Weekend TV is usually characterised chez nous by family-friendly, multi-generational TV dinners. Think quizzes, talent shows, dramas: Doctor Who, Blankety Blank, Antiques Roadshow. So far, so 1970s.

Two things are enshrined in law. During Antiques Roadshow, my mother-in-law (MIL) will invariably proclaim that some much-loved family heirloom worth tens of thousands of pounds should be “given to a museum”; and during Doctor Who, one or more of us will admit out loud that we haven’t a scooby what’s going on in the Whoniverse.

The good Doctor has caused many rows in our house of late. Someone will ask: “What the hell is happening?” It’s usually MIL; even with her hearing aids in, she finds people talk too fast.

Whoever it is, you can guarantee they will ask just as a crucial piece of information is being imparted. Whether you answer the question or shush the confused party, the key to the mystery will be obscured, leaving everyone bemoaning the loss of an hour of their collective lifespan.

When the series finished a couple of weeks ago, we opted to watch the final of Britain’s Got Talent instead – partly because Doctor Who is a shorter watch on catch-up, but also because it gives us the option of rewinding and reviewing scenes in the hope of making some sense.

On Sundays, we often dash to turn off the TV or radio news to avoid spoilers, as the Other Half likes to watch the Formula 1 highlights in the evening. No such luck for any of us with Doctor Who, which ended with an unexpected departure and an even more surprising return. (I shall say no more, in the spirit of no spoilers, just in case).

No sooner had the much-trumpeted season finale aired than the headlines were screaming from the BBC news app and bulletins. My, were they pleased with themselves, and boy, were we angry, Daughter to the point of tears.

Is there really any excuse for this in the era of catch-up TV? There have been rumours that the series’ future is in jeopardy due to lower live ratings threatening the BBC’s international partnership with Disney+ - but millions stream episodes on BBC iPlayer within seven days of broadcast.

OH and I have been watching Doctor Who for as long as we can remember. My earliest memory is of Tom Baker; OH goes back a little further, to Jon Pertwee. Now Daughter is a huge fan and keen to watch “box-sets” of the earlier series, her own experience dating back no further than Jodie Whittaker.

Back in the day, says OH wistfully, episodes lasted half an hour and a story was spread over six weeks. Villains were created not by CGI but by actors wearing costumes, their sets amplified by clever lighting and sound effects courtesy of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, the cast featuring some of the biggest names in Shakespearean theatre (reminders of Kate O’Mara as the withering Rani were simply sublime).

Were these less scary than their 21st-century counterparts? Of course not. Doctor Who is legendary for forcing generations of children to hide behind sofas lest the Daleks or Cybermen leap out of their tellies and exterminate them before bedtime.

(To be fair, even the Smash robots gave me the heebie-jeebies, but I was very young and impressionable, which might equally be why I shed a few tears when lovely young Adric met his demise in the Tardis).

Today, every episode has to be stuffed to the gunwales with colourful and convoluted plotlines featuring mind-blowing scientific concepts, wide-eyed companions, demonic aliens and hilarious catchphrases (“timey-wimey”, anyone?).

Let us not forget the recurring characters about whom all will become clear in a few months’ time (the sweet old dear who will turn out to be the Doctor’s arch-nemesis, or the canteen lady who will be pivotal to saving the universe), and the return of popular actors in the hope of pushing up the ratings.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s 90 per cent fantastic content. But just occasionally, it feels like the writers – big names in current TV drama, like Russell T Davies, Steven Moffat and Chris Chibnall - are trying way too hard to be creative and clever.

Audience comprehension is at the very bottom of their agenda, sacrificed on the altar of in-jokes for the hardcore fans who don’t miss a single back reference.

And yet the simplest stories are often the best. Remember “Blink”, which introduced the terrifying Weeping Angels and starred the now stratospherically famous Carey Mulligan?

Or "Boom," in which Fifteenth Doctor Ncuti Gatwa is unable to move for the entire episode due to stepping on a landmine? More like this, please.

The BBC has confirmed it will run Doctor Who regardless of Disney+’s decision, with two further seasons practically in the bag. To them, I say: “Keep it simple, for the stupid. Pretty please.”