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. JohannesKT
    Jan 4, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I think this was a pretty good and solid series; Not the best one but surely a good one; I liked Jodie and the Graham-Ryan relationship development. I think Yaz had nearly no space of development and that's a pity, I hope they give her some moments to shine in the next series. I loved the Thijarians and Demons of the Punjab, a wonderful hybrid between a pure historical episode and a normal "alien come to earth" episode.… Expand
  2. MaheshNakka
    Jan 4, 2019
    0
    I have to completely agree with the review of Recthed:

    Female time lord? River Song was kind of a time lord ... and she was FANTASTIC.. sardonic, sharp as a razor, devilishly fun and memorable. A bit chunky and not some magazine cover ideal of beauty yet she was sexy as hell.. This is dreck. Social justice banality in the form of entertainment? No thank you. SJW are like the borg..    I have to completely agree with the review of Recthed:

    Female time lord? River Song was kind of a time lord ... and she was FANTASTIC.. sardonic, sharp as a razor, devilishly fun and memorable. A bit chunky and not some magazine cover ideal of beauty yet she was sexy as hell.. This is dreck. Social justice banality in the form of entertainment? No thank you. SJW are like the borg.. infecting and assimilating all we love and hold dear in the name of some mindless hive thought    … Expand
  3. Countbob
    Jan 4, 2019
    2
    I have been a fan of Doctor Who for over 50 years. MY Doctor as they say is Patrick Troughton although I remember Hartnell in the role. There were some poor years in my opinion, especially in the 80's when I only just managed to hold on for the ride as the scripts and actors weren't the best. However when it disappeared from our screen in 1989 I did start to miss the show. We were lucky inI have been a fan of Doctor Who for over 50 years. MY Doctor as they say is Patrick Troughton although I remember Hartnell in the role. There were some poor years in my opinion, especially in the 80's when I only just managed to hold on for the ride as the scripts and actors weren't the best. However when it disappeared from our screen in 1989 I did start to miss the show. We were lucky in as much as we were starting to find missing episodes and then Big Finish stepped in to carry on the storytelling. I enjoyed the Film despite the Half Human quote but at least it gave Sylvester McCoy a decent farewell.
    I was over the moon when it was announced in 2004 that it was returning under RTD and again when a respected actor, Christopher Eccleston, was to be the new Doctor. I can honestly say that I loved the whole new era of Doctor Who and the actors who played them. I was so overwhelmed by Matt Smith that he soon became my second favourite Doctor after Pat Troughton. All 4 actors to play the doctor would be in my top 7 which isn't bad!
    When it was announced that a female was going to play the Doctor I was excited to see what they would bring to the role. I had seen Jodie Whittaker in many TV dramas and the film Attack the Block. I was pleased again because I liked her work. At the time my wife ( a fan of the show who won a competition back in 1975 and met Tom Baker ) and my WHO friends were not at all happy with the changes, chibnall and Whittaker etc. How I wish I had listened to them.
    I watched the first episode and was so underwhelmed I was in shock! I gave it another 5 episodes before I made a decision not to watch it again. Apart from Poor acting, the scripts being hollow and the current SJW agenda I was embarrassed to be a white straight male viewer as I was constantly told I was either a racist, a bad Dad or just plain evil!
    This is supposed to be a Sci-Fi show not a political broadcast on behalf of the SJW Snowflakes!
    So after over 50 years I am now leaving this show behind with a heavy heart and hope I live long enough to see it return to some normalsey !    … Expand
  4. Pugugly
    Jan 3, 2019
    0
    So much excitement for the female Doctor and if handled right this excitement could have been harnessed but alas like the majority of people at the BBC, who can't see the diversity woods because of the cis white trees. The heavy handed rub your nose in this political agenda mess has turned a lot of people off, hopefully they will return when the writers come up with good story lines andSo much excitement for the female Doctor and if handled right this excitement could have been harnessed but alas like the majority of people at the BBC, who can't see the diversity woods because of the cis white trees. The heavy handed rub your nose in this political agenda mess has turned a lot of people off, hopefully they will return when the writers come up with good story lines and not rehashed political sound bites passed off as wisdom.… Expand
  5. Lanark
    Jan 3, 2019
    0
    I have been a avid watcher of Dr Who (from seventies - Tom Baker - onward) what can I say but....Oh No, what have the BBC done, horribly left Socialist politics - communist/ Marxist, third wave Anita Sarkeesian feminism and man hating politics have tainted a once beloved show, they have done it to Star Wars (TLJ) and Star Trek (Discovery) as well and their aiming it at children - likeI have been a avid watcher of Dr Who (from seventies - Tom Baker - onward) what can I say but....Oh No, what have the BBC done, horribly left Socialist politics - communist/ Marxist, third wave Anita Sarkeesian feminism and man hating politics have tainted a once beloved show, they have done it to Star Wars (TLJ) and Star Trek (Discovery) as well and their aiming it at children - like the others - as a vehicle for indoctrination, 'get them while their young' huh, grotesque beyond believe. this the Doctors final regeneration and IT's - he/she is an alien - sad death - amongst the others - for me)… Expand
  6. littlebluehat
    Jan 3, 2019
    0
    My heart is broken ... this series broke it.

