Doctor Girl : another time by: GF Willmetts
Considering how long the promo and the number of repeats of the announcement of a new Doctor, it barely got 30 seconds on the 6:30pm BBC News. No interview. Nothing from new showrunner Chris Chibnall. It was barely a footnote. Even pointing out that there are female leads in recent films seems a poor choice that the Doctor should follow suit. There was a bit more on BBC News 24 but mainly some adverse, should I call them now ‘non-fans’, on Twitter. Oh, did I say the thirteenth Doctor is a woman? Mind you, the way the Capaldi Doctor used a regeneration’s energy to stay in that form, shouldn’t she be the fourteenth Doctor?
As with all Doctors, I’d rather wait and see than speculate what will happen next year as she will only likely get a cameo in the yuletide special. There are a few things that did spring to mind. Actress Jodie Whittaker (note the double t’s so spot the people who misspell) is 5ft 5ins tall so unless she’s in high heels, not so good for running, next to Sylvester McCoy, only an inch taller, is the shortest Time Lord. At least she’ll be able to look a Dalek in the eyestalk.
In some respects, having a female Doctor provides something the Smith Doctor regeneration was after, some anonymity from being always recognised whether he…she goes.
Something that has yet to be announced is who will be her companion(s)? No doubt that will be announced by yuletide when some episodes have started filming. That will cause some controversy whatever the sex.
One area that does concern me is merchandise. Can you see boys wanting a female Doctor model in their collection without looking…er…girlie. Saying that, female ‘Doctor Who’ fans will probably rejoice by having a doll they can call their own.
As I said at the beginning, I’m not going to make a judgement. Let the episodes speak for themselves.
Geoff Willmetts
16 July 2017
