New ‘Doctor Who’ Seasons Slammed for Weak Storytelling by Former Doctor: “Like Watching a Trailer”
Doctor Who has been around since 1963, with different actors stepping into the lead role over the years. From Tom Baker to Jodie Whittaker, and most recently Ncuti Gatwa, the sci-fi series has always evolved. But right now, things aren’t looking so great, and one former star is speaking out.
Peter Davison, who played the Fifth Doctor back in the early 1980s, isn’t happy with where the show is heading. In a recent chat on The Lewis Nicholls Show, he said watching Doctor Who these days feels like watching a bunch of disconnected scenes rather than a full story.
“It’s like watching a trailer for a Doctor Who show you’d like to watch later. There are huge gaps in the narrative. They’re just leaping onto the next bit and hoping your brain fills in the rest.”
Davison isn’t just any former Doctor, he’s stayed involved in the Doctor Who community for years, and he’s even related to another fan-favorite Time Lord. His son-in-law is David Tennant, who played the Tenth and recently the Fourteenth Doctor. So when Davison shares an opinion, fans and insiders tend to listen.
The timing of his criticism is pretty important. The BBC had partnered with Disney+ to bring Doctor Who to a global audience, especially for the episodes featuring Ncuti Gatwa. But that deal didn’t last long. Disney+ has now decided not to renew its deal for more Doctor Who content, leaving the show in a bit of limbo.
To make things even more uncertain, Gatwa is on his way out, and Billie Piper is stepping in as the Sixteenth Doctor, a huge shift, since Piper originally played Rose Tyler, a companion to earlier Doctors. Now, she’s taking on the lead role, which adds to the already massive changes happening behind the scenes.
According to reports, the show’s viewership has also dropped. Over the past two seasons, Doctor Who has reportedly lost around 2 million average viewers. The Disney+ partnership helped boost the budget and gave the series more visibility outside the UK, but now that support is gone.
The BBC is still looking for a new partner or platform to help carry the series forward, but it’s clear the show is facing some major challenges. According to some industry insiders BBC is talking to a new potential partner after the Disney+ deal fell apart.
This new partner is said to be just as big as Disney, but the talks are more complicated now. The source says this new company wants more creative control than Disney had. They believe the show needs to “take itself more seriously” and aim at older teens, something like Stranger Things.
This idea comes from how Doctor Who did better with older teens on both Disney+ and the BBC, but not so well with kids under 12.
However, Russell T Davies, the current showrunner, disagrees. He thinks the show’s success comes from its fun, campy, and family-friendly style. This style has been a big part of the show since the 2005 revival and continued in season 1 of 2024. Davies wants to keep that tone because he believes it’s what makes Doctor Who special.
The new partner is said to be bringing in a mix of new and experienced creatives, many of whom they’ve worked with before. They seem excited about the deal and want to help the show while keeping its British identity and core values intact. Still, Davies is very careful about who works on the show.
He is known for being highly selective about collaborators and writers, which can be both good and bad.
At the moment, both the BBC and Bad Wolf support Davies’ vision. He is planning to stay on for at least three more seasons. But everyone knows it will be hard to keep the show going without a big partner.
There is a backup plan, which could mean shorter seasons or special episodes if needed. Davies is dedicated to making sure Doctor Who continues no matter what.
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