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PaulHanley — Ruth Wilson as The Doctor
Published: 2013-06-04 14:17:51 +0000 UTC; Views: 70799; Favourites: 613; Downloads: 106
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Everyone's having fun throwing around their casting ideas for the 12th Doctor. Just for fun, I thought I'd go a step further and do a full-blown design for my pick. And to be 100% honest, maybe... just maybe, to get her name in the running along with the other Patterson Josephs, James Nesbitts, Chiwetelu Ejiofors, etc, etc- the people who actually have a chance at being the next Doctor (face it kids, it's not gonna be Colin Firth, Helen Mirren, or Hugh Laurie... and DEFINITELY not Benedict Cumberbatch- Doctor Who don't pay JJ Abrams money).I remember saying to my buddy Robert Orndoff a couple years ago that I wasn't opposed to the idea of a female Doctor, but aside from some unlikely candidates like Tilda Swinton, I couldn't think of someone who'd just naturally fit the part like a Tom Baker or Matt Smith. He quickly replied "Ruth Wilson". I said, "Who?" So he told me to check out the (great) show LUTHER, and I immediately got what he was talking about. She's a truly strange and quirky screen presence that just screams "Doctor", and the show should get her before lousy Hollywood movies do (she's already in THE LONE RANGER- egads).
And since i'll never get to be the showrunner of Doctor Who myself (because the rest of you are crazy- I'm the only sane one- yes, me), here's a full-blown Wikipedia-style entry for "my" 12th Doctor (at least till this timeline gets erased on December 25th)...
THE TWELFTH DOCTOR
OVERVIEW
The Twelfth Doctor is the twelfth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC science fiction series DOCTOR WHO. She was portrayed by Ruth Wilson from 2013-2016. She is generally remembered as the "definitive" doctor of the second run of the series, and one of the most popular Doctors ever (at least until Olive McDonald's 15th Doctor supplanted her as "Favorite Doctor" in a 2042 Doctor Who Magazine poll, and fans started saying things like "Let's face it- everything before the third run was a bit crap.").
Already known for playing the brilliant-but-dangerous Alice Morgan on the BBC detective drama LUTHER (where she co-starred with former Doctor Paul McGann), Wilson's name was suggested by writer Neil Cross to DOCTOR WHO's production team. The 12th Doctor was conceived as being for the "modern" Doctors what Tom Baker 4th had been for the "classic" ones- a more alien, anarchic, and unpredictable take on the character- someone who would "shake things up a bit".
Much like the 11th Doctor was influenced by the 2nd, the character of #12 was something of a mashup of the 4th and 6th- an eccentric incarnation whose very sanity was often in question. She was one of the ruder, less easy-to-love Doctors, but also one of the most formidable ones. Or as The Radio Times described her, "Greg House from space".
BIOGRAPHY
The 12th Doctor's first adventure ("The Golden Ones", a story liberally adapted from a comic strip written for Matt Smith's Doctor) saw a battle-damaged TARDIS crash-down in 2014 Tokyo (marking the first time a Doctor's debut story had been filmed abroad since 1996). Battling an Axon invasion alongside Kate Stewart and UNIT, the Doctor crossed paths with Brian, a handsome British college student who was inadvertently caught up in Axos's plot to drain all energy on Earth. Spending much of the story in a "degenerate" state (as she cycled through her previous personalities, shades of the 5th Doctor in "Castrovalva") the unhinged, reckless Doctor seemed to be almost as much of a danger to her allies as the Axons. At the story's end, Brian looked set to join up as the new companion, but the Doctor absentmindedly slammed the TARDIS door in his face. Whispering to the console, "I'm not ready to share you yet," she tore off into the time vortex laughing maniacally (Brian never appeared in the series again).
Though her Doctor managed to have a small number of "solo" adventures (including a brief meeting with a very confused Jamie McCrimmon in the late 18th Century), she soon found herself grudgingly taking on companions again when fate reunited her with K-9 and Clyde Langer (an acquaintance of the 10th and 11th Doctors, and a protégé of former companion Sarah Jane Smith). In the second season, Jenny, the Doctor's long-lost "daughter", joined the TARDIS crew. Though the Doctor often complained about being saddled with responsibility for a family she "never asked for", it slowly become apparent she cared about them just as much as any previous Doctors would have. But the Doctor was clearly preoccupied with larger, secret matters she wouldn't share with the crew, and repeatedly sought to drop them off someplace "safe".
