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From Genesis of the Daleks to The End of Time, Doctor Who has plenty of controversies to its name.
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00:00Doctor Who has one of the most passionate and enduring fanbases in the world.
00:05Like the Master and the Daleks, this fandom just never seems to die.
00:09And with the excitement surrounding Russell T Davies' return in 2023, it only looks set to grow.
00:16But like any other fandom, Whovians do have those issues that they just can't seem to agree on.
00:22Now, the vast majority of Doctor Who storylines are well-liked and don't really cause much of a
00:28stir amongst fans. But there are certain episodes or even certain scenes, characters or storylines
00:35that aren't quite so lucky. So with that in mind then, I'm Ellie with WhoCulture, here with
00:4110 Doctor Who controversies that divide fans.
00:45Number 10. Was the end of time a satisfying send-off for the 10th Doctor?
00:50With David Tennant dominating the news cycle as of late, now seems like the perfect time to revisit
00:57a topic that has seen much debate in the years since he left the show.
01:02Was his final story, the end of time, actually any good? Or was it a total hot mess that didn't
01:10give arguably the best Doctor of all time the send-off he deserved?
01:14You'll often find people saying that the end of time has a bunch of terrific moments peppered
01:19throughout, like the four knocks, the Rassilon confrontation and the Doctor's
01:23Time Lord's live-too-long speech, but that the master plotline is far too silly.
01:29The Doctor's farewell tour is self-indulgent and drags on way too long, and that sub-villain
01:34Joshua Naismith is a complete waste of screen time. Elsewhere, some find that the 10th Doctor's
01:39final line, I don't want to go, veers heavily into cringe territory, while for others it instantly
01:45triggers the waterworks.
01:47In general, it's the story's emotional beats that people praise the most, from the
01:53Doctor's realisation that Wilf is trapped in the radiation booth, to Geoffrey Noble
01:58lending the Doctor some money for a lottery ticket.
02:00Thanks to Bernard Cribbins and David Tennant's incredible performances, there's a massive
02:05beating heart, or hearts, at the centre of the end of time, that does paper over some
02:10of the cracks. But, coming off the Waters of Mars thrilling, complex storyline, it's hard
02:16not to wish that Tenn's conclusion was a bit more engaging in the narrative department.
02:21Now, for me personally, I think I have to agree that the storyline element of that episode
02:27wasn't the strongest, it's not a storyline that sticks in my mind that I can always remember.
02:33But, I do think that the emotion was definitely there, and I don't think I have a problem with
02:40the farewell tour as it's put here, because particularly for the fourth series and for
02:45David Tennant's Doctor, those companions are such an important part of the storylines that we've seen,
02:52so I almost feel like it wouldn't have been right for him to have not said goodbye to them.
02:57I do think that there is one character in that line-up of farewells that just wasn't quite right,
03:03seemed a little out of place, which was the great-granddaughter of Joan Redfern.
03:08Number 9. Could the fifth Doctor have saved Adric?
03:12Although Adric is usually at the bottom of the pile when it comes to ranking the companions,
03:18his death in 1982's Earthshock was one of the most, well, shocking moments in the show.
03:25So much so that the end credits rolled in complete and utter silence for the first time in Doctor Who
03:31history. But rather unexpectedly, Adric found himself back in the news when series 12 was on
03:38the air in early 2020, with fans debating whether or not his death could have actually been prevented
03:44by the fifth Doctor. This debate was sparked by the episode Praxeas, where the 13th Doctor uses her
03:50TARDIS to rescue Jake Willis, who has decided to manually pilot a small spaceship after its autopilot
03:57fails. Right before this spaceship explodes, the TARDIS captures Jake like a net, shielding him from
04:03the explosion and saving his life. Many fans then pointed out the similarities between Jake's situation
04:09and Adric's, with the e-space stowaway also trapped on a doomed spaceship that's about to blow him sky high.
04:15In this case though, the fifth Doctor does nothing, instead watching on in disbelief as his companion dies.
04:22So why couldn't the fifth Doctor have used the same trick that the 13th Doctor did?
