Surprisingly, it was exit Ncuti Gatwa from the 41st season finalé of Doctor Who on Saturday night, and Billie Piper’s face appeared as an unnamed character—possibly as her earlier role of Rose Tyler in a yet-to-be-announced, and indeed, yet-to-be-commissioned, future episode of the long-running science-fiction series.
It was a remarkably short run for Gatwa, who I rate as one of the best actors to have played the role of the Doctor, the time-travelling alien from Gallifrey.
Like most fandom, everyone has their favourite actor to inhabit the role, but Gatwa was the first queer immigrant to play the Doctor, and of the full-time leads, the first Black actor.
After watching the show since the 1970s, I felt more of an affinity with a British person of colour and immigrant playing the role than with any of Gatwa’s predecessors. This is coming from a fan of Jon Pertwee, who was my introduction to the show, in repeats during the Tom Baker era.
Gatwa spoke of watching David Tennant in the role when he was growing up, but what Gatwa himself has done is open things up, so we can view the Doctor as many things. He doesn’t have to be white male with a southern English accent, as he was for the original run of the series from 1963 to 1989. He is, after all, a centuries-old shape-shifting alien, so there shouldn’t be limits—perhaps other than humanoid—that the Doctor can take. When a regular series returned in 2005, he had a northern accent. Why not?
Tom Baker, the fourth actor to take on the role from 1974 to 1981, wished his successor well, whomever ‘he or she’ might be, leading to speculation that a woman could take the role then. It took till 2017 before Jodie Whittaker became the first female lead Doctor, leading to outrage on social media by a narrow band of people, some of whom probably hadn’t even watched the show. It had been hinted at over 35 years before, but despite that, some weren’t ready.
But Whittaker delighted many fans, as she rightly should. This was not about woke. This was about exploring a character through different lenses, which happens every time a new actor takes on the role. Gatwa confronted race head-on in many of his episodes (‘Dot and Bubble’ remains a favourite of mine through his all-too-brief tenure), so a viewer like me found new connections to Doctor Who, and a greater level of enjoyment. I was being heard. I could recognize the story on screen. And if that “woke” some people up, then all the better. My experiences are no less valid than the next person’s. And Doctor Who finally recognized that and legitimized them. Realistically, there needs to be more in a world that is multicultural—and better for it.
I think Gatwa could have carried on. If the BBC–Disney deal had ended, as some speculate, then who better to provide continuity into a new era? And that may yet happen, as the official statements read like PR-speak, no one has confirmed that Piper has actually succeeded him (not even in the credits), and the plot twist has Whovians wondering what showrunner and lead writer Russell T. Davies has next up his sleeve. I wish Gatwa the best as he is a deep, talented actor, and look forward to the next instalment of Doctor Who, which must still be years away. I realize the odds are slim, but I’d love to see him back, and not just in cameos.
Jack Yan is founder and publisher of Lucire.
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