10 Reasons Doctor Who Is In Serious Trouble
6. There’s Little Reason For ‘Lost’ Viewers To Return
Doctor Who has an incredibly loyal fan base, who have watched the show for decades, this writer included. Scenes featuring the Matrix and addressing lore from yesteryear is all exciting and perfectly understandable to us. The problem being missed by most critics and defenders of the show is that this obsession with going back to the past and addressing old story arcs has lost the new Whovians of the Rose/Tennant/Smith era.
Moffat was most definitely the first to blame here, his want to pander to the old brigade and bringing back key characters without any explanation of who they were a poor choice. The ratings may have been poor this season, but the least watched shows of NuWho were actually from the end of the Capaldi era.
So what can be done to bring the 'lost' viewers back? Unfortunately, it may be a battle that has already been lost. While a season arc was most definitely a requirement that was added this season, significant changes that impact on the very foundations of the show's fabric is a bad call. Try telling someone who recently gave up on the show that The Doctor may not be a Time Lord after allm and look at their reaction.
Having the first ever lady Doctor got a lot of viewers back on board, but they're largely gone now, leaving mostly Who diehards left. Word of mouth that fundamentals of the show are being changed ad-hoc, even if not 100% accurate, will not bring the old fans back.