U.K. Group Calls For Female Doctor Who

[Andy Chalk]

U.K. Group Calls For Female Doctor Who

A U.K. group dedicated to the advancement of women in science has launched a campaign to have the new Doctor Who [http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/] portrayed by a female.

U.K. Resource for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0855039/] believes the time has come for a woman to take over the role.

"There is a distinct lack of role models of female scientists in the media and recent research shows that this contributes to the under-representation of women in the field," a UKRC representative said. "The UKRC believes that making a high profile sci-fi character with a following like Doctor Who female would help to raise the profile of women in science and bring the issue of the important contribution women can and should make to science in the public domain."

A Olga Kurylenko [http://www.facebook.com] being bandied about as possible candidates. "Dr. Who, as a character, has metamorphosized through the years, as he has physically - from the old professor through to the more modern young energetic," said UKRC member Juliette James. "I think it would work - but I think she would need a male assistant to balance it - one of, potentially, the same status as the doctor, just different expertise."

First airing in 1963, Doctor Who was recognized [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5390372.stm] by the Guinness Book of Records in 2006 as the longest-running science fiction television show in the world. Ten actors have portrayed the time-traveling Doctor over the years, explained by his ability to regenerate his body when near death, an act which results in both physical and personality changes, although his principle characteristics remain the same. As a result, the metamorphosis that accompanies Tennant's departure could also be used to insert a female character.

Chicks, eh?

via: Boing Boing [http://www.boingboing.net/2008/12/03/women-in-science-gro.html]


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[Cousin_IT]

Interesting idea. Theres certainly no real reason I can think of stopping Dr Who from morphing into a female form. Might require his/her sidekick to change sex as well though. Not sure the relationship dynamics will be the same if both main characters are women.

 

[curlycrouton]

I'm just sad that David Tennant's leaving.

 

[dukethepcdr]

Interesting story. I wondered when the feminazis were going to get around to attacking Dr. Who. As much as I have liked the Dr. Who series in the past, I will not watch a female Doctor. If they make The Doctor a woman, I will stop watching any new episodes. I know pretty much anything can happen in the Doctor Who universe, but that is just going too far.

 

[sirdanrhodes]

Oh boo - Fucking - Hoo.

 

[Lucifus]

Personally i don't like the idea. Can you imagine the dynamics between the Dr and The Master if that happened? The women have always had a great roll in Dr who. Just look at Martha, she kicked booty and even the previous assistant even if she was nothing more than comic relief was great.

 

[Galletea]

I don't really like Doctor Who. In fact I'd say I hate it, but that's not the point. I don't think it matters about the gender, but I thought he'd ran out of lives. I'm sure there was a fixed number of times he could return. Not that something like that would bother the TV peoples. I'm sure they'll be a dumb explanation of that.

 

[man-man]

"I'm sure there was a fixed number of times he could return."

As far as I can remember, that number is 13, so they've not reached it yet. Although at the rate they're going through doctors recently, they're going to need to hand-wave their way past that limitation not long from now.

 

[samwaterman]

i dont think that they should have a female doctor who, because he had a wife in the past and that would be weird and hes got a daughter in the new series which will, screw thing over and theres that fact its been a guy for over 40 years and then suddenly tern into a women when no one else has menationed it though the intire 100 million billion series

 

[Aardvark]

I don't think a series dedicated to traveling through time, visiting the great moments in history past and future, looking for the perfect pair of shoes will rate too highly. Or half the series dedicated to getting hopelessly lost and finding someone to ask about how to get to early 21st century England.

 

[Neosage]

Yeah while there at it make Bond a girl aswell FUCKING FEMINISTS!

 

[Emmitt_Nervend]

I bet it would unfold similarly to how it did in the Curse of the Fatal Death.

 

[DarkLordofDevon]

I don't really like Doctor Who. In fact I'd say I hate it, but that's not the point. I don't think it matters about the gender, but I thought he'd ran out of lives. I'm sure there was a fixed number of times he could return. Not that something like that would bother the TV peoples. I'm sure they'll be a dumb explanation of that.

