Doctor Who

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Season 12
Season #: 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
2.8

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 147 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 147
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 147
  3. Negative: 105 out of 147
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User Reviews

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  1. lulu2480
    Jan 2, 2020
    1
    Apart Stephen Fry, it's full of .... nothing. Everyday life is already difficult I wanted escapism at least when at home, not to be lectured or indoctrinated,
  2. Mikeuk81
    Jan 4, 2020
    2
    Time has run out on the current doctor, what was once essential viewing is now boring. The current Doctor is far removed moved from the acting quality of the four previous modern incarnations. Time to let the show rest for a while.
  3. Davros1010
    Jan 20, 2020
    0
    Absolute rubbish!!! This is cosplay Dr Who for 3 year olds!! Awful stuff! Please go Jodie!!!
  4. BeatsMeanzHighs
    Jan 21, 2020
    1
    Yet again the latest season of Doctor Who has been hijacked by agenda. There are reviewers who insist that people who review the show negatively are doing so merely because the BBC arbitrarily changed the sex of a character that had been male for over 50 years. Well if there are such people they are more than entitled to this view and it is a reasonable complaint. But the truth of theYet again the latest season of Doctor Who has been hijacked by agenda. There are reviewers who insist that people who review the show negatively are doing so merely because the BBC arbitrarily changed the sex of a character that had been male for over 50 years. Well if there are such people they are more than entitled to this view and it is a reasonable complaint. But the truth of the matter is that the gender swap is one of a multitude of reasons why fans detest what has happened to the longest running sci-fi show on British TV. The weak story writing that abandons plot in favour of agenda, the lead actor's inability to understand who the Doctor is and how to portray the part, the uninspiring companions and a general disdain for what has come before in the show all add up to a terrible viewing experience. Each viewer will have their own pet hate when it comes to this show, but for me it's the sheer ham-fisted nature of the preaching and the social justice moralising that is the most tiresome. The show used to do some allegory in the classic era, but that has been replaced with ramming the latest message home with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. What a shame the BBC got hijacked by the social justice cult, and in turn allowed their once prestigious reputation turn into utter garbage.… Expand
  5. Kinsi
    Jan 24, 2020
    0
    I loved season 1-10 but sorry.. This is just not doctor who anymore.. It's not cause it's a female doctor.. But everything else. Story, characters, settings.. I really really hope it will be better some time soon.. But there need to be extremely drastic changes again for that.
  6. Neutrobyte
    Jan 26, 2020
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Alright Chibnall, NOW you've officially gone TOO far! Forced diversity and Agenda Politics are one thing, but ret-conning canon laid down by Sidney, Raj, Verity and others, back in 1963 is another! The newest episode is like a ret-con BOMB, exploding and rewriting SO many things for the WORSE! Having the Tardis be a Police Box before the Chameleon Circuit got stuck in Totters Lane? NOPE, sorry! Having a Chameleon Arch before the Tennant Era and the Human Nature novel? NOPE, Sorry! Having the ?th Doctor being darker and nastier than any other incarnation, AND not know ANYTHING about the other 14 (I count John Hurt) incarnations? NOPE, Sorry! Having the ?th Doctor have been a Renegade before HE left, with HIS Granddaughter and stole the Tardis (and the Tardis stole him)? NOPE, sorry! Having the ?th Doctor "hate" guns, and yet own a rifle that she deliberately booby-traps so that it will kill ANYONE (not just her previous Time Lord colleague), and then not bat an eye when it killed someone? NOPE, sorry! And WORST of all, I actually "liked" seeing Captain Jack Harkness back, played exactly the way he always was. You have RUINED Doctor Who Chibnall! And you won't even LISTEN to ANY of the criticism that is piling up outside yours, and the BBC's doors.… Expand
  7. SilverEagle89
    Feb 3, 2020
    4
    Doctor Who continues running...but where? That’s the real question. The amount of talent on the show gets dragged down by the writing. Something just doesn’t click as in previous incarnations.
  8. matt360
    Mar 3, 2020
    0
    I remember last season being hopeful about the 13th Doctor, but any potential has been completely ruined by an awful showrunner. Chris Chibnall seems to hate the franchise and wants to see it destroyed, I can't think of any other reason to how this series got so bad.

    Jodie Whitaker could be a great Doctor but she's given nothing to do. The finale has ruined the series lore beyond    I remember last season being hopeful about the 13th Doctor, but any potential has been completely ruined by an awful showrunner. Chris Chibnall seems to hate the franchise and wants to see it destroyed, I can't think of any other reason to how this series got so bad.

    Jodie Whitaker could be a great Doctor but she's given nothing to do.

