# From Doctor Who to Doctor...Who? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 5, 2017, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557 "2017-07-05T19:13:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557/101 "2017-07-16T23:04:36Z")
Huh. I thought people with opinions like aceplace were primarily located on reddit and in youtube comment sections. Oh, well. It’s not _that_ big of a deal. If the writing is good and the directing is good, she should do fine. I hope she has a season that airs in 2018. 2019 is too long to wait. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557/102 "2017-07-16T23:14:44Z")
Let’s face it, with all the problems in writing that have dogged the show over the last few seasons, the re-imagining of a long-established major character as female has been one of the consistent high points. If a female Doctor can bring half the zest and joy that Michelle Gomez brought to playing Missy, bring her on. ---
**Author:** ![Plumpudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Plumpudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plumpudding)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557/103 "2017-07-16T23:25:33Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I guess they’re determined to lose this show’s audience. Get it cancelled again. > > Obviously there are men and women on Gallifrey. They have children. The Doctor has mentioned his childhood many times. This has been well established. Galliferians aren’t genderless aliens. > > The BBC could have introduced a interesting female character from Gallifrey. Maybe even spun it off into a new show like they did Sarah Jane and Jack Harkness. > > Instead they bow to the PC crowd and make a grand statement that makes no sense. The Doctor is a male character. Certainly a female character can be a hero too. Create one. > > Hopefully it’ll be cancelled before much longer. This is getting embarrassing. > [@aceplace57](#): > > This has to be the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen on TV. > > Let’s make a new movie about the Civil War. We’ll cast a woman in ole Abe Lincoln’s role. Maybe we can cast Minnie Driver as George Washington in the next Revolutionary War movie. > > It’s the BBC’s show they can ruin it however they want. I’m done. > > It’s the same thing I’ve seen with some of the classic comic book characters. I wish they had been retired instead of distorting them into something unrecognizable. Wow… Way to blow things out of proportion. And seriously, comparing Doctor Who to historical drama? Jodie, I for one enthusiastically welcome you as our new Doctor! I was totes in love with you on Broadchurch. Good riddance, Moffat, sad to see Capaldi go. His reveal, or rather, the reveal of his eyebrows, gave me chills down my spine. I’m also sad he suffered by two such terribly written seasons. Can’t be fun being Moffatses rebound. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557/104 "2017-07-16T23:25:33Z")
…for an insight into “American style writing rooms” read this article about behind the scenes of the Leftovers finale. (But if you haven’t watched the Leftovers: then DON’T READ THE ARTICLE. Just go watch the Leftovers already. Plenty of spoilers.) > **[How to End a TV Show: An Exclusive Look at the Making of The Leftovers Finale](https://www.vulture.com/2017/06/leftovers-finale-behind-the-scenes-exclusive.html)** > > The hardest part of making The Leftovers was figuring out how to finish it. An exclusive look at the making of the last episode. I would wish that every TV series would have writing rooms like this one. The two main writers, Lindoff and Perrotta, balanced each other out. Lindoff would throw high concept ideas (known as Damon grenades) while Perrotta acted as skeptic-in-chief. Other writers acted as pop culture experts, religion, one guarded against logic problems, one was more production orientated and one kept it all together. The end result was one of the most magnificent TV series I had ever seen on TV, that ended on a pitch perfect note. The biggest thing about Doctor Who has been inconsistency from writer to writer. So a shake up here will be potentially bigger than having a female Doctor. It would be sad to loose stand-alones written by people like Neil Gaiman, Richard Curtis, and Sarah Dollard. But I think this change is needed and would make for a much more consistent universe. (This is assuming this goes ahead: its all [speculation](https://www.inverse.com/article/15342-building-an-american-sitcom-style-writers-room-in-cardiff-could-save-doctor-who)at the moment.) ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557/105 "2017-07-16T23:27:57Z")
A female Doctor will mean a new dynamic to the show in terms of story-lines and personality. Ecclestone did a great job rebooting the show with his almost depressed portrayal of a wounded Doctor. Aloof, cynical and going through the motions. Capaldi and Smith were let down in my opinion because of weak writing. However they both also shared that whimsical trait which got overdone. Their portrayals felt unintentionally meta and their stories same-y. Tennant made it work but he also had great story-lines to portray. The new Doctor has the opportunity to put her own stamp on the role and since this is uncharted territory this is a pivotal moment for the show. Ratings have been going down and purely for curiosity sake that will get better. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557/106 "2017-07-16T23:29:17Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > Let’s face it, with all the problems in writing that have dogged the show over the last few seasons, the re-imagining of a long-established major character as female has been one of the consistent high points. If a female Doctor can bring half the zest and joy that Michelle Gomez brought to playing Missy, bring her on. And, thank goodness, a new writer is taking over as head-writer and showrunner. I hope that livens things up. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557/107 "2017-07-16T23:34:18Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > This is getting embarrassing. Oh, I think it’s well past the “getting” stage. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557/108 "2017-07-16T23:45:21Z")
