The 13th Doctor Will Be... announced 16 July UK-time

[cosmichobo]

tomaso88 - just to clarify... the Time Lord gender swap concept was not introduced at all during RTD's era - it was first mentioned briefly during The Doctor's Wife - season 6 of the new era - Steven Moffat's second year as showrunner. There were a few more casual references during Smith's Doctor, before we then met Missy in 2014, a female regeneration of the previously male Master character.

(During the first 26 year run, there was never an onscreen reference to the possibility of a Time Lord changing gender. It became common fodder for the popular presses during the 80's whenever a new Doctor was pending...)

Moffat first introduced the idea of the Doctor becoming a female years earlier, in The Curse of Fatal Death (1999) - a charity special. In fact, Doctor Who's revival almost panned out the same way to this special - in it, the Doctor reached the end of his standard regeneration cycle, then became a woman... In this case, it happened 1 regeneration later.

And yes, Gallifreybase has gone nuts since the news broke...

My biggest concern... fans who tend to oppose the idea are male. Doctor Who's audience (based on IMDB) is roughly 2:1 ratio against women. I know a poll of 1,400 hardcore fans cannot be extrapolated to the entire viewership, but a poll at GB showed 35% dead-set against the idea of a female Doctor. Most of those against are male. So... worst case, nearly 1 in 4 viewers tune out... and they're already down to around 5m per week...

For the record, I wasn't keen on the idea, but as soon as Moffat put that reference in The Doctor's Wife, I knew the day would come. I'm going to try to keep an open mind, but if her first story doesn't win me over, I don't expect I'll stick around very long.

I'm yet to check in with my 2 nieces who love the show (both teens), but I expect they are elated. My 9yo son however is not thrilled.

[Falcon Horus]

It's hilarious to see, mostly, the male audience freak out about it.

But we all know, the future is female!

[Laura Dove]

(During the first 26 year run, there was never an onscreen reference to the possibility of a Time Lord changing gender. It became common fodder for the popular presses during the 80's whenever a new Doctor was pending...)

There was, however, on-screen reference of a Time Lord looking like a whole different other SPECIES. As much as I despise Destiny of the Daleks in general and Romana's regeneration scene in particular, it exists. Somehow, looking like a different species would be more acceptable than looking like a different human?

My biggest concern... fans who tend to oppose the idea are male. Doctor Who's audience (based on IMDB) is roughly 2:1 ratio against women. I know a poll of 1,400 hardcore fans cannot be extrapolated to the entire viewership, but a poll at GB showed 35% dead-set against the idea of a female Doctor. Most of those against are male. So... worst case, nearly 1 in 4 viewers tune out... and they're already down to around 5m per week...

Sure, but for all those disgruntled male supremacists, how many potentials fans, women or open-minded men, were turning away because of the constant sexism and generally appalling writing? Those fans may well come back with a new showrunner and a woman playing the Doctor, and more than compensate the patriarchal gender role brigade who don't even want to hear about a new actor in the role, just because she happens to be born with two X chromosomes.

It's like when they made public places non-smoking. Obviously everyone going to public places before was either smokers themselves or had a high ability for inhaling smoke, considering those who were asthmatic or otherwise incapable of breathing smoke just couldn't enter in the first place. A handful of smokers might have stopped going to restaurants and bars once the ban was in place, but how many more non-smokers suddenly found themselves able to replace them?

For the record, I wasn't keen on the idea, but as soon as Moffat put that reference in The Doctor's Wife, I knew the day would come. I'm going to try to keep an open mind, but if her first story doesn't win me over, I don't expect I'll stick around very long.

Actually, I had hoped they'd go for someone older, because the two younger actors so far made respectively a boring and a terrible Doctor. I would be incredibly worried if Moffat were still at the helm (urgh Missy), but with a new headwriter, hopefully we're at the eve of a great new era of the show.

I'm yet to check in with my 2 nieces who love the show (both teens), but I expect they are elated. My 9yo son however is not thrilled.

I can totally understand if he doesn't want Peter Capaldi to abandon the role (at 9, he probably doesn't truly remember the Doctor was ever anyone else). However, if he's pissed a not-like-him actor will walk into the Doctor's shoes, well, at 9 years old, it's about time he learns to share.

[The Flyattractor]

You do realize Doctor Who's original targetted audience were children, right"

Actually it was always a FAMILY SHOW. It was never AIMED only at children. The first few seasons of Dr. Who had some rather Heavy Adult themes in them, one of them being actual DEATH with no Magical Get out Free Card like the New series does. So that little bit that NU WHO is some how MORE ADULT is utter Dalek Dookey especially with all the Magical Type Fantasy Nonsense that goes on it it now.

[dipsofjazz]

Well sure, the early Cybermen were.... err.... scary....

Spoiler:

...as in... falling apart on set, I imagine.

I was born before Doctor Who was around on tv, and have watched the show since it was first broadcast. I always remember being very scared of the original Cybermen, and seeing them again during the last two episodes of this series brought back all my fears.
Youngsters brought up with today's special effects may not find them scary, but I can assure you that us oldies are still afraid of them.

