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July 16th, 2017 1,093 comments

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Jodie Whittaker Announced As The 13th Doctor

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1,093 comments

  • prototype dalek

    July 19th, 2017 - 9:02pm

    Looks like the BBC lied a couple of months ago

    https://www.standard.co.uk/stayingin/tvfilm/female-doctor-who-rumours-denied-by-bbc-complaints-officer-a3518791.html

    Reply
    • Pats86

      July 19th, 2017 - 9:48pm

      They fake documentaries so why should we ever trust them?

    • Dalek Eye Stalk

      July 19th, 2017 - 9:50pm

      Who was the BBC staff member?…Steven Moffat? Clearly this fan was concerned about the next Doctor being female. As he could see the story arc during the last 3 series has been a gender agenda.

    • prototype dalek

      July 19th, 2017 - 10:13pm

      How do you know their fake though?

      Looks like for himself he was right to be concerned, surely the BBC shouldn’t give false promises like that

    • Pats86

      July 20th, 2017 - 6:43am

      They had to admit numerous times that some of the nature documentaries had been filmed in captivity of the animals.

  • T.A

    July 19th, 2017 - 8:57pm

    This is an amazing opportunity for doctor who, Chris don’t do a Moffat please!

    Reply
  • Thomas

    July 19th, 2017 - 7:52pm

    Anyone who is still bothered and not happy can go away, it’s fantastic that The Doctor will be a woman!

    We’ve had Missy (The Master) maybe people were unhappy at first but got use to the idea.

    It’s maybe a step forward to cast an actor/actress with a disability or someone with a different sexuality rather than just straight.

    Reply
    • booboo

      July 19th, 2017 - 8:39pm

      telling people to just go away is a sure fire way of winding people up and starting an argument

      Is that the attitude the BBC would take?

      “Anyone who is still bothered perhaps just give it a chance” is a far better way of putting it

    • Anonymous

      July 19th, 2017 - 8:46pm

      I don’t think they would cast someone with a major disability, but anything is possible.

    • booboo

      July 19th, 2017 - 8:52pm

      this is life, give an inch and some people want a mile

    • Anonymous

      July 19th, 2017 - 8:53pm

      True say

    • booboo

      July 19th, 2017 - 9:00pm

      i have just seen one well known site have the guts to say how they really feel for which i applaud them, i dont share their views for the most part but i’m getting rather fed up people trying to dictate to others how they should take this

      Peter Davison is one of the few people i have seen who has it right

      It might be more helpful to be encouraging, and not simply scornful, of fans who are uncertain about change.

    • T.A

      July 19th, 2017 - 9:02pm

      What are someone of the things there saying?

    • booboo

      July 19th, 2017 - 9:09pm

      http://thedoctorwhocompanion.com/2017/07/19/falling-out-of-love-with-doctor-who/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

    • Dalek Eye Stalk

      July 19th, 2017 - 9:30pm

      Agreed. Since the announcement my feelings have been mixed. From a beaming smile when we seen Jodie’s face in the trailer, then feeling a bit appalled by her casting, then thinking “I dunno it might work”. Then feeling annoyed that the BBC/Moffat and Chibnall have forced this gender agenda. To then thinking ” actually Jodie Whittaker is a very talented actress…it might work…if of course written well”. I’m currently in the wait and see mode and sitting on the fence. But I fully understand and appreciate these different viewpoints. But we should all respect each other, and keep the debate clean and moderate.

    • Pats86

      July 19th, 2017 - 9:36pm

      I thought it was a heart felt admission to how they feel, I feel more or less the same but I will definitely be watching season 11, or at least start to.
      Well done Peter Davidson, legend.

    • R1ch1e

      July 19th, 2017 - 10:06pm

      This is a great article, thanks Booboo! It’s true that this is a test I h time for the show and as usual, with every doctor that is cast, we are not all on the same page. Let’s at least see her in action first. The 30 seconds at the end of the Christmas special that Jodie will play out in Peters clothes. I always love that bit.
      I personally think she will be great and I hope that other do too or will come round

    • Mick181

      July 20th, 2017 - 5:46am

      One thing we need to remember is with no carry over companion and unless they bring back someone like Kate & Osgood or go all the way back to Jack & Martha no character is going to know that the Doctor has always been Male. So beyond the 1st episode there is going to be no mention of the Gender change.
      Will it be like Smith’s and be a totaly new or like Capaldi’s and still be involved occasionly with people the 12th Doctor knew such as Unit. I suspect the former.

    • The Prydonian

      July 20th, 2017 - 7:20pm

      Why would it be good to cast a different sexual orientation ? That has got nothing to do with playing The Doctor and by the way, acting is about pretending to be somebody else and so their own sexual orientation would have nothing to do it. An actor does not have the attributes that the character they play has. Unbelievable. No wonder the Doctor is a woman

  • The Temporal Jelly Baby

    July 19th, 2017 - 7:32pm

    The BBC have responded to complaints. Here’s the link if anyone is interested: http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complaint/DoctorWhoJodieWhittaker/

    Reply
    • Tim M

      July 19th, 2017 - 8:21pm

      I would reply to the BBC and say it’s only been in the last three series that gender change has been established, shoe-horned, forced upon and blatantly pursued…and not for the bulk of the series.

    • The Moffatt Paradox

      July 19th, 2017 - 8:43pm

      Amen.

    • Anonymous

      July 19th, 2017 - 9:17pm

      Tim M I have just spent half hour doing just that and more, they say I will get a reply so we shall see.
      I was calming down until I read the complaints response!

    • Pats86

      July 19th, 2017 - 9:19pm

      Tim M I have spent the last half hour doing just that and more, they say I will get a reply so we will see.
      I was calming down until I read the complaints response.

