Female Doctor

[hongi]

Anyone think that the next Doctor should be a woman? I'll be honest with you, I'm getting a tad tired of the female companions + (adorable) Doctor shenanigans. I'd like to see a female doctor, preferably a bit older. The last two have been a bit on the young side and frenetic, I want to see a return to crazy old codgers. It'd be just such an interesting dynamic. Someone like Olivia Williams or Emma Thompson would be outstanding.

[mr friendly guy]

No. But I do echo the female companion making dooey eyes on the Doctor. Did Jo Grant or Sarah Jane Smith do that? No. Just have a companion have a platonic relationship like before, not because its kiddie friendly or anything, but the current NuWho style is getting repetitive.

[Havok]

Why no? Chicks can't be the Doctor?

[Todeswind]

Meh, I like the doctor as is though I suspect that it well may be possible in the future, it seems more likely however that they would give a spinoff to the doctors cloned daughter.

Edit: Come to think about it how in the hell was his clone a girl? I retract my previous statement as it's pretty much a forgone conclusion that him being reborn female is possible.

I would much prefer that they chose someone more seasoned and credible looking than Emma Watson. The past three have seemed a bit young to me.

[neoolong]

I'd like to see more diversity. More than just a chick, why hasn't the Doctor ever been black? Or Indian? Or East-Asian?

If he can change appearances as he does, is he really tied to one race?

[Todeswind]

Or not from the UK, how about German, French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, or hell American.

[bobalot]

No. But I do echo the female companion making dooey eyes on the Doctor. Did Jo Grant or Sarah Jane Smith do that? No. Just have a companion have a platonic relationship like before, not because its kiddie friendly or anything, but the current NuWho style is getting repetitive.

Which is why I liked the redheaded companion (Donna?).

But seriously, why can't the doctor be a woman?

[Ford Prefect]

Because of angry nerds, basically. That's not even remotely a joke: I have absolutely no doubt that there would be a huge fan backlash against the Doctor regenerating into a woman. I mean someone mentioned 'race' earlier, and I'm pretty sure that fans got themselves into a bit of a tizzy over Romana turning herself into a blue chick who had appeared in a previous serial.

[Zor]

But seriously, why can't the doctor be a woman?

Two reasons

1-To my imediate knowledge a Time Lord has never switched gender in regeneration the official stuff.
2-It would be kinda weird for alot of people.

That said, i am not one of those people.

Zor

[Razor One]

Personally I'd love the idea of a female Doctor.

Though it's certainly not Canon, Steve Moffat did it way back with The Curse of Fatal Death. You can find it at around 8:45 in the second video, though I recommend watching the whole thing for the sheer hilarity of it.

Part 1
Part 2

[Atlan]

Wasn't the current one relieved to find out he was still a guy, immediately after his regeneration?

It might have been a nod to the possibility of a female Doctor.

[Revy]

In the Death of a Doctor (Sarah Jane episode) didn't Eleven say that he could regenerate as pretty much anything?

I'd like to see a female Doctor, but either Moffat or RTD said they'd never let it happen because, according to them (one of them, I forget who said it), it's important that people believe each new actor is still 'The Doctor', which he didn't think would happen if they cast a woman in the role. Plus as I've said before, there's no way they're going to have a female Doctor with his 'wife' River running around in the show.

Even if they did have a female Doctor, don't raise your hopes of it freeing the show up from the nuWho tired formula people are sick of. Just change pining female companions to pining male companions and they're all set to continue the annoying UST angle they're so fond of atm. Personally I'd be relieved if an eventual female Doctor ressumed the old series' tradition of having the Doctor be asexual.

To be honest, I'm quite liking Eleven a lot more than I thought I would, so I'm hoping he sticks around for a while yet.

[PREDATOR490]

I wouldnt mind a female Doctor but that alone will not help much. It will just be male companions getting involved with the Doctor and I would rather NOT see that. Although they already did that ANYWAY by having Jack fancying the Doctor as well. Everyone loves the Doctor and must see him as a God is extremely annoying and frequently repeated.

