Daleks, the TARDIS
and Other Stuff.

What are these scores?

After every episode, the forum known as Gallifrey Base (a reincarnation of Outpost Gallifrey) asks fans to rate the episode, and these figures have been compiled into the above table to give a strong indication of popularity for the new series episodes.

Comparison to other polls

The difference to Doctor Who Magazine's end of season polls is that about 95% of votes are registered immediately after broadcast, and therefore the survey isn't influenced by rewatching and subsequent reevaluation. These scores are almost all taken after a single viewing and thus provides a more visceral, emotional first impression.

Flawed Questioning

The questioning in the current poll system on Gallifrey Base is inappropriate, but still serves a purpose as it allows fans to rate out of ten. At present, viewers are asked to determine whether a story was a "masterpiece" or "average", etc.

The line of questioning needs to reflect the subjective nature of the process, and it should be "how much did you enjoy this episode" or "how did it make you feel?" To assume that something you love has to be a "masterpiece", or to assume that something you don't like must be "below average" is simply wrong.

There are certain stories which I respect, and I see why they are considered "masterpieces" and yet I do not derive much enjoyment from them. I can see that they are brilliantly written and superbly executed. I wouldn't chose to watch them and thus I wouldn't rate them highly, but I resent the fact that to do so means that these carefully-crafted pieces of TV drama have to be deemed "awful" in the poll, just to reflect my personal reaction. Conversely, there are stories which I love and watch repeatedly, but I would be wary to call them "masterpieces" or suggest that "they don't get much better than this". A rethink is needed on the grading system, but otherwise a very useful tool.