Female Doctor Poll!

[DalekJim]

I think The Doctor being a paternal figure is a very key element of the show's DNA that shouldn't be changed. A female Doctor could work but there's a 99.99% chance the writers would just fuck it up so I'm not really up for it. I'm imagining how Moffat or RTD would write the post-regen scene of The Doctor examining her new female body and already cringing.

It's all a bit too New Earth for me.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

Part of the James Bond brand is its inherent sexism. It prides itself on it. James Bond has spent decades having sex with women and then killing them. It has naked dancing girls over the theme music. Are you arguing that a central part of Doctor Who's charm, like that of the James Bond brand, is its sexism? If so, please do make that explicit.

Some of the Doctor's key characteristics have always been connected to what is perceived to be the traditional male role. The whole man who "walks like he owns the place", comes from a civilization of sanctimonious patriarchs, protects the innocent at all corst, grandfather/crazy uncle/father figure, likes to impress young women, etc... has been part of the Doctor's DNA from the beginning. It would be interesting to have a female Doctor, but the writers would have to think about what it means for the character and his attitude.

 

[Stoo]

Sounds like making excuses to me. "Oh a female doctor could be ok" but then looking for reasons to decide it wouldn't work. The writing would be awful, they'll case an unsuitable actress etc etc.

Sexist or change-fearing attitudes in fandom need shaking up and our tragic, engimatic world-breaking travelling wizard can work as a woman just as well a guy.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

Sounds like making excuses to me. "Oh a female doctor could be ok" but then looking for reasons to decide it wouldn't work. The writing would be awful, they'll case an unsuitable actress etc etc.

Sexist or change-fearing attitudes in fandom need shaking up and our tragic, engimatic world-breaking travelling wizard can work as a woman just as well a guy.

Sure, but if they're casting a woman in a role that has been defined by (mostly) traditionally male traits, they have to at least think about what it means for the character. Is it asking for too much? Don't you think that the producers would think about that kind of thing, if they ever made a Mary Poppins remake starring Rik Mayall as Mary?

 

[Stoo]

I was responding to Jim above you there, you ninja'd me while I was distracted.

Sure, some things should be approached a bit differently, particularly in historical episodes. I'm just think "oh they'd do it wrong" is an excuse people use to hide their reluctance to see something new tried *at all*.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Wasn't Romana a man briefly?

 

[chardman]

I think it would cheapen the integrity of the series by making the once great principle character a tacky, gawdy, anti-intellectual, tabloid headine grabbing gimmick worthy of Russell T. Davies at his most insane.

But I bet plenty will think it'd be camp and funny.

The notion of a female regeneration of the Doctor has been around, and acknowledged within the series itself, for quite some time now, so there's nothing particularly objectionable or inconsistent about the notion itself. Moreover, the notion that it's possible, and hasn't happened yet, makes means the likelihood of it happening increases with every new regeneration. It is, all things being equal, an inevitability that is statistically increasingly overdue.

Tell me, what is "tacky" about the Doctor regenerating as a woman?

What is "gawdy" about the Doctor regenerating as a woman?

In what way is it "anti-intellectual"?

How can a statistically inevitable occurrence be considered a "gimmick"?

 

[Kelthaz]

I don't want a female Doctor.

If you want a female Doctor, you have to have a female James Bond too.

Okay.

 

[Sindatur]

Again, let me preface this by saying I would have no problem with a Female Doctor.

I do think it would be unlikely. Romana, and others, it seems, have the capability to choose their new face. Offhand, River is the only other Time Lord I recall offhand who chooses what to do with her Regeneration, so, maybe it's a female Time Lord Trait, to have control, rather than a Time Lord Trait in general?

But, anyways, the Doctor always regenerates in a crisis, and seemingly has no control over it, he just gets what he gets. I would think, under those circumstances, the Regeneration choice is feeding off who he is deep down, and I think he clearly identifies as male Humanoid, since he always regenerates (so far) into a male Humanoid. After 10 (or apparently 11 Regenerations), he hasn't changed into a female Humanoid or a slug or a plant creature, so, I don't accept the "Statistical probability dictates he'll be female at some point". I think it would be far more likely if he had control to choose to appear female.

