Doctor Who is a family show, but in this day and age does it need to be? What even is a family show anyway? Do families all sit down and watch shows together anymore? Do kids look forward to Doctor Who anymore? Do kids even watch TV now?
Is it time to face the facts? Children aren't interested in watching Doctor Who anymore. From my experience they would rather watch an Australian family of about 99 children named various ropey names shriek and scream on YouTube. When children choose that over Doctor Who is its goose cooked? I don't think so (but then I'm biased!).
I'll put my case forward to you and tell you why I think Doctor Who should be aimed at a more mature audience?
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Dalek? The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit? Blink? Midnight? Turn Left? Amy’s Choice? The Doctor’s Wife? Heaven Sent? World Enough and Time and The Doctor Falls? The Waters of Mars? The Haunting of Villa Diodati?
What do these episodes have in common? They are the episodes that get rave reviews to this day and there isn't a snot monster in sight!
These episodes really put the Doctor and their companions through the ringer, some are dark, some are just plain scary.
I suspect the edgier, more tragic episodes have a higher percentage of being children's favourites as well. When you started watching the show was this the case? I know everyone is different but surely there is a reason these type of episodes are fondly remembered?
THE AUDIENCE HAS GROWN UP - IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE
The majority of the viewers, whether the BBC and Disney like it or not, are now adults, and their expectations for quality storytelling have evolved.
A good example of this was the Doctor Who Proms. One thing I noticed when I went to that amazing show was that there was a distinct lack of children there.
An older audience would appreciate more sophisticated character development, intricate plotlines, and narratives that challenge societal norms.
An important point to make is that the children of today deserve a bit more respect. They know shit that I wouldn’t have had a clue about at their age. So when I say aim the show at a more mature audience, I include children in this list.
I wouldn't of had a clue about same sex relationships when I was younger, it wasn't anything that I saw. I wouldn't of talked about my emotions - I still don't! In my year at secondary school we had two children who weren't the same race as me, I knew nothing about different cultures.
Whether we like it or not, children are more grown up than before, they have to be.
Ignore the batshit people flinging grooming accusations at people who dare cast someone who isn’t straight for a minute, kids today can handle a darker, grittier show. Watching someone gay on the TV won't make them gay - it might help them understand more about who they are though.
Let's take the most recent series for a second, could Space Babies have been sacked off (The Devil's Chord would have made a great opening episode) and then make Rogue a two parter? I wasn't a fan of Rogue, and I hate saying this because it’s ridiculous, but I didn't like it because the Doctor kissed a man. I didn't like it because I wasn't a fan of the monsters. I would of loved for the episode to delve further into Rogue and the Doctor’s relationship, flesh it out, have monsters (human ones if need be) challenge them. Let the audience see that it doesn't matter who you love/fancy. That any relationship is beautiful.
Then the finale, I enjoyed it, I won't lie. Would it have been better if Ruby and Carla challenged her birth mum a bit more though? Carla mentioned it in the Christmas special, she basically said how could anyone leave someone so small out in the cold, alone, unprotected. I'm not having it that there was no kick back at all about this. Maybe there will be more about this in the next series, but it all seemed a bit too easy and lovey dovey for my liking.
My point is, partner those two part, grittier stories with the rest of the episodes and you have some amazing television that would make people constantly think.
INCREASED POTENTIAL FOR EMOTIONAL DEPTH
The darker the shit gets, the better the writing and acting we get. Tennant as the Time Lord Victorious, Capaldi in Heaven Sent, Eccleston in Dalek. The Doctor is an old bugger, they have had a ton of trauma piled on them, we often get a lot of hints about this, but it is very rarely explored in depth.
Wouldn’t it be an amazing watch to see the Doctor address issues with their loneliness, or the impact that being the hero everytime has? The Doctor has killed a lot of things - would that not affect their mental health?
How about a horrific ending for a companion? How would the Doctor react? We saw it with Clara in Face the Raven and Heaven Sent, but then it got undone in Hell Bent.
Did you prefer Rose’s ending in Doomsday or Journey's End? Personally I loved the ending in Doomsday, I don't think her getting a happy ending made me happy.
My biggest bug bear of late though is Donna. Her original ending was both tragic and beautiful. Probably the most heartbreaking and brilliant ending a companion has had in modern Doctor Who. Now she's living happily ever after with the Doctor because she just let it all go (because she was a woman). No thank you, give me her original ending any day of the week. Maybe I am just an awful, awful person?!
Addressing the complexities of the Doctor’s mental health, loneliness, their losses, and the impact of their immense power and responsibility could provide a wealth of storytelling opportunities. An older audience would be more receptive to seeing the Doctor’s vulnerabilities on full display, creating space for deeper, emotionally charged episodes that resonate on a more personal level.
GRITTIER SCI-FI
Modern science fiction has been trending towards grittier, more mature stories. Shows like The Mandalorian or Westworld prove that audiences are craving more mature content that pushes the boundaries of traditional storytelling. Doctor Who could capitalise on this trend to deliver darker, edgier narratives that challenge both the characters and the audience.
I know part of Doctor Who's strength is that it can be camp one week, scary the next, and I'm not saying get rid of that. There can still be moments the silly blue box show is still the silly blue box show.
ADDRESSING SOCIETAL ISSUES
Doctor Who has never shied away from addressing social and political issues, such as racism, gender equality, or climate change. However, a more mature focus would allow the show to tackle these topics more deeply.
I know that would anger the RIP Doctor Who brigade - so for that alone, bring it on!
Would the Doctor changing gender be better being explored further rather than largely being ignored? It works both ways, what are the pressures of being a man today? Does being a woman restrict what the Doctor can and can’t do?
Would it have been better to see a darker Donald Trump like figure in Arachnids instead of the caricature shouting you’re fired that we got? How would the Doctor have dealt with a more life-like Trump? Someone who would never listen to her because she was a woman, someone who gets away with fucking everything. Hopefully Thirteen would of chinned him, but we will never know.
The world is a fucked up place, it is more scary than any alien planet! Let’s see that on our screens.
CREATIVE FREEDOM
A shift toward a more mature audience would give the creators more freedom to experiment with tone, storytelling, and subject matter. Currently, the show walks a fine line between being engaging for adults while remaining appropriate for children. By aiming squarely at a more mature demographic, Doctor Who could push its creative boundaries, embracing more experimental storytelling techniques and darker tones. As I say, give the youngsters some credit, if it’s good they’ll watch it.
MAINTAINING A BALANCE
While advocating for a more mature Doctor Who, it’s important to recognise that the show doesn’t need to completely abandon younger audiences. Spin-offs like Torchwood have demonstrated that a more adult-oriented version of the Doctor Who universe can coexist alongside the main show. This allows younger fans to enjoy the show while offering more complex, darker narratives in parallel for those craving mature content.
I really do have my fingers crossed that the upcoming spin off will be more Torchwood than Sarah Jane Adventures.
Talking of Torchwood - Children of Earth was one of the best things I have ever watched - and that was some fucked up shit!
SUMMING IT ALL UP
Doctor Who is a show built on reinvention. While it has remained a family favourite for decades, the time may be right for the series to shift its focus toward a more mature audience. By doing so, the show could fully explore its darker, more complex themes, provide deeper emotional content, and address contemporary issues with the nuance they deserve. This evolution could allow Doctor Who to remain relevant and continue captivating audiences in a world where television storytelling is constantly evolving.
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