New Doctor, new gender, new companions and new showrunner. There wasn’t much left of 2017-era Doctor Who after Jodie Whittaker made her full debut 10 weeks ago. Here’s what our Whovians made of her first series …

‘Guaranteed to stick in people’s hearts’

Beth Axford.

Series 11 has been a whirlwind of exciting adventures for Who fans, old and new. A highlight has been Whittaker’s performance, one guaranteed to stick in people’s hearts forever. The episode It Takes You Away gave her a speech full of wonder and persuasion, which confirmed she was a perfect choice for the role. The connection between the Tardis team brings a family feel to a show that is lovely to watch and follow each week. Episodes have been beautifully crafted, fun, rewatchable and thought-provoking. Could it be better? Perhaps. Adventures sometimes don’t feel wrapped up – why would the Doctor leave a blind girl with a father who isn’t capable of looking after her? What about all those spiders in Sheffield? Overall, though, the series has been entertaining, and it feels as if this era is only just getting started.

Beth Axford writes for the Time Ladies blog, and is a regular contributor to Doctor Who Magazine.

‘I miss laughing out loud’

Dan Martin.

The undeniable triumph has been the production values. The FX have never been more impressive, and Segun Akinola’s subtle sound design has made it feel like a show refreshed. But there are things I miss. As a brazen Steven Moffat loyalist, I miss the romance and the psychedelia. I miss the zappy dialogue. I miss Amy Pond being dangled into space by her imaginary friend. I miss the camp, and I miss laughing out loud.

Chibnall is a very different writer – far more adept at tragedy. It would have been wrong for him to try anything other than his own take. There has been plenty to like, but if I have a main complaint it’s that the man who masterminded the cliffhanger for the modern age with Broadchurch has abandoned that strategy completely. Going into the finale, there are no loose threads and no sense of jeopardy whatsoever. I miss that, too.

Dan Martin writes the Guardian’s episode-by-episode Doctor Who recaps.

‘Series 11 made us love the show again’

The Tarbis team.

This season has made us love the show again. Even though it has had some misses, the episodes have been largely enjoyable, the Doctor’s friends are well-rounded and fully developed people, and the Doctor is exciting. Whittaker is wide-eyed, energetic and empathic, and it is refreshing to see the Doctor played as someone who truly cares about individuals, even when she has to deal with saving the universe. Ryan and Yaz are particular favourites; the show has done a good job of allowing them to embody the full scope of their intersecting identities while at the same time letting them be their own people, and not forcing them to be representative of an entire group. It’s easy to connect with them.

Bayana Davis, Robyn Jordan and Connie Gibbs are hosts of the podcast Who Watch: Time and Relative Blackness in Space.

‘I’ve decided to sit out the Chibnall era’

Cameron Reilly.

The Doctor, even in his most pleasant of incarnations, has had a singular trait – he is a psychopath. Not the serial-killer type of psychopath, but the Steve Jobs type. A benign psychopath who, for reasons as yet unknown, has decided to use his intelligence for the benefit of others. I was very excited to get a female Doctor. I loved Chibnall’s work on Broadchurch and hoped he would cast Olivia Colman as the Doctor. Whittaker was a great second choice.

Unfortunately, from the outset, I felt Chibnall either doesn’t get the fundamentals of the Doctor’s inherent psychopathy, or has decided to write it out, making Whittaker a kinder, gentler, touchy-feely, kid-friendly Doctor. That is fine – he’s the show runner and it’s his prerogative to make the Doctor the way he wants her to be. But, after a lifetime of Doctor Who fandom, I’ve given up and decided to sit out the rest of the Chibnall era. His Doctor doesn’t talk or act like the Doctor I have been watching since I was a child. She is full of self-doubt, is indecisive and wants a hug. That’s not my Doctor.

Cameron Reilly is a producer for the Podcast Network.

‘She has been so joyously dorky’

Martin Belam.

I have loved watching Jodie in the role, she has been joyously dorky, and I have loved the whole of team Tardis. I saw someone say that Graham carrying a sandwich around with him is the most relatable thing a companion has ever done. The series was overdue a freshen-up, and I like the fact that there have been some truly left-field moments, such as the talking frog – bringing back memories of surreal 70s and 80s Who moments. But for me, Demons of the Punjab and The Witchfinders were head and shoulders above everything else in a season that at times really struggled to engage me. My nine-year-old appears to have enjoyed it, though. I’m glad Whittaker and the regulars are returning for next season – I just hope they have a bit more to sink their teeth into.

Martin Belam is the Guardian’s senior social reporter and resident Doctor Who nerd.

‘What a magical friend she is’

Trevor Baxendale.

What struck me was the directness of its storytelling – a throwback to the accessibility of the Russell T Davies era, when everybody seemed to be watching. It feels like a deliberate ploy to welcome new viewers and those who may have drifted away.

Another big plus is the regular cast – likable friends you are happy to spend time with. The best is Bradley Walsh’s Graham; as down to earth as you’d like – and someone to make the over-50s feel that they’re not excluded from travelling in the Tardis. As for the Doctor herself, what a magical friend she is. Devoid of pretension or the slightest cynicism and with hearts of gold, Whittaker’s Doctor is a joy to be with.

This is a series I find hard to criticise – and that’s maybe because of the hostility shown towards it by a vocal minority simply because the Doctor is female or, worse because it’s deemed “too PC”, which it manifestly isn’t. The scripts do not proselytise. Rosa and Demons of the Punjab presented unflinching versions of historical events, but without sanctimony. The only thing I would love to see change is a couple of two-part stories – I miss the occasional cliffhanger. Oh, and more Venusian aikido, please.

Trevor Baxendale is an author. His Doctor Who novels include Eater of Wasps and Prisoner of the Daleks.