"me no big chief …

24 Responses to “why can’t the ‘Doctor’, not be a man”

1. Cyvros said this on July 4th, 2007 at 12:01

   Well, there were, naturally, rumours (some of which were spread by Tom Baker himself) that the Fifth Doctor would be a woman. Joanna Lumley was, at one point, considered (if only briefly) as a possible Doctor.

   And, if you go by Big Finish Audios and even the spoof ‘Curse of Fatal Death’, the Doctor has been a woman (indeed, by the latter, Joanna Lumley was the 13th Doctor :D). But I know many consider these non-canon (I firmly consider them canon, but that’s just me).

   Cy.

2. little indian said this on July 4th, 2007 at 12:21

   Thanks Cyvros.

   You just proved my ignorance
   of the earlier Doctors Who’s Who.
   Having been converted into a big fan,
   I will be going back to explore all the previous series.
   I am sure I will rethink my earlier opinion.
   I just can’t wait for the next series.

3. Cyvros said this on July 4th, 2007 at 12:32

   Well, the majority of the classic series’ fans probably never went onto the other types, like the books and audios. And thanks for the comment, too.

4. earthpal said this on July 4th, 2007 at 13:12

   Little Indian, when I was a little girl, I was terrified, no – TERRIFIED of the daleks. And even now, when I see them and hear their cry of . . . “Exterminate”, it sends shivers down my spine.

   And as if to rub it in, my little boy loves the series, although he does watch much of it from behind the sofa. Lol. And he has this toy device thing that makes that very exterminate noise.

5. little indian said this on July 4th, 2007 at 19:18

   Scared of tin cans? Noooh. Maybe you were really small then.
   Just kidding.

   It must have been scary to a kid, especially the scary effects.
   These days kids are exposed to lot more scary videos and games.
   They get conditioned to horror.

6. Matt said this on July 4th, 2007 at 22:36

   The Doctor is male, I doubt it would be possible for him to regenerate into a female form. Just like it would be impossible for Romana to regenerate into a male form.

7. little indian said this on July 5th, 2007 at 00:24

   Thanks Matt,

   I have not really followed the earlier series
   so am still sketchy in my knowledge of the ‘time lords’.

   What I have learnt so far,
   is they are inhabitants of Gallifrey and have humanoid forms.
   I am yet to find any description of their sex differentiations.

   I also understand that the TLs have very different physiology,
   so for a life form so well advanced,
   who can replicate themselves, or regenerate amputated limbs,
   why are they restricted to replicate only into an ‘android’ form
   and not a ‘gynoid’ form if and when necessary.

   It was a question that came to mind,
   I am still learning.

8. Cyvros said this on July 5th, 2007 at 01:20

   @Matt: Time Lords have regenerated into non-human forms in the past. The Doctor prefers a humanoid body (male, apparently), but, theoretically, he could just as easily regenerate into, say… a buffalo.

9. Matt said this on July 5th, 2007 at 09:00

   Time Lords, in the books, have indeed regenerated into non-humanoid forms but this does seem to be extremely rare and the humanoid form does seem to be their native one.
   There is no evidence to support they can change genders.

10. little indian said this on July 5th, 2007 at 09:02

    Thanks for that Cyvros.

    A buffalo with a sonic screwdriver,
    I hope the scriptwriters gift us that someday. 😀

11. little indian said this on July 5th, 2007 at 09:09

    Thanks Matt,

    Do we know what the Timelord’s native form is/was?

    We see them in ‘human’ forms,
    but humanoid doesn’t necessarily have to be in a human body.

    Is there any evidence to rule out an ability to change genders?

12. Matt said this on July 5th, 2007 at 23:33

    The Time Lord’s native form is that which we see in the various TV episodes, that which appears human. The novels even stated that the Time Lords at one point decided that humanoid life was the best sort of wiped out or meddled with time so humanoid life was by far the most dominant form in the Universe.

    There is no evidence to rule out a gender switch possibility, however there is also no evidence to suggest Time Lords can not detach their own legs and play them like a tuba.