    Thanks, Chibs :(

    I miss 11, 10, 9 .....
  7. Dougbrown13
    Jan 3, 2019
    0
    A once great show brought down by a horribly miscast lead, dull, preachy , politically correct storylines, and some truly awful acting. What a massive disappointment.
  8. 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
  9. A_fan
    Jan 2, 2019
    0
    The New Year Special added insult to injury. As bad as the season long acting, writing, directing and set design has been, the Special did not even try to show a presence. Jodie Whittaker might have been a very good Doctor but not without a production behind her, and there was none. It seems success has made the show a dumping ground for talentless hacks who cannot work elsewhere. ThisThe New Year Special added insult to injury. As bad as the season long acting, writing, directing and set design has been, the Special did not even try to show a presence. Jodie Whittaker might have been a very good Doctor but not without a production behind her, and there was none. It seems success has made the show a dumping ground for talentless hacks who cannot work elsewhere. This Doctor Who season will be ranked with such classics as Vampires Suck.… Expand
  10. SeGin
    Jan 2, 2019
    0
    In every season of Doctor Who, I had those moments where I was seriously baffled, shocked, tense and just ENTERTAINED. This season had NO SINGLE moment like this. I do not know if it's the new filming style, the actors, the accents or just the completely different atmosphere, but I know one thing for sure: This season ruined everything for me.
  11. GregM
    Jan 1, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well I stuck it to the bitter end and no the season didn't improve, terrible from start to finish, but that won't stop the BBC claiming my viewing as proof that viewing figures are the best every.
    Like many I welcomed the first female doctor, but sadly Whittaker was given an impossible mission to rescue the poor scripts, limited character development and amateurish directing. That latter point seems to be missed by many, when you see the doctor look into a tank that we're told is filled with decaying human corpses and her reaction is rather less emotional than staring into a cup of tea you have to point the finger straight at the director for not retaking it. This was played out over and over again throughout the season, Whittaker must be dismayed how amateurish this has made her look.
    Sci-fi is always full of holes requiring major suspension of disbelief but this series is the most challenging ever even for loyal fans like myself. The writer just couldn't be bothered to make any attempt at continuity or credibility. It started in the first scene of the first episode when she fell from space onto a train and just stood up and brushed herself down like superwoman. Minutes later Whittaker is tasked with making us believe she's afraid of falling off a crane! The final straw for me is that the writer has done what all previous writers managed to resist, at least some degree, and turned the sonic screwdriver into a magic wand pure and simple, too much Harry Potter.
    Just give up BBC and put this tripe on CBBC where it belongs.    … Expand
  12. Gargravarr
    Jan 1, 2019
    0
    Season 11 of Doctor Who includes...worst writing, worst acting, worst imagination and worst connection with the fanbase ever. The new years special seems to have been made to highlight all of the above.
  13. tyb62974
    Jan 1, 2019
    0
    Not my Doctor Who, hope they cancel it as soon as possible and bring new Doctor that can make it enjoyable again.
  14. Talamslyric
    Jan 1, 2019
    0
