3. Cliffhangers
Doctor Who has had some great cliffhangers in the past. As far back as the Hartnell stories...the Dalek rising out of the river Thames was a seminal moment in
The Dalek Invasion of Earth. The excellent
Caves of Androzani was a series of bolder and bolder cliffhangers. The Fifth Doctor and Peri are supposedly gunned down by a firing squad. The Doctor crash lands a ship into the planet. And that's
before he regenerates! Modern Who is no exception. Professor Yana being revealed as the Master and then regenerating in the closing moments of
Utopia was positively jaw dropping. The shocking 'regeneration' of the Tenth Doctor at the end of
The Stolen Earth left us with our heads spinning in disbelief, wondering if David Tennant was leaving much sooner than we expected. And then there's Amy being revealed as the Flesh in the end of
The Almost People, turning every episode of series six up to that point on its head. We has it again with John Hurt as the Doctor at the end of
The Name Of The Doctor. A fantastic cliffhanger that has left us debating the possibilities until November 23rd. (Though this week they may have kind of revealed and who and what he is...but that's for another time) The trouble is, that's the only real cliffhanger we've had in the last two years.
A cliffhanger should leave the audience in a state of shock, wondering what is going to happen next. You've immediately got buy-in for next week's episode. The trouble is, when every episode is advertised as stand alone, a viewer will know that could miss a week (I wouldn't!) and they wouldn't loose anything. The week after, it will be a new adventure for the Doctor and Clara. I want that anticipation of what is coming next. Cliffhangers are a great way to do that. And it can add a real dramatic turning point to a story that is a lot more difficult to sustain in 45 minutes.