Reactions to the new Doctor the 12th, not including John Hurts War Doctor and the 10th Doctors petulant refusal to regenerate have been pleasingly positive since the first episode of the eighth series aired on August 23rd, after some fears that younger fans of the rebooted Doctor Who would hate their new, older-looking hero. In fact, for a show thats been running for fifty years, Doctor Who hasnt attracted a vast amount of negativity its a deeply loved family-oriented programme that even survived cancellation, a sixteen years hiatus and a failed reboot for an American audience. When the reboot finally succeeded, it was under the stewardship of Russell T. Davies and the BBC, thank goodness. Coming in 2005, it was also under the auspice of the Internet, and the Internet is never exactly coy about making its feelings known about television shows that it loves or television shows that it hates (often, like the stalker it so often resembles, online fandom cant make its mind up which is which). However, the goodwill for the show is generally so intense that in researching this article, even nine years and four Doctors after Christopher Eccleston first strode in to rescue Rose Tyler from the Autons, we genuinely thought we might be on to a hiding to nothing. How wrong we were. There are some very strong feelings out there, about old school Who as well as the rebooted show. Surprisingly, there are almost no issues surrounding any of the series many, many monsters and villains, no matter how despicable their deeds or how terrifying they were. The most bile seems reserved for the companions, with even Amy Pond and Rose Tyler, the two most popular companions in the revamped shows brief history, having their online detractors. However
Dishonourable Mention:
if he was ever to write himself a cameo on the show, wed have to rewrite this article to place current showrunner Steven Moffat at the very top of the list. The amount of loathing that Moffat inspires in the audience that loves the show that he produces is jawdropping. Going back a few years, fandom had issues with Russell T. Davies and some of his favourite themes and tropes but nothing compared to this. Steven Moffat is pretty much blamed for everything that anyone ever dislikes about the rebooted show since taking over: the dense storylines, the sexual politics, the Doctors characterisation, the dialogue, the companions, the lot. The writer who also gave by far the best episodes of the first four series of the rebooted show The Empty Child, The Girl In The Fireplace, The amazing Blink has been roundly eviscerated by online fandom for the last four years. Were amazed that the poor man doesnt feel the need to leave the house in a flak jacket.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
