Jodie Whittaker is unveiled as the new Doctor Who - but can she reverse the decline?
Beyond nerd-dom
Broadening the programme’s appeal beyond its traditional nerdy male heartland is a smart start by new head writer Chris Chibnall. The show’s young female fans deserve to see themselves reflected on-screen. We’ve had 12 consecutive men in the role, so are long overdue a woman.
This isn’t about feminism, virtue-signalling or quotas. It’s about exciting, inspiring, culturally relevant storytelling in a world that now looks very different to how it did back in 1963. Until now, women have settled for the role of The Doctor’s travelling companion: dashing down corridors, screaming in terror, being rescued from monsters. It will be thrillingly bracing to finally see those gender roles reversed.
Petty obsessions with gender
Enough gender politics. What of Whittaker? Well, she is best known for playing Beth Latimer, mother of murdered schoolboy Danny, in ITV's hit whodunit Broadchurch - the creation of Chibnall, with whom she has developed a fruitful working relationship. However, her next assignment is light years away from those Jurassic coastal cliffs.
“I always knew I wanted the 13th Doctor to be a woman and we're thrilled to have secured our number one choice,” said Chibnall proudly. He’s started his tenure as Whopremo with a bold decision and a conversation-starting bang. Chibnall has form here, having made Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) the butt-kicking, head-cracking hero of his Noughties Who spin-off, Torchwood.
For the past few years, and particularly during the recent series, inter-galactic groundwork has been laid for a female to finally pilot the famous blue box. John Simm’s Master already regenerated into Michelle Gomez’s Missy. Companion Bill (Pearl Mackie) asked: “So Timelords are a bit flexible on the whole man/woman thing?” and Peter Capaldi’s Doctor replied: “We’re billions of years beyond your petty obsession with gender and its associated stereotypes.”
This autumn, then, Whittaker as a female Timelord will open up a whole galaxy of drama, emotional depth, potential humour and character opportunities. We’ve got a female Prime Minister. Now we have a female Time Minister too. For curiosity factor alone, it makes Doctor Who the most unmissable it's been for years.
I just posted about the smoking new Dr Who, but you @mindhunter did a much better job so I am upvoting your post.
I am keen on # 13!
Me too @freedomengineer - I was born on the 13th!! :D
Interesting !!! I love TV series of "DOCTOR WHO". I am looking forward to watch it. After all those series I don't know but one is so sure it will be different but I do not say wrong ;)))
Thanks for sharing with us @mindhunter!! Keep posting like that!!
Mindhunter nice
What a beautiful lady in that photo.
I can't say I disagree @phranky :)
Man , woman or trans I don't care
Just Keep them Daleks coming on :P
Agreed 110% @viralcontent :)
very nice post. thank you for sharing.
Ultimately, I don't know enough about Doctor Who to comment. I assumed it was a static character, not unlike a James Bond, that would make no sense to fundamentally change in demographic. So, it would seem I can't offer anything worthwhile here.
Lets hope the feminists response to it all makes Sargon's vid this week :)
Is it wrong of me to assume they'd be happy, though they will probably do it with a ton of whining and "It's about time" and "Where is Jane Bond?" articles?
Drop the Doctor line as it has so many male connotations! Call her Ms Who :( LOL!