    • Dalek Eye Stalk

      July 19th, 2017 - 9:39pm

      We have seen today with the announcement of BBC stars pay, how much there is a pay difference between male and female stars. I think casting a woman in the role of the Doctor is the BBC under pressure to equal opportunities and equal rights. It surely isn’t coincidence that Jodie Whittaker was confirmed as the 13th Doctor, in the same week that BBC stars pay would be revealed. They knew it would show up the pay gap between the male and female performers, and would be asked why aren’t the women getting paid more, and in more major roles. Then the BBC can reply and say “well, look what we’ve done with Doctor Who. We are clearly listening and acting”.

    • booboo

      July 19th, 2017 - 9:53pm

      Sad we are now bring pay into this along with everything else.

      no wonder people are turning away.

    • Pats86

      July 19th, 2017 - 9:51pm

      I thought someone was trolling me for a second, didn’t realise I had sent it first time.

    • Doctor Why???

      September 1st, 2017 - 3:04am

      It’s about time the BBC was done away with – what a bunch of prize winning plonkers!

      I first saw Doctor Who in 1973 at the age of three. One of my very first memories was watching the purple eiderdown people (they turned out to be Spiridons) and when Jon Pertwee’s Doctor ‘died’ and melted into Tom Baker’s Doctor, as a four year old I was absolutely fascinated and hooked. There followed many years of interest in the series and I met many good friends, some old enough to remember the black and white era. We all stuck with it through the pantomime years and the long wilderness of the hiatus. We were excited when it returned in spite of farting aliens and plots that made no sense. We accepted that the Doctor had, for some unknown reason, turned into some sort of babbling Godlike two-dimensional Romeo. We stuck with it all… until we simply couldn’t stick with it anymore.

      For me, my interest finally evaporated during Matt Smith’s tenure. As much I thought he was a brilliant Doctor (in my own view, infinitely better than the over-exaggerated performance of the overrated Tennant), I simply found the stories to be way too FLASHBANGWALLOP! No longer was the Doctor faffing about with a few giant moths or being impersonated by a cactus – now every five minutes the entire universe or time itself was under threat. Suddenly, everyone was making personal sacrifices all over the place; the Doctor’s impending death was inevitable (only it wasn’t), assistants were dying (only they weren’t), time was ending (except it didn’t)… everything was BIG BIG BIG and oh, so BORING BORING BORING. All the layers, all the subtlety, had vanished… and so, with sadness, did my love of the show.

      Curiosity made me watch Capaldi’s first episode. I thought it was piffle. Around the same time I discovered that one of my best friends – another life-long Who fan, had similarly given up on the series. We’d stuck with Doctor Who through thick and thin and helped to keep the BBC’s greatest cash-cow alive when it looked all but dead but now, finally, they’d lost us. After a lifetime of loving Doctor Who, we’d stopped watching.

      The very last time I watched any broadcast Who, Capaldi was treating us to some do-gooding lecture involving Zygons. I turned it off. I don’t like being told what to think – when I attended school the education system concentrated on training its pupils to examine the facts and to think for themselves – before the days when it was decided to do the exact opposite and focus instead on telling children what they should be thinking and applauding them when they regurgitate it…. which is also, of course, very BBC!

      So, if you aren’t happy with a female Doctor – and I think it’s a ridiculous idea – don’t be told that your opinion is invalid or that you’re stupid or sexist or any of the rest of that rubbish. Simply stop watching Doctor Who. You don’t have to ‘put up’ with anything and you really DO have a choice… give it up, turn it off, switch off your television set, go out and do something less boring instead. Trust me… as a hitherto life-long fan, it’s a whole lot easier than you think.

  • Tim M

    July 19th, 2017 - 7:19pm

    I’m surprised the first female Doctor Who wasn’t announced as Dame Judi Dench! It’s about the only thing she hasn’t been in!

    Reply
    • booboo

      July 19th, 2017 - 7:23pm

      no that would June Whitfield or Joanna Lumley ( who i would have loved to see as a Doctor 20 years ago)

  • Tim M

    July 19th, 2017 - 5:43pm

    I seem to recall reading somewhere that Moffat was intending to leave the series 2 or 3 series ago. I suggest that Chibnall was likely successor to Moffat back then. But as Chibnall was committed to ITV and further series of ‘Broadchurch’, Moffat remained. Would it therefore be likely to presume that Moffat and Chibnall discussed in private where Chibnall intended to take the series when he became showrunner. I wouldn’t be surprised if 3 years ago or so Chibnall said he wanted a female Doctor. It would then make a lot of sense for Moffatt to lay the groundwork, and create a new mythology to the Time Lords, so that when Chibnall’s female Doctor took over, it wouldn’t seem such a major leap. It can’t be coincidence that it’s been during Capaldi’s era it’s alluded to and hinted that a female Doctor was coming. 1) The Master is Missy. 2) Clara says that she is the Doctor to the Cyberman. 3) Clara’s eyes even appear in the opening title sequence ‘suggesting’ she is the Doctor! 4) The Time Lord General is shot by the Doctor, and changes back into female form. 5) The Doctor says “he can only hope” when the Master says “is the future all girls.” So you see, this has clearly been orchestrated and been a game plan since series 8. Indeed, the fact the Doctor could become female could be very loosely perceived before series 8. But it’s not until Capaldi’s era, that it’s been so blatantly confirmed and set in stone.

    Reply
    • Tim M

      July 19th, 2017 - 6:41pm

      I call the above the BBC/Moffat/Chibnall Master Plan. More audacious than the Cartmel Master Plan from the late 80’s.

