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Next series of Doctor Who to be split transmission (from the BBC Press Office)
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Live blog: Doctor Who Masterclass by Neil Wilkes (from Digital Spy)

Today's big TV news, then: the next series of Doctor Who will be split in two, with the first seven episodes to air from Easter (when the whole series has aired since the revival), followed by the remaining six in the Autumn, and the regular Christmas special. It seems to have divided opinion, but I quite like it.

While it's been nice to a large, unbroken 13-episode run, this means (as Moffat noted) that kids (and, indeed, fans) will never be a few months away from new Who on the telly, and that we get two season openers and two season finales every year. I hope this doesn't mean they go overboard on the Great Big End Of The Universe finales we've had for all five series so far, though; but it does mean an extra promotional push, which is always a good thing -- it attracts new viewers. Plus Who surely works better as the nights are drawing in, rather than when the distractions of sunny evenings are beginning to open up.

Also worth a quick watch is this two minute video of Moffat making the announcement. In it he mentions something no news article I've seen has covered: that we shouldn't think of this as "one series split in two" but as "two separate series". He has a point when he says that 13 eps of Who is two series compared to most UK shows, true; but, more interestingly (from a fan point of view) will this mean they're branded and released as Series Six and Series Seven? Or are his words here the same as when he called Series Five Series One, and they'll just get released as Series Six Part One & Series Six Part Two (or just the Complete Series Six)?

I know it doesn't really matter, especially to the casual viewer, but as a fan it's the kind of thing we ponder. Well, I ponder.