In part, of course, that's because we know there is plenty to come. There will be a full series in 2017 which will be a swansong for Steven Moffat, and then Chris Chibnall will take the reins.
Steven Moffat will step down after Series 10…— Doctor Who Official (@bbcdoctorwho) January 22, 2016
Chris Chibnall to take over.
FULL STORY @ https://t.co/7tjdSIGWO2 pic.twitter.com/1AU0neJQSR
But that's not the only reason that I'm happy with my lot as a Doctor Who fan.
Firstly, it'll be good for the TV adventures to take a break. No matter which way you look at it, the ratings have taken a dent in the last couple of years. The last series really wasn't marketed that well and also suffered from being shifted too late into the evening. The switch to the spring, where Strictly Come Dancing doesn't dominate, should hopefully mean a return to earlier in the evening and should ensure that the show doesn't come up against as formidable an opponent as the X Factor (which also suffered a rating slump).
Absence, too, makes the heart grow fonder and you'd hope a longer gap alone should increase the excitement levels around the next series. The BBC statement made a promise to turn the next run into an 'event', which is probably, in part at least, a reaction to the poor promotion for Capaldi's second run ('same old, same old).
That's not in any way a reflection of the present TARDIS incumbent either. Peter Capaldi's breathtaking performance in Heaven Sent was possibly the greatest of any actor in the role (only the passage of time will allow a sensible judgement) and his Zygons speech rightly earned praise. If anything it's probably right to take a breather after such heavyweight events (the weakness of the finale was probably that it couldn't top the week before). He's been good and it'll be interesting to see him with a different companion now that Clara's adventures (on screen at least) are over.
Still, it might also be good to reassess the format too. Last series probably had too many sort-of-two-parters while Capaldi's first run probably had too many one-offs. I can't help feeling that watching his whole run 'on shuffle' might deliver a more satisfying experience than the order they were aired. I love a two-parter, but a mixed line-up might be nice for the next batch.
One thing worth considering, however, is the timeline we've now been given. Not only do we have guaranteed adventures next year, but the BBC has also committed to another run under new showrunner Chris Chibnall, which should, you'd think, air in 2018. As fans who always fear the axe, this should please us all greatly.
But the best thing about the delay to the next series of Doctor Who is in what it clears a space for. I don't know about you but I feel there's been a lot of Doctor Who in recent years that I simply haven't had the time nor money to catch up with. Books, audios and even some old series DVDs are still on the hitlist to catch up with and these can have our full attention.
Best of all is that 2016 is packed full of new adventures for us all to enjoy thanks to the people at Big Finish (I'm not really a comics man but I gather fans of these are pretty well catered for too).
Big Finish has upped the ante in recent months and you feel we really will look back on this as something of a golden era for Doctor Who fandom. Without wishing to be too morbid, we're lucky to be getting new material from several stars of the classic series who won't be around forever and should cherish this while it lasts.
The War Doctor box set released before Christmas also took us headlong into the Time War and it was excellent. (I'll do a review soon) John Hurt has a magnetic voice that makes him a perfect Big Finish Doctor and I'm looking forward to hearing where his upcoming stories take the character.
On top of that I've recently enjoyed hearing River Song's debut (if ever a character deserved a spin off...) and have just come off Doom Coalition 1 (Paul McGann is surely the only man with a better voice to listen to than Hurt). We'll have more McGann and Kingston to look forward too soon.
Then, of course, it's the return of David Tennant. It's the first time that I've seen a Big Finish announcement make the news beyond the sci-fi/Doctor Who world and will be a big deal for the company. It's even more perfect for them that it comes in a year with no TV adventures, meaning it will be the biggest Doctor Who event of the year. The pressure is on but the War Doctor adventures et al have shown that the team at Big Finish should be able to rise to the occasion and impress the casual buyer wooed by Tennant and Tate.
Beyond that there's an intriguing multi-Master trilogy and more from every other Doctor thanks to the effective way the first three have been realised. Tom Baker seems to be relishing returning to the role and continues to roll back the years (another great voice - it's almost as though these men were case with Big Finish in mind!).
The long and the short of it is that there is an awful lot coming up. In the days before the TV Movie (can you believe it is 20 years since it was on?) we'd have given anything for any of those projects. All this new stuff comes despite the fact I'd still like to catch up on the Sixth Doctor's regeneration, the 'locum Doctor' stories, Dark Eyes 2-4 and many many more.
All this and then at least two more TV series lined up for our viewing pleasure. A golden era indeed. It's time to make the most of it. Reckon I might finally get that second War Doctor set ordered...
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