10 Times Doctor Who Jumped The Shark (And Nuked The Fridge)

1. Missy Being So Fine With No Explanation Whatsoever

The change that fans most commonly cite as proof the programme has jumped the shark is the Master becoming Missy. It's easy to see that this change could come across as gimmicky. But K-9 was a gimmick and he worked well for the ratings. He may not have worked well rolling across the floor but the kids loved him anyway, so the ratings were fine. Missy being a lady may work out just as well. What's less easy to swallow than a Time Lord switching genders (an ability established earlier when the Doctor talks about the Corsair) is the fact that the Master did it without a single reason or comment after the fact. Nor was any explanation offered for how the character escaped from wherever Gallifrey is now. If s/he can escape, why can't all the other Time Lords? His/her return opens a huge can of worms, which was lazily glossed over. Plenty of viewers aren't happy with this attitude of apparently ignoring storylines established so recently. It smells of not caring and the programme makers not caring can be a precursor of crashing viewing figures. So, do all these recent examples of credulity being shattered add up to the programme makers being about to drive away viewers? It is to be hoped that the opposite is true. And if Doctor Who has demonstrated one thing over the course of so many years, it's that the programme can pull back from the brink. Here's hoping it can continue to do so for a long time yet. What do you think? Are these the worst cases of plot contrivances or gimmicks ruining an episode? Is Doctor Who about to slide into a decline that can only result in the chop? Let us know in the comments section.