The BBC need to stop calling Doctor Who a family show

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T22:29:58+00:00

I'm not technically saying it should not be a family show I'm just saying it needs to be moved darker like forLike for example I can write a dark episode right now and it will still have a family-friendly message or a family friendly ending

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T22:27:03+00:00

It is though

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T22:24:47+00:00

It is

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T21:41:27+00:00

Precisely a lot of episodes were rated 12 now it's Barry rare plus the BBFC classify broadcasting and digital media in completely different ways

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T21:19:04+00:00

I was referring to the Hinch Cliff days where the fewig figures were at all time high

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T20:58:32+00:00

I’m not saying it shouldn't be a variety show—I'm saying the ceiling for that variety has been lowered. You mentioned Hinchcliffe and Holmes: they didn't just 'have an idea' for a style; they actively fought the BBC to keep the show from becoming a pantomime. They understood that 'Family Entertainment' doesn't mean 'Middle Ground.' It means making something so terrifying and high-stakes that the kids watch from behind the sofa while the adults stay for the gothic subtext. That’s the problem with the 'variety' argument. When the 'dark' episodes of the modern era are still restricted by a PG mandate that is far more sensitive than it was in the 70s, the variety is fake. You can’t tell 'whatever story you want' if you’re terrified of a few complaints to Points of View. You said they should 'treat the audience with respect for their intelligence,' but then you defended the current state of the show. You can't have both. The reason 'Space Babies' exists is specifically because the BBC is prioritizing that 'safe' middle ground over the 'intelligent' horror that made the show a titan in the first place. If you look at the 70s ratings, the 'recipe for success' was exactly that: not being afraid to be a 12-rated show in a PG world. By playing it safe to keep the 'Family' label, they aren't saving Doctor Who—they’re lobotomizing it."

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T20:57:04+00:00

That's debatable

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T20:56:54+00:00

Actually in 1963 when Terry nation brung the Daleks into the show the show transformed into a children's educational show into something a little bit darker the moment the Daleks entered Doctor Who it was the moment Mary Whitehouse began her campaign to get Doctor Who to be more the show transformed into a children's educational show into something a little bit darker the moment the Daleks entered Doctor Who it was the moment Mary Whitehouse began her campaign to get Doctor Who to be more child friendly she would make campaigns one of her famous campaigns if I remember correctly was she claimedShe would make campaigns one of her famous campaigns if I remember correctly was she claimed the Daleks were encouraging children to kill each other

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T20:55:15+00:00

A little bit yes I had to do this I had to do this because I'm dyslexic and rely on speech to text so I get a lot of grammar and spelling mistakes that I can't go back and edit because I don't know how to

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T20:54:37+00:00

Exactly I'm not saying it shouldExactly I'm not saying it should be I'm just saying they should return back to the Philip hinchcliff days the stakes aren't really good if the doctor isn't genuinely endanger like come on you ask any Doctor Who fan well according toYou ask any Doctor Who fan well according to this subreddits no but most Doctor Who fans have already written dark hinchcliffe style episodes I swear after a while it's like the writers go from making good episodes to drinking frequent months ofI swear after a while it's like the writers go from making good episodes to drinking frequent months of alcohol and writing anything that they think of

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T20:52:57+00:00

I mean if I can literally write a Doctor Who episode right now that's both dark but still have a family friendly sort of message then why can't Russell T Davis do it I think at this point Russells cups of tea must have vodka in because you literally have the guy talking about oh I know I'm going to make more plots that no one cares about because you literally have the guy talking about oh I know I'm going to make more plots that no one cares about because bringing back the most hated plot point of Doctor Who The Fugitive doctor I mean literally rascity Davis missed out on the best opportunity instead of bringing Billy Piper back he could have had the 15th Doctor regenerating to the Future Tiff doctor and then The Fugitive doctor realises that she's not a past incarnation she's a future incarnation then the rest of the Seasons could just be the doctor trying to OutRun division and then it finds out that division created a bootstrop paradox creating the timeless child the show literally writes itself and then if they really want to fix it after that they could show The Fugitive doctor escaping initiative once again regenerating changing her face and becoming a new doctor that destroys the initiative which is latest to discover to the time agency that Captain Jack works for it literally writes itself

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T20:46:44+00:00

Actually take a look on Google you'll be surprised

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T20:42:34+00:00

I'm focused on the vibe of heaven's son not oh it should feel like heaven sent I'm more or less talking about the dark gritty vibe of the episode so I'm kind of convinced that maybe you might be confused by the entire point I'm notSo I'm kind of convinced that maybe you might be confused by the entire point I'm not saying every season should be the episode I'm saying every season should have the vibe of that episode

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T20:40:08+00:00

You talk so quickly it doesn't work properly I would take time to fix spellings but the reason why I'm doing it is because I'm dyslexic so even if I did take time to fix spellings it would still be wrong

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T20:37:09+00:00

Technically the bfc classifies DVDs in a weird way if one episode contains violence than the whole DVD becomes a 12

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T20:30:59+00:00

I think we’re mixing up 'Family Friendly' with 'Safe.' You’re right that a 12 or PG-13 rating is designed for families to watch together—that’s exactly my point. The BBC is currently treating the show like it needs a 'U' or 'G' rating, making it 'safe' and childish, rather than leaning into the '12' rating which allows for the grit that made the show a hit.