    The finale has ruined the series lore beyond recovery, the only way forward is to retcon this season and get a new showrunner.    … Expand
  9. Fredolives
    Feb 4, 2020
    0
    Dr Who used to be great. Emphasis on used to. The last couple seasons have been a perfect example of what not to do in making an entertaining tv show.
  10. Mcgregor
    Feb 6, 2020
    0
    Doctor Grievance study's has done it's last dash for me, sick to the eyeballs of these 'woke' lectures in entertainment.. Bye Professor complaints I quit you.
  11. Kymar4
    Mar 3, 2020
    0
    Это отвратительно, сериал превратился из околонаучной фантастики в модное говнище для нетрадиционных людей. Это просто кусок толерантности, скажите этим даунам что они сериалом ошиблись и это никто видеть не хочет. Смените уже шоураннера, он бездарен и пресенЭто отвратительно, сериал превратился из околонаучной фантастики в модное говнище для нетрадиционных людей. Это просто кусок толерантности, скажите этим даунам что они сериалом ошиблись и это никто видеть не хочет. Смените уже шоураннера, он бездарен и пресен
  12. Sabrus
    Mar 7, 2020
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Best part of this season Is Capt Jack making an appearance.. Just beings you back to when the show had decent writers and a decent DR… Expand
  13. The_Batman
    Jun 3, 2020
    1
    It was my favorite TV show. WAS..... After so many years they just destroyed the Doctor. RIP
    Jodie is great, but the plot is an absolute garbage
  14. DrJohnSmith
    Jul 13, 2020
    1
    I am a lifelong fan of Doctor Who (40 years of watching). I grew up watching episodes and celebrated every regeneration. I suffered through the dark times of script writing (Colin Baker's unfortunate years), the show's cancelation, and eventualy rejoiced at its return. The 50th anniversary was absolutely wonderful. Now this... I watched in horror as it devolved into a pointless, soullessI am a lifelong fan of Doctor Who (40 years of watching). I grew up watching episodes and celebrated every regeneration. I suffered through the dark times of script writing (Colin Baker's unfortunate years), the show's cancelation, and eventualy rejoiced at its return. The 50th anniversary was absolutely wonderful. Now this... I watched in horror as it devolved into a pointless, soulless series of random chases culminating in the utter butchery of the entire canon. I wish my Doctor could go back in time and provide Whittaker the story, tone, and depth this character's legacy deserves. This abysmal writing is a mockery to these actors and this once beloved series. I am devastated.… Expand
  15. mag07
    Jul 3, 2020
    0
    Embarassing to watch. 50 years of legacy murdered with dreadful, uninspired and emotionless writing. It's time to take a break BBC.
  16. dramaticwords
    Jun 26, 2020
    2
    Too preachy. Too many weak stories. And an ending that ruins the Time Lords and rewrites the Doctor's history badly.
  17. BronzeCentipede
    Dec 7, 2020
    0
    This is Doctor Who made by people who hate Doctor Who. There's no love of or interest in the history or mythos of the show. Nor is there any interest in the idea of exploring time and space, or of entertaining the viewer. Instead, we get ham-fisted messages.
  18. Shrik3
    Aug 15, 2020
    2
    I'm not a big Doctor Who fan but I love a bit of Sci-fi. The semi encapsulated format has always meant that there have been bad episodes and good IMO. This however is awful, the lead actress can act I have seen her in a previous drama but the role of playing a retarded Doctor is something I doubt De Niro could pull off. The decision to make the companions a family, the younger of whom areI'm not a big Doctor Who fan but I love a bit of Sci-fi. The semi encapsulated format has always meant that there have been bad episodes and good IMO. This however is awful, the lead actress can act I have seen her in a previous drama but the role of playing a retarded Doctor is something I doubt De Niro could pull off. The decision to make the companions a family, the younger of whom are completely without any depth is awful and the writing and story is terrible. I don't watch it anymore. Shame.… Expand
  19. Thatbro92
    Jun 2, 2020
    0
    The BBC has ruined this show and has doomed the series to another hiatus in the name of social justice.
  20. lucorp
    Dec 12, 2020
    0
    Boring, unappealing, shallow. Made me to stop watching one of my favourite TV shows.
  21. greenisgood
    Jan 22, 2020
    2
    TL;DR - Please Stop !!! Stop driving the show into obscurity. I wrote about the last season, was one of my first reviews onsite since frankly it broke me, so I'm gonna keep this short.
    It is as though the Companions Walsh, Cole and Gill along with Jodie are standing on shiny Metal platforms which is an allegory for their efforts and attempts to make the best of the material, surrounded by    TL;DR - Please Stop !!! Stop driving the show into obscurity. I wrote about the last season, was one of my first reviews onsite since frankly it broke me, so I'm gonna keep this short.
    It is as though the Companions Walsh, Cole and Gill along with Jodie are standing on shiny Metal platforms which is an allegory for their efforts and attempts to make the best of the material, surrounded by heaps of garbage and decomposing waste which is an allegory for the Story Writing and Dialogue Writing. As much as I want to pay attention to the leads and like them I cannot stop retching and gagging at the Stink and Filth of the writing thereby making the effort the actors are putting in mean nothing.
    I wish they would follow Henry Cavill's suit and disconnect themselves from a clear Train-Wreck.    … Expand
  22. LoveMoira89
    Jan 15, 2020
    0
    I would like to appeal to the scriptwriters, directors and show runners of the last restart of the Doctor:

    What can you offer the viewer besides the "rich" international caste and the "beautiful" pictures of picturesque nature Maybe a well-written plot? There is no less water in the plot than in my graduation work Just a series about nothing, like in past and in past and past    I would like to appeal to the scriptwriters, directors and show runners of the last restart of the Doctor:

    What can you offer the viewer besides the "rich" international caste and the "beautiful" pictures of picturesque nature

    Maybe a well-written plot?

