# Doctor Who

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/doctor-who/

5 people recommended Doctor Who in Hacker News comments, 8 had mixed feelings and 9 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 2 of 12 months, in 3 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

3 of the 5 people who recommend it commented in one thread, “Two long-lost episodes of 'Doctor Who' have been found”.

**Verdict:** More people criticize it than recommend it. Long-running British sci-fi show with standout doctors and strong episodes, especially David Tennant's. Critics say quality slipped in later years.

Summary written by Claude from the comments below.

## What people warn about

- Quality declined in later years (4 comments in the sample): "I couldn't keep suspending disbelief after that. It wasn't just one bad episode the whole thing felt tired." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49726791)) "It fell apart in the Capaldi era. The "kill the moon" was the "jump the shark" of neu-Who" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49725892)) "the quality has fallen off significantly recently" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49725823))
- Capaldi-era storylines and tone (1 comment in the sample): "I think his episodes were a bit too "mature" for me, when I preferred funny scifi show." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49727035))

## Why people recommend it

- Strong episodes and scenes (3 comments in the sample): "Capaldi had strong episodes throughout his run, but yes, I personally did dislike some of the storylines." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49726165)) "I thought this scene was excellent." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46326524)) "It's definitely still a good show" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47366520))
- Standout doctors, especially David Tennant (2 comments in the sample): "If you haven't seen the first three episodes he did, with David Tennant returning as the Doctor, you're missing out!" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49729123)) "He's the doctor that set the standard that all future doctors followed" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47366481))

## Other science fiction TV series people recommend

- [Star Trek: The Next Generation](https://hackerapproved.com/p/star-trek-the-next-generation/): 43 recommend, 10 mixed, 13 criticize
- [Star Trek: Deep Space Nine](https://hackerapproved.com/p/star-trek-deep-space-nine/): 37 recommend, 11 mixed, 7 criticize
- [The Expanse](https://hackerapproved.com/p/expanse/): 24 recommend, 8 mixed, 4 criticize
- [Silo by Apple TV](https://hackerapproved.com/p/silo/): 19 recommend, 7 mixed, 10 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Doctor Who", https://hackerapproved.com/p/doctor-who/ (5 recommend, 8 mixed, 9 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.