{"id":128227,"date":"2025-05-24T14:34:09","date_gmt":"2025-05-24T14:34:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/128227\/"},"modified":"2025-05-24T14:34:09","modified_gmt":"2025-05-24T14:34:09","slug":"doctor-who-has-fixed-a-big-mistake-but-it-might-be-too-late","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/128227\/","title":{"rendered":"Doctor Who has fixed a big mistake \u2013 but it might be too late"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\"The
\n\t\tThe show isn\u2019t pulling in the viewers like it once did (Pictures: BBC Studios\/Bad Wolf\/James Pardon)<\/p>\n

Doctor Who<\/a> is in a tricky spot right now, and waving their sonic screwdriver around won\u2019t save them this time.<\/p>\n

You see, the Doctor\u2019s facing a far deadlier enemy than a devious Dalek<\/a> or a soulless Cyberman; they\u2019ve got to battle declining viewership.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Yes, sadly, while the reviews for the latest season have been more glowing than a regenerating Time Lord, the show isn\u2019t pulling in the viewers like it once did.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This new season just hasn\u2019t been a ratings hit, having pulled in an average viewership of 2.93 million people (that\u2019s including the recent Christmas<\/a> special). <\/p>\n

Now, those figures might not seem too bad, but it\u2019s a far cry from a few years ago<\/a>, when it would regularly bring in 4-6 million people.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tGet personalised updates on Doctor Who\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro\u2019s TV Newsletter.<\/p>\n

Sign up to our newsletter<\/a> and then select your show in the link we\u2019ll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you.<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s gone wrong? Well, as I\u2019ve previously written<\/a>, there are two main issues. The first is one of perception.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\"TITLE:Doctor
\n\t\tPeople just don\u2019t think the new series is very good (Picture: BBC Studios\/Bad Wolf\/Dan Fearon)<\/p>\n

People just don\u2019t think the new series is very good, and while there are a few reasons for that (cough Space Babies cough), I think it\u2019s fair to say it\u2019s a bit unfair.<\/p>\n

I know, Ncuti\u2019s had some clunkers \u2013 The Devil\u2019s Chord, Empire of Death, and Space Babies (of course) immediately spring to mind. Still, every Doctor has a stinky story or two, and for the most part, Ncuti\u2019s run has been solid.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Were this the only problem, then I think Doctor Who might be able to regenerate from all the bad press, but the second problem is a little more existential.<\/p>\n

Honestly, the biggest problem is that people just don\u2019t watch TV<\/a> like they used to, and in a world full of AAA TV shows, it\u2019s hard for Doctor Who to cut through.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\t<\/video><\/p>\n

There\u2019s just so much content to watch and catch up on that if you don\u2019t make a splash, you\u2019re effectively dead in the water.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Thankfully, the BBC seems to have finally realised there\u2019s a problem and is addressing the issue.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been confirmed that next week\u2019s Season 15 finale isn\u2019t going to be unceremoniously dumped on iPlayer<\/a> at 8am like other episodes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Instead, you\u2019re going to have to plonk your bum in front of the idiot\u2019s lantern (sorry, couldn\u2019t resist) at 7pm and watch it like we did in the good old days.<\/p>\n

To make things even more exciting, the BBC has also announced that the episode will be shown in UK cinemas.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\"Varada
\n\t\tDoctor Who should be one of the crown jewels in the BBC Saturday night schedule (Picture: BBC Studios\/Bad Wolf\/James Pardon)<\/p>\n

Now, you might not think that\u2019s thrilling, but as a fully paid-up TV nerd, it\u2019s music to my ears.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Doctor Who<\/a>, after all, should be one of the crown jewels in the BBC Saturday night schedule, along with Strictly.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s appointment viewing, not disposable streaming fodder. And I know that makes me sound pretentious, but you don\u2019t see HBO dropping The Last of Us<\/a> early, do you?\u00a0<\/p>\n

No. They make people wait because they know the value of their shows and that audiences will wait for them.<\/p>\n

By reducing Doctor Who to something to be streamed at your convenience, the BBC has unintentionally diminished the show\u2019s importance and prestige.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\"\"
\n\t\tI just hope it\u2019s not too little, too late (Picture: AP)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the same thing that happened to Marvel movies and other Disney projects during the pandemic.<\/p>\n

They started releasing stuff on Premier Access, and diluted their brand\u2019s power as people started to see these shows and movies as \u2018just another thing on streaming\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After all, which of us hasn\u2019t seen something exclusive to streaming and thought, \u2018Oh, I must watch that,\u2019 then never got round to it because \u2018it\u2019s on streaming, it can wait.\u2019<\/p>\n

I\u2019m glad, then, to see Doctor Who restored to its pride of place on a Saturday night, and I just hope it\u2019s not too little, too late.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, I think this may be a difficult genie to put back in the bottle, or to use a Doctor Who metaphor, tougher than getting a Dalek mutant back in its Mark 3 Travel Machine.<\/p>\n

The reason I\u2019m so cynical is that audiences are quick learners, and if they\u2019ve learned that to think of Doctor Who as a streaming show, then it\u2019s going to be difficult (even for a Time Lord) to wind back the clock.<\/p>\n

Do you have a story you\u2019d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Share your views in the comments below.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\nMORE: Extortionate train fares make it impossible to visit family \u2013 so I don\u2019t<\/a><\/p>\n

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\nMORE: One bold but brilliant Doctor Who decision just saved the finale<\/a><\/p>\n

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\nMORE: Celebrity Traitors star teases \u2018friendships went out the window\u2019 during filming<\/a><\/p>\n

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