Doctor Who is back for a new season, and already there are some viewers criticizing the show for being too 'woke' for its inclusive and progressive stories and production. With Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and newcomer Varada Sethu as companion Belinda Chandra, the new season marks the first time that the whole TARDIS crew has been comprised of non-white actors.
While the ethnicity of actors shouldn't be an issue, there's always going to be a number of people prepared to complain about anything and everything. Addressing the criticisms, showrunner Russell T. Davies explained that he pays them absolutely no attention.
"Someone always brings up matters of diversity. And there are online warriors accusing us of diversity and wokeness and involving messages and issues," Davies told BBC Radio 2. "And I have no time for this. I don't have a second to bear [it]. Because what you might call diversity, I just call an open door."
Davies also weighed in on his writing style, and whether he weaves themes of inclusivity into the show deliberately. "I don't even know if it's conscious. That's life, and I think it's the only way to write."
Doctor Who is a show about a time-traveling alien who has taken many forms over the course of their long life, and who interacts with people and creatures from all corners of the universe. He runs into a huge variety of characters, and this is far from the first time people have seen that and called the show 'woke.' Just a few weeks ago, Varada Sethu celebrated the fact that the show is being inclusive. “There’s been a couple ofDoctor Woke [references] or whatever, but I just think we’re doing the right thing if we’re getting comments like that,” she said. “Woke just means inclusive, progressive and that you care about people. And, as far as I know, the core of Doctor Who is kindness, love and doing the right thing.”
Doctor Who season 2 got off to a brilliant start with "The Robot Revolution." The season is all set up to be a good one. In tomorrow's new episode, "Lux," the Doctor will encounter a living cartoon character named Mr. Ring-A-Ding played by Alan Cumming. We're not sure yet whether to be charmed or terrified:
Doctor Who continues weekly on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ for international viewers. There are eight episodes to enjoy this season, so we're just getting started. The future of the show with Disney isn't 100% clear at the moment, and might depend on how many people tune in for this season.
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