13. little indian said this on July 6th, 2007 at 00:05

    Whether the timelords ever had a non humanoid form
    before “deciding humanoid was the best, or if they have
    clear sex differentiation or change genders when they replicate
    is decided by the script writers imagination, and is not set in stone.

    We are talking about science fiction here, not science itself.
    No laws of physics and chemistry to adhere to.

    I personally keep an open mind, and I believe that in this universe,
    life forms exist that are so advanced in intelligence that they are capable of actions well beyond our human perceptions and comprehension.

    however there is also no evidence to suggest
    Time Lords can not detach their own legs
    and play them like a tuba.

    If that is meant as sarcasm, it was not necessary.
    It is illogical in the context of the question I have asked.

    I guess you consider yourself an authority on Doctor Who,
    your superior knowledge is being wasted in this discussion here.

14. Cyvros said this on July 6th, 2007 at 03:02

    That’s the one thing I always forget – this is fiction.

    Must be why I keep getting involved in continuity debates. 😀

15. little indian said this on July 6th, 2007 at 10:16

    Thanks cyvros,
    another lesson learnt. 🙂

    Can’t wait to see what the Doctor is upto next.

16. Eve said this on July 17th, 2007 at 02:12

    Seeing as a little extra estrogen in the brain and testosterone in the balls can turn a girl into a man, I’m fairly sure The Doctor can change genders.

17. little indian said this on July 17th, 2007 at 07:34

    😀
    Thanks for stopping by, Eve.
    And here I was not even considering the alien endocrines!

18. a space time hopper! that ? « “me no big chief… said this on July 22nd, 2007 at 23:33

    […] have been trying to catch up with many lost ‘Who’ years. In The Robots of Death I find, the Fourth Doctor had tried to explain to his companion Leela, how […]

19. thedoctor116 said this on July 26th, 2007 at 12:51

    Hi little indian, I’m from the IMDB board, I posted your link. I hope I did not offend you in anyway. I had similar thoughts as you, regarding both the Doctor and the Master, after the recent “Doctor Who” finale. My questions were what I post at IMDB, a little strange I know, but still I thought plausible.

    I love a person who takes time to think beyond the box, my hat is off to you. I’ve been a “Who” fan for 30+ years, but the Master has always been my favorite villian against the Doctor. It’s funny, after all these years, but you question did not come up in my mind until last month.

    Yes, I think a Time Lord could change sexes. Considering there may be only two time Lords left, sorry, I believe the Master is still alive. I think it is almost a necessity for one to change gender! As I wrote on the IMDB board, much like Jurassic Park having only female dinosaurs in the park, one dinosaur still was able to change it’s sex to male. In Evolution, for a species to survive there must be balance. In nature it happens all the time, especially if there is too many of one sex. So, I think it would be possible for a Time Lord to change their sex to procreate and save their race. The next question would be, could or would the Master ever be able to get along with the Doctor long enough for an event like that to happen. Not likely, unless there was something in it for the Master more than cravings and labor pains. Although, the thought of the Master screaming at the Doctor while in labor “that it’s his fault” has a certain warped appeal. They could also use the more likely method, a petri dish and in vitro. I’m not sure if a “male” Time Lord, or “female” for that matter, can/could change their sex at will though. When the Master used up his lives, he would steal other bodies to use. Even in the most recent show he said he made himself human to hide. Nothing said he HAD to choose a male body to inhabit. The other question comes from the TV movie “Doctor Who”, in which the Doctor said he was half human, this has not been mentioned again on the new show. So, it is unclear whether Gallifreyan’s/Time Lord’s can actually procreate with other species like humans. If this is true, than Lucy Saxon could be carrying the Master’s child for all we know.

    This is a science fiction show, with an emphasis on both the SCIENCE and the FICTION parts. The producers and writers can do whatever they want, as long as there are viewers to watch. Some producers are willing to take more chances than others. Personally, I think a little gender bender for the Master or the Doctor could make for some fun episodes, as long as they keep their memories and personalities. Most likely, a female Time Lord will show up down the road, like Rani though.