Through the first season the Doctor battled the Howlings, an enigmatic group of immortal (but intangible) beings who sought to "break" the Doctor in order to extract information about the Time War that only she remembered. Led by the mysterious Planck (recurring guest star David Bowie), the Howlings gave assistance to the Doctor's various enemies, including the Axons, the Celestial Toymaker, and "Word Lord" assassin Nothing Impossible (played by gust star Tim Minchin). In later seasons, Rassilon (Pierce Brosnan) became the "Big Bad", as the restored Timelord race (claiming to forsake the meddling that brought about the Time War) renewed the hunt for its renegade members who dared to "meddle" with the rest of creation. Ultimately Rassilon's quest for order caused him to forge an alliance with the Dalek Time Controller and a shadowy "Adversary" with a special interest in the Doctor. (THE REST OF THIS SECTION'S BEEN DELETED FOR SPOLIERS- ed.)
PERSONALITY AND APPEARANCE
The product of a particularly traumatic regeneration, the 12th Doctor often appeared to be unstable, possibly even a bit insane (even by the Doctor's standards). She was given to acute mood swings- charming one moment, shockingly rude (even misanthropic) the next. She didn't form bonds easily, and had little interest in companionship. Often a bit selfish and always in a rush, the Twelfth Doctor seemed more motivated than her predecessors to put the Universe to rights, and didn't have time for hurt feelings.
In her problem-solving, she was less the "Lonely God" or "Oncoming Storm" that her recent predecessors had been, resembling more a wily con artist who underplays her abilities. Many viewers theorized that her eccentric behavior was largely for show to make her opponents underestimate her - a "drunken boxer" of sorts. Noticeably more pragmatic (and arguably darker) in her handling of situations, she wasn't given to the speechifying of the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors, and seemed less bothered with notions of mercy or offering her opponents chances to recant their wicked ways.
Probably due to her "point of origin" the 12th Doctor had a special fondness for Japanese culture. This might have explained her love of karaoke, and why she installed a dedicated machine (and shipwide public address system) on the TARDIS console at one point (much to her companions' chagrin). Favorite standards included Badfinger's "Without You", The Human League's "Mirror Man", and "Gojira to Jaga-de Punch! Punch! Punch!"(from the 1973 film GODZILLA VS. MEGALON). She also had an enthusiasm for pachinko that seemed similar to the 5th's love of cricket. The Doctor used pachinko balls to sabotage machinery and trip up enemies on more than a few occasions. Possibly confusing her cultures, she also demonstrated a renewed interest in the martial art of Venusian Aikido- though her attempts to use it often garnered mixed results, and she was forced to admit she was "a bit rusty".
The Doctor's sudden change in gender was rarely referenced directly by the Doctor herself (though it was a frequent point of bafflement and awkwardness with old acquaintances). On one occasion when pressed on the matter, she said Timelords tended to "swing one way or the other, or both" from early on and that this sort of development so late in a Timelord's life was rare. She was heard to mutter "probably River's fault", possibly attributing the change to regeneration energy passed to her in her previous incarnation by River Song. She didn't seem to have any regrets about it, appearing instead to relish the chance to experience new things at an advanced age where she thought she'd seen everything.
COSTUME AND PARAPHERNALIA
The 12th Doctor's dress style somewhat recalled the 4th and 6th Doctors (though the production team cited Diane Keaton's title character from ANNIE HALL as the main point of inspiration). "In universe", the costume was influenced by fashions the 12th Doctor encountered in her "birthplace", Tokyo- most obviously in her "Hello Kitty" tie tack.
Claiming the rather large sonic screwdriver of the 11th Doctor didn't suit her new look ("Can you imagine what they'll say if they see this bulging in my vest pocket...? 'CAN'T ACCESSORIZE!'"), the 12th Doctor opted for a smaller "nano" model similar to the 2nd Doctor's original model. Though its functionality was more limited, the Doctor insisted (to her companions' frustration) that it was better because it kept her from "getting lazy and using it for any old rubbish".
