I wasn't that keen in Smith either to be honest. Don't think Moffat's ever quite got his Doctors or companions right, although I do think the 12th Doctor and Clara was a series' low.

That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard.

And yet plenty of evidence suggests that the fall in viewing figures really isn't as drastic as some would have us believe and that Doctor Who is one of those shows actually succeeding at adapting to the changes in television viewing, something which isn't an easy task by any means.

I don't disagree that there isn't as much mainstream popularity as there was when Tennant was in the lead role, but the current era also succeeds in other ways. It seems to me that the show is currently achieving some of its highest critical acclaim yet, which, like it or not, does count for something.

It's the difference between the success of something like Breaking Bad, and something like The X-Factor. Is it a bad thing that Doctor Who can find success in so many different areas and adapt to the times? I don't think so.

I'm afraid I can't really see the purpose in this, story-wise or marketing. Not unless they were going to try and repeat the "regeneration" trick at the end of The Stolen Earth, which wouldn't be as impactful a second time.

It's a difficult one. We all want a bit of consistency in our Doctors and we all want the actor playing the part to stick around as long as possible. The problem for Capaldi is that his incarnation hasn't clicked with the public; argue the toss as much as you like, bandy around (falling) AI figures, ratings etc, he just hasn't. I feel for the actor who is, of course a lifelong fan who now finds himself in his dream role and it's just not working properly. The fault must lie with Moffat who has utterly fudged the twelfth incarnation and finally chased away those last casual viewers who had hung on post-Tennant (even though they weren't much enamoured of Smith but they stuck around out of a lingering residual affection for the show built up across the spectacularly-successful and inclusive RTD seasons). An older Doctor was always going to be a difficult sell post-Tennant and Smith and when the signs appeared in season eight that the audience weren't buying it, Moffat and co panicked and tried to rewrite Capaldi into a "younger" version of himself for season nine by virtue of terrible gimmicks such as hoodies, guitars, silly catchphrases and an altogether more juvenile persona. Moffat resorted to his misguided "madman in a box" view of the Doctor(which has always been wrong, imo - the Doctor has always been the one who palpably ISN'T mad) because his bag of tricks was exhausted by around the end of season 5. But Moffat has the 'Sherlock' trump card so in many ways the BBC have allowed DW to become a sacrificial lamb at Sherlock's altar; Sherlock is a huge hit, has popular acclaim...DW is no longer the new kid on the block, it can just trundle along on its own for a while. If it wasn't for Sherlock, i suspect the BBC would have moved Moffat along a few years ago - but Sherlock is now more important so they've left him where he is and where he's continued to do terrible damage to the DW brand by completely misunderstanding it and trivialising it.

DW is NOT as popular as it was five years ago. It just isn't. That's to be expected, though, to an extent - long-running shows suffer dips and troughs. But Capaldi hasn't worked. None of my non-fan friends and acquaintances, nor people I meet here and there, watch the show now. It's become "too complicated" and the Doctor is now "too old." i can't imagine these aren't views held right across the country and beyond.

DW desperately needs a fresh start under Chibnall; it needs to "do a 2005" again to entice viewers back. Keeping Capaldi around is unlikely to do it unless Chibnall has got something spectacularly-imaginative up his sleeve (he may well have - Moffat never did). FWIW I like Capaldi as an actor but his Doctor has never caught fire - if he'd had more dialogue like we've seen in the brief 'Class' trailer (and far better stories generally, as well as a warmer and more believable companion character) he'd have had a much better shot at being a fuller, rounder much more interesting figure than the act-your-age clown he's been allowed to become of late. But for the show to thrive in its new era it needs a new face in the titles. Anything less is going to drag the show down before it has a chance to re-establish its credentials and take away the bitter taste of the last six years.

Tell me, did you read the comment? Did you not see that I explicitly stated they are entitled to their opinion? I am merely saying what I believe quite a few people think- fans insinuating that they know better than the showrunners and bosses really isn't very clever.

