What's wrong with the new Doctor Who?

[Albino Boo]

The big problem with the new series compared to the old one isn't acting or writing but format. The old shows were 4 to 8 30 minute episodes per story. For start that means there has to be more story than the current 1 hour shows. You had more room for character development, the Doctor would meet new people in each story and you got a chance to know them more and gave the writers more chance to explain their motivations. You also got a cliff hanger every week which built up the tension more than is possible with current format. There was a sense of time passing between each episode which made the show seem less like the Doctor defeating the Spuggles in 15 minutes. You had more opportunities for things to go wrong for the Doctor or him to be wrong about what is happening.

The new series is good and has some talented writers and actors, but the BBC in hope of selling into the US market went for the 1 hour with ads format. Which in fact gives only 42 minutes of time once you have taken out the credits and adverts. Its tough ask to pack each week a new setup and resolution in that time and get the same quality as the old series. It has done it on occasions, the The Empty Child being a case in point, but not consistently.

 

[Flight]

snip

I apologize if I mis-read you, but I respectfully disagree that I'm "getting upset at nothing." Still, that's another line of thought for another time.

Back on-topic, I think Martha was disliked mostly because she wasn't Rose, and it took people awhile to get used to the idea of companions in Doctor Who to be leaving, as a lot of them came into DW around its reincarnation and so weren't used to the cast change-up, I think. While I don't always like the companions, I can't say I've ever hated one yet.

 

[The Rainmaker]

Matt Smith is a great doctor, and Moffat has written interesting stories - sort of. Season 5 was terrible, if you ask me, but season 6 was pretty epic, even though River Song is a totally unlikable character.

 

[Deathmageddon]

I'm more curious as to why so many people don't like Amy Pond...

Still, Matt Smith isn't bad, but Tennant was better.

 

[oktalist]

From what I've seen of Hartnell and Troughton I think I would've liked them.
I loved Pertwee.
I loved Tom Baker.
I liked Davison.
I liked Colin Baker.
I liked McCoy.
I liked McGann.
I liked Eccleston.
I loved Tennant.
I don't like Smith. He seems insubstantial. I don't know if that is the actor's fault or the writers'. Also please stop using comedians as companions, as the two so far have been rubbish actors. Arthur Darvill is excellent, though.

 

[Verzin]

I just want to know, I've seen plenty of people say they don't like it but I've never seen any reasons why. I'm not trying to defend New Who (although I do like it) I just want to know what problems people have with it.

I haven't enjoyed the last two seasons much. The main reason for me is that the plot has become....far too.. exaggerated for me. My biggest issue was the second to last episode with the whole...love conquers cyberman technology thing. That was disgusting. I literally felt sick. I couldn't believe that the writers had sunk so low.

I kept watching when they ruined the Daleks. I kept watching when more and more they went for sensationalism over actually interesting humor or depth of plot. But they've sunk too low.

It isn't the show it once was. Is it enjoyable? I suppose so, but it was once so much more than it is now, and to me it feels empty and broken.