  • Original Time Lord

    July 19th, 2017 - 4:30pm

    As an older fan (started watching with Jon Pertwee), and now having got over a real shock to the routine, I realise that this now opens the gates to other opportunities. In 1979, Romana tries on several bodies before ‘locking’ her regeneration. Yes, she remains female, but one of the alternatives is (a very cheap) alien. In 1983’s Mawdryn Undead, Nyssa and the Brigadier are fooled into believing that Mawdryn (yes, a male form) is the Doctor … and yet his features are not fully human. Casting a female Doctor could mean that the possibility of future Doctors could be now be truly alien. An Actor/actress in prosthetic alien featured make up (like that other show, Star Something…) Or maybe even blue. Surely Time Lords could regenerate into any species they have encountered? This could be the start of a new way of looking at regeneration completely … “That’s the trouble with regeneration … you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get…” The Fifth Doctor, Castrovalva, 1982.

    Reply
    • Tim M

      July 19th, 2017 - 4:49pm

      Well, for a series that can go anywhere…we now have a lead character that can be played by anyone! It just pushes the boundaries that bit more, which really can’t be that bad a thing. Doctor Who: Go anywhere, in any time with anyone.

  • time is running out…

    July 19th, 2017 - 3:17pm

    I’m getting use to the idea of a lady doctor, and was looking forward to the Christmas special, but now have my doubts. I hope they don’t go and mess up the established first doctor time line, like they did when Clara told him not to take the TARDIS he was going to take and take the other one. certain established things in the time line should not be changed. And as there has been a lot of talk about the new series being a bit of a reboot are they going to mess about with thing too much, and over right 50 odd years of history. My friend jokingly said what if the 12th doctor assistants the first doctor to regenerate into the lady doctor, and rewrite everything!!

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      July 19th, 2017 - 4:19pm

      I wonder if moffat will be the main villain of the Christmas special. I bet he kills the 1 doctor and mess up the time line.

  • Tim M

    July 19th, 2017 - 3:13pm

    Well, I hope Jodie Whittaker gets at least the same salary as Peter Capaldi. Between £200.000 and £249.000.

    Reply
    • booboo

      July 19th, 2017 - 3:23pm

      these sort of salaries man or women dont compute to me, i mean there are hard-working people who wont earn that in their entire lifetime.

    • Tim M

      July 19th, 2017 - 4:43pm

      That’s the sort of salary a top footballer gets a week!!! If not more!!!!!

    • R1ch1e

      July 19th, 2017 - 6:57pm

      I live in hope that one day my job at Royal Mail will bring such a wage!

    • Mick181

      July 19th, 2017 - 8:40pm

      Per episode?

    • Tim M

      July 20th, 2017 - 3:06pm

      The BBC have confirmed that Jodie Whittaker will be on the same salary as Peter Capaldi.

  • Random Critic

    July 19th, 2017 - 2:29pm

    Would have been nice to have a “Don’t care” option in the poll above. Because, personally, I don’t really care who or what plays the Doctor. I thought it was supposed to be the stories that define the series and not any one actor and their politics.

    I’ve never heard of Jodie Whittaker. But if the stories are interesting, I’ll watch. If they are rubbish, I won’t watch. Simple! Feminism, or whatever version of feminism you happen to be using this week, doesn’t even come into that equation.

    Reply
    • booboo

      July 19th, 2017 - 2:54pm

      I will rephrase it

      Don’t care could also be taken that the person who voted has no interest at all

  • Doctor Stu

    July 19th, 2017 - 12:40pm

    ‘Introducing Jodie Whittiker as the thirteenth Doctor……..’s companion’

    Reply
  • Jane Bond 007

    July 19th, 2017 - 10:50am

    Some people say the very unflattering “Girls are alien to Doctor Who fans”. But if that was true…wouldn’t Doctor Who fans be more accepting of a girl as Doctor Who…especially if she is perceived alien. That’s the kinda Doctor we want. 🙂

    Reply
    • Adam

      July 19th, 2017 - 11:38am

      The doctor is the male gender of that alien race..a Timelord with a grand daughter called susan who’s a Timelady…and just like us humans they’re individually different, brilliant and special…

  • Doctor Stu

    July 19th, 2017 - 10:32am

    Every time the Doctor regenerates the press speculate if it’s going to a woman or not and it never has been until now so we’ve had ages to get used the idea. Also it’s 1 out of 13 Doctors who have been female and if she regenerates after her first series it’s at least 13 episodes we get with her, 13 out of almost 900 episodes of a male Doctor. There really isn’t an issue I hate the whole ‘shoving an Angenda’ comments. What agenda? That women exist. It’s so offensive and so ignorant to declare ‘I’m never watching again’ or ‘they’ve ruined the show’ when nobody has seen her in the part yet. The fact that people are going to turn off purely because of the fact that she is a woman is just plain upsetting.

    Reply
    • booboo

      July 19th, 2017 - 11:00am

      Nothing offensive about it, People have the right to do what they want, if they dont like it they dont like it, they won’t watch and move on, that’s up to them.

    • The Outcast

      July 19th, 2017 - 11:23am

      I think they mean the Feminazi agenda. The want for Women to replace all men. I don’t really think this is the case, it could be, but I doubt it.

    • Adam

      July 19th, 2017 - 12:08pm

      If the rumors are to be believed..this new Timelady is to be ‘the 1st of 13th’ in a whole new female life cycle…

    • Doctor Stu

      July 19th, 2017 - 12:39pm

      They don’t want women to replace all men they want women to be treated equally to men which is still not the case as the BBC salary list shows. And I meant offensive to the actress as she’s getting all of this negative abuse purely because she’s a woman. I just hope when the time comes everybody can give her the chance she deserves and this is Chibnall so everything might not be as it seems. Maybe she is the rani and she’s got the doctor locked up somewhere

    • booboo

      July 19th, 2017 - 1:03pm
    • Pats86

      July 19th, 2017 - 12:57pm

      It’s more offensive to have over 50 years of history swept under the carpet as if it was never an issue, and the splitting a fan base in two.
      I call that spiteful. Moffat is no fan, if he was he would not have done such a thing,

    • The Temporal Jelly Baby

      July 19th, 2017 - 1:42pm

      I’m interested – in what way do you think 50 years of history has been swept under the carpet? I don’t remember any Doctor Who mythology stating that Time Lords cannot change gender. Surely it’s just a fairly recent addition to the canon rather than something that goes against other parts of it?

