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  • It was one of the bosses of the American department stores who invented Santa Claus (Father Christmas) to sell presents to kids. I assume he was a man and chose a man as his "sales" guy.

    We can get into political correctness on another thread, but as it's the theme here, I find PC people very illiberal, always have. They only tolerate you if you accept their view of things. So, it's an acceptance of a PC agenda, but using a sledge hammer.

    But, as I said, I am looking forward to seeing, what, if anything, has changed with the new female Dr.

    Are you sure about that?

    I was under the impression that he comes from St Nicolas, Dutch settlers took the legend with them to the US, and that is an anglicised version of his Dutch nickname.

  • Doctor Who's first female Time Lord will be joined by three new companions, the BBC has announced.

    Jodie Whittaker, who takes over as the 13th Doctor next year, will be joined by new cast regulars Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill, as well as Sharon D Clarke in a returning role.

    Bradley Walsh as one of the new doctor's assistants!!

    That's got to be worth a watch for that alone.:)

  • Bradley Walsh as one of the new doctor's assistants!!

    That's got to be worth a watch for that alone.:)

    I disagree. I think the appointment of Bradley Walsh is confirmation that the BBC are shit scared that they have made a big mistake by recruiting a female to play a male role and that they employed Bradley Walsh to attract viewers. The danger is is that people will be thinking "Bradley looks like the Doctor, acts like the Doctor so should be the Doctor." The term "All New Doctor Who" is also enough to ensure I don't switch on. Doctor Who has lost me as a viewer.

    Of course, the BBC also need to save face. Had Doctor Who flopped because of Jodie, they would have looked stupid, but if Bradley brings viewers in, then the BBC will say, triumphantly, that the female Doctor is a great success. This is one clever confidence trick.

  • Apart from a few episodes here and there, I haven't seen Dr Who since it came back onto our screens several years ago and what I did see, I wasn't keen on. But the new lady doctor has piped my interest and I like Bradley, so shall tune in for the first few new episodes and see how it goes.

  • Apart from a few episodes here and there, I haven't seen Dr Who since it came back onto our screens several years ago and what I did see, I wasn't keen on. But the new lady doctor has piped my interest and I like Bradley, so shall tune in for the first few new episodes and see how it goes.

    I'm a fan of Doctor Who since Jon Pertwee and as such I regarded the geeky, eccentric mainly unattractive (until Tennant) male hero as my role model. When you grow up with a dad who takes pleasure in humiliating you and setting the dog on you for laughs, I needed someone I could relate to. In those days it was not even considered that the Doctor could be a woman. I physically grieved the loss of my role model on 16th July this year. I can not put into words how angry I felt that they had stolen this brilliant, amazing yet totally bonkers ordinary bloke with a time machine and a sharp mind. In my view this is the worst most offensive publicity stunt ever carried out to such an iconic character and show. Doctor Who has, in my mind, finished. It finished with Peter Capaldi dying in the series finale this year.

  • Is it that the character is now played by a woman, that you dislike wizzy? Well, basically you've pretty much said that, so fair enough. I'm going to give her a chance, though.

    Sorry to hear about your upbringing. If you want to create a thread and talk about, go ahead. My mum was strict, but nowhere near to the extent of your experiences which seem to be sadistic in nature.

  • Is it that the character is now played by a woman, that you dislike wizzy? Well, basically you've pretty much said that, so fair enough. I'm going to give her a chance, though.

    Sorry to hear about your upbringing. If you want to create a thread and talk about, go ahead. My mum was strict, but nowhere near to the extent of your experiences which seem to be sadistic in nature.

    Yes. It is absolutely that I dislike the fact the character is now played by a woman. There are lots of liberal people saying "About time" but why is it about time? There are a lot of people saying "why not" but never ask "why?" The Doctor has been male for 54 years. He is married to a woman and has a granddaughter so clearly has children too. Yet only since "The Doctors Wife" has it been assumed that Timelords can whimsically change sex. There have always been Lords and Ladies in Doctor Who canon and as such, the character of the Doctor is sacred to me and the shows mythology. In fact in "Night of the Doctor" when the Doctor would have died forever had the Sisters of Kahn not given the Doctor the chance of regeneration through a magic potion, he refused to take a potion that enabled him to become a woman, instead choosing the "War Doctor" to turn into. I think it is sexist that writers are incapable of creating strong roles for women without casting them in roles traditionally played by men or making them bitches and strong minded bosses. When do you ever see a normal woman played normally by a normal woman on telly? Why could they not come up with an equal for the Doctor who happened to be female? She could outsmart him, she could also guide him too. But then he would be able to outsmart her, to guide her as well. That's true equality. We are going way too far into the world of surrealism, where the Two Ronnies "Worm That Turned" sketch is starting to become an inadvertent reality.

    Another point to consider, many young boys regard the Doctor as their role model. In a world where boys are being brought up by single mums (mostly brilliantly), taught by female teachers and even possibly have girls in their scout group, who the hell do they get male guidance from? If television is their only means of escape from a world without male voices and even their male role models are being removed from them, what else do they have left?

  • It's one of the reasons that I like Game of Thrones as it has strong female characters who are their own characters in their own right, not extensions of male characters.

    Absolutely. I like shows that just cast women in roles created for women and men in roles created for men. I think both sexes have so much to offer in terms of differences and talent and as such we should be celebrating those differences, not merging them into one non-descript gender.

    Can you imagine the outcry if Call The Midwife decided to ditch the female lead roles and turn the nuns into monks and the midwives into male gynecologists? Or if Wonder Woman became Wonder Man? Way too much effort is put into trying to appease to the minorities in order to be diverse and to not to offend, that it has got to the point where people are being offended by things that are totally avoidable. One of the reasons I liked Merlin was because it treated its male and female characters on an equal footing. Sure, the story centred around a young Merlin, but it was often told through the eyes of Guinevere who had such a pivotal role in the series, it would not have worked without her. I also only noticed she was mixed race when it was pointed out to me, so in that respect I think it was superb casting, and demonstrates that people by and large do not have any care as to whether an actor is black or white, male or female, because we have adapted and embraced our diversity.

    What is happening now is degrading to women and ethnic minorities. Forcing diversity causes unease and potential animosity and shows also a lack of creativity from modern screenwriters. You pointed out Game of Thrones as an example where strong female characters are their own and as such the women shine in those roles. We are at the point now where, supposing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman quit Strictly, there would be outrage if they were replaced by men.

    I don't have any ill feeling towards Jodie Whittaker. It isn't her fault. I blame Chris Chibnell and the PC gone mad BBC. They have recruited a bloke in a wheelchair as a Countryfile presenter. I'm sure he is a nice bloke and capable of doing many things, but I find his presenting skills terrible. There is a black guy as a continuity announcer on BBC1. Again, I'm sure he is very talented, but he's awful as a continuity announcer. He says free instead of three. Friller instead of thriller and so on. You wouldn't employ a blind man as a sole worker in a petrol station who has to authorise the pumps for use. So, why just employ people because they "tick boxes"?

    Sorry, I am ranting, but I hope my point is made clearer by my explanation.

  • I've only seen Bradley Walsh on The Chase... Is he an actor as well? Or am I thinking of someone else?

  • Yet more PC box ticking from aunty, a woman Doctor, a black companion , an Asian companion , does Bradley Walsh realise that as a white man he will have to be gay ?

    This gets worse every update in my opinion.

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