    There is no less water in the plot than in my graduation work
    Just a series about nothing, like in past and in past and past series
    Global history neither moves nor stagnates: it simply exists separately from screenwriters and characters

    "
    Again, the kids play detectives in the backyard while the grown uncles of Moffat are busy with other decent TV shows.
    "

    The actors' play still looks like a children's production

    “If it weren’t for these annoying kids, I would have succeeded” is a phrase from the Scooby Doo animated serie or a Doctor Who's reboot?

    It’s just I don’t even want to watch
    So bad that not only do you not want to review the series again
    Well, it was necessary to remove it so that I didn’t want to watch at all ..

    I liked the old Doctors for a good quality story, the play of actors and the emotions that each new series gave me

    Reboot showed me none of this..    … Expand
  23. Quadrapole
    Jan 29, 2020
    0
    Absolute SJW garbage. Too much stunning and bravery with the new doctor who. save your time and rewatch the old ones instead.
  24. Krakadon
    Mar 1, 2020
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Garbage. Season 12 is better than Season 11 but that ain't sayin' much. I can't wait for Chibnall & company to go. They can't write or produce Doctor Who for crap and have no regard for the history of the show either. I just watched the Series finale and it was so bad with so many plot holes it was pitiful. Where to even begin? Cybermen can't shoot someone standing right in front of them? Gallifrey is destroyed again? The Master can just outsmart and kill all living Time Lords? The Companion's can just slip onto the giant Cybermen ship filled with 1,000's of Cybermen undetected, find all the right spots around the engine, plant explosives, then instantly get off when the bombs explode prematurely? The Doctor can just run away at the last second and no one even tries to stop her? The Time Lords just stumbled upon regeneration from some random dimension, not from their own brilliance as the oldest intelligent race? And the person who figured it out just happens to be the first space explorer, not some team of 100 biologists working on it for years? And the Doctor is now the Messiah of the Time Lords from whom all regenerations descended? The Jadoon are now the umpteenth people to do the "impossible" and get into the TARDIS? I could go on and on but I already wasted my time watching the show. Why waste more time talking about it? Honestly, I just hope it doesn't get cancelled so at least we have a change of putting this horrible period behind us. BTW, my negative review has nothing to do with Jody, so don't play the gender card with me.… Expand
  25. joshsevers
    Feb 19, 2020
    1
    Each episode gets progressively worse. It's as though the writers of season 12 are ignoring all the lore that has come before and are just writing about whatever popular social topic is trending. Look, I'm not suggesting that diversity and climate change are not important topics, but shoehorning it in at every single possible moment just feels tacky. In addition, the screenplay feels likeEach episode gets progressively worse. It's as though the writers of season 12 are ignoring all the lore that has come before and are just writing about whatever popular social topic is trending. Look, I'm not suggesting that diversity and climate change are not important topics, but shoehorning it in at every single possible moment just feels tacky. In addition, the screenplay feels like a high school group project. Maybe my enjoyment of CinemaSins has jaded me, but the plot and how it's carried out are excessively weak and nonsensical. I'm not an expert at film / TV critique, but even to me, it's plain that the writers / screenplay-ers of season 12 are phoning it in hardcore. I hope it gets better, because in my opinion the legacy of Doctor Who deserves better than this.… Expand
  26. JKF3
    Jan 10, 2020
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Very disappointing needs to be regenerated in to the old style Do not like this Doctor .… Expand
  27. Goreminister
    Jan 17, 2020
    0
    I don´t want to be "educated" by some PC people, I want to be entertained. How hard is that? Well, seems to be hard, but there you are. I´m out and I guess everyone who likes GOOD storytelling is out aswell. It was a nice time. Farewell Dr. Who.
  28. Necrosis99
    Jan 16, 2020
    0
    Get rid of every writer on this show and hire someone than can write character development! there is no character development and so far every story is just copy/pasted from Tennant/Smith era.
  29. ManRammer
    Mar 5, 2020
    0
    The new Doctor is just.. awful. The writing has sunk this ship for me. The season finale just kills the franchise by defining what all previous writers have tried to avoid
  30. ShaMana
    Jan 14, 2020
    5
    Title: Three is a crowd Description: The latest adventures of our beloved doctor are hindered by uneven writing and uninspired sequences of events. The last three episodes showed a glimpse of what it could have been but sadly falls flat not long after the start. Enemies are inventive and mysterious but the plot doesn't use them well. They are nothing more than scarecrows with close to noTitle: Three is a crowd Description: The latest adventures of our beloved doctor are hindered by uneven writing and uninspired sequences of events. The last three episodes showed a glimpse of what it could have been but sadly falls flat not long after the start. Enemies are inventive and mysterious but the plot doesn't use them well. They are nothing more than scarecrows with close to no personality or emotion and that's not the show we enjoyed before. The three companions don't really help the situation, they have their personalities but are in the end extremely linear and not well developed. Removing them, sadly wouldn't cause any issues for the show considering their lack of investment except the need to be constantly rescued. And the plots, they move at a breakneck pace towards nowhere. Events occur without reason and on occasion, there is barely any connection between two scenes (in one, everyone is in danger, they do something stupid that should never work, they are not even shown to escape and the next scene everyone is fine and no one talks about it ever again)

    Sadly it's not the actor's fault. Jodie Whitaker is fantastic. Very energetic and able to portray emotions appropriate for her interpretation of the doctor (Peter Capaldi was really bad in figuring out what kind of doctor he wanted to be for example). Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gill are good actors playing boring characters. Tosin Cole, on the other hand, has some spark to be a counterpoint of the new energetic doctor but is very underutilized in the end.

