I think season 1 actually killed the show more than season 2, because season 2 was already going to happen no matter what. But I think it was the underperformance of season 1. That made Disney decide to just not bother. They put basically zero advertising effort into season 2, and it wouldn't show up on your homepage as recommended viewing. Even if you were actively watching it. You had to actively search for it each time.

surely it should be: "The ERA That killed Doctor Who" because it's been downhill ever since the clothes regenerated.

I'll die on the hill that his final words should have been "I'm born, I die, I'm born"

The finale to this season was, without exaggeration, the worst piece of television I have ever seen

The death of the show was the chibnall era. Season one was a chance for revival but just put another bullet in the head. Season two incinerated the body

I always loved the idea of the doctor or master taking a form of a previous companion, i thought from a pure spectacle POV it could be interesting for the master in particular BUT NOT LIKE THIS

Not to mention RTD blocks anyone who voices criticism with this era

Imagine if RTD said no, or was unable to return.

And instead of this, Power of the doctor was the true finale for modern doctor who (and withouth the david tenant scene).

Idk if it would be a Win or a Lose but better than this

The sad truth is that it’s not out to tender yet. They said they’re going to put it out to tender this year, but it’s not yet.

It never recovered from space babies

So, when I was watching Space Babies, I had to sit back and really think for a bit about something.

"Is this worse than Twin Dilemma?"


I ultimately decided it wasn't, for two reasons.
1 - the Doctor did not, at any point, throttle his companion for any reason.
2 - Twin Dilemma is longer.

That's it. Otherwise, same tier for both of them. At the absolute bottom, totally painful, would rather have spend the time watching it doing almost literally anything else.

the explosion at the end of the song contest is where Rani keeps making the same day happen ending with the attempt to free Omega. so that reality collapse caused the tardis doors to be blown in but it was followed with a reset, the Doctor and Belinda now part of events where they're a couple with Poppy as their baby. along with them being rewrote with the "wish" versions of them, the tardis damage was undone

This is the first video of yours I've come across, and it's genuinely a terrific piece of work. Intelligent, incisive, sympathetic and made me see things in those episodes I missed. You hit the nail with the pros and cons. Can't wait to explore more. I agree that the season reached its peak in The Story and The Engine, which was a wonderful, humane, gripping piece of work (I'm afraid I've never really rated Ncuti as an actor, and here I felt that was particularly exposed, with everybody else, particularly the barber, blowing him offscreen). And I always love a Fugitive Doctor cameo - I'd love to see her get her own mini-series or special.

Really can't agree enough with your take on Reality War. The more distance between my initial viewing there is, the more I loathe it and what Davies did with every plot element. And the very worst aspect is what Davies does to Belinda and her characterisation. All women want is to be at home as a mum, and that's the happy ending that Belinda gets. Goodbye medical career, goodbye strong, intelligent, vibrant and argumentative character. It is massively sexist and misogynistic. Abysmal is the correct word. Abysmal in what Davies does with Omega, Abysmal with the Mrs Flood and Rani fate, and most abysmal in what he does with Belinda. I... just... don't... understand how a brilliant, in touch writer can produce such awful, disrespectful dross. And after all this time, the one thing that leaves my jaw on the ground is the recent interview with Davies, when asked if he had a TARDIS and could go back to the beginning of the Gatwa era, what would he do different, said 'nothing, I loved it all.' Not a shred of humility or recognition. Yet another two fingers up to the fans and the critics. Unbelievable.

I'm 1000% convinced that Ruby was supposed to be the main companion for season 2. Not only that I think she was supposed to be the baby (God Of Wishes). That explains Why the Goblins wanted her, the snow, the hidden song, Sutekh's interest, the Poppy connection, Her stepping on the Fairy circle and releasing that wish accidently. It makes too much sense... I don't know what happened behind the scenes, I heard Millie Gibson was a "Diva" on set but what I don't understand is if it was that bad on set how could you still film episodes with her in season 2. Plus Season 1 & 2 was filmed back to back therefore she must have been contracted to do 2 seasons.

I caught that the Doctor was probably lying to Belinda about trying to get her back the first time I saw The Robot Revolution.  There was a clear parallel set up between him and the way Alan treated her.

The only way I can make any rational sense out of the RTD2 era is that it was a piss take on the retcons in the Moffat and Chibnall eras.  I don't think RTD was happy about the retcon of the Time War in the 50th anniversary special, and this was the only way he could express that.

There is already a Doctor Who story by Big Finish, a 7th Doctor story called "Bang-Bang-a-Boom", that is a parody of both Eurovision (called the INTERGALACTIC song contest) AND Deep Space Nine. Despite being a more comedic story, it manages to tell a more intriguing and compelling story than the one from this series did.

Honestly, in all of his second run, RTD was handed so many amazing concepts for a story on a plate, only to not only throw them away, but to then act like him doing so was such a brilliant idea and how he was a genius for doing so.

The guy screaming after you said Poppy got a chuckle out of me.  I didn't like her either.  I am upset Susan will never get a proper come back.  RTD really screwed that up.

Just seen your stuff for the first time and soooo enjoyed it. Great analysis, warm and fair but also critically found. I find myself agreeing with you on virtually every count. Your presentation is highly agreeable - voice, tone, writing and conclusionary sums up are satisfying. Great stuff!

I’m so excited to get some in depth behind the scenes features about this era. I suppose we’re still waiting on those for all of Nuwho though. I guess with the show cancelled hopefully people will become more comfortable talking just like they did last time the show was cancelled.

There are so many rumors but even just things like how incredibly late the casting of Belinda was which show us that something happened behind the scenes and caused a major problem. The RTD2 era had some genuine highlights but overall becomes a mess, mainly because of the finales. I do think a lot of it is just bad ideas (there’s no excuse for Omega) but there has to be more.