Doctor Who

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Season 11
Season #: 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
2.4

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 493 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 76 out of 493
  2. Mixed: 46 out of 493
  3. Negative: 371 out of 493
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User Reviews

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  1. arfortney
    Oct 8, 2018
    4
    Jodie Whitaker is great, everything else is terrible. This is the first dr who episode I ended up skipping through some of the many dull bits. It's boring and the plot is something you'd expect out of a late night syfy channel movie only trying to be serious.
    I ended up bored with the companions of which there are too many (good luck writers). Whitaker deserves better than this, give    Jodie Whitaker is great, everything else is terrible. This is the first dr who episode I ended up skipping through some of the many dull bits. It's boring and the plot is something you'd expect out of a late night syfy channel movie only trying to be serious.
    I ended up bored with the companions of which there are too many (good luck writers). Whitaker deserves better than this, give her something to work with.    … Expand
  2. Kursch
    Oct 7, 2018
    5
    Unfortunately, the first episode played like a police procedural where a detective and a team of misfits have to stop a deranged serial killer. Jodie Whittaker is spry and energetic, but only time will tell if she will be able to fully create her own stamp on the doctor's indelible quirkiness. The bigger problem with the episode is the overall direction - the cast tries hard but theUnfortunately, the first episode played like a police procedural where a detective and a team of misfits have to stop a deranged serial killer. Jodie Whittaker is spry and energetic, but only time will tell if she will be able to fully create her own stamp on the doctor's indelible quirkiness. The bigger problem with the episode is the overall direction - the cast tries hard but the material is a rehash of earlier episodes. Not terrible, but nothing special or magical either. Doctor Who has always been hit or miss, but if the first episode is the format for the new season, expect Whittaker's tenure to be a short one.… Expand
  3. Palingenia
    Jul 2, 2019
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Update: "Resolution" was so much more Doctor Who than anything else in season 11. It had some new music as well and some connection to her history. I'm really hopeful now.

    Story: This season seems to have 2 kind of episodes: Political/historical ones with the greatest force in the galaxy (The Doctor) acting as a bystander, doing nothing with some added aliens also changing nothing. The other kind is bad-bad alien shows up, does something bad to some random people, nothing happens, baddy or some bystander tells doctor who the baddy is, in the last 3 minutes doctor waves screwdriver (even with bad alien standing right next to her at worst case they tell her how bad they are, but mostly they just growl, but never try to stop her), baddy goes away, credits roll. This is my worst problem with this season. I was really-really looking forward to it. 1st episode was the second kind, but it was a new Doctor with here awesome musical theme (or rather one melody), and Jodie Whittaker isn't bad at all, I actually quite liked her at first and I still believe she could be a great doctor, but the writing is just insanely repetitive, just like the whole show. Granted, Doctor Who always had the second kind of stories, but that's not all it had.

    Music: As it turns out I really have to love 13's theme music, because that one melody is all we get this season, the rest of the 'music' is just some arpeggiated notes held for minutes, wouldn't really even call it music. It feels like writing this one melody took up all the time. Of course this probably isn't the case, but I really wish there was some music in there. Funny thing, at first I was quite happy with the title theme as it payed homage to the original.

    The Doctor: This guy/gal is like 2000 years old now, one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy, right? He/she has established iconic enemies that were well designed to begin with and very well updated in the new series to fit modern times even without changing much of their original design. He has huge history behind him with many-many stories that left their mark on his character, right? Well, you get none of these. The new Doctor feels disconnected from everything that came before her. The only thing I felt was present was her overcompensating the relative heartlessness that was felt in the early days of 12 (and following his advice, always be kind), but nothing else. She isn't even connected to her own previous episodes, and she feels like a bystander. At first I though she would be the mechanic, constantly fixing things, the 1st episode had that feeling, but even that is gone in no time. She has no definition, she feels like a mimic, trying to sound like the doctor, but even those sentences feel forced and out of place. She keeps threatening others (you will have me to answer to), but unlike ever before, it feels empty, because she herself feels empty. When she fell out of the TARDIS after her regeneration, I imagined elaborate plotlines, with cybermen or daleks fooling her TARDIS to not recognize her as the Doctor and how they would eventually find each other and fall in love again or something like this, but no, nothing, not even an explanation. The emotional charge that made me fall in love with the Doctor is nowhere to be seen.

