Doctor Who - Where Has All The Hype Gone (and things they probably should do for Series 12)

It's been ages since I've written anything related to Doctor Who - in fact over three months since submitting my review for New Year's Day special, Resolution and with Series 12 in production, not that you'd know it, given the overt secrecy that seems to be in place, a question has to be asked: where has all the hype gone?

No, seriously, where has it gone? In the last few months since the airing of Series 11, the show's presence has never felt so sparse. The merchandise seems to be far less than before, the official magazine has barely any content regarding the current era and seem to be even more reliant on more Big Finish and Classic Who content than ever before because Chibnall won't let them discuss anything regarding Series 12 and with the show's own fandom more seemingly splintered than before, it doesn't seem to be the greatest time to be a fan of the show at the moment. Since Resolution's airing, we've had one frivolous scene for Comic Relief and the announcement of a VR game called The Runaway which seems to have generated more apathy than enthusiasm and aside from that, nada on everything else in relation to the show's future.

Now, I'm not demanding wall to wall spoilers and with the show unlikely to air again until March or April 2020 (not spoilers, just speculation on my part), to me it seems like bad business practice for both the BBC and Chris Chibnall not to make more of an effort to keep the show in the public eye while the show is off the air. In the past between series, both Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat would ensure the official magazine got some details such as guest casting, writer and director announcements from each filming block and things like that were great for keeping the show in the public eye. Why Chibnall seems a little too hellbent on so much secrecy (remember none of the monsters appeared in any promotional or trailer material last series) beggars belief and the BBC themselves seem to be increasingly tone deaf and clueless as to how to run this show. There are rumours circulating that Series 12 may spell a departure for both Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker but like I said, they're rumours and regardless of their veracity, one thing is for certain: changes need to be made to the current regime with the show and not a moment too soon.

For the most part, I did like Series 11 but when stacked against the content we had from 2005-2017, it's hard to deny that overall, it was lacking a bit as well. The political messages while not a bad thing could've been far better written than they actually were, the monsters were woefully impacting compared to previous series and not even promoted, at times the show felt too ordinary (and that's one thing the series should never ever feel) and also a bit too safe. Going into Series 12, I fear it's going to be a case of more of the same with both Chibnall and the BBC unwisely doubling down on legitimate criticisms that have been made in regards to the current era but in order for next series to make a positive impact, it needs to do a lot better in terms of writing, monsters, promotion and take some genuine risks. The companion dynamic desperately needs to be shifted (I say a death for one of the current three "Fam" members) and a few returning past elements aside from Daleks are also essential going forward. Simply put, it needs to feel like Doctor Who for everyone rather than a show for a certain type of audience. If it doesn't, then I genuinely think we're going to be in trouble.

What are your thoughts on the show right now? Do you think it's in a good place or do you think the series needs to make some changes in order to be better?