Crushed by the Connors
ABC
The “Doctor Who” movie had the misfortune to air on the same date as “Roseanne,” which was nearing the end of its eighth season. “Roseanne” happened to be one of the most popular television series at the time, and this episode wound up drawing 20.97 million viewers — nearly five times as much as the “Doctor Who” film. Rik Moran, who helps run one of the biggest Doctor Who fan clubs, knew that this was a kiss of death for a potential U.S. reboot of the sci-fi series. He even admitted as much during an interview with The Independent.
“We saw the American ratings and went, ‘It’s over, it’s not going to happen,’”
However, “Roseanne” wasn’t the only reason viewers steered clear of the “Doctor Who” movie. The film drew upon decades of Doctor Who lore, which made it rather confusing and off-putting to newcomers. Plus, the series was hardly the cultural behemoth it is today — back then, when people thought of sci-fi, they usually thought of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
Physician, heal thyself
BBC
“Doctor Who” would eventually find new life — and new cultural relevance — thanks to Russell T. Davies, who rebooted the series in 2005. The modern approach, as well as choosing to make Christopher Eccleston’s Doctor the last of the Time Lords, was immensely more viewer friendly than the movie was. Davies is even slated to return to “Doctor Who” as a showrunner following the conclusion of the current season.
Though the film didn’t exactly take off, McGann’s tenure as the Doctor was far from over. He reprised the role in a series of audio dramas for Big Finish, and even re-appeared in “The Night of the Doctor” — a prelude to the 50th anniversary special “The Day of the Doctor,” where he regenerated into the War Doctor (John Hurt). This time, the reception to his appearance was extremely positive — proving that time and distance can often re-shape your perspective on things.
The Reason Doctor Who: The Movie Was A Complete Flop In The U.S.
BBC
By Collier Jennings/March 8, 2022 9:23 am EST
Crushed by the Connors
ABC
The “Doctor Who” movie had the misfortune to air on the same date as “Roseanne,” which was nearing the end of its eighth season. “Roseanne” happened to be one of the most popular television series at the time, and this episode wound up drawing 20.97 million viewers — nearly five times as much as the “Doctor Who” film. Rik Moran, who helps run one of the biggest Doctor Who fan clubs, knew that this was a kiss of death for a potential U.S. reboot of the sci-fi series. He even admitted as much during an interview with The Independent.
“We saw the American ratings and went, ‘It’s over, it’s not going to happen,’”
However, “Roseanne” wasn’t the only reason viewers steered clear of the “Doctor Who” movie. The film drew upon decades of Doctor Who lore, which made it rather confusing and off-putting to newcomers. Plus, the series was hardly the cultural behemoth it is today — back then, when people thought of sci-fi, they usually thought of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
However, “Roseanne” wasn’t the only reason viewers steered clear of the “Doctor Who” movie. The film drew upon decades of Doctor Who lore, which made it rather confusing and off-putting to newcomers. Plus, the series was hardly the cultural behemoth it is today — back then, when people thought of sci-fi, they usually thought of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
“We saw the American ratings and went, ‘It’s over, it’s not going to happen,’”
Physician, heal thyself
“Doctor Who” would eventually find new life — and new cultural relevance — thanks to Russell T. Davies, who rebooted the series in 2005. The modern approach, as well as choosing to make Christopher Eccleston’s Doctor the last of the Time Lords, was immensely more viewer friendly than the movie was. Davies is even slated to return to “Doctor Who” as a showrunner following the conclusion of the current season.
Though the film didn’t exactly take off, McGann’s tenure as the Doctor was far from over. He reprised the role in a series of audio dramas for Big Finish, and even re-appeared in “The Night of the Doctor” — a prelude to the 50th anniversary special “The Day of the Doctor,” where he regenerated into the War Doctor (John Hurt). This time, the reception to his appearance was extremely positive — proving that time and distance can often re-shape your perspective on things.
Though the film didn’t exactly take off, McGann’s tenure as the Doctor was far from over. He reprised the role in a series of audio dramas for Big Finish, and even re-appeared in “The Night of the Doctor” — a prelude to the 50th anniversary special “The Day of the Doctor,” where he regenerated into the War Doctor (John Hurt). This time, the reception to his appearance was extremely positive — proving that time and distance can often re-shape your perspective on things.