    • The Temporal Jelly Baby

      July 19th, 2017 - 1:45pm

      And actually, even if we assume that in the past Time Lords could not change gender at all, this (along with the General and Missy) just means they can now. Though if that’s the case an explanation would be nice. Not necessary, but nice.

    • pats86

      July 19th, 2017 - 2:32pm

      I remember 10 talking about the regeneration process (someone will remember the episode) and he says “it is like dying and some other MAN goes sauntering off”, other man not someone else or something else “another man”
      So if gender is fluid he would say “someone else” or “some other man or woman” but he didn’t because it was not going to happen until Moffat decided on his and the BBCs agenda to rip apart 50 years of history.
      an explanation would be nice yes because some of us need/want it.

    • Random Critic

      July 19th, 2017 - 2:44pm

      I imagine peeps will turn off if the stories are rubbish and/or some agenda is being pushed. But I can’t quite see how supposed fans of sci-fi are just going to turn off because a male becomes female. It’s sci-fi.

  • pats86

    July 19th, 2017 - 9:28am

    Now the Doctor is female “there will be no reason or accountability to her actions!”

    Reply
    • A

      September 4th, 2017 - 6:20pm

      ! Is Melvin Udall a role model now? Is this as good as it gets? Another quote then… “This is like a nightmare.” The poor woman has shown her face for seconds & said not a word in character!

  • The Moffat Paradox

    July 19th, 2017 - 12:26am

    Cant bear to view the trailer again from Sunday and still wince at the photograph.Don`t like the actresses’s comments on femminism that even numbers of female fans aren’t all comfortable with and PC agenda which was paved by Moffat and in universe tinkering; which was irksome and is now personally unpalletable.

    Too psychologically weded to character as MALE,not the only one.Doubt my thoughts and feelings will change (Nobody in charge of things seems to know anymore when things are being taken TOO FAR.)Nothig against the actress in another role but feel like a member of a party with a new leader that they already want rid of.

    Reply
    • The Prydonian

      July 19th, 2017 - 8:42am

      Well put

    • pats86

      July 19th, 2017 - 9:29am

      It is well put.

    • Adam

      July 19th, 2017 - 11:51am

      When i first watched the trailer i thought Whittaker was the new companion…and was waiting for her to walk up to the tardis…where the door would slowly open to reveal the new Doctor…Ivanno jeremiah! Oh well..maybe one day..

    • The Mofat Paradox

      July 19th, 2017 - 3:41pm

      Well pats86 /The Prydonian we did say here that no gender change was our personal red line for continuing to watch when Peter Capaldi’s departure was announced on January 30..Don”t think we’re alone by a long shot so they need to know that we mean what we say.

    • The Temporal Jelly Baby

      July 19th, 2017 - 4:06pm

      Well, it’s your choice. If you don’t want to watch it then don’t watch it. However, I do encourage you to at least watch the first couple of episodes so you know what you’re missing if you do choose to stop watching.

    • booboo

      July 19th, 2017 - 4:11pm

      I would say the same, there might even be people who think the casting is great but then not like what they see.

      it all depends on how far they change things and what happens on screen really

    • Deborah Fields

      July 20th, 2017 - 2:26am

      As a woman I still feel very strongly against a woman as a Dr. As it was put earlier, when he changed he said another man will take my place, not another being as if to speculate it might be a woman.
      Too many concerns over equality are intruding on 54 years of perfection for me. They’re taking something that’s not broken and trying to fix it.
      Will I watch it? No I can’t. The purity of the Dr and his true fans I hold dear to me are having trouble tolerating this pay and feminism dispute. In my 55 years I’ve seen too many shows fall prey to demands only to be removed the following year from lack of viewer following.
      The announcement was an extremely sad day for me. I actually shed tears because the Dr has been an institution for me, a rather life long companion of my own. My husband and I perplexed as to why the Dr was allowed to fall into the hands of such need for diversity.
      We will never know I suppose. I do hope it does not fall by the wayside because someone felt the need to fall to their knees and meet the societal demands. The Dr’s too good for that.

    • Adam

      July 20th, 2017 - 12:58pm

      What saddens me is that the Doctor’s gender change is being shoehorned in just to appease a political agenda and not for the good of the show. But weather this new version works out or not..the franchise will never die. Personally i think it should have been rested for a while…have a rethink..then bring it back with some new talented writers with fresh new ideas. Good story telling is all that’s required…and the only change that’s needed..

  • Adam

    July 18th, 2017 - 11:34pm

    I can just imagine Chibnall’s first line uttered by his new Timelady…At last..i’m a woman AGAIN !!

    Reply
    • pats86

      July 19th, 2017 - 9:31am

      Don`t even jest about that Adam….not funny

    • 12th Doctor Fan

      July 19th, 2017 - 12:14pm

      Please no awful lines like that.

    • Adam

      July 19th, 2017 - 12:19pm

      Oh but it’s no jest…this is exactly the thing they’ll do…just to give the ‘two fingers’ to us longtime old farts who believe the Doctor was, is and always will be the male gender of that Alien species…

    • Pats86

      July 19th, 2017 - 1:02pm

      It’s us old farts that kept the good Doctor alive after the cancellation in the 80s, we were the ones that bought the videos, new adventure books and the monthly magazine.
      And what do we get in return? An agenda forced show that has now gone beyond all recognised Doctor Who cannon/mythology that’s what.

