You know, there’s a script in Hollywood that never seems to get old, mostly because they keep remaking it with alarming regularity. You take a cherished classic, something people have loved for generations, then you douse it in whatever the latest ideological fad is brewing in the LA coffee shops. The final act? Feign complete and utter shock when the audience, the very people you need to buy tickets or tune in, decide they’d rather, well, do literally anything else.

And speaking of learning the hard way, it seems the House of Mouse might be penning another expensive chapter in this very manual. Their big splashy partnership with the BBC for the long-running sci-fi series Doctor Who is reportedly turning into what the source article aptly calls a “$100 million mouse house nightmare.” You’d think with that kind of cash, you’d be aiming for a blockbuster, not a bust.

So, How’s That Working Out, Mickey?

Well, if ratings are any indication, it’s not exactly a chart-topper. The numbers, according to reports, are looking rather grim. We’re talking about a significant drop in viewership, even compared to previous seasons that themselves weren’t setting the world on fire. It’s like watching a slow-motion TARDIS crash.

From ‘Breitbart’:

“These reports come as ratings data shows that series 15’s opening episode experienced an 800,000 viewer crater over Gatwa’s first season debut last year, going from 4 million for season 14’s episode to only 3.6 million this year.”

And it doesn’t stop there. The decline from Jodie Whittaker’s era to Ncuti Gatwa’s current run as the Doctor is even more pronounced, with millions of viewers seemingly vanishing into the time vortex. Early episodes of the current season are reportedly struggling to keep even half the audience Whittaker managed. Ouch.

The Not-So-Secret Ingredient: Just Add Woke!

So, what’s the alleged culprit for this audience exodus? If you guessed “ultra woke story telling,” give yourself a gold star. The Breitbart piece points to a series filled to the rafters with “representation” – a “queer” Doctor, the character’s first gay kiss and romance, transgender and disabled characters taking center stage, and a Doctor who apparently “openly weeps” in nearly every episode. One might wonder if the Doctor is crying over the scripts or the ratings.

This approach seems particularly, shall we say, interesting given Disney CEO Bob Iger’s previous vows to “dial down wokeness” after a string of other… let’s call them “ideologically-driven underperformers.” It seems that memo might have gotten lost in the Disney corporate shuffle, or perhaps it was just wishful thinking.

When Your Star Becomes Part of the Problem

Adding fuel to the fire, the current Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa, hasn’t exactly been a unifying figure. There have been quite a few instances where his off-screen actions and on-record comments have likely done little to endear him to the traditional fanbase. There was the rumored last-minute pull-out from presenting Eurovision scores, allegedly in protest of an Israeli contestant’s success, which reportedly left BBC bosses “furious.”

Then there are his public pronouncements. Gatwa apparently railed against “white mediocrity” in television and even advised fans who weren’t keen on the show’s new direction to simply “turn off the TV.” Well, judging by the ratings, it seems a fair few might be taking his advice to heart. It’s a bold strategy, Cotton, let’s see if it pays off for ’em.

Cue the Benny Hill Music: Chaos Central

With ratings tanking and the star ruffling feathers, it’s hardly surprising that rumors are swirling thicker than fog on the Scottish moors. The Sun and the Daily Mail have reported that Gatwa might be “axed” after the current season, with the entire show’s future uncertain – perhaps even heading for an extended hiatus.

Naturally, the BBC has issued denials, claiming Gatwa wasn’t fired and no decisions on future seasons have been made. Yet, even showrunner Russell T. Davies let slip a comment about a potential “pause.” It all paints a picture of a ship taking on water, with conflicting orders being shouted from the bridge. Is anyone actually in control, or is this just the new normal for big-budget entertainment?

One has to wonder if the grand plan to turn Doctor Who into a Star Wars-esque expanded universe, as The Sunday Times reported, is looking a tad ambitious right now. You generally need a successful flagship series before you start launching a fleet of spin-offs.

Key Takeaways:

• Disney’s “woke” Doctor Who experiment faces tanking ratings and significant financial fallout.
• The lead actor’s divisive rhetoric further alienates the traditional fanbase and hurts the brand.
• Ideologically driven content consistently fails when it prioritizes agendas over audience appeal.

Sources: Breitbart