10 Doctor Who Episodes That PISSED People Off
5. The Talons Of Weing-Chiang
This Fourth Doctor serial as been described as near-perfection, apart from one thing. That thing is the outdated and racist depictions of Chinese people on show throughout the serial. This has led to the show being aired with trigger warnings in place at the beginning and has also led to BBC Canada removing it from their broadcast schedule as well.
In an odd choice of writing, there are many racial stereotypes and racist attitudes on display that the Doctor does nothing to challenge. This is out of character for him, which lends credence to the idea that it was deliberate. The Chinese immigrants in the show are depicted mostly as gang members, with the main villain resembling Fu Manchu and being played by a white actor.
Quite separate from these issues, the episode also struggled with its effects. There is a laughably bad rat monster that kills any tension in the episode as well. Despite all of this, the episode has made it into high rankings for classic Whovians. The actual script is quite strong and the plot, when it avoids offensive depiction, is sound. However, this serial, in particular, is an example that outdated stereotypes can consign even the strongest stories to the bin.