I remember sitting on a panel at a Doctor Who convention in 2013 when the question was asked: “How would you feel about the 13th Doctor being a woman?” At the time, I hadn’t given it much thought. I answered something to the effect of, “I’d prefer the Doctor to be a man. But, I would be fine with it if it happened.”
“What age should my son be before I show him to Doctor Who?” “My daughter is 6, she’s ready for Harry Potter, right?”
I’ve attended and participated in numerous “Introducing Kids to Fandom” & “Parenting Geeks” panels at conventions that have featured child psychologists, educators, religious figures, writers, and other stay-at-home parents. The one definitive thing I’ve learned is that everyone has an equally strong, but wildly varying opinion on these types of questions.
We heard it when Jodie Whittaker was announced as the Doctor. The first time we saw a photo of the new ethnically diverse companions Yasmin, Ryan, and Graham we heard it. When Segun Akinola, a black man, was recently named the new composer of Doctor Who we heard it. We heard the cries and tweets of people who identify as long time fans of Doctor Who degrading the show because it has become “too politically correct and too social justice warrior influenced.”
It is that time travel stories are often at their most memorable when the protagonists visit historical figures. With over 50 years of television, audio plays, & books, Doctor Who has featured such varied characters as Marco Polo, HG Wells, & Adolf Hitler.
Since its return in 2005, Doctor Who has also featured strong female historical characters. (Such as Elizabeth I, Agatha Christie, & Madame De Pompadour.) However, there are countless fascinating women throughout history who would be very interesting traveling partners for the Doctor on his adventures throughout time and space.
Here are three historical women who I’d love to see featured in Doctor Who. And the crazy fan ideas of how I’d like to see that play out . . .