series 11, But Since Learning more and more, this is the most excited i have been in years! Proably since the 50th. Cannot wait!

    Reply
  • Simon

    September 5th, 2018 - 5:41pm

    In the early 80’s Dr Who was moved from a Saturday night to a Monday Tuesday for Davidson’s 1st season and then moving through out the weeks for the rest of his years and then moving back to a Saturday from Colin’s and then McCoy’s seasons.

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      September 5th, 2018 - 6:15pm

      McCoy never did a saturday

    • the ergon

      September 5th, 2018 - 7:50pm

      Davisons final season was tuesdays and thursdays as i recall. His regeneration into colin Baker was on a thursday.

    • Anonymous

      September 5th, 2018 - 8:24pm

      Davison’s second weekly episode was Friday’s. I know because I missed frontios 2 as I was knocked down that day!

    • the ergon

      September 6th, 2018 - 12:58am

      I always thought it was tuesdays and thursdays. Youre right it was thursday and friday. I know it was late in the week because i used to record the episodes onto a tape recorder at my Nans and also insisted no one make so much as a noise whyllst recording. We had the VHS VCR to record so mum or dad were left with taping responsibilities.I just liked hearing the audio recordings on my D90 cassettes at night.

    • Simon

      September 6th, 2018 - 11:05pm

      Sorry McCoy was a Monday and a Wednesday just got it a little mixed up.

    • Simon

      September 6th, 2018 - 11:08pm

      Twin Dilemma and on a Thursday and a Friday an from Attack of the Cybermen it went back to a Saturday.

  • Tim M

    September 5th, 2018 - 5:25pm

    The question next is, what time on Sunday will the new series be shown? I think an 8.00pm timeslot would be ideal.

    Reply
  • Tim M

    September 5th, 2018 - 4:37pm

    I think Sunday nights are perfect for the new series. I just wish they did the same with the Sylvester McCoy years. Most of those episodes seemed well suited to a Sunday night, and who knows…maybe it would have been more successful.

    Reply
  • R1ch1e

    September 5th, 2018 - 3:45pm

    I think this is very positive. It has always been in limbo on a saturday. Every year since series 1 it has been at the mercy of schedulers. Sunday night will guarantee a regular time slot (hopefully) and will be much better for the BBC to keep an eye on their precious ratings.

    To be honest I am just so glad it’s got an air date. I’m so excited i would have watched it if it aired in the middle of the night on a Wednesday.

    Reply
    • the ergon

      September 5th, 2018 - 5:44pm

      Saturday used to be traditional doctor who back in the ‘Golden era’ of telly. The medium has shifted so much. Those days of yore when you could watch it transmitted on tuesdays and thursdays.

    • the ergon

      September 6th, 2018 - 1:02am

      and Fridays, which i forgot about.

    • Anonymous

      September 6th, 2018 - 5:33pm

      McCoy was Wednesday’s as well

    • the ergon

      September 6th, 2018 - 9:55pm

      Was more interested in girls and clubbing by the time sylvester came along so missed a few of his on original transmission.

  • Anonymous

    September 5th, 2018 - 2:58pm

    I like Sundays as no strictly (clash)

    Reply
    • Doctor Stu

      September 5th, 2018 - 3:58pm

      it would never have clashed with strictly they’re shown on the same channel. I also don’t understand how the move is good because X factor is shown on Saturday’s and Sunday’s now and so that clash is still there

    • booboo

      September 5th, 2018 - 4:46pm

      I think its because Saturday night ratings have been falling badly across all channels of late but programs have done well on a Sunday and they are clearly trying to make it “family viewing time” – something not easily duplicated with catch up or recordings, I can see the logic – time will tell if the gamble pays off

    • the ergon

      September 5th, 2018 - 5:47pm

      The likes of The x factor has been falling year by year. Now down to 5m viewers approximately.

    • Doctor Stu

      September 5th, 2018 - 6:17pm

      That’s about the same as Doctor who series 10, they’re about level in their rubbish viewing figures

    • the ergon

      September 5th, 2018 - 7:48pm

      People don,t get tied to the telly. Its all catch up later. whatever doc who viewing figures generate all get tallied up later with iplayer and the like. X factors about 8pm so i,m thinking they may have the 7pm slot.

    • R1ch1e

      September 5th, 2018 - 8:22pm

      I think 7pm too the Ergon. Doesnt Strictly have a results show at 8pm on Sundays? Or is it my imagination?

    • The Temporal Jelly Baby

      September 5th, 2018 - 8:42pm

      7pm sounds like a good time to me.

    • the ergon

      September 6th, 2018 - 1:00am

      And also they usually have the big sunday Drama at 9pm.

  • Anonymous

    September 5th, 2018 - 2:34pm

    Great I have to do my homework earlier know.

