Considering Big Finish has gone over a bajillion formats over the years, which do you prefer for your stories? The 4 part monthlies, 4 box set epics of the likes of Ravenous, the newer 6-7 part box sets or longer stories the likes of currently ongoing Hooklight?
I am very curious as to what do you guys think of this rather random question.
Honestly,4 part monthlies,box sets arent my thing
Thatās a good question. Generally, I believe a story should not be longer than it needs to tell a good story. Many MR releases are too long, but some of the 60-minute single stories are too long as well. But I think I generally prefer sets with several shorter stories, whether they form a complete arc or not.
Main Range format or standalone box sets. Get in, get out. I donāt need a story to drag over numerous audios[1]. Itās the same way Iām not huge on books with sequels or prequels. Itās rare that a story interests me so much that I want to keep following it for dozens upon dozens of tv episodes, thousands of pages, or more than one audio.
Iām not counting MR arcs in this because those arenāt as dependent on being listened to in order ā©ļø
4 box set epics like Ravenous 100%, its what got me into BF and I miss them so much. I thought them moving to boxsets would mean more of this, not less!
That being said, Iām actually really liking 3 part boxsets weāve been getting lately. Easier to binge!
I miss the 4-part monthlies a lot! I love that slower form of storytelling that the newer boxsets tend to miss.
But Iāve been adoring the longform storytelling BF has been experimenting with by giving entire boxsets to one writer! First in River Songās series with Friend of the Family, then the War Doctor Rises, and now Hooklight ā every time itās been an instant success and so exciting. I really hope it spreads to more ranges and more Doctors!
Personally I enjoy stories that have character progression. I want to see characters adapt and change, discover things about themselves, and I want shocks and twists.
I got into Who via RTD, and I learned to love the Tenth Doctor, Rose, Martha, Donnaā¦ they all had amazing progression.
Then I loved Moffatās years even more because of the mystery and intrigue, the trying to guess what will happen next, all the big reveals.
So I guess thatās why I donāt really get on with āmonster of the weekā stories which are the 100th story with the same Doctor and companions and they seemingly havenāt changed at all because itās more like The Simpsons where at the end of every episode itās a reset.
I totally understand for some people just to listen to a story with their favourite characters doing things is enough, but thatās not what I enjoy.
So thatās why Iāve been struggling with most of the Main Range except for Eighth Doctor stuff, which has a strong arc going for it.
And why I love the box sets which have an overarching story. Itās why although I adore Liv and Helen I think they need to move on from them (and Charley) and have fresh new companions for Eight as itās getting stale.
I did really enjoy Friend of the Family and Hooklight 1 despite them being really just one long story though. So itās not a hard and fast rule.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk 
I prefer the monthlies, whether thatās 25-minute 4-parters like with the Main Range or 60-minute singles like the Torchwood monthlies. I like how accessible they are in that I donāt need to buy a bunch of audios to get a completed story, I can just listen to what interests me.
The Monthly Range is by far my favorite one, but the other formats have huge hits too. If weāre working with one hour-stories I prefer a season format (akin to either Lucieās adventures or the 4DAs) than a boxset format, but if I have to choose I will always go for the four-parter for classic Doctors cause that fits them more for me.
The four parter + two parter boxset is a nice enough equillibrium but there is a reason why I almost always find the one hour stories in them the weakest of the bunch. (Specially when you are putting them against Tim Foleyās four-parters, Big Finish)
I do like the written-driven six-hour format that has risen up recently (1DAs, 3DAs and War Doctor) but I want Big Finish to be cautious with that or else itāll sour fast. Very fast. I donāt think the 1DAs have locked every boxset as a six parter and weāll soon go back 4-2s for Dodo, but that seems to be the main path for the 3DAs and War.
I think it depends on the story. Different stories require different formats. But I do really like the 60-70 minute stories like early gallifrey that are a bit more standalone than in the boxsets
I tend to prefer either longer releases, like the 4 part Main Range stories, or series with multiple episodes of about an hour (?) that tell ongoing storylines, like gallifrey s1-3, or 8ās boxsets. My least favourite format is probably when itās shorter episodes that are single stories, like the 8DAs, which seems to emulate the new who format, and which I often find too rushed.
I think it depends on the Story, all of those have their Time and Place and can work really well or really donāt. Personally, I always prefer my classic 4-Parters the most due to my bias to the Classic Format. That said, the big Boxset Epics have their Appeal too, some of which with 8 have been a blast to visit/revisit!
Oh, and I do like a good 6-7 Parter, but I must admit the amount of those have been a bit intimidating lately . That said, I did love the first two 7-Parters with Liz, so as I said all of which have their Time and Place!
That also said, I prefer the Monthly Format the most.
I think, like with Doctor Who in general, I think thereās a place for every format and so I donāt necessarily prefer one over the other just like I donāt prefer audio over TV or comics or novels. Itās the story Iām invested in, not how its told and a long, drawn out story can be just as frustrating as one squeezed into a shorter time but likewise something given space to breath can be just as engaging and satisfying as something short and concise.
I love a long story. Iām loving the writer-driven single-story boxsets like the 3rd Doctor and War Doctor are getting (and Hooklight was incredible, of course). I also loved the 4 volume boxsets that 8 had for a while, the ones that were basically 16 episode seasons
That said, as other people have mentioned, thereās good stories in every format, and different stories are more suited to different formats
Personally, I prefer multiple parts of half an hour or so in a story, such as in the Main Range, The Quintessence, and Hooklight, but Iām fine with 1 hour stories if they work with that format, like 7V and Torchwood.
I think it does really come down to the story itself
Take Torchwood for example, where youāve got a bunch of different formats: