Doctor Who, one of the longest-running series in television history, has become extremely divisive in recent years. Global viewership for the BBC-produced show has dramatically fallen off since the 2005 revival. The reasons have been hotly debated in fan circles and in the press.
In a new interview with The Times of London, Peter Capaldi, who played the 12th Doctor from 2013–2017, said he doesn’t understand why Doctor Who fans “take it so seriously.” His comments suggest he sees the backlash to the show’s recent casting and creative decisions as overblown.
A Turning Point for the Series
After Capaldi decided to step away from Doctor Who for personal and professional reasons, the character was regenerated, for the first time, as a woman. Capaldi’s departure coincided with showrunner Stephen Moffat’s, signaling a fresh creative direction for the show.
Michelle Gomez as Missy and Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor – YouTube, Doctor Who
READ: REVIEW: ‘Michael’ — The Truth, The Myth, and The Moonwalk
Jodie Whittaker played the 13th Doctor from 2018 to 2022. Many fans felt that the Doctor regenerating into a female form went against established lore, and the decision felt more ideological than story-driven. After a brief interlude, Ncuti Gatwa took over the role. Many in the press celebrated “the first openly queer Black actor” to play the Doctor. Yet, rather than bringing in a new audience, Gatwa’s era resulted in historically low viewership.
Whether that was a result of Gatwa’s performance, the stories by Russell T. Davies, or something else remains a matter of debate. After the ratings collapse, Disney chose not to renew its exclusive streaming rights deal for new episodes outside of the U.K. and Ireland.
Former Doctor Who writer Robert Shearman, who helped relaunch the series in 2005, put the series’ future bluntly. Speaking in Doctor Who Magazine Issue 622, Shearman said the series is “probably as dead as we’ve ever known it.” Now, the future of the 60-year-old science-fiction fantasy series is in question.
Mille Gibson as Ruby Sunday, Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor, and Bonnie Langford as Mel in Doctor Who’s “The Legend of Ruby Sunday” (2024), BBC
READ: Amazon MGM Studios Plans Live-Action Adaptation of FernGully
Fans didn’t just express their frustration with the creative direction of Doctor Who on social media. Global audiences simply stopped watching. The net result was the same—rejection of the once-beloved series.
Capaldi’s Perspective
Addressing the backlash, Capaldi said that Doctor Who “reflects its times and it’s a good thing in the world, though it’s become a bit too big, too important for the BBC or whoever.” He added, “When I was a kid and watched it, it was just a monster show in the corner of the room. I don’t know why people take it so seriously.”
Coming from someone who once held the central role, his comments carry weight. His tone is understated and non-confrontational. At the same time, the implication may strike some viewers as familiar—that the issue lies less with the show itself and more with the audience’s reaction to it.
A Deeper Disconnect
Perhaps when Peter Capaldi was watching Doctor Who as a youth, it was “just a monster show.” Over the decades, it built up a creative continuity that many fans feel it has lost. The deeper issue may be that those in charge of the show take it seriously, but with a different set of priorities than the audience.
Russell T. Davies at San Diego Comic-Con via Doctor Who YouTube
READ: Where Even Shadows Fear to Tread — The Story Hollywood Wouldn’t Make
During a BBC Radio 2 special titled Doctor Who: 20 Secrets from 20 Years, showrunner Davies said, “Someone always brings up matters of diversity,” Davies said. “And there are online warriors accusing us of diversity and wokeness and involving messages and issues…And I have no time for this. I don’t have a second to bear. Because what you might call diversity I just call an open door.”
Instead of narrative wonder, a growing sense among audiences is that Doctor Who has become burdened by politics, posturing, and nostalgia. Capaldi may not share that view. But the audience response—whether vocal or silent—suggests a growing divide between those making the show and those who once eagerly watched it.
What do you think of Peter Capaldi’s comments? Sound of below and tell us what you think!
UP NEXT: ‘Michael’ Box Office Explosion Shocks Hollywood as Biopic Moonwalks Toward $200 Million Opening
What a meanspirited thing to say. And, the reason it matters is, it’s White culture that is being vandalised, and turned into woke propaganda, to make kids gay and anti-white.