    I'm a huge Dr Who fan, but this series suffered from very poor writing, awful plots and no dramatic music, no sense of peril and not even the slightest need for even a child to hide behind the sofa. Such a disappointment and a let down, we have seen some brilliant strong female characters in recent years so an amazing opportunity for a fabulous female doctor but instead we got aI'm a huge Dr Who fan, but this series suffered from very poor writing, awful plots and no dramatic music, no sense of peril and not even the slightest need for even a child to hide behind the sofa. Such a disappointment and a let down, we have seen some brilliant strong female characters in recent years so an amazing opportunity for a fabulous female doctor but instead we got a Playschool presenter with as much charisma and absolutely no gravitas.… Expand
  15. Jasonmercury
    Jan 1, 2019
    0
    This is not Doctor who any more. It feels more like a bad spin off. The stories are weak, there is no real plot and there is no kind of connection with the rest of the shows history, (apart from calling the main character "the Doctor" and "the TARDIS" to travel.
    Also,. changes in the Doctors personality always reflected the doctors past experiences, therefore justifying changes in    This is not Doctor who any more. It feels more like a bad spin off. The stories are weak, there is no real plot and there is no kind of connection with the rest of the shows history, (apart from calling the main character "the Doctor" and "the TARDIS" to travel.
    Also,. changes in the Doctors personality always reflected the doctors past experiences, therefore justifying changes in personality in new incarnations. Can some one tell me how the last of the timelords, who walked away from the great time war, 2000 years old, with the knowledge of most of history, morph in to a confused, scared little girl?
    Dont get me wrong, i had no problem with the Doctor being a woman, i expected this season to be a pleasant difference, as i was used to always be pleasantly surprised by every new incarnation.
    But this, by no means, meets doctor who standards!    … Expand
  16. Jimbo2019
    Dec 31, 2018
    0
    What happened? Oh yeah that's right, SJW's have infected the BBC like the plague! Was getting gangrene just from watching the first episode of this racist, condescending and PC piece of trash.
  17. DDraven
    Dec 31, 2018
    1
    Season 11 of Doctor Who is a prime example of what happens when Leftists with a social/political agenda get a hold of an iconic franchise and use it as a soapbox delivery system for everything they believe to be correct. What could have been an opportunity to capitalize on an amazing new shakeup in the form of a female Doctor has descended into SJW madness of the highest caliber, withSeason 11 of Doctor Who is a prime example of what happens when Leftists with a social/political agenda get a hold of an iconic franchise and use it as a soapbox delivery system for everything they believe to be correct. What could have been an opportunity to capitalize on an amazing new shakeup in the form of a female Doctor has descended into SJW madness of the highest caliber, with every single episode acting as a wagging finger in the faces of viewers, reminding them of their personal accountability for everything wrong with society. Doctor Who has descended from a bright, quirky and imaginative science fiction series to a propaganda machine. Pointing this out leads to the obvious retaliatory tactic from folks on the Left: claims of bigotry, racism, misogyny, rinse/repeat. Ironically, the show itself promotes most of these negative labels.

    The massive decline in ratings throughout the season (with no bounce-back, I might add) means that viewer curiosity about the potential for the new Doctor started very strong and optimistic, with hopes quickly dashed throughout the series run. The season began with almost 11 million viewers, indicating that audiences were indeed receptive to seeing a female Doctor in the lead role. Now, that number has plunged to nearly 6 million through the course of less than a dozen episodes. The claim is that ratings are actually up for the first time since Matt Smith's departure as the Doctor, and that's very correct. However, the show has been in a continuous downward slide ever since, which doesn't exactly say much for Season 11's progress.

