I don’t have anything against this guy, I’m sure he’s a great actor, but I don’t think it would ever be right for the Doctor to be anything other than white.

It’s who he is, even regenerating ten times hasn’t been able to change the fact he’s been white each and every time.

I think casting a black Doctor or a female Doctor would be……..how can I say this properly……..sort of like a deliberate and obvious over-compensation for the sake of Political Correctness.

There were Time Ladies, there have been Time Lords shown that were black, but the Doctor is male and white, that’s who he is.

I don’t know who he is, not having watched Hustle. As for your points, JC, I sort of disagree. The Doctor was originally an old man – that didn’t stop him regenerating into a young man. We’ve got it in canon that regeneration can change skin colour (Mels/River) and gender (the Corsair).

That said, I don’t think a female Doctor would be accepted as well as a male Doctor, no matter how good an actress portrayed the role. I’m not sure if that’s sad or not, that I don’t think society is ready for it. It is if I argue the point that it’s purely because we expect a male in the role as the hero, but it isn’t if I argue, as JC did, that it’s simply the weight of the show’s history skewing our perceptions of the character to fit him into a box.

A black Doctor, though, I think would work perfectly well so long as the actor was good, just as with a white Doctor, because it doesn’t involve a re-evaluation of the power dynamics in the TARDIS. Sadly, a female Doctor would require that. Equally, the continual ‘love’ stories with the Doctor wouldn’t work with a female Doctor in compliance with contemporary portrayals of female emotion.

Do you get what I mean?

I hate to agree because as a Black woman I do believe such a role would be an outstanding opportunity for a Black actor. But that being said, I’m not sure Doctor Who is the role to interject political correctness with.

It’s the same reason I wouldn’t want to see a Black James Bond. These two characters are established as white men and I do not believe there is anything wrong with that.

If the politicians truly care about such things, then let them rally for more diversity with the companions and the other supporting actors. Or better yet, put on more shows where there are minority lead roles! Don’t mess with Doctor Who strictly to make a point.

No offense but we’re barely holding on as it is!

I’m glad my comments weren’t taken offensively Grace, I tried to take great care in making sure they weren’t.

The only thing I’d say about River Song changing her skin colour from white to black and then back again, and the Corsair changing from male to female is that these are both Series 6/Moffat ideas after both possibilities were discussed when the 10th Doctor regenerated.

I think any change to the Doctor’s gender or skin colour would be because of Political Correctness. As I say, River Song changing her skin colour didn’t phase me and although a little rediculous, the idea of a Time Lord becoming a Time Lady was feasible due to the immense changes that take place during regeneration.

To be honest though, I don’t believe who The Doctor is has to be a mattter of being Politically Correct.

It’s like Grace said, The Doctor has always been a white man, as has James Bond. The characters aren’t white men to be offensive, it’s just who they are.

The Doctor has changed age throughout the show, you’re quite right TSG, but I look at it this way.

For the Doctor, regeneration has been violently explosive, (10th Doctor), has gone wrong to the point it nearly failed (4th to 5th Doctor) and has been forced on him by the Time Lords (2nd to 3rd Doctor), yet even in those extreme forms, the Doctor has remained a white man.

For me, it has been a part of his identity for nearly 50 years and to change that would be to fundamentally change the character and not for the better.

Sorry for the second post, but it could even be possible that the effect of regeneration is genetically different in different Time Lords.

Some may change sex, others may change skin colour, others may change both or even just change age as the Doctor does.

It’s always been about who’s the best actor for the role. in recent years Colin Salmon (Dr Moon in “Silence in the Library”) and Patterson Joseph (he plays The Weakest Link with Rose in “Bad Wolf”) have apparently been considered and both are fine actors – to condemn the casting of either actor as purely “politically-correct” would be to denigrate their skills – as though the production team wanted a black actor rather than the best actor who happens to be black. What is important is that the character retains that sense of “British” eccentricity.

However there is no denying that having a back lead actor would make a few changes to the show – especially historical stories. We saw how Martha was treated in 1913 in “Family of Blood” even though she’s really a highly educated student doctor. Imagine what could happen to a black Doctor if he landed in Alabama during the American Civil War or even the 1960s. And how would the Doctor deal with the attitudes of others towards him, given that he wasn’t born black and hasn’t grown up with certain issues (ok so he’s an alien, but he’s still used to fitting in at English stately homes – the country houses of “Black Orchid” and “The Unicorn and the Wasp” may not be quite so welcoming or as easily fooled by a disguise if he returned…

@JC

And in the case of Omega….he changed from matter to antimatter!

I have to point out that the next Doctor, after Matt Smith, will be the 12th Doctor, not the 11th. Matt Smith is the 11th Doctor… I think it would be interesting to see a black Doctor, personally. :)

the only three black guys i want to play the doctor are , will smith , eddie murphey or lenny henry :D

@skarzman
I’ve been a fan of Dr Who for 35 years now but I would “consider my position” if any of those were given the lead role ! Not because they’re black but simply because they are not suitable for the role.

For what its worth on this subject, I think Adrian Lester would make a great Dr and I would be happy to see him in the role if it turns out that way. Yes its a break with tradition but like so many things in life, Dr Who has to adapt to remain relevant and this is one way for the show to do that.

With regards to continuity, thats being re-written all the time so why not in the lead role as well ?

