Viewers Complain about Bad Sound Quality in Doctor Who Again!

Doctor Who returned this Halloween, marking Jodie Whittaker’s last outing as the Thirteenth Doctor. With just two episodes in, fans of the sci-fi series are already displeased.

Episode 1 of Doctor Who: Flux got decent reviews by fans, but then Episode 2 followed, almost raining on its parade. And no, I’m not talking about the plot of the episode, I’m talking about a recurring technical problem that Doctor Who and other BBC programs frequently face.

Titled War of the Sontarans, the episode had a terrible audio quality, and the dialogues often felt muffled. Viewers took to social media to express their disappointment, complaining that the dialogues were often inaudible due to loud sound effects and the soundtrack.

The reasons for this error are not known, but as a ScreenRant article suggests, it is likely due to the difference between regular TV speakers and the high-quality speakers used for sound mixing.

This isn’t the first time that fans have complained about the sound mixing. Viewers have often posted about the previous seasons having similar sound issues where the audio is often drowned out by a humming/buzzing noise.

The BBC had previously apologized to fans when no sound or dialogue could be heard during Doctor Who’s Series 10 finale for those viewing it on BBC Scotland HD.

Here’s hoping wherever this new issue lies, it is resolved quickly and doesn’t continue in the upcoming episodes. After all, the season will be Whittaker’s exit as the thirteenth Doctor, and it should be a grand one.

This season takes a different approach in its storytelling by following a single storyline throughout the season. All the previous seasons have been anthology-like, following the Doctor around in the TARDIS on a different adventure every episode.

About Doctor Who

Doctor Who is a British sci-fi TV program produced by the BBC since 1963. The series aired from 1963-89 and was then again revived in 2005.

The program depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called “The Doctor,” an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the universe in a time-traveling spaceship called the TARDIS.  With various companions, the Doctor combats foes, saves civilizations, and helps people in need.

Over the years, many actors like Jodie Whittaker, William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, and Peter Davidson have played the Doctor. Hartnell was the first actor to be cast as Doctor Who.