    The truth is far more simple. The episodes are boring, the characters are flat, the messages are preachy and tiresome, and Jodie Whittaker hasn't made the role her own. A fine actress in her own right, Whittaker is hopelessly out of her element with Doctor Who, taking bits and pieces of previous Doctors (most notably David Tennant) and attempting to craft a familiar motif. That's not how the Doctor works, unfortunately. Each Doctor is absolutely different from the last, which is what made Tom Baker an iconic fan favorite to this very day. Baker once famously stated that netting the role of Doctor Who meant that he could play Tom Baker all day long, and he was 100% right. Whittaker has failed to do this. The blame isn't all on her. Series showrunner Chris Chibnall has done a horrible job of taking the series over from predecessor Steven Moffatt, and used Doctor Who as a propaganda vehicle for the increasingly radicalized-Left BBC, of whom he shares the same ideology. The result are some downright ill-advised episodes such as Rosa, which have undoubtedly alienated a large chunk of U.S. audiences who don't take too kindly to being reminded of past transgressions that they had no part of, to begin with. Every episode is littered with an SJW propaganda message. Suddenly, white males are more villainous than Daleks. White people in general are seemingly all racist. Single white fathers should be shamed, ridiculed and attacked. America is racist. Men should be emasculated at every turn. Male companions are cowardly, dense or incapable, while female companions leap into danger without a thought, and are always the smart leaders.

    This is what Chris Chibnall is trying to tell you.

    Audiences watch Doctor Who for escapism, not to be preached to by radical Leftists who think they are better than everyone else, and openly proclaim it whenever someone points out this uncomfortable truth. As the SJW/P.C. landscape continues to cave in on itself and lose support day after day, it's astonishing to see these outlets double down on truly bad ideas, to the ruin of all. Had Chibnall and the BBC learned a valuable lesson from the destruction of the Star Wars franchise at the hands of Kathleen Kennedy and Rian Johnson, this crisis could have been avoided. We could have had a dynamic, diverse cast of characters following a female Doctor through amazing and fun romps throughout the galaxy. Instead we have an obviously designed cast where all the men are either dimwits, cowards or villains (save one), and all the women are leaping into the fray like superheroes. I've yet to see both happening at once, this Season.

    Recent comments by Jodie Whittaker have done nothing to help matters, either. Instead of using her position to effect some change on the show, she followed suit and directly criticized viewers who are seeing the show for what it has really become. She even remarked that Doctor Who's 50 year history was viewed entirely through the "white male gaze," an astonishingly awful and ignorant thing to say, by any measure! Not a great way to win them over! There's lots of talk of Chibnall and Whittaker leaving the show after either this Season or next, and unless both mend their ways and change their attitudes (unlikely), this will continue to send Doctor Who into a downward spiral, circa 1989 all over again. We all know what will happen then.    … Expand
  18. ZenaBubbs
    Dec 31, 2018
    0
    I don't know what this is, but it's not Dr. Who. :(
    i hope this trend of destroying franchises with ideology stops soon. Not holding my breath though.

    The sad fact is that the negative response to this series will be merely dismissed as misogyny and largely ignored.
  19. YamiCaleb
    Dec 30, 2018
    1
    The show is full of dialog and over explanation and lectures and 0 build up on any episode. Back to the writers desk...... please ;)........ the shows just meh now not worth watching. The only saving grace in the show was ryan and grahams slight character development and interactions. Why were Litterally all the villians not actually villians except for the racist white guy.
  20. NuttyNutNut666
    Dec 30, 2018
    1
    Worst season so far and I thought it was pretty bad with moffatt, but here its BAD and unwatchable. The amount of SJW crap is laughable, sure moffat had some left leaning messages sprinkled but it wasn't an absolute **** sandwich. But it isn't even the worst of it.

    There are some serious issues with cinematography and cutting all over the place, taking the pacing completely out of some    Worst season so far and I thought it was pretty bad with moffatt, but here its BAD and unwatchable. The amount of SJW crap is laughable, sure moffat had some left leaning messages sprinkled but it wasn't an absolute **** sandwich. But it isn't even the worst of it.

    There are some serious issues with cinematography and cutting all over the place, taking the pacing completely out of some scenes, even to the point where they couldn't be bothered to film the Doctor swimming to save somebody, they just cut straight to the point where she arrives on land, this also happens when the Doctor first lands, its completely laughable directing at times.
    The CGI is admittedly okay, but it never was great to begin with being a TV show and all.
    The soundtrack is absolutely meh for Doctor Who, I don't even think the Doctor has her own theme like Smith and Tennant had, and if she does I didn't notice which sums up the soundtrack, "huh I didn't notice." And Doctor Who has the backing of the BBC ochestra, who has always done a phenomenal job.

