Chris Chibnall
Chris Chibnall the new showrunner for Doctor Who has his own opinion on a female Doctor. I can say that as far his point of view on the subject. I do stand with him. He makes it clear there isn’t anything ruled out. But at the same time he is not going to do something as a gimmick.(1) There is truth to this. When casting for such an iconic television show, it does not need gimmicks to make it work.
At this time though he isn’t really looking for a new Doctor. He is still working on the latest Broadchurch series. I can say he really does not have time to think about this at this time. But because he is the new showrunner and Peter Capaldi has said he is not returning to Doctor Who. He will be answering questions about the subject. I find it rather rude to do this. The man is not even working on Doctor Who and is being questioned about the next Doctor.
Chibnall from my standpoint has every right to say nothing is decided. And really and truly is not. It is the media, who is making such a big deal out of who is the next Doctor going to be. I understand that this show is very popular and is the longest running prime time program. Therefore, this is the kind of attention it will get. But please let the man do his job. Let him finish this series of Broadchurch before you start grilling him about Doctor Who. Chibnall needs time to finish one series before he can concentrate on another.
I like his answer though. He is leaving it open and not giving any answers. I personally would love for them to keep it a secret until the regeneration show. I like surprises and by letting everyone know who is playing the next Doctor spoils it all. There is a time I can remember when I did not know and the surprise I get when he changes. Now that is brilliant! But lately everyone knows months in advance the actor is leaving and who will replace him on the show.
The article writer speculates as to what it all means but saying, “Whether this means the new Whopremo will be avoiding a gender-switch casting altogether or just looking for the right actor regardless of their sex is a little unclear – but as usual with Doctor Who, only time will reveal the answers.”(2) My hope is that he remains speechless until the regeneration episode and we all see the new Doctor without knowing who it will be.
With the media these days things are hard to keep secret. Doctor Who is such a big operation keeping information in and away from the public. I love the surprise of a new face and if you tell the viewers who the next Doctor is. You ruin the excitement behind the change. We need excitement when it comes to television shows. I don’t want to know who the next Doctor is until it time to start a new season.