Ongoing claims about the new episodes of Doctor Who erasing the Jodie Whittaker era have been addressed by returning showrunner Russell T Davies.
Returning Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies is ready to clarify the status of the Jodie Whittaker era. Whittaker’s run as the Thirteenth Doctor ran from 2018 to 2022. At the end of her run, Whittaker’s Doctor seemingly regenerated into the Fourteenth Doctor, whom the returning David Tennant will play. Whittaker’s tenure was controversial since it included the Timeless Child arc, which completely changed the Doctor’s origin. Consequentially, there has been some speculation that Davies will be completely erasing Whittaker’s entire era.
Despite those rumors, Davies is not looking for a way to reject Whittaker’s run. In the letter from the showrunner section of Doctor Who Magazine, Davies spoke out against the rumors in a hilarious way. He pokes fun at the fan culture by pretending to be a fan watching the first of the three Doctor Who 60th Anniversary specials. He includes references to the Snyder cut of Justice League and even Donald Trump’s “covfefe” tweet. Check out Davies’ quote below via RadioTimes.com.
“Oh my God, that’s London, too much London?, I liked Sheffield, SHEFFIELD SNUB. It’s still very rude to the people of Sheffield, I will post about this and get REACTIONS to the SNUB….
Oh my God, the TARDIS, the Jodie exterior, she has NOT been erased (and yet by not erasing her, are we erasing the argument that she’s been erased and therefore this is an act of erasure, IS IT?)
… Release the Snyder Cut…
Will they upscale this to 5K and ruin it? Covfefe! What will this track be called on the soundtrack… We are, faithful viewer, 30 seconds in. Good luck.”
Davies Not Ignoring Whittaker’s Run Is A Good Sign For Doctor Who
Davies’ message may have been intended to draw laughs, but it still provides necessary insight into the show’s future. Even though he is alluding to the 60th Anniversary specials, he will also be running Doctor Who season 14, which the specials will be leading to. That means that Davies’ decisions will directly impact every upcoming season. No matter how controversial Whittaker’s run was, her time on the show is still part of the continuity and deserves to be acknowledged.
Continuity has always played an essential role in Doctor Who. No matter how great the backlash was against “The Timeless Child,” it built on the continuity of the Seventh Doctor’s run. Sylvester McCoy’s years as the Doctor helped to reintroduce the mystery of the character and planted the seeds that Whittaker would later cultivate. Instead of allowing the Doctor to remain a typical Time Lord, McCoy hinted at a mysterious past tying back to the beginning of his species. Whittaker’s run has only built on that pre-established premise.
Given how much Davies loves the classic years of the show, it is no surprise that he is interested in retaining Whittaker’s run. It would also be a questionable decision to erase the history of the first incarnation of the Doctor to be played by a female actor. Davies is already showing his dedication to honoring the showrunners and actors who came before and after him, and that alone is a promising sign for the future of Doctor Who.
