Despite rumors that have circulated for decades about a doctor going on in Doctor Whothe BBC avoided this until Jodie Whittaker's run as the Thirteenth Doctor. As the first female doctor, Whittaker was failed by showrunner Chris Chibnall, whose controversial “Timeless Child” plot changed drastically. Doctor Who canon. Still, as the first woman to play the Doctor, Whittaker herself was praised for her fun, fresh take on the Doctor, her warm, vivacious personality bubbling over as one of the most powerful female TV characters of the decade. So to say that a doctor's first race was a mixed bag would be correct.
That doesn't mean Doctor Who it didn't come close to female regeneration - it did, sometimes. But it never came to fruition, for various reasons, although undoubtedly the real reason was never publicly disclosed. For a program as long-lasting as Doctor WhoIt's been difficult to understand the reasoning behind why she follows tradition in some areas and deviates radically in others. Unfortunately, one of these ways Doctor Who Stuck in tradition was the Doctor's genre, which lasted a long time - though not for lack of trying by some people behind the scenes.
Tom Baker wanted a doctor since 1980
The British tabloids followed this
Although the British tabloid press often speculated about who would be chosen as the next Doctor (usually without any evidence), Rumors of a female doctor didn't gain traction until 1980. That's when Fourth Doctor actor Tom Baker announced he was leaving the show and sparked speculation. Speaking about his upcoming departure and why, he explained that three seasons were enough and said: “It's time to let another man - or woman - try. After all, there's no reason why Dr. Who should always be a man." The British press agreed with this, with Daily Express displaying the headline "And Now for Miss Who?" in its October 25, 1980 edition. (via Bleeding Cool)
It was after a different run by Baker that Doctor Who came closest to a female doctor before Whittaker, however. Colin Baker played the sixth incarnation of the Doctor and when he left Doctor Who co-creator Sydney Newman was the one who suggested a woman. Newman's idea was to have Second Doctor actor Patrick Troughton return for a single season before regenerating into a female incarnation. The show even considered three actresses for the role: Frances de la Tour, Joanna Lumley and Dawn French.
The BBC avoided a doctor for several reasons
The explanations given were never added up
However, the idea was scuppered after Newman clashed with BBC head of drama Jonathan Powell, and the meeting went so badly that the plans were cancelled. Instead, Sylvester McCoy was cast as the next incarnation of the Doctor. Three years later, the first race of Doctor Who was canceled due to falling ratings and the program became stale, a sign that Newman was right to want to shake up the long-running program.
It is necessary to approach this explanation with a little suspicion, since the right person, somehow, has never been a woman in almost 50 years.
Still, there was a lot of time between then and Jodie Whittaker's rush to cast a doctor. When the show was revived in 2005, once again, a woman came close to being cast as the new Doctor. This time, was Dame Judi Denchbut ultimately the role of the Ninth Doctor went to Christopher Eccleston. Later, when asked why he also never cast a woman to play the Doctor, then-Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat awkwardly stated: "I didn't do no I choose a woman, I choose a man. I didn't do [cast a woman] because I wanted to cast Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi. I didn't think it was a terrible idea, I just thought, 'I want to cast these people' – that was it." (through BBC Radio 4)
On paper, the tired"right person for the job"Excuses were always given as a reason for never having cast a woman like the Doctor before Jodie Whittaker. In reality, one has to look a little askance at this explanation when the "right person"somehow I've never been a woman in almost 50 years. It's a shame that when Doctor Who finally had the courage to cast a woman in the role of the Doctor, his career was undoubtedly tarnished and damaged by showrunner Chris Chibnall's extremely divisive and widely disliked time as host. Maybe it's time Doctor Who finally hires a female showrunner too.
Source: Bleeding Cool, BBC Radio 4