Was I wrong about Doctor Who?

Graphic depicting Ncuiti Gatwa as the new new Doctor Who.
Pictured: Ncuti Gatwa, the new Doctor
// After watching the new new Doctor Who I went back to the old new Doctor Who.
Dylan Crismale
Mar 11, 2024
Icon Time To Read2 min read
Email

This article first appeared in The Watchlist newsletter

If you're interested in reading more, follow this link to subscribe to The Watchlist for more hot TV takes. 

I’ll be the first to admit I was wrong about Doctor Who.

Like the gravity of a dying star, Doctor Who’s vast legacy is hard to escape. So naturally, I’ve seen an episode here and there like everyone else but I've never actively sought out the series.

At a glance, Doctor Who just seemed far too silly for my liking. A guy in a fez pointing a magical screwdriver at bucket-shaped aliens that shout “Exterminate” in funny voices on repeat? Not my cup of tea. Or so I thought.

When I heard that a group of friends were gathering to watch the new specials together at the end of 2023, I was intrigued. What sway did this show have over these people to warrant an in-person viewing party?

Once you learn to accept some of the silliness, everything fits into place. For me at least, the specials featuring David Tennant that introduced Ncuti Gatwa as the fifteenth incarnation of The Doctor were the perfect jumping on point. I immediately went back and started binging the (old, new) Doctor Who that kicked off a revival back in 2005.

After spending some more time with the Doctor and his companions, I’ve discovered that the silliness often pays off with some solid slapstick humour. But when it shifts gears and introduces high-stakes drama, it really swings for the fences.

It’s a story about the resilience of humanity through the lens of a man with two hearts who travels the galaxy inside a big blue telephone booth that’s actually a time-and-spaceship.

In the vastness of space-time, the black hole that is the Doctor Who universe has finally managed to suck me in.

I’m onboard the TARDIS and adventure awaits.

The most recent Doctor Who episodes and specials are available on Disney Plus but you can find series 1 to 10 on Prime Video and series 11 to 13 on Foxtel Now.

Deals

Stream for free tonight with these trials

Looking for something new to stream tonight? These services offer free trials so you won’t pay a cent unless you decide to keep subscribed once your trial’s up.


Rev Streaming
There’s too much good TV and not enough time. We take the guesswork out with our weekly picks for what to watch.
You're going to love The Watchlist**By clicking this link, you are contractually obliged to love The Watchlist. You don't have to tell everybody about The Watchlist, but that would help prove that you love it in the court of law. if it came to that.

What to expect from The Watchlist

The growing number of streaming video-on-demand services has unlocked a world of entertainment for everyday Australians. But what should be a dream come true has slowly turned into a living nightmare; an avalanche of content delivered direct to your screen with nobody sorting the rare gems from the rivers of cinematic sludge.

It's like that scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark where the Nazi opens the coveted ark. The thing we so desperately wanted in Australia, after decades of delayed movie and TV releases, has melted our face off and turned us into a puddle of quivering goop.

What The Watchlist offers is a return to simpler times. Like getting a recommendation from the cool Video Ezy clerk. We keep our recommendations simple and focused, typically in line with a common theme (actor, director, genre etc.,) or recent release. 

There are plenty of services and newsletters like The Watchlist around the world, but our recommendations are specific to an Australian audience. So if we recommend something, you can be sure we'll tell you where its streaming too. 

Dylan Crismale
Written by
Dylan Crismale has been writing for over 6 years working across a variety of Australian publications. He's passionate about finding the best deals to save people money. When he's not behind a desk Dylan loves drawing, working out, and spending time with friends and family.