If you don't watch Doctor Who, tell me why

[UnquietDad]

Everyone knows that, by any measure, "Doctor Who" is doing really well. It's the biggest BBC drama after the soaps and gets, most weeks, around 8 million viewers (including the "time-shifted" ratings for those who have recorded it). In terms of raw ratings this doesn't sound huge, given that it often got 12-13 million in the 60s and 70s, but we live in a fragmented multimedia world and I can understand that, at 7pm on a Saturday some people are plugged onto their Playstations or already largeing it down at their raves with their designer downloaded drugs, or whatever they do these days.

But most people I know - the vast majority of whom are parents of children under 10 - watch it. Just about everyone seems aware it's on. Which rather begs the question not of why 8 million people should choose to watch "Doctor Who" but why 52 million don't?

Let's be charitable and assume that a) 10 million or so are babies and toddlers and so don't have control of the remote, b) another 5 million or so detest "science fiction" (not that it is sci-fi, not really) and would rather pull their own teeth out than ever watch it, and c) about 5 million people don't have access to a telly/assume it rots their brains/ chucked their TV on the skip in 1997 and never looked back. I've no idea if those figures are right, but they don't seem unreasonable...

The next important thing is the audience share - how many people who watched telly were watching a given channel. Anything over 30% is seen as good and over 35% is phenomenal. BBC1 usually gets a 37-39% share when "Doctor Who" is on. So what are the other 60-odd percent doing? Let's assume there really are, as the ratings tell us, 3-4 million ardent Vernon Kay fans in the country who actively tune in for his "Gameshow Marathon" because he is so talented and entertaining. That takes care of about 20%. Where are the rest? I just genuinely can't imagine putting the telly on at 7pm on a Saturday night and choosing to watch a "Two Ronnies" repeat on ITV4, or "Whose Line Is It Anyway" on Five US, or something called "Bridezillas" on some other crappy cable channel, instead of a brand spanking new and wonderful episode of the best thing on the telly.

If you are unmoved by Who, have never watched it, or watched it and gave up with it, or actively hate it - tell me why.

Over to you...

In the same way that a lot of people who 'don't do fantasy' do actually read Pratchett.

I hate to confess that life with Mr Inferior has made me sadly familiar with both genres; and, despite posho degree in Posho Literature, rather keen on some of it

I have tried to watch it a couple of times but really find it quite dull. I don't think the writing is terribly good to be honest - it's not exciting or thought provoking - or rather it does try to be but then the acting lets it down. I just don't think we do this kind of story telling as well as the Americans do - same as with sitcoms. Nothing over here comes close to the genius of Scrubs imo.

I was also put off by plagiarism of the final episode of the series with Billie Piper in it - any one who's read 'his dark materials' should have recognised the story line a mile off.

Good point MI.

Not that I've thought about this or anything

I don't like Buffy either.

Dh fancies her though. I think its shit.

ds is 4 and too scared by it, or else copies the violence he sees on it (not good).
also it is at bathtime,
so although dh and i might possibly watch it; we don't get to.

dont have time

Havent read whole thread (i know. i know}
but unquietdad asks why dont I watch Dr who?

Well the truth is when I was a kid I was scared witless by the programme. (There was a "baddie" that was a maggot that fired green stuff at people. Well, a girls white school sock taken off in a hurry and thrown towards the washing basket looks very much like one of these maggots, once the lights are old. I spent many a night under my covers to scared to surface!

Daleks, I could cope with by running upstairs but I hear they can now fly

Because:

• I can't stand the look of the face of the main actor
• it's on at 7 o'clock and it's when we all have dinner however I do love buffy and was very perturbated by the impossible love story with angel, almost shakesperian...

Theres a definite type of mother round here who likes to tell everyone that her DS doesnt watch it because he is too sensitive - usually followed by a list of the worthy things he does instead!

Each to his own, but its funny how many children only like what their parents like. I did not encourage DD to watch it even though I did, she asked about it as friends at school were watching it and playing games in the playground, so i recorded an episode and watched it with her to explain it to her and stop it if it got too scary.

And I do that with a lot of the films she wants to watch, like harry Potter, Narnia etc, I dont let her watch things on her own first time, with the odd exception of Winnie the Pooh and suchlike!

I've seen a bit of a couple of episodes, but haven't been interested in it really. My kids don't seem that interested in it either (not enough cars or weapons )

There are some good weapons in the latest one! Guns shaped like leeches firing sizzling bolts of green fire that disintegrate people!

Admit it is a bit short on the car front, though.

should add that all my kids love it and only my 8 yo is scared (but still loves it).

Watched an early episode with "the empty child" and was scared witless again so I "busy" myself whilst they watch it. Decided to watch it with them at the weekend and it had scarecrows that came to life (no more country walkiing for me). I spend most of it hidden behind a cushion.

I rarely watched Dr Who as a child, didn't watch the new series with Christopher Eccleston because I hate his Northern worthiness. Did watch the first DT episode and have been hooked since. The Girl In The Fireplace was brilliant. And very sad. And he can act. But he has got a funny mouth so no I wouldn't

As for Buffy... I wrote this off as American shit TV for about 3 series but it was ALWAYS on when we came in from pub. And eventually DH & I watched one. And we had to admit that it was fucking good! Certainly up until 'Adam' which was poor.

And then the Yanks gave us The West Wing, 24 etc and left 'great British TV' floundering in the gutter. Dr Who is good but it's still lacking the money that the Americans would have invested in it.

yes, it's def the funny mouth!

It is lacking money, true, even if it is one of the most expensive series on BBC. They could always have done with more money in the old days and they could do with more now. Having daid that, it's miraculous what they do achieve on the budget!

UD, I'm with you on this (but I'm always bewildered when people don't share my passions, even when it was for Deacon Blue who I rated far more than any other band in the 80's and TOLD everyone about them, endlessly)Sorry wandered away there!

I can't stand 'realistic' soaps that are supposed to reflect life as it is lived; heaven help anyone whose life is like that.
Dr Who is like all good fiction, drama etc; it reflects the human condition in any situation, however fantastic.I watch with DP, 16 year-old niece, 10 yr old DGS and we talk about it for ages afterwards.

It's one of only 3 programmes I MUST watch, Heroes and Grey's Anatomy are the others.
I love reading, and all of my family share a passion for Fantasy, Robin Hobb, Tad Williams, Terry Goodkind, Sheri Tepper. I'd place DR Who as part of that genre more than sci-fi, even though the Tardis is a 'vehicle' as it's the characters rather the technology that's central.
PS sorry if I'm miles behind everyone. I'm feeling ill and my brain's refusing to co-operate.

[hard stare] at all those who say its "shit".

It may not be to your taste, but, it isnt shit. I wouldnt waste my time watching "shit". Especially since alot of my day is taken up with cleaning up other peoples "shit".

Be scathing about it constructively, yes, but dont be lazy about it......

[applauds need for constructive scathe]

(although LOLOLOLOLOL at earthymama's great love of deacon blue).

sails OFF. must use preview.

Deacon Blue were good.