My Two Cents on: The Future of Doctor Who

For many people, Doctor Who is in danger. What with the viewing figures dropping like flies in the homeland and many feeling like the show has begun to lessen in quality (myself included), rumours are now starting to spread that the show will be rebooted in the space of the next few years - following a series of special episodes akin to Steven Moffat's other hit show Sherlock. Bearing in mind that the source in mind is a tabloid paper - a format which shouldn't be trusted at all - it is a move that would make sense. What with the upcoming spin-off Class airing next year (to the delight of very few, what with the massive build-up created by the official Twitter account throughout the evening) being able to fill the void.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love Doctor Who, and have done for the past decade. But the show's taken something of a funny turn these past few years. You could say the earliest evidence of this is 2010 with the majority of Series 5, but I won't because - in all honesty - it's actually one of the best seasons of the revival era and certainly the best in the last five years. Yes, questionable choice with the Silurian redesign, but otherwise a strong season. The following year however had some bigger issues though. Not necessarily the split in-between, but more the confounded story arc that ended being far too easy to predict, alongside the mix of great and terrible episodes. Series 7 was a mild improvement, despite Amy and Rory being all-in-all unnecessary for the first half and Clara not established a character despite the large mystery surrounding her. And after a terrific anniversary special and a middling Christmas special came Series 8; when the effects of repetition started to hinder the show.

Now, you can actually read each individual review for the batch of episodes which I decree unworthy of the Who title (this is when I should prepare myself for Whovian Crucifixion). Ratings were lower than usual, and the writing quality was certainly lower than usual for the majority of it all, which should have been the first telltale signs that the show was in need of a rejig. But now that we're reaching Sylvester McCoy level of viewing figures, and the overall level of quality thus far shifting between a 5-7/10 (although these are early days), it's clear that the aforementioned rumour is the way to go.

Think of it as being like the series of specials done to finish off the David Tennant/Russell T. Davies era back in 2009. Granted, they came after a great run of four seasons of overall good quality, but I digress. Each special got good ratings and reviews, and it all ended spectacularly with the somewhat underrated End of Time two-hander. If this had the same effect, and coming off after a major companion departure with Clara, I would be pleased. Moffat handing over the reigns to the next one, and Capaldi being open to doing more things like he wants to. Then, audiences will take a an interest in how the new version will be, and if response is good ratings will be more stable. For a show revolved around change, this method is best to keep it fresh - not simply altering major events and characters for the sake of having some form of credit on their Wikipedia pages.

So yeah, if this is the approach the BBC wants to take, I say go for it. With a spin-off to fill some of the gap like The Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood did back in 2009 (albeit in a lesser way, seeing as it'll have little ties to the original show), have a few specials and revitalise the show with a new cast and head writer...although maybe not Richard Madden. Seems like too much of an odd choice. And remember that I love the show. Just because I feel like it needs to be off the air for a little while to sort itself out doesn't mean that I want it to end - far from it in fact - but everything needs a retool every once in a while, and right now Doctor Who needs it more than ever.

Oh, and one last dig at Missy. New writers, if you exist, a plea: please ditch her. Ditch her for good. Dear god please do that and I'd overlook every bad mistake you'll make. You could the Daleks in friendly humanoids and change the Zygons blue for all I care if you killed her off. Thank you!

I couldn't find a high-res photo of her being exterminated, so...