Doctor Who Is Thriving - So Why Aren't People Watching?
- doctorbrick
- May 12
- 5 min read
Updated: 1 hour ago
I need to get this off my chest - it breaks my heart seeing how low the viewing figures are for the current series of Doctor Who. Series 15 (or Season 2 of the new era) is delivering some of the best storytelling, performances, and visuals the show has seen in years, and yet barely anyone seems to be watching.
Yes, I know, TV isn’t what it used to be. People don’t all sit down at 7pm on a Saturday anymore. But even taking that into account, the numbers feel unfairly low for a show that’s putting out this much quality.
This current era of Doctor Who with Ncuti Gatwa is bold, beautiful, and bursting with creativity - so why aren't people watching it?
I Love This Show - Always Have, Always Will
Doctor Who means the world to me. I’m autistic, and the show has always connected with me in a way few things do. It celebrates the weird, the kind, the imaginative. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, who you are, or what you look like, the show always has space for you. It’s been my comfort, my escape, and something that’s helped me feel less alone in a world that doesn’t always make sense.
So maybe I’m biassed. But I know a good fucking show when I see one, and this era is a fucking beautiful show through time and space!
Ncuti and Varada Are Shining
Ncuti Gatwa is a sensational Doctor. He brings so much charm and soul to the role that you can’t help but smile whenever he’s on screen. There’s such a range to his performance, he can be funny, fierce, soft, furious, all in a heartbeat. And Varada Sethu is already proving herself to be a fantastic companion. Their chemistry works, and the dynamic feels natural and new.
The stories too? Mostly fantastic. The Robot Revolution was a fun, steady opener, but then Lux, The Well, and Lucky Day came in like a triple threat of inventive, emotional, scary, thrilling, brilliant Doctor Who. And though the most recent episode, The Story & the Engine, wasn’t my favourite, it was still beautiful and ambitious, with Ncuti once again proving just how good he is. Even when the story didn’t fully land for me, it still felt meaningful and crafted with care. You only have to watch Unleashed to see the amazing set they crafted that depicted a Nigerian market.
The Online Hate Is Exhausting
Here’s what baffles me the most though - and I bore myself saying it - but it's the hate this show gets online. Spend two minutes on the artist formerly known as Twitter or YouTube, and you’ll be bombarded with angry thumbnails and posts screaming Doctor Who is WOKE, RTD is a grooming hack, Doctor Woke or The End of Doctor Who Forever. I honestly wonder, do these people really care about the show like they say? Did they ever care about the show in the first place? Or are they just chasing clicks?
The worst part is, people listen to them. These videos rack up views, spread misinformation, and convince casual fans the show is broken before they’ve even seen an episode. Half the cunts who rage about the show have blatantly not even watched it. It is clear as day that they haven't seen the thing they are complaining about - they spew their hate, getting companions mixed up, chatting absolute bollocks about things they say happened in the episode but didn't (correction - things they have read in the Daily Fail or Scum that didn't happen in the episode), and just generally chatting absolute shite.
That constant noise can be damaging, especially for a show that needs support right now. It’s exhausting. And more than that, it’s unfair.
Other Reasons Why People Aren’t Watching This Brilliant Era of Doctor Who
Of course, it’s not just the online vitriol. There are real, practical reasons the viewership might be down too.
The obvious one is the iPlayer drop times. 8am to watch Doctor Who? As we approach summer? That's insane! Dropping episodes in the morning on iPlayer might work for some, but it robs the show of its communal, must-see feeling. There’s no buzz around a big Saturday night watch when most people don’t even know when it’s coming out.
It also has the knock on affect of people being spoilt before the show airs live on BBC in the evening.
The next issue is a big one - The Star Beast and Space Babies were a bit shit. The Star Beast had enough ammo in it to feed the 'anti-woke' brigade for a lifetime, and let's be honest here, some of the lines said were horrendous. Male presenting Time Lords should learn to let it go? Hmmm, now remind me who came before the Fourteenth Doctor again?!
Space Babies was just a bit underwhelming after all the hype beforehand.
These were two massively important episodes, and they bombed. It didn't matter that what came after them was some good shit, the damage had been done. Imagine if the specials opened with Wild Blue Yonder and Ncuti's reign with The Devil's Chord?
Did bringing David Tennant back affect things as well? Did people see his ending as their own ending with the show?
Another factor is one I don't understand either, and that is calling the last series Season 1. I know this was more for Disney+ but it made it feel like a reboot instead of a continuation. For a show with such a rich history, that creates confusion. Is it new? Is it connected? Where do I start?
Which leads me to a factor that doesn't affect the UK viewership, but it affects the worldwide buzz. Disney+ should’ve secured the rights to all the episodes - or at least from 2005 onward. Having only the new stuff makes the show look like it's just beginning, when in fact there’s nearly 20 or 60 years of Doctor Who people could be binging on. Instead, it looks disconnected and less attractive to new fans.
These aren’t things wrong with the show itself, they may not even be an issue, because let's face it, I know fuck all about how to market and air a TV show.
This Era Deserves to Be Seen
What makes all this even more frustrating is that the show itself is in such a good place. It’s bold, emotional, visually stunning, and more inclusive than ever, not in a forced way like you'll be told by some angry twat online, but in a Doctor Who way. The kind that says everyone is welcome.
If you’re someone who used to love the show but drifted away, please give it another chance. If you’re listening to online rage merchants, please try watching for yourself. And if, like me, you’re already loving it - keep shouting about it. Because this era? It’s too good to be ignored.
Who's with me? Who bloody loves the latest series of Doctor Who? Who has Ncuti as THEIR Doctor? Let me know in the comments below.
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