Doctor Who
Within the fan community, the episode received a negative reaction to the origin. Several fan websites expressed their concerns about the changes that "The Timeless Children" introduced into the canon and folklore of the series. Thus, within the fanbase itself, the critical reception was largely negative, with many fans voicing their concerns. The episode was criticised by critics and fans. In response to complaint emails sent to the BBC, viewers were told the scene "Doctor Who is a beloved long-running series and we understand that some people will feel attached to a particular idea they have of the Doctor, or that they enjoy certain aspects of the programme more than others. Opinions are strong and this is indicative of the imaginative hold that Doctor Who has – that so many people engage with it on so many different levels. We wholeheartedly support the creative freedom of the writers and we feel that creating an origin story is a staple of science fiction writing. What was written does not alter the flow of stories from William Hartnell’s brilliant Doctor onwards – it just adds new layers and possibilities to this ongoing saga. We have also received many positive reactions to the episode’s cliff-hanger. There are still a lot of questions to be answered, and we hope that you will come back to join us and see what happens, but we appreciate that it’s impossible to please all of our viewers all of the time and your feedback has been raised with the programme’s Executive Producer."