It’s a tough question, and although it’s “just” a TV show, a bit difficult to consider. There’ve been at least three generations brought up on the show. Any current fans who were small children watching in the 1960s are among the most loyal, as the loyalty you establish as a child is often the strongest.

I was 18 when I came across the show back in ‘80, and even though I was older, I still grabbed onto Who with both hands and never let go.

After Capaldi left, and we had to deal with all things Chibnall, I kept watching, because A) it’s Doctor Who. There’ll be peaks and valleys. B) How bad could it get? And C) I was compelled to witness what came next. To catalog and critique at the very least. I also felt I couldn’t comment about its quality if I wasn’t watching.

With some of the ridiculous, insulting storylines that came from the Chibnall era, combined with his stunningly bad characterization and lack of character development, it was at times ridiculous and depressing. But I kept watching.

Maybe that made me part of the problem? If enough people keep watching a bad show, they’ll keep it around.

When I heard that Russell T Davies was coming back, I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn’t expecting Moffat levels of quality, but I WAS expecting something better than the low bar provided by Chibs, and we saw what followed. But I kept watching.

And here we are in a different world.

Everything Changes

In 2026, everything is very different, including how shows are written, produced, paid for, broadcast streamed, etc. The audiences are different, because their world is entirely different from what it was in 2005, 1985, or 1963. People in general spend more time on their phone than in front of the tv and almost never with the whole family.

Upcoming writers, *especially* in regards to long running sci-fi franchises mostly delight in pushing fan service and constant call backs. Because in those situations, I feel most of those writers are fans first, and professional writers second.

We’ve seen this in recent Star Wars and Star Trek. Doctor Who has different problems, but I fear the next incarnation will be especially vulnerable to this problem.

It’s by no means etched in stone that this will happen, but factoring in the potential new streaming partners’ agenda, and a desperate BBC, who will do just about anything, *allow* just about anything (except Americans) to keep the show running, and make money, well, I’m not confident.

But to my point.

Doctor Who as a concept is the best ever created in the fictional world. They can never take that away. And let’s face it— we’ve been incredibly spoiled. Over 60 years—the majority of them good— and within that, a fair amount of brilliance.

Do we NEED Doctor Who?

Yes, I think we do. It’s a balm, a comfort, and a friend. It’s our childhood and warm memories. And we do have a LOT of it. Hundreds and hundreds of hours. We have all of that, and that can’t be taken away either.

So, the more pertinent question would be — *do we need more NEW Who?*

I don’t know. That’s where the “Should we let it go?” bit comes into play.

What I Think

There are different mindsets. Some, like me, up until now, have been in the “I must watch whatever happens” mode. Others watch warily, wearily, and at some point, just start skipping seasons.

But going cold turkey? Stopping entirely? Actively shunning the show whatever happens in the future?

Not realistic, I don’t think—for me, anyway. However, there are always degrees.

As much as I love the Fantastic Four comic series, they’ve had a long list of unimpressive creators for most of the time stretching back to Lee & Kirby. So these days, when a new creative team is announced, I give the book a try. If they can’t get it right, I bow out until the next change-over in creators. Thanks goodness for the MCU, as I loved the FF movie far more than the majority of the comic run at this point.

So from now on, that may be my new approach on Who. New team comes in, I’ll try it out, and if it doesn’t pass muster, I’ll bow out until things change over.

And after the abandoned Christmas special, with whatever madness RTD had planned, it will be quite some time before we see more new Who anyway, and even now, we don’t know what we’ll get. It’s very much out of our hands.

So maybe some of us will let it go, and some might stick with it. Or, possibly, we might come to the conclusion that what we knew as Doctor Who is gone for good, and what comes next is just some new show based on an old program we knew long ago.

Maybe it’ll make it easier to recognize that… and then we can finally let go.

But wouldn’t it be nice if it came back and it was wonderful again? Can’t hurt to be a bit optimistic. Just in case.