Amph Doctor Who Discussion (Russell T. Davies returns)

Question, though. If the actual episodes had leaked (which apparently is still a possibility albeit faint now), would you watch them?

 

I agree, I have no desire whatsoever to read them. All you'll do is lessen the experience for when you do watch the episodes.

 

But that's not really what happened here - the episodes were sent to Miami to be translated into Spanish, but the computer system was unfortunately left open to public access for several hours. The episodes turned up in google searches.

 

Probably.

 

If they were good quality and I downloaded illegal stuff, yes.

 

And a member of that public acted of their own free will to take the episodes from those searches and pass them on. Still not cool.

 

Well that's a matter of opinion. I'm sure there are quite a few people on the Episode 7 Spoilers Allowed forum that want to know as much as possible before seeing the new film. Certainly happened in the PT.

I was spoiled rotten for Episode 3, and it didn't lessen the experience for me at all. Different strokes etc

 

To be perfectly honest, I probably would. I'm not gonna pretend I operate to some perfect moral code. I don't. When it comes down to it, my objection to these scripts being online is mostly because I think the stories should be available to be experienced first as their creators' intended. That is, on screen. If they were available in 1080p ahead of broadcast, at least everyone would have the opportunity to watch them first as they were intended to be seen. It is sad, though, that fans like us are making it increasingly difficult for those people who make the shows we love to do their job.

Also, hal, how do you know that being spoiled rotten to ROTS didn't negatively impact your viewing experience? For all you know, watching it with fewer spoilers hanging around your neck may have improved it.

 

See, I view that differently, because it's part of the experience, getting these fairly meaningless tidbits every few days, images now and then is different than getting info dump. And I was heavily spoiled. But give me the script for E7 right now....I actually don't know if I'd read it. But who is weeks away, so no desire there at all.

 

Good question and one to which I have an answer!

My brother and I were asked by Sky TV to review the film for them. I was spoiled. He wasn't. We went to 20th Century House in Soho Square in London to the press screening. Surrounded by apathetic journalists, we sat in the front row and we both freaking loved it. We were interview afterwards and the whole "one was spoiled, the other wasn't" issue was discussed. And nothing my brother said about his "first time" (as it were) reduced anything from my experience. I actually felt as though I'd got more out of it

I treat TV and Film as I do the theatre and musicals. I don't like going to see a musical without listening to the songs first. I find that if I know the musical before seeing it, then I can spend more time at the performance appreciating everything else.

I wouldn't expect others to agree with that, and I have no problem with people vehemently avoiding spoilers either. But TV is ultimately an "art", and people are free to enjoy it any way they feel.

Just be grateful that GRR Martin didn't write the scripts otherwise you'd have Ender Sai in here saying how much better the scripts were than the show

 

Pretty much this. It's been almost 7 months since Who's last been on the air, so if the episodes themselves leaked, I'd probably do what I've been trying to do with the leaked Flash pilot and find some way to download/view them without messing up my computer (more than it already is)

But I wouldn't seek out the scripts. That would be too much spoileage before seeing the episodes. I was offline when the first half of S6 aired, and thus was void of all the spoilers and honestly? I think my experience was better that way. I got to be surprised, speculate on my own about what would happen without being innundated with other people's speculation and I think the stories moved me more without the advancement of spoilers (for the most part - I made the mistake of seeking out fanfic during the two week US break between The Almost People and A Good Man goes to War [4th of July Holiday], and found out who Melody Pond was, though I'd already been leaning that way anyhow).

So tl, dr, yes to seeing actual episodes, no to spoiling myself on the leaked scripts.

 

Yes.

Would I read exactly what was going to happen before watching them?
No.

Would I still watch the official broadcast?
Yes.

Would I still buy the DVDs?
Almost certainly.

Do I regret using this question and answer format?
Yes.

Can I be bothered to change it now?
No.

 

Probably shouldn't read the scripts but too late.
I read the ROTS novel before the film but still enjoyed the movie a lot.

 

Well played

 

So, somebody at the BBC is definitely getting fired for this one y/y?