Sigh… I’m not bashing women. I have always liked strong female characters. I was thrilled when Kate Mulgrew became the first Star ship captain. But it was an entirely new character. We got to see how a female would command a ship with hundreds of people. Handle combat situations and diplomatic encounters. The writing on that show let Kate down. Doctor Who has already been redefining the roles of women. There’s a night and day difference between the old series companions and today’s assistants. They often carry the plot independently. That’s a good improvement. Obviously the BBC will do whatever the hell they want. Let’s see how it works out for them. ---
**Author:** ![Plumpudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Plumpudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plumpudding)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557/109 "2017-07-16T23:51:52Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Sigh… I’m not bashing women. I have always liked strong female characters. I was thrilled when Kate Mulgrew became the first Star ship captain. > \*\* > But it was an entirely new character.\*\* We got to see how a female would command a ship with hundreds of people. > > Doctor Who has already been redefining the roles of women. There’s a night and day difference between the old series companions and today’s assistants. They often carry the plot independently. That’s a good improvement. > > Obviously the BBC will do whatever the hell they want. Let’s see how it works out for them. My bold. Doctor Who is a show about a character that literally reboots over and over and over again into a new character. How is this a problem for you, other than gender? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557/110 "2017-07-16T23:57:30Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Sigh… I’m not bashing women. I have always liked strong female characters. I was thrilled when Kate Mulgrew became the first Star ship captain. > > But it was an entirely new character. We got to see how a female would command a ship with hundreds of people. Handle combat situations and diplomatic encounters. The writing on that show let Kate down. > > Doctor Who has already been redefining the roles of women. There’s a night and day difference between the old series companions and today’s assistants. They often carry the plot independently. That’s a good improvement. > > Obviously the BBC will do whatever the hell they want. Let’s see how it works out for them. Look inside yourself for your own biases here. The problem here (in your mind) is with you, not with casting a woman for a sci-fi TV show in which they’ve already had characters be reborn in different guises (including different sexes, IIRC). ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557/111 "2017-07-17T00:43:53Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > This has to be the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen on TV. > > Let’s make a new movie about the Civil War. We’ll cast a woman in ole Abe Lincoln’s role. Maybe we can cast Minnie Driver as George Washington in the next Revolutionary War movie. > > It’s the BBC’s show they can ruin it however they want. I’m done. > > It’s the same thing I’ve seen with some of the classic comic book characters. I wish they had been retired instead of distorting them into something unrecognizable. The Doctor is a fictional character of a species established as gender fluid. Washington and Lincoln… not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Reluctant\_A](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@Reluctant\_A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reluctant_A)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557/112 "2017-07-17T00:55:06Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I guess they’re determined to lose this show’s audience. Get it cancelled again. > > Obviously there are men and women on Gallifrey. They have children. The Doctor has mentioned his childhood many times. This has been well established. Galliferians aren’t genderless aliens. > > The BBC could have introduced a interesting female character from Gallifrey. Maybe even spun it off into a new show like they did Sarah Jane and Jack Harkness. > > Instead they bow to the PC crowd and make a grand statement that makes no sense. The Doctor is a male character. Certainly a female character can be a hero too. Create one. > > Hopefully it’ll be cancelled before much longer. This is getting embarrassing. > [@aceplace57](#): > > This has to be the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen on TV. > > Let’s make a new movie about the Civil War. We’ll cast a woman in ole Abe Lincoln’s role. Maybe we can cast Minnie Driver as George Washington in the next Revolutionary War movie. > > It’s the BBC’s show they can ruin it however they want. I’m done. > > It’s the same thing I’ve seen with some of the classic comic book characters. I wish they had been retired instead of distorting them into something unrecognizable. > [@aceplace57](#): > > I never said that. You could have a heroic female Galliferian character. Somewhere out there the Doctor’s Daughter is traveling and having adventures. > > I enjoyed the Sarah Jane Adventures