Doctor Who Series 13: 6 Big Reasons To Be Worried

Just to be clear, we're not blaming the BBC, Chibnall, or anyone else involved for this one. COVID hit, it sucked, and everyone made the best of a rubbish situation. But at the same time, we'd be lying if we said it wasn't a little disappointing that we're only getting a six-episode series this time around.

Besides the fact that Doctor Who simply deserves more (and fans expect more too, with 10 or 13 episodes being the usual standard), let's imagine a scenario where the first episode is average, the second episode is a thumbs-down, and the third episode is outright terrible. One or two bad episodes can blend into a 13-episode run, but one or two bad episodes in a six-episode run is almost half the entire thing. If Series 13 gets off to a bad start, then there's not enough time to redeem it.

And speaking of the episode count, Chibnall has struggled to weave a compelling series arc with almost double the number of stories - so how is he going to fare with significantly less screen time?

One last cause for concern here is the actual format of the series. The fact that it's set to tell one, interlinked story will make it more difficult for casual viewers to jump on at, say, episode four. Doctor Who episodes are usually standalone adventures that require no prior knowledge or investment, and moving away from that inherently makes the show less accessible - which won't help with that ratings problem.