04:27Seems like a fair question at face value, but many of those riled up Adric supporters missed that the
04:33fifth Doctor's TARDIS console was badly damaged by a Cyberman, which prevented him from flying to his
04:40friend's rescue. And still, some fans think that this is a rather flimsy excuse because the TARDIS
04:46has a mind of its own and therefore should have been able to function still, while others hilariously
04:52just think that the Doctor didn't like Adric and so couldn't be bothered to save him. I mean,
04:56it's rather cold, but maybe understandable. Now, to be honest, I don't really have much
05:01knowledge of the classic era of Who, so I don't really feel comfortable making a personal opinion
05:06on that situation. But our very own Sean Ferrick does indeed have some very strong opinions about
05:13Adric, so I would suggest checking out the video where the classic companions are ranked from best
05:19to worst, which will be linked in the description below if you want to hear his side of the story.
05:24Number 8 – In the Forest of the Night
05:27Series 8's In the Forest of the Night has always been a controversial episode,
05:32but I don't think you realise just how much it split the fandom in two.
05:38In 2016, this 12th Doctor story was voted the most divisive Doctor Who episode ever in a Radio
05:45Times poll, beating out fellow 12th Doctor stories Sleep No More and Kill the Moon, as well as the
05:516th Doctor serial Vengeance on Varos. Now, that's quite a feat, so what earned In the Forest of the
05:58Night this not-so-coveted title? On the positive side, this Series 8 adventure was praised for its
06:03creative premise. The people of Earth wake up to discover that the planet has been completely covered
06:09by large forests and its lighter, more fairytale tone, a refreshing contrast from the darker episodes
06:16of the series. Detractors labelled it aimless, threatless and felt that there were a few too
06:21many silly moments, forcing then showrunner Stephen Moffat to jump to its defence, calling it
06:27beautifully and elegantly written. Now, it's pretty rare for the showrunners to jump in on the debate,
06:33which just goes to show how divisive this episode actually was. Maybe if there was a less plodding
06:40script and a few more standout moments, such as the deleted Doctor's speech about the untempered schism,
06:48it might have been one that was slightly more positive than polarising.
06:52Now, this episode isn't particularly memorable for me personally, but I do remember Series 8 feeling
06:59quite dark in tone and so it was quite refreshing to just have this episode of lighter tones to it.
07:05But I do think that you're always going to have that divide where there are some fans who
07:10really like the darker, more intricate episodes, and some fans who just want to watch them stand
07:16alone and forget about it after it's finished. And so you're always going to have that divide,
07:21so it's very important to find that balance in the middle, which I think this episode was aiming to
07:26try and do. Number seven, the Sasha Dewan master ignores Missy's redemption arc. Though few people
07:33actually expected Missy slash the master to be gone for good after soaking up a laser screwdriver
07:39blast in the series 10 finale, it was nonetheless a surprise when the character returned in series
07:4512's Spyfall. And not because fans expected the character to be dead, but more the fact that this
07:51new incarnation of the master seemed to be a step backwards after the arc that Missy had been on
07:58through her run in the series. While Dewan's portrayal of the character received a lot of praise from fans
08:03and critics alike, there was a subset of Whovians who were displeased and confused as to why this
08:10new master had regressed back into a moustache-twirling villain after the Missy arc had shifted the
08:15Doctor's oldest foe more towards the light. Missy's decision to become a do-gooder cost her her life,
08:21so why undo such a powerful character moment for the more bog-standard villain antics we've had for
08:27the last 50 odd years. Now credit where credit's due, Sasha Dewan has been one of the highlights of
08:33the Chibnall era and it looks like that streak is going to continue in the centenary special,
08:38but I can understand the confusion. Big Finish's The Lumiat has explored this gap between Missy in
08:45series 10 and The Master in series 12, but there are a lot of fans who don't have access to the Big
08:52Finish audio dramas and so it probably would have been better if they'd explored this in the actual
08:59TV series so that the confusion could have been cleared up. Now I have just done a little bit of
09:04research into the Lumiat and the premise does sound very very interesting where Missy has her own
09:11version of the Valiard. So whereas the Doctor has this version of themselves that's pure evil, Missy has
09:17the Lumiat which is pure good, which I think is extremely interesting, but like I said if you
09:23don't have access to Big Finish then that is going to be very confusing to the audience. Number six,
09:30are the Daleks overused? Now there's a Doctor Who urban legend that the Daleks are contractually
09:38obligated to appear at least once every season. Now supposedly this is due to an agreement between the
09:44Daleks creator Terry Nation's estate and the BBC. Whether or not there is any shred of truth to
09:50that remains to be seen, but the Daleks do indeed rear their heads on a consistent yearly basis.
