7 Moments That Almost Killed Doctor Who

After more than 50 years of programming, Doctor Who did something that it had never done before: it made the Doctor a woman. This wasn't done in a way that was different than any of his previous regenerations — he regenerated from Peter Capaldi, and when the light faded, he was a she.

Jodie Whitaker took to the role well, but the changing of genders didn't sit well with a lot of fans. Within seconds of the announcement that Whitaker would take over the role, fans spewed their disgust at the choice all over the internet.

There were threats of rage-quitting the series, and many people did stop watching. At this time, there wasn't any threat from the BBC about canceling the series. After all, the network was in full support of the casting, and the series progressed into its 12th series.

Unfortunately, it seems a lot of those fans who rage-quit the series may have made an impact. As Whitaker continued playing the Doctor, the ratings continued to decline. The BBC has gone on record, saying the series wasn't in danger, but speculation continues online as to whether or not that's the case.

If it is truly threatened with cancelation, COVID-19 may have given it a stay of execution. Programming crashed to a halt due to the pandemic, which gives showrunner Chris Chibnall some additional time to work on the 13th season.