Doctor Who is enduring the toughest moment since it was axed by former BBC One Controller Michael Grade in 1989, following Russell T Davies’ much criticised return as showrunner

Peter Capaldi says he knows why Doctor Who is in trouble . The former star of the show said the BBC have forgotten it’s a show for kids.

The sci-fi show is enduring the toughest moment since it was axed by former BBC One Controller Michael Grade in 1989, following Russell T Davies’ much criticised return as showrunner.

Davies was the man responsible for reviving the show in 2005 and helping it achieve record viewing figures and was brought back to reinvigorate the flagging programme following Chris Chibnall’s time in charge of the TARDIS.

Things started well with David Tennant and Catherine Tate returning as the Doctor and his companion Donna Noble for three specials in a bid to bring back the casual viewers.

Then an international streaming deal was agreed with Disney+ and Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa took over as the Fifteenth Doctor.

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Peter Capaldi starred alongside Alex Kingston in Doctor Who(Image: BBC)

But with disappointing viewing figures, storylines dubbed ‘woke’ and fans not taking to Ncuti in the role, the 33-year-old actor left after just two seasons with the Time Lord regenerating as Billie Piper – who previously played companion Rose Tyler – and Disney pulling out of their streaming deal.

Capaldi played the Twelfth Doctor from 2013 to 2017 and he is adamant the reasons for the beleaguered show’s issues is because the BBC are too fixated on everything surrounding Doctor Who as a brand as opposed to making a sci-fi series that appeals to the audience, which is what it began as in the ‘60s and continued to be throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s.

The 67-year-old actor said: “The show became very, very big. And it was never like that when I loved it. So it became a different thing. I think the responsibilities of playing the part became more. There were more of them.

“There were more things that you had to do rather than just, I mean, I think in the old days, you know, if you were John Pertwee or Tom Baker or something like that, you probably, you know, you spend most of your year making it and then a bit of your year promoting it. But it wasn’t this in your face kind of thing that suddenly was really important to the BBC, or suddenly really important to a brand that had to be maintained. It was just a show that some kids really loved and other kids didn’t care about, but wanted to watch football or you grew out of, you know.

“It became this sort of very important thing. I think less in a cultural way and more in an economic way.

“I think the show is a little bit of a victim of its success. You know, the show that I loved was a tiny thing, a little small thing that survived. It just survived, but nobody knew that it was warming its way into the culture in such a deep way. And I think that’s what I have an affinity with.”

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Capaldi was announced as the Twelfth Doctor in 2013 taking over from Matt Smith(Image: BBC)

Ncuti left his role as the Fifteenth Doctor after just two seasons, and although Capaldi doesn’t know what his motivation was he can recall the huge fame that comes with playing the Time Lord takes its toll, and nothing can prepare you for being recognised everywhere you go, especially the recognition from young fans who believe you are the Doctor.

Appearing on the Half the Picture podcast, Capaldi said: “I don’t think they can prep you, really, for it. Because it’s also about being famous. If you’re not famous, then you’re suddenly famous. I mean, I was well-known, but not famous to that degree. That’s a whole different ball game. It changes things.

“Matt [Smith] and David [Tennant] were lovely because I knew, and I spoke to them about it and they were great. David said to me, ‘You’ll just be much more visible.’ And I didn’t really quite know what he meant, but I sort of learned that it just meant people just recognised you all the time, which was quite nice, actually. I mean, it was a little scary. It was scary because I knew that life would change in some way. And it’s a genie, once that’s out of the bottle, you can’t put it back.

“So if you lose your privacy to that degree, it’s quite an extreme kind of feeling, it makes you feel quite vulnerable. But I was lucky that I was older, that I wasn’t a young actor who still had a huge career that they wanted to pursue or was going to clubs or pubs or anything like that. I was quiet and remained quite a dull person in that respect … There was nothing for them to see other than me going to Marks & Spencer’s to get the macaroni and cheese for the tea.

“It is very exposing, it makes you feel quite vulnerable. But it’s also delightful. It’s absolutely wonderful to have people look on you as Doctor Who and smile at you and be cheered up by your, simply by your presence. And you don’t want to disappoint people. That becomes a little bit of a strain, I think Matt said that to me, ‘You don’t want them to be the one that the kid goes, he was horrible. I love Doctor Who, but he was horrible.’ Which Matt would never ever be. You’ve always got that in the back of your head that you’re, you know, if you’re not very pleasant, then that will be toxic material that will be nuclear.”