09:56Even when they don't have an episode to themselves, they can't resist a cameo,
10:01which has got fans asking the question of whether or not they're overused,
10:05and whether it would be best if they were rested for a while. On one side of the argument,
10:10the Pepper Potts have been used in some new and interesting ways over the course of their 59
10:15year long shift from introducing their creator Davros in 1975's Genesis of the Daleks to Series 11's
10:22body controlling reconnaissance scout. Plus, they're the bloody Daleks, they're one of the most iconic
10:28parts of Doctor Who and have been since the very beginning. But on the other hand it's no longer
10:33exciting or surprising when Scarrow's finest wheel onto our screens. And they've also been outstripped by
10:39other villains in terms of power and scare factor, bringing their status as the Doctor's greatest
10:45enemy into question. Personally, I don't think they're overused, maybe a little bit at the beginning
10:50during kind of Series 1 to 4, slightly maybe a little bit they seem to be the big bad at the series
10:57finale pretty much every season. But, I also agree that they are so iconic and such a big part of
11:04Doctor Who that without them it just wouldn't be the same.
11:06Number 5, The Sixth Doctor
11:09As many polls and rankings will demonstrate, Colin Baker's Sixth Doctor is one of the least
11:15popular incarnations in the show. Digital Spy and Radio Times have both got him at the bottom
11:22of their fan voted lists, and even some of our own rankings do the same.
11:26And it's a similar story with episode polls too, with Baker's debut serial The Twin Dilemma being
11:32voted televised Who's worst outing not once, not twice, but three separate times by Doctor Who
11:39magazine readers. With hardcore Whovians though, it's a slightly different story. Sure, it's not like
11:44he suddenly shoots to the top of people's list, but there's no question that love for Baker's Doctor
11:49has increased in recent times, thanks to his successful run of Big Finish audio dramas.
11:56Indeed, many will agree that The Sixth Doctor works far better on audio,
12:00which is something that our very own Tom Housen noted in 2020, stating,
12:04Big Finish enhances The Sixth Doctor. Colin's incarnation is simply a joy,
12:09and it's understandable why you'd wish to travel with him.
12:12Colin Baker even got to do an audio story that was written by the king of modern Who,
12:18Russell T Davies, which instantly upped his Doctor's cool factor.
12:22But all this is to say is that your opinion of The Sixth Doctor is widely dependent on whether or not
12:28you are an audio listener. His TV era was categorised by its brash tone,
12:34violent content and frequent behind-the-scenes drama, and it was this ill-fated mid-80s run that
12:40doomed him to the bottom of those fan polls, likely for a good long while. However, he is much more
12:46likeable over at Big Finish, making his entire era a tale of two halves, and one of the most divisive
12:53runs a Doctor has ever had. Now again, I'm not particularly knowledgeable of the classic era of
12:59Who, so I don't have a strong opinion either way of The Sixth Doctor, but I have listened to some of
13:06the audio adventures that do include him, particularly The Diary of River Song, and I do think that he sounds
13:13very fun and exciting, so I do agree that the audio dramas have worked in his favour.
13:19Number four, should the Doctor become romantically entangled with their companions?
