A report published Wednesday detailed how Disney might have massacred “Doctor Who” to the point of extinction.
Okay, so Deadline didn’t exactly say that Disney took “Doctor Who” round back and kicked its head in, but it was “almost completely absent from upfront festivities” despite being arguably the most iconic cult classic television show in human history. Disney+ co-produces “Doctor Who” with the BBC, who revived the series in 2005 into the phenomenon it is today, along with the help of Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat (the latter of whom wrote the best episodes, in my opinion).
The first Disney-BBC series of “Doctor Who” wrapped up some weeks ago. Analysis by Deadline suggests that “it may not last beyond its initial two seasons are already reverberating around international TV circles, and one source close to the production tells us that they feel its future hangs in the balance already.”
Disney Board Wants To Hide Political Donations, Spending On Sex Changes From Shareholders, Docs Reveal https://t.co/F1DklwL1wh
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) February 17, 2024
The failure of Davies to grab the audience probably isn’t helped by the fact he brought us the first openly gay doctor, when the whole point is that The Doctor is basically asexual but grows a deep love for his female companions as the series go on. Sexualizing the Doctor is a huge no-no, as we all learned during that first episode with Matt Smith’s Doctor and Amy Pond.
British people don’t want sex in their kids shows. Actually, NO ONE should want sex, or even references to it, in their children’s entertainment. As far as I can remember, the only companion The Doctor truly, truly loved, was Rose (Billie Piper). And even if there were others, they don’t count.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MAY 08: Russell T Davies attends the U.S. premiere of the new season of the Disney+ series “Doctor Who” at NeueHouse Hollywood on May 08, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MAY 08: (L-R) Millie Gibson, Ayo Davis, and Ncuti Gatwa attend the U.S. premiere of the new season of the Disney+ series “Doctor Who” at NeueHouse Hollywood on May 08, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 23: David Tennant with his TV Award for Doctor Who poses in the press room during the inaugural Rolling Stone UK Awards at The Roundhouse on November 23, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images)
“I thought it was a mixed bag,” says Tony Jordan, who manages the 30,000 strong Doctor Who Appreciation Society, of the latest series. “When Russell’s return was announced I thought, ‘That’s fantastic’ but maybe I remembered the good stuff and chose to forget the not so good stuff. His track record of ending seasons with two parters has been widely varying in success, for example.”
Jordan’s sentiment seemed to be the average I found among reviewers. The show opened with miserable viewership in the U.K. Only 2.6 million people tuned in to see the premiere and it doesn’t look Davies could hold their attention. (RELATED: AppleTV+ May Have Unwittingly Created The Ultimate Trad Wife TV Show)
And because ratings are apparently difficult to track (they’re not, it’s just a lot of data and people are too lazy and scared of the actual results) there’s a chance the all-round bad vibe over the sexualization and ‘Disneyfication’ of The Doctor might have murdered this beloved British franchise.
I guess we’ll have to wait to see what happens next. Where are the weeping angels when you need them?
