Doctor Who

In my view Dr Who is, without doubt, the best sci-fi program ever broadcast. The time traveling Doctor is the longest running science fiction TV series that has ever graced a television screen. Doctor Who has a special place in my heart as it was this TV series which inspired me as a child to pursue a scientific career and ultimately become a real doctor. It was not the Daleks or cybermen that captured my imagination (although they were very scary), it was the doctor's spaceship, the TARDIS, which is without doubt the best spaceship ever seen in science fiction. Think about it, a spaceship that can travel anywhere and arrive at any time in history. It makes the Starship Enterprise look like a push bike by comparison.

With the Doctor's ability to regenerate, allows the series to progress from decade to decade.

Unfortunately, in more recent times Doctor Who has lost its way. Peter Capaldi was awesome and could have been the best Doctor ever if it were not for the incredibly poor writing. When Peter Capaldi left, Doctor Who died.

It is clear that Dr Who had a wnning formula that has lasted for decades and is one of the few TV shows that appeals to both a young and old audience. For me, the winning forumla is particularly good for boys. Think about it for a moment, the Doctor is a great role model that achieves his aims, not through the use of violence, guns or knives but with a screwdriver and a spaceship that has no weapons. The Doctors and his companions have shown, boys in particular, that there is a different approach to life, using your intelligence and cunning rather than brute force.

Yes, sometimes Dr Who gets it wrong. I enjoy seeing the empowered women in the companion role, Sarah Jane Smith and Jo Grant were pioneers and were amazing. What I have disliked is the introduction of political correctness - making a companion regularly reminding everyone they are gay for the sake of diversity was a mistake. It was OK when it was subtle, like Clara where she hinted at it, but not when it was pushed in your face like Bill.

However, this is only one example of a much wider problem with Doctor Who and the BBC in general. The quality of the writing has declined and continues to decline. Take for example the 13th doctor being cast as a woman. This could have been outstanding, but it was awfully botched and the opportunity was lost. Instead we have "lessons" rammed down our throats, and dreadful storytelling. Doctor Who is about hinding behind the sofa, not woke politics.

For this reasom, I am only covering real Doctor Who here, that is up to Peter Capaldi.