13:24No hanky-panky in the TARDIS was basically an unwritten rule of the classic era of Doctor Who,
13:31and according to some accounts, it was actually a firm rule. But regardless as to which version of
13:36events is true, the point is clear efforts were made to not have the Doctor be romantically involved
13:43with, well, anyone. But all that changed with the 1996 TV movie, where all of a sudden Paul McGann's
13:508th Doctor was snogging companion Grace Holloway. Now granted, this was more of an American take on
13:56the character, portraying him as a dashing Hollywood hero rather than the awkward weird uncle of the main
14:02series. But even when the show returned to British waters with the 2005 revival,
14:07that romantic angle didn't go away. In fact, it actually became more prevalent,
14:12with the 9th Doctor and Rose growing closer and closer throughout their time together before capping
14:17off series 1 with a kiss. Things kicked up a gear when the snogaholic 10th Doctor entered the scene,
14:23with he and Rose pretty much becoming an item by the end of series 2, and even declaring their love
14:28for each other, or well, almost in the Doctor's case, on the beach at Bad Wolf Bay. The modern
14:34show's decision to make the Doctor a romantic character has been criticised and appreciated
14:39in equal measure. To some, the Doctor is an asexual being, which is more or less what we got throughout
14:44the entire classic series. To others, giving the Doctor a love interest makes them more relatable,
14:49and adds an interesting dynamic to their relationship with their companions.
14:53Either approach can work, which has been demonstrated throughout the decades of the show.
14:58It just entirely depends on what the showrunner at the time wants to do with their version of the
15:04character. We all know that I love River Song, and I do really love that story arc of River and the
15:10Doctor, but I do think that in terms of a romantic relationship for the Doctor, it needs to be very
15:16specific. In the case of River Song, this character is kind of 50%, the point of her is to be the
15:23this mysterious, ambiguous love interest of the Doctor, but she isn't a companion that is there all
15:28the time. In the case of it being, say, Rose and the Doctor, it was good because it was new. As we've
15:34said, it hadn't been done before, and so it was a new approach to the Doctor Who story. But it then
15:41became a little bit repetitive as the series went on, when you still got Martha then pining after the
15:47Doctor, and even now you've still got, you know, you have Yaz and things like that. So I think that if it's a
15:52specific character whose purpose is to be this ambiguous love interest, it works. Because I'm
15:59always going to defend River Song. But if it becomes too much of the main drive of the story,
16:05it takes away from what Doctor Who is actually about, which is about adventure and friendship,
16:10more than anything else. Number three, Clara Who and Hellbent. From her shock debut in series seven's
16:17Asylum of the Daleks, it was clear that Clara Oswald was going to be a companion, the likes of which we
16:23had never seen before. Over the coming months, that certainly proved to be true, with the name of
16:28the Doctor revealing that she was born to save the Doctor, having splintered herself along his timeline
16:34to save him from various threats throughout his life. Continuing this theme of being a Doctor-like
16:39character, series eight even saw Clara, on occasion, fill in for the Time Lord, most notably in
16:44Flatline when he was unable to leave his TARDIS. And this continued emphasis on the character led
16:49to accusations that she was being overused, with detractors even coining the phrase, Clara Who.
16:56Now it is somewhat understandable that these fans felt that Clara was overshadowing the Doctor,
17:01but also overshadowing the show's previous companions. At the same time though, plenty of
17:07viewers found Jenna Coleman's bubbly performance hard to dislike, and Steven Moffat did garner some props
17:13for trying something new, actively avoiding the same old companion role we'd seen a million times before.
