# Doctor Who 2020 New Year Special (and current season)(Spoilers!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 2, 2020, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763 "2020-01-02T03:11:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/121 "2020-01-28T23:00:37Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Is it bad I like the new Doctor better than Jodie Whittaker’s? It’s more a presence than any one things. Ruth-Doctor just felt like she was the smartest person in the room and is in charge, much like the Doctor often feels. Whittaker never feels this way. You’re not the only one. When she showed up right behind WhittakerDoc and said, “You’re probably a bit confused right now”, I thought: Bingo! _That’s_ the Doctor. Her banter in the TARDIS, too, felt very Doctorish. Very Capaldian. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/122 "2020-01-28T23:39:15Z")
Thought Ruth was more Pertwee myself, but yes, I can see Ruth as the Doctor. I’m thinking alternate universe/timeline. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/123 "2020-01-29T14:05:42Z")
Missy did say that the Doctor had been a “little girl” and two other things I’ve forgotten, and then said one of those things was true. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/124 "2020-01-29T14:14:09Z")
> [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > Missy did say > > that the Doctor had been a “little girl” and two other things I’ve forgotten, and then said one of those things was true. Here’s the quote from Missy (about how long she had cared about the Doctor) “Since always. Since the Cloister Wars. Since the night he stole the moon and the President’s wife. Since he was a little girl. One of those was a lie. Can you guess which one?” ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2020, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/125 "2020-01-30T01:43:02Z")
I guess they feel they are clever because they can retcon whatever they want now that they ran the show into the ground so no one is watching. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2020, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/126 "2020-01-30T03:22:53Z")
Yup, three pages so far of people not watching. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2020, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/127 "2020-01-30T04:09:29Z")
Hey! Look at the ratings for [The Woman Who Fell to Earth!](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who_(series_11)#Ratings) down down down down down down down (each down being about a million viewers) [Pretty bad?](https://deadline.com/2020/01/the-masked-singer-doctor-who-ratings-1202822167/) [Yeah.](https://cosmicbook.news/doctor-who-worse-ratings-31-years) ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2020, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/128 "2020-01-30T04:47:09Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > Hey! Look at the ratings for [The Woman Who Fell to Earth!](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who_(series_11)#Ratings) > > down > down > down > down > down > down > down (each down being about a million viewers) > > [Pretty bad?](https://deadline.com/2020/01/the-masked-singer-doctor-who-ratings-1202822167/) > [Yeah.](https://cosmicbook.news/doctor-who-worse-ratings-31-years) …from one of your cites: > [@](#): > > Sunday’s episode, “Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror,” was only watched by 4.04 million viewers in the UK. > > We have to go way back to Season 23 of September, 1986 to see a lesser amount of viewers as “The Mysterious Planet” Part Four only had 3.7 million viewers tuning in. Those are the [overnight ratings.](https://www.blogtorwho.com/doctor-who-viewing-figures-update-for-tesla-and-orphan-55/) The figures used for the Mysterious Planet are equivalent to the consolidated ratings. The Witches Familiar from the Capaldi era only had [3.71 viewers overnight](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Witch%27s_Familiar), which in case you hadn’t noticed is both less than 4.04 million and more recent than 1986. Your cites are bad. Tesla had a consolidated rating of 5.2. [Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror: Consolidated Ratings – The Gallifreyan Newsroom](https://www.gallifreyannewsroom.com/?p=9521). ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2020, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/129 "2020-01-30T10:41:40Z")
Look at the rankings, which are tanking. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2020, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/130 "2020-01-30T11:08:03Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > Look at the rankings, which are tanking. Ratings are not recorded the same way today as they used to be. Also all ratings are down on every network and every show across the board. You can’t really compare one-to-one as easily as people so often like to do. The show was reset when Thirteen started, it’s a new kind of _Doctor Who_ for a new young contemporary audience. Episodes you dislike can often be the favourite episode for the kids. It’s okay to not like the show anymore. It’s not necessarily meant for you this time around. There’s no need to be gleefully vindictive all the time. If it’s not delivering for you, move on, and leave it for those who are still enjoying it. