8 Things Non-Fans Don't Understand About Doctor Who

4. The Production Values Really Aren't The Point

Doctor Who New Earth David Tennant
BBC Studios

Doctor Who's roots are in the slightly campy, low-budget sci-fi of the 1960s, and it often seems that the production values haven't moved on all that much from those days.

Whether it's a case of bizarre costume design or truly awful CGI, Doctor Who has developed a bit of a reputation outside of its fandom for the fairly consistent sub-par special effects on display. Trying to explain that Hollywood-level special effects aren't what the show needs will almost always fall on deaf ears, though.

Doctor Who's charm is in its quirkiness, and a big part of that is the occasionally jarring American accents, the aliens that look as though they've wandered off a late '80s backlot, and the CGI that at times looks entirely unfinished.

Through all of the moments where the show's visual effects have been less than convincing, the show at its core comprises some stellar performances of truly talented actors, and the show's writing is usually

Contributor
Contributor

Antisocial nerd that spends a lot of time stringing words together. Once tried unsuccessfully to tame a crow.