    • Anonymous

      July 19th, 2017 - 2:55pm

      Could not agree more, pats86, you have summed it upnwell.

    • Adam

      July 19th, 2017 - 3:14pm

      And that’s what saddens me Pats86..This new ‘alternate universe’ Timelady is not for the good of the show..but agenda driven and stunt casting. And the BBC spin about embracing ‘change’ and how it’s ‘bold and new’. Well it’s not ‘bold and new’ that the central character is now female..that’s been done to death already over the past few years..Star wars,Ghostbusters,The mummy etc..and i believe the male comic book characters are having a gender swap too! What’s next…Mother christmas?!

    • Saying It All How It Is

      July 19th, 2017 - 4:16pm

      Adam, what do you think Father Christmas’ wife is called? Whats done is done. And what is it with most people blaming Moffat for the Doctor’s female incarnation (not defending Moffat, most of his stories are terrible) but its down to Chris Chibnall that she’s a she.

      When the Christmas special has aired and also after series 11, i am going to be keeping a close eye on your comments, as then we will see if you are actually a hypocrite.

      Personally, as a huge fan of Doctor Who, i can honestly say, i dont see a woman playing a character, i see the Doctor.

      Same with 1 through 12 and the War incarnation….. for those of us who truly get into the action taking place on screen, it is neither male or female…. it is The Doctor. In the real world, men are able to become the woman they have always felt they were and vice versa for women.

      A Time Lord/Lady is an alien humanoid shapeshifter. If you truly were a fan of the show, it would not bother you in the slightest.

      Be honest, id like to know what you thought of Bruce Jenner and how she became Caitlyn? Was that wrong as well? Or Sonny & Cher’s child.

      Hope this wont get blocked as im only expressing my own opinions.

    • Pats86

      July 19th, 2017 - 5:17pm

      What do you mean you will keep a close eye on his comments, as then we will see if he is are actually a hypocrite?
      Of course he is a true fan of the show, I have the same view point as him and I’m a true fan and no one can say different.
      It bothers an awful lot of fans and as I have stated before, boys need good male role models because we live in a violent world be it reality or fantasy and this move has taken one of the very few non violent role models away from them.
      Yes women are brilliant role models also, but lads are lads and will always look to other role models of the same gender.

    • booboo

      July 19th, 2017 - 5:22pm

      i would ignore that comment , there are obviously some other issues in play here

    • Adam

      July 20th, 2017 - 1:27pm

      Saying It As It Is, As a fan of the good Doctor for over 40 years i think that i’m entitled to my opinion of where our show is heading..even if you are not in agreement. If you think that this new change is great for the show..then good for you..that’s your opinion and i respect it. So please be respectfully of mine..

    • booboo

      July 20th, 2017 - 1:46pm

      my response was to Pats86 to ignore the comment above theirs because of other (unseen) comments by that poster indicating there are other issues in play

    • anon

      July 21st, 2017 - 12:18am

      I am a bit surprised that this conversation is still going on. I see both sides of the fandom’s point of view. And i agree with BOTH of them. I was very shocked to see the Doctor as a woman, but its a change.

      Yes its a very late change, but still. I wonder what the new interior of the Tardis will look like and the sonic.

      And Booboo, what do you mean by “other issues in play here” comment?

    • booboo

      July 21st, 2017 - 4:42am

      they said something in the comment upset them personal reasons

    • anon

      July 21st, 2017 - 12:26am

      “Boys need a male role model”. Thats a fair comment, but also fairly untrue…. for both boys and girls. Theres young males who also look up to female personalities and also males as role models. Young females look up to males and females as role models too.

      My opinion: its 2017. Not Medieval times.
      Girls can play with dolls, cars, musical instruments and do Ballet….. oh yeah, and so can boys.

    • Pats86

      July 21st, 2017 - 4:20pm

      Peter Davidson appears to agree with myself and others on this matter anon, and I have already stated women are great role models too. Just not as the Doctor.

    • Pats86

      July 21st, 2017 - 5:18pm

      Although no doubt she will be to some.

    • Doctor Why???

      September 1st, 2017 - 4:01pm

      In my view, ‘Saying It All How It Is’ is actually saying it all how it isn’t. If gender isn’t important or relevant to Time Lords, why do they have gender at all? Unless they’re beings with no gender then gender must be relevant because men and women are (whether people care to accept it or not) different in many ways, not least of all physically.

      Furthermore, the oft-repeated notion that “Time Lords are above our petty squabbling on gender/race/sexuality etc.” is frankly risible given that the change of gender for the Doctor is actually DEFINED by our obsession and preoccupation with these issues. Far from being open-minded and progressive, they are actually extremely narrow in their thinking as they are taking a show about an alien with command over all time and space and imposing a very narrow, twenty-first century planet Earth political concept onto it. If we are to accept that the Doctor, as an alien, can be (as is often stated) anything at all then why limit it to merely female/black/gay – issues that preoccupy us? By that logic, why shouldn’t the Doctor be a dwarf? Why shouldn’t the Doctor regenerate into a dog or a yeti or any creature that exists anywhere in the universe?

      Logically, the colour issue doesn’t make any sense either. Why would a white male Time Lord change into a black female? Here on Earth, there is only one reason people’s skin colour is different and it’s down to where on the planet they originate from. If a white Time Lord was going to move to a warmer part of Gallifrey then it would make perfect sense for him/her to change colour during regeneration. Otherwise, it would not. Again, these are OUR issues and concerns tied to OUR time and place, so please… don’t prattle on about Time Lords being “billions of years beyond your petty obsession with gender”…. they’re obviously not!

