Earlier Doctors
Well, well, the news is Hartnell is not the first Doctor. At least, that seems to be the case. In this article, the writer attempts to convey the idea of pre-Hartnell doctors. He is correct when saying, “Doctor Who season 12 rewrote the show’s entire show, revealing the Doctor is, in fact, the Timeless Child – a being who predates Time Lord society, and potentially originates from another universe.” Some fans like this, but some don’t. Are there Earlier Doctors?
The idea changes Doctor Who lore and history, but is it necessary? Is it true Hartnell is not the first Doctor? Is the Doctor the Timeless Child? Everything introduced by Chibnall points to that. Ok, how do fans deal with pre-Hartnell Doctors? Does it change the way they view Doctor Who? There fans who are saying, “What are you doing?” They don’t like change and feel Chibnall is stepping over the line. There may be some who like the idea and see it as a positive. Then some fans are indifferent to the change.
Does this information change anyone’s perspective of Doctor Who? Who knows what fans will see in the coming years from Doctor Who. Is the change good for Doctor Who? Will Chibnall build Season 13 on the Timeless Child? There are mixed emotions on the Timeless Child retcon. Is it healthy for the show? And if it isn’t, what does Chibnall do? Did this stir up a hornet’s nest? How will he move forward? The author of the article suggests he makes an emotional arc, which Jodie’s era needs.
Yes, the change surprised everyone in Season 12. Now, where does Doctor Who go from here? Does it grow and move forward, or does it fall flat on its face? Is there any way for Chibnall to please all fans? He is not going to please all fans, but whatever he does needs to benefit Doctor Who. Fans of the show don’t want to see what happened in 1989 to happen again.
