10 Reasons Doctor Who Is In Serious Trouble
5. It’s Not Exactly A Show You Can Reboot
Alright, the show is a mess and needs a new injection, a new lease of life. For many other shows this is not really an issue, you simply need to reboot it. You can keep the same ingredients that made the show work in the first place, and then build a new lore so that audiences can buy into the reboot without prior knowledge being required.
Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be an avenue that Doctor Who can take. In the single greatest decision in TV history, Who producers of the 60's conjured up the idea of regenerations, a way to keep the story arc running while accounting for actors leaving the show. It has been the foundation for keeping the show fresh and original for so long, but it now threatens to be the show's downfall.
Davies' decision to not reboot the series in 2005 was a bold decision that worked, primarily thanks to his ability to seamlessly integrate old villains into the show, providing detailed explanations of their origins to new fans. It worked perfectly, but firmly entrenched the new with the old series, making everything in both series canon.
Unlike a film and TV series like Batman, where a new interpretation is highly anticipated, a Doctor Who reboot just won't work. Trying to cast aside 38 seasons worth of history and then expecting audiences to embrace a new version of the show is simply too big an ask.