Since the shock announcement on Monday during Jo Whiley’s BBC Radio 2 show that Peter Capaldi was stepping down as The Doctor, much has been said about the Doctor regenerating as a time-lady however, in an attempt to redress the balance, here is an interesting item from Scottish newspaper “The Herald” which presents the opposite point of view.

HERE we go again. Should the new Doctor Who be a woman? Let me explain: no, he shouldn’t. Make the Doctor a woman and you take away the reason the programme works. You also risk, in the name of diversity and equality, destroying a show that has done more than most for both of those causes. Doctor Who isn’t just about time travel and alien invasion; it’s about a very particular type of male experience; it is for, and about, boys who have nowhere else to go.

But first, let me explain what is actually going on with the latest suggestion that the role of the Doctor should go to a woman – made by the current Doctor Peter Capaldi. Capaldi has announced that he is leaving the show and said: “The time felt right to bow out, to let somebody else play this wonderful role and I would like Frances de la Tour to be first female doctor.”

But Peter Capaldi is not serious – he is a life-long Doctor Who fan and is knowingly repeating a joke first started 35 years ago by the fourth Doctor Tom Baker. Heading to the press conference to announce his departure, Tom came up with the idea of hinting that the new Doctor could be female and told the journalists: “I wish my successor, whoever he – or she – might be the best of luck.”

Jo Whiley says that Peter Capaldi announcing he was leaving Doctor Who on her show was one of the most emotional moments of her career.

The Radio 2 DJ was taken completely by surprise when the 12th Doctor dropped the bombshell that he would be leaving the sci-fi drama after the 2017 Christmas special, but said that she thought it was “the classy way to do it”.

Speaking at the Radio Times Covers Party, Whiley said that it was the ideal way for the news to come out, adding that it was “incredibly tough” for Capaldi to say goodbye to Doctor Who.

“I’m obviously a Doctor Who freak, but I was kind of wondering why he wanted to come on the show,” she admitted. “We just chatted, and he played all his favourite music, and then he just looked me in the eye and did this whole thing about, ‘Yes it’s obviously very important because it’s going to be my last ever series’.

“I just looked at him and thought, ‘Did you just say what I thought you said? Oh my God you’re leaving!’ And it was such a moment, honestly one of the most emotional moments of my career.”

She said that it was an emotional moment for Capaldi too, having been part of the show since 2013 and the 12th actor to play the Doctor.

“It’s very emotional for him; it’s like being Father Christmas in a way, being Doctor Who. Only a few people will be in that position, and to say goodbye to it is incredibly tough,” she said.

I wasn't expecting to regenerate a Doctor this evening! Peter Capaldi announces he's to leave @bbcdoctorwho Xmas 2017 @BBCRadio2 Sobs

— Jo Whiley (@jowhiley) January 30, 2017

Capaldi’s tribute to Doctor Who on Whiley’s show was clearly heartfelt: “One of the greatest privileges of being Doctor Who is to see the world at its best,” he told Whiley. “From our brilliant crew and creative team working for the best broadcaster on the planet, to the viewers and fans whose endless creativity, generosity and inclusiveness points to a brighter future ahead. I can’t thank everyone enough. It’s been cosmic.”

Speaking a day after Capaldi made the announcement, Whiley said that she appreciated the “low key” way he delivered the news.

“I think he’s a very cool character; he’s not particularly razzle dazzle showbiz, that’s not what Peter Capaldi’s about. I think he’s very cool, and he wanted to do it in a very low key, safe environment, where he just put it out there, people learned about it and it was all very organic. I don’t think he wanted lots of attention, particularly, and I think it was a really classy way to do it. It’s my style as well, so I was so touched that he chose to do it on the show.”

When asked whether she had thought about who could succeed Capaldi as the Doctor, Whiley joked, “You’re asking if I want to be Doctor Who? Of course I do. I’m free!”

David Tennant – Doctor Who’s Tenth Doctor  – has given his support to a woman taking over the controls of the Tardis after Peter Capaldi’s departure, naming Olivia Colman as his top tip to play the famous Time Lord.

Speaking about his Broadchurch co-star on Radio 4’s World at One, Tennant said: “Olivia would clearly be a magnificent choice. If you have the right people telling the right stories then it’s absolutely a possibility.”

Not only does Colman have Tennant’s backing, but the Peep Show actress is close to new Who showrunner Chris Chibnall, who is also the creator of ITV’s Broadchurch.

Tennant joked: “If the two of them have been having top secret discussions behind my back I will be furious.”