series. I’ve long advocated that Madame Vastra and Jenny should have a similar show aimed at a younger audience. > > My objection is taking a character that is thousands of years old and changing it so drastically on a whim. It’s rewriting 60 years of television just for the heck of it. > [@aceplace57](#): > > Sigh… I’m not bashing women. I have always liked strong female characters. I was thrilled when Kate Mulgrew became the first Star ship captain. > > But it was an entirely new character. We got to see how a female would command a ship with hundreds of people. Handle combat situations and diplomatic encounters. The writing on that show let Kate down. > > Doctor Who has already been redefining the roles of women. There’s a night and day difference between the old series companions and today’s assistants. They often carry the plot independently. That’s a good improvement. > > Obviously the BBC will do whatever the hell they want. Let’s see how it works out for them. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/FKiXhgxPUm4/maxresdefault.jpg "Dan Lebatard Show: He's that guy") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKiXhgxPUm4) ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557/113 "2017-07-17T00:56:56Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Look inside yourself for your own biases here. The problem here (in your mind) is with you, not with casting a woman for a sci-fi TV show in which they’ve already had characters be reborn in different guises (including different sexes, IIRC). There are three confirmed Time Lords who’ve swapped sex upon regeneration, aside from the Doctor’s upcoming one, two of whom have appeared on screen. The Corsair has never appeared, but The Doctor mentioned in The Doctor’s Wife, that they’ve been both male and female. The General regenerated from male to female in Hellbent, and mentioned that that was her usual gender. She also went from white to black. THAT wasn’t commented on. Then, of course, there’s Missy, the most recent known incarnation of the Master. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557/114 "2017-07-17T01:00:48Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > So[Jodie Whittaker](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2092886/). I don’t know her, so I’ll wait and see. Hopefully better than the last 2 Doctors. The only thing I’ve ever seen her in is Broadchurch - and I hated her character and I’m pretty sure that I wasn’t supposed to. I don’t know if it was the writing or the acting, but\* when a pregnant woman whose husband is cheating on her and whose child has been brutally murdered isn’t sympathetic, someone (or some group of people) has not made good choices. And as the Broadchurch showrunner is the new Who showrunner - I’m skeptical. That said, I’ll still watch it. \*The spoiler is from the first season of Broadchurch. But just in case. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557/115 "2017-07-17T01:02:41Z")
Well, they showed her as a blonde, so I’m sure that’s the direction, but dayum, if she wasn’t hot as a [redhead](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRqm5FtYY5IIyyhJN9fYA6OWuhxmJ86gHKpTljBHw0UC5Is6bXQXg). ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557/116 "2017-07-17T01:23:42Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > The only thing I’ve ever seen her in is Broadchurch - and I hated her character and I’m pretty sure that I wasn’t supposed to. You really should try _Attack the Block_, where she plays The Nurse. (\*Attack the Block \*is essentially a \*Doctor Who \*episode with more f-bombs.) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557/117 "2017-07-17T01:44:18Z")
She’s in a Black Mirror episode too, which is a great show. Her episode is really good. It’s episode 3 of the first season, called The Entire History of You. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557/118 "2017-07-17T02:00:12Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Sigh… I’m not bashing women. I have always liked strong female characters. I was thrilled when Kate Mulgrew became the first Star ship captain. > > But it was an entirely new character… But the premise of the Doctor’s regeneration is that it’s not just a new body, it’s a whole new personality. The different Doctors act differently. They talk with different accents. They are different people who carry the memories of the earlier incarnations. This has been established and emphasized many times. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557/119 "2017-07-17T03:24:35Z")
I think the outpouring of hot angry internet tears this has caused has already more than justified this casting—if people can still get this riled up about such a change, it’s a necessary one. And it’s not a PC- or stunt-casting; the showrunners are taking a real risk here, what with the currently rising tide of misogyny and MRAism among the show’s nerdy core audience. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557/120 "2017-07-17T03:40:45Z")
I’ve always identified with the Doctor as male. I’m not sure that I can let go of decades of watching the character. He’s a very old friend. Maybe the previews and show buzz will spark my interest. I’d gotten very excited with the possibility of the actor that looks like Hartnell exploring the early Doctors origins. It will be easier for younger fans to accept this new version. Many have only seen the last Doctor and maybe Matt Smith. It’ll help if the writers preserve essential elements of the character’s personality. Like they’ve done with other new Doctors. I do wish Jodie Whittaker well. I know little of her work. I’m sure she’ll do the best she can. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-doctor-who-to-doctor-who/790557.md?page=7)