Everyone has their own red lines, which if a story strays beyond, they're not willing to continue the suspension of disbelief.

In this case...

The stories are set in the universe of Doctor Who, not our universe, which the Doctor Who universe, from time to time, might superficially resemble. It might look like London, Earth, in the early 21st century but it doesn't stop stories with plastic coming alive and spaceships crashing into Big Ben from being credible in their own terms, within that fictional universe. In Victorian times there were apparently dinosaurs and reptilian people, and Cybermen and giant robots stomping around in London too.

It doesn't invalidate the story when we know those events didn't happen in our history.

To cite a non DW example or two: In the prime Star Trek universe, Earth was wracked by war with and between genetically engineered supermen. In the 1990s. That didn't happen in the real world, so does that invalidate the story?

There are also many stories with fictional Prime Ministers or US Presidents. Does that invalidate the story?

That's not to say that DW doesn't have other credibility issues from time to time.

Not sure Space Seed is a good example... it was broadcast around 1966, a good 25 years before the events it alluded to, so in terms of the audience watching it does have the plausibility thing I was talking about. The equivalent story in New Dr Who would have BBC newsreaders announcing to the entire world that Khan and his supermen had taken over, today... and we all failed to notice. You're right, it doesn't invalidate the story, it just has less power because its not rooted more firmly in the real.

I get the OP's point,I'm still watching but cant actually remember the last time I watched an episode live (not including 50th" .
I'ts hard to put my finger on why,maybe it is just show fatigue I don't know.
For me the writing isn't quite there anymore the big reveals are either blindingly obvious (Clara/Zygon) or they are are so convoluted that by the time they happen I just don't care.
It isn't just that though,the show has lost that "must tune in next week" buzz that it once had and for me this started during Matts last series or maybe a bit before.
Nothing to do with the actors though Matt and Peter have both been excellent.
The show definitely needs a bit of fun back as well,though I think there have been signs so far this series.

I've only seen the first four episodes of Series 9 and haven't been in any rush to watch the other five which are laying idle on my PVR on series link.
For me, 'Doctor Who' lost its spark when Steven Moffat became the showrunner and it's not 'must-see' TV as it used to be.

Nu Who has been rubbish since it started. The change from mainstream drama into sci fi ghetto cul de sac was a big mistake.

watched for ten mins then swiched over to the craft channel I was that bored

I can't comment on this story as I haven't watched it- I haven't bothered with Dr who the last few years, and in fact binned all my new dr who dvds id recorded since it came back in 2005. Ill stick with the original stories as ive got them all on dvd and thats what i grew up with enjoying them. For all their cheapness and clunkyness, they dont pretend to be clever-clever, or talk down to the audience, or disappear up their own arse . Ive realised im an original series fan- and i really dont give a ***** over these new ones. For me , when i stopped watching a couple of years back, they were already too far removed from what i loved about the old series. I know that the new ones have their fans- good luck to them, but im not one of them.

Many of them do those things. I'm guessing you haven't seen that much classic Who if you believe that

Bidmead, Kinda, Ghost Light, Barry Letts, the Time Museum, the Happiness Patrol, Cartmel masterplan, Sun Makers - just some key words you may (or may not) want to investigate

Actually, quick follow-up:

Robert Shearman makes a really good and convincing defence of 'The Time Museum' in the DVD documentary. Well worth watching if you have it and never bothered with it. He almost made a believer of me.

I have literally fallen asleep during the past 3 episodes. At the moment, Doctor Who has lots its mojo. I'm hoping a new companion will give it a fresh lease of life next series, It's not that I dislike PC or JC, but something is just not working for me.

I really disliked Catherine Tate but I enjoyed those episodes more than I'm enjoying it now.

Im the same about the episodes this series. In fact i didnt watch Zygon Inversion, which was a pity since it revived itself a bit.......but "Sleep no more" DID wake me up. First episode I enjoyed and wanted to watch again!

This is one of the issues.

It seems like all the things that gave the show a mainstream audience are no longer there.

It's been a step by step process:

Replacing accessible Amy/Rory with inaccessible Clara. <<< Very Serious
Replacing funky CE/DT/MS with Peter Capaldi.
Stories used to be about people, now they are about concepts (and too often poorly realised stories)
(Also the concepts are very current, (current affairs are not cool)
The obvious "man in a suit" monster (it seems like every episode now)


We can live with the closed-off Doctor of Peter Capaldi, but the companion needs to be a person that audiences can identify with.

basically all of this

For the first time since the revival in 2005 I have actually given up on an episode. Last nights episode is IMO the most boring episode ever. I watched 20 mins and just couldn't be bothered with the rest. It has now got to the stage where I tune in in the hope it will improve but it never does. The glory days of Tennant are long gone.

Still remember the hype for series 4 and the specials lol

Pedant alert: The Space Museum, Tom?

Why do people put 'Space' in front of things just because it's in the future? They don't say "space hat" or "space coat" or "space suit" or "space ship" or....oh.

I'm quite fond of the story. Trying to do something different. Not completely successfully, I admit. (bit like yesterday's, then.) Kinda is a masterpiece, though. Ghost Light not far off. And I really really like 'Warrior's Gate, to add to your list.

Amen. I wholeheartedly agree.

I'm definately not tired I still get hyped when watching a Series 4 episode on Watch and see next time trailers, on a Sunday. Aswell as my cousin.

Too much nostalgia here for a glorious paradise series that never was.
There have always been good and bad episodes in ALL series of Dr Who.

Sorry, did you get nominated to speak for all of us? Using personal pronouns is the generally accepted grammar when expressing personal opinion.

As for 'closed off'??? Every week he seems to be giving an impassioned speech about something. He has to be one of the most emotive Doctors there's been.

Well, I threw in Bidmead to account for his entire season as showrunner :P

I was also remiss in not mentioning Malcolm Hulke: one of my favourite Doctor Who writers, but who definitely fits the OP's description.

Ghost Light is a favourite of mine. I didn't necessarily mean that I don't like those episodes personally, just that IanwhatsitIan seemingly was not aware of them since they fit his description of everything wrong with modern Who.

The Space Museum: I found it interminably boring, the 1st episode nonsensical, my opinion of it was far less forgiving than yours... but Shearman made a very strong case. Do check out the feature if ever you get the chance (it's on the Space Museum DVD (Packaged in a set with 'The Rescue'). He almostt has me believing that Glyn Jones is a genius satirist... and without knowing any of his other work I can't disprove it :P

I wish Shearman had a better experience writing for the show. He would have been the perfect showrunner after Moffat. Fantastic writer; equals Davies and Moffat for knowledge and affection for the show.

I like this Doctor and Clara the most since the re-boot - hated Tennant who just ran around with his mouth open, and Smith who had none of the world-weariness I like.
But I find the stories hard to get interested in and sometimes confused. this weeks was just dull.

I have to agree with the OP unfortunately. I really WANT to love the show, but it's lost something in my opinion and I don't know exactly what.
This week's episode was the worst yet for me, and to check I wasn't just "bored" of DW in general I re-watched The Eleventh Hour last night. I loved it afresh. Watching such a brilliant, exciting, clever episode after this series has confirmed to me that I could still love the show again - the show itself just needs a massive kiss up the backside!

Capaldi has sucked the life out of the show. Obviously the scripts are terrible as well, but Eccleston, Tennant and Smith all had the ability to make badly written episodes watchable with their energy and likeability. Capaldi is Hartnell 2.0, he has the gravitas but just isn't engaging enough.

I'll continue to watch as I'm a diehard Whovian, but I haven't been this bored with DW since the McCoy era.