The Jessica Jones actor – who was previously voted the nation’s favourite Doctor of all time – went on to say that although fans of the show would be sad about Peter Capaldi’s departure, they would also welcome a regeneration:

Tennant’s pick for the new doctor comes after Capaldi himself put forward Harry Potter actress Frances de la Tour for the role, and Paul McGann suggested Hollywood star Tilda Swinton could play Gallifrey’s finest.

The Time Lords have spoken: the next Doctor should be a woman.

Peter Capaldi’s done it. Paul McGann’s done it and now Mark Gatiss has offered his support for the campaign to have a female Doctor lead the charge in the 11th series of the Doctor Who revival.

Incoming Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall will lead the BBC’s search for the 13th Doctor when he begins work on the sci-fi show later this year.

Chibnall, who takes over the reins from Steven Moffat, will oversee the eleventh series in time for a broadcast next year and will have the ultimate say on who the new Doctor is, say BBC insiders, although his decision has to be rubber-stamped by BBC director of content Charlotte Moore and head of drama Piers Wenger.

According to BBC sources, Chibnall is expected to begin leading the team searching for the new candidate in the middle of this year when he starts to become more directly involved in the series.

The future showrunner (pictured below) told RadioTimes.com on Monday night that he has not yet been able to fully dedicate himself to Doctor Who.

Chibnall said he “hadn’t started yet” on the show and that all his energies were currently focused on season three of his ITV crime drama Broadchurch (which stars former Doctor Who David Tennant). The series has been shot but Chibnall said he is still working on the editing of the eight-part story which sees Tennant and Olivia Colman’s detectives investigate a violent rape.

It is also understood that Chibnall is keen to leave Steven Moffat and Peter Capaldi as much freedom as possible to make their final series of Doctor Who “unhindered”, according to key figures on the show.

Chibnall added that after Broadchurch airs he plans to take a holiday before beginning work in earnest on Doctor Who.

According to sources, the search for a new Doctor will be completed in the autumn and the new Time Lord will appear in an on-screen regeneration when Capaldi leaves the role in the 2017 Christmas special.

The new 12-part series begins on BBC1 on 15th April after a year’s break and will be Steven Moffat’s last in charge.

Chibnall’s series is slated to begin filming early next year with a likely broadcast in the autumn of 2018, according to sources.

Capaldi made the decision to announce his departure on the Jo Whiley show on Monday night.

The move had been planned for a long time and he is understood to have chosen to give Whiley the scoop on the news because of their friendship.

He told her: “One of the greatest privileges of being Doctor Who is to see the world at its best.

“From our brilliant crew and creative team working for the best broadcaster on the planet, to the viewers and fans whose endless creativity, generosity and inclusiveness points to a brighter future ahead. I can’t thank everyone enough. It’s been cosmic.”

Following his announcement, the BBC issued a prepared statement which quoted Moffat as saying “For years before I ever imagined being involved in Doctor Who, or had ever met the man, I wanted to work with Peter Capaldi.

“I could not have imagined that one day we’d be standing on the TARDIS together. Like Peter, I’m facing up to leaving the best job I’ll ever have, but knowing I do so in the company of the best, and kindest and cleverest of men, makes the saddest of endings a little sweeter.

Charlotte Moore, director of BBC Content, paid tribute to Capaldi, saying “He has been a tremendous Doctor who has brought his own unique wisdom and charisma to the role.”

It seems we can count Peter Capaldi in the camp of those who want a woman to replace him on Doctor Who.

The clock is sadly ticking on the Twelfth Doctor era, following the announcement that Capaldi will leave along with long-running Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat at the end of this year.

Talk almost instantly turned to who will replace him as the pilot of the TARDIS, with many calling for the sci-fi institution to finally give us a female Doctor.

Capaldi’s now weighed in on his replacement too, telling The Mirror: “The time felt right to bow out, to let somebody else play this wonderful role and I would like Frances de la Tour to be the first female doctor.”

The 72-year-old Frances de la Tour is a veteran of stage and screen, who famously played the spinster Ruth Jones in Rising Damp. She’s more recently starred in the Harry Potter movies, Vicious and Outlander.

Another major Doctor Who star campaigning for a female Time Lord is Billie Piper. The revival’s first companion has said it will “feel like a snub” if the 13th Doctor isn’t played by a woman.

“I’ve always supported the original format but I don’t know where they can go from here,” she argued. “I think it would be great [to have a female Doctor] given the spirit of the world at the moment. I think it would be timely.”

The concept of gender-fluid Time Lords is certainly not out of the question for Doctor Who, with the show most recently switching The Master to Missy when Michelle Gomez landed the role as The Doctor’s nemesis.

While all of this fancasting is very exciting, we still have a full series with the Twelfth Doctor and his new companion Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) to enjoy before we say goodbye to Capaldi.

