Doctor Who: 5 Opportunities Afforded By The Newest Companion

5. It Provides Much-Needed Diversity

It's been a long time (far too long, really) since we've seen a POC main character in our beloved series. The days of Martha Jones and Mickey Smith are sadly far behind now, and as such the casting of Anderson in a recurring role is a very welcome change of pace. Even considering the relationship between Madame Vastra and Jenny, diversity isn't something that Doctor Who has exactly been knocking out of the park in recent years. Adding Anderson to the cast not only puts a POC character front and center, it also quite possibly provides the opportunity for even more diverse characters to come into the picture as the Series continues. When Martha Jones was a staple of the show in Series 3, we got to meet her entire family at various points €“ maybe something similar will happen here. Last year, many fans were frustrated at the casting of yet another white male as the Doctor, especially after seeing names like Idris Elba and Chiwetel Ejiofor (now an Oscar nominee) rumoured as being in the mix for the role. That's not to say anything against Peter Capaldi, a wonderfully talented actor and by all accounts a consummate gentleman €“ but diversity on television matters, and it's a welcome relief to see Doctor Who taking a step in the right direction. Hopefully, this is just the first in a series of refreshing steps forward for the program.