Comments on: Next Doctor Who to premiere on iView

By: Pimpernel Red

Pimpernel Red — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 06:17:01 +0000

Well, I also don’t have to bandwidth to waste time viewing on iView.

And as the shows now made in HD whats the point of watching it in “medium” SD?

I’m old enough Not to have to “See it now”, and am quiet happy to wait for the Blu-ray boxset in November , or when ever.

Give it ten years and delivery of content via the web will probably become standard.

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:48:58 +0000

Who cares about iView. It is great that the ABC is only waiting 2 weeks to who the episodes rather than the usual 2+ months.

By: Barrie

Barrie — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:20:09 +0000

I have ADSL2+ and everytime I have tried iview it has been very stuttery and almost unwatchable. I won’t try again until isp’s provide a faster service and quota free. In the UK the BBC player is available via virgin and sky set top boxes and runs like any normal tv show.

By: Craig

Craig — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:45:17 +0000

I agree for die-hard fans 2 hours is too much so 2 weeks… but I’m sure they will re-watch it on ABC.

I have unmetered access to iView as well but with a 1.5Mb connection you really can’t have anyone else doing anything on the connection at the same time without it being choppy, still way better than the services from the commercial networks.

By: astrogirl

astrogirl — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:02:33 +0000

Well, my ISP does Not give me unmetered iView so I’ll probably just wait the extra day and watch it on tv. I don’t see the point in using up my quota just to see it a day earlier. As others have said, if this was happening even a few days after the UK premiere then I would -totally- be watching on iview – just not at 12am though because I expect the site will be slooooow when everyone else hits it.

Its a little bit frustrating though to be honest. I know two weeks isn’t a lot compared to other shows we wait for, and its really good that the ABC is making the effort to get it to us sooner. But when you are involved in online communities and everyone from the UK (and the US) are talking about the current ep of something, you feel kinda left out when you have to wait however long (2 weeks in this case) to see it. If they could have premiered it the same weekend… would have been Awesome. Could be discussing it with online friends. Instead I guess I’ll be avoiding the internet for two weeks to try and stay spoiler free! : /

By: No_Netcensor

No_Netcensor — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:26:52 +0000

@Dr Rudi – I think ABC might be doing this due to the show’s track record on iView.

According to the ABC TV blog:
“Doctor Who was ABC TV’s highest rating program on iView in April to December last year – with 378,000 views during that period.”

By: David Knox

David Knox — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:42:10 +0000

I might if it was a first… Sea Patrol and others already beat them to online premieres.

By: Dr Rudi

Dr Rudi — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:39:05 +0000

This is a far more intriguing decision from a ‘content delivery’ perspective. I love my iView, but I’ll take or leave Dr Who.

(Disclaimer – my ISP provides iView quota free).

David, you must have an editorial comment here ? The future of television?

By: No_Netcensor

No_Netcensor — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:38:04 +0000

ABC is heading in the right direction by trimming the broadcast delay to 2 weeks, but the iView thing seems a bit of a waste of effort.

If the iView option was something like the day after its UK debut, yes I’d agree it’d provide a legit option for those who will otherwise seek the program elsewhere. But if a fan was prepared to hold off for the 2 weeks awaiting ABC’s Sunday broadcast, why on earth would they jump the gun by 48 hours to experience a streamed LoFi version after patiently waiting 2 weeks?

As Paul says: it only seems to prove those in charge at ABC just can’t grasp how to properly handle and market the show… they just don’t have a clue.

By: Jack!

Jack! — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:32:24 +0000

Great to see that the ABC has finally done right by fans and will screen the new series of Doctor Who with a minimal delay … almost “fast-tracking” for them!
It will be a very successful season, just the little info available through the web and magazines is enough to convince me of that …
David Tennant is greatly missed but this will blow us away!
Thank you ABC!

Jack!

By: Sydney2K

Sydney2K — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:18:08 +0000

Your absence from the ratings will not be missed, Paul.

By: Madame Tango

Madame Tango — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:32:18 +0000

April 3 for the BBC and the same weekend for BBC America from memory!! Its a great turn-around. Not quite UKTV and Torchwood but a lot better than our last wait!!

By: Tony

Tony — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:17:27 +0000

Congratulations to the ABC on responding to the fans and airing this series sooner than expected.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:06:17 +0000

Marco – yep, they really did. Like we couldn’t wait to sit through the show about to begin, so let’s just have the poignant sign off ahead of schedule and we can turn to another channel. It’s not accidental, they really are consistently appallingly bad in promoting this show. I have no confidence this will change at all when Matt Smith’s episodes begin.

So, the viewer can either look forward to more of the same or switch to watching it on Blu Ray and have done with it. I’ve written to the ABC, and they don’t seem to get it. Other shows don’t get promoted this stupidly on the ABC, which leads one to wonder just how little concern or understanding those responsible have in making sensible promos for Doctor Who. The BBC does know, so why we can’t have them revoiced? Maybe Aunty thinks it’s fun to have the ending of anticipated stories ruined. ABC: your home of mystery and suspense!

By: Craig

Craig — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:59:27 +0000

This is good, even though iView pauses sometimes for me watch it on there then Sunday on the big TV!

When does it start in the UK?

By: Marco

Marco — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:49:50 +0000

Paul, I didn’t watch the Australian airing of The End of Time Part 2, but that’s a disgrace if they used the 10th Doctor’s final words in the ad for the show! Total craziness.

That’s a fairly good turnaround ABC for the new episodes (a fortnight behind the UK) but unfortunately not quick enough for I suspect most die hard fans.