Doctor Who: Season 12

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Generally favorable reviews based on 4 Critic Reviews

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Generally unfavorable reviews based on 116 Ratings

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3.0	User Score Generally unfavorable reviews based on 116 Ratings

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Doctor Who (Live QA And Screening)

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Season Details & Credits

BBC-1 | BBC | BBC America | BBC One | Season Premiere Date: January 1, 2020

Summary: Ryan (Tosin Cole), Yasmin (Mandip Gill) and Graham (Bradley Walsh) continue their adventures with The Doctor (Jodie Whittaker).

Creator: Sydney Newman

Genre(s): Comedy, Drama, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction

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Season 12 Episodes

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S12:E11. Resolution
Air Date: January 1, 2019

See all Seasons and Episodes

Metascore

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Critic Reviews

The Guardian Stuart Jeffries

Jan 2, 2020

One of the pleasures of showrunner Chris Chibnall’s script was it made sense. ... I could have done with less product placement and fewer nods to Men in Black and James Bond, but there was a lot to enjoy. Read full review

Melanie McFarland

Jan 2, 2020

This first new hour bursts with the confident energy of Chibnall, Whittaker, and the writers entering an era in which Thirteen’s feels less constrained and freer to, in her words, get on with the job. ... And it is incredibly fun to watch. Read full review

Robert Lloyd

Jan 2, 2020

“Spyfall” — a two-part episode that concludes Sunday, when the show takes up its regular time slot — comes on strong. ... It’s fun, often funny and action-packed, which is not to say things don’t get a little heavy by the first hour’s cliffhanger end. Read full review

The Independent Ed Power

Jan 3, 2020

As with the latest Doctor’s debut series in 2018, the chemistry between the four leads is what drives the new Who, with Whittaker excelling as the perpetual motion human gyroscope at the centre of the chaos. Everything duly pelts along. Read full review

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User Reviews

pjgs

Jan 3, 2020

A fantastic start. Music is great, cast is likable, and the cliffhanger... wow!

4 of 27 users found this helpful423

CalDoesDrumming

Mar 14, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A lot of people don’t seem to be warming to this season of Who as a whole and yet personally I really can’t see why. It’s definitely not prefect by any stretch of the imagination but I feel like they definitely at least made the effort to get close and at times I felt like they did, especially with Fugitive Of The Judoon & Haunting Of Villa Diodati, yes Orphan 55 despite it’s good intentions and important message to us all is pretty aids compared to rest of season, yes some of the performances from some of the side characters (especially the guy who plays Ryan) are still “questionable” to say the least and yes the direction they decided to take things in The Timeless Children is controversial without any doubt and could definitely do with more explaining or fleshing out to truly justify it, but fortunately for me it’s not left me frustrated, in fact it’s done quite the opposite and made more curious especially when The Master said that Tecteun found the child/The Doctor at the bottom of gateway to another world, what they do do next with that I don’t know but we’ll have to wait until season 13 to find out

In terms of performances I thought Jodie Whittaker was really bang on throughout the whole thing as The Doctor, even in the weaker episodes she still did her absolute best and still showed a decent amount of dedication which is pretty amazing considering she wasn’t much of a self confessed whovian or anything before joining. I really enjoyed Sacha Dhawan’s Master, he too gave it a 110% despite everything and made me feel just the same way John Simm & Michelle Gomez’s Masters did, a person who’s clearly insane with evil intent yet for some odd reason is really likeable, only thing that annoyed me slightly with him was the fact he never explained how he managed to regenerate from Missy to who he is now, whether they’re saving that for a future episode I don’t know but I hope they do it at some point, but apart from that, brilliant job. The companions are still a bit of a mixed bag for me, as I was saying Tosin Cole’s performance as Ryan was questionable, his Yorkshire accent’s never quite on the ball, especially when you hear it next to The Doctor & Yaz’s and whilst his character’s ok it’s still extremely weak especially compared to the likes of Rose and/or Donna etc, needless to say I don’t think he’ll be missed very much when he goes. Yaz I’m definitely more satisfied with, she had plenty to do & say, had in my opinion a more stronger performance and was properly fleshed out by the end of the season (particularly by Can You Hear Me?). Graham I can’t fault all that much, even though at times he might have just felt like a bit of a comic relief he made up for it by being open about the concerns he had surrounding his cancer, and the speeches he made to both Yaz in The Timeless Children and to Jake in Paraxeus I thought were said really well by him.

By far the biggest highlight of the season for me was when Captain Jack returned, and you could even tell on screen just how pleased John Barrowman looked to be back, needless to say if the rumours are true he’s returning again for Revolution Of The Daleks I’ll definitely be tuning in for that.

