While 2025 wasn’t the resounding success many hoped for, it marked the strongest year for Doctor Who since 2017. Russell T. Davies’ return to the show, backed by a Disney budget, generated a lot of excitement, but the reception from both critics and fans hasn’t been as positive as expected. Ultimately, the innovative Disney and BBC collaboration has ended with disappointing viewership numbers.
Despite initial disappointment, some dedicated fans like Tharries are starting to see 2025 as a pretty good year for Doctor Who. While Season 15 didn’t end perfectly, the spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea was a surprisingly fun watch, even earning an 80
Doctor Who Has Had a Rough Few Years
When Chris Chibnall took over as showrunner for Doctor Who, he aimed to create a show that could compete with the big-budget series on streaming platforms. This meant a break in 2018, and Jodie Whittaker’s first full season as the Thirteenth Doctor didn’t arrive until 2019. Chibnall intentionally moved away from familiar elements and focused on introducing new monsters and dangers, but this didn’t quite work. Unfortunately, most of these new villains weren’t very memorable – even Tzim-Sha, who reappeared in the season finale, quickly faded into obscurity.
Despite the overall issues, a few episodes still shone. The standout from Season 11 was “Rosa,” a unique historical story that felt like a glimpse of the kind of thought-provoking, socially conscious narratives the showrunner, Chibnall, had in mind – it was particularly effective despite weak villains. Unfortunately, Chibnall didn’t build on this success. He shifted focus dramatically with the New Year’s special and throughout Season 12, prioritizing familiar elements and established backstory instead.
Chris Chibnall’s time as showrunner was largely remembered for ‘The Timeless Child,’ a surprising plot twist that changed the show’s backstory. While it initially seemed significant, it ultimately didn’t feel impactful. Season 13, which faced production challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, didn’t fully explore this new development, and Chibnall’s run concluded with three specials that left many viewers disappointed. Performances by Jo Martin as the Fugitive Doctor and Sacha Dhawan as the Master were definite highlights, but weren’t enough to elevate the overall era.
Russell T Davies made a triumphant return to Doctor Who in 2023 with three celebratory specials, though they leaned a bit too heavily on past memories – except for “Wild Blue Yonder,” which was a standout episode. He then chose the incredibly talented Ncuti Gatwa as the new Doctor, but the first season with him (Season 14) didn’t quite work as a whole, as evidenced by fans creating their own preferred viewing orders to make the storylines flow better. Even the season finale, written by Davies, felt fragmented and relied on bringing back an old villain, Sutekh, simply for nostalgic effect. Overall, the show hasn’t been at its best recently.
2025 has Been Better than you Think
Season 15 of Doctor Who in 2025 arrives after a somewhat rocky period for the show. While some episodes, like “The Interstellar Song Contest,” missed the mark, others – such as “The Story & the Engine,” “The Well,” and “Lux” (which some consider one of the best Doctor Who stories in years) – were truly excellent. Unfortunately, a weak finale once again overshadowed the positive aspects of the season.
This year brought a new Doctor Who spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea, the first since 2017. While it wasn’t perfect – the romantic storyline felt awkward, and the character of Salt, played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, wasn’t always clearly developed – it was the strongest Doctor Who series in years, and it concluded with significant changes for some familiar characters. Interestingly, much like Chris Chibnall’s ‘Rosa’, it feels like a vision for a version of the show that ultimately wasn’t pursued.
Despite its flaws, 2025 wasn’t the complete failure some viewers predicted. While the show didn’t fully reach its potential, there were definitely some highlights and interesting new approaches. Let’s hope the BBC builds on these successes instead of simply dismissing the year.
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2026-01-02 00:10