Doctor... Who?
If you're someone who has had the semi-misfortune of meeting me in real life, it is no secret that I am indeed a self-proclaimed gigantic nerd. In fact, my favorite show of all time is Doctor Who. I love everything about it! I love the deep storylines, lovable characters, and its beautiful sci-fi world. However, there is one trait that I and a lot of other fans would agree that Doctor Who might lack, and that is diversity.
In my opinion, almost every single show on TV could use some more diversity, with the exception of a few shows who are already doing a pretty good job with diversity already. Since I love Doctor Who so much, I would also love to see it grow in diversity to make it that much more of a universal show. And the time for diversity is more possible than ever as the show approaches it tri-annual selection of a new actor to play The Doctor himself...or herself.
One of the most exciting events for Whovians is the new selection of the Doctor; a world of potential lies within the decision to select an actor who will be the face of the show for the next three years (on average). Over the 50+ years of the show's run, every single actor to portray the Doctor has been a white male. As for the Doctor's companions, they have all been white as well, and typically female. The first splash of diversity the show got was the addition of Martha Jones, the first black female companion, played by Freema Agyemen. This was nice to see because it was nice to see diversity in such a well-rounded and awesome character.
It's important to note that Doctor Who only lacks racial diversity; the show is fairly golden with sexual diversity, containing bisexual, lesbian, and pansexual characters portrayed in very normal circumstances (throwback to my LGBTQ Representation article). In fact the new companion herself is confirmed to be gay, and that's awesome! But the Doctor himself should represent as much diversity as his companions do.
Doctor Who has maintained a wide and diverse audience in its fifty-year run thus far, and I believe the best way to have it stay that way is to add on a more diverse cast. Anything simple like having a male actor of color play the role, or a woman to become the Doctor would do wonders for diversity and representation. A few actors come to mind, like Tilda Swinton or Idris Elba, would be marvelous additions to the Doctor Who family. Make it happen, BBC!
