Who v Who! Old Time Lords clash over first female Doctor
- Publication: Daily Mail
- Date: 2017-07-22
- Author: Laura Lambert
- Page: 39
- Language: English
TWO former Doctor Who stars have clashed over the casting of Jodie Whittaker as the first female version of the Time Lord.
Peter Davison, 66, who played the fifth Doctor from 1981 to 1984, said the choice of a woman will mean the 'loss of a role model for boys'.
He praised Miss Whittaker, 35, best known for her role in ITV drama Broadchurch, as a 'terrific actress', but added that he harbours doubts about the impact of the role being played by a woman for the first time, saying he had always liked the idea of the Doctor as a boy'.
His comments led to an awkward clash with another former Doctor Who, Colin Baker, who accused him of talking 'absolute rubbish'.
The two were speaking before a joint appearance on Thursday at the Comic-Con film and TV convention in San Diego. Davison said:111 feel any doubts, it's the loss of a role model for boys who I think Doctor Who is vitally important for.
'So I feel a bit sad about that, but I understand the argument that you need to open it up.
'As a viewer, I kind of like the idea of the Doctor as a boy but then maybe I'm an old-fashioned dinosaur, who knows?'
But Baker, 74, who played the sixth Doctor, pointed out that the character has been male since the programme began in 1963, saying: 'They've had 50 years of having a role model. So sorry Peter, you're talking rubbish there - absolute rubbish.' The actor, a father of four daughters, added: 'You don't have to be of a gender of someone to be a role model. Can't you be a role model as people?' Baker previously described the selection of Miss Whittaker as 'brave and game-changing casting'.
Deborah Watling, who played companion Victoria Waterfield to second Doctor Patrick Troughton in the 1960s, has died aged 69. Her brother Giles Watling, Tory MP for Clacton, said: 'She was a lovely, lovely girl, bubbly and vibrant. She will be sorely missed.'
Caption: New Doctor: Actress Jodie Whittaker
Caption: Time war Peter Davison and, right, Colin Baker with companion Nicola Bryant
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- APA 6th ed.: Lambert, Laura (2017-07-22). Who v Who! Old Time Lords clash over first female Doctor. Daily Mail p. 39.
- MLA 7th ed.: Lambert, Laura. "Who v Who! Old Time Lords clash over first female Doctor." Daily Mail [add city] 2017-07-22, 39. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Lambert, Laura. "Who v Who! Old Time Lords clash over first female Doctor." Daily Mail, edition, sec., 2017-07-22
- Turabian: Lambert, Laura. "Who v Who! Old Time Lords clash over first female Doctor." Daily Mail, 2017-07-22, section, 39 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Who v Who! Old Time Lords clash over first female Doctor | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Who_v_Who!_Old_Time_Lords_clash_over_first_female_Doctor | work=Daily Mail | pages=39 | date=2017-07-22 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=16 April 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Who v Who! Old Time Lords clash over first female Doctor | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Who_v_Who!_Old_Time_Lords_clash_over_first_female_Doctor | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=16 April 2025}}</ref>
