Doctor Who: 10 Crazy Internet Reactions To The 13th Doctor
9. It's One Enormous Publicity Stunt
Chibnall and Moffat killed doctor who with a publicity stunt, a gimmick if you like to try to gain tweenies back #ripdoctorwho #DoctorWho13
— April Fool (@Stikkio) July 16, 2017
If the BBC wanted to be driven by market
forces to boost Doctor Who’s appeal then it would have
surely gone for the safe option of a young, handsome male lead in the mould of
David Tennant. In any case, it’s not that the show is in crisis. Audience figures are misleading because of changes in viewing habits and Doctor Who
continues to perform comparatively well in the ratings. There’s no need for panic
and the casting of the first female actor shouldn’t be spun as a desperate
attempt to revitalise a flagging show.
The BBC handles with great care one of its biggest exports and with a five year plan in place the idea that they would risk all on a short term publicity stunt is ridiculous. It is clear that a decision was made to ensure that the casting of the show’s first female lead was not seen as a gimmick. There was no grand unveiling of the kind seen when Peter Capaldi was rolled out in a special live programme. It was understated and without any official song and dance.
The filmed inserts announcing the announcement and then revealing Jodie Whittaker demonstrate that the marketing of the Thirteenth Doctor will be based on the storytelling and not the actor’s gender. If this was a gimmick then the choice of actor would have been a more in-your-face eccentric type, such as a comedian like Miranda Hart. The focus will be on the character of the next Doctor not Jodie Whittaker.