Doctor Who

[Nearly Sane]

I'm upto ep.4 I think. As a whole the series is better than last year's outing, it feels more coherent somehow, and better written. Whether it is enough to save it from hiatus/cancellation is doubtful - well hiatus is pretty much a given at this point, so cancellation or not? Looks unlikely that there will be anymore Disney Dollars so can the Beeb find another partner or afford to take it back themselves?

Better than last year's is not the highest bar in the world. The more time passes after watching last night's the worse it gets in my opinion. I like how it looked.

[Aruntraveller]

Better than last year's is not the highest bar in the world. The more time passes after watching last night's the worse it gets in my opinion. I like how it looked.

Indeed. The look has been wonderful throughout this series so far - unfortunately, that is where the money has gone. Perhaps a little more attention and money should have been applied to script development. I've not seen last night's episode yet, so can't comment.

[Maeght]

Not enjoying it anymore. Not since the Capaldi era.

[Aruntraveller]

I found this on FB. Possibly the best analysis of the current problem with the programme I have seen:

𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗦𝗛𝗨𝗧 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗕𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗔 𝗧𝗩 𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗦 – 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗗𝗜𝗗 𝗜𝗧 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗚𝗢 𝗪𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗚?
In a blow to the BBC's most iconic sci-fi brand, "Doctor Who" has been completely snubbed at the 2025 BAFTA TV Awards — receiving no nominations in any major category, despite high production values, a Disney+ deal, and the return of beloved showrunner Russell T Davies.
This comes following two major wins at the October 2024 BAFTA Cymru Awards, where:
Ncuti Gatwa won "Best Actor" for playing the Fifteenth Doctor.
Julie Gardner MBE, the show's executive producer, received the *Outstanding Contribution Award* for her career-long impact on Welsh television
While those awards honoured legacy and performance, the absence of recognition at a national level in 2025 paints a more troubling picture: "Doctor Who", for all its glossy reinvention, is losing its soul — and its audience.
𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬 𝗦𝗔𝗬
The viewing figures tell a harsh truth:
-  RTD’s original 2005 reboot often pulled 8–12 million viewers
- Jodie Whittaker’s debut in 2018 scored 10.9 million, but viewership fell to below 3 million
- Ncuti Gatwa’s Season One has struggled to reach even 3 million consolidated views
- 2025’s Season 2 is averaging around 2.5 million — despite global streaming on Disney+
In short, the bigger the budget, the smaller the crowd. So what’s gone wrong?
🌈 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥'𝗦 𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗬: 𝗔 𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘, 𝗕𝗨𝗧 𝗔 𝗙𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗗 𝗢𝗡𝗘?
Russell T Davies, known for pioneering inclusivity in TV, has openly rewritten the Doctor as gay, introducing moments of romantic and flirtatious energy never before associated with the character.
While LGBTQ+ representation has long been part of "Doctor Who"’s DNA — from Captain Jack to Bill Potts — the Doctor has always stood apart: a celestial, asexual wanderer, above human urges and attractions. A being of moral clarity and alien detachment, not a figure of romantic entanglement.
Making the Doctor gay isn't controversial because he’s gay — it’s controversial because sexualising the Doctor in any direction undermines the character’s **timeless neutrality**.
Parents are asking: Is this still a show for children?
Long-time fans are saying: This isn’t about representation — it’s about misrepresentation.
---
𝗔 𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗧: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗗 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗠
The damage didn’t start with RTD — but he’s doubled down on it.
The "Timeless Child" arc, introduced by Chris Chibnall, redefined the Doctor’s origins. No longer a Time Lord born on Gallifrey, the Doctor is now an immortal being from another universe, the source of all regeneration — a cosmic experiment used to create the Time Lords.
RTD has chosen to keep this new origin intact, even referencing it in recent episodes. By doing so, he has stripped away what made the Doctor relatable:
❌ No longer a rebel Time Lord
❌ No longer one of many
❌ Now a godlike figure with no roots
The Doctor has gone from mysterious to mythic — and lost emotional grounding in the process.
𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗦
A great *Doctor Who* story needs great villains. But since the show’s 2023 reboot:
🚫 No Daleks
🚫 No Cybermen
🚫 No Master
🚫 No Sontarans
🚫 No Ice Warriors
🚫 No Weeping Angels
Instead, we get forgettable, one-episode aliens with unclear motives and poor design. The classic monsters defined eras — they gave us ongoing peril, continuity, and worldbuilding.
Without them, the Doctor isn’t facing a rogues' gallery — just a gallery of rogues.
𝗕𝗜𝗚 𝗕𝗨𝗗𝗚𝗘𝗧, 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬
RTD’s reboot was supposed to bring prestige — and visually, it delivers. But under the surface, **the stories lack what makes Doctor Who truly great**:
✅ A strong moral dilemma
✅ A clear threat that reflects a real-world fear
✅ A layered companion we can emotionally follow
✅ A sense of mystery, resolution, and emotional payoff
✅ Stories that children can enjoy — and adults can find meaning in
✅ Humour, horror, and heart — all balanced
Too many of the new episodes lean into style over substance, political messaging over storytelling, and emotionless exposition over earned drama.
Without strong foundations, it doesn’t matter how cinematic it looks — it doesn’t feel like "Doctor Who" anymore.
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗗𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗪𝗛𝗢 — 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗚𝗢𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡
The best Doctor Who stories — from "Blink" to "The Waters of Mars", "Genesis of the Daleks" to "Heaven Sent" — always had the same DNA:
- Big ideas
- Moral consequences
- Clever solutions
- An alien with a human heart
-  Great Sci-FI Stories that resonate with young and old alike
- Threat to life, the Earth, the Universe & Everything
What we have now is a glossy brand, not a story. A "Doctor Who" that looks expensive, but feels emotionally bankrupt.
𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗗𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡?
- The writing needs soul.
-  The monsters need menace.
- The tone needs family focus.
- The Doctor needs a heart — not just a label.
Until then, "Doctor Who" will continue to be a show out of time — and out of touch.

