Colin Baker, the former Sixth Doctor from the classic series of Doctor Who, has weighed in on who he thinks should play the next incarnation of the Time Lord. Doctor Who’s titular character has been through 13 (and sometimes more) different faces so far, from William Hartnell in 1963 all the way to Jodie Whittaker, the first female Doctor, in the present day. So far, all actors who have played the Doctor throughout the show's long legacy have been white.
Colin Baker played The Doctor from 1984 to 1987, an era which often faced mixed reviews from fans. Baker’s sixth incarnation of the titular Doctor Who character, despite his absurdly colourful costume, was often quite sharp and smug. Many fans never warmed to him, as he followed the vibrant, youthful Peter Davison and preceded the wacky, mad-cap antics of Sylvester McCoy. However, Baker has gone on to reunite with the show, currently appearing through the Big Finish audio dramas. In 2017, Jodie Whittaker was announced as the first female Doctor and, following three seasons under a brand new showrunner, it was recently announced that her run as the Time Lord is coming to an end.
In an interview with Digital Spy, Baker discussed Whittaker’s role as The Doctor while talking about his current audio drama projects. Though not being entirely up-to-date on the series, the actor says he is a big fan of Whittaker's debut as the friendly and joyous Gallifreyan Time Lord. When asked who he thinks should succeed the milestone actress in the role, Baker revealed his own expectations, believing that a BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) actor is likely. Adding to this, he voiced his support for a non-white Doctor, but said he would like the role to continue being female for the time being. Read Baker's comments below:
"I suspect that the trend is going to take us down the BAME route – and quite right, too! … There's a whole sector of the acting community that's been ill-served for decades. It'll certainly, I suspect, not be a white middle-aged man; I would like to think it will be another female Doctor, because I enjoyed watching [Jodie Whittaker]."
Whittaker’s recently announced departure will come as the show enters a brand new era. Beloved revival showrunner Russell T. Davies was recently announced to be returning to Doctor Who in 2023, with many expecting him to reinvent it as drastically as he did originally in 2005. The upcoming season 13, which is Whittaker’s third and final series as the alien hero, will also be the last of Chris Chibnall’s time as showrunner. There are some parallels between Baker’s time on the long-running sci-fi adventure series and Whittaker’s modern era. Both are talented actors whose stories and seasons have not always been well-received, yet both will be missed from a performance perspective.
Baker’s comments come amid mass-speculation as to who will play the 14th Doctor. Whittaker’s groundbreaking announcement as the first female Doctor was seen as a good step for inspiring young girls everywhere, and Baker believes that actors of color need to have equal opportunity for the iconic role. That said, many favorites for the next Doctor are non-white actors, with front runners including The IT Crowd’s Richard Ayoade and The Haunting Of Bly Manor’s T’Nia Miller.
Doctor Who has been taking more bold steps in recent years to make the show as inclusive and equally-representative as possible. From its revival under Russell T. Davies (himself famous for LGBT representation on TV), the series left its traditional roots behind. The show introduced its first gay character in Captain Jack Harkness in 2005, its first Black companion in Freema Agyeman’s Martha Jones in 2007, and Steven Moffatt later paved the way for a female Doctor by introducing the first female incarnation of The Master in 2014. What's more, many fans see the recent addition of Sacha Dhawan as the first non-white Master in season 12 as an indication of what’s next for the show’s leading Time Lord. Doctor Who fans of all backgrounds, like Colin Baker, will hope that sooner rather than later, a person of color will play one of television’s longest-running roles.
Source: Digital Spy