In case you’re new to this site, I’m a Doctor Who fan. I recently completed a look at the early pitches for the original 1960s program, or programme if you’re British, among many other articles. I have almost every issue of the Marvel US run, including the four Marvel Premiere issues, edited from the UK magazine. I have a handful of novels, most of which are novelizations, a few videos, a TARDIS cookie jar a friend gave me currently holding candy instead (my friend is a bigger Whovian than I am, by the way), a Matt Smith era Sonic Screwdriver, and I’ve posted episodes on Saturday Night Showcase to share with my readers, including a current three-part set of crossover episodes. I even made two of my own fancomics as a teen. With the aforementioned friend we did a couple of 8th Doctor stories before Fox gave us an 8th Doctor and after the seventh’s run, with my friend creating an original Companion that admittedly only works for Americans. (Which we both are, though he also has ties to Canada.) On my own I made a K-9 comic where Mark II left E-Space on his own and served aboard an Earth exploring vessel in search of the Doctor. I did “Doctor Who meets Star Trek” before IDW.
A mutual friend told us about the show on PBS but I didn’t get to see it until the TV schedule changed to allow it because it was airing at suppertime. Once I finally got to see it I really liked it. I didn’t care about the lower quality that came with the budget. I just really enjoyed the serialized adventures of a time traveler and his rotating cast of comrades as they traversed time and space in whatever the heck a Police Box was. (American, remember.) Later, I got to see the Peter Cushing movies, read the aforementioned comics and novels, and just enjoyed the world of Doctor Who.
So when the relaunch came out I was interested. Then the BBC’s animated relaunch was cancelled by a new show in the original live-action format and was still on board. While I had my issues, I thought it was okay. Then it started going downhill, then got good again, then totally fell apart under Chris Chibnall. The BBC was convinced only the man who brought the show back could save the show, as well as allying with Disney+, itself denouncing its own entertainment legacy in favor of agendas and Bob Iger’s ego. Still, if Russel T. Davies could bring back the magic, the show would be saved.
Russel T. Davies could not bring back the magic.
There are a lot of reasons why, but before I get into my thoughts, I have a video by an actual British person, Disparu, and another by Harbo Wholmes, going over just why the show has lost it’s place. Since the show is a British institution that just happened to find international success before the BBC hired a controller who put his snobbery above their biggest export since the musical British Invasion, I want to get their thoughts in, as two people whose Who reviews I follow on the regular.
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