    Overall, Doctor Who has become a very mediocre show and uninspired writing can be faulted for it. Production values are really good, actors do their tasks well but in the end, it falls down to bad events and occurrences. Gone are the days of clever tiny details spread across 40 minutes or more to be picked and amazed at... it's CG and atmospheric music time.    … Expand
  31. Ameliawho
    Mar 6, 2020
    0
    “The Timeless Children” was the last straw for me as a fan of Doctor Who (Classic and New). The creators can’t simply rewrite almost 57 years of a show’s history in such a ham-fisted way and expect fans to eat it up. What makes “The Timeless Children” even worse is that the plot seems more about diversifying the show’s past rather than moving the show forward. Rewriting the Doctor’s past“The Timeless Children” was the last straw for me as a fan of Doctor Who (Classic and New). The creators can’t simply rewrite almost 57 years of a show’s history in such a ham-fisted way and expect fans to eat it up. What makes “The Timeless Children” even worse is that the plot seems more about diversifying the show’s past rather than moving the show forward. Rewriting the Doctor’s past shows a disrespect for the actors who have played the character in the past, but also a disregard for the current actors, such as Ms. Whittaker and Ms. Martin, who are now playing second fiddle to the creator’s desire to prove their progressiveness. The result of this is a show that is often a shallow and hypocritical shell of its former self. From scolding the audience about climate change while filming around the world to tackling metal illness but having the Doctor awkwardly disregard Graham’s concerns about cancer to basically ignoring Ryan’s dyspraxia until its convenient to the plot, the writers are handling social issues in such a sloppy way its hard to imagine fans from either side of the political aisle being truly satisfied. From flat characters to poor writing and now a total disregard to the show’s history, I think for many fans like me this season will be the final nail in the coffin for the show unless some major changes come to the writer’s room and the BBC.… Expand
  32. FredFisher01
    Mar 5, 2020
    0
    Absolute trash - boring actors, terrible writing, and overall has ruined Doctor Who canon.
  33. ZZBEAR
    Jan 12, 2020
    2
    Dr Racismus who, boring, preachy garbage, unless you're stuck in the 1950s without a tardis don't bother with this dross.
  34. jarekwg
    Jan 15, 2020
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Waste of resources. How can writing be so bad? Does noone review the scripts?

    I feel sorry for Jodie, I think she's capable of pulling off the role, but hasn't been given the space to flourish, neither by the writing, nor her supporting cast. I feel sorry for the set designers and arts department, for having their talent wasted on this garbage.

    Season 11 was awful, but at least it was self-contained. It seemed like Chibnall was rolling with a simpler Who, with no huge overarching plots, and just individual stories. I liked this approach, it was refreshingly different from the previous format, just needed some stronger writing.
    Season 12 seems like either Chibnall never had any intention of going in the aforementioned direction, or was pressured to deliver something "bigger" to address the plummeting ratings. So instead of fixing the stories, he decided to start retconning everything left right and centre. It's just offensive to see a new Master being introduced so soon after Gomez's amazing run, with a personality that ignores all prior character progression to boot. A shameless ratings-grab. As for deciding to aggressively undo lore established in a momentous 50th anniversary special with a silly 2-episode story, what's the intention? Again, to boost ratings by getting the viewership riled up (in all the wrong ways), or to satisfy some secret personal vendetta against Moffat that we don't know about?

    Obviously, can't make a review without mentioning the newfound "PC-ness" of the show; beating its viewers over the head with "thou shalt not be a bigot" over and over again. The show fails dismally to achieve this message, it's just nauseating and detracts from the watchability. Moffat era introduced a female Master, homosexual recurring characters, and all sorts of other underrepresented groups in a casual, tasteful way. Now, suddenly, we're seeing this "diversity" amped up to a degree where it seems like everyone's parents have a different skin tone to their children. Pair this with blunt quips about gender equality and speeches about global warming made straight at the audience, and we may as well be treating our modern world's problems as one big joke.

    I am willing to give season 11 a pass, as just a "shaky start", but I wish season 12 never happened. It adds nothing, and takes away so much. Three episodes in and I am confident there is no path to redemption from here. Cancel the show!    … Expand
  35. alandoherty
    Jan 9, 2020
    0
    So bad! I actually had to fast forward through some parts that were so cringe. I feel no connection to the main characters at all. Theres no jeopardy that I care about. It's just written really lazily.
  36. Drael
    Jan 13, 2020
    2
    This shift from cringe, to b-grade funny (ie so bad it's funny) is actually making this more entertaining. But not really in the way people want to be entertained.
  37. KAZFew
    Feb 13, 2020
    0
    It is truly sad to watch one of the best series ever be destroyed in the name of the religion of political correctness. We need more Doctor Who and way way less lefty indoctrination .
  38. mikhail_miel
    Mar 1, 2020
    0
    music has not yet surpassed Murray Gold. the end of the season created so many plot holes that it is impossible to list them all. Chris Chibnel killed my childhood, my love. thank you. I will no longer watch the series
  39. mitokio
    Jan 4, 2020
    0
    Was so looking forward to this based on the trailers but it turned out to be same empty dialogue and plot of the whole Season 11. I just hate this version of the Doctor. I wanted a female Doctor that was smart and confident and maybe even maternal. Not this silly, useless git. Are there companions? They are so utterly dull and pointless, I could care less. The final twist was weak in myWas so looking forward to this based on the trailers but it turned out to be same empty dialogue and plot of the whole Season 11. I just hate this version of the Doctor. I wanted a female Doctor that was smart and confident and maybe even maternal. Not this silly, useless git. Are there companions? They are so utterly dull and pointless, I could care less. The final twist was weak in my opinion. I think Missy is even a harder act to follow than the Doctor. WTF was the little person in the matchbox about??? I just want this version of the Doctor to end.… Expand
  40. Katalkyste
    Mar 3, 2020
    0
    i had real high hopes after the Trailer. but there it is again.. the Doctor waving the sonic screwdriver aimlessly around as a plot armor device. Remember when this was used very rarely and only on purpose? yeah those times are apparently over.

