10 Recurring Complaints About Doctor Who Right Now
6. The Ratings Are In Decline
Ever since the show returned in 2005, Doctor Who fans have been stressing over the ratings. Each little drop in the numbers means imminent cancellation, and Ian Levine prepping another charity single. Except, Doctor Who has been back on our screens for almost 20 years now. We have specials guaranteed through 2023, and "series beyond".
In some circles, poor ratings are cited as a reason for a change of leadership by critics of the latest regime. It's the equivalent of poor performance by your football team. In the late '80s, poor ratings were always mentioned as proof that either John Nathan-Turner wasn't fit to run the show anymore or that the BBC was trying to kill it, depending on your standpoint.
Nowadays, UK ratings were used to argue that the Whittaker/Chibnall era was a disaster, even though their numbers were on par with Capaldi's. It's a criticism that misses out the impact of streaming, and the global viewership in Australia, New Zealand, America, and beyond.
As evidenced by the Disney+ deal, the BBC is well aware of the global IP they have on their hands, something they didn't appreciate back in the '80s.