Mail regenerates
Doctor Who , Issue 1624

IS THERE nothing Doctor Who's Russell T Davies can do to get a rise out of the Mail?

At the press launch for the show's 60th anniversary specials last November, which featured a transgender teenage companion, an alien that corrected people on their use of gendered pronouns and a disabled scientist in a rocket-firing wheelchair, Davies launched an unprompted rant about "journalists here tonight from newspapers of absolute hate and venom and destruction and violence, who would rather see that sort of thing wiped off the screen and destroyed and shame on you and good luck to you in your lonely lives".

The Mail responded with a five-star review which noted: "There are fans who feel the series has lost its way in recent times. It stands accused of lecturing us on the social issues of the day, and – worse – just being a bit dull. This episode... was Doctor Who back to its uproarious, eccentric, action-packed best."

Tempting fate
This month saw the premiere of the first full series featuring black gay actor Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor, and in a pre-broadcast interview with the Times, Davies confessed to being "very annoyed" about the Mail's positive review and joked: "I'm sure it won't last."

So what did the Mail – which was frothing last year about "How Drag Queens became a Trojan Horse to promote militant trans ideology to children" – make of the opening double bill, which introduced young viewers to a villain played by drag queen Jinkx Monsoon?

"These are the most family-friendly adventures the Doctor has enjoyed in years," enthused critic Christopher Stevens in another five-star rave, which the Mail on Sunday printed beneath the headline: "Praise the Time Lord! At last Doctor Who ditches wokery for fun family viewing."

More top stories in the latest issue:

DEAD CATFISH BOUNCE
News UK has finally given an update on its investigation into former employee Dan Wootton – to say that, er, it won't be revealing what it has unearthed.

CHELSEA BOOTED
You won't read much about Chelsea Flower Show in the Evening Standard – because very silly proprietor Evgeny Lebedev wasn't invited.

REINDEERBALLS
Seven weeks on from the Netflix release of stalker drama Baby Reindeer, the hot takes keep on coming from the Street of Shame's finest.

ALPHA MAIL
With reporting restrictions on Prince Harry and others v Associated Newspapers case now lifted, four national newspaper editors are named in the documents.

REVERSE CHARGES
The Telegraph published sponsored content that busted supposed "myths" about electric cars – but where might its readers have seen those myths being pushed?

MULLEN IT OVER
Views across Reach's clickbaity websites are down by a third in the first quarter of 2024 due to changes in the Facebook and Google algorithms.

WHITE ELEPHANT NEWS
Despite having no regulatory mandate, the Press Recognition Panel is determined to poke its nose into areas that are nothing to do with it.

MONACO MOAN
The Sunday Times kicked off its latest Rich List profiles with a fawning feature on the Eye's old chum, caravan park tycoon Alfie Best.