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Appleaker

macrumors 68020
Jun 13, 2016
2,197
4,193
Just to make sure there's no confusion here... If fingers need pointing, then they need pointing AT Moffat, not Chibnall. Yes, Chibnall presumably was the one who had ultimate power over the casting choice, but Moffat spent most of his time as showrunner first drip feeding, then full on pushing his female Doctor agenda, ever since "The Doctor's Wife" with the line about the Corsair's multiple genders, leading to Missy.

Despite the gist of the above, I am trying to keep an open mind...
It's been happening since he took over and he admit to that. But not only did he keep drip feeding the idea, but he also changed the shows dynamic to the point where the BBC felt it needed a change like this to make it interesting and increase viewing figures. Before Moffat, characters were believable, consequences were present, and the companion was very much the lead of the show (along with all the other things that changed with Moffat).
 
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cosmichobo

macrumors 6502a
May 4, 2006
964
586
Umm Moffat didn't write all of that, the Corsair was written by Neil Gaiman in "The Doctor's Wife" for example.

Yes, but Moffat was the showrunner, which for some reason also equates to chief script editor. I highly doubt that line was Gaiman's, and if it was, were this not something Moffat wanted, he'd have excised it. He didn't. Same for the other gender swap lines.
 
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Appleaker

macrumors 68020
Jun 13, 2016
2,197
4,193
Yes, but Moffat was the showrunner, which for some reason also equates to chief script editor. I highly doubt that line was Gaiman's, and if it was, were this not something Moffat wanted, he'd have excised it. He didn't. Same for the other gender swap lines.
Yeah Moffat had a lot of input (often the bad things). For example he wanted the new cybermen to be invincible and constantly upgrading them, ruining them (again, in a Neil Gaiman episode). He just doesn’t care. As for gender swapping, there is an explanation of the change from the classic Time Lords/Ladies but I’m guessing Moffat didn’t even consider that. He never explains things even when they can be explained simply.
 

decafjava

macrumors 603
Feb 7, 2011
5,194
7,311
Geneva
Yeah Moffat had a lot of input (often the bad things). For example he wanted the new cybermen to be invincible and constantly upgrading them, ruining them (again, in a Neil Gaiman episode). He just doesn’t care. As for gender swapping, there is an explanation of the change from the classic Time Lords/Ladies but I’m guessing Moffat didn’t even consider that. He never explains things even when they can be explained simply.
I missed that, care to fill me in?
 

cosmichobo

macrumors 6502a
May 4, 2006
964
586
In the classic series, male Time Lords regenerated into male Time Lords. Female Time Lords regenerated into female Time Lords. We for instance met 4 versions of Borusa, ultimately as President of the Time Lords, but every time he was male. We met 2 Romanas, both female. The Master - always male. The Rani - well, we only saw 1 version of her.

There was never a comment, whisper, or hint that they could change until the new series as noted above.

But... It's done now... and I think ultimately I'd rather sit through 2-3 years of a female Doctor, in order to get to a new Doctor, than to turn off, and see the series potentially face the axe, again, and be without ANY WHO for god-knows how long... who knows... maybe I may just like her.
 

DAC47

macrumors 6502
Mar 1, 2007
413
93
Cardiff
I'm all for it.
Michelle Gomez was great as the female Master can't see any reason that a good actor like Jodie Whittaker won't be great as the Doctor.
 
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fat jez

macrumors 68020
Jun 24, 2010
2,084
615
Glasgow, UK
I'm all for it.
Michelle Gomez was great as the female Master can't see any reason that a good actor like Jodie Whittaker won't be great as the Doctor.

That's my opinion too. It all hinges on the quality of the writing, which I feel has dropped over the last few years. Not every episode, but enough to make stories hard to follow.
 

Plutonius

macrumors G3
Feb 22, 2003
9,048
8,416
New Hampshire, USA
I highly recommend "An Adventure in Space and Time". It was one of the Doctor Who (Matt Smith) specials and it's a movie (not documentary) about the creation of the original Doctor Who series. The actor that played the part of William Hartnell (original Doctor) did an amazing job.

It's on iTunes if you look for "The Day of the Doctor" (You get both "The Day of the Doctor" and "An Adventure in Time and Space").
 

~Shard~

macrumors P6
Jun 4, 2003
18,377
48
1123.6536.5321
Ah, the good old Doctor Who thread. I haven't been on MacRumors for years yet apparently still receive post notifications in this thread ;) It will be interesting to see how this new season goes. Although I feel the move to make the Doctor female was perhaps a bit forced and unnecessary, I will be eager to see if the writers take advantage of this opportunity and the new dynamics it opens up to give us a quality season of episodes. Unfortunately I feel that the writing of the previous couple seasons has generally been "meh". So many other good shows out there now as well!
 