  • OldnGrumpy

    July 18th, 2017 - 10:10pm

    I was actually hoping it would be JW’s “Broadchurch” co-star, Olivia Colman. But JW seems to have a good reputation as an actor, so I’ll reserve judgement until the third or fourth episode of Series Eleven. If Sydney Newman thought a female Doctor was worth trying then I’m willing to give Doctor 13 the benefit of the doubt.

    Reply
    • Adam

      July 18th, 2017 - 11:05pm

      Just remember that the same Sydney Newman didn’t want ‘bug eyed’ monsters or silly daleks…

    • The Living Shadow

      July 19th, 2017 - 7:57pm

      Well episodes like The Aztecs, Midnight, Listen and Heaven Sent have all been regarded quite highly by fans and they’re considerably (Bug-Eyed) Alien-Lite… Maybe Sydney Newman’s opinions aren’t so uncredible.

    • Adam

      July 20th, 2017 - 1:40pm

      Yes those stories are some of the best…but without that first Dalek story and the impact they made..Doctor who might not have continued past it’s first series…

    • Citsacras Dratsab

      July 21st, 2017 - 12:32am

      Well, its a good job Olivia Coleman didnt get the part. She cant act. I know who would make a good Doctor, you Adam, excellent at stating what you think, speaking your mind and making yourself heard. Dont know who you are, but there you go. You wouldnt even need a companion…. so good at making points yourself.

  • Pats86

    July 18th, 2017 - 8:53pm

    For all the fans who did not want this gender change I would ask Moffat to give us an explanation as to why he has never been female during his whole first generation cycle, considering gender is fluid on Gallifrey?
    We know why it the BBC’S agenda that’s why.
    It is what it is now, so we are owed an explanation in the Xmas special, it’s the least we deserve.
    I and others can then continue to watch knowing why, with a real explanation, not “the Doctor is an alien that changes it’s image from time to time” that simplistic reason is lame! We want a proper well thought out reason…maybe Chibnall should do it he might make a better job of it than Moffat?

    Reply
    • booboo

      July 18th, 2017 - 9:04pm

      isn’t the real problem here distinguishing this between something that we should perhaps expect to happen as part of recent Timelord mythology, and a victory that has nothing to so with the show?

    • Neal T.

      July 18th, 2017 - 9:34pm

      I don’t think most of the negativity is anything to do with Jodie Whittaker, she is a fine actress. I do feel a lot of it is to an enforced perception that the Doctor must be female now! No real logical reason why, no fall of empires, or floods, or plagues of locusts if this didn’t happen, but insurmountable pressure that it must! Strange that it is quite possible those same people pushing for this are directly opposed to a female Prime Minister being in power, an actual real world event . ( I do point out I have no political affiliations, I think all politicians are equally out of touch with reality) Please don’t make personal attacks on the actress taking the roll, the decision to make the change is not here, she is brave taking on the role.

    • Pats86

      July 19th, 2017 - 6:44am

      The mythology of the show has changed regarding gender inthe last few years, the fact that it was not any part of the show until Moffat decided it should be explained for long time fans, those who have watched only since it returned will probably accept it easier than those who have watched since 60s/70s.
      I know some older fans will also accept it but the majority I know from my generation are not happy with the change, as I posted a few days ago my wife will no longer watch and that goes for my daughter who is only 25. My son has not watched for the last 4 seasons due to poor show running.
      All I ask for is some explanation for such a recent change of cannon, I will watch anyway and see how it goes but you can’t just brush over 50 years of mythology under the carpet pretending it was always like this, it wasn’t.

    • Tim M

      July 19th, 2017 - 9:48am

      Pats86. Further down the page I gave a theory, which I feel is a reasonable explanation as to why the Doctor is female in his ‘next’ life cycle, and wasn’t in his previous regenerations. Gender being fluid on Gallifrey wasn’t there when Hartnell’s Doctor left Gallifrey a long long time ago. It’s a fairly recent development on Gallifrey, even if it has been established centuries ago. But not as far back as Hartnell’s time.

    • Gordon

      July 19th, 2017 - 9:59am

      I don’t get why it’s an issue being a recent thing. Every part of mythology was recent or new at some point. This is just the next step in that evolution of the mythology. In 2005 it was stated “regeneration was a lottery and you don’t know what you are going to get”. That could easily refer to the possibility of a gender change. So it’s not that recent of an idea

    • Tim M

      July 19th, 2017 - 10:42am

      It’s my theory. I don’t say it’s right, and no doubt there will be a different explanation on TV. But clearly the Doctor never became female in his first 12 regenerations (even though the 8th Doctor could have been a woman on Karn). This is only a recent development in the newer series. So I choose to consider that his next life cycle is more gender fluid, than his original, that clearly wasn’t.

    • Bushboy

      July 19th, 2017 - 12:46pm

      I agree there needs to be a proper on screen explanation. My theory is that a Timelord is born either male or female and that is their primary gender. Thereafter changing sex after regenerating is possible but extremely rare, meaning it’s possible for a them to complete a whole cycle of regenerations and never change sex. Even in those rare cases when they do they will return to their primary gender for for most of their regenerations. Therefore the Doctor is a male in the majority of his incarnations with only the occasional gender swap. This would also tie up with the Master’s thus far only female regeneration, the General in Hell Bent who only had her one time as a man, and The Doctor’s comment in The Doctor’s Wife about a male Timelord become female “a couple of times”.

    • Pats86

      July 19th, 2017 - 1:06pm

      Tim M I have read it and like it, but because that is a good explanation it won’t be considered unfortunately.

    • Pats86

      July 19th, 2017 - 1:08pm

      Of course it’s a recent idea Gordon, it’s only been mentioned in the last few years.

