Have you ever thought that watching your favorite TV show could be good for your health?
A recent study published in The BMJ’s Christmas issue suggests that watching “Doctor Who” during the festive season might be linked to lower death rates in the UK.
This fascinating research celebrates the impact of doctors working during holidays and hints that broadcasting new “Doctor Who” episodes, especially on Christmas Day, could have positive health effects.
“Doctor Who,” a show about the time-traveling adventures of the Doctor, first aired 60 years ago and quickly became a cultural icon.
Millions worldwide still enjoy its unique blend of science fiction and drama. The show’s longevity offers a unique opportunity to study its impact on public health.
Richard Riley, a professor at the University of Birmingham, investigated whether new “Doctor Who” episodes aired during the festive season (24 December to 1 January) might affect the UK’s death rates. He focused on new episodes from 1963 onwards, leaving out spin-offs and other media like books and comics.
The findings are intriguing. In the years when a new “Doctor Who” episode aired during the festive period, there were fewer deaths. This was particularly true for episodes broadcast on Christmas Day.
For instance, England and Wales saw about six fewer deaths per 10,000 person-years, and the UK saw a reduction of four deaths per 10,000 person-years.
The effect was even more pronounced from 2005 to 2019, when “Doctor Who” was a regular Christmas feature. During these years, there were, on average, seven fewer deaths per 10,000 person-years in England and Wales and six fewer in the UK.
Riley emphasizes that these findings don’t prove that watching “Doctor Who” directly causes lower death rates. However, he suggests that seeing a caring doctor on screen might encourage people to seek medical help when needed.
The study highlights the importance of healthcare and suggests that decision-makers at the BBC and Disney+ (which now broadcasts “Doctor Who” internationally) could consider these findings. Perhaps streaming new “Doctor Who” episodes during the festive season could even have a global impact on health.
While the study might have stumbled upon these findings by chance, it raises an interesting point. The kind of healthcare portrayed in “Doctor Who” – thoughtful, timely, and free – might inspire viewers to make healthier choices.
The Doctor, after all, represents the best of healthcare professionals, possibly motivating viewers to live better lives.
So, as health professionals work this Christmas, just like the Doctor started his journey in a London junkyard sixty years ago, they can take pride in their life-saving work.
And now, they’ve got some intriguing research to back up the positive impact of their actions, both on and off the screen.
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The research findings can be found in The BMJ.
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