Doctor Who's modern reboot could have been disastrous – here's how it defied the odds

But Doctor Who's modern reboot could have been an epic failure. Looking back now, it feels like a stroke of beautiful madness from BBC bosses at the time and showrunner Russell T Davies to bring back a show that had, 16 years earlier, faded from mainstream relevance (although, of course, throughout the hiatus, had a thriving community of fans).

Reboots are tricky to make work at the best of times, but New Who could have been disastrous - so many things could have gone wrong.

It could have been too similar to the classic version, feeling outdated and overdone to a modern audience. It could have been too different, disorienting viewers and losing audiences that loved the show in the first place. The wrong casting decision could have been made for the Ninth Doctor, alienating (pun intended) fans who love the character so much.

Instead, the stars aligned and genius decisions from the team behind the show ensured that Doctor Who would stand the test of time.

For his part, showrunner Davies, a dedicated Doctor Who fan himself, changed just enough and kept just enough the same to produce the perfect alchemy for the modern series.

As just one example, he recently told Tenth Doctor actor David Tennant about how his best decision in rebooting Doctor Who was holding firm on not changing the design of the Daleks, so that they still felt like the Doctor's iconic enemies in what he now describes as an "act of faith".

It's easy to imagine that other creative voices wouldn't have been keen on this - after all, they're a very silly monster and could seem quite outdated. But bringing back the Daleks as fans knew them previously - alongside certain other iconography, like the TARDIS - now feels like a crucial link to the show's past and something only a life-long fan like Davies would have known to do.

Perhaps bringing back the Daleks and embracing their true pepper pot form gave Davies licence to lean into the silliness of Doctor Who - because for all the landmark moments of television in New Who, another unexpected way the reboot succeeded was by never taking itself too seriously.

Because for every Auton invasion, there's also been a hilarious Jackie Tyler moment courtesy of Camille Coduri. For every career-defining monologue from our glorious leading actors, there's been a witty catchphrase. And for every genuinely nightmarish villain, there's been a brilliantly random monster just round the corner. It's a part of Doctor Who that never has and never should go away, again reconnecting fans to the show's deeply unserious roots.

But there were definitely things that had to change - including the most crucial part of the show, the Doctor. While Doctor Who is unique in having a recast of its lead character built into its DNA, that surely didn't alleviate any of the pressure when it came to casting the man who would need to immediately get audiences on board - to whisk us across the universe, no less!

In casting the new Doctor, Davies decided he needed to be less "pompous". Enter Eccleston and his leather jacket! The actor beautifully balanced the Doctor's gravitas while also allowing him to lean into the humour of the show ("Lots of planets have a north!") and, somehow, make a time traveller seem a little more accessible to audiences - someone you'd follow across the stars just because he asked.

It's astonishing to think now that Eccleston's run as the Doctor only lasted for one season because he's so monumental in the history of the show. Perhaps nobody else could have done what he did - re-introduce fans to the magic of the Doctor and prepare us for the adventure of a lifetime in a matter of episodes.

While much of the success of modern Doctor Who can be attributed to Davies, there are countless other people who have made the magic happen.

To name just a few, there's Murray Gold, whose music has haunted us for the past 20 years and soundtracked the show's most iconic moments. There's casting director Andy Pryor, who found us our brilliant modern Doctors. Then there have been countless writers, directors, cast members, and crew working tirelessly behind the scenes to bring the magic to screen.

Even the timing of Doctor Who's reboot worked in its favour. It was brought back at just the right moment - soon enough that older fans could still remember the thrill of an adventure with the Doctor, but after enough time that younger generations could discover it for the first time.

Reboots often don't work and, looking back now, Doctor Who's had the odds stacked against it. But a shed load of talent combined with just the right timing, just the right Doctor, some luck, and (dare we say?) a little bit of magic, ensured it would become one of the most successful reboots in television history.

Doctor Who returns to BBC One and iPlayer on Saturday 12th April 2025.

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