Doctor Who Executives Continue to Strive for Greater Diversity in Series Ten
By Leah Tedesco
Andy Pryor revealed some details about Doctor Who’s efforts to be more inclusive of various groups in Series Ten.
The latest news in the efforts toward more diversity on Doctor Who comes from an interview in Doctor Who Magazine with the show’s casting director Andy Pryor. According to an article by Peter Dyke and Ed Gleave of the Daily Star, Pryor told DWM that he wants to address disability in the upcoming Series Ten because it is “the area where [he has not] pushed hard enough.” He cited that both showrunner Steven Moffat and executive producer Brian Minchin are step with this line of thinking.
As is already well known, Pearl Mackie was cast as the Doctor’s next companion to increase racial diversity on Doctor Who. Pryor sees increasing representation on the show as “the right thing to do” rather than something to do simply “for the sake of it.” He revealed that only non-white actors were auditioned for the role. He “wholeheartedly approved” of this method because “most actors in [the United Kingdom] are white.” And while he is concerned with casting “the best actors,” he also has to balance that desire with the goals of making the show “interesting,” “attractive to a diverse audience,” and “reflect the world we live in.”
"“Unless you are conscious about not always going in that direction you’re going to end up with the same cast all the time. And that’s not OK.”"
With that in mind, there is nothing inherently wrong with having certain character traits in mind when casting a role, and simply casting the best actor who embodies those traits.
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In striving as a culture to be more representative of various demographics, it can be tricky to walk the fine line between good intentions and tokenism and pandering. In an article, Lynn Connolly of Unreality TV calls Doctor Who out on this. The concern is valid to an extent, but, as Pryor pointed out, if we do not make an effort, the diversity is much less likely to happen. Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, made such an effort in the 1960s and it meant a great deal to many people. I specifically recall what Nichelle Nichols, Martin Luther King Jr., and Whoopi Goldberg had to say about the positive impact that NIchols’ character Lieutenant Uhura had on society.
Related Story: Influence on Whoopi Goldberg - Nichelle Nichols
The world may have come a long way since then, but we still have a long way to go in terms of equity.
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