Ever since the BBC announced Jodie Whittaker would be taking the Whoniverse by storm as the 13th Doctor in the popular Doctor Who series, she's become the person at the center of a debate about whether or not the Time Lord should be female. In this world of mixed opinions, many people seem happy or at least intrigued by the change in direction, but there has also been a vocal faction of people who have been skeptical about the major change. Speaking at San Diego Comic-Con, Torchwood star and Doctor Who alum John Barrowman has some comments for the naysayers, noting he feels we should give Whittaker a chance. During his Comic-Con panel, Barrowman said:
You know what? People said that on Torchwood when Ianto died. And people still watched. Because they wanted to see where the journey was going. And that's the thing about Doctor Who. We fall in love with the characters as we step onto the Tardis with them. The Tardis is what takes us on that journey with the Doctor who is a Time Lord. It doesn't matter when we step in and find out who he's regenerated into, then we get to know him and we have a little criticism. But then we fall in love. And this time it's not going to be getting to know a him, we're getting to know her and she is going to take is on some incredible journeys.
John Barrowman himself has not been quiet about his excitement for Doctor Who changing up the show in such a visceral way. The actor is known for cosplay at Comic-Con, and last year he even wore a Tardis dress to commemorate the announcement that Jodie Whittaker would be taking over. This weekend he also talked a little bit more about Doctor Who's canon and how the decision makes sense for the BBC show.
So, I think it's great, I think the thing with the Doctor [and the] Who-niverse, Whovians, it's not specified within the Galliframe text (SP) that the Doctor has to be generated to a male. It's not specified. The only reason he did regenerate into his male form over the course of the first fifty-odd years was because the Doctor Who brand was run by a bunch of men, right? There was one female producer, but it was a bunch of men making those decisions.
We recently got our first look at Jodie Whittaker's new look as the 13th Doctor in the universe. The trailer is finally out and we've also been told to expect something very different from the new season. John Barrowman also said he was able to get up and close with Jodie Whittaker's funky new costume for the season, and was maybe a little bit jealous of her new look.
Also the gentleman who makes all my outfits also makes all of my suits in the UK. And when I went in to have a couple of linen suits made for this summer when I was over in London. I walked in and I looked over and he even had her outfit hanging on the wall. And I was like, 'You did that deliberately, didn't you.' He went, 'Yeah, look at it.' I said, 'Look at it, I want to put it on.' Of course I didn't, but it was beautiful.
The new Doctor will make her official TV debut when the new season of Doctor Who hits the schedule later this year, and will air in the U.S. on BBC America simultaneously with the U.K. premiere.