    The Doctor is so badly written and acted, its a joke, there was a certain nuance to previous Doctors but none of that is here, I don't feel that this is an old time travelling adventurer, its just somebody cosplaying the doctor, badly, even to the point where they rip dialogue from previous Doctors and Jodie adds nothing to the role, no personality other than snark and condescension, I hope she gets a decent arc to kill her off, but thats the only nice thing I can say really.

    All the episodes are completely standalone, which would be okay if they were written well, but they aren't and they are so cringy. The companions this time are so weak, other than Bradley who actually has an arc they are all forgettable, the only piece of writing that tried to get me endeared to them was about their racial struggles or politics...wow, as if there was any other way to write people of colour, like I don't know, giving them actual character, struggle and personality, race is not a good thing to base your characters around even bill was more tolerable than these guys because it wasn't about her sexuality 24/7. The cripple doesn't count as a struggle, he is very inconsistent with his disability to the point where I think the writers forgot he had one and he's literally running with no issues, not to mention this makes the Doctor an irresponsible **** for allowing somebody who is physically challenged go on adventures where she is running from danger 24/7...oh and his mother was killed by an alien...so this makes it even less dangeous somehow??? The companions also somehow have more knowledge and capable than the Doctor at times, making the Doctor really dumb and stupid in some parts.
    I'm going to admit I didn't watch all the episodes, I tried, I really did, but it was just so bad, I watched the first 2 episodes fully then from that point tried to dip my toes back in but there was just always something awful with each episode, whether it be the bad acting or writing. I completely stopped watching the final episode when the point where the Doctor actually tries to justify using a bomb, "because she can", thats not the Doctor. You know, when people said to SJWs, "if you want to make something, make your own", we didn't mean infiltrate nerd culture and ostracize white males who have supported the very shows you have destroyed, and I mean LITERALLY supported since white British working class males are who pay taxes for the BBC to make this crap.    … Expand
  21. Ergo2
    Dec 30, 2018
    1
    Does not rly feel like doctor who anymoore. Writing is poor and seems like they suddenly decided show is for children only. Cant rly tell if main character is just so poorly written or is the actor rly that talentless. Makes me angry i dont live in UK so i could refuse to pay BBC for television broadcasts.
  22. diamened
    Dec 30, 2018
    0
    This is abysmally bad. Shoddy Whittaker can't act her way out of a paper bag. Chinballs can't write a grocery shopping list. Please kill it already
  23. Thoresu
    Dec 30, 2018
    0
    Do you hate white men? Than this is the perfect show for you. This is feminazi ideology of it's finest. You must trust the whamen. If you are a white man apologize. It doesn't require rocket science to read those messages. They are not well hidden.

    BBC also known as Blatant **** Channel has managed to push an ideology worse than the Germans did in 1945. Thanks to everyone who supports    Do you hate white men? Than this is the perfect show for you. This is feminazi ideology of it's finest. You must trust the whamen. If you are a white man apologize. It doesn't require rocket science to read those messages. They are not well hidden.