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Falhófnir

macrumors 603
Aug 19, 2017
6,139
6,991
Ah people complaining over an ‘unrealistic’ change like casting a female lead for a hitherto male role - in a high fantasy series about a time travelling alien who fights oversized pepper pots and soylent tin men :p btw it’s not a new idea, apparently it nearly went ahead last time the series was dying. Overall this has never been my favourite show for a myriad reasons, but some good old BBC fawning over a topical liberal issue won’t be all that high on the list!
 

AlliFlowers

macrumors 601
Jan 1, 2011
4,542
15,755
L.A. (Lower Alabama)
Sooooooo.......

Did everyone watch the season premiere yesterday?

I was overjoyed and delighted. The newest doctor reminds me of an older and female version of Matt Smith's portrayal of the Doctor. Totally manic, and I love it!

Even the writing was better. It had a decent plot. I hated that the grandmother didn't survive, but it gives Graham a reason to go on. Gonna be a great season if they can keep up the momentum.
 

decafjava

macrumors 603
Feb 7, 2011
5,194
7,311
Geneva
Tennant was my least favorite Doctor from the new reboot. I loved Smith. But you have a point. Tennant also brought a huge serving of manic.

I wonder if we'll ever have a Doctor who's a yank. ;)
DALEK VOICE: DO NOT BLASPHEME! DO NOT BLASPHEME!

Yea! Matt Smith was my doctor, and I was quite pleased with the show last night (but I want my opening titles dammit) as Jodie Whittaker became the Doctor with a bit of that mania. Glad they didn't overplay the change just had the Doctor accepting it as normal sort of thing that Time Lords sometimes (I guess from the show's portrayal) go through. I really liked the companions as well. Especially Mandip Gill.:D
 
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decafjava

macrumors 603
Feb 7, 2011
5,194
7,311
Geneva
Opps when I say the change I meant the gender or actually biological sex change, though why Time Lords who can live for thousands of years would bother with keeping male and female?
 

AlliFlowers

macrumors 601
Jan 1, 2011
4,542
15,755
L.A. (Lower Alabama)
Honestly, I'm quite partial to a Scots accent, so I don't need an American sounding Doctor. Americans are such accent whores.

DALEK VOICE: DO NOT BLASPHEME! DO NOT BLASPHEME!

Yea! Matt Smith was my doctor, and I was quite pleased with the show last night (but I want my opening titles dammit) as Jodie Whittaker became the Doctor with a bit of that mania. Glad they didn't overplay the change just had the Doctor accepting it as normal sort of thing that Time Lords sometimes (I guess from the show's portrayal) go through. I really liked the companions as well. Especially Mandip Gill.:D

I don't see why not. Paul McGann was probably the closest in terms of actors better known in the US.
 
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fat jez

macrumors 68020
Jun 24, 2010
2,084
615
Glasgow, UK
Honestly, I'm quite partial to a Scots accent, so I don't need an American sounding Doctor. Americans are such accent whores.

*cough* my location *cough* :D

We've probably had a disproportionate number of Scottish actors, given the population (approx 5M Scots, 55M English) - Sylvester McCoy, David Tennant, Peter Capaldi
 
I watched it on iPlayer. Yeah, it worked as an introduction episode. Obviously the cliffhanger isn’t much of one as it’s going to be a very short series if so. Jodie Whittaker is believable as The Doctor. All in all I was pleased with it. Not set the world on fire as yet, but there’s a lot of potential in the new cast. Even Bradley Walsh, who Americans might not know is a game show host normally :)
 

DAC47

macrumors 6502
Mar 1, 2007
413
93
Cardiff
Pretty good overall. Certainly made me want to see the next episode.
The new Doctor's first episode can be a bit of a slog sometimes. I'd say this was better than Peter Capaldi's first one but not as good as Matt Smith's (I do have special fondness for "The Eleventh Hour" as a big chunk of it was filmed just up the road from my flat and I walk past the "village green" most days)

Judging from the little we've seen so far I think Chibnall will be more like RTD as a show runner with more emphasis on character than Moffat who I think was more interested in plot mechanics.
 

Plutonius

macrumors G3
Feb 22, 2003
9,048
8,416
New Hampshire, USA
The newest doctor reminds me of an older and female version of Matt Smith's portrayal of the Doctor. Totally manic, and I love it!

Out of the 2005 Doctor Who series, I found Matt Smith to be the worst doctor. If the new doctor is like Matt Smith, it's a good reason for me to skip the show until the next regeneration :).

In the original Doctor Who series, Jon Pertwee was my favorite followed by Tom Baker.
 

AlliFlowers

macrumors 601
Jan 1, 2011
4,542
15,755
L.A. (Lower Alabama)
Out of the 2005 Doctor Who series, I found Matt Smith to be the worst doctor. If the new doctor is like Matt Smith, it's a good reason for me to skip the show until the next regeneration :).

In the original Doctor Who series, Jon Pertwee was my favorite followed by Tom Baker.

Those were my favorites in the original. How could you not have loved Matt Smith....
 
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