Where do we go from here?

[Starkers]

Someone on Twitter has put the following infographic together detailing the show's ratings since 2005 when it returned. Obviously the TV landscape has changed during the last 15 years, viewing habits have shifted and it's hard to determine what impact, if any, the move to Sunday night has had, but the facts remain, after a really strong start the viewing numbers have dropped to S10 levels again, in fact while both Smith and Capaldi lost viewers over their tenure the drop-off between S11 and S12 is the sharpest to date, and the Timeless Children is now the lowest viewed episode of the modern era.

Spin it all you want (and I've actually enjoyed S12 way more than I enjoyed S11) but the show does seem to be haemorrhaging viewers. Maybe that's just the way of the world now, the show isn't new anymore and the glory days of David and Matt have gone and nobody could pull them back (not even RTD). The lowest ratings have come under two different showrunners and two different Doctors which is telling as well.

And yet, the huge numbers that tuned in for Jodie's first episodes is intriguing. Maybe they were curious, or maybe there was some good will, some people wanting to love Who again? If that was the case then clearly most of them have given up.

Do we need a new showrunner? Do we need a new Doctor? Or are the problems more fundamental? I've thrown a poll together which does contain the option of do nothing because I know a lot of people do like the show. Maybe just a move back to Saturday nights would do it? You can vote for up to three options but don't feel you have to if only one option appeals. If you do want a new showrunner and/or Doctor suggestions would be good.

I know people have strong views but let's try and keep the discussion civil

 

[EnderAKH]

Viewing habits have changed, let Chibnall and Jodie finish their three seasons then give someone else a crack at it.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

"due to the vagaries of the production parameters, vis-à-vis the fragmenting of the audience due to cable television, carnivals, water parks...."

 

[XCV330]

give it a few years cool down and reboot it.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Plus you have to consider the Beeb itself. Is someone an active hater of DW, ala Michael Grade?

 

[Starkers]

Plus you have to consider the Beeb itself. Is someone an active hater of DW, ala Michael Grade?

It's possible, though the show still seems to have support in terms of marketing/budget. It's not like it's suddenly looking cheap compared to what's come before, quite the reverse in some respects.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Viewing habits have changed, let Chibnall and Jodie finish their three seasons then give someone else a crack at it.

Exactly this. Full stop. Anything else is useless fan whinging.

 

[EnderAKH]

Exactly this. Full stop. Anything else is useless fan whinging.

That's the beauty of Doctor Who, the character and the show. It's always reinventing itself. If you don't like it, wait a few years, someone else will come along and change it up.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

That's the beauty of Doctor Who, the character and the show. It's always reinventing itself. If you don't like it, wait a few years, someone else will come along and change it up.

Yup. One of the many reasons why I love the show.

 

[Redfern]

If you don't like it, wait a few years, someone else will come along and change it up.

A bit like the old adage about British weather.

 

[Captrek]

A bit like the old adage about British weather.

“If you don't like the weather in New England now, just wait a few minutes.”

― Mark Twain

 

[Redfern]

“If you don't like the weather in New England now, just wait a few minutes.”

― Mark Twain

D'oh!

 

[David cgc]

I would like Jodie to stay on under a different producer, just because we haven't seen that yet in Modern Who, and because I'm extremely not a fan of Chibnall's style. Were that I knew who should take over, though. I think part of the issue with this era that the RTD-to-Moffat transition escaped was that it was pretty obvious for a long time that Moffat would be the ideal successor to RTD; he had experience running TV shows, and his episodes each year were always highly-praised and well-liked (I feel like people were anticipating Moffat as the heir-apparent after, like, "The Girl in the Fireplace"). There wasn't a similar all-star writer during the Moffat-era.

 

[Jayson1]

I think you got get ride of Chibnall and even though Jodie is fine I think she has to go as well because they really need to start over and maybe even do something really bold like telling the stories of a Doctor in alternate universe which allows them to do things with canon that won't mess with the Prime canon because clearly fans didn't respond well to retcon.

Not only that but I think you got to go with someone who brings instant respect both as the showrunner and as the Doctor and sort of think of this new universe as a reboot that is not technically a reboot like the Kelvinverse was for Trek. Maybe even do something like bring back Tennant or Smith to play alternate universe versions of them or another idea is a female Doctor Donna or a Doctor who looks like Rose.

Jason

 

[Lonemagpie]

Plus you have to consider the Beeb itself. Is someone an active hater of DW, ala Michael Grade?

No, quite the opposite in fact

 

[Lonemagpie]

Exactly this. Full stop. Anything else is useless fan whinging.

Yep.

FWIW, going by the poll, I'd go with-
Keep Jodie, and Chibnall as showrunner, but don't let him write any atual individual episodes.
Move to Saturday, and a different time of the year, which chose simply because that's happening anyway- A september filming start means an autumn season next year.

 

[Starkers]

Yep.

FWIW, going by the poll, I'd go with-
Keep Jodie, and Chibnall as showrunner, but don't let him write any atual individual episodes.
Move to Saturday, and a different time of the year, which chose simply because that's happening anyway- A september filming start means an autumn season next year.

If we went with that I can't see how Chibnall can't write some episodes, I mean as a matter of personal pride if nothing else he'd be unlikely to agree to that. And he isn't a terrible writer. But maybe let someone else co-write the opening eps and the finale (on the evidence of S12 maybe Vinay Patel and Maxine Alderton.)

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I'd say downscale his writing to one or two non-event episodes (premiere, finale, holiday, big reveal) and focus on the overall showrunning and sculpting the season. He's done great individual episodes so I don't want to lose that opportunity.

 

[Starkers]

I'd say downscale his writing to one or two non-event episodes (premiere, finale, holiday, big reveal) and focus on the overall showrunning and sculpting the season. He's done great individual episodes so I don't want to lose that opportunity.

TBH I'm not sure he's ever done a truly great episode. Enjoyable episodes for sure, but I was always worried because he isn't in the same league as RTD or Moffat.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

A truly great episode? Perhaps not but, among his pre-showrunning days, I think "The Hungry Earth"/"Cold Blood" and "The Power of Three" come pretty close and I say that as someone who didn't initially love the Silurian two-parter. Once I got over the beady eye issue (something that Madame Vastra helped with) and watched it again some time later, I really grew to love it. I know it's much lighter fare but I have a soft spot for the sheer fun of "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship."

Of his showrunning work, I really love "The Tsuranga Conundrum" but apparently I'm in the minority on that count. I also greatly enjoy the low-key stakes of "The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos" for a series finale, even if he then turned around and did Davies-esque finale the following series finale.

However you look at his work, I do think he is stretched a bit thin like Moffat and Davies before him, which is why I think downscaling his writing plate would be a good idea. Moffat in particular clearly wrote far better when he was focused more on just the writing of one story per series.