The Single Biggest Mistake Every Doctor Who Series Has Made

13. Series 1: Misjudged Comedy

For the most part, Series 1 was a triumph. RTD knew how important this was and so threw the kitchen sink at it, and it shows.

There’s gripping drama, like the Doctor’s confrontation with the ‘Metaltron’ Dalek, or his dinner date with Margaret. There’s rich emotion – no episode is more tragic than Father’s Day, but honourable mention must go to the Doctor’s Time War trauma. And of course, there are scares. “Are you my mummy?”.

There’s also comedy – some of which lands, and some of which doesn’t.

For every genuinely funny gag (the Doctor being oblivious to the London Eye in Rose, or his “happy medium” line in The Unquiet Dead), there’s a burping bin and a farting alien.

Sure, a large part of the show’s audience is children, and younger viewers probably enjoyed these moments of goofy humour. But in hindsight they seem misjudged.

The mission statement of the 2005 revival was to prove that Doctor Who deserved to be taken seriously. Including a slapstick burp in your first episode somewhat clashes with that goal. Similarly, Aliens of London/World War Three is remembered as a silly story rather than a sharp satire, all thanks to the Slitheen’s flatulence.

Unsurprisingly, there were far fewer moments like these thereafter.