10 Doctor Who Mistakes Confirmed By The Creators
5. Series 9's Stale Opener
In a show that’s been going as long as Doctor Who, it’s important to offer jumping-on points for new viewers – usually by introducing new leads.
In recent years almost every series has abided by this logic, and in fact, on only four occasions has a main cast been carried over in its entirety: Series 6, Series 7, Series 9, and Series 12.
Series 6 and 12’s openers had different USPs by way of overseas shoots. Series 7’s first chapter also featured scenes shot abroad, plus “every Dalek ever” (it also technically saw new companion Clara make her debut).
Which leaves Series 9 as something of an outlier.
The trailers had quite literally promised the same old. "Just the Doctor and Clara Oswald in the TARDIS”, with no new characters to look forward to. Even the return of Davros wasn’t publicised in advance!
Steven Moffat has since admitted that this was a mistake, recalling that “I feel as though I slightly fumbled it by not having a ‘new thing’”.
This is one of the reasons Series 10 ended up being so new, despite being Moffat’s last. It’s also why he opted to introduce Bill in The Pilot rather than the 2016 Christmas special.