Doctor Who: Why the long gaps between series are worth it

Us Doctor Who fans have had to put up with quite a few long gaps over the years, especially the last decade. But for a series as unique as this one, those long gaps might be worth it.

A common complaint I’ve heard from a few Doctor Who fans over the years – one that’s not really to do with any of the episodes themselves – is regarding the long gaps between series. Considering we’ve had gaps range from just under a year to over eighteen months – with a special in between if we’re lucky – we don’t seem to get the show that often at all.

These gaps especially stand out when compared to US shows. In Britain, ten to thirteen episodes a year is a lot. (No, seriously, it is.) But when you look at a lot of US series, many of them tend to release over twenty episodes each year.

This is, admittedly, becoming less common now, as many popular shows are releasing around ten episodes or even less each year. But there are still many series which feature over twenty episodes a season (Riverdale, Supernatural and many DC shows are just a few examples).

So why does Doctor Who have such long gaps if the episode count isn’t that big? Why can’t we get a new series sooner? Well, for one thing, we really need to look at what makes it so unique in the first place.

Almost every series of Doctor Who features a mix of present day stories, historical adventures and off-world settings. Unsurprisingly, a series like that requires a LOT of work.

(Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC. Image courtesy of: BBC Press.)

Huge sense of scale

The key thing to remember is that Doctor Who can go not just anywhere but also any-when. We know this, since this is the key idea of the show. But we also need to remember how much the series really lives up to that idea.

Let’s look at Series 11. Even just the first half will do. The first episode gave us an adventure set in the present day. Nothing too extravagant, other than the big tooth monster, of course.

However, things change in the following episodes. Every single week, in fact. The second episode gave us an adventure on a barren alien world; the third, in 1950s America; the fourth returned to present day Earth, but that was only for a brief break before we were on a spaceship the very next episode.

Just try to think of any other series that has that sense of scale. Think of any other series where the locations and settings change that much every week. Despite loving so much about the show, honestly, I think it’s easy to take the series for granted, sometimes.

Because let’s think about what each story needs. Locations, costumes, effects both CGI and practical, makeup and so much more. Many series need these elements too, of course. But do they require most of it to be changed every single week? Very few other series do, even those in the sci-fi genre.

A lot of work

It says a lot that Series 12 began production a year ago already, with filming only completed at the very end of last month. Considering how different every single episode has to be, that’s understandable.

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Whether you love the current era and believe that Whittaker is the greatest Doctor ever, or hate it and think showrunner Chris Chibnall is doing a terrible job, one thing’s clear either way – this is a series that requires a lot of work. Arguably, even more than most of the Classic Series required – while the majority of seasons had 26 episodes, they were usually spread across five or six stories. Still a lot of work, but maybe not quite as much as we get with the New Series.

We’re right to complain, or at least discuss when we think a story is bad. We want the series to be amazing and the best that it could possibly be. But it’s also important to keep in mind exactly how much work does go into it, and why it continues to stand out compared to almost all other series out there. There’s no question that a year is a long time to wait for anything. But I think, in Doctor Who‘s case, that wait is always justified, at least.

What do you think? Do you think over a year – or even more – is worth waiting when it comes to new Doctor Who? Or do you think the series could and should be made quicker? Let us know in the comments below.