17:19The Clara controversy reached its peak in the series nine finale Hellbent, which was criticized for
17:25undoing her death in Face the Raven, as well as doubling down on her desire to be like the Doctor,
17:30with the episode actually giving her a TARDIS of her own. Now I'm not personally a massive fan of Clara,
17:37I found her to be a little bit dull in comparison to previous companions. I did like her original story
17:45arc being splintered throughout the Doctor's timeline, but I think it started to take a very
17:50different turn following that. But I'm not one who likes change very much, and so I think once the
17:57notion of the companion changing slightly kind of put my nose out of joint slightly, and maybe that's
18:02something that I need to get over more than the show itself. Number two, should the fourth Doctor
18:08have destroyed the Daleks? There are few moments in Doctor Who history as pivotal as 1975's Genesis
18:17of the Daleks. As the name suggests, this fourth Doctor serial tells the story of the Daleks' origins,
18:23but if Tom Baker's Mad-Eyed Time Lord had acted differently, it could also have told the story of their
18:29end. Just touch these two strands together and the Daleks are finished. Have I the right? Muses the
18:35Doctor, his hands clutching the device that could end the tin cans forever. His hesitation is
18:40understandable. After all, genocide is a pretty big thing to have on your conscience, no matter how
18:45deserving the target species may be. But at the same time, Sarah Jane also makes a valid point, reminding
18:51the Doctor that he will cause untold amounts of suffering if he lets the Daleks live. And for many
18:57years, fans have been having this same debate. Was the Doctor's decision not to destroy the Daleks
19:02his greatest mistake? Or was he right to not alter the future? From the atrocities of the Time War,
19:08to their regular attempts to invade Earth, there's no doubt that the Daleks have done some pretty
19:13heinous stuff. But, as the Doctor notes, fear of the Daleks will prompt many worlds to become allies,
19:19united against a common enemy. And maybe that's worth all the pain they cause.
19:24I think that the dilemma the Doctor faces in this episode was a really important
19:29message for audiences about morality. And also, if the series 4 finale is anything to go by,
19:35even if you do attempt genocide in regards to the Daleks, they're going to manage to survive somehow
19:40anyway. Number 1, The Timeless Child
19:44It's tough to think of a more controversial moment in Doctor Who history than the lore-shattering
19:50revelations in the series 12 finale, The Timeless Children. This episode told us that the Doctor
19:56isn't actually a Time Lord, but a mysterious being from another universe, one with the power to
20:01regenerate infinitely. The DNA from this Timeless Child gave the Time Lords their ability to regenerate,
20:07meaning that the Doctor is the chosen one, a god, the foundation of Time Lord society.
20:13This reveal sent shockwaves through Who fandom, with many feeling that it was unnecessary, convoluted,
20:19and even disrespectful to the show's pre-established history. What was the point in Eleven's new
20:24regeneration cycle in the time of the Doctor? Do River's own regeneration powers even make sense now?
20:30To some, it was even boring and inconsequential, what the Doctor can regenerate infinitely. So?
20:37This was always going to be the way, in some way or another, for as long as the BBC wanted Doctor Who
20:43on the air. So the Time Lords lied to the Doctor about their past. And? The Doctor has never got
20:49on with the Time Lords, that's part of the reason why they ran away in the first place.
20:54While discourse on the Timeless Child skews largely negative, there are those who appreciate how it
21:00opens up opportunities to explore the Doctor's past. There's also Joe Martin's Fugitive Doctor,
21:05an important piece of the Timeless Child puzzle throughout series 12, who received a lot of
21:10praise for her commanding presence. All in all, the Timeless Child is still one of the most debated
21:15topics in Doctor Who's various online communities to this day. Chris Chibnall certainly took a bold
21:21swing here, but considering all the controversy, perhaps Doctor Who was a question best left unanswered.
21:27Now at first, I'll be honest, I was very, very, very confused by the Timeless Child story arc. I didn't
21:34understand it and I was one of those people that felt that it was disrespecting the previous 50 years,
21:4060 years. But, I do think that there is potential for it so long as we are given some more explanations.
21:50As long as those unanswered questions and those loose ends are tied, I think it has the potential to
21:57be a really, really interesting storyline and a really good avenue for the show to go down.
22:03So long as it's explored fully and not left ambiguous. And that concludes our list. If your
22:10opinions are different, then do let us know in the comments below, but remember to be respectful of
22:14other people's opinions. And while you're there, don't forget to like and subscribe and tap that
22:19notification bell. Also, head over to Twitter and follow us there at WhoCulture, and I can be found
22:25across various social medias just by searching Ellie Littlechild. I've been Ellie with WhoCulture,
22:30and in the words of Riversong herself, goodbye, sweeties.
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