    • R1ch1e

      July 19th, 2017 - 1:45pm

      Wasn’t it mentioned in the 80s when Tom Baker left?

    • The Temporal Jelly Baby

      July 19th, 2017 - 1:50pm

      On screen or behind the scenes? I don’t remember any on screen acknowledgement that Time Lords can change gender (nor any that they cannot) but please prove me wrong if you can.

    • pats86

      July 19th, 2017 - 2:36pm

      On screen by 10, comment above, say it all as far as I am concerned, right from the Doctors mouth HIMSELF.

    • R1ch1e

      July 19th, 2017 - 3:08pm

      My apologies

    • Gordon

      July 19th, 2017 - 3:18pm

      Is 2005 really recent though?

    • The Temporal Jelly Baby

      July 19th, 2017 - 4:03pm

      I think you’re onto something there, Bushboy. I must have missed your post somehow.

  • Tim M

    July 18th, 2017 - 8:29pm

    We should really be thankful that we have an actress like Jodie Whittaker taking on the title role. She will clearly be in high demand after her stint in the Tardis, even if she isn’t already. Chibnall is certainly steering this show in a different direction…and it needs it.

    Reply
  • 1

    July 18th, 2017 - 7:46pm

    Can the 13th doctor’s first line be Eowyn’s, “I am no man.”

    Reply
    • Floppy Who

      July 19th, 2017 - 7:31am

      I think her first line should be: “Oh No! I’m still not ginger..!”
      (Assuming JWs hair isn’t dyed red for the role, of course..!)

    • 1

      July 19th, 2017 - 12:40pm

      That could be quite funny if she was ginger, she could then say ‘Oh No! I concentrated so hard trying to be ginger I’ve changed gender!’

  • Mick181

    July 18th, 2017 - 7:27pm

    I loved Christopher Ecclestone as the Doctor, absolutely hated him in every other show he’s done(especially with that dreadfull accent in Leftovers). Hated Peter Davison as the Doctor loved him in all Creatures Great & Small.
    The Doctor is a very different character that some actors nail and some don’t. Please don’t judge Jodie as the Doctor on previous Shows lets see how she goes first as the Doctor.

    Reply
  • Puddle

    July 18th, 2017 - 6:43pm

    It’s the Xmas special I’m dreading Moffat has destroyed everything he’s used from classic series daleks davros cybermen dread what he will do with the first doctors character

    Reply
    • Adam

      July 18th, 2017 - 7:15pm

      Capaldi should have regenerated at the end of The doctor falls..but with recent events can now understand the need for him to meet his 1st self in the xmas special..

  • Anthony Berry

    July 18th, 2017 - 6:40pm

    Sorry to be a party pooper but can someone tell these people that Dr Who is not a documentary…….it’s just entertainment.

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      July 18th, 2017 - 8:24pm

      What??? Think we all know that but when your passionate about something, it gets a little heated sometime.

    • Thomas

      July 18th, 2017 - 8:50pm

      It’s actually a TV show that people like myself are passionate about. Are you passionate about a TV show? – Game of Thrones, soap operas, Kardashians etc.

      It’s the same with music & comic books/graphic novels also movies.

      🙂

    • Exterminator

      July 18th, 2017 - 9:29pm

      Kardashians lol

    • booboo

      July 18th, 2017 - 9:32pm

      non of the above, or much else for that matter

  • Adam

    July 18th, 2017 - 6:31pm

    Rumours are that next years series 11 will consist of ten one hour episodes..with a new time slot on sunday nights..

    Reply
    • booboo

      July 18th, 2017 - 6:37pm

      to be honest I dont think the Saturday night slot is a must anymore, it really depends on exactly what the target audience is now, plenty of show get good ratings even in the week as well

    • Anonymous

      July 18th, 2017 - 8:10pm

      Plus, sunday evenings are usually reserved for the highest quality drama eg, downton abbey. Perhaps this could promise a desperately needed rise in quality of both visuals and writing in chibnalls era…

    • booboo

      July 18th, 2017 - 8:14pm

      of course Saturday nights were all about kids could stay up a bit because no school the next day

      Sundays and weekdays were in bed to sleep by 7.00pm

    • Walker

      July 18th, 2017 - 10:26pm

      Saturday nights, fish n chips, doctor who let the kids stay up late. But I have to say that the last few series have been less kid friendly, my kids preferred Tennant and Smith and the stories they were in.

    • booboo

      July 18th, 2017 - 10:31pm

      yes i sort of worried that the “next generation” of fans did not seem the be there anymore

      what do they think now though?

    • Mick181

      July 19th, 2017 - 2:30am

      It’s a new fashion in TV doing 10 x 1 hour episodes instead of up to 22 45min episodes and i reckon it’s a great idea especially for Dr Who due to the fact it has a different setting every week with a different set of bad guys and the Doctor and Companion(s) are dealing with a new set of good guys every week.
      So by the time we find out where & when they are meet the good guys, and have some sort of idea of what they are dealing with 15 mins has gone by and only leaves 1/2 hour to tell the story, thats why it worked so well in the old days of 4-6 episodes, episode 1 would set it up

    • Walker

      July 19th, 2017 - 3:54pm

      Sadly booboo they are drifting away, my girls are more Harry Potter nuts and my boys well it changes all the time!! the Capaldi episodes have kept their interest the least and they have gone from being transfixed to not being fussed whether they watch or not but then they have got older as well, everyone is cool with a woman Doctor apart from my eldest daughter who thinks it should be a man! It will be interesting to see the tone of the new series.

  • Pats86

    July 18th, 2017 - 4:49pm

    I suppose it could have been worse? Considering Miranda Hart’s name had been put out there?
    Had that happened I would have thrown the TV through the window.

