Doctor Who 13 not to be feared
BRITAIN: Doctor Who has finally travelled to modern times and regenerated as a woman.
Jodie Whittaker was unveiled yesterday as the 13th doctor, breaking 54 years of male domination of the role.
The 35-year-old, who is best known for playing the mother of Danny Latimer, the murdered boy in Broadchurch, acknowledged that some people might find the news difficult to digest.
‘‘I want to tell the fans not to be scared by my gender. Because this is a really exciting time, and Doctor Who represents everything that’s exciting about change.
‘‘The fans have lived through so many changes and this is only a new, different one, not a fearful one.’’
She said she was ‘‘beyond excited’’ to take over from Peter Capaldi and the 11 other men who had preceded him.
‘‘It feels completely overwhelming, as a feminist, as a woman, as an actor, as a human, as someone who wants to continually push themselves and challenge themselves, and not be boxed in by what you’re told you can and can’t be,’’ she added.
Some fans took to Twitter to vent their outrage, perfectly happy to entertain the thought of killer robots and a scrambled time-space continuum but unwilling to contemplate a woman in the lead role.
However, they were outnumbered by others who found their huffing and puffing hilarious. One Twitter user suggested such critics withhold their outrage until the next dozen doctors are also women.
Another said: ‘‘These episodes are going be a lot shorter when she fixes things quickly and soundly.’’
Chris Chibnall, the head writer and executive producer who has been challenged with reversing a ratings slump, said he was determined to cast Whittaker after they worked together on Broadchurch.
‘‘After months of lists, conversations, auditions, recalls, and a lot of secret-keeping, we’re excited to welcome Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor,’’ he added.
‘‘I always knew I wanted the 13th Doctor to be a woman and we’re thrilled to have secured our number one choice. Her audition simply blew us all away. Jodie is an in-demand, funny, inspiring, super-smart force of nature and will bring loads of wit, strength and warmth to the role.’’
Whittaker left school at 16 to pursue a career in drama. She has previously spoken of her happiness at having a ‘‘chameleon face’’ which means she is rarely recognised in the street.
It is hoped she will breathe new life into Doctor Who amid accusations of overly complex plots and scheduling changes which have shunted the show later from its popular teatime slot.
Producers will also hope that Whittaker will do for the character what Dame Judi Dench did for Bond when she reinvented the role ofm.– The Times