[Nearly Sane]

It's the thoughtlessness that bothers me. This week's was a mess of a story with a message about racism, and people feeling at home amongst their own kind that seemed incredibly racist. Add to that the use of Nigeria, that great bastion of gay rights, as somewhere an overtly gay doctor could feel at home is offensively ignorant.

[Free Willy]

I’m liking it, it really feels like Doctor Who now.

[Free Willy]

I found this on FB. Possibly the best analysis of the current problem with the programme I have seen:

𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗦𝗛𝗨𝗧 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗕𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗔 𝗧𝗩 𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗦 – 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗗𝗜𝗗 𝗜𝗧 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗚𝗢 𝗪𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗚?
In a blow to the BBC's most iconic sci-fi brand, "Doctor Who" has been completely snubbed at the 2025 BAFTA TV Awards — receiving no nominations in any major category, despite high production values, a Disney+ deal, and the return of beloved showrunner Russell T Davies.
This comes following two major wins at the October 2024 BAFTA Cymru Awards, where:
Ncuti Gatwa won "Best Actor" for playing the Fifteenth Doctor.
Julie Gardner MBE, the show's executive producer, received the *Outstanding Contribution Award* for her career-long impact on Welsh television
While those awards honoured legacy and performance, the absence of recognition at a national level in 2025 paints a more troubling picture: "Doctor Who", for all its glossy reinvention, is losing its soul — and its audience.
𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬 𝗦𝗔𝗬
The viewing figures tell a harsh truth:
-  RTD’s original 2005 reboot often pulled 8–12 million viewers
- Jodie Whittaker’s debut in 2018 scored 10.9 million, but viewership fell to below 3 million
- Ncuti Gatwa’s Season One has struggled to reach even 3 million consolidated views
- 2025’s Season 2 is averaging around 2.5 million — despite global streaming on Disney+
In short, the bigger the budget, the smaller the crowd. So what’s gone wrong?
🌈 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥'𝗦 𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗬: 𝗔 𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘, 𝗕𝗨𝗧 𝗔 𝗙𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗗 𝗢𝗡𝗘?
Russell T Davies, known for pioneering inclusivity in TV, has openly rewritten the Doctor as gay, introducing moments of romantic and flirtatious energy never before associated with the character.
While LGBTQ+ representation has long been part of "Doctor Who"’s DNA — from Captain Jack to Bill Potts — the Doctor has always stood apart: a celestial, asexual wanderer, above human urges and attractions. A being of moral clarity and alien detachment, not a figure of romantic entanglement.
Making the Doctor gay isn't controversial because he’s gay — it’s controversial because sexualising the Doctor in any direction undermines the character’s **timeless neutrality**.
Parents are asking: Is this still a show for children?
Long-time fans are saying: This isn’t about representation — it’s about misrepresentation.
---
𝗔 𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗧: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗗 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗠
The damage didn’t start with RTD — but he’s doubled down on it.
The "Timeless Child" arc, introduced by Chris Chibnall, redefined the Doctor’s origins. No longer a Time Lord born on Gallifrey, the Doctor is now an immortal being from another universe, the source of all regeneration — a cosmic experiment used to create the Time Lords.
RTD has chosen to keep this new origin intact, even referencing it in recent episodes. By doing so, he has stripped away what made the Doctor relatable:
❌ No longer a rebel Time Lord
