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Doctor Who needs to take another hiatus to regenerate its popularity after multiple seasons of lower ratings and disappointed fans.
Doctor Who is one of the BBC’s oldest shows, premiering in November 1963. Since the main premise of Doctor Who is that the main character is an alien who can cheat death, the showrunners have been given the opportunity to keep the show on air for as long as they want, and because of this handy plot device that allows the Doctor to essentially live forever, the show has managed to stay relevant for the past five decades.
However, complaints from fans about the newest seasons created by current showrunner Chris Chibnall have included accusations of bland storytelling and poor characterization. Many Doctor Who fans claim that side characters like Ryan and Ruth play into stereotypes and don’t show much individuality. The chemistry between the Doctor and her companions also does not seem as genuine in Chibnall’s era, especially when compared to pairings like the Tenth Doctor and Rose or Donna.
Viewing figures on doctorwhonews.net reveal that around four million viewers have stopped watching the show, with a total of only 4.40 million viewers in 2022 compared to 8.08 million in 2005. The figure for Doctor Who‘s 2022 viewers is also alarmingly close to the show’s viewership numbers for 1989 — the year that the show officially went on hiatus. Doctor Who had 4.31 million viewers in 1989, only 0.09 million lower than this year’s figures.
However, the current creative team isn’t solely to blame for this decrease in viewership. Many viewers were disappointed when David Tennant did not return as the Tenth Doctor, resulting in a sizeable portion of the fandom leaving when Matt Smith eventually took over. Some fans who kept watching after Smith and Steven Moffat’s arrival were upset with the latter including sexist stereotypes in his writing that made female characters less meaningful, as Failure in the Making points out. They were especially disappointed with his writing decisions when he gave the Doctor more regeneration cycles, as it directly contradicted previously existing Doctor Who canon.
Moffat was criticized for turning the show into a joke with the introduction of sonic sunglasses and the Doctor stealing Davros’ chair. Most notably, he was called out for making the show all about the Doctor instead of the companions — which was what gave Russell T. Davies’ era the charm that helped make New Who successful to begin with.
However, there is still a glimmer of hope for Doctor Who, as Davies will take over after Chibnall steps down as showrunner later in 2022. Jodie Whittaker will be leaving the show along with Chibnall, meaning that fans will see a brand new face in the role of the Doctor when the next full season airs. Since many current Doctor Who fans enjoyed Davies’ era, and with Davies wrapping his work on the massively popular miniseries It’s A Sin in 2021, this is a good sign for progress in the Whoniverse.
Considering the response from fans of the show and the decrease in viewing numbers, another hiatus similar to the one from 1989-2005 is the best course of action for Doctor Who. The premise of the show is a double-edged sword, as it gives showrunners and fans the opportunity to make it last as long as they want — but it also means that the show can go on for too long, to the point where the writers are exhausted. With Davies coming back to reinvent the series and a new Doctor coming aboard the TARDIS, another hiatus would ensure fresh and more compelling storylines, and help keep New Who going for another 17 years.
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