@JC

Watch Hustle. he plays mickey bricks and is AMAZING! theres a new series on right now. fridays bbc1 9pm. i wouldn’t mind him as the doctor. ive always thought it matters very little what the doctor looks like as long as he still feels like the same old timelord. (And has a british accent because its such a british show i don’t think it would fit right being a different one)

@Grace

i think if he played the role very well he should be givin the oppertunety to play the role of the doctor in the futre after matt smith it would also open up a new era of the show we watch and love so much because the doctors allways been white skined and it would be good to see the doctor in a futre generation as a coloured skined person ive no problems with this whatsoever as long as he is the rite person for the role part

He’s a great actor, and in my opinion would. be a great doctor who. If you can belive all of the impossible things about, but can’t believe he could be a black man, to me that sounds silly. It’s time for the best actor for the roll gets it, if they look different but are great- more power to um. Agreed that it shouldn’t be for political correctness, but because he deserves the part. That being said I’ll watch regardless cause I’m an addict: )

“Political correctness”, whatever *that* is, is a human construct. And The Doctor is as far above us humans as we puny humans are above a grain of sand.
Whatever Gallifreyans look like is what The Doctor can look like. And since Gallifrey doesn’t really exist, then The Doctor can look like ANY human being and is only limited by the bigotries and prejudices of the writers of the show.
If one thinks that The Doctor can’t be Black , then that peron is demonstrating one of the very things that frustrates The Doctor about us: Our refusal…or lack of ability to…understand how much bigger the Universe is to be bothered with such meaningless superficiality.
The Doctor doesn’t look like what people would expect him to. Neither does the TARDIS.
If you actually think that the Doctot should only be White, that’s in you and maybe you’re not as open minded as you think you are. Your mind is tiny and limited and enclosed in a little box that, unfortunately is tiny on the outside, and on the inside…much much smaller.
It’s not about race. To the Doctor, we’re all HUMAN.
On the Short List of Requirements to play The Doctor, I believe Acting Talent and Charm and That Certain Something are listed. (To that end, Lester would make a fantastic Doctor. And so would Alex Kingston!!)
In other words “The Doctor can’t be Black because there’s never been a Black Doctor” is a blazingly stupid reason that is so mind-boggling in its close-minded moronity that anyone who would even say it…let alone *think* it, should be mortified for doing so.

@ Cleo

I tend to agree with you. I think apart from its human appearance, there’s no rules about what the Doctor should be. No Black/Asian/Female Doctor so far… so what ? Why not ? That being said, if the showrunner decides to change the Doctor’s gender and/or skin color, it should be a creative decision, and not be about political correctness. We don’t need a Black Doctor or a Female Doctor. But if it happens, I think we should at least give such a Doctor a chance.
I, for one, would totally see a woman playing the Doctor, and Cleo, even in my wildest dreams wouldn’t I dare imagining the magnificent Alex Kingston as the Doctor ! It would be a dream for me but a real nightmare for legions of fans !

You mentioned the TARDIS : could you imagine Doctor Who with a different TARDIS ? The show is all about changes and evolution, but there’s got to be “fixed points” in my opinion, things that remains as they always were.

Finally, I understand people who find it difficult to accept a Black/Female/whatever Doctor. Some of them have watched the show since the very beginning. They’ve got plenty of time to accept the body changes, but gender/skin color, it’s another step. The Statue of Liberty has been green for its whole existence, now imagine they decide to paint it red ! I know I would need time to grow accustomed to it but I wouldn’t feel like an idiot or a moron… what about you ?

Yeah, I thought this would happen. Being called racist, sexist and closed/small minded for wanting the Doctor to stay male and white.

I won’t be coming back to this conversation, you’re welcome to it.

It’s quite a debate! The question is, should you change history to suit Political Correctness? If you remade Star Trek, should Kirk be black? If you remade Charlie’s Angels, should they all be men? If they made the life story of Shakespeare, should they cast a black woman as Elizabeth? Was the BBC right to cast a black actor as Friar Tuck? 13 actors, not including film and stage, have played the Doctor, rightly or wrongly, all male. With such an established history, would it be right to suddenly change the character?

Here’s another step for you. How about black American actress Khandi Alexander as the Doctor? She would be absolutely AMAZING! (She was in CSI Miami, ER and NewsRadio proving both a great dramatic and comedic actress.)

I would also like to see Idris Elba as the Doctor. I think he would be off the wall fantastic.

I’m afraid I’m not familiar with Adrian Lester.

Prof I’d watch Idris do anything!!! And I still don’t think he should be the doctor just because he’s Black!

Okay, like JC I’m done with this after this one. I do like the role as its cast now and I believe the majority of the fan base does too! Personally if the Doctor were green or purple (something they should consider so he could be above puny human differences!) because its the Doctor!

But not every fan is going to see this the same way and I’m afraid of what will happen to the franchise!

If you think people have matured enough to accept a Black actor in the role it’s only because you’re not Black and you have no idea the amount of discrimination that we still face today. I’m sorry people, just because we have a Black U.S. President doesn’t mean we have come that far.

I would have no problem with the character being black at some point, unless the black actor chosen was rubbish, of course. Basically, as long as he’s male, I’m fine with it, and I’m sure the vast, vast majoirity of the viewing public would be too.