Additionally, I dont see a woman being able to carry the Doctor given the sheer weight of scrutiny they will be under with a change like that. The current writing for Doctor Who tends to be erratic enough without throwing in the added burden of a female Doctor to the mix. It would be far too predictable for the Doctor to be turned into eye-candy by slapping them in clothes similar to what they did to Karen Gillian.

I would rather not see the Doctor reduced to the level of running around in tight mini-skirts and 'revealing' clothing or the inevitable cracks made at such a Doctor. Especially important considering NuWho is going for younger Doctors in the twenties.
I cant see many woman being able to pull the role off let alone at the ages they seem to be going for.

[Tsyroc]

Did anything ever happen with the Doctor's daughter?

[Revy]

Did anything ever happen with the Doctor's daughter?

Yes, he married her.

... no, wait, that was David Tennant.

What if we had a female actress play a male Doctor? You know, someone that can convincingly appear and act androgynous, in universe is considered male, but have the characters and plots largely gloss over/ignore the Doctor's gender altogether? If they could get the right person and write it well enough, it might help ease people into the idea of having a female Doctor, and could prove that they could have one without having to resort to any gags or having the Doctor running around in stupid stripperific outfits.

[Simon_Jester]

While this isn't a bad idea as such, it's probably even less practical as far as the fan-base is concerned, unless it were written very, very competently indeed.

[Crazedwraith]

What if we had a female actress play a male Doctor? You know, someone that can convincingly appear and act androgynous, in universe is considered male, but have the characters and plots largely gloss over/ignore the Doctor's gender altogether? If they could get the right person and write it well enough, it might help ease people into the idea of having a female Doctor, and could prove that they could have one without having to resort to any gags or having the Doctor running around in stupid stripperific outfits.

So you want the doctor to be... a panto leading boy? Yeah if there's any point in doing it, you might as well go all the way.

Hell given the attitude of NuWho, you could still have a female companion fancying the doctor. No need to change the formula at all.

[Revy]

I wouldn't mind if they did go all the way and outright have a female Doctor, but people have pointed out some potential problems so I was just suggesting a possible solution. It's all just idle speculation anyway, because I seriously doubt it'll ever happen. Maybe if Doctor Who is still going by the year 2020 or something. My guess, next Doctor is black, since that will satisfy people wanting a more diverse Doctor without being as extreme a change as a female Doctor.

[Simon_Jester]

Honestly, I think a female Doctor would cause less problem with the fanbase than a "female actor treated as male in the series" Doctor. You might lose the risk of the Doctor being turned into eye candy, but in return you'd need to stick very closely to a very specific artistic vision, and any degree of meddling with the show would screw up the concept badly.

It's not a bad idea, I suppose; it's just much more difficult to implement successfully, to the point of being impractical. Unsuitable for the intended purpose of "easing people into the idea of having a female Doctor." You'd do better to just have a female Doctor, and not write episodes that turn her into a sex object by having people pining for her and putting her in stupid outfits.

[Srelex]

For some reason, I feel the guy who played the Operative in Serenity would make a good black Doctor.

[Crazedwraith]

My guess, next Doctor is black, since that will satisfy people wanting a more diverse Doctor without being as extreme a change as a female Doctor.

Oh goodness, I hope not. I mean I've got nothing against a black doctor but I really hope they don't say 'next one's got to be black'. Decide what the character is going to be and then get the best person for the job, regardless of race or gender.

[Havok]

They should make the next Doctor a black, female, talking dog. That will rile up the nerdbase.

[hongi]

For some reason, I feel the guy who played the Operative in Serenity would make a good black Doctor.

That's uncanny. I actually thought of him too back when they were trying out someone to replace Tennant. But I like Smith, I hope he stays on for a long time.

[adam_grif]

They should make the next Doctor a black, female, talking dog. That will rile up the nerdbase.

Why can't they be homosexual, Havok? Are you some kind of homophobe? Hmm?!

[mr friendly guy]

Why no? Chicks can't be the Doctor?

But seriously, why can't the doctor be a woman?

Do you mean as an "in universe" sense, or a thematic sense or keeping the fanbase happy sense?