Who should become the next Doctor after Whittaker?

[Qonundrum]

He would be great in the role. His brand of humor would be more sarcastic than others but I would enjoy it. One issue though in regards to his size is would this impact things that are common with the Doctor such as running? I know some smaller people have health issues and can't do things like that. I don't know what things are like though with Dinklage.

Jason

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Might make a compelling Doctor or Master... or recurring new villain... prefer him as the Doctor though - more screen time. The dude's good.

The lack of running didn't stop Hartnell's era, or what was envisioned for the 4th Doctor era before Tom Baker signed on, the only real difference is age... Regardless, it's all been done before, and with audience appreciation, so it can be done again.

Dinklage, and his brand of humor, would be cool - I prefer the more snarky Doctors anyway...

 

[jaime]

I agree with you. I hope she lasts as long as Tom Baker. I am also really looking forward to a new interpretation of the doctor by a woman. But it is hard not to join future speculation.

She won’t. Tennant didn’t, and he’s a big fan, Capaldi didn’t, ditto, and Matt Smith certainly considered it despite not starting as a fan of the show. To be honest, I can’t see production teams ever allowing a seven year plus run. Tom casts a long shadow even now, and due to a quirk of fate, that actual longest running Doctors (Sylv and McGann, and I think McGann has the edge) also cast a long shadow through the influence of the novels and audios. If Whitaker stays seven or nine or ten years, it makes regeneration a bit harder in the public psyche, and that’s even assuming the show goes long enough...it managed 26 years before, but Capaldi was very much a Colin Baker moment for the show in a lot of ways (Colin would have beat Toms record in fairer winds I reckon. He wanted to.) for example, the character is started as unlikeabke and more alien, uncaring, behind the scenes we have an actor who is a fan but production team staying in the job to essentially prevent hiatus or a form of cancellation (Moffat basically did at least a year because no one was ready for the job...same as JNT) followed by Capaldis last season being almost season 26ish in terms of its renaissance for the show. It’s last episode even featured the Master and being trapped in an alien landscape away from the Tardis, being hunted by creatures that transform you into themselves, and a companion being so transformed. We are on borrowed time since the Xmas special, given the cyclical nature of history. (There are other amusing parallels too...the tenth Doctor is very echoey to the fifth for example, and eleven has a hiatus season and a companion he sort of meets in the wrong order.)

 

[sttngfan1701d]

The lack of running didn't stop Hartnell's era, or what was envisioned for the 4th Doctor era before Tom Baker signed on, the only real difference is age... Regardless, it's all been done before, and with audience appreciation, so it can be done again.

Dinklage, and his brand of humor, would be cool - I prefer the more snarky Doctors anyway...

Hartnell's era was the first era. The new show is different. The Doctor runs. The Doctor runs A LOT. Multiple people have remarked about how physically demanding the show is (and IIRC, it led to Capaldi and Matt Smith injuring their knees). Peter Dinklage can't do stuff like that. Plus, he's American. British tabloids would tear him apart if he was cast. While he can do an accent, it's a rather iffy accent. It flies on GOT because Westeros isn't Great Britain. Doctor Who is a British institution. The actor needs to sound authentic or the audience will whine.

The British are notoriously fussy about that. It doesn't matter to us if they play American presidents, iconic personalities or American superheroes....but cast an American as one of their beloved characters or historical personages and they throw a fit. It takes a truly convincing portrayal to shut them up. But even so....I can't imagine that they'd ever accept an American Doctor Who.

 

[Refuge]

The British are notoriously fussy about that. It doesn't matter to us if they play American presidents, iconic personalities or American superheroes....but cast an American as one of their beloved characters or historical personages and they throw a fit. It takes a truly convincing portrayal to shut them up. But even so....I can't imagine that they'd ever accept an American Doctor Who.

That's something I've noticed too. Credit where it's due. Americans embrace acting talent from all over the world.