    TARDIS: Man, I couldn't wait to see it all girly, colorful walls and everything, but nooooo, dark, stupid looking crystals, with something that looks like a phallic symbol... Such a missed opportunity and completely out of line with her character (however forced that feels).

    Companion(s): We have team TARDIS now. It doesn't help, they feel too many, the writers struggle to give them meaningful things to do, so they are quite empty. Also, one of the driving forces of the Doctor, especially in the later seasons was his relationship, his emotional connection to his companions. With this group that's also non-existent, 'Hello, I'm the Doctor, this is team TARDIS, we travel next to each other, and I'm kind so I don't want them to die, just as I don't want anyone else to die in the whole wide world ever. But I let them in my TARDIS, because that's kind of my thing, I don't travel alone, but to be honest, I don't really need them.'

    I was so looking forward to this, to prepare I watched all 10 seasons of the new run again and her falling out of the exploding TARDIS promised me so many things, but it wasn't delivered :( I've seen Chibnall complain about Doctor Who having too complicated, hard to follow plots in the 80s. Well, he certainly showed how to do plots that are easy to follow, but that's not a good thing. It's an insult to the viewers' intelligence after the wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey of the previous seasons. It's repetitive and quite frankly, boring. I will keep watching, no matter what, because it's Doctor Who and it will remain my favorite show, and "Resolution" gave me new hope.    … Expand
  4. master_x_2k
    Dec 14, 2018
    5
    The new Doctor is constantly out of breath, confused and generally clueless, like she's barely keeping up with an episode that's most of the time not that fast paced or exciting.
    The basic plots of the episodes are good when they're not outright copied from previous seasons, but the script themselves are lackluster and miss every single opportunity o raise above, to have depth or pathos.    The new Doctor is constantly out of breath, confused and generally clueless, like she's barely keeping up with an episode that's most of the time not that fast paced or exciting.
    The basic plots of the episodes are good when they're not outright copied from previous seasons, but the script themselves are lackluster and miss every single opportunity o raise above, to have depth or pathos.
    The biggest sin of this season is that it's not offensively bad, it's boringly mediocre, which in entertainment is a mile worse than outrage inducing crap.
    And they have the guts to take a year of, after taking a year off to "have time to prepare" this season. By the time Doctor Who returns it will be a miracle if anyone sticks around.    … Expand
  5. DukeJon
    Jan 18, 2019
    6
    Remember when Doctor Who was about space, monsters and time travel? Now it's basically a vehicle for politically correct views, which are rammed down your throat at every opportunity. Bradley Walsh is the only character you can believe in and he's only there to apologise for the actions of white men throughout history. The fact that the new doctor is a woman has nothing to do with thisRemember when Doctor Who was about space, monsters and time travel? Now it's basically a vehicle for politically correct views, which are rammed down your throat at every opportunity. Bradley Walsh is the only character you can believe in and he's only there to apologise for the actions of white men throughout history. The fact that the new doctor is a woman has nothing to do with this show being a failure; it's all about the writing. Jodi Whitaker is wasted with this material.… Expand
  6. FRANKIe2016
    Jan 24, 2019
    5
    this series failed to connect with long-term fans by resorting to the
    realms of being politically driven that has no narrative on what this
    show Is supposed to be about and the backlash between fans and show runner Chris Chibnal didn't help neither that lead the show sabotaged it self for winning gongs at this years NTA due to the public voted for other standout faves included Peaky    this series failed to connect with long-term fans by resorting to the
    realms of being politically driven that has no narrative on what this
    show Is supposed to be about and the backlash between fans and
    show runner Chris Chibnal didn't help neither that lead the show
    sabotaged it self for winning gongs at this years NTA due to the public
    voted for other standout faves included Peaky Blinders starring Cillian
    Murphy of Dark Knight fame but the cracks started to show for the beloved sci-fi drama
    when the bbc announced that this season dr who will be female during the reveal last year
    so fans were already started to rally and boycott the show and Whittaker didn't help
    neither by criticising those who didn't like the show was sexiest ala 2016's answer the call
    but it was an legitimate disaster waiting to happen to say the writing was twice as atrocious
    then the writing in destiny 2 and shadow of the tomb raider combined and it was not an good sign for the season.    … Expand
  7. Rouli
    Jan 16, 2019
    4
    Yeah sadly, season 11 is horrible. I like Jodie Whittaker, i really do. But the writing is absolute horrible. Steven Moffat, i really, really miss you.