Perhaps he was cold? Who knows/cares? It's obvious to anyone with half a brain that series nine saw an attempt to "young him up" by giving him a guitar (yeah, because kids are all over guitars these days!), wear "street" clothes and call himself Doctor Disco. But please feel free to pick one tiny point out of my original post and ignore all the other stuff which nails why Capaldi hasn't caught on with the public. Which he hasn't.

But do you not think the BBC would replace him, if they were worried about the show? As opposed to offer him another year?

You don't actually have any evidence other than a personal anecdote. Don't sell yourself too much.

We don't know that they have. The show is "ticking over" now, it's no longer a big hitter domestically. Maybe it's easier to let him stay another year, see if things pick up under a new showrunner, and take it from there after season ten.

Nah, they're just being egged on by a small handful of people at conventions, clearly. It's not like they're professionals or anything with access to information we don't even get to see. :P

Why not? I've observed how the show is doing and being received, I'm familiar with the way TV works, it's not difficult to put the pieces together. Try it sometime instead of sticking your head in the sand and shouting "Everything's lovely! Everything's fine!" when it patently isn't.

Yeah, we do. Capaldi said it a few months ago.

You know, let's not even talk about series 11. There was a big gap in production between series 9 and series 10. I believe the BBC could have removed him in that time, if the ratings or popularity of series 9 had worried them. It hasn't happened. Therefore, I conclude they are not worried.

It's not as though it's a hard vacancy to fill either, is it? I expect there are thousands of actors who'd love to do it.

You might be led to believe that's actually the case, based on how some of these posters are so insistent they know more about what's best for the show.

Well the people running it haven't done such a good job over the last five years, have they?

The problem with personal anecdotes is that different people have different experiences, so they don't actually prove much at all. I could just as easily say that people who don't think the show is doing well are burying their heads in the sand at all the evidence otherwise.

So no, I'm afraid you haven't "nailed" why Capaldi isn't working at all, but rather you're only proving Thamwet's point about people thinking they know better than the BBC and making out that if the show was in their hands it'd be drowning in ratings. I'm seeing a pattern here.

Ah, changing the subject I see.

No, they've not been consistently good. But that's the production team. It's people higher up the ladder who could have made the call, if they were worried. They haven't done it. Logical conclusion- they aren't worried.

Those people will have a better idea of how the show is doing than you do. I assure you of that.

By the way, I don't think the show is quite the smash hit it once was. Not in this country anyway. But I certainly don't think it's in trouble, the reason being that the BBC don't seem at all worried. Why don't you and a few others just focus on watching the show, and letting the BBC bosses do the worrying, as and when a reason to be worried comes up?

The fact that it's still here six years later, after changing up from a hugely successful initial five years, says enough. Not many shows make it past ten years. Doctor Who's revival has and there's still a lot more to come.

Perhaps your TV expertise needs a little refreshing?

*Munches slowly on Popcorn*

'Tis one of those days.

A very disappointing night on this forum

Two positives though:

A new companion is coming

It's back to the spring

Hopefully both will help lift the show.

Yep

Well don't be dissapointed, take the advice that's been given.

I'll tell you what's factual- you are NOT in a position to know more about the show's well-being or future prospects than the bosses at the BBC. Nor am I, nor is anyone on this forum. You may have some opinions about where you think the show should go next, but you should understand that trying to pass those opinions off as some kind of fact is going to annoy people.

Therefore, I think you should stop trying to behave as though you are some sort of television professional. Watch the show, enjoy it if you can, and leave the worrying to the BBC. Once they are noticeably worried, then I will worry. They aren't worried. So nor am I.

Like I said, stop attacking other forum members or you may get suspended/banned.

Well, it's livened things up a bit, I suppose. Been pretty quiet around here recently until the sudden glut of news.

As for the topic, I still think there'll be a regeneration next year. After being intrigued by the prickly but strangely vulnerable and self doubting Doctor in Series 8 and impressed by the slightly more open but flawed (Ashildr. Immortality. That ended well, mate.) Doctor of Series 9, I hope not. But think so. Still, getting a bit ahead of myself there. Class. Christmas. Series 10. Time will tell...it always does. Obviously.