[knowles2]

There was, however, on-screen reference of a Time Lord looking like a whole different other SPECIES. As much as I despise Destiny of the Daleks in general and Romana's regeneration scene in particular, it exists. Somehow, looking like a different species would be more acceptable than looking like a different human?

It be more original having non human looking character leading a tv show.

[knowles2]

It's hilarious to see, mostly, the male audience freak out about it.

But we all know, the future is female!

Only funny if want to see the show cancelled.

[The Flyattractor]

I was born before Doctor Who was around on tv, and have watched the show since it was first broadcast. I always remember being very scared of the original Cybermen, and seeing them again during the last two episodes of this series brought back all my fears.
Youngsters brought up with today's special effects may not find them scary, but I can assure you that us oldies are still afraid of them.

That is mainly because Old Far...I mean Valued Citizens of Experience had to use our IMAGINATIONS when watching TV back in the "Good old days". Nu TV doesn't leave that choice to Modern Viewers.

[Falcon Horus]

I was born before Doctor Who was around on tv, and have watched the show since it was first broadcast. I always remember being very scared of the original Cybermen, and seeing them again during the last two episodes of this series brought back all my fears.
Youngsters brought up with today's special effects may not find them scary, but I can assure you that us oldies are still afraid of them.

Oh, don't get me wrong, when I saw the first Cybermen I was thoroughly impressed with the manner of how they were made. And they were pretty nifty and appropriately scary.

I have much respect for the early stages of "special effects" and "prop making/costum making" -- just sometimes it creates effects that make you LOL a serious amount.
Much like the jarring stopmotion animation of the Tauntaun in Star Wars.

Only funny if want to see the show cancelled.

It's Doctor Who -- it has been around for more than 50 years. Not contiously so I wouldn't be too worried about it disappearing for all times.

And you better get used to seeing female leads -- Wonder Woman is doing pretty good, I hear (still haven't seen it myself but due to time than anything else).

[The Flyattractor]

And you better get used to seeing female leads -- Wonder Woman is doing pretty good, I hear (still haven't seen it myself but due to time than anything else).

Yeah but at least Wondie was always Her OWN character..

[P-90_177]

Let me put this question to the group, particularly to those who are against the regeneration...

If The Doctor Regenerates to a female body, but still is mentally male would that be an adequate solution to the issue?

Ultimately we know that Timelords can regenerate to different sexes. It's been made canon in the show. The fact that it was never mentioned in the classic series is moot because we so rarely saw regeneration outside of the Doctor in the first place. But it all comes down to how the regeneration takes place. From what we know so far, the Doctor has been mortally injured and his outright refusing to regenerate because he doesn't want to change to yet another face and personality. That leaves two possibilities in the Christmas special, either he'll finally give in and allow himself to regenerate in which case he may decide consciously that he wants a big change to himself, therefore becoming female, or he'll hold back the regeneration for so long that he doesn't have a choice anymore and the surge of regeneration energy forces him to become a woman. If it's the latter it's undoubtedly going to leave the Doctor with some issues over it.

And regardless of all that, if I had been alive for over 2000 years (or several billion if you include Heaven Sent) and had thirteen different faces, all of which were male, even as a man who identifies as male I'd be tempted to go with female just for a change of pace.

And secretly, I'm pretty sure a lot of misogynistic guys would likely do the same if only for the boobs...

[The Flyattractor]

Kind of how you View the Importance of the Sex/Gender. If they go as You suggest doesn't that kind of CHEAPEN the whole thing? Almost as if sex/gender just gets is given no more importance then what kind of socks you like to wear? And honestly I won't really care all that much just as long as they don't turn the Doctor in to a Mary Sue, but I am willing to bet that will happen regardless.

[SGalisa]

Don't be silly FH, it was Adults that were hiding behind the couch..........

Actually, (this young adult was) hiding behind the wall to the living room (peering at the TV from the kitchen vantage point), because I was too embarrassed to admit to my mom that I was becoming curious as to *what in the world was she watching!!*

TBH, First eppy I ever say of DW ~ I actually hated and refused to get attached to it (4th Doctor time era "Ark in Space" with some guy turning into a giant wasp creature), until I was stuck watching it a few years later, when I was caring for my mom while she was recuperating from a broken foot. She had DW on every week, so I was sort of a captive audience at that point, even tho I tried to ignore it.. well, until Sarah Jane Smith got kidnapped by some faceless energy demons who wanted to take over the whole earth during Leonardo Da Vinci's time period ("The Masque of Mandragora")... okay, that peaked my curiosity into overdrive..

[Coco Pops]

Just to add another point to this the shows creator Sydney Newman said way back in 1986 that this should happen. So it's been a while.

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/07...st-woman-1986/

[Falcon Horus]

And secretly, I'm pretty sure a lot of misogynistic guys would likely do the same if only for the boobs...

Oh, I'm pretty sure there's going to be a self-pat down and there will be a mention along the lines of ... "Oh... oh... oh, this is new. Wait, this is how they feel?" -- or something...



Farscape switch -- still the best with John and Aeryn in each other's body.

First eppy I ever say of DW ~ I actually hated and refused to get attached to it (4th Doctor time era "Ark in Space" with some guy turning into a giant wasp creature)...

First one I saw with number 9, I thought was ridiculous and stupid. Didn't go back until 10 happened.