 

I appreciate that you didn't feel at a disadvantage to your brother in the aftermath of seeing ROTS for the first time. Your explanation holds - you can get more out of a piece of fiction if you take it in knowing the story (or in the case of a musical, the music). What doesn't hold (I don't think), is the implication that it is better to never had the opportunity to see the film unspoiled, and that it is therefore okay to make oneself privy to the material ahead of release.

However we, as audience members, prefer to take in our entertainment, there is no doubt the writers and (in the case of TV) cast and crew intend their work to be seen for the first time unspoiled. Or at least to the extent that the officially sanctioned previews will permit. I think that's definitely worth respecting. I know that by that logic I've disrespected 'creatives' many times, so this is not some high-horse rant scenario. I'm just putting forward what strikes me as the bottom line, and that any justification along the lines of "it was of benefit to me [to read it before I was supposed to]" is kinda ignoring that bottom line.

However one dresses it up, reading unofficial spoilers before broadcast or release in a finished form (or indeed entire scripts) is wrong. Wrong from a moral standpoint because someone has gone to great professional lengths to present their work for the first time in a way acceptable to them, but also because the material is copyrighted to (in this case) the BBC. I know that once a piece of fiction leaves the desk of the author it ceases to be his or her property, but death of the author rests in interpretation of the contents post-release. It doesn't rest in convincing oneself that being privy in advance to the story in an unfinished or finished form, is a legitimate way of taking it in, that it's somehow artistically permissible.

TV is art, and people are entitled to enjoy it any way they wish, but I don't think that entitlement extends to unsanctioned and unfinished previews. If you wanted to read the script ahead of watching the episode after it had been made available in its finished form then you'd be entitled to do so. Otherwise, I'm not sure. It seems to me that "getting more out" of something because you know what's coming is why you can watch or read it more than once.

Academically, I think every piece of fiction deserves to be seen unspoiled. Although as I said, I'm not able to say I've acted in such a way that allows me to back that up - or indeed back any of what I've said up. I haven't, and I know I won't in the future.

 

So exactly what is it you object to? You go on at some length about how the first viewing should be "unspoiled", and then here you say that being spoiled is fine.

If your objection is that the scripts were released early then stick to your guns on that. But don't go on about "the artists intentions" if you are happy for people to spoil themselves rotten provided the episode is already out.

Peace and Love etc

Oh, and also?

heh

 

I didn't say I am happy, I said you or I are entitled - stemming from your assertion that audiences can enjoy it how they wish. Which is correct. Doesn't (IMO) mean they are right to go in spoiled, though. Ultimately, I'm not happy with myself for being spoiled because I know that's not how the author intended me to experience their work. Doesn't change the fact that I'm entitled to be spoiled, though.

I think there is a clear line in the sand, it's just that we choose to ignore it… and have fun into the bargain. Plus, the more accustomed a person becomes to being spoiled, the easier they find it to do and to justify. I imagine if there was no way for us to be spoiled, we'd all be aghast at the concept. If I could avoid all spoilers, I would. I can't though, not because I couldn't physically avoid all outlets, but because I'm too addicted to the thrill of (some) foreknowledge. It's too much fun.

 

Fair enough. But I think it's wrong to assume that spoilees have to justify it. I certainly don't feel the need to do so.

 

In my opinion reading spoilers before the product (whatever it might be) has been made available in its finished form is not justifiable. I think we should just make our peace with that. We do it because we're addicted. It's wrong and we love it. There are plenty of things in life that fall into that category.

Spoiling yourself post-release would be contrary to the author's wishes (assuming he or she hasn't stated otherwise), but is something you are entitled to do. So I suppose that doesn't require justification.

 

Different genres spoil differently. Knowing the outcome of a story before time doesn't necessarily ruin it - in the case of Doctor Who you can pretty much guarantee a return to the status quo either by the end of the story/arc/series or start of the new one. What would spoil it, for me, would be knowing exactly how the resolution comes about.

 

It's a shame that scripts got leaked after so many years of BBC keeping the majority of things under wraps.

I have no interest in reading them myself, I'd prefer to react to the show not knowing what will happen first time around.

 

I still want to know if Susan the Horse is involved.

 

That's no way to talk about the Doctor's granddaughter

 

Spoiler