10 Doctor Who Changes That Were Completely Justified

“When will we get a female Doctor?” has been part of the discussion around Doctor Who for far longer than most fans realise.

This idea didn’t just spring up in the latter half of the revival, it had been batted about for much of the classic era too, with the likes of Joanna Lumley and Dawn French being suggested as possible Seventh Doctor candidates by Doctor Who creator Sydney Newman. Of course, these seeds were also planted with the introduction of female Time Lords like Romana and the Rani.

But it wasn’t until Moffat’s era that the idea of gender-swapping regenerations was cemented on TV, with the Master being given first dibs (albeit offscreen) and the General soon after. With Missy, we got the best incarnation of the Doctor’s nemesis ever put to screen, and a complete breath of fresh air. A few years later, the Doctor followed suit.

If nothing else, the idea of a female Doctor makes speculation about the next incarnation even more exciting, because it really can be anyone. Never say never on those long-standing fan-casts of Hayley Atwell and Olivia Colman!