Dr. Who Cares?

By Logan McRay

I’ve never been a fan of the British science fiction show Dr. Who, but to be honest, I’ve never watched it. Some of the actors that have played the time traveling lead (David Tennant, Christopher Eccleston, Peter Capaldi) have done enjoyable work elsewhere, so maybe I’ll check it out someday. I know the show has a Star Trek like following of people that refer to themselves as “Whovians.” The latest iteration of the doctor is the first female lead of the series with a new focus on fighting social injustice. Judging from the ratings of the latest season, something appears to be rotten in Whoville. From The Hollywood Reporter:

"Doctor Who: Resolution," the first seasonal special starring Jodie Whittaker as the series' famed Time Lord, saw the return of the show's old foe, the Daleks, in an origin story that managed to reference Netflix and even poke fun at U.K.'s ongoing Brexit woes (the Doctor tries to call on the cross-border Unified Intelligence Taskforce but finds that Britain isn't a member, having fallen out with its international partners).”

The Whomsters were not amused:

“But its overnight viewings in the U.K. were anything but stellar, with 5.15 million tuning in on the BBC, a 22.4 percent share, according to reports, half a million less than Idris Elba's return as Luther the same evening. The figure — which is before consolidated views have been included — marks the lowest for any Doctor Who festive special since the series returned in its modern form in 2005, and also Whittaker's second-worst episode this season.”

Obviously, creators of the show erred by not having Idris Elba play Dr. Who (post gender reassignment in the midst of seeking asylum in Germany while simultaneously lecturing about the Holocaust and the evils of red meat).