John Nathan-Turner - Ratings Decline

Ratings Decline

This openness to fandom proved a double-edged sword for Nathan-Turner. As his tenure on the series lengthened, and especially when the show's ratings began to drop, fan criticism of Nathan-Turner became more prevalent. Fanzines began to blame him for decisions made about the series, whether he was responsible for them or not. The series was placed on hiatus at the end of its 1985 season. By the time it returned in September 1986, his professional relationship with Saward was rapidly deteriorating.

Nathan-Turner's lack of first-hand experience in scripting and direction contributed to his tendency to be distrustful of some of the crew around him. Former director-turned-writer Peter Grimwade had agreed to direct Resurrection of the Daleks, but Nathan-Turner removed him from the post — believed to be mainly due to his perception of being snubbed by Grimwade when he did not invite him to a dinner party. He also became upset when the replacement director, Matthew Robinson, discussed a camera shot with Saward — Nathan-Turner insisting that a script editor had no place in such matters. Saward made critical remarks about him in an unguarded magazine interview just after leaving the series in 1986.

However, Nathan-Turner, who had great organisational flair, knew the BBC's ways intimately and often fixed deals to the show's advantage. Supporters of his reign argue that the producer was not solely to blame for the series' decline in ratings and that the hierarchy at the BBC, funding issues, ratings calculation methods, the decline of in-house drama production, and the decision to schedule the series opposite the popular Coronation Street should be to blame.

Following the difficulties of Season 23, some believe that he in fact was growing tired of the programme. In a documentary about the "end" of the series, some people claimed that Nathan-Turner approached the BBC about leaving the series, but had been told that if he left the series would be cancelled. Some even state that despite the controversy, Nathan-Turner was likely the only thing left holding the suffering series together for its last three seasons.