You know, it feels good to finally have heard the announcement that the newest actor to take over the role of Doctor Who in the long-running sci-fi classic of the same name isn’t an actor at all – it’s an actress! And it is a damn refreshing breath of fresh air to have heard that news this past weekend. I’ve been asking for the Doctor Who character to either be a person of color or a woman for several years now; even since David Tenant announced he was leaving the show in 2010. And that takes nothing away from either Matt Smith or Peter Capaldi as I feel that they were both amazing incarnations of the enigmatic Doctor Who character… but I felt that for a while now, especially since these were new Doctors for a new age of viewers, that the changes I was calling for would be more indicative and relevant of and to the viewers of today’s Doctor Who series.
So, now we have actress Jodie Whittaker set to take on the role of Doctor Who – and I am ecstatic to see what she will do with the character (alongside new head writer and executive producer Chris Chibnall). Looking at the career of Jodie Whittaker, I thought she was absolutely amazing in Chinball’s previous series, Broadchurch, as Beth Latimer – and I adored her in the role of Samantha Adams in the 2011 sci-fi/horror/comedy film Attack the Block. I just recently saw her episode of Black Mirror, “The Entire History of You”, and thought she was absolutely brilliant in that as well. I think she has the talent and the range to be a more than capable Doctor Who and may even surprise a few of the naysayers out there that are crying and moaning about a woman being cast as the latest Doctor Who.
And I really don’t want to touch upon the negative of this casting choice either, but when you look at all the negative feedback and bitching and protesting that some supposed fans are perpetrating on social media ever since the announcement, it’s hard to ignore it – but I refuse to touch on it for too long a time, so I will just say this to those who are butthurt by the news that Jodie Whittaker is the new Doctor Who: GET THE FUCK OVER IT!!!
That being said, again, I am thrilled to see the creative team behind this beloved series taking the bold and appropriate steps to bring a new face to the Doctor Who series – a refreshing and daring choice that I am confident will fulfill and exceeds all the expectations that fans will have of her. I have been wanting to see the character of Doctor Who portrayed by either a person of color or a woman (or both) for a long time now, and to finally see it happen, and with a qualified actress of Jodie Whittaker’s caliber nonetheless, I believe this next season for Doctor Who may be one of the most memorable seasons ever, if not the most historic. And it’s about damned time.