 

[starsuperion]

How anyone say they'd want Whittaker to last as long as Tom Baker when we haven't even seen the new series yet, and have really no clue if the new direction will be any good?? Is it based on her Gender? Her Acting Chops from Broadchurch? Because I would have to say playing the doctor is nothing like a grieving sobbing widow, a kid in a maze like structure in Attack the block, nor her portrayal in Black Mirror... So I just don't get it.. What makes her so special to want to have her run long like Baker?? We have nothing to base that opinion on, or do we??

 

[sttngfan1701d]

How anyone say they'd want Whittaker to last as long as Tom Baker when we haven't even seen the new series yet, and have really no clue if the new direction will be any good?? Is it based on her Gender? Her Acting Chops from Broadchurch? Because I would have to say playing the doctor is nothing like a grieving sobbing widow, a kid in a maze like structure in Attack the block, nor her portrayal in Black Mirror... So I just don't get it.. What makes her so special to want to have her run long like Baker?? We have nothing to base that opinion on, or do we??

To some people, it is about her gender. We already have people in this very thread that want another woman after her. And before she was cast (and since she was cast) there have been several blog articles written about how the role should be a woman's for the foreseeable future, because it was "time for a woman" or some such nonsense, and they professed that they'd stop watching the show unless a woman was picked.

All of which makes me roll my eyes and laugh, because those people have no more of a leg to stand on than the people that were against her casting because she's female. I was one of those, by the way. But the deed is done, and I've always said that they've never made a bad casting decision. So I accepted it, and will give her ample chance to convince me she was the right choice....same as I gave for Matt Smith when I was iffy about him.

But whether she's a great Doctor or not, she won't stay as long as Baker. The nature of the filming of the modern show means that a long stay (beyond the standard 3-4 years) is very unlikely. Plus, the show is on shaky ground. They've given it a long break and a total reboot in an attempt to reinvigorate it....but I'm not sure it will work. The ratings will get an initial jolt because people will be curious about Jodie....whether that will sustain is another issue.

 

[starsuperion]

To some people, it is about her gender. We already have people in this very thread that want another woman after her. And before she was cast (and since she was cast) there have been several blog articles written about how the role should be a woman's for the foreseeable future, because it was "time for a woman" or some such nonsense, and they professed that they'd stop watching the show unless a woman was picked.

All of which makes me roll my eyes and laugh, because those people have no more of a leg to stand on than the people that were against her casting because she's female. I was one of those, by the way. But the deed is done, and I've always said that they've never made a bad casting decision. So I accepted it, and will give her ample chance to convince me she was the right choice....same as I gave for Matt Smith when I was iffy about him.

But whether she's a great Doctor or not, she won't stay as long as Baker. The nature of the filming of the modern show means that a long stay (beyond the standard 3-4 years) is very unlikely. Plus, the show is on shaky ground. They've given it a long break and a total reboot in an attempt to reinvigorate it....but I'm not sure it will work. The ratings will get an initial jolt because people will be curious about Jodie....whether that will sustain is another issue.

Well I was never against a female doctor myself, for the record.. My initial reaction was a response to the shoe horned identity politics which became blatant in the final 2 seasons of Capaldi to the point where the inevitable seemed likely and that was to cast a female doctor.. OF course the haters on both side are all full of themselves and full of contempt for others and any dissenting point of view. I can see both sides, but argue my points until some Nancy got a snowflake scaled melt down and reported me as a troller.. Pfft! I was defending myself with a lynching.. of course the pro-male fan gets censored.. can't have that toxic masculinity infecting the masses.. LOL

I'm over the whole debate.. my focus was always on the agenda behind the casting, not the gender selected.

What really pisses me off tho, when I was relating the idea of a female Doctor to the idea of reincarnation, the idea that the conscious is immutable and reformats into a new body is something very spiritual and quite pretty when you think about it. Is someone Gay because they were born that way? Well I say yea.. from a spiritual perspective what if that person in another life was in fact female, reincarnates but that feeling remains and translates into the next life, when someone is born the opposite sex, yet can't understand where their feelings for the same sex come from, maybe it is from there? It's a profound and wonderful theory to think about, and the idea of Time Lord's switching gender had a nice nod to that philosophical hypothesis.. But no one took notice of that and instead I was accused of being something I am not.