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2020, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/131 "2020-01-30T11:17:23Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > Look at the rankings, which are tanking. …“tanking” is a subjective descriptor not an objective one. Two of your cites you provided don’t provided provide accurate data or data useful enough for comparison: the Deadline article only used the overnights and Cosmicbook? Its the same site that publishes nonsense like [this](https://cosmicbook.news/disney-losing-confidence-captain-marvel-brie-larson-spider-man) and pro-co@#gate articles like [this](https://cosmicbook.news/op-ed-divorce-comicsgate). Plenty of people are watching. Viewership has declined, but to claim they have “tanked” just doesn’t fit the data. And bringing back Jack will probably give a bump to the consolidated that may well last the rest of the season. ---
**Author:** ![Oswald\_Bastable](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oswald_bastable/32/214_2.png) [@Oswald\_Bastable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oswald_Bastable)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2020, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/132 "2020-01-30T19:07:02Z")
I’ve enjoyed all the episodes this season apart from Orphan 55, which felt like they’d finished filming the season, then realised they’d filmed one less episode than intended, so just cobbled any old bollocks together on the cheap to make up for it. To be fair, Who always has episodes like this every season (though not quite as bad as that). There’s a wide demographic of Doctor Who viewers just in the UK - i always think that’s the reason it can be so hit and miss. Early on in O55 I thought, with that terrible furry costume and the fake blue skies (while a cold blustery wind is clearly blowing the characters hair all over the place), that this was going to be some interesting pastiche of oldWho. But no. It was just rubbish. I’m pretty happy enough if I enjoy 50% of the episodes in a season, so really this season is turning out pretty good so far. OB ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/133 "2020-02-02T22:09:18Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > Plenty of people are watching. Viewership has declined, but to claim they have “tanked” just doesn’t fit the data. And bringing back Jack will probably give a bump to the consolidated that may well last the rest of the season. Let’s not forget that the program is also on BBC America, where ratings are _up_ for this season. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/134 "2020-02-02T22:24:10Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Ratings are not recorded the same way today as they used to be. Also all ratings are down on every network and every show across the board. You can’t really compare one-to-one as easily as people so often like to do. Rankings compared to other shows that it is currently up against. But, you’ll look at things the way you want. > [@GuanoLad](#): > > The show was reset when Thirteen started, I didn’t get that memo. Strange they are using the name of an old show, or didn’t even add “Now with 200% more companions!” to the title. Seems Capaldi went through all that soul searching and a fiery regeneration for nothing. Odd you’'re not calling Whittaker number one then. Although, given the potential retcon she may not even get that. > [@GuanoLad](#): > > it’s a new kind of _Doctor Who_ for a new young contemporary audience. Episodes you dislike can often be the favourite episode for the kids. It’s okay to not like the show anymore. It’s not necessarily meant for you this time around. There’s no need to be gleefully vindictive all the time. If it’s not delivering for you, move on, and leave it for those who are still enjoying it. That’s funny, because I would give the same advice. When they make a terrible show, you don’t have to watch it. You’re not obliged to keep watching. Millions have figured that out and given up. You’re free to tell the truth. When it’s great, say it’s great. When it stinks it’s ok to say it stinks Believe it or not there was a time when criticizing The Simpsons would get you into a flame war. This was back in Usenet days. Most people didn’t want to recognize that there was a dip in quality. Back then it was only a dip in quality, but it has been degrading ever since. The Simpsons actually have a harder time of it too since they are stuck with never having their kids grow-up where as show like Doctor who has so much more freedom. The old “It’s a kids show! It’st not meant for you! Bugger off and let the poor kids alone to watch it!” is the last defensive of an indefensible show. First, this isn’t a forum for kids. Second, kids don’t really have any say in what is made and have limited choice of appropriate material. Although, the last paragraph of [this is funny enough](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2020/02/02/doctor-whopraxeus-review-science-fiction-has-taken-back-seat/). Most of the worst garbage is made to the tune of “it’s only a kids show.” Unless I’m wrong about all this and it is a bunch of children writing the scripts. I’ll say good job then, but actually would have expected better. It’s ok to tell the truth, and if it