It's time for an American Doctor

[sidious618]

We've had enough American heroes; we don't need one taking over for a British hero.

 

[Starkers]

The only non-Brit that comes to my mind is Simon Baker. Though after 7 years as a lead on a primetime network show, his quote may be a bit high for their budget.

Plus I'd effectively want him to play the Doctor much like Patrick Jayne which wouldn't be the best idea really. He does do dark and haunted/ yet playful and childish very well though.

 

[iguana_tonante]

Truth be told, I started this thread as a study of sorts.

This always ends well.

What gets me is that people who don't want a female Doctor are being painted as misogynists, anti-trans or otherwise close-minded.

Yep.

I don't consider myself any of those things, yet I'm a bigot because I don't want a female Doctor.

I wonder why.

If you're against a simple thing like an accent change but actively campaign for and insult those who are against a female Doctor, you really ought to rethink your position.

Or maybe you need a lesson about context.

Thank you.

You are welcome.

 

[diankra]

The only non-Brit that comes to my mind is Simon Baker. Though after 7 years as a lead on a primetime network show, his quote may be a bit high for their budget.

Plus I'd effectively want him to play the Doctor much like Patrick Jayne which wouldn't be the best idea really. He does do dark and haunted/ yet playful and childish very well though.

This is the on-going problem: sometimes the role that makes you think an actor might be a good Doctor is already close enough to the Doctor to rule them out - they'd either have to just carry on the earlier role as the Doctor, or do something totally different.
Back in the late 80s, everyone thought Jeremy Brett would be a superb Doctor. But no-one could work out how he could do it without basically playing "Sherlock in Space and Time".

 

[Venardhi]

I don't know how Baker is playing Jane these days since I stopped watching after he murdered someone and they let him come back to work in law enforcement after like 2 episodes. In any case, I think Baker has shown enough acting chops to pull something different out of his hat for the role.

 

[Sindatur]

The only non-Brit that comes to my mind is Simon Baker. Though after 7 years as a lead on a primetime network show, his quote may be a bit high for their budget.

Plus I'd effectively want him to play the Doctor much like Patrick Jayne which wouldn't be the best idea really. He does do dark and haunted/ yet playful and childish very well though.

This is the on-going problem: sometimes the role that makes you think an actor might be a good Doctor is already close enough to the Doctor to rule them out - they'd either have to just carry on the earlier role as the Doctor, or do something totally different.
Back in the late 80s, everyone thought Jeremy Brett would be a superb Doctor. But no-one could work out how he could do it without basically playing "Sherlock in Space and Time".

This is certainly true in some cases, but, I think with most Actors I think might be good, I'm looking at them having alot of prescence and a "full" personality, maybe a little bit of offbeat and a diversity of roles. Certainly someone who I've seen play numerous roles, all the same won't be high on my list

 

[Timby]

I don't know how Baker is playing Jane these days since I stopped watching after he murdered someone and they let him come back to work in law enforcement after like 2 episodes. In any case, I think Baker has shown enough acting chops to pull something different out of his hat for the role.

What?

 

[Venardhi]

In the 3rd season finale Jane eagerly and publicly murdered someone he thought was Red John (the man who killed his family) but within a few episodes of the next season the status quo had been more or less reinstated.

 

[Starkers]

Yes that did stretch things a mite!

 

[Captain Kathryn]

I disagree. It's a British show.

Also, technically it doesn't matter since the Doctor is an alien.

 

[Australis]

Um. No.

Prefer the Doctor Brit and male.

That said, I'm working on an idea about a traveller randoml;y bouncing around the galaxy in an invisible ship and can regenerate (through mechanical means), who is female and American. Hope to pitch it soon.

 

[Sci]

Thanks for all of the responses. Truth be told, I started this thread as a study of sorts. I don't, repeat, don't want an American Doctor. I feel that Doctor Who is a British show that should feature British Doctors.

That said, I wanted to do a little searching through what people would think. Specifically, I want to know if there are folks out there who want a female Doctor but who abhor the idea of an American Doctor.

What gets me is that people who don't want a female Doctor are being painted as misogynists, anti-trans or otherwise close-minded. I don't consider myself any of those things, yet I'm a bigot because I don't want a female Doctor. Supporters mention a "glass ceiling" on Doctor Who, just because the role that was originated for and continued exclusively by men continues to cast men.

Now if someone has a problem with an American Doctor but considers anyone else a hater for not wanting a woman Doctor, they have some pondering to do. An accent is nothing to the Doctor, he's been Scottish, Northern, and everything else. It would be nothing for him to change it a little bit more.

