Yet another update (I promise it’s the last one this time!) about watching Doctor Who on a streaming service (in my case the BBC iPlayer) as opposed to watching it live. The previous post is here.
If you’ve read it, you’ll have probably guessed that it’s more about me watching something from a streaming service, rather than sitting down to watch a programme when it’s broadcast live on the telly. Doctor Who was the last programme (and had been for a while) that I would steadfastly sit and watch it at the time it was broadcast on the BBC. Anything else I want to watch, I either use a streaming service or a recording from Freesat. The point being, I’m not watching it live.
The olden days
In the olden days before the advent of the video recorder, you had no choice but to wait until the specified time the programmes was broadcast, on one of the UK’s three channels. There was always the sense of anticipation – which grew and grew evermore from the morning you got up (shouting “it’s Doctor Who day!”) reaching it’s zenith as the the football scores were read out at the end of Grandstand. Because the next programme was Doctor Who.
You had to get your tea ready beforehand, you had to accumulate your snacks (quiet ones, of course – heaven forfend that you should make a noise during the broadcast) and you had to sit there in quiet anticipation until that music started. Remember, you only had one chance to watch it, because well, no video recorders. It brought like-minded people together from your family or friends too. You’d know that at 5:15pm on Saturday afternoon, millions of Doctor Who fans would be sat in front of their television sets, all waiting with the same anticipation that you were experiencing, ready for the music to start. Whether you loved it, or hated it, it brought families and friends together all over the country at one specific time.
And of course, there were absolutely no spoilers, because not one person outside of the BBC would have seen it! Cliff-hangers were real cliff-hangers, because you didn’t know what was coming (in most cases, anyway!). All adding to the anticipation of next week’s thrilling episode.
Technology saved us all (or did it?)
Then, when we took out a second mortgage to invest in a video recorder (we went VHS instead of Betamax), I recorded Doctor Who, but still watched it live. I loved the build-up, the anticipation. There was always the chance that something could go wrong. On the very first episode of the returned Doctor Who in 2005 (Rose), the first few seconds had Graham Norton talking over it (by accident). Classic stuff. At the time, iPlayer did not exist, so no streaming it from there. Had there been, you would have missed it and experienced the episode sans Norton. Missed shaking your fist at the telly and shouting at poor old non-existent Norton, of course. Mistakes didn’t happen very often, but when they did (Norton would do much the same on a couple more instances!) It was that which added to the excitement of watching it live.
Stream it, you stubborn old idiot!
My mindset of watching Doctor Who live continued for many years, right up until very recently. Right up until the 13th Doctor’s regeneration as it happens – I watched it live.
Today’s generations would know nothing of this, of course. Streaming’s been around for decades now and is continually improving in both quality, price and variety. There is no need to watch anything live any longer (with the exception of live events like football, or cricket etc.) and that’s just fine. You can watch things when you choose to do so – and freedom of choice has never been a bad thing.
It is the way forward – and has been for a while. It is quite nice to watch programmes when I want to – and I’ve done that (as mentioned) for many years. But in terms of the very last programme – and it happens to be my favourite programme ever – I think it’s a shame that I need to relinquish that last vestige of the enjoyment of watching it live.
There are many benefits to be gained from streaming; broadcast quality is only HD with stereo sound (on BBC, anyway), streaming is in UHD with surround sound. It’s a far, far better viewing experience.
But still. It’s sad to see my last bit of “appointment to view” television gone. Oh well. Progress.