    Reply
  • Doctor Stu

    September 5th, 2018 - 2:00pm

    Also I hope The Doctor has already fallen to earth when the episode starts. This is a new launch for the show, they’re trying to attract new viewers and a new following and I can’t think of anything worse to attract and maintain new viewers than a cringey, cgi, falling through the air scene similar to the god awful ‘permission to squee’ sequence from Death in Heaven.

    Reply
  • Doctor Stu

    September 5th, 2018 - 1:42pm

    That whole quote from Chibnall sounds like he’s promoting a CBBC children’s show, god I hope they don’t make it extremely childish like Moffatt. I want the same tone as the RTD era to come back.

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      September 5th, 2018 - 2:35pm

      Same, although apparently Jodie season will be dark.

    • Anonymous

      September 5th, 2018 - 2:36pm

      No, because farting aliens weren’t childish at all, were they? And Peter Capaldi’s era was really light hearted and would have worked on CBBC, right?

    • Anonymous

      September 5th, 2018 - 3:10pm

      Farting aliens who killed people, and wore humans flesh as skin are very childish.

    • Doctor Stu

      September 5th, 2018 - 3:57pm

      Yeh exactly, the releasing of gas due to the pressure of them shrinking themselves to squeeze into the skin of a dead person is a lot less child friendly than Matt Smith barking at an alien in Rings of Akhaten for one example

    • Mick C

      September 6th, 2018 - 11:44pm

      Would anyone have ever said, the Slitherens would work better if they had them Farting, doubt it. The Farting Slitherens was Childish and unnessecary done for cheap laughs and added nothing to the story line.
      People call Dr Who a Kids show, it’s not. It’s a Family show that has fans from 2 to 102.

    • Anonymous

      September 8th, 2018 - 5:36pm

      The farting did add something to the story line, when the doctor was trying to figure out what planet they came from, the slitheren farting helped them out, and in doing so helped save mickey and Jackie Tyler’s life.

  • The Temporal Jelly Baby

    September 5th, 2018 - 1:31pm

    I think airing it on Sundays is a good decision. Less competition for ratings. I’m really looking forward to this!

    Reply
  • The Outcast

    September 5th, 2018 - 1:24pm

    The Woman Who Fell to Earth ay? That was rumoured for quite a while.

    Well, atleast this whole air date debacle is out the way, so we can all get to wondering where the next trailer is.

    Reply
  • whovian

    September 5th, 2018 - 1:23pm

    Why change the date? It has always been aired on a Saturday (apart from Xmas etc.) I just hope that after all of the hype that has been made for it, that its actually decent. 10 episodes instead of the usual 12/13 and being an hour each one (The Woman Who Fell to Earth being 65 (1 hour and 5 Mins long). Hopefully it will get a permanent time slot and not be messed around in the schedule.

    Reply
    • booboo

      September 5th, 2018 - 1:33pm

      Dramas tend to do well on Sundays, not surprised by this

    • whovian

      September 5th, 2018 - 2:41pm

      I disagree booboo.

    • booboo

      September 5th, 2018 - 2:44pm

      disagree all you like but its a well known fact really.

    • the ergon

      September 5th, 2018 - 5:35pm

      If you look at saturday nights as it stands, everything is light entertainment quiz shows and reality telly. Doctor who would just get lost again in a tidal wave of guff like The X Factor,saturday Night Takeaway or I,m a celebrity. I,m glad its moving to the sunday slot to give it a better deal in the ratings and would precede some high class sunday drama(s) by an hour. the title has been bandied about some time now, so not much of a surprise there. I,m sure all the magazines including Radio Times will be trying to push to get the seasons titles out first.

    • Who rules

      September 5th, 2018 - 6:21pm

      Boo boo is right, drama does better traditionally on a Sunday than a saturday. It really is a fact! I don’t think it makes any difference what day it’s on. You only have to look at the old series ratings to see that a Saturday was just as variable as any other day. For every episode that did well on a Saturday another did poorly. It really doesn’t mean anything in the modern world what day a show is on.

    • whovian

      September 5th, 2018 - 10:06pm

      Must just be me that’s not keen on the Sunday launch. Even my best mate doesn’t mind about the day change, and just wishes it was on sooner. Another thing to consider and take on board is the point that series 12 (assuming that it does happen) won’t be on until the same time next year or even 2020 because of how many months it takes to make a series.

    • Anonymous

      September 6th, 2018 - 10:09am

      They made the series earlier they are just showing it later. The same will happen next year.

    • Mick C

      September 6th, 2018 - 11:53pm

      Been on Sunday Nights at 7.30-7.45 in Australia since the restart in 2005 without change to give you a bit of an idea about how succesful Sunday nights can be. I suspect ABC Australia won’t be to happy about the change.

  • Anonymous

    September 5th, 2018 - 1:19pm

    About time!
    I thought it would be a sunday, althoufh saturday is tradition, tjis will help the show massivley

    Reply

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