Storytelling

When one looks at Doctor Who, they can say that it has always been about storytelling. Those who are fans from the classic remember such stories as the Key to Time during Tom Baker’s reign as the Doctor. Another time the stories interconnect is during the first couple of years of Jon Pertwee’s reign. Fans remember the time of the Doctor’s exile on Earth.

Chibnall chose a different way of doing things in season 11. Those changes brought praise from some fans while others criticized them. The stories may have been better had there been some connection. Could this be a reason for the drop in ratings? Well, there are those fans who say yes and others who say no.

There a few questions to ask when it comes to Chibnall not telling a story in Season 11. Fans know the BBC wanted a change, and change is what they got. But was the change beneficial? Some say yes, while others say no. Did the season jump around without a story arc? The obvious answer is yes, and most fans will agree that it did seem disjointed, and disjointed stories don’t guarantee a fan will return for the next episode.

If what Chibnall isn’t beneficial, what does he need to do differently in season 12? Well, he does what this article says he is doing. Things will or should be better for some fans or most fans. Will ratings be better? Well, who knows? They may be worse or better or the same. For Chibnall, storytelling shouldn’t be hard. He has one series where he tells a story. Fans know he produced Broadchurch which revolves around one theme. So, he should be able to have a story arc. The hope is he does use complex arcs that drag out.

This article says he is returning to the use of story arcs, which was a large part of Davies’ and Moffat’s eras. Will making this change please everyone? Maybe not, but there will some who love the change. Maybe more people will watch from week to week, and then again, it may not make a difference. The answer to that question lies in what happens once the episodes air.