Views on Doctor Who

It is clear that Dr Who had a wnning formula that lasted for decades and was one of the few TV shows that appeals to both a young and old audience. That winning formula was particularly good for boys. Think about it for a moment, the Doctor was 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. It is a pity that there are so few role models for boys more generally.

Yes, sometimes Dr Who gets it wrong. It's not surprising since there have been several writers, some of whom have been excellent, others totally hopeless. What have the writers done to modernise Dr Who that has worked well? I enjoy the way they have empowered women so the companion role is a far tougher and stronger character, although 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 it continues to decline. I am converned for the future of Doctor Who. Take for example the 13th doctor being cast as a woman. This could have been outstanding, but it was awfully botched and that opportunity was lost. It really does not help when the 13th Doctor is giving lectures to "educate" the audience on political correctness. Dr Who is supposed to be about hinding behind the sofa, not woke politics.

Maybe with the diasterous team moving on there may be some hope. If I were Russel T Davies, the first new epsiode would be Peter Capaldi waking up from a terrible nightmare! For now, I do recommend visiting some of the classic Doctors from the past, particularly recent finds of lost episodes and other new releases. They are always great entertainment, so treat yourself to a DVD or Blu-Ray and enjpy some quality Doctor Who as I doubt it can be saved. Let's hope I am wrong on that.