I digress.. It's not the gender that pisses me off, it's the agenda behind it that I am not a fan of. I think it's fake, overblown and a vein attempt to appeal to millenials, the problem is the SJW crowd rarely sticks to a specific thing after getting their way, or destroying it, choose which ever side your on.. But it was never a sexist thing.. My beef was ideological.

 

[sttngfan1701d]

I agree with you that it's pandering to an agenda (angry bloggers, specifically)....but if we go down that road we will derail the thread and rehash the same arguments that have happened since Jodie was cast, and people will come along and tell us "Sidney Newman said a female Doctor should happen in 1986, and Romana, and Missy, and......" Or they'll use the JJ Abrams/Star Wars style of rebuttal and say we're "scared of strong female characters," which is nonsense. But it's their easiest line of rebuttal because they really can't tolerate any range of opinion other than their own.

I will say though that "representation stuff" has been part of NuWho since the RTD days, so it's not really new....but you could tell that the BBC was starting to feel to the pressure since 2013 especially to cast a female Doctor. It wasn't at all limited to Capaldi's years. I have no problem with it being part of the show. I just didn't want them to make the Doctor female just because people on internet blogs and Twitter were kicking up a fuss.

Regardless, she's been cast, and she's coming. I've reconciled myself to it...and in reality, I know she'll be just fine. They have always cast great people for the role. I have no doubt that she is talented and she's a lovely person, even though I haven't seen Broadchurch. Chances are that she will be a great Doctor. And it will give them opportunities to explore her feelings as someone new to a female body having lived so many years as a male.

 

[starsuperion]

I agree with you that it's pandering to an agenda (angry bloggers, specifically)....but if we go down that road we will derail the thread and rehash the same arguments that have happened since Jodie was cast, and people will come along and tell us "Sidney Newman said a female Doctor should happen in 1986, and Romana, and Missy, and......" Or they'll use the JJ Abrams/Star Wars style of rebuttal and say we're "scared of strong female characters," which is nonsense. But it's their easiest line of rebuttal because they really can't tolerate any range of opinion other than their own.

I will say though that "representation stuff" has been part of NuWho since the RTD days, so it's not really new....but you could tell that the BBC was starting to feel to the pressure since 2013 especially to cast a female Doctor. It wasn't at all limited to Capaldi's years. I have no problem with it being part of the show. I just didn't want them to make the Doctor female just because people on internet blogs and Twitter were kicking up a fuss.

Regardless, she's been cast, and she's coming. I've reconciled myself to it...and in reality, I know she'll be just fine. They have always cast great people for the role. I have no doubt that she is talented and she's a lovely person, even though I haven't seen Broadchurch. Chances are that she will be a great Doctor. And it will give them opportunities to explore her feelings as someone new to a female body having lived so many years as a male.

See now, I'm more skeptical. with the nature of how things are going and how polarized everyday politics is in both the UK and USA, it would seem to me that the trend to "pander" will continue. This is a problem Marvel comics the books are dealing with right now. They are struggling to find a relevance in a culture increasingly only interested in Video Game storylines with interactive play or movies over reading and imaginative cognoscente. It's hard for me not to see the Gender and identity views being pushed forward even more so now. If anyone thought Rey in TLJ and TFA was a Mary Sue, wait till they get a load of the New Doctor. On the actress herself. I'm sure Whittaker is a fine person, I'm just personally neither attracted to her, nor impressed by her range of acting. To me, she's mediocre, but if that is true, then I guess mediocre is a new standard that means truly anyone can be the doctor. Mission accomplished if you ask me. Message received.

But back on topic, who would I want as the next doctor? I am about to let loose an idea that is probably controversial..

I'd want a Boy of about 13 to Play the Doctor.. and be exceptionally smart, smug and talented.. a sort of Young Sheldon Doctor, with a new improved all terrain K-9! now that would really be amazing. This young Doctor dealing with crazy adult drama and winning all the way, just imagine the banter between a child Doctor and Davros, or an adult master.. I mean wow! heck they did it in the comics with the Master being a child again, why not do it with the next doctor? watch the ratings soar, a kids dream come true, but brutal and real enough for adult fans to remain interested. of course there would be more uproar about it then anyone could imagine Im sure..