    There are a lot of unrelated discoveries like the "sprint"-revelation of the Main Villain which could have been dissolved by the master by just    i had real high hopes after the Trailer. but there it is again.. the Doctor waving the sonic screwdriver aimlessly around as a plot armor device. Remember when this was used very rarely and only on purpose? yeah those times are apparently over.

    There are a lot of unrelated discoveries like the "sprint"-revelation of the Main Villain which could have been dissolved by the master by just sayin "didnt want to brag"..
    Jodie plays the doctor as promised: like Doc Brown from "back to the future" and not as "the Doctor" and thus wrecking havoc on the real doctor with its poised charm, sarcastic undertones and back then genuinely funny lines. Now its all slapstick and bulletproof Motorbikes on a Trailer being driven around..

    When they first introduced a female doctor i was stoked and had a great time thinking of someone like Tilda Swinton and Benedict Cumberbatch as the sidekick.. but now we have just way too many diversity hire side characters that doesn't do anything apart from stealing the needed screen time from the doctor and limiting the time each character has to develop in the series..

    Addendum: episode 2:

    Force bond? Force Skype?
    Man in Black "Mind wipe"?

    especially "wiping the mind" is ABSOLUTELY against the Dr. Who basics.. its directly against the base narrative of "never change the changes" it invalidates a LOT of Dr. Who.
    do not retcon stuff..

    Updater: oh boy that was a wish that did not pan out ..

    congratulations, this show is now officially dead.. Dr.Who ? was the base premise of the show ever since.. this was a question that was never supposed to be answered..

    "Great" end to a long running show..    … Expand
  41. Markus_Lucidiou
    Mar 5, 2020
    0
    Complete series review: Chibnall does what no Dr Who baddie has ever done. Kill Dr Who.

    There are several scenes throughout the series that are genuinely good. Unfortunately that is nothing to do with the Doctor or the companions. The extras they employed had far better acting and performance skills than any of the 'fam'. There is far too much to mention as to why and what went wrong    Complete series review: Chibnall does what no Dr Who baddie has ever done. Kill Dr Who.

    There are several scenes throughout the series that are genuinely good. Unfortunately that is nothing to do with the Doctor or the companions. The extras they employed had far better acting and performance skills than any of the 'fam'. There is far too much to mention as to why and what went wrong tl;dr - Chibnall cannot run a piss up in a brewery. To really highlight the continued exposition from episode to episode would take far too long but allow me to put it this way, in the final episode the main character, the Doctor, quite literally stands still and does nothing for at least 3/4s of it while we get exposition from the Master. The core tenet of this series appears to be

    "Talk about stuff don't show stuff"

    The show creators and production crew can wax lyrical all they want about the amazing journey that the Doctor and co have been on, but we never see it. It took until the finale for Graham and Yaz to have a conversation. Two whole series, and the first actual conversation is in the finale. Lining the actors up and having them recite their lines one after another doesn't count Chibbers.

    Lazy writing, lazy editing, lazy acting.    … Expand
  42. nvmb3rth30ry
    Jan 2, 2020
    3
    Admirable ambition evident in production, but ultimately fails to delight, inspire or excite. Lead actor lacks needed gravitas to sell the show, hindered by execrable writing. Story quality veers between embarrassing and preposterous. Lovely to see Stephen Fry here but he is a lone raft bobbing aloft atop a swirling vortex of mediocrity.
  43. Qgal5kap
    Jan 14, 2020
    0
    This is just so bad! If you liked the original show, you should stay away from this garbage.
  44. adamchap
    Mar 9, 2020
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. NOTE:Came back to rewrite this review after the finale of season 12 to find that you can't see my comment, despite there only being six mixed reviews at the time of writing this. Nice to see nearly 40 new glowing reviews after THAT finale - whether or not the writing was compelling, the characters memorable or the sci-fi decent.

    REVIEW

    While season 12 does much better than the season before, it still falls short of what we have come to love.

    The best bits: Tesla and Edison. To an episode that mostly frames Tesla as the cool hip inventor being held back by filthy capitalist Edison - they still give Edison this line during a brief argument between the two:

    "All those men, all those inventions, I turn them from a sketch into real things people can buy. That’s how you change the world. You’re too blind to see that my factory is the best idea either one of us ever had."

    It was a breath of fresh air to have this morally grey area touched upon within a series which usually just goes for obvious tropes of "baddies".

    Sacha Dhawan - what a fantastic performance, despite some weird choices in dialogue. The problem with the Master this season is that there seems to be no acknowledgement to Missy. You'd also think the Master would have made some comment about how he "pulled the look off better" but no. Missed opportunity. Otherwise though, really sold it. Hands down the best performance in the series.