    BBC also known as Blatant **** Channel has managed to push an ideology worse than the Germans did in 1945. Thanks to everyone who supports fascism against white men. The world really is a better place without them. Hope you can read the sarcasm    … Expand
  24. TRW9999
    Dec 30, 2018
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I remember when Jodie got cast and we were looking forward to a fresh start. Now look what her and Chris Chibnell have done to a beloved TV franchise.
    Where do I begin on how bad this series was!?! Lets start with the things that were good. The music, Ryan was alright, Graham was brilliant, anddddd………. nope, that's it.
    Writing - Worst of NuWho, so dull, un inspiring, and not engaging to watch at all. So much PC s**t
    Villains - Worst of NuWho, not scary at all, or intimidating whatsoever. Why were so many white men the villain, or made to look bad too??? I know this series is PC and that, but wow. FFS we went from the Daleks, the Cybermen, the Weeping Angels, the Silence, the Sontarons, to a space racist, Stitch, and a f**cking FROG!!!!!!
    Doctor - Worst of NuWho, she just isn't the Doctor, she is terrible. She isn't dark, and I can never take her seriously, omg. The darkest thing she has done is give King James the silent treatment, Oh how dark?!?!?!?!!!! She is shocking, and people need to open their god damn eyes to her s**t.
    Yaz - The most useless, unimportant thing I've ever seen on a TV program. I swear if the Doctor and her start making out and having a relationship, That's it. I'm so done.
    So, Series 11 - Worst of NuWho, and I believe all doctor who too.
    What hurts more is that Jodie didn't take the job because she loved the role, or she is a fan of the show, she took it to be the first woman, so people should deal with it???????
    Jodie. You. Are. C**P, utter S**T. F**K OFF back to Broadchurch with Chibnall, and take your agendas with you.    … Expand
  25. TonyMarq
    Dec 30, 2018
    0
    So far, I'm a little disappointed with the new Doctor Who characters in spite of its high TV rating. Too many sidekicks, boring storylines, and a doctor that just isn't doing anything dramatically strong for the part is putting me to sleep. Personally, two of the sidekicks need to be removed. The Doctor needs a little more EQ values to steer the already "duh" storyline. Hopefully, thingsSo far, I'm a little disappointed with the new Doctor Who characters in spite of its high TV rating. Too many sidekicks, boring storylines, and a doctor that just isn't doing anything dramatically strong for the part is putting me to sleep. Personally, two of the sidekicks need to be removed. The Doctor needs a little more EQ values to steer the already "duh" storyline. Hopefully, things will change toward driving the series into areas of unique suspense that previous series have had. If not, oh well, I'll have to wait for the next doctor to come along.… Expand
  26. PurpleSunrise
    Dec 30, 2018
    0
    I was actually looking forward to this season with the new Doctor with the dramatic cliffhanger at the end of the last season. Sadly, the new crew decided absolutely everything about the old show was no good so they replaced it with lifeless music, no cliffhangers, no story arcs, lousy scripts, dull dialog, horrid so-called villains, two dimensional companions, lack luster acting (exceptI was actually looking forward to this season with the new Doctor with the dramatic cliffhanger at the end of the last season. Sadly, the new crew decided absolutely everything about the old show was no good so they replaced it with lifeless music, no cliffhangers, no story arcs, lousy scripts, dull dialog, horrid so-called villains, two dimensional companions, lack luster acting (except for Bradly Walsh), virtually no use of the tardis or anything from the original show, and overall boring boring boring! They even messed up the mini-cliffhanger with the show intro.

    I'm very progressive yet the pontificating in each episode (I only made it to the horrid space hospital before I quit) was way over the top. Trump is a pathologically lying conman, but sticking in an obvious Trump clone into a Doctor Who episode was embarrassing. I do lots of serious things in my life and this was one of the shows I enjoyed escaping to but sadly instead Chibnall and company decided that fun and excitement were not what the show needed to be and they replaced it with the feeble stale spin-off.    … Expand
  27. npaylor
    Dec 30, 2018
    1
    Upon seeing the abysmally low audience score for DW S11, the temptation might be to disbelieve it - perhaps as proof of trolling, or of mass automated hacking. The problem with this theory is that the vast majority of reviews here are well-reasoned, and clearly very human. I would now like to add my own thoughts to the mix.

    My wife and I are long-term Doctor Who fans. We have a massive    Upon seeing the abysmally low audience score for DW S11, the temptation might be to disbelieve it - perhaps as proof of trolling, or of mass automated hacking. The problem with this theory is that the vast majority of reviews here are well-reasoned, and clearly very human. I would now like to add my own thoughts to the mix.

    My wife and I are long-term Doctor Who fans. We have a massive Classic Who DVD collection, we've watched every New Who episode multiple times, we made two 'pilgrimages' to the DW experience in Cardiff - we even had a TARDIS at our wedding! And yet, Doctor Who Series 11 was a massive disappointment.

    The pro's:
    [a] The main theme is very well done - with nods to the classic era, and a meaty dubsteo feel, it works very well. (Especially when the doctor smashed through the train in the first episode, and we got our first taste of it.)
    [b] Bradley Walsh is very good - he should have either been cast as the doctor, or made the only companion.
    [c] The cinematography is ok - not great, but decent.