Hell those Wankers in the censor bureau would probably cry child abuse tho.. so better not..

 

[worf1965]

Wow I didn't realize the polemic my comment would cause. Yes I stated I'd hope Whitaker would last 7 seasons like Tom Baker. I actually hope that about every doctor. I just get attached to each doctor and then they're gone. This happens with each one, some more than others.

The comment was also made with what I guess was the hope that she will be a great Doctor. If she's not then I would be among those wanting someone else.

While I do think that yes it's time for a woman doctor I do agree that gender (male or female) should never be the prime reason for choosing a doctor. But it certainly is fine to be used as a factor, say yes this candidate is great AND she is a woman, let's go with her. Women are half the population after all and we're now on Doctor number 13. It's tiring to hear people whining on both sides. Accept Whitaker, hope for her success and enjoy the show.

 

[thribs]

A male hopefully, so I can watch it again. A female Doctor just sounds too silly to me. They should just bring back Romana if they want a female Time Lord.

 

[Starkers]

Wow I didn't realize the polemic my comment would cause. Yes I stated I'd hope Whitaker would last 7 seasons like Tom Baker. I actually hope that about every doctor. I just get attached to each doctor and then they're gone. This happens with each one, some more than others.

The comment was also made with what I guess was the hope that she will be a great Doctor. If she's not then I would be among those wanting someone else.

While I do think that yes it's time for a woman doctor I do agree that gender (male or female) should never be the prime reason for choosing a doctor. But it certainly is fine to be used as a factor, say yes this candidate is great AND she is a woman, let's go with her. Women are half the population after all and we're now on Doctor number 13. It's tiring to hear people whining on both sides. Accept Whitaker, hope for her success and enjoy the show.

Don't tell people women make up 50% of the population, they'll be afraid to leave the house!

The trouble is that some people see pandering and some people see representation. The scales are balanced against women and persons of colour in film and TV (and anyone who says otherwise is talking out of their arse, you literally cannot argue this isn't the case) and to balance the scales sometimes a little pandering (or, you know equality of opportunity) is necessary.

Will Jodie do 7 years? Who knows, she might be shite, took me time to warm to both Capaldi and Tennant yet I loved Smith from the off, so I'm going to wait and see what she's like before I judge. I doubt she could possibly be so awful that the show gets cancelled, though I'm sure those with an axe will claim she's a failure unless the show's rating suddenly exceed what they were at the height of Tennnat-Mania. I fully expect her to do 3 seasons same as most Doctors do. She's a good actor (see recent praise for her over her role in Journeyman) and clearly Chibnall thinks she'll be a good Doctor.

And she is, you know, the Doctor

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

A male hopefully, so I can watch it again. A female Doctor just sounds too silly to me. They should just bring back Romana if they want a female Time Lord.

This is something I never get.
The Doctor is an age old, if not immortal, alien from a billion year old civilization, traveling through all of time and space, fighting all sorts of crazy other aliens hellbent on invading Great Britain over and over again, regenerating his entire body, potentially changing skin color, height, age, hair, total personality make-over....
But gender? That is a silly notion over the line beyond the ability to suspend disbelief.... for some reason.
Can you see how the other side attributes this easily as just bigotry and sexism?

Is there an actual reason why this particular change bothers you so much?

