Doctor Who (Season 11)

I'd say yes.

I pointed out in other places (not automatically on here) that the ratings for the season imply people tuning into the series to see what it was going to be about, and giving Jodie a chance, but just getting bored and stopping watching. I can see why, and no matter what the narrative some want to sprout about 'sexist/toxic fans'. Ultimately its just dull and lacks any kind of fun or charisma.

You will see people defending the season, which is fine if that is because they actually like it. Less fine when they try to use questionable logic or, in one case, said anyone who objected was not a Who fan and could 'F' off.
The same person tried to 'prove' that the ratings were fine, just fine. Most successful season ever based on the 30 day ratings! Look see, compare it to Capabldi's run and you'll see the figures are better (Than the last two seasons, which no one was saying they were not). See it even got higher ratings that Eccleston's first episode using the ratings...that count some viewers twice and after I just specifically noted that I COULDN'T compare the 30 day figures to the pre-Capaldi seasons because they didn't exist.

The only possible ray of light was a recent article about season 12 starting filming. In this it has a line that most people seem to have missed; "...He {Chris Chibnal} will still have a role to play this season..."
This is interesting because, well, his role on the series should be rather clear; He should be the showrunner and head writer.

The Rotten Tomatoes score is 97% for critics, 21% from viewers as of writing.

The Amazon scores are some two and a half stars, the iTunes score much the same.

So I tried to force myself to watch the special to see if things had improved.

Jodie Whittaker is somewhat better, although each and every line seems to be delivered in the same tone and volume regardless of the situation. Threatening a Dalek, working out the excuse for the script, delivering news that a loved one is probably dead...same volume, pacing and tone.

The writing however still lacks any sense of wonder or, that oft used comment, fun. Worse is that it frequently heads in a direction that you hope will give a very 'Who' moment for the Doctor...and then flushes that chance down the drain.

Remember how the 11th Doctor faced off against a large fleet of ships and sent then running with 'Hello, I'm the Doctor. Basically, Run'? Or how he would frequently step forward with 'This world (Earth) is under MY protection' {Also said by the 10th and 12th Doctors}.
This time we get, and I kid you not, '...I'll always be here with my mates...' This is followed by the Doctor turning to her companions, oh, sorry 'mates' because 0.0001% of the population might find 'companion' offensive. And ASKING THEM if she can actually pull of her plan.
This is a damp fart of a moment, with which they follow through with the excrement of an 'action' scene with has all the tension of a 150 year old rubber band and all the intensity of a sleeping gerbil. All of this being delivered, including the actual threat, at the same volume and tone.

This is not a 2000+ year old alien who's name could cause an army to run. This is a cardboard cutout that would make said army laugh hysterically before using for target practice.

And this is just the end of the episode. The rest is utterly forgettable and most of it seems to have been lifted out of a serious slow paced drama series like Broadchurch.

It's fairly clear at this point that no one behind the camera knows or cares anything about this series. Whittaker herself is, at this point, coming over to me as someone who was badly miscast in a role she simply doesn't have the range to play. At best season 12 will involve the BBC having taken the writing duties away from Chibnall and getting people in who do actually know what they are writing for. But at the moment I'm not convinced Whittakers performance is going to improve even then.

When people were saying Doctor Who was dead, or suggesting that a great idea would be to bring back Capaldi and have the entirety of Whittaker's run be a regeneration induced nightmare before he actually regenerated. Well I thought they were over reacting. Now I see their point.

Prediction/thoughts; I think the BBC knows it has a serious problem on its hands and is looking for a new showrunner and new Doctor. This would explain the long hiatus between season 11 and 12. Assuming, not unreasonably, that her contract is the same as her predecessors. Then that would mean that she would be under contract for 3 years or so. By shoving season 12 back a year that would allow the BBC to restrict Whittakers run to only two seasons, as her contract would likely run out before they could make a third season.
This would give the BBC over a year to decide what to do with the show, and look for replacements for both Whittaker and Chibnall (who's contract is likely also for three years).

If they can find replacements expect them to film Jodies last episode later this year. If not don't be too surprised if the BBC puts the series back on hiatus for a few years; something I'd argue they should probably have done after Capaldi's run was at an end and it was clear they were having problems finding a showrunner and actor.

It wouldn't surprise me if some exec somewhere was thinking this for real.

It seems like more and more these days, people in the creative arts are only making material for people who are just like they are rather than for a large demographic, and then getting mad when the people at large don't like it.

Depending upon who you talk to, a large part of that's why the comic book industry is collapsing in the US.

Who is handling episode direction? That could be a big part of it as well, if the episode directors aren't doing their job.

This is, in fact, a big issue with the world of voice acting. For example, voice actor Brad Swaile essentially played the same character in both "Transformers: Energon" and "Soul Taker", but the latter performance is *far* more on point than the former due to the former show's voice directors being nigh worthless (even quasi-authoritative sources have criticized the overall voice acting for the show).