  8. smarttcareer
    Nov 5, 2018
    4
    There is nothing wrong with the new Doctor. The Doctor or the actor is fine and could even easily be one of the better Doctors. The issue is the writing is terrible and the companions feel like someone tried way too hard to be diverse. Pick a companion and move on. I feel like at some point K9 will show up to try and make the ratings better. Here's an idea: fire the writers.
  9. DavidG185
    Jan 5, 2019
    6
    Well. For Series 11, the first season of the Jodie Whitaker Doctor (The 13th Doctor) and with the change of staff and writers especially with Chris Chibnall, the season for the series is a near complete disaster. For each of the 10 episodes plus the (sigh) New Year Special instead of the traditional Christmas Special, I'm a bit mixed with either enjoyment in some episodes, andWell. For Series 11, the first season of the Jodie Whitaker Doctor (The 13th Doctor) and with the change of staff and writers especially with Chris Chibnall, the season for the series is a near complete disaster. For each of the 10 episodes plus the (sigh) New Year Special instead of the traditional Christmas Special, I'm a bit mixed with either enjoyment in some episodes, and disappointments in the season in general. Yeah, I know Chibnall is trying and we no longer have the best writer Moffat being here but I'm now worried about how long this Doctor Who Series is going to go. I like the idea of the concept, and the plot is there, and the companions are good with the three companions just like the original Doctor Who Series 50+ years back, but the main problem is execution and it is executed badly which explains the reviews being mainly negative, and my review being mixed and I felt for the first time as a Doctor Who fan that loves watching those series, I feel disheartened for some unknown reason. You got everything there but it is not working. The message seems to be there but I see the message been represented as a bowl which you have to eat the message to understand it. And yes it is bad. The special is also good but only because I like the Dalek. Every other episodes of Season 11 is just new enemies that only makes sense if you actually watch the Case Files on the Doctor Who channel on YouTube (seriously, I do watch them). If there is a Season 12, I expect improvements which Season 11 failed on. I only gave this rating due to the fact that I only like a few of those episodes and the special. Fixes will definitely need to be made in order to gain a higher review score, so Chibnall definitely needs to do his homework.… Expand
  10. ascreative
    Oct 8, 2018
    6
    which is a big departure from the Steven Moffat/ Peter Capaldi's era. The show has been given a little "Stranger-Things" vibes and Netflix/ HBO production value.
    Not the best intro to a new doctor though as the series tries to take itself too seriously and lose the sense of wonder, adventure and fun portrayed by the previous incarnation of the Doctors.
    As a long time fan of the Doctor    which is a big departure from the Steven Moffat/ Peter Capaldi's era. The show has been given a little "Stranger-Things" vibes and Netflix/ HBO production value.
    Not the best intro to a new doctor though as the series tries to take itself too seriously and lose the sense of wonder, adventure and fun portrayed by the previous incarnation of the Doctors.
    As a long time fan of the Doctor Who series, the first episode of the new doctor is weird, to say the least. the structure of the story-telling was unconventional as the writers try to insert mysticism to the circumstances faced by the characters, however, the structure does not adequately attract my attention and starts to bore me a little until the climax (which also fall short of being exciting) which might be caused by the slow pacing.
    All that said, this is only the first episode and Jodie Whittaker performance was great as she portrays more emotive expression and seem to be more emotionally connected with other characters
    . I look forward to more of her interpretation of the doctor.    … Expand
  11. Gyer
    Jan 3, 2019
    4
    Jodie Whittaker as the new female doctor is fine, my BIG issue with this series is the complete obsession with political correctness and trying to appeal to everyone, specifically around the stories as well as the casting.
    The Producers of this show seem to have forgotten that this is primarily an ENTERTAINMENT program - if i want to watch political/social justice propaganda, i'll go    Jodie Whittaker as the new female doctor is fine, my BIG issue with this series is the complete obsession with political correctness and trying to appeal to everyone, specifically around the stories as well as the casting.
    The Producers of this show seem to have forgotten that this is primarily an ENTERTAINMENT program - if i want to watch political/social justice propaganda, i'll go watch something else instead!!!    … Expand
  12. timeknight
    Dec 2, 2018
    4
    The talent is definitely here. Jodie Whitaker is done a disservice with all these terribly written episodes, and poorly written characters. Compared to the previous seasons, this new one has taken a definite turn for the worse. They have the production quality and the budget, but they must have bought the worst writers.