 

[starsuperion]

IDK for me, I've been a whovian since I was 10 years old. I was a fan starting off with Pertwee, Baker, Davison, Baker, Sylvestri, and McGann. When the new series was announced, I was ecstatic. Once Tenant jumped in and we moved into the hype phase of the show, I was on board even more. The advent of Smith was also something I got excited about, tho a bit less because as Smith's series progressed, once we got passed the Impossible Girl, the show became tedious and a bit tiresome. Come Capaldi, I was like okay.. Here we go. I sorta liked his first season, but felt it could have been stronger. His portrayal was a nod back to Colin Baker.. But after all the Hullaballoo and the back and forth over how SJW the series was becoming (representation vs Pandering debates) I got very tired of the whole thing. The fakeness of the pandering for some, like me is too much. Yet it seems one sided. You complain, you get smacked down and labeled as something, nevermind your loyal years of support for the series. Nevermind if you never had been called a name or label like that before. It didn't matter.. Protecting the ideology is paramount. It soured my optimism and forced me as a fan to really step back and look at the series with a clean set of eyes. Over the course of the new show, there's been an increasing silliness and just dumbness shoe horned in on a Leftist political slant. You talk of representation.. Yet opposing political values, views, and lifestyles are not represented, and if anything are constantly belittled, attacked, and mocked.

In any event, yes BBC Made Whittaker the new Doctor. Will she be great? Will the show continue on? Will it get canceled? Who knows.. But I will bet you balls to nuts the minute the show suffers a major ratings crisis with the new Doctor, fans like me will no doubt feel the sting of being labeled the cause, as our toxic masculinity is the issue.

I'm not a Dulcian.. We shouldn't be dulcians (reference Doctor Who The Dominators, men wearing dresses with no courage or ability to defend themselves. Pacifists to a fault.) Accepting a woman time lord as a main character is not a problem, never was for many of us. I would have loved a spin off series. WE see that the BBC goal isn't just feminism.. That was just a plus, the goal in making gender swapping in the Doctor as a character is all about LGBTQ representation, all the while also adding in feminist representation. I am just not sure people really care that much about wanting to see that on the telli for 65 minutes.. I can watch 65 minute PSAs on diversity from the internet if that is what I'm in to. I'm just not sure the public really wants to have that shoe horned in a big way in a science fiction program meant to entertain as apposed to preachy Leftism on display, and PC culture speak for 65 minutes. I hope the show continues.. But I am not as excited as I was about the genre. I feel like sometimes I was more into Doctor Who when it wasn't on the air then as I am now with it in it's 11th season.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

At the BBC we are committed to reflecting and representing the diversity of the UK. The BBC is for everyone and should include everyone whatever their background.

We are a diverse organisation and have much to be proud of, but we are also challenging ourselves to ensure that Diversity and Inclusion is hardwired into everything the BBC does.

If we get it right, it will be evident in how we work with our audiences, our people and our partners.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/diversity

 

[Professor Zoom]

A male hopefully, so I can watch it again. A female Doctor just sounds too silly to me. They should just bring back Romana if they want a female Time Lord.

Now, I hope the next 10 are women.

 

[Professor Zoom]

This is something I never get.
The Doctor is an age old, if not immortal, alien from a billion year old civilization, traveling through all of time and space, fighting all sorts of crazy other aliens hellbent on invading Great Britain over and over again, regenerating his entire body, potentially changing skin color, height, age, hair, total personality make-over....
But gender? That is a silly notion over the line beyond the ability to suspend disbelief.... for some reason.
Can you see how the other side attributes this easily as just bigotry and sexism?

Is there an actual reason why this particular change bothers you so much?

Because some members of fandom don’t like change.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Now, I hope the next 10 are women.

I think it should be the next 11 (after Jodie) with an additional surprise one.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Because some members of fandom don’t like change.

So what you are saying is, they would be equally unhappy about every new Doctor/companion/TARDIS/costume/showrunner/Show Logo, except here they can point easily at the evil agenda of leftism as an argument?

 

[Professor Zoom]

So what you are saying is, they would be equally unhappy about every new Doctor/companion/TARDIS/costume/showrunner/Show Logo, except here they can point easily at the evil agenda of leftism as an argument?

No. I’m saying there are sexist fans of Doctor Who. Literally some aren’t going to watch because a face changing alien changed into a woman

Fandom’s conservativeness always surprises me. Be it Doctor Who or Star Trek (Vulcans—a made up race—can’t be black!!) or comic book movies (Heimdall—a made up comic book character—can’t be black!!)