[TV] Doctor Who

[Immitis]

being a white guy in ancient egypt, any pre colonization of african country, any middle eastern country.

a large part of frances history being an english guy isnt exactly favored upon.

and they could always just, ham it up a little bit like legends of tomorrow does. outside of obvious conflicting periods like the american revolution fire storm being black is largely handwaved unless theyre forced to bring it up.

the doctor is already hated/wanted by a large portion of the galaxy if the doctor can outrun daleks and cybermen im sure he can outrun slave owners with sticks and muskets

[yetgdhfgh]

being a white guy in ancient egypt, any pre colonization of african country, any middle eastern country.

a large part of frances history being an english guy isnt exactly favored upon.

and they could always just, ham it up a little bit like legends of tomorrow does. outside of obvious conflicting periods like the american revolution fire storm being black is largely handwaved unless theyre forced to bring it up.

the doctor is already hated/wanted by a large portion of the galaxy if the doctor can outrun daleks and cybermen im sure he can outrun slave owners with sticks and muskets

Well the doctor did seemed to pass himself off quite nicely in the Reign of terror but then the Tardis can translate so any country that is hostile to English like france wouldnt matter cause the Tardis would make him speak French anyway.

But his skin colour would be something the Tardis couldnt hide and he would have to deal with the racism that has plagued Black people have suffered from. Now if the BBC wants to hire a black guy to be the doctor then i just hope they have the guts to be realistic and show that people would be very mistrustful and hostile to him mainly cause of the colour of his skin.

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becoming a woman wouldnt change his sexuality and im pretty sure the doctor is pansexual anyways

Pansexual? Not sure if the doctor ever displayed feelings to that contrary but then the Doctor was more or less Asexual until Russel T davis did that whole Rose thing or if you count that Paula Mcgann - Grace love afair. Though IMO it did feel that he had a huge thing for both Romanas.

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Not to mention having to explain very not PC oh no it's ok, the TARDIS makes me look white to all these people. But the counter to your argument will be people pointing out Martha and next season Bill. But that brings the argument full circle to ask why you would choose another ethnicity, but then not use that in writing in any capacity. And how do you toe the line without being offensive or pandering? Much easier to not force a character in that situation and leave it as is, considering it's established over one of the longest running shows of all time.

Thing is Martha had the Doctor to protect her and didnt she say that he protected her during the family of blood cause she alluded that she may have had to trouble cause you know her being from 'London' which we all knew meant she was black.

[Immitis]

Well the doctor did seemed to pass himself off quite nicely in the Reign of terror but then the Tardis can translate so any country that is hostile to English like france wouldnt matter cause the Tardis would make him speak French anyway.

But his skin colour would be something the Tardis couldnt hide and he would have to deal with the racism that has plagued Black people have suffered from. Now if the BBC wants to hire a black guy to be the doctor then i just hope they have the guts to be realistic and show that people would be very mistrustful and hostile to him mainly cause of the colour of his skin.

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Pansexual? Not sure if the doctor ever displayed feelings to that contrary but then the Doctor was more or less Asexual until Russel T davis did that whole Rose thing or if you count that Paula Mcgann - Grace love afair. Though IMO it did feel that he had a huge thing for both Romanas.

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Thing is Martha had the Doctor to protect her and didnt she say that he protected her during the family of blood cause she alluded that she may have had to trouble cause you know her being from 'London' which we all knew meant she was black.

doctors implied a couple times hes been a bit freaky with aliens, and he never seemed very alarmed anytime a guy kissed him. hes only had onscreen relationships with women but i dont feel like it was ever implied he liked them because they were women, he liked them because of who they were.

rose couldve been a squid monster or a zygon and he wouldnt have cared because it would still be rose

[yetgdhfgh]

doctors implied a couple times hes been a bit freaky with aliens, and he never seemed very alarmed anytime a guy kissed him. hes only had onscreen relationships with women but i dont feel like it was ever implied he liked them because they were women, he liked them because of who they were.

rose couldve been a squid monster or a zygon and he wouldnt have cared because it would still be rose

Well the doctor knew Captain jack had a thing for him but he still brushed him off and decided to give his details to that guy from the spaceship titanic.

TBH i never believed the doctor should have ever gotten sexual with anyone i mean him kissing grace almost sent the Who nerd fanbase into a frenzy back in the day. Also i still think timelords reproduce through the looms but we all know that is never gonna be cannon.

Anyway everything i just said is purely my opinion as a old skool and nu who fan of the show.

I do think that we will see a minority play the next doctor cause that seems to be the way the wind is blowing but i just hope the show has the balls to show realism in the way the doctor would be treated especially if he keeps coming to earth and its history.

[apepi]

But does the Doctor have to go to any of them? Would it be a HUGE problem to have a series or two where the Doctor just.. Didn't go back in time? Have plots focused on Modern Day, the Future, or other planets?

He actually had an episode or two where he just stayed at Amy/Rory's place when those weird cube things came up. He was basically extremely bored, and did all of their chores for them.

[Immitis]

Well the doctor knew Captain jack had a thing for him but he still brushed him off and decided to give his details to that guy from the spaceship titanic.

