In March of 2005, we were reintroduced to one of the most iconic sci-fi characters in all of television history. That mysterious traveler in time and space. Roaming the universe in their big blue box. The Doctor. Doctor Who was first aired way back in 1963. Produced on a shoestring budget, the show quickly rose to prominence for its creative stories, scary monsters, and iconic characters.
The show was a major success up until it was cancelled in 1989. There was an attempt to reboot the franchise with a TV movie in 1996. But it failed to grip audiences of the time. So it wasn’t until Russell T Davies rebooted the show that we would see the TARDIS on our screens again. And the reboot was a resounding success. It quickly became an international sensation. Especially during the David Tennant era. But eventually Russell stepped down as show runner. Handing the reins to Steven Moffat. And eventually he stood down too. This is when Chris Chibnall became showrunner.
This is also when the show started to massively decline in quality. Doctor Who had already begun to lose ratings slowly over the years. And Chibnall’s era seemed to be the final nail in the coffin. He departed the show in 2022 and Rusell T Davies and David Tennant returned to do a soft reboot of the show. So today we are going to answer the question: Is the new Doctor Who era worth watching?
Where To Watch
One of the biggest changes that this new era of Doctor Who brought with it was the partnership with Disney. They have invested in the show to gain exclusive international streaming rights. But this is where their partnership ends. All creative decisions are still handled by the BBC and Russell.
If you’re in the UK then you will have to head to iPlayers to watch the show. Anyone not from the UK will have to either use Disney Plus or sign up for a free global IPTV trial. These are the only ways you will be able to catch the new episodes. We recommend going for the IPTV trial as it provides a lot more content than Disney Plus.
The New Era
The new era of the show began with three special episodes starring David Tennant and Cathrine Tate. Providing us with closure for the Tennant era and setting up the new tone of the show going forward. And the specials are amazing. Each episode has a distinct feel, exploring unique sci-fi ideas and taking the show back to its roots. And it is clear that the producers have been putting all that Disney money to good use. The CGI is stunning and used to great effect.
Diehard fans of the show were slightly conflicted about the regeneration scene. We will avoid spoilers. But this is only a minor gripe. The specials are a true return to form that should not be missed.
This is where things get confusing. The show underwent a soft reboot with Ncuti Gatwa taking on the role of the Doctor. And his first season was marketed as season 1. Which makes this the third ‘Season 1’ in the show’s history. And the show has taken a dramatic shift away from anything that came before while still honouring the past.
Ncuti’s Doctor is more emotional and lavish than any before. The show also dips more into the realm of magic and fantasy. But fear not. It is still a sci-fi show at heart. The main issue is that this new season 1 is a tad inconsistent. Due to the fact that Ncuti was absent for a majority of the filming schedule. This means we never really get a chance to form a connection with his Doctor.
But this issue has been rectified with season 2. Even though the season is still airing it has already topped season 1 with ease. And a big reason for this is due to the new companion played by Varada Sethu. The chemistry between Ncuti and Varada is evidently strong. And having Ncuit available for the full filming schedule has clearly had a significant impact on the quality of the stories.
Is It Worth Watching?
So is the new era of Doctor Who worth your time? We would say definitely. But you should go into it with an open mind and the knowledge that some parts of season 1 are going to be a bit rough. But you are in for a treat when it comes to season 2.