    The bad: Who are these companions and why do I struggle to remember their names? Ryan, the dyspraxic who is mostly unaffected by it. Yaz, the police-officer with the authority of a flannel and Graham "I dunno doc" "no idea doc" "Sorry doc, im stumped" "Dunno about you guys but I have no idea what she's talking about ". Sure there are moments. Graham telling Yaz how he feels about her was sweet, The Doctor getting angry in the final episode almost made me feel something and the cybermen were actually kinda cool.

    It's a slight problem that timelord energy in canon destroys cybermen, some incompatibility - but not the worse of Chibs' retcons here.

    The ugly: Did we all watch the Doctor sacrifice an old man? Didn't the Tenth Doctor break down at the idea of that eight seasons ago. Woops what about Wilf!

    Then, didn't the last doctor say this:

    "Never be cruel, never be cowardly. And never ever eat pears! Remember – hate is always foolish…and love, is always wise. Always try, to be nice and never fail to be kind. Oh, and….and you mustn’t tell anyone your name. "

    What happened? Are we watching the same Doctor here? Will Chris Chibnall read this review and explain it all in season 13? Seemed he listened to me about getting Captain Jack back, although I think he purposely only gave him two minutes of screen time to annoy me, and me alone.

    I thought it worth mentioning things people aren't necessarily mentioning. I couldn't care less about the gender (now ethnicity) of the Doctor but could you actually tell a bloody story instead of retconning incredible amounts of the show via an lore dump from The Master? It's like Chris sat around with the writers and said "How quickly can we get to the part where we show everyone that we hired a diverse range of children to play the doctor for three seconds"

    Here's a little girl with brown skin. Zero lines
    Oh lookie a little Asian boy. Give him zero lines.
    repeat some more.

    When you really think about it feels disingenuous, as if a desperate attempt to fill some quota. Just a little parade of tolerance, a show of virtue, a dance of equality.

    As a final note, because I find it interesting. The review scores from the major publications are glowing in contrast with user reviews. I've noticed recently that other shows have the same pattern. Sometimes the Users love it and the Critics hate it, other times it's the other way around.

    Altered Carbon is awesome. If you haven't seen it give it a watch. Then check the reviews.
    The Witcher, sure it had some problems, but compare the harsh critics of that show - to the ones here.

    Something smells wrong here and the Users know it.    … Expand
  45. mickrussom
    Jan 1, 2020
    0
    season 12 episode 1 is utter rubbish. the show is not longer recognizable. its also mostly earth based, its not longer sci fi and its not longer who. yaz is still useless.
  46. Poochingus
    Jan 5, 2020
    0
    Jodie needs to act less, and BE more. She still hasn't learned. The writing is awful still sadly. Oh well. Once this season wrings out the rest of the good will that it has been coasting on since Matt Smith's tenure end, I think we will see some major overhaul. A new Doctor is needed badly. This Doctor is a joke. She seems to have amnesia about herself, forgetting she can be whimsical, butJodie needs to act less, and BE more. She still hasn't learned. The writing is awful still sadly. Oh well. Once this season wrings out the rest of the good will that it has been coasting on since Matt Smith's tenure end, I think we will see some major overhaul. A new Doctor is needed badly. This Doctor is a joke. She seems to have amnesia about herself, forgetting she can be whimsical, but carries dozens of lifetimes. I miss that Doctor. Someone who tries to have fun, and do good when it is needed to right all the past wrongs of the war doctor.

    One thing is clear, either series 13 will return to being a good show, or the show dies again until this goofy trend of terrible writers ruining sci-fi ends.    … Expand
  47. magnophil
    Jan 6, 2020
    1
    The Doctor and her companions are very watchable, but let down by the confusing and madcap script. The reason Doctor Who has been losing its appeal is because the plots get more and more complicated. I never did like the Master as an opponent, and returning to him as an adversary show little imagination. By the end of any show I need to have been entertained and to have followed a coherentThe Doctor and her companions are very watchable, but let down by the confusing and madcap script. The reason Doctor Who has been losing its appeal is because the plots get more and more complicated. I never did like the Master as an opponent, and returning to him as an adversary show little imagination. By the end of any show I need to have been entertained and to have followed a coherent tale. By the end of this one I was screaming 'rubbish' at the TV.… Expand
  48. mrwho
    Jan 14, 2020
    7
    First two episodes were great, third quite weak.

    Obviously there's a small group of very angry fans who go out of their way to review bomb everything Who related since The Doctor became female. User scores can basically be ignored.
  49. Davrosdaleks1
    Mar 4, 2020
    7
    I had some mixed feelings about this.

    There are some pretty good episodes in this (stronger than last season; had more of a traditional DW flair) and some pretty good ideas. There are also a couple kinda weak episodes (Orphan 55 and Praxeus). Not awful, just weak. However, the biggest issue is that creator Chris Chibnall (creator of Broadchurch) brings some BIG changes to the DW    I had some mixed feelings about this.

    There are some pretty good episodes in this (stronger than last season; had more of a traditional DW flair) and some pretty good ideas.

