Buffy's legacy

Mustrum_Ridcully · Jan 2, 2014

sabrinathecat said:
Um, really? Can you name one?
Key to Time was late 70s.
Trial of a Time Lord was mid 80s, and a huge portion of the fan base at the time found disappointing.

Many of the old Doctor Who stories seem to be multi-epsiodes one, and that was the season/series of that year.

Unfortunately, I don't really remember all the names of them, and I hardly saw all of it. Inferno was one I distinctively remember.

But you can just ask the Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Doctor_Who_serials

Tonguez · Jan 2, 2014

Mustrum_Ridcully said:
Many of the old Doctor Who stories seem to be multi-epsiodes one, and that was the season/series of that year.

Unfortunately, I don't really remember all the names of them, and I hardly saw all of it. Inferno was one I distinctively remember.

But you can just ask the Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Doctor_Who_serials

Well the most obvious is the Exile on Earth/Unit HQ arc of the third Doctor which iirc started in the 60s but extended to the 70s.

You could consider Susan and Jamies stories to be companion arcs too

sabrinathecat · Jan 3, 2014

You are giving some interesting information, but these are not season arcs.
The Unit exile was an attempt to cut down on costs and make the show more broadly accessible.
Seems more like people are trying to force the notion of a deliberate arc where none existed.
Carol Anne Ford left the show because she thought her character was too limited.

trappedslider · Jan 3, 2014

Let's take a look see

A story arc (a contraction of "over-arching storyline") is a sequence of series installments,TV episodes, comic issues, or a certain period of time in a Video Gamethat puts characters through their paces in response to a single impetus; basically, an ongoing storyline. This can be a few episodes, an entire season, or even thefocus of the entire series.

Arcs are not necessarily consecutive episodes. The story may reach a point where, although the arc is not completely resolved, it ceases to be of immediate concern to the characters, thus allowing the writers to intersperse (or insert) non-arc episodes. This is the case whenever an episode or a series of episodes have self-contained storylines, which are then cut-off by a continuation of the arc. Usually, the filler/self-contained stories don't have any major effect on the arc itself, set up character development to be used in the arc, or show off character development displayed in an early storyline.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StoryArc

[sblock=Doctor Who] From Classic Who

Season 8's arc introduced the Master, who was a common villain in each serial and was captured by UNIT in the Season Finale.
The Key To Time arc (all of Season 16) - the search for pieces of a Cosmic Keystone.
The E-Space Trilogy (Full Circle, State of Decay and Warriors' Gate)
Following directly on from this was the season-crossing Return of the Master trilogy, comprising The Keeper of Traken, Logopolis and Castrovalva, released as New Beginnings on DVD as it also took in the Fourth Doctor's regeneration into the Fifth.
The Black Guardian Trilogy (Mawdryn Undead, Terminus and Enlightenment) - involving Turlough's relationship with the Black Guardian.
The Trial of a Time Lord (Season 23 — the first 12 episodes consisted of three distinct stories with a common Framing Device, which took over as the main story for the two-part Season Finale)
In addition, thematic arcs showed up in the classic series: season 18 concerned the theme of entropy and decay, in preparation for the regeneration in the final episode; each serial of season 20 involved the return of a classic enemy, building up to the movie-length special "The Five Doctors".
Seasons 25 and 26 had a story arc of "The Cartmel Masterplan", implying the Doctor had some great secret. The series was cancelled before this could conclude, but some elements made it into the Virgin New Adventures. Here it was claimed the Doctor might be the reincarnation of a mysterious figure from the Dark Times of Gallifrey. However there was also a story arc of Fenric, in "Silver Nemesis" the Doctor seems to be playing chess with an unknown opponent, leading to "The Curse of Fenric", where it is revealed an evil being from the Dawn of Time had been manipulating the 7th Doctor's adventures. This involved Arc Welding with "Dragonfire" in Season 24, revealing the time storm that sent Ace to Iceworld was caused by Fenric so she would travel with the Doctor.
There was a loose story arc from "Destiny of the Daleks" to "Remembrance of the Daleks" involving the Dalek/Movellan War and Davros attempting to regain power over the Daleks.

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sabrinathecat · Jan 3, 2014

OK, let's see.
Yes, the early episodes did feed one into the next. But was that a story arc, or just a transition? Sorry, transitions do not an arc make.

E-space trilogy is not a Season/series-long arc, it was 3 stories tied together.
Same for the Black Guardian Trilogy.
The Master was in all the stories as a recurring villain, but were the stories actually linked by an overall arc? No.
Seasons 26 and 27, which were A: never made, and B: not intended to be made in the 60s, but the 90s. So, no.

I was asking for what seasons in the 1960s did Doctor Who have a story ARC. So far as I know, none qualify.

trappedslider · Jan 3, 2014

sabrinathecat said:
OK, let's see.
Yes, the early episodes did feed one into the next. But was that a story arc, or just a transition? Sorry, transitions do not an arc make.

E-space trilogy is not a Season/series-long arc, it was 3 stories tied together.
Same for the Black Guardian Trilogy.
The Master was in all the stories as a recurring villain, but were the stories actually linked by an overall arc? No.
Seasons 26 and 27, which were A: never made, and B: not intended to be made in the 60s, but the 90s. So, no.

then go forth and edit tvtropes..which may I reminded you started due to Buffy..so I'd like to believe that those who have worked on it over the years have some grand idea as to what they are talking about.. :hmm:

Tonguez · Jan 3, 2014

sabrinathecat said:
You are giving some interesting information, but these are not season arcs.
The Unit exile was an attempt to cut down on costs and make the show more broadly accessible.
.

yeah I know what the purpose was but that doesn't stop it being a deliberately plotted storyline spanning multiple storys and seasons that introduced the theme of the Doctor as Adventurer-Spy and major story elements which have had ongoing and long term effects (not least the Doctors involvement with Unit and his relationship with the Master).

The story arc may not have been as premeditated as Buffy but somebody did sit down and say "okay we need to have the Doctor stuck on earth, how do we do it?" so it does fit the definition with very little gentle forcing...

sabrinathecat · Jan 3, 2014

trappedslider said:
then go forth and edit tvtropes..which may I reminded you started due to Buffy..so I'd like to believe that those who have worked on it over the years have some grand idea as to what they are talking about..

OK, let's go back to history.
Someone said that Doctor Who was doing season arcs back in the 60s. I challenged that ascertain. I asked for specific examples.
None were provided.
So, if someone can correct me (citing source) with when Verity Lambert, Barry Letts, Peter Bryant, John Wiles, Innis Lloyd, Peter Hinchcliffe, or Graham Williams deliberately said "We are going to make an over-all story arc for this year", I will withdraw my objection.
Otherwise, yes, TV tropes is wrong. And they should know better.

So, the requirements are:
Season from the 1960s. (You know what, I'll be generous and add 1970s)
Premeditation (not something added after the fact or something someone chose to read into the situation) If you have to force it, it doesn't count.
A story that stretches the entire length of the year.

Crothian · Jan 3, 2014

Isn't that impossible since British TV is not done in year long seasons like American TV? Also, what does Doctor Who doing full year whatever have to do with the legacy of Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

sabrinathecat · Jan 3, 2014

Actually, it turns out TV Tropes isn't wrong. They specifically say the season-long arcs are part of the New series, not the original.

Crotian: Yes, that was my point. If you read my last post, the history of this derailment will become clear. Or go back to page one and read the whole thing.