These new episodes will include both the return of classic series writer Rona Munro and the hulking alien race known as the Ice Warriors.

Doctor Who returns to BBC One in the UK and BBC America in the US on Saturday, April 15.

Class Episode Seven, The Metaphysical Engine, or What Quill Did had an audience of 0.76 million viewers for its debut on BBC One, according the unofficial overnight figures, a share of 8% of the total TV audience.

The rating was fractionally up on the overnight figures for last week’s episode. The programme was outrated by by Newsnight on BBC Two, which had 0.79 million, but it beat Through the Keyhole on ITV which had 0.65 million.

The series concluded with Episode Eight, The Lost, which followed at 11.35pm and had an audience of 0.26 million, a share of 4.7%. This episode was beaten in its timeslot Hospital on BBC 2 with 0.33 million, and marginally by The Chase on ITV which also had 0.26 million.

Consolidated ratings are now available for episodes 3 and 4 of Class, shown on BBC One two weeks ago, which include details of those who recorded the programme and watched it within a week.

Episode 3, Nightvisiting, which was broadcast at 10.47pm, had a confirmed audience of 0.79 million viewers, a 7.5% share of the total TV audience. The channel average for the timeslot is of 1.85 million. The figure is actually lower than the initial overnight figure. This can happen as the overnight figures are just an estimate based on the scheduled timeslot. The final figures are the accepted official figure for the episode. The programme won the timeslot with BBC Two’s Newsnight getting 0.69 million watching. An additional 0.29 million have accessed the episode on iPlayer since its release on BBC Three last October.

Episode 4, Co-Owner Of A Lonely Heart, followed immediately afterward, starting at 11.31pm, and had a consolidated audience of 0.34 million watching, a share 5.2% of the audience. The channel average for the timeslot is 0.82 million. Episode 4 increased its audience by 21% over the initial figure. Around 250,000 have accessed the episode on iPlayer.

Harriet  Harman has demanded the BBC appoint a woman as the next Doctor Who.

Labour’s former deputy leader, a prominent feminist, also said the new Doctor’s assistant should be a man, so she could ‘tell him what to do’.

But Theresa May – who has said she is a fan of the 54-year-old sci-fi show – hit back, saying the sex of the Doctor was a matter for the programme-makers to decide.

The current Doctor, Scottish actor Peter Capaldi, made the shock announcement on Monday night that he is leaving the TARDIS after three years on the show.

Bookmakers suggest that likely replacements include James Bond star Ben Wishaw and The IT Crowd’s Richard Ayoade.

Twelve actors have played the time-travelling Doctor since William Hartnell first adopted the role in 1963, and so far all of them have been men.

Yesterday Billie Piper, who played the Doctor’s assistant when the show was brought back in 2005, tweeted that it would be a ‘welcome turn’ for a woman to take the role.

Potential female candidates would include Olivia Colman, who was tipped for the job by the 10th Doctor, David Tennant, who starred with her in Broadchurch.

Speaking at a Westminster lunch yesterday, Miss Harman agreed that the next Doctor should be a Time Lady.

‘Of course there should be a female Doctor Who but what we need is a man as her assistant,’ she said. ‘She has got to just tell him what to do, he will need that leadership.’

But the Prime Minister’s spokeswoman said: ‘As someone who has been clear she enjoys Doctor Who, I think she will just want to see it continue and continue to be entertaining. It’s for the programme-makers to decide.’

Mrs May revealed her liking for Doctor Who in an interview with Radio Times about her Christmas Day TV viewing, in which she said: ‘I always like to see Doctor Who on Christmas night, if possible.’

Bookies yesterday named Ben Wishaw, who played Q in the 007 films, as the favourite to become the 13th Doctor.

The 36-year-old has been suggested for the role twice before, when Matt Smith landed the role in 2010 and again when Capaldi took it over.

Rory Kinnear and Rupert Grint have also been named as potentials to pick up the sonic screwdriver.

Last time the vacancy in the TARDIS arose, Mr Whishaw played down the prospect of him joining the show, saying: ‘I don’t think you can be Q and Doctor Who. It would be a bit wrong.’

Announcing his decision to step down from his Time Lord role, Mr Capaldi said: ‘This’ll be the end for me. I feel sad. I love Doctor Who. It’s a fantastic programme to work on.

‘It’s been a huge pleasure to work with… a family. I can’t praise the people I work with more highly.

‘I’ve never worked the same job for three years, and I feel like now is the right time to move on. I’ll still be the Doctor for a while.’