THE TARDIS
Described as "Verity Lambert with a budget" the 12th Doctor's TARDIS had a bright, gleaming, and aggressively retro interior that called back to the Wiliam Hartnell era design (only on a grander scale and incorporating later hallmarks like the floor-to-ceiling time rotor). New rooms included an (inexplicable) opera house and a large pachinko parlor that the Doctor used for "meditation". Also seen on screen for the first time was the "Butterfly Room" originally mentioned in the 8th Doctor novel "Vampire Science"- which became a favorite place of Jenny's. The 8th Season finale also revealed the TARDIS's "catacombs" for the first time- a vast ancient stone labyrinth reminiscent of Piranesi's famous "Prison" etchings. This more ancient section of the TARDIS hid ancient Time lord artifacts and some of the Doctor's most closely-guarded secrets.
FAMOUS LINES AND CATCHPHRASES:
"Oh, that's a change. Ginger!" (First line- often used in variations when encountering old friends who comment on a noticeable change: "I know- ginger!" etc.)
"That doesn't work anymore, does it?" (Used in historical settings when deeply-entrenched sexism proves stronger than the persuasiveness of psychic paper.)
"Shut up, Clyde." (Substituted where other Doctors would have said, "I'll explain later.")
"Spack off!" (Frequent.)
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Comments: 213
Funny you say that- I was just writing randomly the other morning, getting random crap out of my head and what not- and I realized that I already have a full season's worth of story ideas for her ready to go. Came up with a 13- episode "teaser synopsis", just like the one Moffat released in the Radio Times. Maybe I should post that with some new "Alternate 12th Doctor" art- next time I get the time to do some "for fun" pics (whenever the heck that happens).
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Definitely looking forward to that!
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I'm writing a story, could I use this character? The personality and everything is awesome! I won't use the picture unless you say I can, and i'll be sure to identify clearly that it's your Doctor being put in my story, not mine. 
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Yeah, that's fine. Be sure to post a link here when it's done!
Be warned though- one day I may write something else w/ her, so I can't promise I won't "retcon" anything ya write from my own personal canon.
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You should do more with this character!
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I'd really, really like to- but I already have two other Who fanfic-ish things waiting in half-finished form (plus another one I promised a friend I'd get around to one day). Maybe I should just let "the Wilson Doctor" crash her way into one of those.
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I don't know what retcon means. xD But she's your character, anything you want to do with or to her is your right, not mine!
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Retcon means to forget or change something already said:
EXAMPLE: In early First Doctor serials, it was declared sometimes that the Doctor only had one heart, which was retconned by the Third Doctor's era into him having two.
(Though some people try to work around it by saying that first incarnations only have 1 heart, while laters incarnations have 2.)
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I like the workaround a lot better. :3 thank though!
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Poignantly, The Eleventh Doctor slowly removed his bow tie--his eternally cool bow tie--and held it out in front of him. Then he let it go. The bow tie hit the ground, seemingly in slow motion. An era had at long last come to an end.
"No, no!" Clara rushing over to The Doctor, on the verge of tears. "Please don't change."
The Doctor extended a glowing hand towards his companion and gave her a smile. "Hey." he said reassuringly.
Then he threw back his head and in a flash, it was done. The old Doctor was gone.
The new one had come.
The woman now standing in front of Clara shook her head in confusion, then she closely examined her hands. And then she grabbed a few strands of her hair and pulled them down to eye level.
"Oh, that's a change," she exclaimed excitedly. "Ginger!"
The Doctor smiled as she continued to examine her new hair, but then she frowned. "You know, I'm not enjoying thiss much as I thought I would. In fact, I think I hate it."
Disgusted, The Doctor threw her hair back and fumed. "Imagine that. After all that time obsessing over it, when I actually get it and I don't like it. Don't know what I'm going to do now." She stopped as she noticed Clara staring at her in open-mouthed shock. "What?"
"...You're a girl," Clara replied at last.
The Doctor looked at Clara like she had just declated that she was feeling mighty patato today.