TBH i never believed the doctor should have ever gotten sexual with anyone i mean him kissing grace almost sent the Who nerd fanbase into a frenzy back in the day. Also i still think timelords reproduce through the looms but we all know that is never gonna be cannon.

Anyway everything i just said is purely my opinion as a old skool and nu who fan of the show.

I do think that we will see a minority play the next doctor cause that seems to be the way the wind is blowing but i just hope the show has the balls to show realism in the way the doctor would be treated especially if he keeps coming to earth and its history.

I also would prefer the doctor not be romantic, atleast for awhile. every companion except for donna since new who started has had a thing for the doctor and its tiring.

[yetgdhfgh]

I also would prefer the doctor not be romantic, atleast for awhile. every companion except for donna since new who started has had a thing for the doctor and its tiring.

I agree

The doctor should be a guide and a teacher and not a love interest for anyone but then thats how the original doctor was and what the show was suppose to be.

But i guess newer audiences want the doctor to be a sex symbol action star.

[Deleted]

Completely incorrect. It would not be arbitrary by any definition of the word. You cannot lump the two classifications together either. I don't know that there is anything particular related to the color of his skin, since all historical association with skin color is provided on Earth and not to our knowledge on Gallifrey. With that being said, being black, Asian, or whatever shouldn't really matter.

However, gender and sexual orientation (and physiology for that matter) are things that are pretty concretely evidenced in the Doctor's portrayal from the beginning. He is very patriarchal, fatherlike, etc. figure. His characteristics have not displayed nor influenced his perception to be anything other than a straight male up to this point. Choosing a different sexual orientation or gender identification would be a radical change to his behavior, outlook, and personality...not mention his own identification and most importantly to the context of the show, how he views himself as a person. The Doctor has frankly never cared about these things enough to spell them out, while a dramatic shift in either of these would require the Doctor addressing it. If they choose for the Doctor to not address it, then suddenly the change itself would be irrelevant, arbitrary, and pandering. There is no in between.

So..Saying it is arbitrary to feel this way is actually offensive to the idea of gender differentiation and acceptance of gender choices.

Well I disagree. Absolutely nothing about the doctor's core personality is inherently male. He's patriarchal and fatherlike? Why not just say wise and parental? A woman can be those things as well. To say that the doctor must be male is nothing more than appeal to tradition and that is an utterly ridiculous argument to make about a character whose most identifiable feature is that they change.

As for how the doctor themself would view the change - you're looking at this from a human perspective. You're looking at how a human would react to suddenly changing gender. You can't apply that to an alien. Look at 10 regenerating into 11. One moment absolutely distraught at the idea of regenerating, the next manic and gleeful at the chance to pilot a crashing TARDIS, his grief forgotten in an instant. 12 might scoff at the idea of becoming a woman, but upon regenerating into a woman she would immediately settle into that identity. That's how the doctor works.

Now as for pandering, I'm going to put forth what I know is a controversial view here - but I actually have no problem with the media deliberately pushing agendas and ideologies. In fact I encourage it, I think it's a testament to the power of fiction. If a work is ideological it elevates it beyond mindless entertainment because it is actually striving to affect the real world. And guess what? That's not mutually exclusive with it being entertaining. There are so many incredibly talented actresses out there. You could easily deliberately make the doctor a woman as a progressive statement, and still have a great show with a talented lead. So long as the show doesn't preach, but simply lets the casting decision speak for itself.

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Ive said this before but if the Doctor could sub consciously decide on what he wants to look like then the last thing he would want to look like as a time traveller who frequently visits earth is to be a Black guy or a woman.

Being a white guy with a English accent is perhaps the most safest form you could take because there is no period in history where being a white English guy would be bad (except maybe Boston, USA circa 1770s and even then it wouldnt be all bad cause not all Englishman was hated there)

If the Doctor didnt have such a hard one for Earth then skin colour wouldnt matter but seeing how the show (because of budget reasons) has to have the majority of episodes earth based then he would have to deal with racism if he went to any time period before the 1990s cause even back in 1980s Britain being a black guy was not much fun let alone 1860s Alabama!

Counterpoint - The doctor would not give a damn about that. The doctor would not try to accommodate bigotry even subconsciously.

[Gallahadd]

He actually had an episode or two where he just stayed at Amy/Rory's place when those weird cube things came up. He was basically extremely bored, and did all of their chores for them.

Power of Three yes, odd episode... But I don't mean he should just no nothing. I mean there are a million stories, you could almost say COUNTLESS stories out there that don't involve going to the past. It's totally possible for the Doctor from now on never to go back in time far enough that skin colour or gender would be a huge issue. Between modern day stories, futuristic stories and space travel stories there is MORE than enough material to covr.

[apepi]

Power of Three yes, odd episode... But I don't mean he should just no nothing. I mean there are a million stories, you could almost say COUNTLESS stories out there that don't involve going to the past. It's totally possible for the Doctor from now on never to go back in time far enough that skin colour or gender would be a huge issue. Between modern day stories, futuristic stories and space travel stories there is MORE than enough material to covr.

But I enjoy those episodes. It is not like they haven't dealt with racism before in Doctor Who. In the Family Blood episode where she was a maid.

