10 Biggest Doctor Who Criticisms (And Why They're Wrong)
2. The Budget Should Be Higher
Even though it’s at the height of its powers, Doctor Who often struggles with its budget. It’s an expensive programme and the money only goes so far. So, some fans say, “Why can’t they just increase the budget?” Well, that’s where it gets a bit complicated.
For the uninitiated, the BBC is funded by a legally mandated license fee of £145.50 every year. And because of that; all BBC programmes cannot carry any adverts or product placement, and the License fee must fund a wide variety of programming without bias. A BBC4 documentary about the history of biscuits get as much of a fair shake as something like Doctor Who.
And there’s the rub. The BBC is held accountable by the government and the license fee payer so it can’t do an HBO and start firing money at one show with a pneumatic cash gun. And if that doesn’t already exist, I’m patenting it. There are already significant austerity measures in place and the renewal of the BBC’s charter is imminent. They’ve even had to let go of one of their highest rated shows for financial reasons. So suddenly deciding to jack up Doctor Who’s budget for no real reason isn’t an option.
And anyway, all the extra money would do is just make things a tiny bit glossier. On its current budget, Doctor Who is producing thirteen episodes a year with multiple settings, monsters, and (depending on the series in question) a cast of close to one hundred credited actors. Which is one hell of a feat.