"Yes, Clara," she said slowly. "I am a girl. As are you. Thank you for making that clear. Any other painfully obvious observations you would like to point out?"
Before Clara could reply, the TARDIS suddenly shook violently.
What's going on?" asked Clara as The Doctor rushed over to console.
"Oh, don't worry, it's nothing I haven't dealt with before." The Doctor looked up and down the console, looking confused. "Now, if I could only remember what I did then."
Clara could only stare in horror.
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Can this be canon? (I still like Capaldi)
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I can imagine that Deep Breath plays out mostly the same for a while.
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Nice! I have to say, after watching TIME OF THE DOCTOR a second time, it crossed my mind how Clara's horrified face would probably have been identical if Ruth Wilson had shown up. Though I expect the Wilson version of Twelve would've thrown in a few "Shhhh!"es and "SHUT UP!"s into the scene.
I could never justify the time expenditure, but if say, I ever had some sort of hex on me preventing me from working on my own original stuff... I'd TOTALLY throw myself into writing fanfic for this Doctor. 
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Glad you liked it! And I agree with you on the gender swap thing. It just seems more in-character if the Doctor basically a massive change like that.
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You certainly have a fantastic vision. She genuinly looks like the Doctor.
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i like the overall design of her outfit.
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i am calling this female doctor the professor to understand watch this www.youtube.com/watch?v=afEQzE…
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I'm on the fence. I like the idea of a female Doctor, just not one with ginger hair. But it shouldn't be a woman for the sake of "The fans demand it!" because giving fans of a show what they want is usually a pretty bad move. Wanting something, I think, is ten times better than ever actually having it. I adore what-ifs, and usually hate things that are set in continuity.
The kind of thing I love about the regeneration is the fact that the Doctor is NEVER satisfied with his new appearance, at least at first (Barring Colin Baker who seemed to love the look instantly). It's better to hear the Doctor moan and groan about how the look wasn't right. I liked the fact that you included the psychic paper not actually working in society that's deeply-entrenched in sexism, that was a nice little touch that made me smile.
If I had to have ANY woman as the Doctor it would be either Jenny Agutter or a young Miranda Richardson... They can portray interesting, complex and quite eccentric characters down to a T.
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Well Moff claims one of the reasons a female Doctor wasn't a possibility this time around was b/c he floated the idea and it wasn't popular enough- so apparently the fans DON'T demand it (every poll on the subject backs that up too). Which is exactly why I think they should do it. The show's gotten very complacent and wish-fulfillment-ridden lately, and seems afraid to rattle the fans a bit.
The ginger thing's just a minor detail. But I don't think any actor or actress should be ruled out for such a superficial detail (or cast for it, mind). But it's just a happy coincidence that two of the most naturally Doctorish performers in Britain (note the lack of gender qualifier) are Tilda Swinton (who they'd never get) and Ruth Wilson (who they maybe could). But it would be a fun bit of audience-tweaking that the running gag about a wanted change is finally paid off with one that most fans are dead set against.
Jenny Agutter would probably be okay in the part, but Miranda Richardson would absolutely DESTROY in it. She's got that perfect mix of drama and comedy. Also, that ep of BLACKADDER with her and Tom Baker together would have a whole new hilarity to it.
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I'd like to see her become the 13th Doctor someday!
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I don't mind their pick for the 12th Doctor, but I really wish they did something different. But after reading the bio and looking at the Ruth Wilson design, I am in love with this idea. I would be happy to see her as the 13th Doctor. This is something that needs to happen imo. Fantastic job.
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you've obviously put a lot of thought into how she should look. honestly, i've never been attracted to the idea of a woman doctor, but if there were to be one this is a hell of an example of how it should be done.
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Thing is, the doctor can't turn into a woman when regenerating, cause he is a male, like River is female. :3
But I love this artwork and I will for many months to come.
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Steven Moffat says otherwise: "It's absolutely narratively possible [that the Doctor could be a woman] and when it's the right decision, maybe we'll do it." So yes, it can happen. WILL it happen is the question. Neil Gaiman has said in the (very unlikely) event that he was running the show, it would absolutely be on the "To Do" list, and I think a lot of other writers would feel the same way (Paul Cornell's another one who's argued strongly for it).
