Doctor Who Series 12: Ten Huge Questions After Can You Hear Me?

When Chris Chibnall was first announced as the new showrunner for Doctor Who, many were excited by the prospect of a more character-driven approach on the back of his work on Broadchurch. It hasn’t particularly panned out that way up until now. Bill, Clara and Amy, for all their fairy tale journeys, were more strongly defined characters than the current roster.

There was, however, very much a Broadchurch feel about this episode, with its focus on the psychological effects of trauma and loss. Without being overly sentimental or in your face about it, the story provided some superb examples of the human propensity to carry on through the pain and uncertainty of a troubled existence.

It seems to have sparked some controversy, but tackling mental illness is absolutely within the remit of Doctor Who, and this isn’t the first time the series has taken a similar route.

In In The Forest Of The Night, Maebh Arden, a child at Coal Hill, has been hearing voices ever since the disappearance of her sister and has relied on medication to help her to function on a day-to-day basis. She isn’t the only child in Doctor Who to have needed treatment. Amelia Pond was receiving counselling, in part because of her obsession with the raggedy man. In those stories the causes of mental illness are either dismissed or replaced for plot reasons, but both characters are positive role models for children who are struggling with well-being and acceptance.

The most in-depth treatment of depression in the series is the Richard Curtis series five story, Vincent and the Doctor. Vincent’s condition is handled with sensitivity and with no illusions that the Doctor and Amy can ‘fix’ the troubled artist. Amy learns the hard lesson that there isn’t always a cure, not even when the Doctor is involved. The Doctor already knows this, of course, which leads us to our next question.