    Reply
    • Tim M

      July 18th, 2017 - 6:40pm

      Or if a man had been cast, it could have been Danny Dyer.

    • booboo

      July 18th, 2017 - 6:51pm

      to be honest there are many (male) people who they could have cast that would have put me off far more than casting a Female.

  • DalekAgent

    July 18th, 2017 - 4:49pm

    Im not here to change anyones mind about this news but ive found a video so you can get an idea of her acting. Christopher Eccleston is also in this video so just imagine them both playing The Doctor and arguing about something, in my opinion i can definitely see her as The Doctor now
    https://youtu.be/DgsYfRPmNDs

    Reply
    • The Prydonian

      July 18th, 2017 - 11:15pm

      Jodie Whitaker is without doubt a fine actress. I have seen her first hand. However as some of us keep saying, Jodie is not the issue – it’s the change of gender, ruining Doctor Who canon with no regard to its own history just for the sake of change under so much political pressure

    • cyberized

      July 19th, 2017 - 4:32pm

      Just watched it. Ive literally just seen the 9th Doctor have an argument with his 13th self.

  • Exterminator

    July 18th, 2017 - 2:00pm

    Now that I’ve had a couple of days to calm down, I think I’m ok with the Dr being a woman. My initial disappointment was probably due to the fact I had money on Ben Wishaw or Alexander Vlahos as the 13th Dr.

    This announcement is just like the Scottish Independence Referendum, Brexit, the general election and marmite all rolled into one. It’s split the fans 50/50. It’s done, it’s happened, she’s the new Doctor so let’s please get behind her and welcome her to the Whoniverse. Peace out. Lol

    Reply
    • Arthur Pewtey

      July 18th, 2017 - 2:06pm

      . . . except the Scottish Referendum, Brexit and the General Election were based on a vote whereas this was a selection by an unaccountable BBC committee. BUT I agree on just accepting it and the whole Peace thing.

    • Exterminator

      July 18th, 2017 - 2:13pm

      My point is they’ve all divided the nation.

    • 12th Doctor Fan

      July 18th, 2017 - 2:43pm

      I too have calmed down and by next year I’ll be excited the doctors back, but I won’t read interviews spoilers, it will be on the screen that has got to convince me 100 percent.

  • Arthur Pewtey

    July 18th, 2017 - 1:32pm

    I do wonder who young boys (many of who grown up in fatherless families and a highly feminised primary education system) will find to replace a valued popular male role model that doesn’t just fight and play football.

    Reply
    • Fred

      July 18th, 2017 - 1:43pm

      Absolutely the BBC is terrible for its depiction of white men to them everyone else is fine , their the worse discriminators of them all. I’m done with the show it been spiralling into drivel land pretty much from series 6 onwards with its poor writing and overt political agenda.

    • Doctor Stu

      July 18th, 2017 - 2:56pm

      The fact that POC, Gay characters and women are still underrepresented and equality is not apparent in today’s society then it’s fair to say that white men are represented quite well enough tbh

    • Tony

      July 18th, 2017 - 3:38pm

      I was fine with the announcement and looking forward to it, until people started treating it a some sort of victory and saying they haven’t gone far enough.

    • Pats86

      July 18th, 2017 - 4:39pm

      I have been saying the same thing about boys needing a male role model that goes against all the violence they see elsewhere for years. In this respect it is a very sad day.

    • booboo

      July 18th, 2017 - 4:52pm

      I’m eager to see what he has in mind companion wise, could make or break it some of those sitting on the fence.

    • Doctor Stu

      July 18th, 2017 - 6:29pm

      Could be Andrew buchan, he’s youngish, good looking ish so might keep the male fan base and go further to boosting the female and male fan base

    • BAZZ p

      July 18th, 2017 - 7:21pm

      … and isn’t even a human.

    • Trenzalore

      July 18th, 2017 - 7:29pm

      I really liked what someone wrote here earlier. They wrote that female companions often save the day and tell the doctor he’s wrong. In new who especially a male hasn’t had such a pivotal role. If a male companion does do all these things, it could be seen as detracting from this new doctor especially by those pleased with the decision of a female doctor. On that note jokes we’ve heard loads in the past like the doctor not flying the TARDIS very well or his sense of fashion will be a thing of the past im sure.

      im guessing the new companions will be 1 woman to guide this once male doctor on how to dress ect and a guy who will probably be comic relief again

  • the ergon

    July 18th, 2017 - 11:28am

    The qustion next is what will she be wearing. Hopefully not just the hoodie and jeans she had on in the trailer. gutted about trevor baxter. RIP olde boy.

    Reply
    • Prof Horner

      July 18th, 2017 - 11:40am

      Yes sad news about Trevor Baxter, but he had a long life. So many actors are dying at a great age. RIP.

  • R1ch1e

    July 18th, 2017 - 11:05am

    If anybody requires any reassurance of Jodies quality of acting then can I recommend ‘Adult life skills’ on Amazon Prime! It shows just what a great actress she is and gives a very good and committed performance that shows of some of the qualities and hat she will surely put into The Doctor.
    It’s funny, sad and really is very good film too

    Reply
    • Tim M

      July 18th, 2017 - 11:38am

      Funnily enough, last night I thought I’d look for acting or interviews with Jodie Whittaker on YouTube. I was impressed. I actually felt she was more ‘Doctorish’ in interviews. I think she could surprise everyone and actually make the thought of a female Doctor very acceptable. If I was to compare her to her male counterparts, then instinct tells me she will be like a female version of the 5th and 10th Doctors.

    • R1ch1e

      July 18th, 2017 - 4:01pm

      Yeah me too, particularly 10. I do think people will warm to her given time and space. I really think she looks the part in that photo.

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