The rankings show the worst so far opened the series and an even worse closed the series. Misconceived and appalling efforts the both of them.
In between those are the heights of Caves and the middling ho hum of Planet of F/Frontios/Awakening.
Why? How?
I think JNT and Eric Saward were clearly failing to work together and neither of them seemed to want to make DW the best they could.
Such an attitude had so far contributed to departures of three leading actors, directors such as Peter Grimwade, hiring of unsuitable directors (Mary Ridge) and terrible script development processes (eg CUTTING the Awakening by two eps while letting Warriors of the Deep through as a 4 parter).
Granted the upper management at he BBC were not supporting the show properly. During Davison's time it had different day of broadcast every year for three years running. (Mon/Tue in 1982, Tu/Wed in 1983 and Th/Fr in 1984... and then Sat again in 1985). Overseas is doing better and better business (especially in the USA with Tom Baker reruns) but the show now needs a reboot.
It gets one but it fails due to crummy scripts. After that the story gets to upper management being unable or unwilling to replace JNT. Why did he have the incriminating negatives? That mystery remains hidden to history.
5 series to go now and it will be hard going.
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