isn’t ok, then that’s your real problem. > [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …“tanking” is a subjective descriptor not an objective one. Two of your cites you provided don’t provided provide accurate data or data useful enough for comparison: the Deadline article only used the overnights and Cosmicbook? Its the same site that publishes nonsense like [this](https://cosmicbook.news/disney-losing-confidence-captain-marvel-brie-larson-spider-man) and pro-co@#gate articles like [this](https://cosmicbook.news/op-ed-divorce-comicsgate). > > Plenty of people are watching. Viewership has declined, but to claim they have “tanked” just doesn’t fit the data. And bringing back Jack will probably give a bump to the consolidated that may well last the rest of the season. Jack was there for a whole few seconds. So far he may as well have been a floating head. I’m surprised to be in an argument about this, because there isn’t one. Introducing Whittaker brought in a huge increase in ratings, unless you want to dispute that also. It didn’t retain them. The best spin you can put on it is that the viewers didn’t drop off the very next episode. It was a steady decline. Of course, that may also be the worst spin on it. People really wanted to like it but it lost them. Or it lost as many as it gained in the end. If it comes back then bully for Who. No one want’s it to fail, not that you’d know by the people making it. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/135 "2020-02-03T00:32:04Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > I didn’t get that memo. …perhaps you simply don’t watch enough Doctor Who. There is always a reset between Doctors, between Showrunners. We’ve gone from spaceships crashing into Big Ben to everyone not believing aliens exist. Again. You just need to roll with it. > [@](#): > > Jack was there for a whole few seconds. This is incorrect. > [@](#): > > So far he may as well have been a floating head. People don’t react like [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXnZDZYZGRk)to the return of a floating head. I mean: you didn’t scream and whoop and holler when you saw Captain Jack again for the first time in years? > [@](#): > > I’m surprised to be in an argument about this, because there isn’t one. And yet here you are, arguing. > [@](#): > > Introducing Whittaker brought in a huge increase in ratings, unless you want to dispute that also. > It didn’t retain them. In Tennant’s run the first episode had overnights of 8.62 million. The fourth episode of his second season had overnights of 6.69 million. Tennant didn’t “retain” his viewership either by your standards. > [@](#): > > The best spin you can put on it is that the viewers didn’t drop off the very next episode. It was a steady decline. 6.69 wasn’t the lowest that Tennant would go. It got even worse. The lowest overnights of that season? Episode 10. A little episode that nobody has heard of called [Blink](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blink_(Doctor_Who)). A. Steady. Decline. > [@](#): > > Of course, that may also be the worst spin on it. People really wanted to like it but it lost them. Yeah. Blink. Terrible Doctor Who. People really wanted to like it but it lost them. > [@](#): > > Or it lost as many as it gained in the end. If it comes back then bully for Who. No one want’s it to fail, not that you’d know by the people making it. Nobody wants it to fail: especially the people who are making it, and there is zero reason to think that they are. But you’ve just made it obvious that this Doctor Who isn’t for you but that’s okay. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/136 "2020-02-03T01:13:07Z")
Not to interrupt, but did anyone see tonight’s episode? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/137 "2020-02-03T01:34:42Z")
Ryan has dyspraxia. Has this come up outside the first episode he appeared in where he struggled to keep a bicylcle upright? Did they forget about it? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/138 "2020-02-03T02:10:20Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Ryan has dyspraxia. > > Has this come up outside the first episode he appeared in where he struggled to keep a bicylcle upright? Did they forget about it? In the Tesla episode, when the gang had to jump from one train car to another, everyone made the jump easily, but Ryan hesitated. I took that to be an acknowledgement of the dyspraxia. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/139 "2020-02-03T02:57:24Z")
He also mentions heights and a few other precarious situations he’s been in. I don’t really know how the condition manifests in real life, it seems very context-specific like my own fear of heights, where I am okay going up elevators and standing on high floors of skyscrapers, and also can fly in a plane just fine, but put me on a cliff edge or up a tree and I will lock up and panic. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/140 "2020-02-03T03:09:37Z")
Okay ep. The heavy handed environmental messaging took me out some. And I do hope she let the aliens sent to deadly cure know it would kill them and maybe helped them some. I keep thinking the guest travelers would be more fun than what we’ve got but some Companion growth this week anyway. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763.md?page=8)