But, again, I'm not opposed to it, and wouldn't care how they hand waved it away if they did go female. I would actually very much like to see a female Doctor at some point, as I think it could opn up some great story ideas (Just please no non-stop belching and barfing lush)

 

[DalekJim]

Sounds like making excuses to me. "Oh a female doctor could be ok" but then looking for reasons to decide it wouldn't work. The writing would be awful, they'll case an unsuitable actress etc etc.

Sexist or change-fearing attitudes in fandom need shaking up and our tragic, engimatic world-breaking travelling wizard can work as a woman just as well a guy.

Oh, alright then you've got me. Emma fucking Watson would be perfectly satisfactory, idiosyncratic casting for The Doctor. She'd likely be the best performer since Troughton in the role.

Perfect. Squee. Squee. Squee. ^_^.

 

[Starkers]

You're not really helping you case you know...you're focusing on specific female actors and generalising, which is quite scary. You might as well get upset because somone suggests Justin Beiber? I mean, he's a teeange dick but at least he's a guy right so that automatically makes him a better Who candidate in your eyes than, oh, say Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet, or in fact any decent actress.

Tell me, do you have to not watch any Who serials that feature Romana? She's a Timelord, and whilst young by Timelord standards she's ancient by ours, and she's a scientist etc...

Like I say, a female Doctor wouldn't be my prefered choice, but I don't see it as some kind of disaster either.

 

[Avalon]

There are a disproportionate amount of Doctor Who fans that want Doctor Who to be camp, frothy, meaningless light-entertainment. Hence genuinely serious suggestions from fans on this forum so far that Catherine Tate or Emma Watson should play The Doctor. Actors that have showed absolutely no ability to convincingly portray an alien, outcast scientist.

O RLY?

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adtp8ekgNlk[/yt]

Convinced me.

Sure, but if they're casting a woman in a role that has been defined by (mostly) traditionally male traits, they have to at least think about what it means for the character. Is it asking for too much? Don't you think that the producers would think about that kind of thing, if they ever made a Mary Poppins remake starring Rik Mayall as Mary?

Pffffft. It's called DROP DEAD FRED.

(Okay, it's not really a Mary Poppins remake, just kind of a distant cousin. But if they did do an actual remake with Mayall, I'd watch the hell out of it...)

 

[Thestral]

You know, I'm the guy that brought up Emma Watson, and I wasn't serious at all (though I'm sure if for some reason that happened she'd be great) and mostly to get those kinds of reactions. But it's incredibly obnoxious to see that used as a legitimate "reason" why they can't cast a woman at all as the Doctor.

Obviously I'm fine with a woman as the Doctor.

 

[Starkers]

 

[DalekJim]

O RLY?



Convinced me.

I uh... think that Journey's End clip further sways the argument in my favour .

 

[Count Zero]

She really should have said, "Am I bovvered, though?" at one point to Davros's threats in that scene. That would have cracked me up.

The more the possibility of the Doctor regenerating into a woman is being discussed the more I actually like it. Now I'll be slightly sad because it won't happen.

 

[DalekJim]

She really should have said, "Am I bovvered, though?" at one point to Davros's threats in that scene. That would have cracked me up.

I don't think I've ever felt more alone in a thread.

 

[Kemaiku]

Perfectly fine with a female Doctor, but I have no particular opinions on who that should be, or what the writing staff are capable of.

 

[Greg Cox]

The difference between recasting, say, Bond as a woman and Doctor Who is that radically transforming the character on a regular basis has been built into Doctor Who for nearly fifty years now. This would just be a case of taking an already-established premise one step further . . . which strikes me as a very sfnal thing to do.

 

[Venardhi]

It would be very difficult. Not only in convincing the fans that this is still the Doctor we know and love but in that writing female characters with 'extreme' personalities is very very tricky. A female Doctor might need to be a more mellow Doctor than we've seen of late. As a rule, people tend to be more forgiving of undesirable personality traits/quirks in male characters (arrogance, for example). I base this entirely on personal observation though, mind you.

I'm not certain it would still be 'Doctor Who' as we know it, but I'd still watch.