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Ian’s Roving Editorial: A Woman As Doctor Who?

Written by Ian Cullen on July 11, 2008 – 5:54 pm -

By Ian M. Cullen

For years now – even back during the latter part of the original series of Doctor Who – certain fans have enjoyed speculating on the sort of character the Doctor would be if he was actually a she.

In fact this same group of people has always speculated on the nature of regeneration – asking questions such as ‘what is preventing the doctor from regenerating into a woman.’

These questions are quite understandable, interesting and somewhat amusing in some ways as well. As fans of genre television – its always fun to speculate about our favourite shows and actors. If we didn’t enjoy rumour gossip and speculation many of the news and rumour websites such as scifipulse.net wouldn’t be around much less regularly updated.

So take all of this with a pinch of salt – nothing like this is ever likely to happen in the new series of Doctor Who – a woman in the role of the Doctor would be a lot of fun – even departing head writer and show runner Russell T. Davies thinks it would be fun – and he even had Amy Winehouse and Dame Judi Dench on his list of actresses who could fit the mould – but even Davies is fast to admit that a woman being cast in the role would never happen.

The fact remains that over the 45-year history of Doctor Who we’ve never seen to many female timelords – and with the time war having wiped out most if not the entire Doctors race. We’re not likely to see to many more – unless they resurrect the Rhani at some point in the series.

What the new series has done for the show though is given woman a far more positive place in Doctor Who – this kind of started in the eighties when we had a timelord president in The Five Doctors – and Tom Baker had Romana who was so much more than a pretty face for the dads and a timelord to boot – so we have seen female timelords – and fan speculation is still out on whether or not Susan Foreman the Doctors Grand Daughter from the original 1963 show is a timelord – she is in the Big Finish Audio plays – but was she a timelord in the series?

If We Were To Cast A Woman As The Doctor

For fun I thought I would come up with some suggestions for actresses I think would bring an interesting interpretation to the role of The Doctor – relax Amy Winehouse doesn’t make my list. However I can see where Russell T. Davies may want to take that one.

My first choice would be comedienne Dawn French. The reason for this choice is that with the exception of Catherine Tate who I don’t think makes the best of transitions from comic to actress – I think Dawn French would. We already know what she can do from the comedy point of view – but I can see Dawn French really being able to bring a good degree of darkness and intensity to the role of the lone timelord and still be up for the more humorous moments as well – though with her obviously being kind of a curvy woman. Running may prove to be a problem.

My second choice would be Kate Winslet – for a laugh she could call Leo and they could do the titanic scene leaning out the doors of the Tardis. No joking.

Seriously I think Kate would make a really good choice. She has a certain vulnerability and good comic timing that would work well in the role – but also has the same potential for more intense scenes – plus she’d be a good bit of eye candy for the dads. She’d probably also be good playing a far more mature version of Rose Tyler.

My final choice would be Saffron Burrows. I think she would bring a certain amount of class to the role – and I think writers may get a kick out of having her make some really sarcastic (I have one up on you) type remarks while taking on the villains. I can see her doctor being somewhat like Joan Collins was in her Dynasty role only without the sleeping around and stuff – but the manipulative side of that role which put fear into the hearts of most men during the 80s. The girly men anyway.

Anyway for fun those are my three choices of whom I could see as a female version of the Doctor – though I do agree with Russell T. Davies. Having to explain to a young child about how the Doctor can regenerate across genders no matter how much fun – would only get frustrating after awhile.

That’s it for now. Thanks for reading.

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Tags: Amy Winehouse, Doctor Who, Judi Dench, Kate Winslet
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