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That's the most intelligent and eloquent argument I've seen against it yet.
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I'm a fan of Ruth Wilson and a fan of the idea of the Doctor eventually regenerating into a woman, so yes, I like this quite a lot!
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Nice work with all the information on her character, but i cant help but feel it would be a little "odd" to have a female doctor, like having a female Sherlock Holmes or a female James Bond, it just wouldn't feel the same, and not in the new and interesting way, just my opinion.
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It would also be a little "odd" to have an old Doctor who drove a car instead of the TARDIS, a little "odd" to have a Doctor that was firmly married, and a little "odd" to have a Doctor that actually wore completely normal clothing. All these things have been done, by the 3rd, 11th, and 9th Doctors, respectively. I think that a show such as Doctor Who actually NEEDS to embrace oddness. Oddity is, in fact, the very heart and soul of the show. It's a series about a time-traveling smart-ass who lives in a giant ship contained within a blue police-box. As the Tenth Doctor said, "Get a little perspective."
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Im fully aware of the strangeness of the show, but having a female doctor seems to just change how to doctor is perceived, as a father figure.
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And why, pray tell, cannot the Doctor be perceived as a mother figure? The Doctor has had many, many perceptions over the years. Fighter, hero, sexy potential boyfriend. Heck, the Eleventh Doctor played the role of husband and son-in-law. Why is it so out of the question to have a female Doctor?
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Because while the doctor changes through the different incarnations, some things remain constant, it just seems like shock factor to me
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Not really. I mean, the Doctor HAS said that it's possible for Time Lords to change gender. It wouldn't really be that shocking if it happened. What's more, if a female actress was GOOD, and could really fit the crazed brilliance, dark power, and comforting aura of the Doctor, I'd see no reason not to cast her. I'm not saying that they MUST cast a female Doctor; I just found out that Peter Capaldi got the part, and I think he'll be brilliant. I was just asking why there could NOT be a female Doctor.
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Im not saying there could NOT be a female doctor rather that there shouldn't be, there are things you change about the doctor but there are things you just don't one of which is the gender, the doctor has ALWAYS been a male. As a character the doctor has always had the characteristics of a father figure or husband, (as the show has hinted to the doctor having a family at one point and being actually married to a woman), basically the doctor is written as a HE, and even if there was a female who was a good actress it would still be seen as shock value by many, and just a quick way to create a strong female character by working around the already established male traits, besides there are already strong female characters in the series e.g. Rose, Donna and River Song.
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How do you know Gallifreyans don't switch "grandfather" and "grandmother" as easily as "Mrs" and "Ms"?
We've never really seen a Gallifreyan family unit on TV. We never saw married couples on Gallifrey (aside from a possible future union between Leela and Andred, which was extremely unconventional for Time Lords). And we certainly never saw how one develops over the course of centuries, with regeneration in the mix. They were a billion years old- human were already generally omnisexual by the 51st Century. So it's dangerous to make assumptions. What's seems like gender-specific traits to us may mean something different to them.
And as far as "there's already strong female characters in the series", well... read this first: fav.me/d6gfldn
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I hate the argument "It must be because it always has been". Stupidest damn thing I've ever heard, and I've heard quite a few stupid things. To be fair, some of those came out of my own mouth. Still cringe a little every time I remember saying them.
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There's no good reason to do so. It would be doing it "just because" feminists are demanding it.
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There's a great reason: many new kinds of stories to tell and different ways to tell them. Not easily accomplished after 800 episodes. Moffat himself just said it's "absolutely within the rules" if they want to take the story that way. Matt Smith, Paul Cornell, Neil Gaiman, Stephen Hawking (!), Tom Baker, Colin Baker, John Barrowman, Jessica Hynes, and Russell T. Davies are all outspoken proponents of the idea. It'll happen eventually. In fact I'd bet real money on it being the next one (not that I'm in any rush to get rid of Capaldi- fantastic choice).
But the "feminist" argument (more like "humanist", I'd say) is a great reason to: fav.me/d6gfldn What's wrong with the show actually trying to do real world good and advance an agenda we all know the Doctor would stand for?
