Showing support for a new Doctor is certainly not a bad thing. However, doing so while dismissing any of the great actors who came before in Doctor Who arguably is.
Ahead of its broadcast date, today marks the red-carpet premiere of The Woman Who Fell to Earth, the first episode of Doctor Who’s eleventh series. Understandably, this is a pretty huge occasion, one that’s getting a great deal of press coverage.
This is particularly true of the BBC. There’s a huge amount of press coverage from their news website, from various reporters. Looking at it all, it sounds like quite the exciting event.
However, one quote stuck out to me. Sadly, for all the wrong reasons. At first, the writer is keen to praise Whittaker.
"Whittaker can do drama, as we’ve seen from Broadchurch and Trust Me. Her interviews have shown that she has a quirky side that all Doctors seem to require. And the trailer suggests she’ll have no trouble in whisking us on an adventure."
That’s a perfect way of showing your praise for Whittaker and being fully supportive of the new Doctor. However, that praise was sadly followed by this statement.
"And what a great way to refresh a franchise, especially after four years of Peter Capaldi, who certainly wasn’t universally loved."
Ouch. Was that really necessary? Aside from being hugely debatable at best, and just completely untrue at worst, frankly, it has no relevance when it comes to praising the current Doctor. By all means, show your support for the current Doctor. But is it really necessary to condemn a previous actor in the role?
Respect what came before
Obviously, not every Doctor is going to appeal to everyone. And Moffat’s run on the show was arguably divisive. But Capaldi’s Doctor was certainly popular, and helped to make even the weakest script work. No matter what you think of his stories, he was far from the worst aspect about them, and kept fans watching.
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More importantly, dismissing what came before to support the new era is going to alienate the existing fan base far, far more than a casting choice. It’s important for Doctor Who to refresh itself and change with the times, this much is true.
But the history of the show is so important, and it’s lasted this long for many, many reasons. Dismissing that history is just a sure way of putting off old fans without drawing in any new ones.
This wouldn’t be problematic if this statement had come from something as simple as another Doctor Who fan website, or even a general review site. Everyone has different views on the show, and that’s one of the reasons why it’s so brilliant.
But this quote has come from an official BBC News page. That might not be quite representing the BBC itself, but it’s certainly close. And that sort of opinion has more weight than your average one.
By all means, BBC, promote Whittaker’s Doctor. Make her new and exciting and refreshing as much as possible. But don’t dismiss an actor who was more than just a great Doctor in his own right.
Capaldi is also a man who supported the show outside of just making it, surprised fans at random occasions, and has nothing but love for the show, long before he even joined it. If you continue to dismiss what came before, just to make the current era look better, you could lose far more of the fan base than just those who oppose the casting choice.
Do you agree that the quote was an unfair remark? What are your opinions on it? Was Capaldi one of your favorite Doctors? Let us know in the comments below.