Doctor Who: 10 Lessons It Can Learn From The Thick Of It

2. Leaks Should Be Contained In what was nominally an inquiry into the death of a homeless man, an expose of characters' true colors as well as of the flaws in the existing government unfolds in the penultimate episode of the final series. The testimony of just about all of the show's named characters sheds light upon the attitudes toward information leaking among government officials. Alone among them all, Malcolm argues that leaks are necessary for the maintenance of relations between the government and the British public. The leaks should, however, be kept under control and moderated sensibly. Leaks must exist, he says, but exist with moderation. Doctor Who is not exactly on the same scale as the British government (although certainly more popular), but Malcolm's argument can be applied to the current overall culture of spoilers. Of course, those who want to learn the details of the future of Doctor Who (and any TV show) are entitled to seek the information on their own, but as it is, it would be difficult not to find out who is returning for the 50th anniversary special, who is not returning, that Matt Smith is leaving, when Eleven is regenerating, who will be playing Twelve, etc. While some of these details would have certainly leaked on their own, the enthusiasm with which the BBC (and BBCA) is promoting them is disconcerting to those who remember being shocked when one Doctor would change into the next. As with The Thick of It, some information ought to be available without absolute disclosure.