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There's also no good reason not to do so. The Doctor himself has stated he could regenerate into a woman. If the best candidate to portray the Doctor at any given time was female, I'd say let the role go to her. If the best candidate at any given time was male, I'd say let the role go to him. I also don't see why feminism was part of your argument. That really has nothing to do with why the Doctor (a character that already laughs in the face of normal gender roles, hetero-normative behavior, and plain common sense) has to remain a guy.
I'm perfectly glad with who they DID pick to be the Twelfth Doctor, but I would also have found it fine if they picked a talented woman. It's not a matter of demanding a woman play the part; rather, it's a matter of accepting it as a possibility.
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"There's also no good reason not to do so."/"That really has nothing to do with why the Doctor ... has to remain a guy."
Traditionally when someone is presenting an idea, the burden of proof is on them to produce reasons as to why its a good idea.
Why stop at female? Why not give the Doctor American accent too? I feel under-represented, so lets make it an Ozark accent! No wait, that's a terrible idea, and the general viewing public would run for the hills.
Pretty much every time whomever is heading Doctor who during any given season, presents some radical change, without thinking it through very well, it goes south fast!
Some examples off the top of my head:
*Just take a look at all the little problems Doctor Who: The Movie entered into the canon. And no, you can't blame Fox. The writing was done on the BBCs end of things. The "Half-human" remark has yet to be disputed canonically, as well as why the Eye of Harmony is coded to work by scanning a human retina.
*Colin Baker's version of the Doctor was so disliked, that it nearly got the show cancelled. It was 1984, people weren't ready for an arrogant Doctor who was prone to fits of rage. To this day I've yet to find more than a handful of people who go "Oh yeah, I love me some sixth Doctor!"
*"Oh! The doctor needs an American companion!" "Okay, sure! What do American's sound like?" "Fuck if I know! ...Lets just wing it, whats the worst that can happen?". I suspect that's the exchange that took place while writing up the character "Peri Brown".
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SherbertTCat, you are correct. Introducing a change without thinking it through is a terrible idea. That is, in fact, a hallmark of bad writing in general.
But what you fail to realize is that the introduction of a female Doctor COULD be well thought-out. Little examples of massive changes that DID work:
*Eradication of the Time Lords. Every Time Lord that wasn't the Doctor or the Master died. This left the Doctor completely alone in the universe, giving the new Doctor Who series' an entirely different feel from everything that had come before, and changing the very character of the Doctor. This actually turned out pretty well.
* 4th Doctor. The previous versions of the Doctor were eccentric, yes, but they were also all older men who acted as wise guardians. The 4th Doctor, on the other hand, solved pretty much everything with bursts of brilliant insanity. The Doctor as a brilliant nutjob is now an integral part of his character. What's more, while the first three Doctors had distinctive clothing, it wasn't until the 4th Doctor that "dressing like a fashion-ignorant wacko" became central to him. Almost every Doctor since has worn incredibly whimsical clothing.
* Dark Doctor. Toyed with occasionally in the old series, the concept of the "potentially-evil Doctor" really came home in New-Who. What was once an interesting, peaceful history buff now had the potential to go insane and do truly terrible things. At any moment, his whimsical facade could be cast aside to reveal an old, tired, hurt and angry man who, in the name of peace and sanity, committed the genocide of two races. While not exactly a beloved part of the Doctor, it is a highly praised trait that works very well in providing conflict.
Also, quick thing about Colin Baker: That wasn't a "new change". The First Doctor was also incredibly rude and arrogant. Colin Baker's Doctor was disliked, but it wasn't because the writers gave him a "new personality". The First Doctor's triumph was that, over time, he eventually managed to learn to be a kinder, gentler man. The Sixth Doctor overturned five different incarnations of the Doctor, effectively erasing years of character development to present and unlikable jackass. Anger about his incarnation isn't due to the fan's inability to accept change, it's the inability to like a pompous prick with no redeeming qualities. A female Doctor wouldn't necessarily overturn the PERSONALITY of the Doctor built up over the years.