    There are also a couple kinda weak episodes (Orphan 55 and Praxeus). Not awful, just weak. However, the biggest issue is that creator Chris Chibnall (creator of Broadchurch) brings some BIG changes to the DW universe. The problem is that I don't think they're good ideas. It feels like Chibnall was trying too hard to do something new and daring but never asked himself if it was at all what the fans wanted or needed. He messes way too much with the feel and canon of the show. (Yeah, I know the show has always had loose continuity but this is at another level.)

    Based on the general episodes, I would've rated this higher, because I did truly enjoy many of them. It's just the overarching story arc that leaves a bit of a cloud over the season.    … Expand
  50. hjmaier
    Feb 12, 2020
    10
    Absolutely great! I loved every single episode so far. I had some issues with the last season, but they are all solved. Very strobg episodes, fun to watch.
  51. pjgs
    Jan 3, 2020
    10
    A fantastic start. Music is great, cast is likable, and the cliffhanger... wow!
  52. Lahey3
    Jan 4, 2020
    8
    It's a good start for the series. I hope that part two will be great as well. It really is MUCH MUCH better than whole series 11 combined.
  53. Fanowaty
    Jan 20, 2020
    10
    A fabulous start to a new series, improved writing and great stories. Acting is top notch.

    And most haters just hate the show for casting a woman to play the Doctor. Guess what - Jodie's great. Just give her a chance like you did to anyone else. Support the show you love. Especially when it is executed this well.
  54. Doctorfeddy
    Jan 7, 2020
    8
    Per me Doctor who è tornato a piena potenza, anche per il finale di puntata. Jodie io la vedo molto bene come dottore, i compagni continuano a evolvere ( Yaz e Ryan soprattutto), chibnall non è uno sprovveduto e ho ancora fiducia in lui. Spero nei prossimi episodi
  55. DoctorNoone
    Jan 20, 2020
    10
    After 4 episodes of the new series - it is clearly engaging and adventurous set of stories, with great writing that has vastly improved from the last series. Jodie is great and the introduction of Sacha Dhawan's character was a huge and positive surprise.

    Episode 4 is one of the best episodes in the modern era.
  56. Takhilin
    Jan 6, 2020
    10
    This show is still good - Jodie is great - Chibnall just sucks at writing. Don't listen to the haters - most people just don't like this Doctor for disingenous reasons.
  57. CalDoesDrumming
    Mar 14, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A lot of people don’t seem to be warming to this season of Who as a whole and yet personally I really can’t see why. It’s definitely not prefect by any stretch of the imagination but I feel like they definitely at least made the effort to get close and at times I felt like they did, especially with Fugitive Of The Judoon & Haunting Of Villa Diodati, yes Orphan 55 despite it’s good intentions and important message to us all is pretty aids compared to rest of season, yes some of the performances from some of the side characters (especially the guy who plays Ryan) are still “questionable” to say the least and yes the direction they decided to take things in The Timeless Children is controversial without any doubt and could definitely do with more explaining or fleshing out to truly justify it, but fortunately for me it’s not left me frustrated, in fact it’s done quite the opposite and made more curious especially when The Master said that Tecteun found the child/The Doctor at the bottom of gateway to another world, what they do do next with that I don’t know but we’ll have to wait until season 13 to find out

    In terms of performances I thought Jodie Whittaker was really bang on throughout the whole thing as The Doctor, even in the weaker episodes she still did her absolute best and still showed a decent amount of dedication which is pretty amazing considering she wasn’t much of a self confessed whovian or anything before joining. I really enjoyed Sacha Dhawan’s Master, he too gave it a 110% despite everything and made me feel just the same way John Simm & Michelle Gomez’s Masters did, a person who’s clearly insane with evil intent yet for some odd reason is really likeable, only thing that annoyed me slightly with him was the fact he never explained how he managed to regenerate from Missy to who he is now, whether they’re saving that for a future episode I don’t know but I hope they do it at some point, but apart from that, brilliant job. The companions are still a bit of a mixed bag for me, as I was saying Tosin Cole’s performance as Ryan was questionable, his Yorkshire accent’s never quite on the ball, especially when you hear it next to The Doctor & Yaz’s and whilst his character’s ok it’s still extremely weak especially compared to the likes of Rose and/or Donna etc, needless to say I don’t think he’ll be missed very much when he goes. Yaz I’m definitely more satisfied with, she had plenty to do & say, had in my opinion a more stronger performance and was properly fleshed out by the end of the season (particularly by Can You Hear Me?). Graham I can’t fault all that much, even though at times he might have just felt like a bit of a comic relief he made up for it by being open about the concerns he had surrounding his cancer, and the speeches he made to both Yaz in The Timeless Children and to Jake in Paraxeus I thought were said really well by him.

    By far the biggest highlight of the season for me was when Captain Jack returned, and you could even tell on screen just how pleased John Barrowman looked to be back, needless to say if the rumours are true he’s returning again for Revolution Of The Daleks I’ll definitely be tuning in for that.