    Overall, this season is lacking the whimsy and excitement that was    The talent is definitely here. Jodie Whitaker is done a disservice with all these terribly written episodes, and poorly written characters. Compared to the previous seasons, this new one has taken a definite turn for the worse. They have the production quality and the budget, but they must have bought the worst writers.

    Overall, this season is lacking the whimsy and excitement that was present in previous seasons. There's a lack of cohesive plot to tie everything together, too.    … Expand
  13. FelicityFenwick
    Oct 9, 2018
    6
    I'm not a series veteran, but I tuned into the first ep of this season because I LOVE the lead actress from Broadchurch. The episode just seemed a little scattered. But I suppose that's the tone of the show. Might tune in for another episode- we'll see!
  14. Jk9785
    Nov 1, 2018
    6
    Meh. It's fine, I guess. Jodie Whitaker is fantastic as the Doctor, but we need Russell T Davies back on the writing team. The first episode's dialogue was incomprehensible. The second episode was better, and the most recent--the one with Rosa Parks--is actually very good and very moving. I'm intrigued to see where the rest of this show goes, but I'm not sure if I could say I'm superMeh. It's fine, I guess. Jodie Whitaker is fantastic as the Doctor, but we need Russell T Davies back on the writing team. The first episode's dialogue was incomprehensible. The second episode was better, and the most recent--the one with Rosa Parks--is actually very good and very moving. I'm intrigued to see where the rest of this show goes, but I'm not sure if I could say I'm super excited about it.… Expand
  15. Wildcardgsx
    Nov 6, 2018
    6
    So im honestly now sure how to review this new Season 11 of Doctor Who, but something's off. Is it because she's a women? is it because I can honestly say I've never heard of Jodie Whittaker before? I had never heard of any of the previous 3-4 actors that have played Doctor Who but I have fallen in love with all of them! Here's the thing I dont think its the Actress at all but so far we'veSo im honestly now sure how to review this new Season 11 of Doctor Who, but something's off. Is it because she's a women? is it because I can honestly say I've never heard of Jodie Whittaker before? I had never heard of any of the previous 3-4 actors that have played Doctor Who but I have fallen in love with all of them! Here's the thing I dont think its the Actress at all but so far we've had very little plot and back story fill in that have lead us to where we are now, While im discounting the first Two Episodes that seemed to be trying to drive me to move on to the fact there's a new doctor in town we've gotten an episode about spiders and I was not a fan I have arachnophobia I've had it since I was a child in boy scouts sleeping in the woods, waking in a world war 2 tent literally covered, lined and littered with all manner of critters, I see a spider and I instantly feel things crawling on me and im out! Then we had a very ... how do I say it? racially themed episode that I honestly had extremely mix feelings about from uncomfortable to sicked to why are you even there go back to the Tardis and just stay there to I would have broken that ******'ing guys arm or atleast blocked a punch or caught the punch to begin with. Im not talking about some Bruce Lee type moves here but simply moving/dodging out of the way. Im just going to stop there before I start ranting. The point is so far while I really want to love this New Doctor played by Ms Whittaker I honestly wasn't even on the fence about it I love Doctor Who it is One of my Favorite Science Fiction Tv shows but so far im just not having fun with the show. Im not saying change anything I just really hope it gets ... better.… Expand
  16. ShaMana
    Nov 5, 2018
    6
    Objectively. The new Doctor is perfect. Jodie Whitaker is a great doctor. The new visual and audio direction is fine as well. I'm sick or reading sexist and racist comments about SJW and all other bull crap. Doctor Who has always been a highly progressive show and just now people realize it?

