Doctor Who has survived an awful lot.
We’ve seen the Doctor fall off a giant telescope, absorb a lethal amount of radiation (twice), and even bump their head on the Tardis console, yet they still walked away to tell the tale.
True, they might not have had the same face after these incidents, but that’s pretty run of the mill for Time Lords.
It’s strange, then, that for the first time since 2005 and Doctor Who’s triumphant return that it feels like the beloved sci-fi series is in peril.
Low viewing figures, mixed critical reception, and growing fan antipathy have dogged the show over the last few series, and there’s a fear amongst fans that the Doctor might be done for.
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Yet, do you know who else has believed the Doctor was defeated over the years? The Daleks… and the Cybermen… and The Master.
In fact, countless villains over the years have considered the Doctor to be beaten, only to be proven wrong, and recent news has me optimistic that the Last of the Time Lords can do the impossible once again.
On June 12, the BBC announced that they’re working on a new CBBC spin-off featuring the Doctor.
According to the BBC press release, this new animated show – which is aimed at the pre-school audience — will see the Gallifreyan gadabout ‘solving mysteries and problems alongside their companions and other friends’.
Now I know what you’re thinking. Why am I excited about the news of a show aimed at people who’ve only just learned object permanence?
Well, there’s a simple answer to that, I think this demonstrates that the Beeb still have faith in Who as a brand.
After all, why would they be willing to invest in the wider franchise if they weren’t sure if the series still had legs (and arms, hands, ooh, fingers, lots of fingers. Ears, yes, eyes too)?
I must admit, in my darkest moments, I have entertained the terror that the Beeb might shelve Who, but this recent announcement has me convinced we’re going to hear news on the main series return soon.
Of course, there are already rumours online about where the series might be heading. There are unverified reports online that Disney is done with Doctor Who and that they won’t be helping produce another season.
On paper, that sounds like a massive blow, but before you start wailing into your Tom Baker scarf, there is some good news.
Supposedly, the BBC is close to finding a new partner for the beleaguered series, which will allow them to continue Doctor Who in some form or another.
What form will the show take next? Who knows?
To paraphrase the Doctor, regeneration is a lottery; you never know what you’re going to get, and so is renewal in the TV world.
What I do know is that whoever takes it over is unlikely to have pockets as deep as Disney – unless it’s Apple TV Plus, they’re Scrooge McDuck rich – which means Who’s going to have to make some adjustments.
And you know what? I think that’s great.
The BBC may have grand ambitions for Doctor Who to be a big-budget affair like the MCU or other modern sci-fi series, but that’s not what audiences watch the show for.
They watch it because they love the characters, the stories, and the incredible creativity of the writers.
The House of Mouse’s cash might have allowed the Doctor to go on bigger adventures than ever before through impressive special effects, incredible sets, and stunning CGI, but it also robbed the show of some of its underdog spirit.
Now, the stereotype of every Doctor Who monster being made of a pedal bin with bubble wrap glued to it is a bit outdated, as is the belief that it’s filmed exclusively in Welsh quarries.
Yet it is true that the series’ limited budget forced the show’s writers and producers to get creative, which gave Doctor Who a certain charm all of its own.
Monsters felt more real because they were just people in goofy costumes, not CGI behemoths.
Alien worlds felt tangible because they weren’t green screens, they were… well, to be honest, they were Welsh quarries, but they used other places in Wales too!
More than that, I think the limited budgets pushed writers and producers to think their way out of problems, rather than throwing cash at them.
There are plenty of examples from across the show’s history, but the best example I can think of involves the iconic Tardis.
Have you ever wondered why the Tardis is a blue police phone box? No, it’s not because the chameleon circuit is broken. It’s because the BBC didn’t want to pay for a new prop every week.
That’s right, one of the most important pieces of iconography in British pop culture was born because some backroom accountant wanted to save a couple of quid.
Glibness aside, I do think a big problem in recent years has been an overreliance on spectacle over character and plot (most notably in the last two season finales).
With that in mind, I’m hopeful that whoever takes on Who will make Russell T Davies and his writers realise expensive CGI isn’t a substitute for a coherent story.
So what I’m saying to my fellow fans is that the Doctor might have been injured in recent months, and change may be coming, but the future of this wonderful show seems brighter than a regenerating Time Lord.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk.
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