Doctor Who

Doctor Who is a British sci-fi show that has been running since the 1960s and it follows the adventures of an intrepid explorer who travels through space and time. What has kept this show fresh and different is the protagonist's ability to regenerate, giving the show a chance to bring in new actors and take the show in a different direction.

2020 sees the Doctor in its 13th iteration of the mysterious yet beloved adventurer. However, the show's reputation has taken a hit recently, with the quality being criticised and the overall future of the show being brought into question. My stance has only wavered slightly, but I for one still find the show entertaining and enjoyable to watch with each new season.

The 9th & 10th Doctor: The Greats

I'm of the generation that found love for Doctor Who when it returned to our screens in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston taking up the mantra as the 9th iteration of the famous face-changing hero. I knew nothing about Doctor Who prior to this, but from the very first episode, "Rose", I fell in love. Eccleston was fearsome yet funny, his persona was a character I hadn't previously seen on screen before and his relationship with his companion, Rose, was something I loved watching. Of course, the adventures they went on were also super interesting and exciting for me to watch each week.

With Eccleston only wanting to do one series, the show re-introduced the aspect of regeneration; where the Doctor's face and personality completely transformed - introducing David Tennent as the 10th Doctor. My mind was blown to say the least, but this change was great - there was no stopping me from tuning in each week to watch the next episode; driving my parents insane talking about it, before I realised my friends also watched it - then I drove up the phone bill talking with them about it each Saturday.

Like many of my age, David Tennent is by far my favourite Doctor. The presence he gave to the character was fantastic; he was enigmatic and funny, yet also maintained the sense of age and respect that a Time Lord should be given without causing fear. His companions were also just as enjoyable to watch - each relationship was something new, with their stories just as fleshed out as the Doctor himself.

The 11th Doctor: Starting to Slip

Matt Smith, the youngest Doctor to date, came to our screens in 2010 after the heart-wrenching death of Tennent's Doctor. He had a disadvantage of rather popular shoes to fill. Personally, I feel like he did a great job; what he brought to the character was great - he was childish without being annoying, while also interjecting the power and ferocity someone as old as he actually is would have. Where he was failed was in the writing and overall concept for each season.

The team behind Doctor Who was completely overhauled moving into the 5th series; taking the show in a direction more attuned with fantasy elements, playing into themes more inline with children's TV as opposed to something for the whole family. I get that they wanted something to stand out against the Tennent era series; but it wasn't the same show - plots made no-sense and focused on companions who were just inherintly unlikable.

The 12th Doctor: The End?

With the Smith era at a close, and viewing starting to decline, it was obvious that the showrunners were looking to bring something different to the table to help revitalise the show. In came Peter Capaldi, the formidable Scot, who brought a lot more darkness to the beloved character. Here was a much older and wiser Doctor than this generation of fans were used to. I fully welcomed it; the change of tone brought the show back to an older audience, while there were easter eggs from series past, with the occasional nod to classic episodes.

What was still missing was the relationship between the Doctor and the companions. I was never taken in by Clara Oswald - the inclusion of her storyline supposedly interweaving with all the past iterations of the Doctor was ridiculous, and clearly a mistake the writers hoped to forget as it was never mentioned in Capldi's series. The companions for me were saved when they brought in Billie; a feisty and likeable companion who finally didn't have an infatuation with the Doctor. Her character was given more material outside of wanting to please the Doctor - for the first time since Tennent's era, Billie was a person not just someone for the Doctor to talk at.

Despite all this, ratings continued to drop with fans quickly losing interest in the adventures no matter how out there and fantastical the writers were hoping to create. For me, I was starting to worry that this might be the Doctor that sees the time come for the show to take a long break.

The 13th Doctor: The Saviour?

After 50 years of the Doctor regenerating into a younger or older man, the series introduced the 13th iteration of the Doctor as Jodie Whittaker, a northern actress who had been making waves in the TV industry since her time on hit show Broadchurch. Of course, the introduction of a female Doctor was met with a rather sexist response from certain fans; apparently it was too difficult for people to comprehend a being that can change its entirely biological structure rather than die could actually become a woman instead of just a man. I'm pretty sure this has been referenced many times throughout the history of the show as well.

Much like the introduction of Matt Smith, Whittaker's Doctor also dealt with a change in the writing and directorial team. For me, all this change has been for the better. The show seems to have a clearer sense of direction - not to mention each episode has been so beautifully shot that its like watching a mini movie. There are still areas to improve, the companions (although funny) still seem to be completely seperate from the Doctor, there doesn't seem to be any sort of relationship with any of them. Instead being there to her Whittaker's Doctor stumble awkwardly through conversation while also showcasing her wacky and enjoyable take on the Doctor's interlect.

In the end...

I go back and forth over whether the show should have a break for a few years. It could allow for a team to get together and properly plan out really solid stories that could take the Doctor and their companion(s) through all sorts of adventures, hopefully bringing back the hidden narratives we used to get, like the Badwolf and Torchwood plotlines from Eccleston and Tennent era Who. However, there is no part of me that doesn't hate the show, I'll still glady sit and watch each episode, enjoying most aspects of what I get; I unfortunately just seem to be in the minority especially among family and friends.