    ... And that's it. I honestly can't think of a single other positive. The con's:
    [A] Jodie Whitaker is horribly miscast. I'm not intrinsically opposed to the doctor being a woman, but the decision should have been narrativally justified, and not just thrust upon the audience. In any case, there are better female actors for the role - Olivia Coleman, for example. Jodie's performances are horrendously ill-judged, feeling like a pastiche of Matt Smith and David Tennant's wackier (and more irritating) moments. Her physicality is exaggerated, and her humour falls flat.
    [B] There are simply too many companions, two of whom are utterly forgettable. Tosin Cole's acting is also dreadful at times.
    [C] The TARDIS set is abysmal. Absolutely awful, the worst I've ever seen.
    [D] The ambient music is repetitive and nowhere near epic enough. The sombre, more low-key feels works occasionally, but for the majority of the time it simply doesn't fit what we're watching.
    [E] There is simply no connection to the show's 55 year history - almost no mythology, apart from cringeworthy 'banter-ish' moments in which Chibnall sought to imitate Moffat's throwaway lines about the Doctor's wacky anecdotes. It's as if he doesn't care about the history, and it shows.
    [F] The choice of a female doctor was simply NOT well-established - it was not justififed in the context of the mythology, or in the context of the narrative. It comes off as cheap pointscoring, yet another victim of the political machinations of the BBC.
    [G] The editing is often very poor, and the pacing is unbelievably dull. My wife and I were bored during many episodes. Whereas in previous seasons we would have arrived at the main thrust of any given story or action setpiece, in this season we spend ages being given unnecessary details, or being shown rather uninteresting locales.
    [H] The aliens are unimaginative, and the enemies are not at all menacing. Most of the time, they're just straight white men. (A space racist? REALLY?!)

    In short, this season is a failure. There are some bright moments, but they are few, and nowhere near bright enough. Doctor Who S11 was an experiment, and it has failed.    … Expand
  28. BluePlanet
    Dec 29, 2018
    0
    Watching Jodie Whittaker act in this is cringeworthy. Crude political lecturing treats the audience like idiots. Worst crime of all, the show is no fun. At all. Feels like a social experiment, goading the audience to criticize based on terrible acting, bad writing, awful TARDIS design, too many one dimensional companions, "Team Tardis" & "My Fam", Boring music... Avoid.
  29. BeatsMeanzHighs
    Dec 29, 2018
    1
    This is what you get when a well established and beloved sci-fi series becomes utterly infested with SJW politics and 3rd wave feminist man hatred. The show had started to descend into the SJW lunacy midway through Peter Capaldi's era, but those shows were as nothing compared to what series 11 would unleash on its viewers. A more preachy, self righteous load of far-leftist pompous **** isThis is what you get when a well established and beloved sci-fi series becomes utterly infested with SJW politics and 3rd wave feminist man hatred. The show had started to descend into the SJW lunacy midway through Peter Capaldi's era, but those shows were as nothing compared to what series 11 would unleash on its viewers. A more preachy, self righteous load of far-leftist pompous **** is impossible to imagine. Gone is the sense of adventure, exploration and jeopardy posed by a variety of malevolent alien forces, instead we are offered the villainy of humanity as a replacement, or to be more accurate, the villainy of the straight white male, the Moriarty to the SJW's Sherlock Holmes. The villains in this series include a substitute Trump, a white racist from the future, and a single father - seriously. And as for the worst case of casting for the title role, Jodie Whittaker, her appalling acting and her shameless plagiarism of Tennant's and Smith's Doctors are only matched by her vilification for the original series, which she described as celebrating the white male gaze. How ironic then that it is Bradley Walsh, a white male actor who landed the role of Graham without any help from the BBC's diversity and equity strategy, provided the only contribution of value in the worst series in the history of Doctor Who. The SJW infestation and destruction of once popular and cherished franchises will be taught in history lessons in the future, and Doctor Who will perhaps be the textbook case in those lessons. I think the show needs to be axed asap. I can't see a way out for the show for at least 10 years thanks to Chibnall and Whittaker, the icebergs to Doctor Who's Titanic.… Expand
  30. magicoone
    Dec 29, 2018
    0
    Originally I was excited for Doctor Who return and I was even optimistic about the direction of the show. Season 10 was very messy and I was convinced a new show runner and actor would give the show what it needed, how wrong I was. This season not only was the worst season of Doctor Who, but they managed to take such an interesting concept, with plenty of history and imagination behind itOriginally I was excited for Doctor Who return and I was even optimistic about the direction of the show. Season 10 was very messy and I was convinced a new show runner and actor would give the show what it needed, how wrong I was. This season not only was the worst season of Doctor Who, but they managed to take such an interesting concept, with plenty of history and imagination behind it and strip all that way to leave nothing but a husk of what it use to be.

