I did continue watching Doctor Who all the way to the end of Gatwa’s run, although with less enthusiasm than I had previously. There were several developments over the years that I had not cared for (not just the so-called “woke” stuff that internet trolls love to complain about). Frankly as far back as Matt Smith’s time I started to see some cracks.
I was never terribly fond of the ongoing River Song storyline, and especially the strained pun that was the “explanation” of her name (River Song = Melody Pond, get it?). I also didn’t care for the treatment of the Doctor as this godlike being that every planet in the universe knew and feared. He was better in the old days when he was just this guy wandering through time and space, fixing things when he could and fighting evil when he found it.
I didn’t hate Jodie Whittaker as much as many people seemed to, but some of her stories left a lot to be desired. The whole “Timeless Child” thing was a mess, and its follow-up “The Flux” wasn’t much better.
So I suppose it’s time for another Wilderness Years. Will it come back? Should it come back? I don’t know. No TV show lasts forever, after all, and if nobody has any good ideas for it, I don’t want to see it revived “just because.”
I am sad that it won’t get a proper finale episode. Because I’ve always said that I want the very last episode to officially establish that the character’s surname is in fact “Who.” Just for the amount of fanboy rage it would generate.
I always preferred Doctor Who when it was just joyous fun and adventures. There was always some bad situation or villian that had to be confronted and then the next episode was a new adventure.
David Tennant Doctor got fairly dark in the final episodes.
Matt Smith started very upbeat and fun. But his last season got really depressing.
I know they were signaling the end and a new regeneration. But, it’s the fun episodes that I rewatch on streaming.
There were some very dark moments for the characters. Remember The Girl Who Waited, when Amy Pond was left stranded on a dangerous planet for decades? She had to fight for survival every day until The Doctor finally returns with the Tardis.
Rory suffered a similar fate in The Lone Centurion. Rory was left behind as a Roman Soldier guarding the Pandorica and protecting Amy Pond.
Yeah, that was another thing I didn’t like in those years. I want to look forward to the next episode thinking “What exciting new adventure awaits them this time?”, rather than “What’s the next horrible thing that will happen to these poor people?”
At first I was blaming each new actor for my lack of interest and wondering if I am one of “those” people who cannot accept change. But I’ve decided that Smith, Capaldi, Whittaker, and Gatwa are all fine actors - it was the writing that was the problem.
I agree that it has been missing its sense of fun. And while I think the story lines have always had social commentary, I think a better writer could have made it more engaging to avoid the label of “woke”.
I don’t agree with IGN. A 2026 Christmas special could easily be done as a one off adventure.
It wouldn’t have any impact on a new show that comes out in a few years.
I would have enjoyed seeing Matt Smith, Amy Pond, and Rory again.
Time travel means we can always see The Doctor at different periods of time.
The hard part is convincing the actors to revive their old roles. David Tennant was very good when he returned. Even though the writing wasn’t quite as good.
I guess David’s Tenth Doctor, 15-episode audio series is still planned?
Fair enough to give it a rest again. And come to think of it, it’s sort of on brand that again it just kind of stops. Leave us with Billie smiling from the TARDIS door and some time in the mid-2030s start again with someone new having to give exposition about what happened in between.
Some times you just have to step back and think, what is it we want with this property? If you can’t answer, pause.
I tend to agree that they were increasingly writing themselves into corners and doing a disservice to good actors and potentially great characters. It had been already for a good while suffered from the Superman Problem - having the stakes constantly escalating because you always have to go above whatever was the last threat. But when you keep escalating it gets harder to relate. There was also the matter mentioned of some companions getting some really raw deals, and others becoming somehow cosmically critical themselves (hi there Clara); and of course the matter of revisionism of the lore (Timeless Child, anyone?).
So, let it rest and let someone come up with something good and fresh and if it means another direction let it be another direction, it already happened before.
That’s what I didn’t like about the Whitaker era; it wasn’t fun. The first episode was literally and figuratively dark and depressing (took place mostly at night and two companions’ loved one was killed). That was followed up with episodes about Rosa Parks and the partition of India. And it seemed like they didn’t want 13 to be funny. When she was it always seemed to go by quickly, as if it was meant to be missed (not that it had to be the in your face style of 11.)
Yeah, I was going to ask, Twenty years? pish tush! The show is almost as old as I am. I remember when Tom Baker and his scarf was the new big thing. I think people hated him, too. I remember the three doctors episode. (when that’s all there were)
Yes yes, but the new era from 2005 til now is really such a different show. Yes it’s a continuation but the times I’ve tried to watch classic episodes they just feel so different and cheesy that I couldn’t get through even one.
