So, after 3 years in charge of the TARDIS Matt Smith is handing in the keys at the end of the year. And with this news the inevitable tabloid speculation over who will be next begins.
Although I'd rather have discovered it while watching the episode in question, Squeamish Kate accidentally provided a spoiler and the defence I'd have found out through the media anyway... The BBC has perfectly timed for newspaper silly season. By letting us know know they've ensured that its flagship science fiction/fantasy show will get plenty of free press in the run up to its 50th anniversary.
Although I'd rather have discovered it while watching the episode in question, Squeamish Kate accidentally provided a spoiler and the defence I'd have found out through the media anyway... The BBC has perfectly timed for newspaper silly season. By letting us know know they've ensured that its flagship science fiction/fantasy show will get plenty of free press in the run up to its 50th anniversary.
Every paper has its own 'exclusive' about who is getting the role. And all of them will be equally wrong as they've just pulled the name of a famous actor out the hat (sorry - had a tip from an unnamed source) despite the fact that almost every Doctor has been played by a largely unknown actor.
Obviously Christopher Eccleston and Paul McGann are exceptions to this rule. However, they were hired to re-launch the show after it had been absent from the screen for many years (with varying levels of success). The most famous actor to regeneration into the Doctor during a normal run of episodes was Peter Davison (previously best know for playing a vet in All Creatures Great and Small), and he's hardly an A Lister!
There is also talk of a more radical casting choice - that of a person of colour or, gasp, a woman. There's nothing in canon to stop either of these choices. Neil Gaiman's episode The Doctor's Wife specifically mentioned a Time Lord who regularly changed gender and changing your melatonin levels is no difference from altering hair colour. Hell, Roma changed species during a regeneration! However, a lot of fans are up in arms about political correctness ruining their shows.
Obviously Christopher Eccleston and Paul McGann are exceptions to this rule. However, they were hired to re-launch the show after it had been absent from the screen for many years (with varying levels of success). The most famous actor to regeneration into the Doctor during a normal run of episodes was Peter Davison (previously best know for playing a vet in All Creatures Great and Small), and he's hardly an A Lister!
There is also talk of a more radical casting choice - that of a person of colour or, gasp, a woman. There's nothing in canon to stop either of these choices. Neil Gaiman's episode The Doctor's Wife specifically mentioned a Time Lord who regularly changed gender and changing your melatonin levels is no difference from altering hair colour. Hell, Roma changed species during a regeneration! However, a lot of fans are up in arms about political correctness ruining their shows.
| As well as general ignorance of the show (both in universe and out. Joanna Lumley played the Doctor very ably in Moffat's non-canon Comic Relief mini episode and Paterson Joseph allegedly declined auditioning for the role last time round) this shows a sheer lack of understanding of the show they claim to love. | is it really too much for us to accept that he might be bored of being a white male? |
Change is the fundamental characteristic of the Doctor! He changes not just his appearance but his personality on a regular basis. Change isn't just an internal force for him either - he travels round the universe making it a safer, fairer, more equal place. He's the living embodiment of political correctness! Why should he be confined to a single gender or skin tone?
We've followed the Doctor across the universe and through time, watched him as he's regenerated and encountering many strange and wonderful things along the way - is it really too much for us to accept that he might be bored of being a white male? Is it too difficult to accept that a thousand year old being who has sacrificed everything to save the day is unprepared to give up a tiny bit of his privilege to experience life in a new way?
I look forward to seeing which actor the BBC picks. Sure, he'll probably be a white male but we don't know that for certain. However, I do know that anything you read in the papers can be taken with a pinch of salt from the crab-like Macra's salt mines.
Gareth
We've followed the Doctor across the universe and through time, watched him as he's regenerated and encountering many strange and wonderful things along the way - is it really too much for us to accept that he might be bored of being a white male? Is it too difficult to accept that a thousand year old being who has sacrificed everything to save the day is unprepared to give up a tiny bit of his privilege to experience life in a new way?
I look forward to seeing which actor the BBC picks. Sure, he'll probably be a white male but we don't know that for certain. However, I do know that anything you read in the papers can be taken with a pinch of salt from the crab-like Macra's salt mines.
Gareth
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