My guess is that someone wanted a female Doctor to show how "progressive" they were, especially since the BBC has tried to implement "diversity" quotas, and so Whittaker was hired without a sufficiently thorough vetting process.

Act in haste, repent in leisure.

The only streaming service the BBC has is the iPlayer, which is UK only. I don't think that their charter would cover them setting up another streaming service outside the UK or being part of one - due to the massive costs involved which I don't think they could remotely justify let alone actually afford.

It is therefore highly likely that the BBC's deal with Netflix will remain in place. Although last time I checked there were being very tardy in getting episodes up on Netflix. It is likely to be the case here as well.



I had a chance to make a comment to a comic book creator on a Twitch stream about 'Diversity'. My comment was how diversity purely for its own sake was the problem.
He disagreed with some line about how it was needed. Missing the point that adding 'diversity' for its own sake means that you start off with characters who's defining traits are that diversity. Which is, well, basically starting off being sexist/racist etc and missing the point.

It IS a problem that the creative aspects to the entertainment industry are stuck in their own little world and reinforcing their viewpoints. (Which is not unique to them). They have lost sight of the fact that they are still a business, and are producing a 'product' for sale. It's the reverse of, say, EA that thinks only of the money. However both 'sides' tend to end up regarding their customers as annoyances rather than the reason they are in a position to make a product to start with.

You can change things, give different viewpoints and get an audience to think. But you have to be careful how you do this, and do it in a way that doesn't result in said customers leaving and going elsewhere. The 'old school' writers and creators understood this; Looking back at Doctor Who they had, back in the late 60's, a 3rd Doctor story where he ends up in a prison. The Doctor is one of four new prisoners, the others being a white man, a black woman and an Indian Man. Now you'd think this was a clear cut case of racism, two 'coloured' people as prisoners! Horrible!
Except that at this date on UK TV you had a better chance of seeing a Yeti than a black woman and any Indian would either be from India in some drama or playing a shopkeeper. And there is the small fact that they are POLITICAL prisoners, a fact that is explained along with how this prison works by the Indian man - who as I noted would at this time on British TV been lucky to have been cast as the son of a cornershop owner.


Even Stephen Moffet, who many criticize for being an 'SJW', understood this need to be careful about diversity and how you deal with it. People screamed about the character of Bill from Capaldi's last season, and even now whine about how she would be telling the audience how she was a lesbian every five minutes.
Actually its referenced three times in the first episode, because if it wasn't the story wouldn't make any sense. Then isn't mentioned at all until episode 5 (a single line about her rules about men) and the next (2) episodes she mentions being interested in a girl (who we see, and who runs out the door due to events going on). It's mentioned again in a later episode, which in context makes sense, and has to be mentioned at the end of the season in order to make sense of some of the story. So I can only conclude that those saying 'every five minutes she reminds us' are watching the season on fast forward.

Chibnall and the like however don't have this level of subtlety. Instead deciding to lecture the audience in a way that is as subtle as hitting them in the crotch with a hammer. If they can't do that in a script, or said part is cut, then they feel the need to show off their 'enlightened' position by screaming about it for no reason. Such as the writer of Solo opting to start screaming about Lando's sexuality a week before that films release, even though that had nothing what-so-ever to do with the film and was hardly going to convince parents to take their kids to see a film.

Worse is that they automatically take the stance that ALL criticism is based on the 'diversity'. 'Jodie Whittaker was miscast', 'This season is dull and badly written' 'There are too many companions'. Oh, you are only saying that because you are sexist and racist! Yes, because what I created is perfect and there is no other reason to explain people not liking it!
This is usually followed by accusing those with problems of 'not being real fans', negative scores as being due to bots, and saying 'if you don't like it don't watch/buy it'.
The latter worked so well for battlefield V....

I will agree that "look at me being diverse" storylines are usually hackneyed. the thing about Lando's sexuality is problematic because he hit on every woman he ever saw up until that point.

Jodie Whittaker is a perfectly fine actress, having won the RTS award for best actress, been nominated for awards many other performances including Broadchurch and Attack the Block a science fiction horror comedy.

Her performance as the Doctor may have more to do with the direction she is given.

Take a look at the way DC handled Wonder Woman vs the way Lucasfilm handled The Star Wars Franchise or Chibnall has handled Doctor Who;

DC; Its a film about Wonder Woman, Patty Jenkins will be directing as the first female director to helm a film of this size.
Customers comment on the ending being a little flat; DC; Humm, OK.

Lucasfilm; Its a film about a strong female character, FOR GIRLS!
Customers; Wait, what?
LF; SHUT YOU YOU SEXIST RACIST MANBABY! WE are not sexist and racist, see we hired a BLACK WOMAN as third assistant producer!

Chibnall; We have a strong female lead and a diverse cast.
Customers; That was dull and uninteresting.
Chibnall; SEXIST! RACIST! We have BLACK people in the writers room! We have WOMEN in the writers room!