34 Years On, Doctor Who’s Forgotten Era Is (Still) The Key To Its Success

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The recent partnership between Doctor Who and Disney+ has ended. Doctor Who, the longest-running science fiction show on television, has faced declining viewership for nearly ten years. While the BBC hoped a deal with Disney, and the return of Russell T. Davies as showrunner, would revitalize the series, the collaboration lasted only two seasons and one spin-off show.

It’s fitting that everyone is now talking about the future of Doctor Who. While recent viewership numbers are down, the show is still a vital part of the BBC, and the BBC’s head of programming, Katie Phillips, has assured fans it’s not going anywhere. Interestingly, the key to bringing the show back to its former glory might be found by revisiting its history.

This Isn’t the First Time Doctor Who Has Hit Problems

Doctor Who first aired in 1963 and ran until 1989. The BBC cancelled it, believing it couldn’t compete with more expensive sci-fi shows like Star Wars and Star Trek. However, the character of the Doctor lived on, and Doctor Who continued in other formats, such as novels. In 1991, Virgin launched the successful “New Adventures” series, continuing the story of the Seventh Doctor (played by Sylvester McCoy) and his companion, Ace (played by Sophie Aldred). They quickly followed this up with the “Missing Adventures” series.

Often called the Wilderness Years, this period actually saw Doctor Who start to dramatically change and modernize. Virgin Books (and later the BBC) published stories that focused more on character development and weren’t afraid to take the Doctor and his companions in surprising new directions. While each book told its own story, they also cleverly built a larger, connected narrative with major events unfolding across multiple titles. Some of these novels were written by people who had worked on the TV show, while others gave new fans a chance to contribute to the Doctor’s ongoing adventures.

Russell T. Davies enjoyed the Doctor Who novels and used what he learned from them when he brought the show back in 2005. He started focusing on developing characters over time, both for the Doctor and companions like Rose Tyler and Martha Jones. Like the earlier “New Adventures” novels, he created a single, ongoing story throughout each season, building to a climax in the final episode. While not every storyline fully delivered, the show always felt like it was moving forward. Davies openly admitted his inspiration, even turning one of the novels into a two-part episode.

Doctor Who Has Forgotten the Lessons of the Wilderness Years

Fans were thrilled when Russell T Davies returned to lead the show, especially with the increased funding from the BBC and Disney collaboration. However, he seemed to overlook some successful strategies from the show’s earlier period. Previously, the Doctor’s conflicts with companions were used effectively to build their personalities, as seen in the Virgin New Adventures books. While there was potential for this with the character of Belinda Chandra, played by Varada Sethu, any tension between her and the Doctor wasn’t developed for long.

What was particularly disappointing was how Davies handled the season’s main storylines. Fans even suggested different ways to watch Season 14, hoping to make the plot feel more cohesive – and that shouldn’t happen when a story is meant to be building to a big finish. While Season 15 theoretically had a clearer direction – focusing on a determined effort to return to Earth – the separate episodes didn’t connect very well.

Davies remembered one negative lesson from his previous work on Doctor Who, often called the Wilderness Era. Back then, the show focused heavily on pleasing long-time fans, prioritizing complex storylines and bringing back old villains. While he avoided this approach when he first revived the show in 2005, he fell back into it during his second run, reintroducing obscure villains like the Celestial Toymaker and Sutekh. These characters meant little to anyone except the most dedicated fans, and ultimately hindered the show’s ability to attract new viewers who were left feeling lost and confused by the inside jokes.

For Doctor Who to thrive, the show needs to revisit the approach it took during its “Wilderness Era.” It’s crucial to remember what worked well – things like developing characters over time, creating compelling conflicts, and telling stories that build towards a satisfying climax. Equally important is learning from past mistakes. As usual, the show’s history holds the key to its future success.

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2025-12-31 22:42