    Thanks for responding to my question on IMDB. Take care!

20. little indian said this on July 26th, 2007 at 13:21

    @ thedoctor 116,
    I do not mind you posting the link, at all.
    That is what blogs are for,
    and I also came to know the IMDB board.

    I am keen to learn about the doctor but
    I realise I am hopelessly late, I have missed a lot.
    I wasn’t even aware of the Master till the last series.

    I learnt about 4D and hypercubes 🙂 which otherwise I might not have.

    I learn more from fans of the series like yourself, than from websites,
    for you can explain by linking up and correlating events from the past.

    Thanks again for stopping by
    and for your comments, every bit of information helps.

21. thedoctor116 said this on July 26th, 2007 at 14:35

    You are more than welcome. I admit I strayed from the new series some until recently. Call it childish, but I was upset they have not included Paul McGann, the 8th Doctor, in the new show. I found it strange, considering that the Time Wars took place during his regeneration, that they have glossed over him. Once I heard the Master was returning though, I could no longer resist watching.

    If you have any question feel free to ask me. I will do my best to answer or find someone who can. Take care!

22. Sophie said this on May 13th, 2008 at 11:42

    I find this discussion somewhat strange, all this debating about whether the doctor could be female. We’ve had a female Time Lord, and there was of course Jenny, the Doctor’s daughter. Isn’t that enough for you people? Personally, I think we should keep this male Doctor- although that’s probably just because I want Ten to stay forever-it’s rare for hotness such as David Tennant to mix with my beloved science fiction. Of course, there was always Brent Spiner, but I’ll save that for another day.

23. littleindian said this on May 13th, 2008 at 13:58

    @ Sophie,

    thanks for stopping by,
    I certainly wasn’t expecting a further comment to this blog after all this time. Unless you have travelled from the past in the TARDID. 🙂

    Hey, end of the day, the Doctor will be what the script writers wishes.

    I asked the question based on two inherent attributes of the Doctor.
    1. To be able to regenerate
    2. but not have control on what his new bodyform will be?

    With this in mind, I asked from a biological point of view why is he always another male after the transformation – why does he not wake up to find him(her)self as a woman.

    If the end form of the transformation is unpredictable, then there is a possibility that he may become a her. I am happy to go with any explanation the script writers give. Genetics. Alien cell divisions (multiplication), whatever.

    For an advanced life form like the timelords, there should be an explanation. It is ‘science’ fiction, after all.

    I personally do not mind if the doctor is in a male form or a female form – I like to be open to all possibilities.

24. Spoton said this on May 28th, 2008 at 23:22

    Interesting point. The Dr. Who presenting himself as a regeneration in a female form. The point of regeneration was only thought of as a transition as William Harnel had a poor heart and died of this condition shortly after he left the series. The concept of regeneratons in the late 60’s was a good way to bring in a newer, youger character to carry on the series. Much as one would expect the male/female gender issue would not arrive until mid 70’s when women equality would come into question. Other time lords are female such as his grand daughter Susan and 2 Romana’s that are equal and tollerant of him. Gender should not be an issue.

    To open the floor as to why we could question as to why a person when born is male or female. Human genetics determine this. As the Dr. Who is half human, on his mothers side, as seen in Dr Who: The Movie; this becomes self explanitory that he would follow that gene and potentially reincarnate/regenerate as a male.

    On the other hand in the short episode, Rowan Atkinso play Dr.Who in Curse of the Fatal Death(1999), the 13th regeneration is as a woman played by Joanna Lumley. Which she and the master get together and live happily ever after.

    So its a bit of a retorical question as to why the Dr. is portrayed as a Male implying sexism when he travels to time far behond the time frame of the last 40 years. We should look beyond this frame of male and female focus on story. As I’m thinking the Tardis is probably a bigger female gene added into it as the tardis does have the human/galifry dna gene design.