In a statement, show boss Steven Moffatt, who is himself leaving at the end of Series 10 said: ‘Like Peter, I’m facing up to leaving the best job I’ll ever have, but knowing I do so in the company of the best, and kindest and cleverest of men, makes the saddest of endings a little sweeter.’

Broadchurch’s Chris Chibnall, who is taking over from Mr Moffatt, will be given the difficult choice of choosing the next Doctor.

Insiders say it is likely he will choose someone younger who can recreate the popularity that came with David Tennant’s era.

Sales of Dr Who merchandise have fallen in recent years, and producers are keen to boost the show’s popularity with kids.

Some fans feared the regeneration into the 13th doctor could signal the end of the sci-fi show as a 1970s episode said there could only be 12 regenerations.

But thankfully the writers dealt with the problem in the 2013 Christmas Special, when the Doctor played by Matt Smith used all his regenerations up trying to save Trenzalore, the planet it was foretold he would die on.

As his life was set to end, the Time Lords granted him a new generation cycle, allowing the Doctor to regenerate into the 12th Doctor, played by Capaldi.

The BBC confirmed there will definitely be another Doctor.

Most professional selections these days – whether of an American president or an England football manager – are described as the most important in the history of the post. However, the choice of the 13th lead in the BBC’s Doctor Who, following Peter Capaldi’s announcement of his retirement after the 2017 Christmas special, really may decide how long the time-travel fantasy continues to be a TV super-franchise.

Chris Chibnall – the new showrunner, who will supervise the choice of Capaldi’s successor – is taking over a show with average ratings for its last series of around six million. These figures are very far below the average of eight to 12 million that has become expected since Russell T Davies’s 2005 reboot, after a 16-year gap, of the children’s sci-fi show that started in 1963.

Davies turned into a global cash cow a series that had come to be ridiculed by many for cheap and creaking representations of planets and aliens. To play the two-hearted Time Lord from Gallifrey, he cast the sort of actors – Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant – who play Hamlet on stage.

For the last seven years, Davies’s successor, Steven Moffat, continued casting from the classier parts of the Equity register – Matt Smith and then Capaldi – but met increasing resistance from some viewers and critics to the scripts he gave them.

When last year’s Christmas special was screened close to the new year episode of Moffat’s other BBC hit, Sherlock, the shows often seemed to be negotiating a merger. Both have become dark, painful love stories full of meta-references for super-fans, a trend encouraged, in Doctor Who, by Capaldi’s decision to emphasise the depths of pain and death the Doctor has seen and suffered.

Chibnall’s first task may be to reboot the show again, making it lighter and more accessible to new generations who have never seen it before. Crucial to this will be his casting of the central part.

Faced with that decision, Davies opted for two actors with whom he had previously worked on big TV projects. In contrast, Moffat had experienced the work of Smith and Capaldi largely as an admiring viewer.

Chibnall has an obvious opportunity – at a time of urgent debate in British TV about diversity – to think outside the TARDIS. It seems likely that Charlotte Moore, BBC TV’s director of content, will at least want a conversation about whether the gender and race of the character played by a dozen white men so far is written in stone tablets somewhere in the galaxy.

Unlike other great British multi-occupancy fictional roles (James Bond, Sherlock Holmes) shape-shifting is an established part of the narrative here. The Doctor can be anyone – and this time, to my mind, the Time Lord can and must become a Time Lady.

A compelling possibility is Cush Jumbo. The work of this young Anglo-Nigerian actor – from her solo stage show Josephine and I to a leading role in The Good Wife – has demonstrated an electrifying presence and ability to play both comedy and pain that could fascinatingly extend the Whovian succession. She also has useful franchise form, having starred in the 2009 season of the spin-off Torchwood. Jumbo’s availability, though, would depend on whether her involvement in ABC’s The Good Fight, itself a spin-off from The Good Wife, goes beyond a first season.

Another strong contender must be Noma Dumezweni, an Olivier award-winning stage performer, currently playing Hermione Granger in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Dumezweni experienced detestable abuse on social media from those convinced that JK Rowling’s character was white, so she might balk at becoming the first black, female Doctor, but, like Jumbo, would make a dramatic statement of refreshing intent.

If Chibnall prefers a performer he has worked with before, then Freema Agyeman, who starred in Law & Order UK, will be in the frame. Having played Martha Jones in Doctor Who and Torchwood, she would become the first Doctor’s assistant to take control of the TARDIS, a casting overlap that could be easily explained by a speech about body-borrow-regeneration or some such pseudo-sci-fi. But she would need to be released from the Netflix show Sense8.

Capaldi has been in the top tier of the Doctors so far – up there, for me, with Tennant, Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker – but his departure offers a chance to take the show to places that even a character with so many Frequent Time-Traveller Miles has never been.