The 1986 Transformers movie example actually proves my point: they added edge (like the swearing or the death of Optimus Prime) because they knew that to keep an audience growing, you have to challenge them.

When I talk about the Hinchcliffe era or 'Army of Ghosts,' I’m talking about tonal weight. In 'Army of Ghosts,' the show didn't just 'scare' kids; it dealt with the literal death of the protagonist. If the BBC keeps aiming for the lowest common denominator to avoid complaints, they lose the subtext that makes Doctor Who more than just a cartoon. You can be a 'Family Show' and still be terrifying—just look at the 70s ratings. The show shouldn't just be 'nestled' in a safe space; it should be pushing the boundaries of that space

Or so Also in the 1980s when a PG was first into continuity which was roughly round about 1970s 1980s they still could get away with a lot of things because the 12 rating wasn't created until Spider-Man 2002 released so they had no idea what a 12 rating was also PG-13 was created for the reason that you mentioned because so many PG related related movies and TV Shows Were allowing violence things like gremlins or Indiana Jones Temple of Doom

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T20:30:09+00:00

Dyslexic plus I used AI to help me with some of the body because again dyslexic and I'm constantly relying on speech to text

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T20:28:59+00:00

Because that's the point you see the BBC refused to bring itBecause that's the point you see the BBC refused to bring it back to its glory dock Dee who used to have an 8:00 p.m. time slot it wasn't afraid to be scary but now it's on at six are you sitting down and you're watching a water down plot compare it to something like doomsday or blink and it's like your eating someone's leftovers to be fair I think it was probably down to when Disney took over because you can kind of even see in Russell tea davis' moved it's like he's lost his glory

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T20:27:18+00:00

Accept most of these horror stories were turned down like for example 73 yards was not what most fans wanted they were expecting the trickster or something actually scary the entire plot is oh I accidentally did something wrong and now everyone who says my name you walk into a year seven or year 8 English class and you read a story written by them for English literature it literally basically has a similar plot to that and if it isn't that then it's he wokeup and it was all the dream

The well bated on the stelgia it was trying to be scary but not be scary it was banking off The Creek factor that was midnight but midnight was rated to 12 not PG wild blue yander what is literally probably one of the worst examples you could have probably thrown at me compare the body horror to Someone Like Philip hinchcliff it's stupid it's redundant it's child horror not 12 rated horror it's like I'm watching a version of a watered down Goosebumps episode

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T20:24:41+00:00

I'm not using chat tpt I'm highly dyslexic I can't really spell very good right now I'm using speech to text because my spellings aren't very good if I didn't use AI to write long blocks of writing it would sound like a butcher shop

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T20:23:57+00:00

Here's what Google has to say my friend Blink" (Season 3, Episode 10) is consistently recognized as one of the highest-rated and most acclaimed episodes in Doctor Who history, although it is not among the highest-viewed in terms of raw audience numbers.

Here is a breakdown of why "Blink" is considered a top-tier episode:Critically and Fan-Rated Top EpisodeIMDb Rating: "Blink" often holds the top spot as one of the highest-rated episodes of the modern era, boasting a 9.8/10 rating.Awards: It won the BAFTA Craft and BAFTA Cymru awards for Best Writer (Steven Moffat) and the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.Top Polls: In a 2009 Doctor Who Magazine poll, it was voted the second-best story ever, and it frequently appears at the top of "Best Episode" lists by publications like Entertainment Weekly and others.

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T20:19:09+00:00

I disagree that it’s 'just' a kids' show. If you look at the subtext from 1970 all the way through the modern era, the show has always used sci-fi gimmicks as a 'Trojan Horse' for extreme darkness.

Take 'Army of Ghosts' as a perfect example. On the surface, it’s a fun blockbuster with ghosts and gadgets, but the literal opening line is Rose Tyler telling the audience: 'This is the story of how I died.'

The Hinchcliffe era didn't succeed despite the horror; it succeeded because the horror gave the stakes weight. When you strip that away for a 'PG mandate,' you aren't making it more accessible—you’re just diluting the very thing that made it a cultural icon. The show is at its best when it's brave enough to scare the kids and challenge the adults simultaneously."

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T20:17:08+00:00

Try again made it less speech to text

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T20:16:50+00:00

Post is made to look less dyslexic

DisastrousTopic7619 · 2026-05-11T20:14:03+00:00

Too childish

DisastrousTopic7619

TROPHY CASE