❌ No longer one of many
❌ Now a godlike figure with no roots
The Doctor has gone from mysterious to mythic — and lost emotional grounding in the process.
𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗦
A great *Doctor Who* story needs great villains. But since the show’s 2023 reboot:
🚫 No Daleks
🚫 No Cybermen
🚫 No Master
🚫 No Sontarans
🚫 No Ice Warriors
🚫 No Weeping Angels
Instead, we get forgettable, one-episode aliens with unclear motives and poor design. The classic monsters defined eras — they gave us ongoing peril, continuity, and worldbuilding.
Without them, the Doctor isn’t facing a rogues' gallery — just a gallery of rogues.
𝗕𝗜𝗚 𝗕𝗨𝗗𝗚𝗘𝗧, 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬
RTD’s reboot was supposed to bring prestige — and visually, it delivers. But under the surface, **the stories lack what makes Doctor Who truly great**:
✅ A strong moral dilemma
✅ A clear threat that reflects a real-world fear
✅ A layered companion we can emotionally follow
✅ A sense of mystery, resolution, and emotional payoff
✅ Stories that children can enjoy — and adults can find meaning in
✅ Humour, horror, and heart — all balanced
Too many of the new episodes lean into style over substance, political messaging over storytelling, and emotionless exposition over earned drama.
Without strong foundations, it doesn’t matter how cinematic it looks — it doesn’t feel like "Doctor Who" anymore.
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗗𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗪𝗛𝗢 — 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗚𝗢𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡
The best Doctor Who stories — from "Blink" to "The Waters of Mars", "Genesis of the Daleks" to "Heaven Sent" — always had the same DNA:
- Big ideas
- Moral consequences
- Clever solutions
- An alien with a human heart
-  Great Sci-FI Stories that resonate with young and old alike
- Threat to life, the Earth, the Universe & Everything
What we have now is a glossy brand, not a story. A "Doctor Who" that looks expensive, but feels emotionally bankrupt.
𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗗𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡?
- The writing needs soul.
-  The monsters need menace.
- The tone needs family focus.
- The Doctor needs a heart — not just a label.
Until then, "Doctor Who" will continue to be a show out of time — and out of touch.

Great Essay. Your negative points describe however what was known as the Cartmell arc in the original run where everything was leading up to the Doctor being more than just a time lord. This continues it.
As for no traditional villains, I confess to wanting a latter day Michael Grade to rest the programme.
On the strength of this series so far I now think it still has some new stories to tell and if you can’t rest the show completely then rest the traditional for future resuscitation

[Steve H]

wel i fink its stil brilyunt so ther.

[Steve H]

It's the thoughtlessness that bothers me. This week's was a mess of a story with a message about racism, and people feeling at home amongst their own kind that seemed incredibly racist. Add to that the use of Nigeria, that great bastion of gay rights, as somewhere an overtly gay doctor could feel at home is offensively ignorant.

I' tempted to quote Stephen Fry on people who get offended, but I don't want to get suspended again.

[Nearly Sane]

I' tempted to quote Stephen Fry on people who get offended, but I don't want to get suspended again.

The ironic thing of course is thar Fry gets offended about people getting offended. I suspect offence is a universal reaction, and the point is that simply saying it does not mean that one is right, and I didn't claim that.

[Steve H]

So - the mystery of Mrs Flood is cleared up; I won't say more yet, in case other posters haven't seen the episode. NB: do not switch off or change channel after the credits come up; there's a bit more after them.