Changing from a man to a woman, genetically, is a much bigger deal. That's the core of your being, at least for a human. Seeing as we only have two canonical trans-Lords, it seems to be something of a rarity. If you're against a simple thing like an accent change but actively campaign for and insult those who are against a female Doctor, you really ought to rethink your position.

Thank you.

Considering that people already change their sexes in real life, I really don't see why changing your sex should be any bigger deal to a thousand-year-old Time Lord than changing bodies nine times.

And there is a huge difference between trying to preserve a role's national nature (as an artifact of, and hero for, British popular culture), and trying to preserve male dominance. There's no real reason the Doctor has to be male, because his male-ness is not an essential part of what defines him.* But there's plenty of reason for the Doctor to be British -- his British-ness is an important part of what defines him, both metatextually (as an artifact of British popular culture) and in-universe (as a character with a noted predilection for Britain).

ETA:

* I did used to think of the Doctor's male-ness as being an essential part of what defines him, insofar as I consider the Doctor's profound desire for, but difficulty establishing, romantic relationships with young women to be an important part of his personality. But it occurs to me that the things that make this trait interesting are ones that could manifest just as well in a female Doctor. A female Doctor may well retain her desire for female admiration and affection, alongside her difficulties establishing emotionally healthy relationships with them -- or a female Doctor could just transfer these same behavior patterns onto her relationships with young men, instead.

Either way, the Moment's lovely line from "The Day of the Doctor" -- "Stuck between a girl and a box; the story of your life, eh, Doctor?" -- could manifest in a female Doctor, and you'd still have the essential elements in place: A desire for connection, a craving for admiration from someone much younger, a yearning for love, an emotional dysfunctionality, a tendency to sabotage emotional intimacy. The sexes might be reversed, but the soul of the story dynamic would be the same; the Doctor's sex organs might be reversed, but the soul of the Doctor would be the same.

 

[Starkers]

^ I have to admit that I used to be quite anti the idea of a female Doctor, for similar reasons to you, but the idea has grown on me and frankly I'm now of the opinion that it should just be the best person for the job, irrespective of age ethnicity or gender.

My only concern (aside from the stick they’d no doubt get from some online) is what happens when the first female Doctor regenerates, because I can see uproar no matter who she regenerates into. (but this isn’t limited to gender). You know, this kinda thing…

“Another female/ethnic doctor? But you’ve just had one, isn’t that enough?”

And the flipside

“Oh I see, you gave us the sop of a female/ethnic Doctor and now it’s back to being a white bloke again.”

But then again I guess whoever is cast as a new doctor gets that kind of crap (Smith’s too young, Capaldi’s too old etc. etc.)

 

[Lonemagpie]

Watching the premiere of The Librarians, and Noah Wyle basically is playing the Doctor already... Map on the right accent and, to my amazement, and I can't believe I'm saying this, he could get away with it.

Though there are plenty of others I'd prefer.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^Doctor Carter, then?

 

[Etoile]

Changing geography would be greater than changing gender or race. The whole personality of the show would change.

*cough* Miracle Day *cough*

Watching the premiere of The Librarians, and Noah Wyle basically is playing the Doctor already... Map on the right accent and, to my amazement, and I can't believe I'm saying this, he could get away with it.

Though there are plenty of others I'd prefer.

Ooh, you saw that as the Doctor? I was getting an "I've seen this before" vibe from him, but I wasn't sure who it was reminding me of. I don't think I'd like him as the Doctor, because I'm not a big fan of Noah Wyle, but I can kind of see the parallels with the Librarian and the Doctor.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Changing geography would be greater than changing gender or race. The whole personality of the show would change.

*cough* Miracle Day *cough*

Watching the premiere of The Librarians, and Noah Wyle basically is playing the Doctor already... Map on the right accent and, to my amazement, and I can't believe I'm saying this, he could get away with it.

Though there are plenty of others I'd prefer.

Ooh, you saw that as the Doctor? I was getting an "I've seen this before" vibe from him, but I wasn't sure who it was reminding me of. I don't think I'd like him as the Doctor, because I'm not a big fan of Noah Wyle, but I can kind of see the parallels with the Librarian and the Doctor.

It's especially obvious in the opening scene, when he's defusing both the magic box and the nuke, before introducing himself as "I'm the Librarian."

 

[ThankQ]

I am displaying a closed mind.

 

[Captain Crow]

I don't see what the big deal is with having an American (or Canadian) actor play the role. If the Doctor is only allowed to have a British accent then they can do the same thing British actors on American tv shows. Use a false accent.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Use a false accent.

Of course there are plenty of British actors who are still available, so that is hardly necessary.