Unless you spent this past weekend under a particularly remote rock, you'll have heard by now that the person replacing Peter Capaldi as Doctor Who's titular Time Lord is none other than Jodie Whittaker (Attack The Block). However you look at this casting choice, there's no doubt that it marks a historic moment in the world of television. The Doctor is one of the most iconic characters on the small screen and the role now being officially thrown open to both genders is a landmark for equality in TV.

The role of The Doctor has been played by male actors since the 1960s, with thirteen men taking residence in the TARDIS in that period, but with gender equality continuing to move forward in society, the prospect of a female Doctor has long been a matter of "when" not "if". This became even more likely in recent times with The Master regenerating into a woman, a Time Lord General doing the same on-screen and the season 10  finale heavily hinting that the Doctor's future didn't contain a Y chromosome. The possibility of Time Lords switching genders during regeneration is officially part of Doctor Who's canon.

Nevertheless, there has - perhaps unsurprisingly - been some backlash against the decision to cast a woman in the role. Some believe that The Doctor is an inherently male character, and others claim that the producers at the BBC are simply bowing to social pressure. Generally, however, the backlash has been pretty understated compared to other controversial gender swaps. The atmosphere among fans is one of excitement and intrigue - something that the series badly needs.

It's no secret that Doctor Who, one of the BBC's flagship shows, has seen a ratings slump in recent years, with just 4.6 million UK viewers tuning in to watch the season 10 premiere live compared to the 6.8 million live viewers who watched Capaldi's season 8 debut. The general consensus is that this was due to problems with the writing, rather than Capaldi's portrayal, but the end result is the same: less hype for Doctor Who, and fewer people watching the show. However, with Steven Moffat stepping down as showrunner and veteran series writer Chris Chibnall taking his place, Whittaker's Doctor could potentially see the series returned to its former glory.

A New Dynamic

Inside the TARDIS from Doctor Who

Apart from the identity of the actress who'll be playing her, very little is known about the Thirteenth Doctor and the BBC even confirmed that the outfit Jodie Whittaker wears in the reveal video won't be her attire come season 11. As such, the new regeneration's character and personality is a complete mystery, but the fact that the Thirteenth Doctor will be the first female incarnation could mean that fans will see a different dynamic in the TARDIS.

Although each actor to play The Doctor has put their own spin on the role, several key traits such as occasional social awkwardness and a disdain for needless violence have remained throughout. Anyone who has seen Broadchurch can attest to Whittaker's acting ability, so those afraid that the new Doctor will be unrecognizable from previous regenerations can rest easy; there are sure to be plenty of nods to previous incarnations, and some character traits will be carried over from the Capaldi era.

Yet there is also an inescapable sense of new possibilities surrounding the Thirteenth Doctor. As the first woman in the role, Whittaker's Doctor is the most unpredictable version of the character for a long time and there's a strong chance that she'll bring many new quirks and shades to the Time Lord. Most previous Doctors have fitted, generally speaking, into the mold of either an unassuming clown, an affable and charming young man, or a standoffish old-timer. Whether Whittaker's Doctor fits into one of these archetypes or not, it'll be a very different experience.

The relationship between the Doctor and their companion will also be completely fresh. There's no news yet on whether the new companion will be played by a male or female (or indeed one of each) but either way, there will be an entirely new dynamic between the central characters, perhaps helping to freshen up a show that has been reinventing itself for over fifty years.

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Michelle Gomez as Missy The Master in Doctor Who

It Already Worked

Fans unhappy with the decision to opt for a female Doctor should perhaps remember that the show has already been successful in changing the gender of a much-loved Time Lord character in the form of The Master. In new Who's eighth season, Michelle Gomez was introduced as a mystery villain named Missy who was - as many had predicted - a female regeneration of The Master. The gender-switch caused far less controversy than that of the Doctor and although this is partly because The Master isn't the lead character, the manner in which Missy's identity was revealed was also significant.

Doctor Who allowed viewers to become familiar with and learn to love Missy before officially revealing her as The Master, meaning that Gomez had already endeared herself to fans when her true nature was unveiled. Contrastingly, the role of The Doctor must be announced well in advance of them appearing on-screen and subsequently, some people are writing Whittaker off before she's even filmed a single episode.

The character of Missy proves that Doctor Who can take an important figure in the show and reinvent them as a different gender to great effect. There has been very little criticism of Gomez's interpretation of The Master and the actress successfully balanced the villain's core persona with her own unique twist, completely reinvigorating the character in the process. The show needs only to repeat that same trick with the Thirteenth Doctor and Jodie Whittaker will surely be just as well received.

Inspiring The Fans

Doctor Who All The Doctors 50th Anniversary

Doctor Who has always been a show that appeals to fans of all genders and ages, but there have already been several heartwarming reactions to the new Doctor from young, female fans posted on social media. Sixth Doctor actor Colin Baker has also spoken out, claiming that the decision fits perfectly with The Doctor's own ethos of equality and fairness. Perhaps more importantly however, Baker says:

"If we do lose some fans [because of the female Doctor] we will gain many more when it’s not just little boys in the playground (or bigger boys in the acting profession) saying: 'I want to be the Doctor one day.'"

And it's this point that is crucial to the future of Doctor Who. It's possible that some fans might refuse to watch the show with a female lead, but the fans who are vehemently against the casting seem to be a minority, and their loss likely wouldn't make much of a dent in the viewer numbers. Besides the sixth Doctor himself states, introducing the show's first female Doctor is likely to win more new fans than it is to lose existing fans.

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No doubt season 11 of Doctor Who will see an initial boost in ratings due to sheer curiosity, but when the novelty wears off will the show still be posting better numbers? Ultimately, that will depend on the quality of the writing. Peter Capaldi is a fine actor who brought a lot of energy and heart to the role, but the Twelfth Doctor was only as good as the stories he was written into, and it was those stories that failed to keep a captive audience. With a new showrunner and a new Doctor, Doctor Who is brimming with exciting potential - and we can only hope that it fulfils that potential.

Next: Doctor Who: BBC Responds To Jodie Whittaker Criticisms

Doctor Who season 11 is expected to arrive in 2018.