    To me it feels like they watched one episode of the show and took note of only the obvious elements and assumed that made Doctor Who what it is, like for example... space time the Tardis and the docto- Well at least I wish I could say the Doctor, but they were clearly absent throughout this series.

    Jodie Whitaker from what I have seen can be an incredible actor, but what I witnessed wasn't at all believable and just screamed bad acting and it's not just Jodie either, a lot of the supporting cast have been sub par and I aren't even sure if it's the direction they've been given or the actors themselves. I definitely have noticed the worst of the episodes tend to be the ones written by the lead writer and it doesn't help that the Chris Chibnall's past work on Doctor Who has been bland and forgettable. Which is sad considering his other works. I just can't understand why he took the job.

    He clearly oversees every episode and the work he does do is bland and is just not interesting, especially for a science fiction show. In fact sometimes it's been outright amateurish, for example a lot of stories he has written feel very rushed and have pacing problems. The Ghost Monument and Arachnids in the UK had it pretty noticeably.

    The Ghost Monument has a lot of build up and takes it's time to build atmosphere, but the pay off is so underwhelming I won't spoil, but basically they reach the end a short conversation happens and then that's it, no bigger conflict.

    Arachnids In The UK, although had better pacing, the resolution again suffered from the same problems and just had the story abruptly finishes and in this case it was even worse, because we don't learn what happens to the spiders in the end, which was at least suppose to be the focus of the entire episode, especially given it's in the episode's name.

    I feel I need to address the elephant in the room. A lot of people have been upset regarding Doctor Who with all the politics and Political Correctness being injected into the show and honestly? I don't blame them, so many people have been so much more vocal about this compared to last few seasons and I feel if there wasn't a problem you wouldn't have such a divide amongst fans of the show. In the defence of the show changing the gender of the character I will say Jodie is an easy target, given she is at the centre of all this, but I do think she's not done herself any favours.

    Jodie being in the limelight I do feel has an obligation to represent the show and it's fan base and she definitely has been "representing us", but not in a way that promotes good will and in fact furthers this divide amongst fans. Saying that the show appeased the white male gaze and dismissing any criticisms towards the show as being bigoted, misguided and I won't say those people don't exist because they definitely do, but most decent people aren't sexist or racists or any kind of "ist" and this mentality even leaks over into the actual community itself having fans calling people who don't like the female doctor as sexists misogynists.

    I am a human and respect other human's, no matter what race, religion, background, gender, sexuality or whatever... TV shouldn't be written with the aim of purely being diverse. I absolutely welcome it, but it should be unconscious and not artificially injected. In addition we should be hiring on the basis of skill level and qualification, rather than a diversity quota. I didn't want to focus on this stuff as I want to review the actual show itself, but given it's so deeply rooted it's hard to avoid.

    I think a competent actor or show runner, could do a better job at portraying this type of version of the character, but I don't think the intentions were in the write place and this gravely impeded the show. Which is a shame, especially considering she was going to be the first woman to play the character. I think this idea could work, but I definitely feel we should go back to the familiar, at least for a while until trying this again.

    Like I said this could of played out a lot better, but instead of good story telling this just became a mess of politics and trying to write a show based on how forward thinking it is, to be point where the thinking is flawed. I hope they make a lot of changes next series, but they have a heck of a lot of changes to make, to make this work and to save this failure of a season. Given what has happened though I really aren't holding my breath. I welcome a 5-10 year break.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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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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