[Gallahadd]

But I enjoy those episodes. It is not like they haven't dealt with racism before in Doctor Who. In the Family Blood episode where she was a maid.

I do remember that was actually one of my favourite Who episodes of all time. How can you not love The Doctor fighting Viserys Targaryen to save Jojen Reed, while hooking up with Daisy Stiener!

But here's the thing: While ONE episode, with a substory about how people used to be pretty fucking racist is fine, and works pretty well... Having a whole season where that is a plot point on more than one occasion will get REAL old REAL fast. Look at the series "Timeless" that is airing right now, literally EVERY fucking episode has to reference about 3 times that one member of the team is a woman and one is Black.

It gets real fucking old, real fucking fast.

[Sierra85]

thought we'd get at least another season (after the upcoming) with capaldi. sad news.

he really didn't get the run he deserved.

[apepi]

I do remember that was actually one of my favourite Who episodes of all time. How can you not love The Doctor fighting Viserys Targaryen to save Jojen Reed, while hooking up with Daisy Stiener!

But here's the thing: While ONE episode, with a substory about how people used to be pretty fucking racist is fine, and works pretty well... Having a whole season where that is a plot point on more than one occasion will get REAL old REAL fast. Look at the series "Timeless" that is airing right now, literally EVERY fucking episode has to reference about 3 times that one member of the team is a woman and one is Black.

It gets real fucking old, real fucking fast.

Well I agree, but it would be silly if they just ignored it either.

Some television shows you know what you are getting into though, for instance Madmen.

[Gallahadd]

Well I agree, but it would be silly if they just ignored it either.

Some television shows you know what you are getting into though, for instance Madmen.

True, I think they could do one episode, early in the first season, where they go somewhere and it turns out to be a VERY bad idea.

After that though, stop it. We do NOT need it to become a recurring theme.

And yeah, I never could get into Mad Men, not even Christina Hendricks could keep me watching.

[Immitis]

i also kind of want the doctor to fight a bit more.

the 3rd doctor fucking karate chopped fools. bring that shit back, in fact, if hes black do a whole django type episode where the doctor kicks all kinds of butt



thats one thing i didnt like about capaldi, he was a grumpy old man but he got slapped more time than he did the slappin

[Gallahadd]

I would be 1000% behind the Doctor unleashing some Timelord Fu on poor fools.

[Arrowstormen]

I dunno, I kind of prefer the Doctor using his smarts rather than his dexterity. Unless he wields a spoon.

[Deleted]

Personally I think delving a bit into social issues would make the show more interesting (and if we're getting historical episodes in season 10 it could well be happening what with our first black companion since Martha). I mean it's a show about time travel, let's actually explore history. I don't get this argument "the doctor can't be black because then we'd actually have to explore history instead of using it as a superficial, romanticised back drop!"

As for a bit of timelord kungfu I'm all for it. All depends on Chibnall's interpretation of the doctor. Wouldn't really happen under Moffat because he wants to write the doctor as being more pacifistic. And obviously the doctor should always primarily remain a guile hero but a few karate chops would be fun.

[Immitis]

"Some fans had assumed that the Series 10 delay would re-establish a consistent yearly spring broadcast schedule for Doctor Who, as seen with the first several series of the modern era.

However rumours swirling this week following Capaldi’s departure announcement suggest Series 11 will not begin filming until early 2018, for broadcast in the autumn of 2018. Meaning another lengthy gap for fans, with only the 2017 Christmas special to break things up.

Future showrunner Chris Chibnall reportedly told the RadioTimes the reason is that he has “not yet been able to fully dedicate himself to Doctor Who”.

Their report continues:

Chibnall said he “hadn’t started yet” on the show and that all his energies were currently focused on season three of his ITV crime drama Broadchurch (which stars former Doctor Who David Tennant). The series has been shot but Chibnall said he is still working on the editing of the eight-part story which sees Tennant and Olivia Colman’s detectives investigate a violent rape.

It is also understood that Chibnall is keen to leave Steven Moffat and Peter Capaldi as much freedom as possible to make their final series of Doctor Who “unhindered”, according to key figures on the show.

Chibnall added that after Broadchurch airs he plans to take a holiday before beginning work in earnest on Doctor Who.

According to sources, the search for a new Doctor will be completed in the autumn and the new Time Lord will appear in an on-screen regeneration when Capaldi leaves the role in the 2017 Christmas special.

The new 12-part series begins on BBC1 on 15th April after a year’s break and will be Steven Moffat’s last in charge.

Chibnall’s series is slated to begin filming early next year with a likely broadcast in the autumn of 2018, according to sources."

http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/rumour-...2018-83046.htm

[eschatological]

Counterpoint - The doctor would not give a damn about that. The doctor would not try to accommodate bigotry even subconsciously.

To spring off this idea, I could see the Doctor wanting a challenge, and being constantly exasperated by being taken less seriously as a person of color or a woman.

Or, he subconsciously becomes one of these, and then is constantly surprised at the pettiness of humans when they're like, "What do you know, you're just a XXXXX!" And then he gets angry, especially when such pettiness puts people in danger.