A Female Doctor? What’s the Fuss?

As is by now well known to most people, the next Doctor Who is to be played by Jodie Whittaker, who is, of course, a woman. The news has seen generally positive reactions, with only a small number opposed to the casting move. For example, Peter Davison, the fifth reincarnation of the Doctor, although having expressed an understanding and acceptance of the change, has also said he regrets the “loss of role model for boys”.

I can’t quite understand Davison’s argument; it’s not as though boys have always been starved of male role models, especially in sci-fi. Captain Kirk, for example, Luke Skywalker, that bloke from the Matrix – to name a few. Besides, I never thought role models were confined to people of the same gender. Another previous Doctor, Colin Baker, agreed with me. He said Davison was talking “absolute rubbish” and that a female Doctor has been a long time coming.

Frankly why some people are against a female Doctor is beyond me. Even the Master became Missy, and I think was all the better for it. I had been hoping for Phoebe Waller-Bridge – it was briefly rumoured that she would take the role – but I don’t doubt Whittaker will do a brilliant job. Why shouldn’t little girls the world over get to see their favourite sci-fi hero look a little more like themselves? In the future it would be nice to see a POC playing the Doctor, and I think after this initial step forward we should be prepared to see a far more diverse set of future regenerations. Quite rightly, too.