Series 9 - Final, Final Ratings Analysis

[StCoop]

Interesting reading but in short, even after all the different methods of watching are counted, over a million viewers left after Series 8 never to return.

http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2016/04/series-nine-full-live-7-figures.html

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

Well done, Moffat. Well done.

 

[Starkers]

Which is a shame as S9 was so much better than S8. Can't quibble with the facts, however I would quibble over the "never to return" part.

If all possible realities exist then somewhere there's another universe where RTD and Tennant never left and I'm willing to bet even their ratings will have dropped off by now. (I'm not trying to suggest Moffat and the BBC don't have to accept some responsibility, Series 8 had its moments but overall was very flawed, but I do think there's possibly an element of Who fatigue.)

Irrespective of how S10 goes, I think Chibnall and a new Doctor (assuming there is a new Doctor rather than Capaldi carrying on) really have to hit the ground running with S11.

 

[intrinsical]

Right between episodes 4 and 5, BBC blocked all international viewers from accessing iPlayer. I was not surprised to see a 160k drop in iPlayer viewers between the two episodes.

 

[Mr Awe]

I agree with what you say, Starkers. Simply having RTD and/or the previous Doctors stay may well have produced the same pattern. Series fatigue is a real issue in long running series. Moffat probably also plays a role. There may well be fatigue with Moffat's tropes.

Mr Awe

 

[The Wormhole]

Moffat probably also plays a role. There may well be fatigue with Moffat's tropes.

Not to turn this into Moffat bashing or anything, but the guy is basically recycling his plot arcs. It's not too surprising people are tuning off something they've already watched.

 

[Starkers]

But RTD recycled his plot arcs too, I think most writers do (ideas, characters, plots etc). Gatiss' cryptic comment about freed slaves when it was announced Moffat was leaving does make me wonder if it were up to him he'd have gone sooner.

 

[StCoop]

Gatiss' cryptic comment about freed slaves when it was announced Moffat was leaving does make me wonder if it were up to him he'd have gone sooner.

It's no real secret that he was supposed to be gone by now. And if Olivia Colman hadn't been pregnant, pushing the last series of 'Broadchurch' back a year, Chibnall's first series would be just about to start shooting.

As it is, and regardless of what I think of him in general, if Moffat hadn't been persuaded to come back we'd have had no new episodes between December 2015 and April 2018...

 

[Starkers]

Odd that her pregnancy didn't stop her doing the Night manager, and was even written into the script to make sure she could do it? Then again I don't watch Broardchurch so don't know how feasible that would have been.

Also as much as I like Moffat I can't believe the beeb couldn't have got someone to run an interim season?

 

[TommyR01D]

My Hopes and Fears for the Next Series thread seems to have run out of puff so I shall transfer my interests here.

I think the problem is partly fatigue (though of course that can happen to any series) but also perhaps down to the irregular construction of the programming nowadays - there is no regular schedule, with seasons getting chopped up, moved around the year or even kicked stopped altogether as we have now.

When combined with the modern way of storytelling (whereby the arc dominates everything and keeping track of continuity is a nightmare) it can be hard to maintain interest, as by the time the show returns from a hiatus you've forgotten what the point of it was. Another problem with the long prorogations is that they make it hard to get any sense of progression - uninteresting plot threads can be stretched out for several years before any closure arrives, assuming it does at all.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

Wormhole summed it up - Moffat's just not trying anymore. Personally, I think between the Trilogy of the Doctor and picking the New Doctor, he was spent. The last two series have been lucklustre in their own ways:

Series 8 had an OK arc with a disappointing conclusion and a great number of forgettable, uninteresting episodes or near-great episodes with terrible conclusions (like, Listen, which is fine until we get Moffat shoehorning the barn from Day into the First Doctor's timeline, basically retconning his invention to a fundamental scenery for the Doctor, not to mention having Clara influence his thinking for the past 50 years, too - ugh!), resulting in a disappointing eighth series.

Series 9 had a good deal of two-parters, but without a lot of interesting moral issues or characterization (even the opening two-parter with Davros is sorely lacking in engaging dialogue between the Doctor and Davros, making for a disappointing clash of characters overall). Add to that an absolutely non-sensical story arc that is beyond stupid (what the hell is the Hybrid anyway? is that threat gone?) and the most boring side-character of NuWho in Whats Her Name (aka Me).

So, for me, I enjoy the character moments greatly in series 9, but they're not enough to go back to that series. The story arc is awful, and the last episode is beyond excrutianting to watch (just let Clara die already!). And its just so clear to me that Moffat has nothing left to say anymore, that I worry series 10 might be even worse than 8 and 9. He's bereft of inspiration, as he clearly told everything he could have by Time of the Doctor. I really wish Chibnail had come to the show with series 10, personally.

In any case, at least Capaldi was consistently entertaining, trying to act old in an old man's body, before actually becoming an old man acting out deceptively senile but still doing better of them all. Brilliant.

 

[Mr Awe]

Not to turn this into Moffat bashing or anything, but the guy is basically recycling his plot arcs. It's not too surprising people are tuning off something they've already watched.

I liked Moffat's style at first. And, he can still crank some good ones. But, I'd agree that he does reuse his stuff and it's a good time for him to leave.

Mr Awe

 

[Ithekro]

I wonder if the Hybrid was a myth the Doctor (or perhaps Me) made up for the Time Lords to sound scary, but it was just in fact their meeting at the end of the universe on Gallifrey. It is still a threat because either of them could be a serious threat to the Time Lords. The Doctor has proven to be able to do as he likes when it comes to the Time Lords repeatedly. Especially now that he is the Man that Won the Time War. And Me can't die, plus now she has a TARDIS. She can go anywhen and anywhere. She is extremely skilled in about everything save traveling in time and space, and she has a skilled teacher for that (Clara).

