Hardcore Whovians Recall All The Times The Doctor Has Been 'Woke' Since 2005
There have been many more than you think.
Summary:
- Doctor Who is the British sci-fi television series that has been on the air since 1963.
- This year, the show celebrated its 60th anniversary with the return of David Tennant, who portrayed the 10th Doctor.
- The first two of three anniversary specials were met with mixed reviews as the show tackled issues of trans rights and LGBTQ+ representation.
- Fans argue that the show has not become ‘woke’, but has always stood for the same values of equality.
If there's a topic that's been more discussed among conservative TV lovers than Doctor Who's 60th anniversary specials over the past week and a half, we haven't found it yet. With the timelines of every social media platform filled with complaints about the show going ‘woke’ for more reasons than one, it's hard to notice anything else.
The specials hit a combination of finding all the weak spots of the more conservative audience.
In two episodes, The Star Beast and Wild Blue Yonder, fan-favorite Donna Noble was saved by her non-binary daughter Rose, the alien was asked about her pronouns, the Doctor announced that he found a man hot, and worst of all, the production dared to cast an actor of color to portray a historical figure.
As you might imagine, fans had no problem with any of the above. In fact, to show that Doctor Who has never been anything but ‘woke’, fans decided to remember all the times the show celebrated diversity.
All The Times Doctor Who Was Welcoming And Diverse
Of course, one of the greatest and most special moments of series 1 of New Who was Captain Jack Harkness' kiss to the 9th Doctor, portrayed by Christopher Eccleston. Although the fandom doesn't like to remember John Barrowman without a special need, this is one of the moments they are proud to claim for him.
While you can argue about the nature of the relationship between the Doctor and the Master, it's hard to deny the chemistry between none other than David Tennant's 10th Doctor and John Simm's Master. And the script definitely did the fanbase no favors in that regard.
It wasn’t the only time that the Doctor made some remarks about their sexuality. The 10th Doctor made a suggestion to both Martha and Frank to kiss him once, and Matt Smith ’s 11th Doctor mentioned a flirt with the Founding Fathers of the United States. Not to speak of the 13th Doctor, who had a romantic storyline with another woman in a woman’s body.
It wasn’t only the Doctor who ensured the representation on screen throughout the seasons. It was secondary characters too. For example, Jenny Flint and Madame Vastra were quite obviously a couple that accompanied the 11th and Peter Capaldi ’s 12th Doctor in a few stories.
Whether one likes it or not, Doctor Who has never turned ‘woke’, but always has been this way. And if that doesn’t stop you from embarking on the new journey in the TARDIS, you can go ahead and tune in to Disney Plus on Saturday, December 9 for the final 60th special.