MovieChat Forums > Doctor Who (2006) Discussion > When did Doctor Who start to suck?

When did Doctor Who start to suck?

posted 7 years ago by ReelReviews14 (1220)
42 replies | jump to latest

From just reading any online message board, there is overwhelming consensus that Doctor Who became completely unwatchable tripe by the time “Bill” showed up during the Calpaldi era.

We can discuss and debate whether or not the show will continue to be unwatchable tripe under Chris Chibnall’s watch (in my opinion, the jury is out and I will wait to gather more information before I pass judgement, though I consider it to be a monumental task to try and salvage NuWho at this point, given how utterly Moffat has destroyed any credibility the show has left and alienated the vast majority of long time viewers)

However, a topic that gets considerably LESS attention is when did Doctor Who BEGIN to suck? The current decline that has utterly decimated the show and lead the latest desperate “stunt casting” to try and create “buzz” and get people to check it out again had to START somewhere.

So Whoivans, when was the FIRST time you watched nuWho and had this feeling of uncertainty, going “hmmm… this just isn’t fun or satisfying like it used to be. Something is wrong…” ?

My best guesstimate is around the time of “A Good Man Goes to War”. The introduction of the awful “Paternoster Gang” and the BBC then pretending that fans loved these worthless one-dimensional SJW characters and were begging for more appearances from them was an ominous sign that the series had begun its downhill slide.

What say you, fellow Whovians?

[–] lennonforever (2453) 6 years ago

Well, I skipped over COMPLETELY ,Capaldi! Could not stand his look, he is ugly, couldn't stand that Matt was gone, very bitter, I am/was!

I may give this Doctor a look-see. I am somewhat interested after seeing the trailer.

[–] peter_t_2k3 (1052) 6 years ago

Why? I don't want to sound offensive but this is part of what has ruined the show for me. You might really enjoy Capaldis doctor but because you find him ugly you have skipped him. The show has always been about change and variety and wouldn't work if every doctor was young eye candy for fans. This is what i feel like has partly ruined the show, people more bothered about vanity issues over anything else

[–] chilone (17914) 6 years ago

I didn't like Capaldi but not because of his look. He's just a downer. Cold, boring, unidentifiable, unsympathetic and a bit too nasty. Also Clara and Bill were hard to stomach!! That and all the exaggerated, totally unnecessary PC garbage really reduced my enjoyment. I ain't giving up though.

[–] peter_t_2k3 (1052) 6 years ago

Yeah he was nasty but it was needed in contrast to the last two more friendlier younger doctors. Capaldi also warmed up over time. I feel like 11 had tried to get over the time war with 12 basically taking his mask off and showing his pain and true age

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Around the time David Tennant left the series. The first few years it was really a cool novelty to see this old show back. Then the worst thing that could possibly happen, happened. It gained a mainstream acceptance.

[–] peter_t_2k3 (1052) 6 years ago

Id say it was mainstream with Tennant and if anything after Tennant seemed to become less relevant

[–] Galactus03 (4377) 6 years ago

Totally agree.

[–] whynotwriteme (7725) 6 years ago

Everything after Tom Baker was irrelevant.

[–] AnubisRaydeen (7897) 6 years ago

I was a UHF nacent Who fan and still only consider Baker the real Doctor. So I kinda agree but must say that there were many many Ecleston, Tennant, and Smith episodes I loved. There were lots of Tennant episodes that suffered from low quality and/or filler status and about half of the Smith episodes were cringy Moffat dreck. So the actual decline of NuWho is hard to pin down. I liked Clara in the final Smith season but I still think that that is when the bad began severely outweighing the good. I quit after three episodes of Capaldi. Not returning unless I hear critical acclaim.

The SJW/PC pandering is not the only thing wrong with it, though.

[–] wearsalan (5554) 6 years ago

When did nuWho start to suck?
When they decided on a female Doctor.

[–] hurricane (1960) 6 years ago

Up and down.

I enjoyed everything up to and including series 5. (Not everything, there was the odd bad episode. But that's when I still enjoying the series on a continual basis.) Series 6 was when Moffat went OTT with plot arcs, and just made the show insufferable. Matt Smith was good, but the scripts let him down for the rest of his run. Thought that was a shame.

When Peter Capaldi came back, I started enjoying it a bit more. At first he was gruff, and awkward around humans. But that played well with Clara. (Who I did like.) It was better than your flirty flirt dynamic a lot of the New Who Doctors have had with the companions. And he eventually mellowed, and become more likable. I don't know if that was intentional, but it felt like a decent character arc. I was disappointed when he left.

Wasn't keen on Bill that much, but thought Nardole was cool, despite not being much of a Matt Lucas fan.

Did think that whole return of John Simm was wasted. Firstly, because they announced he was coming back, so the shock reveal was lost. And secondly, because he didn't really add anything to the second episode of the two-parter. He was just, kind of, there.

I'd still say Series 1-5 were the best ones.

[–] AaronSynn (284) 6 years ago

For me it's been downhill since David T left....Matt S wasn't as good as David...Peter was worse than Matt...Newbie seems to be following the downward spiral from what I saw last night...

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Definitely when Bill "Oi I'm Black and Lez" showed up. That's her whole personality and now they've made a woke doctor who sucks even worse than Bill.

Thanks BBC for fucking this up