Four Ways I Would Change Doctor Who Next Season (If it Survives That Long)

My wife and I finally had a Doctor Who binge watch the past couple days and are now caught up on the series and said our goodbyes to Ncuti Gatwa as the title character/Doctor 15. While I am intrigued at the possible return of Billie Piper as Doctor 16, it is clear to see why another season isn't necessarily guaranteed. I am, without a doubt, among those who think the show's quality has gone downhill since Disney's acquisition and am not convinced Billie Piper's return isn't anything more than a desperate attempt to save a sinking ship.

So, if there is another season, I would like to offer some suggestions:

First, bring back the favorites. Look, I'm all for throwback episodes that revive lesser-known characters from 30-40 years ago. However, not everyone watching this show is a diehard fan. A lot of us are casual fans who occasionally watched it if we stayed up late in the 1980s and only began watching it regularly after the 2005 reboot. 

Those characters, like the Rani, just don't have the same impact as the more popular villains, like the Daleks and Cybermen (both of which were missing the past two seasons). And frankly, some of the storylines from the past two seasons would have been better if one of those villains was behind it. Save the more obscure throwbacks for one-off episodes and center the storylines around the favorites if you're not going to introduce a brand-new villain.

Second, let's see more practical effects. CGI has its place. Too much CGI, however, can make a show seem cartoonish and a bit cheap. I'm not saying the earlier episodes looked overly realistic, but I'd still take those sets/monsters over what I've seen during Doctor 15's run.

Next, keep the "woke" but maybe place a bit less emphasis on it. I applaud the show for the expanded diversity, willingness to take a stand on social issues like gender identity and internet misinformation and talk about different cultures. In fact, there are many ways Doctor Who could be a blueprint for other television series in that regard. 

That said, there were too many times when the show felt like it was trying to pat itself on the back rather than tell a story. There are plenty of ways for the show to continue the groundbreaking work without feeling the need to stop and spell it out for the viewers.

Last, I think it's time for UNIT to become evil. The Doctor has become too comfortable with the government organization, and it might be time for a messy divorce. In a way, the past season already set this up with the Lucky Day episode, both by showing how much power and authority UNIT has and how Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) is willing to cross a line (though I would use her actions in that episode as justification for removing her and installing someone else who turns out to be more willing to abuse power).

UNIT would be a formidable adversary for the Doctor and could allow the show to continue its political commentary efforts by showing what happens when you give one government agency a ton of power with no checks and balances. They'd also still be able to team up against shared foes, though with a lot more mistrust.

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