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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Jodie Whittaker to be 13th Doctor Who

181 replies

Pariswhenitdrizzles · 16/07/2017 17:07

Not really AIBU - just want to hear your thoughts really.

I don't often watch it, but think it's nice that they've finally cast a woman as the Doctor :)

OP posts:
hackmum · 16/07/2017 22:04

There's absolutely no reason it shouldn't be a woman. These days we've seen amazing performances of women playing julius Caesar and king Lear, as well as men playing female roles. It's all about the quality of the actor.

woodhill · 16/07/2017 22:06

Not keen tbh

LanaDReye · 16/07/2017 22:15

I love SciFi and think a female Dr Who is long overdue. I hope she isn't portrayed as 'weaker', having to 'charm' or be 'motherly' because she is female. I would like the calculated mind and spontaneity to be kept.

JoshLymanJr · 16/07/2017 22:24

I would like the calculated mind and spontaneity to be kept.

I think Jodie Whittaker will manage that easily. I said on another thread that she gives a good glare, which is essential for a Doctor!

EngTech · 16/07/2017 22:28

Thought Joanne Lumley was the first female Dr Who 😁 [ Well in a Comic Relief sketch a few years ago though ] 😀😀

eatingonlyapples · 16/07/2017 22:30

I'm really happy about this! She's a great actress and hopefully with Chris Chibnall as a showrunner that already works well with her (from Broadchurch) there'll be some great results.

Castieldeansam · 16/07/2017 22:34

Think she will be awesome.
Wasn't fussed about capaldi. Hope they give her some good stories, going back to eccleston and tennant style stories. Not been so keen on the capaldi stories.

boggedoff · 16/07/2017 22:36

i do think this is a bit OTT though, it's only fundamentally a tv show. :P

mythbustinggov · 16/07/2017 22:40

Those claiming the Doctor has had previous relationships need to check the data (not the fan-fic!) - pretty much all the companions (male and female) have been in love with the Doctor, and the Doctor has had strong feelings for them (the Doctor was crushed when Adric, male, died) - but the only physical contact I recall off the top of my head was a kiss (and a dance) with Captain Jack!

Embekkisson1 · 16/07/2017 22:45

Wish it was Gok Wan .

Toysaurus · 16/07/2017 22:55

Really excited for the new series. Chris Chibnall and a fresh new take on the Doctor. It's what the show desperately needs. Pearl Mackie made last season a big improvement. But it's become pretty turgid in recent years.

MrsK · 16/07/2017 23:11

Been watching since Tom Baker was Dr Who (I'm old) & at times especially since it came back watching through habit & nostalgia. I wasnt terribly excited about Bill when I saw the trailers, but, I thought she turned out to be a fantastic companion. I couldn't watch the end of World enough because I feared what might happen to Bill. I'm happy to give the next series a chance & reserve judgment in fact I'm quite excited. As pp have said as long as the writing is strong Dr Who will prevail

DameDeDoubtance · 17/07/2017 06:42

The backlash on twitter and Gallifrey base (a who forum) are pathetic.

DameDeDoubtance · 17/07/2017 06:45

She will be magnificent but what really pisses me off is that she will HAVE to be magnificent, just like every other woman who takes on a male role.

A man could rock up, be mediocre and all would be well but she will have to be perfect.

We will only have equality when women have the right to be mediocre.

I see the express and the mail are digging up nude pictures of her, fucking hate the way women are treated.

SailAwayWithMeHoney · 17/07/2017 10:18

Dame - best post on the thread right there. 👏🏻👏🏻

spankhurst · 17/07/2017 10:22

I watched Attack the Block again last night in her honour. I think she's got something.

worridmum · 17/07/2017 10:37

I dont know it just feels wrong, there would be outrage if a traditional female leading character was changed to male.

Plus she was really meh in broad church here is hoping her acting is better

AssignedMentalAtBirth · 17/07/2017 11:03

Well Twitter is a pile of laughs

User04812 · 17/07/2017 11:14

I'm happy it's going to be a woman, but where's the quirkiness? What's she going to bring to the role? So far my feeling is she's bland.

BraveBear · 17/07/2017 11:24

there would be outrage if a traditional female leading character was changed to male

And in large part that would be because there are so few of them. People on twitter trying to say "Wow, I'm looking forward to Ben Affleck as Wonder Woman!" conveniently ignoring that one of the reasons people went crazy over Wonder Woman is because it's the only female led superhero movie this decade, among 20-30 male led ones.

where's the quirkiness? What's she going to bring to the role? So far my feeling is she's bland

In the teaser she put her hood down and walked a few feet - were is there room to be quirky there? Break into a tapdance just before she reaches the Tardis? Give her a chance...

JoshLymanJr · 17/07/2017 11:36

A man could rock up, be mediocre and all would be well but she will have to be perfect.

That's absolutely not true. The last time they messed up how the Doctor was portrayed (the Colin Baker era ) it set the programme on course for cancellation, and it remained off the air, bar a badly conceived one-off TV movie, for 16 years. The Doctor is one of the highest-profile, most scrutinised roles in modern TV - no-one gets away with being mediocre.

mirime · 17/07/2017 15:05

BraveBear If we want to be sticklers for the rules the show shouldn't even still be on TV. All the regenerations got used up - so Matt Smith's Doctor was just conveniently gifted more.

It was established in The Five Doctors in 1983 that extra regeneration cycles were possible Smile

Floisme · 17/07/2017 15:23

It's a fantasy. The doctor's an alien. They're writers and they can do whatever they want.

I was hoping for Phoebe Waller Bridge. I could picture her in the Tardis in a way I can't - yet - see Jodie Whittaker. But I'm curious. I think they were starting to run out of ideas with the format and this could be just the kick up the arse it needs.

Waddlelikeapenguin · 17/07/2017 16:29

RippleEffects

I never, ever like or approve of the new doctor.

Yes yes this!

BoneyBackJefferson · 17/07/2017 17:18

DameDeDoubtance
The backlash on twitter and Gallifrey base (a who forum) are pathetic.

Not twitter, but Gallifrey base and others are die hards that fought to bring the Doctor back, having their views steamrollered over can't be pleasant for them, whether you agree with them or not.

A man could rock up, be mediocre and all would be well

You either haven't read reviews or just ignoring what people have said about the male actors.