London, July 16: The BBC has struck a major blow for gender equality by announcing that the next Time Lord, the hero of its long-running Doctor Who science fiction series, is to be a Time Lady.
The cult series has had 12 Time Lords since its launch in 1963, and it was known that the successor to actor Peter Capaldi, the outgoing Dr Who, was going to be announced today.
Various names were thrown into the mix but what no one saw coming was the 13th Dr Who being a woman. The actress chosen is 35-year-old Jodie Whittaker, well known in Britain for her roles in crime drama such as playing the mother of a murdered boy in Broadchurch.
"It feels incredible," Whittaker said today. She reassured fans the world over to "not be scared by my gender".
"It feels completely overwhelming - as a feminist, as a woman, as an actor, as a human, as someone who wants to continually push themselves and challenge themselves, and not be boxed in by what you're told you can and can't be," she said. "Because this is a really exciting time, and Doctor Who represents everything that's exciting about change. The fans have lived through so many changes, and this is only a new, different one, not a fearful one."
Whittaker admitted she had told "a lot of lies" to keep the announcement secret and had used the codename "Clooney" when discussing the role with her husband and agent.
Describing Whittaker as a "wonderful actress", Capaldi welcomed the sex change: "Anyone who has seen Jodie Whittaker's work will know that she is a wonderful actress of great individuality and charm. She has, above all, the huge heart to play this most special part. She's going to be a fantastic Doctor."
Generations of children the world over have grown up with Dr Who and its distinctive theme tune but the beginnings were inauspicious. Senior staff at the BBC thought the series would sink without trace, which is why no ambitious director initially wanted to touch the project.
Dr Who, an extraterrestrial being from the planet Gallifrey, fights for good against evil as he travels through time and space in the Tardis, a space ship that resembles an old-fashioned blue British police box.
A young Indian boy, fresh out of Cambridge, Waris Hussein, was told to direct the pilot, which he did, and half-a-dozen others. Waris told The Telegraph: "She will be one step away from Wonder Woman in the ranks of female heroes."
The Daleks, whose catchphrase was "Exterminate!", were made from metal dustbins but turned out to be an iconic enemy.
The show's new producer, Chris Chibnall, revealed: "I always knew I wanted the 13th Doctor to be a woman and we're thrilled to have secured our number one choice."
He said that Whittaker's "audition for the Doctor simply blew us all away".
Chibnall added: "Jodie is a funny, inspiring, super-smart force of nature and will bring loads of wit, strength and warmth to the role. The 13th Doctor is on her way."
The trailer released today shows a hooded figure walking through woods, with birdsong and breath the only sounds heard. Viewers then see Whittaker take off her hood, smile and walk towards the Tardis.
The BBC's casting has great symbolic value. People will wonder whatever next? There has been speculation, for example, about the next James Bond, though Daniel Craig has apparently agreed to play 007 one more time. But perhaps the stage has now been set for a black Jane Bond with a licence to kill and thrill.
The first Dr Who, from 1963 to 1966, was William Hartnell. Since then, 11 other actors have played the role: Patrick Troughton (1966-69), Jon Pertwee (1970-74), Tom Baker (1974-81), Peter Davison (1982-84), Colin Baker (1984-86), Sylvester McCoy (1987-89), Paul McGann (1996), Christopher Eccleston (2005), David Tennant (2005-2010), Matt Smith (2010-2013) and Peter Capaldi (2013-2017).