    As well as all that I thought the reveal of The Master and the Ruth Doctor were done really well and both something I didn’t see coming which I have to take my hat off to the production team for, the sets, CGI and FXs all looked great and Segun Akinola’s score although not as memorable as Murray Gold’s was still really good, creative & effective

    So whilst it’s still not a MASTER-piece (you’re welcome), this season is by no means whatsoever as garbage as some people on here seem to think it is, I enjoyed it, and if that’s not what you wanted to hear, then like Ruth taking on the Judoon in the cathedral, fight me over it!    … Expand
  58. Flipflapflop
    Jan 4, 2021
    10
    Fantastic series! Loved the new master, and the ending twist was brilliant! Hope Jodie stays for a while as the Doctor.
  59. Kdog152
    Jan 4, 2023
    6
    tbh, this series isn't bad, it's just not great either. It had some decent episodes, but the timeless child was a complete retcon that we didn't need. Underappreciated, underrated series. Definitely better than series 11.
  60. imthenoob
    Dec 25, 2021
    2
    Slightly more tolerable than Whittaker's first season, The issue here is the lack of a compelling season-long arc and the fact that the season totally falls apart in the second half. The introduction of the Master is the only good thing to come out of this season TBH but I am not a fan of the butchering of the established lore for the show.
  61. TheILLUSIONIST
    Mar 3, 2020
    2
    For almost 40 minutes I watched the episode with a hand on my face. Terribly stupid dialogs. The characters explain in words what they are doing, as if the scriptwriters consider the audience idiots. Well, at the end of the series, a twist pleased me, on the other hand, it was proof of mindless copying of themselves.

    P.S. Initially, I set 3 points, but after watching the season finale I    For almost 40 minutes I watched the episode with a hand on my face. Terribly stupid dialogs. The characters explain in words what they are doing, as if the scriptwriters consider the audience idiots. Well, at the end of the series, a twist pleased me, on the other hand, it was proof of mindless copying of themselves.

    P.S. Initially, I set 3 points, but after watching the season finale I lowered to 2. Chibnell is just a disgusting screenwriter. He tried to be Ryan Johnson, but no. I'm not a hater, I really like the series, but Chibnell killed everything that I loved Doctor Who for. He simply threw out the whole canon, all that was for almost 60 years. And now nothing will be as before. This is not my Doctor Who    … Expand
  62. Ltlombardi
    Nov 25, 2022
    0
    It was worst than the previous season. Poorly written, poorly executed. A show for all audiences, now It seems to be for very small children.

    I'm tired of seeing guns that never hit the heroes... It's just dumb. It was dumb in star wars.. it's even dumber and more exagereted here.
  63. jamesh316
    Dec 25, 2020
    0
    The new show running is a joke and has no idea what doctor who loyal fans want from this iconic show. He and Jodie Whitaker have flushed it down the toilet. For goodness sake she never even watched the show as part of her prep, that’ will be why she makes such a poor doctor
  64. Usernamered
    Jan 4, 2021
    10
    Jodie's performance was great and the twist at the end was brilliant! Great series overall.
  65. cylun
    Jan 12, 2022
    0
    What a disgrace. This happens when you sacrifice good writing for toxic feminism and identity politics, just as an arbitrary tool without making any sense in the context of the universe others have built. Just draw the men as weak and whimsy, the women strong, powerful and superior, so you can expect the appropriate "professional reviews". Good writing doesn't matter.
  66. LordSparks
    Jan 7, 2021
    0
    Overall, not really impressed with the continuity changes made by Season 12. It just feels like the writers behind the series don't really know how to work within the confines of an established world. You can still write new and interesting stories without having to tear up everything that came before it but the current showrunners don't seem to care to try.
    Compare those to the early    Overall, not really impressed with the continuity changes made by Season 12. It just feels like the writers behind the series don't really know how to work within the confines of an established world. You can still write new and interesting stories without having to tear up everything that came before it but the current showrunners don't seem to care to try.
    Compare those to the early days of the reboot where you had these plots and subplots that spanned entire seasons where everything came to a head at the end of the season. But nobody that writes for Doctor Who seems to be able to write those kinds of stories or maybe they're just not allowed to. I was quite excited to see what Jodie Whitaker would do for the series but it just seems to...serial. So monotone. Her performance is good but the writing is even worse than it was in Capaldi's era.

    The showrunners need to be replaced with someone who actually respects the world they're writing for.    … Expand
  67. baxwar
    Jan 9, 2021
    0
    Full of nothing contains nothing and is Worth nothing, It's bad when I have to force myself to watch doctor who, **** BBC, and **** Chris Chisnall for ruining this shows legacy.
  68. PurpleAvenger
    Jan 21, 2021
    9
    This season is even better than the last one. I think the character of the companions could have been fleshed out a bit more, but it was again good to have a series without having to worry about Moffat’s creepy grossness appearing unexpectedly. So good not to have that guy involved anymore.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 4 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. The Independent
    Reviewed by: Ed Power
    Jan 3, 2020
    80
    As with the latest Doctor’s debut series in 2018, the chemistry between the four leads is what drives the new Who, with Whittaker excelling as the perpetual motion human gyroscope at the centre of the chaos. Everything duly pelts along.
    Read full review
  2. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Lloyd
    Jan 2, 2020
    80
    “Spyfall” — a two-part episode that concludes Sunday, when the show takes up its regular time slot — comes on strong. ... It’s fun, often funny and action-packed, which is not to say things don’t get a little heavy by the first hour’s cliffhanger end.
    Read full review
  3. Salon
    Reviewed by: Melanie McFarland
    Jan 2, 2020
    80
    This first new hour bursts with the confident energy of Chibnall, Whittaker, and the writers entering an era in which Thirteen’s feels less constrained and freer to, in her words, get on with the job. ... And it is incredibly fun to watch.
    Read full review
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