 

[MacLeod]

A cahnge in Doctor or Companion or Head writer might regenerate the show somewhat. Nothing against Capadli as the Doctor but it might have taken a few episodes for eveyone to get a handle on his take on the role unfortunatly these are the episodes which can be crucial to winning the audiance over.

 

[Professor Zoom]

Meh. What's the worst that can happen? They cancel it?
Maybe. But, if anything, it wouldn't be off the air for to long. It makes to much money.

 

[sttngfan1701d]

I know anecdotal evidence is not at all indicative of the whole, but none of my friends who watch Doctor Who like Capaldi. Two stopped watching sometime after "Deep Breath," and one made it to Time Heist before quitting and coming back for "Last Christmas" and the series 9 opener, before quitting again. "I miss Matt Smith," she said.

I didn't like Capaldi at first. He was rough in Series 8. I like him now, though. I think MacLeod above has a point. Matt Smith had me sold on his incarnation within 20 minutes. I loved him inside his introduction story. Capaldi's Doctor was uneven (by design) for several episodes, and that probably lost a lot of casual viewers right there.

 

[kirk55555]

I liked Capaldi right from the get go. I still like him, but he is a bit too soft and mellow at times, not helped by his stupid "saturday morning at home" attire and his goofy guitar obsession. I liked the harsher 12th Doctor, and his more Doctor-y attire. But, he's still fine as he is (even if i'd like a bit of his edge back), and without Clara I think he'll be even better.

 

[The Wormhole]

But RTD recycled his plot arcs too, I think most writers do.

As true as that is Moffat seems to have run the gamut of his ideas for Doctor Who. Take for example the Davros story beginning season 9 and setting up the season's story arc of the confessional dial, a device which holds the Doctor's darkest secret related to why he left Gallifrey to begin with. Only two years after a very similar storyline was done as lead-in to the highly publicized 50th anniversary special. Anyone familiar with Moffat's writing could have guessed we wouldn't get any straight answers anyway, and indeed we didn't.

what the hell is the Hybrid anyway? is that threat gone?

Apparently, the team of the Doctor and Clara is the Hybrid and there never really was a threat, the Time Lords reacted to the whole thing of the Hybrid standing in the ruins of Gallifrey, which only refers to them visiting Ashildr/Me/Arya Stark/Whoever in the distant future.

Don't worry, I needed it explained to me in the review thread and have had to explain it to quite a few people in RL. Though I got to say, the whole thing came off as needlessly complicating the issue by turning it into some sort of abstract concept like that. It would have been much easier to understand if the Hybrid was in fact Clara, given she now exists in a state of life and death. And they could have made things more interesting by suggesting she could still pose a threat to Gallifrey and the Time Lords, which the Doctor can't prepare to deal with because his memory's been wiped. But no, instead we get abstract concepts and evasive non-answers.

I didn't like Capaldi at first. He was rough in Series 8. I like him now, though. I think MacLeod above has a point. Matt Smith had me sold on his incarnation within 20 minutes. I loved him inside his introduction story. Capaldi's Doctor was uneven (by design) for several episodes, and that probably lost a lot of casual viewers right there.

I had the weirdest reactions to Matt Smith. I enjoyed him in The Eleventh Hour, but then for the rest of the fifth season the first time around I found myself pining for Tennant. I had warmed up to Smith by season 6, and today when I re-watch the fifth season I find myself wondering "what the hell was I thinking back then? Smith was always awesome."

Capaldi had me sold with Deep Breath, and by Into the Dalek he was the Doctor to me.

 

[Starkers]

As true as that is Moffat seems to have run the gamut of his ideas for Doctor Who. Take for example the Davros story beginning season 9 and setting up the season's story arc of the confessional dial, a device which holds the Doctor's darkest secret related to why he left Gallifrey to begin with. Only two years after a very similar storyline was done as lead-in to the highly publicized 50th anniversary special. Anyone familiar with Moffat's writing could have guessed we wouldn't get any straight answers anyway, and indeed we didn't.

I wouldn't completely disagree with the notion that Moffat has run his gamut, although given he still managed to deliver something as fantastic as Heaven Sent I would argue that his creative fuel tank isn't quite running on fumes just yet.

Thing is people castigate Moffat both ways. They complain that some of his stories are overly convoluted (and in fairness they are) but how many people were annoyed that River was Amy's daughter because it was SOOOOOOO OBVIOUS? Probably about as many people who were annoyed when the Teselecta was used to save Eleven in The Wedding of River Song. Both the reveal of River's origins and the solution to the Doctor's 'death' were straight answers. They made narrative sense and the seeds had been sown well in advance. To my mind the essence of a good twist should be that (at least in hindsight) it should be very obvious. I prefer that every time to a writer just pulling something out of his or her backside at the last minute (not saying Moff hasn't done that as well!)

Something I wish both RTD and Moffat had done was just occasionally let another writer handle the finale and/or Christmas special. In particular the Christmas special has always seemed a bit of a waste of the head writer (aside from when there's a regeneration at work). Be interesting to see whether Chibnall follows the same pattern laid down by both RTD and SM on this.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

What the hell was obvious about River being Amy's daughter? There was nothing obvious about it - it was just a forced connection between the three characters, to enforce a sense of family towards the Eleventh Doctor.

Ultimately, it was ludicrous. Especially the embarrassing flashbacks to River growing up with her own parents, and even helping them hook up. Like, ewww.

And yes, the Teselecta being used in TWORS was also super cheap deux-ex-machina. Are we saying it isn't? The problem is compounded by the fact that the entire episode was cringeworthy conclusion to an ambitious arc that was never given its proper due.