Doctor Who was removed from the 2026 TV schedule, and the BBC is actively taking pitches for how to retool the beloved sci-fi franchise. Russell T. Davies is officially out, and while he made noble efforts to put the franchise back out in front of a mainstream audience, he fell short. Now, as conversations happen about how the franchise needs to change, I think diehard fans need to acknowledge how successful a controversial set of storylines was.
I remember back in the day these were referred to as "The Doctor and his girlfriend" adventures, which is a reference to the period in which it seemed The Doctor was constantly building romantic tension with his companions. As we look back on what worked and what didn't, it's hard for me to deny that the more Doctor Who got away from Matt Smith's era of The Doctor having romantic tension with his companions, the less popular it became.
Matt Smith's "The Doctor And His Girlfriend" Era Of Doctor Who Felt Like The Series Biggest Time
Being a Doctor Who fan from 2011 to 2014 was great, because it seemed like the franchise was everywhere. Some would credit then-showrunner Stephen Moffat, others the more youthful Matt Smith, and even more the "shipping" the show created with his various companions.
People loved Amy Pond, as well as Clara Oswald, but what seemed to get more attention was the sexual tension between the characters and Matt Smith's Doctor. Doctor Who certainly pushed the romance narrative, having Pond kiss The Doctor the day before her wedding, and near-constant tension with Clara creating a "will they, won't they" dynamic.
Then, following Matt Smith's exit, Doctor Who reversed course. As CinemaBlend wrote when Peter Capaldi took over, The Doctor began acting more like classic iterations of the character, and the show progressively became less and less about spontaneous romance that grows while adventuring. Doctor Who began to fade from the mainstream, and it's safe to say it never quite reached that fever pitch again.
The Doctor Falling In Love Wasn't New, But There Were A Couple Key Differences
Some might argue that romance has always been a part of Doctor Who, especially in its modern era. After all, Rose Tyler's romance with the Doctor is a celebrated storyline, and Capaldi's Doctor ultimately married his longtime fellow time traveler, River Song. More recently, there was Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor having a brief kiss with Jonathan Groff's "Rogue," which we never got a follow-up on.
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Those are all instances of The Doctor falling in love outside of Matt Smith's era, but the difference is they weren't a part of the main story. I think it's fair to say that, in the case of Amy Pond and Clara Oswald, feelings for The Doctor were a major part of their stories, which may have been something that helped it reach so many back when.
Is it the trick to getting Doctor Who back in the eyes of millions and back to making some of its best episodes again? I can only speculate, but it's one of the things from the past years that we didn't see in this latest run by Russell T. Davies. Maybe there are other ways to bring back The Doctor, and I'm eager to see creatives try!
In the meantime, the back catalog of Doctor Who's modern era is largely available on AMC+, with the latest season and specials on Disney+. Hopefully, we won't have to wait too long before learning what's next for the franchise, and who will lead it into a brave new era.
