Doctor Who Day: Where is the show now and where is it heading?
By James Aggas
On the day of Doctor Who’s 57th anniversary, we take a look at where it is now, as well as what we can expect and hope for in the future.
57 years later, and it’s clear to see that Doctor Who has changed a lot since it began on Nov 23, 1963. Well, let’s be honest – the longest-running sci-fi series has changed a great deal during the past two years, ever since Jodie Whittaker’s era as the Thirteenth Doctor truly began. Especially in this year’s series.
Not only have we seen major shakeups to the show’s mythology, of which the destruction of Gallifrey isn’t even the biggest example. But we’ve even seen another female incarnation introduced during that time, in the form of Jo Martin’s Doctor in Fugitive of the Judoon.
There’s no question that Chris Chibnall’s decisions as showrunner have been divisive. I’ve seen some fans praise him, but I’ve also seen many others condemn him, especially for the huge retcons that he introduced in Series 12’s finale The Timeless Children. (When site contributor Raphael compared the story to the Seventh Doctor novel Lungbarrow, for example, he made no attempt to hide what he thought of the episode.)
Previous showrunners and producers
Then again, that’s been true of many eras of the show. As popular as both Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat were, both saw more than their fair share of criticism. Some showrunners and producers have been arguably more successful than others, of course. But no era is quite universally loved, especially during the time its broadcast.
Even Philip Hinchcliffe’s and Robert Holmes’s run as producer and script editor on the show – one that’s often been highly praised by fans – wasn’t immune to fan complaints. (For example, while it’s regarded as a classic today, The Deadly Assassin saw several harsh reviews at the time of its broadcast, mainly because it was seen as a huge retcon of the show’s history.) One thing you can say about Chibnall: for better or for worse, he’s left his mark as showrunner. Especially with this year’s series.
We’ve got Revolution of the Daleks to look forward to next. But what’s next?
Photo Credit: James Pardon/BBCA
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The future
It’s not just where the show is now that matters, of course. More importantly, there’s its future, too. Right now, we’re just three years away from the sixtieth anniversary. And it’s hard not to look ahead to that, especially with the groundwork that Chris Chibnall has been building for the past two years.
After all, Chibnall has said in the past that he has a “five-year plan” for his run on the series. Considering that his first series was broadcast in 2018, we can guess that the sixtieth anniversary is a pretty big factor in those plans. Series 12 featured so many major revelations – just how many will be a key part of that anniversary? The Timeless Child? Jo Martin’s Doctor? Sacha Dhawan’s Master? We’ve likely got two more series to watch before that anniversary arrives, and there’ll likely be many more twists and revelations before then. Still, it’ll be fun to speculate about it in the meantime.
When it comes to Doctor Who, the future is always uncertain. We can’t really know what the next series will bring or how much we’ll love or hate the stories. And, to be honest, there’s no guarantee of longevity, either.
But what is guaranteed is that – whether it’s on the air or not, whether we continue to enjoy it or not – Doctor Who will continue to have one of the most loyal fanbases out there, one that will always find something to enjoy about the show, past or present. And long may that continue.
Next. Doctor Who Day: What to watch. dark
Are you happy with where Doctor Who is now? Are you excited about where it could be leading to, especially for the sixtieth anniversary in 2023? Let us know in the comments below.