10 Categoric Reasons Why Doctor Who Is The Best Show Ever

4. It Doesn't Really Pander

This may not always be obvious, but it's true. Surely, there are moments which may seem like pandering. The Tenth Doctor lighting the Olympic Flame, for example, and the Eleventh Doctor wearing a cowboy as a nod to BBC America and playing football in the run to the FIFA World Cup. Yes, things like these will happen, but how important are they in they big picture? Today, Doctor Who has become such a popular cultural institution that some fans have come to feel like it's their birthright to demand the show's narrative unfold as they please. But it never did and it never will. How could a sci-fi show that's based on surprise and twists remain fresh if it were to satisfy the needs of the masses? What's more, Doctor Who has never been so big on happy endings. Never was there such a show to effortlessly make away with its characters (at least, not until Game of Thrones came along!). In the classic days, companion departures were often hasty and lethal on at least one occasion. The revived series has made a habit of sending off actors with a bit of fanfare, but it's only the right thing to do. If you think Moffat is cruel, you only need to watch how unceremoniously beloved companions like Romana, K-9 or even Sarah Jane Smith were sent off. In fact, for such a seemingly endless series, it often has the habit of reminding its audience that everything, everyone, even the Doctor himself, have an end. In the context of a fantasy inspired sci-fi show, that is painfully real.