To refute another of your "examples," one reason the movie Doctor was disliked was because it flew in the face of established Who-lore. Nowhere was it stated previously that the Doctor could regenerate into a part-human; similarly, the Master's sudden supernatural powers came out of left-field. The entire movie made no sense, and played fast-and-hard with established concepts. The concept of a Time Lord changing genders through regeneration, on the other hand, IS established. The Doctor has mentioned the possibility multiple times.
As for the "American companion" part, that's just shitty acting and writing. The concept of an American companion wasn't terrible, and indeed two of the most well-received characters in New Who, Jack Harkness and Canton Delaware (the latter of which sadly didn't get to show up very often) had American accents.
So no, you haven't really given any convincing reasons whatsoever why a female Doctor would inherently be a bad idea. I agree that it would take good writing in order for it to work, but I for one happen to think it's possible.
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"A female Doctor wouldn't necessarily overturn the PERSONALITY of the Doctor built up over the years."
If they just up and go "Some people want a female doctor. Better give into political correctness or else they'll start writing nasty letters and boycotting us!" That is exactly what will happen. They won't take the time to craft the idea properly, as they'll be hurrying it out the door as fast as possible to avoid backlash. Then when the idea fails they can just go "Its not our fault, this is what people asked for!"
You didn't so much refute my examples as add the notion that well-thought out gambles tend to pay off.
Though I gotta do some nitpicking.
The Master's ability to take over bodies was first seen on "The Keeper of Traken", where he possesses Nyssa's father. That's one of the few things the writers of the film didn't pull straight from their asses. I think the how and why of that ability was meant to remain a mystery. Essentially your "refuting" of what I had to say about the movie is a long rant version of my pair of sentences.
You also missed the point of my imagined writer exchange about Peri. I wasn't saying that the concept American companion was a bad idea, it was the execution which was God awful. Why? Because the idea probably got rushed out the door.
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Right. But what I'm saying is that the introduction of a female Doctor won't necessarily be the result of backlash. If they ever decide to have a female Doctor, I'm confident it'll be well-thought-out. Besides, Doctor Who doesn't have to cave to political correctness. Heck, last I checked there wasn't even a strong pressure to MAKE it cave to political correctness. You know what the reaction to Peter Capaldi getting the part was? "Good, he looks interesting!" Everyone I know, regardless of their political beliefs or personal desires, was happy that he got the part because he's a GOOD ACTOR. I'm not saying the Doctor has to be female at some point. If every single version of the Doctor that ever appears is going to be a white British man, I could still be fine with it as long as they're good actors. That, more than anything, is what I'm trying to say. A female Doctor isn't out of the question for me simply because I don't actually give a damn what the gender or race of the Doctor is; what I care about more than anything else is talent.
The entire reason I'm continuing this argument is not because I want you to demand a female Doctor, or that I want you to even WANT a female Doctor. You blatantly reject the idea that a female Doctor could be anything but a poorly-written, poorly-implemented knee-jerk politically-correct reaction. I believe that that simply won't be the case. Today the fanbase of Doctor Who proved that they're happy with the Doctor as long as they can keep to the spirit of the character; even the ones that WERE really hoping to get a female or minority Doctor were happy, because the new guy is good. That, over everything else, is what matters. So if the Doctor ever regenerates into a lady, I don't believe it will be an attempt to "avoid backlash" because as we've seen today there IS no backlash to making the new Doctor another white guy. If the Doctor ever becomes female, it'll be because the writers think it's a good idea.
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The thing is that a lot of the people who are calling for a Female doctor don't want the writers to take the time to explain it, they just want it done in a hurry!
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They have explained it- Moff himself said it's been canonized and "absolutely within the rules". And since the Doctor's only alive because he absorbed all of River's regeneration energy... well that's all the setup ya need right there.
There are plenty of stories that changed the series on a massive scale out of the blue (The War Games immediately comes to mind). It probably seems undoable for small-minded people, but for writers it really isn't. It's kinda like how some people are screaming "FUCK THIS SHOW" on Facebook and Twitter over Peter Capaldi, without even having seen his performance. People need to calm the F down and not be so damned afraid of everything.
Seriously, this argument is getting so damned boring to me. It depresses me that there's this many fans of the Doctor who don't live up to his ideals of acceptance and creating positive change.
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