One Fan’s Take: Doctor Who Used to Feel Welcoming, Now It Feels Antagonistic

Feature by Charlie Matteson.

In recent years, Doctor Who hasn’t felt like the show I grew up loving. It’s not just nostalgia talking, either. It feels like something deeper has shifted, and not in a way that brings people together.

These days, fans don’t seem to talk as much about the plots or mysteries any more. Instead, most of the noisier conversations I see around Doctor Who are about controversy, politics, identity, and whether the show is making some kind of “statement”. Now, with the upcoming series, led by Ncuti Gatwa and new companion Varada Sethu, it’s all flared up again before a single episode has even aired.

In a recent Radio Times interview, Sethu addressed some of the backlash the show has faced, saying, “I just think we’re doing the right thing if we’re getting comments like that.” Gatwa added, “We’re going to p* off so many people.” I couldn’t help but sigh at this, because all I could think was, I miss the days when it felt like the marketing and mission of the show was to bring people together.

I remember a time when a new season of Doctor Who saw fans feverously speculating on what the new monster would be, what villain might return, and what strange planet the Doctor would land on next. That excitement, that sense of mystery, was part of what made the show feel magical. Headlines that are increasingly about how many feathers the show might ruffle are not the kind of build-up that makes me want to grab the popcorn and settle in on a Saturday night.

Not All Criticism Comes from the Same Place

While it’s entirely possible that Gatwa’s comments were said with a degree of humour behind them, it’s still worth acknowledging that when the actor playing the Doctor seems to embrace a more antagonistic tone, it can feel at odds with the spirit of the character.

Regardless, the way Gatwa phrased it, that they were going to annoy a lot of people, carries the assumption that those people are reacting for the wrong reasons. And yes, I know there are people who push back on everything these days, and some of those voices are toxic. But not everyone who’s struggling with the current version of the show is coming from that place.

To be clear, I consider myself a fairly progressive-minded person. But even I’ve found myself feeling frustrated lately. And it’s not because the cast has changed, or because the show has become more diverse, etc. It’s because somewhere along the way, the balance shifted. The stories stopped feeling like they were for everyone, and started to feel like they were aimed at proving a point to someone.

A Culture Shaped by Outrage

It’s also worth acknowledging how much the conversation around Doctor Who has been shaped by the media environment surrounding it. Mainstream press outlets often latch onto the most controversial or polarising angles, and headlines are increasingly framed to spark outrage or tribal responses rather than thoughtful discussion. That creates a distorted version of fandom, where loud voices on either extreme get the most airtime, and everyone in between is pushed to pick a side.

Social media plays into this too. Platforms reward engagement, and the fastest way to get engagement is through negativity. Posts that are angry, divisive, or accusatory get pushed to the top, while more measured or complex takes get buried. As a result, it often feels like Doctor Who is no longer something we can just enjoy or critique. It has to be either defended or torn down.

This constant push toward extremes makes it harder to have good-faith conversations about what’s working and what isn’t. It creates an atmosphere where all criticism is assumed to be bigotry, and all praise is assumed to be blind loyalty. But the truth is usually somewhere in the middle.

Doctor Who Then and Now

Classic serials like The Green Death or Genesis of the Daleks tackled big social issues, but they did it within unforgettable stories. You could watch them just for the adventure, or look deeper and find something more. Even in the first half of the revived era, episodes like Human Nature / The Family of Blood or The Zygon Invasion / Inversion explored complex ideas, but they were still ultimately about the characters. The message was clearly there, but it didn’t drown out everything else.

That’s what I feel like we’ve lost. Not the values, but the way those values are woven into the show. Nowadays, it feels like they’re being delivered with a big red highlighter pen. It leaves little room for wonder or imagination. And if you don’t like that approach, well, you’re not the ‘correct’ sort of viewer any more.

Classic era writers like Terrance Dicks talked about Doctor Who being for everyone. Dicks warned against focusing too much on messaging at the expense of telling a good story. Even Steven Moffat once said plainly, “We have to keep everyone on board,” making it clear he believed the show shouldn’t just cater to one side of the political spectrum. That spirit, of a show that welcomed you in no matter who you were, is what made it appeal to a broader audience.

When I watched the Doctor growing up, he was clever, kind, and brave. He didn’t care who you voted for, what your beliefs were, or where you came from. He was someone who tried to do the right thing, even when it was hard.

That’s why it stings when the show, and the actor playing the Doctor, seems happy to say it will “p* people off.” I worry it’s not just the usual critics on the fringes who are feeling alienated. And that matters, because when a show built on compassion and curiosity starts to feel combative, even the most loyal hearts can begin to drift.

Everyone Was Welcome

There was a time when Doctor Who quite regularly pulled in over eight million viewers, sometimes even more. That wasn’t because it was safe or watered down, it was because it still spoke to everyone.

It could be smart, silly, political, thrilling, sad, hopeful, sometimes all in one episode. And that mix made it a show you could watch with your family, your friends, or on your own, and know you belonged.

If the show now wants to speak to only one part of the audience, that’s a creative decision. But no one should be surprised when that comes with a cost, especially if provoking outrage becomes part of the appeal. When that happens, Doctor Who stops feeling like it belongs to everyone.

What’s at Stake Now

The show’s ratings have been steadily dropping in recent years. Reviews have been mixed, to say the least. Even Russell T Davies has admitted the future is uncertain. Some reports say the show is hanging in the balance.

I don’t think Doctor Who is failing because of one thing. It’s not just about the casting, writing, or politics. But the tone matters. The delivery matters. And when a show that once brought people together starts to feel like it’s making you pick sides, that has inevitable consequences.

I don’t want the show cancelled. I want it to be brilliant again. I want it to be the show that made me feel like anything was possible. I want it to matter again, not just to some, but to everyone.

I understand that no show can please everyone all the time. But Doctor Who once came remarkably close, and that’s part of what kept it alive for so many decades. If it becomes a show for some, not for all, that might be the greatest loss of all.