    The problem is, however the stories are just plain boring. Very generic, not very dynamic and    Objectively. The new Doctor is perfect. Jodie Whitaker is a great doctor. The new visual and audio direction is fine as well. I'm sick or reading sexist and racist comments about SJW and all other bull crap. Doctor Who has always been a highly progressive show and just now people realize it?

    The problem is, however the stories are just plain boring. Very generic, not very dynamic and each new episode actually grows worse in terms of story telling. Hope it improves cause at this state the show isn't very good. The companions lack a bit the reality reaction that one would feel in such situation. I know you can't do the same thing a thousand times but i kind of miss it. Stories try to be too emotional at times, but the show miss the mark finding where the emotion has always been for Doctor Who. It's never been about people staring at a wall and sad music playing in the background.    … Expand
  17. Trece
    Oct 8, 2018
    6
    I really love Jodi Whitaker as The Doctor, am feeling the Tennant/Smith vibes, has a lot of potential. The companion are just fine, hope they develop more solid in the next episodes. its a shame the writing and the history itself was really mediocre, hope this isn't a Moffat style again.
  18. pjgs
    Jan 3, 2020
    5
    The main characters are all really likable. Whittaker's performance is good, even if the writing for her is far and away the worst for any modern Doctor. Walsh is very good, given lots of emotional material to work with, and Mandip Gill is undersued but sparky- a likable and fun companion. Tosin Cole is weak generally, which is a shame as much of the series focuses on him. Still, Ryan is aThe main characters are all really likable. Whittaker's performance is good, even if the writing for her is far and away the worst for any modern Doctor. Walsh is very good, given lots of emotional material to work with, and Mandip Gill is undersued but sparky- a likable and fun companion. Tosin Cole is weak generally, which is a shame as much of the series focuses on him. Still, Ryan is a likable character.

    Demons of the Punjab and Rosa are some of the best episodes in years. Kerblam! is one of the worst.

    Arachnids in the UK is loads of fun, but it's flawed. The Tsuranga Conundrum is also pretty good, too.

    Sallie Aprahamian is the standout director for me. She got strong performances from everyone (particularly Whittaker) and her episodes were very interesting from a visual perspective. Jamie Childs got the most episodes, but really only directed Demons of the Punjab well. The rest weren't bad at all, but they weren't particularly great.

