Doctor Who

[johnnygobbs]

You don't feel passionately about it, but others do. That's the thing. For example, over 90 percent of people voted NO to a female Doctor in a Doctor Who TV poll. Yet the vocal minority keeps shouting. I'm not the only one with this view. You have a hard time swallowing a black Batman. That does not make you racist, homophobic, sexist or any other label. It's just how you feel. Same with my stances. I feel major alterations like this take away the very core of the characters. Again with Who, the fact the Doctor has been male for over 900 years of his life would make a female regeneration nonsensical. The fact they are established white roles is the best and only reason this should rightly continue.

What I meant was I don't feel passionately that these characters should be played by a black actor or an actress.  I think there are bigger issues of equality than whether the next James Bond is black.  But there are people who do feel passionately in favour of black actors taking on these roles as BatmAngelus's references demonstrate just as there are people like you who feel passionately that these characters should always be portrayed by white men.

I don't personally think you're a racist or sexist for your stance although with all due respect I still don't think your arguments as to why these characters should remain traditionally white males is especially compelling either.  If we entered a situation where these characters ended up only being played by black women then that would be a problem but the beauty of these characters is that they always get recast after a few years anyway and each casting change allows for something fresh to be introduced to the role (wouldn't it be boring if we merely ended up with carbon-copies each time?)  Also, I'd never advocate a change to a character's ethnicity/gender simply for the sake of political correctness.  It's great to break boundaries and open up opportunities for a wide range of actors/actresses who can reflect the more cosmopolitan, equal-opportunities era we live in but whoever is cast should always embody the right qualities for the part regardless of race and gender.  Dr Who should be mysterious, quirky and highly intelligent, Bond should be lethal, brutal but classy, and Superman should represent honour and integrity.

At the risk of upsetting certain posters by bringing politics into it, I would not have been happy to see the first black president enter the White House in January 2009 if he wasn't the right candidate.  Now even as a staunch liberal (sorry colors) I can argue whether Obama was in fact the right candidate in retrospect (it's no secret that he's disappointed everyone across the political divide on partisan issues and non-partisan issues alike) but at the time it was not just a great watershed moment to see a black man finally ascend to the highest position in the US political hierarchy but it was great to see a man who seemingly represented integrity and decency, and still does to my mind represent family values, enter the White House.  If the first black US President had been Herman Cain, or so that I don't alienate the Republicans in this forum, Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton, for instance I would not have been so happy, and I doubt I would have supported their ascension to the White House, PC-considerations and glass-ceiling breaking be damned.

The same applies for casting.  I would only be happy to see these characters undergo a race change if the actor concerned was right for the part, NOT because I think the roles should be used simply as a test for political change.

[The Dark Knight]

.....

Let's make Catwoman a guy.

It's a topic that goes around in circles and one we will never, ever see eye to eye on.

[johnnygobbs]

.....

Let's make Catwoman a guy.

It's a topic that goes around in circles and one we will never, ever see eye to eye on.

Well isn't there already a 'Catman'?

[The Dark Knight]

Yes, who is a separate character. Which plays into my argument of do your own thing, leave existing properties alone.

It's an endless, ridiculous movement. That'll do for me for now.

[johnnygobbs]

Yes, who is a separate character. Which plays into my argument of do your own thing, leave existing properties alone.

It's an endless, ridiculous movement. That'll do for me for now.

Well at the risk of being facetious I think the point with Catwoman is that the character has to be a woman because of the whole name Catwoman.    I don't know, maybe Catwoman could be a transsexual or transvestite...Not sure whether that would go down well.

[The Joker]

I'm pretty new to the whole Dr. Who mythology, with most of my knowledge coming from the Doctor's Revisited specials chronicling each Doctor in order, but I have a buddy who's a fairly hardcore whovian, and the choice of Peter Capaldi was most welcomed as he, prior to the announcement, expressed his thoughts on it being about time for the Doc to be portrayed by a more aged actor, as he had been in the past.

Having read some of the previous posts, I have to say that he agrees with Dark Knight in that he had absolutely no desire to see a regeneration into a female Doctor. Just because it can be done, doesn't necessarily mean it should be done. Plus, I did get to check out the 30 minute announcement special, and as I told him, it certainly appeared as if the executive producer didn't have a whole lot of interest in that idea either. As I remember some sarcastic quip following being asked about the idea and saying, "Yeah, next I want to see is a man playing the Queen". Or something to that effect.....

[The Dark Knight]

Will you be watching the 50th anniversary special, Joker? Even if you're not a hardcore Whovian I'd recommend you check it out. It's bound to be something of an event, with two Doctors meeting each other.

As for the 12th Doctor's uniform, I'm thinking something in the vein of the 1st or 3rd Doctors. Something regal with flowing robes, almost like a barrister. And I'd love to see him react with bemused disgust at the sight of 11's bow tie. That could be a funny moment.

[johnnygobbs]

Who are all your favourite Doctors so far?  I reckon Capaldi is going to be one of the best but so far when I think of The Doctor the actors that come to mind are Tom Baker and David Tennant.

[BatmAngelus]

As for the 12th Doctor's uniform, I'm thinking something in the vein of the 1st or 3rd Doctors. Something regal with flowing robes, almost like a barrister. And I'd love to see him react with bemused disgust at the sight of 11's bow tie. That could be a funny moment.

I like what you're thinking.  I wouldn't mind something a little more out-there from #12, something more alien and ostentatious than the suits that Tennant and Smith have been wearing. 

I also think Capaldi reacting to the bowtie is a guaranteed post-regeneration moment  .

Who are all your favourite Doctors so far?  I reckon Capaldi is going to be one of the best but so far when I think of The Doctor the actors that come to mind are Tom Baker and David Tennant.

Smith is my favorite, with Tennant as a close second, so I'm excited to see them together in the 50th.  To be fair, though, I haven't seen everyone's full run.  I've seen the McGann movie and all of the 2005-present relaunch from Eccleston until now, but I've only seen the William Hartnell serials with Susan in them and have been working through chronologically. 

I've only seen one serial each of Troughton, Pertwee, and Davison, along with three serials for Tom Baker.  And I haven't seen a Colin Baker or Sylvester McCoy adventure yet (I've got their Doctors Revisited specials with Vengeance of Varos and Remembrance of the Daleks on my DVR), though I've heard a couple of Colin Baker's Big Finish audios and enjoyed them.

Maybe one day when I see more from each one, I'll make a list of my ranking.  Overall, there are some I like more than others, of course, but to me, from what I've seen/heard, they're all The Doctor.

[johnnygobbs]

I also think Capaldi reacting to the bowtie is a guaranteed post-regeneration moment  .

Has anyone seen 'The Thick of it' or 'In the Loop'?  I can only imagine what a Malcolm Tucker-like Doctor might say. 

Maybe one day when I see more from each one, I'll make a list of my ranking.  Overall, there are some I like more than others, of course, but to me, from what I've seen/heard, they're all The Doctor.

Oh I agree with you there.  They're all as valid as the next IMHO.  None of them have let the side down partly because the Doctor is such a flexible character not based on any previous format and thereby allows for a wide range of interpretations.  All eleven TV Doctors have brought something special to the part.  Overall though Tom Baker and Tennant are the two that stick out most in my mind.