Sorry. This post is almost a week old but I’m wondering; is Doctor Who perceived as a “children’s show” in the UK? I don’t think that’s how it’s perceived in the US. Instead I think it’s seen as a nerdy SF program.
She hasn’t said “Evening all” or “Get your trousers on - you’re nicked!” either…
My sister and I started watching Doctor Who with the first episode in 1963 when we were 10 and 13 years old. 
The BBC spin-off The Sarah Jane adventures was certainly aimed at a younger audience.
I thought “Kerblam!” was a decent enough stand-alone episode, though certainly not one that anybody will point to as an example of Who at its best.
As some have mentioned, it did have a bit of a retro feel; while the show of late has taken on more of a cinematic feel, this looked and felt very much like a TV episode, cheesy sets and all. Not sure if that’s due to budgetary or time constraints, or a deliberate choice to evoke nostalgia.
Charlie’s motivation was fuzzy at best. But I kind of liked the subversion of the sleazy manager turning out to be a decent dude. And if you ignore the illogic of it all, it was a clever and entertaining episode.
The programme was originally a children’s show for the whole of the run of “old” Who. I remember the first episode and as I remember it went out at around 6 pm.
When New Who started I think it was aimed at a “whole family” audience, with a later start time of around 8pm, targeting especially the adults who had enjoyed it themselves as children, as a nostalgia thing.
This new series with Jodie Whitaker is going out in an earlier slot and definitely seems more tailored for children.
Well here’s a surprising plot-twist/cliffhanger for you: It seems that both Chris Chibnall and Jodi Whittaker may be pulling a Christopher Eccleston and leave the show, making it a “one-and-done” season for the new Doctor. Despite getting good reviews and ratings, Chibnall is complaining about backstage politics and already wants out. Whittaker would then exit the show with him.
That would be terrible IMO, as I do like the new series and it seems like everybody involved is just starting to hit their stride. It’s not perfect, but I imagine another year and Chibnall and co. could iron out the kinks and deliver some really terrific episodes. To see it all end now would be too bad.
Tate does sketch and character comedy but she has done solo stage shows with her character stuff. I don’t know what the hell you’d call what Matt Lucas used to do on Shooting Stars, which predates his Little Britain work. “Anarchic weirdness”, I guess. He’s a bay-beh! He’s a bay-beh!
It’d be sad to only get a single season of Whittaker, plus it would vindicate all the assholes saying “Women can’t be Doctor Who!”.
I too would be sorry to see Whittaker go after only one season, it would indeed please the idiots who can’t see that a woman could be the Doctor.
However I think something is not quite right this season … it’s been very patchy and way too preachy.
As far as Jodie’s portrayal is concerned, I like her very much . . . except for her constant exaggerated gurning at every twist or surprise in the story.
Also the incessant waving around of the sonic screwdriver - though that is probably down to the writing.
Mind you, the last three Doctors tended to gurn and grimace and wave their screwdrivers around at every plot twist too. Ecclestone was a bit more measured in his reactions but the other three hammed it up to the max on frequent occasion. And preachiness has long been baked into the show going back to the beginnings of the show, although Chibnall hasn’t blended it in as well as many other writers have.
I am very much hoping that Whittaker sticks around but I am also hoping that she finds her Doctor a bit better than she has. Her Doctor is too prone to self-deprecation and even insecurity, calling herself stupid and admitting that she hadn’t thought of fairly obvious things, asking for validation from her Companions on how she played a room. It’s something that women stereotypically do more than men but it goes against a basic across all Doctors character essential. The Doctor may act goofy and sometimes be clueless about things regarding human relationships, but humility and self-deprecation? No. When the Doctor is unsure about being right it is a big deal, not something that happens as a matter of course.
Correct me if I’m wrong but doesn’t the article talks about them departing after the twelfth season/series? Given that we’re currently in the eleventh season/series, it wouldn’t be one and done. It would be two and done.
Yes, and production has started on that season. If it is not better than this one, they should wrap it up.
The first serial I clearly remember (because it scared me so much) was The Green Death, which aired shortly before my 6th birthday! It’s a family show in the UK, it airs in the early evening, and is super-mainstream.
Some commentators forget that a large chunk of the most important audience ie the domestic one, is kids watching with their parents. It’s a bugger of a show to write for, I reckon.
And I recall multiple times in NuWho where he has been late to figuring something out and calling himself stupid.
A casual search finds
The Eleventh Doctor “Nobody move; everybody, stay exactly where you are. Bishop, I am truly sorry, I’ve made a mistake, and we’re all in terrible danger.”
The 12 Doctor “Think think think think think think think think think think. Stupid Doctor. Stupid stupid stupid.”
and
“I’m the Doctor. I’ve lived for over two thousand years, and not all of them were good. I’ve made many mistakes, and it’s about time I did something about that.”
And I recall that the 12th Doctor stood next to a portion of the Cyberman symbol and didn’t notice it.
The search may be casual but those moments were not. They were significant events. That’s the point. This Doctor easily admits to mistakes as they happen … oops they can monitor our group loops (or whatever they were) silly me I forgot, mind too full of other things …
Yes, god forbid the last 3 seasons of character development actually stick through regeneration.
If we’re going back to Old Who, John Cleese had a memorable cameo in City of Death. And pre-Who, Jon Pertwee was best known as a radio comedian.