    As a whole, it's a not good series, though. Very little character development and few standout episodes with the rest mediocre to bad.    … Expand
  19. JackWard28
    Sep 3, 2019
    4
    I think the series had potential but the terrible writing and the weird political agenda that didn’t make sense ruined it for me, half the series was almost portraying its self as a joke I don’t know if this was on purpose or not but a lot of it was laughable, doctor who has always been political but a felt it was always passive rather in the foreground of everything they’ve made, theyI think the series had potential but the terrible writing and the weird political agenda that didn’t make sense ruined it for me, half the series was almost portraying its self as a joke I don’t know if this was on purpose or not but a lot of it was laughable, doctor who has always been political but a felt it was always passive rather in the foreground of everything they’ve made, they based far too many story’s on identity politics and ruined any creativity there could of been I only hope series 12 can bring back a sanity to doctor who.… Expand
  20. Sam_Caddy
    Oct 28, 2019
    6
    Series 11 started off the back of the lowest viewing figures since the show’s revival in 2005, an increasingly bored fanbase and a general feel of things being stale and in dire need of freshening up. There was a big task in front of Chris Chibnall to reinvigorate the fans, and to do so, changes needed to be made, and were.
    It was always going to be extremely difficult to deliver amazing    Series 11 started off the back of the lowest viewing figures since the show’s revival in 2005, an increasingly bored fanbase and a general feel of things being stale and in dire need of freshening up. There was a big task in front of Chris Chibnall to reinvigorate the fans, and to do so, changes needed to be made, and were.
    It was always going to be extremely difficult to deliver amazing episodes that excite the audience whilst simultaneously implementing massive changes.
    One of the changes, for me, that let the show down was that there was not enough of an underlying story threaded through the series. A storyline that keeps the fans guessing all the way through and ultimately gives them a reason to tune in again. In the past we’ve seen the Bad Wolf story that wasn’t fully revealed for a few series. Harold Saxon in series 3. Rose’s face popping up every now and again and an inevitable return in series 4, the doctor’s death in series 6 and the impossible girl in series 7. Ryan and Graham’s troubled relationship was the closest series 11 got to this, but it wasn’t strong enough to entice the fans. And at the end of the day it is tricky to implement this if there aren’t any characters from the past as there is simply nothing to base a story off, but it’s something I expect to have improved in the 2020 series.
    Jodie Whittaker played the role very well, and I have no doubt is the right actor to take the doctor forward, but she’s got to have better writing and storylines to go off. There were some good episodes, I thought after the 1st 3 were that we were already onto something. But underwhelming episodes like Demons of the Punjab and It takes you away really (the latter of which was in my opinion one of the most mundane episodes of doctor who ever) let the series down in the end. 3 companions also certainly seemed a bit overkill in series 11, with Yaz not getting much development at all, but this isn’t something I’m too worried about, I think it’s a case of finding a balance, which will come with time.
    I think whoever the actor of the doctor and the whoever the showrunner was series 11 was always going to be one of transition and change. That does mean however we need to see things start to come together more in series 12. Fans can tolerate the odd sticky patch here and there but if it’s prolonged there will be more and more of a task to win them back as the show goes on. I don’t expect series 12 to go down as one of the greatest series of the show ever, but I do expect the showrunner to have reacted to the criticism of series 11 and that should make for an improved series 12.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

34
#34 Best TV Season of 2018
1
#1 Most Discussed TV Season of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. We Got This Covered
    Reviewed by: Christian Bone
    Oct 10, 2018
    80
    All in all, “The Woman Who Fell To Earth” succeeds as a statement of intent for this brand new era of Doctor Who, telling us that it’s going to be easily accessible, gorgeous to look at and listen to, all about the character drama and brought to life with a lead actress who has a lot of energy. In terms of comparing it to past Who, it’s not a flawless season opener, but it does a terrific job of making us excited for the rest of Doctor No. 13’s tenure.
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  2. IndieWire
    Reviewed by: Hanh Nguyen
    Oct 8, 2018
    67
    Goofy and curious, commanding and contemplative, Thirteen is already well on her way to demonstrating the complex emotional makeup that is the Doctor. She also demonstrates a cheerful, can-do spirit. ... With the exception of Tim Shaw’s unappealing self, very little about the episode feels Whovian. Gone is former showrunner Steven Moffat’s sense of play, both in the verbal sparring and convoluted storytelling.
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  3. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Sara Stewart
    Oct 8, 2018
    100
    The premiere episode here, “The Woman Who Fell to Earth,” reminded me, more than anything, of “The X-Files,” when it was really good. It takes you back to the days when Doctor Who was a fun sci-fi procedural. ... [The alien] resembles some gleaming villain out of a Marvel movie, which makes his blokey name, Tim Shaw, even more incongruously funny. This is Doctor Who at its best--nerdy and chilling and quick with a joke. And, most significantly of all, generous of spirit, a quality that simply shimmers off Whittaker.
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