As well as all that I thought the reveal of The Master and the Ruth Doctor were done really well and both something I didn’t see coming which I have to take my hat off to the production team for, the sets, CGI and FXs all looked great and Segun Akinola’s score although not as memorable as Murray Gold’s was still really good, creative & effective

So whilst it’s still not a MASTER-piece (you’re welcome), this season is by no means whatsoever as garbage as some people on here seem to think it is, I enjoyed it, and if that’s not what you wanted to hear, then like Ruth taking on the Judoon in the cathedral, fight me over it!… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

Mikeuk81

Jan 4, 2020

Time has run out on the current doctor, what was once essential viewing is now boring. The current Doctor is far removed moved from the acting quality of the four previous modern incarnations. Time to let the show rest for a while.

15 of 20 users found this helpful155

DrJohnSmith

Jul 13, 2020

I am a lifelong fan of Doctor Who (40 years of watching). I grew up watching episodes and celebrated every regeneration. I suffered through the dark times of script writing (Colin Baker's unfortunate years), the show's cancelation, and eventualy rejoiced at its return. The 50th anniversaryI am a lifelong fan of Doctor Who (40 years of watching). I grew up watching episodes and celebrated every regeneration. I suffered through the dark times of script writing (Colin Baker's unfortunate years), the show's cancelation, and eventualy rejoiced at its return. The 50th anniversary was absolutely wonderful. Now this... I watched in horror as it devolved into a pointless, soulless series of random chases culminating in the utter butchery of the entire canon. I wish my Doctor could go back in time and provide Whittaker the story, tone, and depth this character's legacy deserves. This abysmal writing is a mockery to these actors and this once beloved series. I am devastated.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Thatbro92

Jun 2, 2020

The BBC has ruined this show and has doomed the series to another hiatus in the name of social justice.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

jarekwg

Jan 15, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Waste of resources. How can writing be so bad? Does noone review the scripts?

I feel sorry for Jodie, I think she's capable of pulling off the role, but hasn't been given the space to flourish, neither by the writing, nor her supporting cast. I feel sorry for the set designers and arts department, for having their talent wasted on this garbage.

Season 11 was awful, but at least it was self-contained. It seemed like Chibnall was rolling with a simpler Who, with no huge overarching plots, and just individual stories. I liked this approach, it was refreshingly different from the previous format, just needed some stronger writing.
Season 12 seems like either Chibnall never had any intention of going in the aforementioned direction, or was pressured to deliver something "bigger" to address the plummeting ratings. So instead of fixing the stories, he decided to start retconning everything left right and centre. It's just offensive to see a new Master being introduced so soon after Gomez's amazing run, with a personality that ignores all prior character progression to boot. A shameless ratings-grab. As for deciding to aggressively undo lore established in a momentous 50th anniversary special with a silly 2-episode story, what's the intention? Again, to boost ratings by getting the viewership riled up (in all the wrong ways), or to satisfy some secret personal vendetta against Moffat that we don't know about?

Obviously, can't make a review without mentioning the newfound "PC-ness" of the show; beating its viewers over the head with "thou shalt not be a bigot" over and over again. The show fails dismally to achieve this message, it's just nauseating and detracts from the watchability. Moffat era introduced a female Master, homosexual recurring characters, and all sorts of other underrepresented groups in a casual, tasteful way. Now, suddenly, we're seeing this "diversity" amped up to a degree where it seems like everyone's parents have a different skin tone to their children. Pair this with blunt quips about gender equality and speeches about global warming made straight at the audience, and we may as well be treating our modern world's problems as one big joke.

I am willing to give season 11 a pass, as just a "shaky start", but I wish season 12 never happened. It adds nothing, and takes away so much. Three episodes in and I am confident there is no path to redemption from here. Cancel the show!… Expand

6 of 8 users found this helpful62

JKF3

Jan 10, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Very disappointing needs to be regenerated in to the old style Do not like this Doctor .… Expand

9 of 11 users found this helpful92

SEE ALL 56 REVIEWS

Seasons & Episodes

77

Series Overview
Season 12

80
- Season 12 Overview
  Air Date: January 1, 2020
- tbd
  S12:E11. Resolution
  Air Date: January 1, 2019
Season 11

78
- Season 11 Overview
  Air Date: October 7, 2018
Season 10

tbd
- Season 10 Overview
  Air Date: April 15, 2017
Season 9

tbd
- Season 9 Overview
  Air Date: September 19, 2015
Season 8

80
- Season 8 Overview
  Air Date: August 23, 2014
Season 7

tbd
- Season 7 Overview
  Air Date: September 1, 2012
Season 6

tbd
- Season 6 Overview
  Air Date: April 23, 2011
Season 5

76
- Season 5 Overview
  Air Date: April 3, 2010
Season 4

tbd
- Season 4 Overview
  Air Date: April 5, 2008
Season 3

tbd
- Season 3 Overview
  Air Date: March 31, 2007
Season 2

tbd
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: April 15, 2006
Season 1

70
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: March 26, 2005