Actually the number of lives is something like 13(?) he's currently on his 10th, so 3 more Doctors before that is an issue.

And no. Just no.

Female Doctor? What, he's a transexual? Switching genders just wouldn't work. The Doctor is a male of his species. It was bad enough they added in a romantic plot with one of his companions, which doesn't work because the Doctor isn't supposed to have those kinds of relations with his companions.

In the old days, it would be between 1-4 companions of various genders going around stopping baddies and having a jolly good time. Never did the Doctor have relationships, only friends. Russel T seriously annoyed me with his 'Rose' stuff. He was just trying to catch more target audiences than remain true to the spirit of Doctor Who. Glad he's gone.

I seriously hope they don't screw around with it any more.

 

[Susan Arendt]

Look, I'm all for letting women have good roles in sci-fi, believe me, but no to this. Sorry, but no. Yes, they could certainly find ways to work it into the mythology if they really wanted to, but there's just no need for this. There are female Time Lords (calling them Time Ladies always seemed so silly) and the Doctor's female companions have become more than just screamers running around in skimpy costumes, so there's ample room to have a strong female character on the show without making her the Doctor.

 

[nimrandir]

I must confess that I am much less familiar with the canon of the Doctor Who universe that I am with say, Tolkien. The only way a female Doctor would seriously irk me is if it were somwhere stated that Time Lords remain the same gender when regenerating.

Personally, I found the geocentrism of the reincarnated series more of an irritaion.

Edit: Blast my inability to type today! 'Somewhere' and 'irritation,' you nimbus!

 

[Blind0bserver]

Wouldn't that make all romantic subplots in the past incredibly awkward retroactively?

That's what I was thinking. Sure, the Doctor regenerating as a woman wouldn't break the show's canon. I'm sure he's capable of it if he really felt like it, but the Doctor switched genders every so often when he regenerated that would make many of his past exploits and relationships pretty awkward.

It would be like finding out that your old best friend Aaron from High School had a surgery and was now Erin instead. Yes, it would still be the same Doctor, but the change would be radical enough that any reunions with past friends would be a bit jarring.

 

[Rankao]

It really takes a lot from saying when its a women support group. If it was some sort of multi-gender racial group that didn't have either name in it.

anyways would it simply be more interesting if Dr. Who was a hermaphrodite

 

[Huyderman]

Wow, so much unnecessary bile and misogyny from some people in this thread...
I think it's an interesting idea, and handled properly could be really cool.

 

[Jamash]

Yeah lets give it to them, but on the conditions that the title is changed to Nurse Who & that Sonic Screwdriver is replaced with a Sonic Feather Duster of Sonic Spoon.

Joking sexism aside, I do think it's a terrible idea, it's just another example of Political Correctness gone mad. It would mess with the dynamic of the show somewhat. I mean part of the Doctor's character & air of authority comes from his gender.

How would it work if they time-travelled back to the past. You would have to have everyone not listening to the Doctor or taking her seriously because she's a woman. Like it or not sexism exists & a female Doctor would face an inordinate amount of it if she time travelled back to the past & started trying to save people, telling them what to do etc. with the authority which comes with the Doctor's role.

Or would they change that too, have everyone in the past treat the female Doctor just like a man, give her the same respect they would afford a male Doctor, make believe that women were treated equal in the past?

Let's face it, the Doctor is a alien who spends a lot of his time in Earth's past, so the guise of a white male is, 99% of the time, the most practical option for fitting in & succeeding in his mission.

In that episode when he went back to Shakespearian times, he probably would have been burned as a witch if he was a woman, doing what the Doctor does.

Also if he was a woman, he'd no doubt be played by an attractive female actor, therefore lots of the men she would encounter would try to hit on her, which would be distracting. Or would they gloss over the fact that lots of men are sexist pigs with one track minds, or just make most of the people the Doctor encounters women too? Change the Master to the Mistress & Davros to Davina...

Anyway didn't they already kind of get a female Doctor Who with 'The Sarah Jane Adventures'?