Jodie Whittaker’s Win as Best ‘Doctor Who’ of All Time Sparks Fan Fallout
Exterminate! Exterminate!
The winner of TV Insider’s reader poll asking Who’s your favorite Doctor Who? has sparked a huge debate among the show’s passionate fans, with many up in arms that Jodie Whittaker came out on top after more than 6,000 votes were cast.
Over the course of the show’s 58-year history, 13 have played the Time Lord and Whittaker is the first female in the role. She’s had a polarizing effect on some of the show’s ardent followers, one reflected in the show’s declining ratings, so naturally some of you were unhappy she won the title. Negative comments ranged from the choice being a “joke,” to rumblings that Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall — who worked with Whittaker on Broadchurch — had somehow fixed the results. Of course, there were readers thrilled with the result, with one simply saying “Y’all are stupid, she’s a great Doctor.”
To sort this all out, we turned to a seasoned Doctor Who expert to hear what he has to say about the matter. His spin on the win should make every fan happy, as he says it shows the sci-fi series’ enduring appeal.
“It’s probably quite right that the current Doctor always seems to do quite well in these sorts of polls, as it shows that people are still loving the series,” says Tom Spilsbury, who spent 10 years editing Doctor Who Magazine.
Plus, he says, “Jodie has a natural warmth, so I am not surprised she’s gathered a following.”
However, he can’t help but add a big caveat: Whittaker’s Doctor, he says, “seems to be portrayed as weak, hesitant and incapable, which is a very strange way to write the first female Doctor.”
As for the next Doctor, Spilsbury says expect a woman again. He said he has no insider information, but is going with his gut.
Doctor Who, Season 13 Premiere, 2021, BBC America
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There were only 6000 votes. That's hardly representative. Honestly, jodi is fine. Chibnal's story (he's running it, so it's all his, written by him and not) is the problem. It's weak. The cast has done what it can with garbage.
That said, my votes would be for Tennent, Tom Baker, and Pertwee in that order. Jodi would maybe just make my top 10 due to her story, which is lore breaking (she's not a Timelord now? Thumbs down) and even worse than Moffat's laziness with most of Capaldi's run.
We need anothet new showrunner. Hopefully Chibnal leaves soon as well.
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You can up up with as many ridiculous excuses as you want to explain this ridiculous poll. But what you can't explain away is the fact that the ratings have nose dived. People have stopped watching which is obviously the only "poll" that reflects the reality of the situation. Tennet averaged three times the viewers but somehow the actor who has overseen the ratings death of the franchise is the most popular?? Give me a break.
If the BBC weren't publicly funded this show wouldn't even be getting a thirteen season...
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"But what you can't explain away is the fact that the ratings have nose dived. People have stopped watching" --
Erm, no, not particularly. The latest special just hit the Top 10 for the week, with at least 6.4m viewers. Basically, the extra viewers who turned in when the woman Doctor was big news have tuned out again, but that pretty much leaves the ratings where they were in Capaldi's time (his last two seasons kicked off with 6.5m and 6.7m).
"Tennet averaged three times the viewers"-- again, nope. Tennant averaged 7.5-8.0m, Whittaker's last run about 5.3m... at a time when TV ratings are down across the board, thanks to everything from Netflix to 28-day iPlayer. 5.3m is basically the guaranteed-renewal zone these days, even for non-publicly-funded broadcasters... even before you get into the detail that that Top 10 placement means that Doctor Who just beat practically *everything* across every commercial network for the whole week. (Only a couple of episodes of "Coronation Street" and "The Masked Singer" did any better, and Who is likely to outrate them on 28-day.)
Them's the facts. Doctor Who's not as big as it was; it's still comfortably big.
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Ruth, River, and Missy were all better female Doctors than 13 has ever been, and one of them is part of a retcon that destroyed the show, while the other two weren't event the Doctor at all! I'm glad someone is noticing how weak and un-Doctor-ish (in so many ways) 13 has consistently been.
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WTF? The best? The first from the last you mean?
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To those defending Jodie's performance and blaming the writing, no. The writing, as pointed out in the article, has certainly made a lot of weird choices for the first female Doctor, and is not doing her many favors, but her acting, too, is just not up to par at all. While the writing can be blamed for her apparent lack in intelligence, assertiveness, initiative, and hauntedness compared to previous Doctors, as well as seeming to have contradictory values, her performance - also unlike every single Doctor before her - is usually very deliberate and slow and seems like she hasn't seen much, and that is all on her. She admitted herself that she didn't even watch the show to prepare for the role, and it unfortunately shows. I didn't actually believe her as the Doctor at ALL till the end of series 12 ...at which point the show was unfortunately already ruined, anyway, thanks to The Timeless Children. Most of the episodes under Chibnall haven't been bad, some have even been quite good, but 13 has consistently been bad until recently (which again is too late since the show is now ruined).
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She may be a good doctor... But she is never even "the best incarnation of the doctor" sorry... This results must be fake... There are incarnations like Tom Baker, David Tennant and Peter Capaldi who would rather be honored with that title
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I hate how articles keep making it seem like fans are tuning out because they're upset about a female doctor, that's some sexist projection nonsense if I've ever seen it. Ratings are nose diving because Chibnall can't write a script to save his life. The episodes have been gag inducing. And to her credit I think Whitaker is actually doing an incredible job with the awful scripts she's being given. I hope the BBC replaces Chibnall so we can see what Jodie could do with some proper scripts!
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LOL, this poll is a joke, it HAS to be a joke, JW is the WORST dostor of all time, and CC is the rot at the heart of the problem. If she is so great, why have the ratings taken a nose dive?
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See comment above -- they've "nosedived" back to basically where they were in Capaldi's time, now that the woman Doctor isn't news any more. The latest special still hit the Top 10 for the week.
Doctor Who's not as big as it was, but it's still a solid success...
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I think she was one of the worst. After Peter Capaldi left, the show has been anything but interesting for me. It is primarily the plot, but definitely the cast did not help either.
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She's not even a good Doctor. She's a bloody terrible Doctor!
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The 13th Dr. was total crap!
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Those who decided to not look the show did not vote. Most of the SJW and feminists keep watching and more of them started to watch it. That is she comes first.
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Thanks white knight.
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She came second in the huge Radio Times poll. Jodie is obviously a hugely popular Doctor, far more than Peter Capaldi, let's be honest. Weak? Fallible? Tom Spilsbury is awful. She's not the all-knowing lonely God we've been harassed with over the last decade of white men in the role. I think she's far more interesting as a result. With Revolution being a ratings hit here in The UK, saving The BBC on New Year's Day, we'll have more Doctor Who for years to come. Success!
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While Jodie has made her mark brilliantly on Dr who the best Dr has to be David Tennent, I'm 52 and have very found memories of Dr who, but it does not matter who takes up the role they all make their mark on it and on the fans as long the show keeps going
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