News Yasmin Finney Cast as Companion

[The Wormhole]

The sad truth of the matter is transgender people still don't have much representation on TV, and I don't think there have been any transgender characters on televised Doctor Who yet (please correct me if I'm wrong). Now that we have a transgender actress appearing on the show, it would be nice if she were playing a transgender character, if for no other reason than for representation.

 

[Starkers]

^ I agree, especially given how many cisgender actors have played trans characters over the years.

We have had trans actors before, Bethany Black in Sleep No More but that character wasn't trans.

 

[Samurai8472]

Heartstoppers has been renewed for two more seasons on Netflix

https://variety.com/2022/tv/global/heartstopper-season-2-netflix-1235272848/

Does this impact whether Yasmin Finney will be the next companion? I haven't watched "Heartstoppers" but are they vital to the show?

 

[StCoop]

Does this impact whether Yasmin Finney will be the next companion?

Thing is she's not been announced as the next companion, only as appearing in whatever it is Tennant & Tate are shooting. But just like people thinking she was announced as playing Rose Tyler that seems to have been widely misunderstood/ignored.

I do think RTD & the BBC need to make it clear as they're setting themselves up for a backlash.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Yeah, I wondered the same about this shows renewal and it definitely looks like she'll be a one-off companion. Which is a damn shame for many reasons, but I particularly agree that the lack of clarity on this point to the general public who aren't so Doctor Who savvy could easily create a backlash.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Why not?

Jamie Clayton is a straight trans woman who "seems" to be playing a lesbian cis woman on the L Word The Q Generation, or is she?

It's making me anxious waiting for Shane to freak out that she is dating a trans woman, unless her girlfriend is cis.

Only a TERF would object to a trans woman playing a cis woman because they don't think that trans women are women.

 

[Brendan Moody]

The issue is that, in the context of large-audience mainstream TV where roles for trans characters and discussion of trans issues are limited, casting a trans woman as a cis woman is bypassing an opportunity for visibility in favor of something more conventional.

(“Trans women are women” and “trans women are interchangeable with cis women in all contexts” are very different arguments, by the way, and blurring the distinction between the two is a frequent tactic of transphobes.)

 

[Turbo]

The issue is that, in the context of large-audience mainstream TV where roles for trans characters and discussion of trans issues are limited, casting a trans woman as a cis woman is bypassing an opportunity for visibility in favor of something more conventional.

(“Trans women are women” and “trans women are interchangeable with cis women in all contexts” are very different arguments, by the way, and blurring the distinction between the two is a frequent tactic of transphobes.)

You put that extremely well. It's very much how I feel. I'd like to see trans women playing, well, trans women. Plus I believe that the casting call was specifically looking for a trans person.

 

[Awesome Possum]

Maybe this Rose inherited some suppressed memories from Donna by way of visions or something, and names herself Rose as a result? That seems like something that could happen on Doctor Who. It could be a plot point that she has visions of the Doctor.

Super excited for all upcoming Doctor Who!

I could see Donna having some memories left either through dreams or something she assumed that she had imagined, but became the fodder for bedtime stories to her daughter. Eventually her daughter would take the name of one of these characters when she changed her name to Rose. It could be Wilf telling her too because he would find someway to let Donna's time with the Doctor survive somehow. I do hope that she gets to stay beyond the special, the world needs more trans representation and the UK really needs it.

 

[Saul]

The sad truth of the matter is transgender people still don't have much representation on TV, and I don't think there have been any transgender characters on televised Doctor Who yet (please correct me if I'm wrong). Now that we have a transgender actress appearing on the show, it would be nice if she were playing a transgender character, if for no other reason than for representation.

I'm of two minds. Representation is definitely needed but I'd also like to think she was chosen because she is a great actress.

 

[Brendan Moody]

The character was written as trans when they were casting it, though it’s not impossible they had Finney in mind from the start.

 

[Awesome Possum]

I'm of two minds. Representation is definitely needed but I'd also like to think she was chosen because she is a great actress.

Both of which can be true.

 

[Awesome Possum]

The character has been confirmed to be trans making her the first trans companion.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I already figured that was the case, especially with Davies in charge, but it's good to know for certain now.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Yeah, it would be quite surprising giving current trends to cast her as anything else. Even voice acting roles now need to line up with the actor.

 

[kirk55555]

That's cool. I'm glad RTD is shaking things up, especially since the UK isn't doing too well right now when it comes to trans people (not that the US is doing better in general, but a certain part of the UK seems to really have a specific fixation on being terrible to trans people right now, at least from the various things I see coming from the country).

Then again it makes sense because its kind of what RTD does, although hopefully he's a bit more mature about things then he was back in the Torchwood days (Torchwood having progressive elements but mixed with stuff that felt like it was written by horny/edgy teens). I wonder if the various loud morons heads will explode more over this then they did over Jodie Whittaker's casting.

 

[Awesome Possum]

I wonder if the various loud morons heads will explode more over this then they did over Jodie Whittaker's casting.

It's as likely as water continuing to be wet.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I wonder if the various loud morons heads will explode more over this then they did over Jodie Whittaker's casting.

I hope Jo Rowling loses her shit and drives even more fans who once loved her away.

 

[kirk55555]

I hope Jo Rowling loses her shit and drives even more fans who once loved her away.

I can just people like Rowling and John Cleese going around whining like the bigoted assholes they are, even though I doubt either of them particularly care about Doctor Who (although bigots whining about properties they don't even care about is a big part of so many "controversies" nowadays). Then of course you have all the time the BBC will give to the terfs complaining about it, probably some low tier British politicians talking about forcing the BBC to bend to the bigots, really its fairly pradictable at this point, even as someone in the US (where at least the shitty parts of the Government can't purposefully try to defund/control the major channels, at least right now).

Its another reason I'm glad RTD is doing stuff like this, he seems like someone who can power through all the BS and not care about the bigots.

 

[Qonundrum]

Yeah, I wondered the same about this shows renewal and it definitely looks like she'll be a one-off companion. Which is a damn shame for many reasons, but I particularly agree that the lack of clarity on this point to the general public who aren't so Doctor Who savvy could easily create a backlash.

Thank RTD for that? He's always catered more to the general audiences to bring them in to increase regular viewers/fandom, since - as with most shows - Doctor Who is as much an acquired taste as every last other show ever made and if every show is the same then it just doesn't matter. (So like or dislike an individual incarnation's era overall, the show has many eras and all have good episodes in amongst the bad... it's inevitable. Not just DW but any show/series in general...)

Also, with what we know - e.g. the new companion's name is "Rose Tyler" and how this shtick was already played for cheap laughs in "The Next Doctor", what with an eccentric character who sure seems similar to the Doc and, oh look, he's got a buddy named... Rosita... I believe the colloquialism often used in the UK is "taking the piss". I wonder how casual viewers, if 2008 isn't ancient history to them, will respond when the actual filmed episode airs... right now it's all speculation based on loose association...

Last I'd checked, Ncuti hasn't filmed any DW yet either...

...didn't they announce the person showrunning after RTD leaves again? Why bring back RTD at all since that was seen by rather a lot as backtracking/pandering/whatevertheythought? It's unpredecented. Or maybe not, in 1985 the makers said the show was out of steam, canceled it, brought it back after fan backlash and brought back in-- a previous producer to make it for 1986... (Hmmm, JNT was wanting and also got to produce an anniversary special too and he was popular back then, just like how RTD was popular during his height... and people say only Moffat and Chibnall are "the new JNT". *bzzt*, not! )