The 13th Doctor: S/he ain't here yet.

[Ms Lark]

Personally, I was hoping for Kris Marshall since I liked him on Death in Paradise and My Family. Alternatively, also hoped for Olivia Coleman, but I'm willing to give Whittaker a chance since I liked her on Broadchurch and some of the other things she's been in. It'll be interesting to see where Who goes and who is the new companion.

[catrox14]

I don't mean this in a confrontational way. I'm trying to understand why casting a female Doctor is "politically correct". I guess I'm trying to understand under what circumstance or point it time would make it more acceptable and not "politically correct"?

Edited July 16, 2017 by catrox14

[theredhead77]

I'd really like a female companion and their interaction portrayed like two female friends instead of the cattiness women hate each other stereotype.

[catrox14]

14 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

I'd really like a female companion and their interaction portrayed like two female friends instead of the cattiness women hate each other stereotype.

I'd love this as well. I'd love for some weird reason she went to find Donna, and take her on more adventures.

[Llywela]

47 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

* Yes, I know not everybody considers Doctor Who sci-fi

Really? It's a show involving spaceships, aliens and time travel - that's about as resoundingly science fiction as it gets!

[festivus]

Well I'm only slightly let down because I wanted Olivia Colman so bad. But after over 50 years of white men I say it's time for a woman. I did predict this in the last episode thread, I just knew too many hints were being dropped. I'm never right about anything!

[cardigirl]

Well, speaking as a woman, I've enjoyed the Nu Who because I've enjoyed the men portraying the role. I never wanted to be the Doctor, I just wanted to travel with him. Not once did I feel unequal.  

I'll watch the new season, but not because I'm now suddenly more empowered by a casting stunt. And I'm sure the actress is great, I just didn't particularly like her character in Broadchurch. 

[BetterButter]

[Last Time Lord]

My one quibble: Still not ginger. 

[catrox14]

1 hour ago, MissLucas said:

* Yes, I know not everybody considers Doctor Who sci-fi. One can of worms at a tim

What else would it be considered? This is puzzling to me. It's not hard core sci-fi and the science is probably a lot more fi than sci- but it is pretty much the epitome of sci-fi what with having a time-traveling alien as the main character...

[MissLucas]

2 minutes ago, catrox14 said:

What else would it be considered?

Fantasy is one answer that is occasionally given. There are various discussions out there in the wild of Google-land that's why I added the caveat. It's sci-fi in my book.

[ichbin]

3 hours ago, theredhead77 said:

I'm not  going to engage in the kids identify with role-models who  look like them discussion. It seems you are pissed the Doctor is a woman and are looking for an argument instead of a discussion.

Right....because the series has never included any strong female characters, or female characters who have been portrayed as being essential in their participation in plots to "save the world" while working alongside, and not as a mere tool used by the Doctor.  

[benteen]

Yes, I'd also like for them to avoid making The 13th Doctor "maternal."  It would be interesting if they gave her a male companion around her age.  Having an older male companion would be even more interesting.  But I suspect they'll give her a 20-something pretty boy.  Probably go for the "youth" type.

Male companion pushing 50 would be very interesting I think.  An older Ian type.

Edited July 16, 2017 by benteen

[Lugal]

Typical Moffat sexism, after making a mess of things, he expects a woman to come in and clean up after him.

But more seriously, I'm not sure about the casting.  It doesn't fix what was wrong with the show.  The writing has been awful under Moffat and Chibnall's episodes have been mediocre at best.  Season 1 of Broadchurch was good, but the second season was terrible (haven't seen season three).  Maybe he can pull it out, I hope he can, but I don't have much faith in him.

Jodie Whittaker is a fine actress and I wish her well in the part, but the gender-swapping of characters almost always feels like a gimmick.  I hated it when they did it for the Master (with the resemblance between Michelle Gomez and Kate O'Mara, she would have been perfect for the Rani).

But in the end, I was hoping for Nitin Ganatra (Eventhough I know there was never a chance for that).

[festivus]

12 minutes ago, benteen said:

Male companion pushing 50 would be very interesting I think.  An older Ian type.

I think that would be good. I don't really mind if it's a younger man either and he has a crush on the Doctor and she has no time for that nonsense. It's been the other way around for the last 10 years so I don't have a problem with it. Honestly though I wish we'd get a man and a woman and they don't know each other beforehand. See how they each react to the Doctor. I'm getting more excited about this even though I still have some reservations about Chibnall. I'll be disappointed if some of the first words out of the Doctor's mouth aren't "still not ginger", otherwise, bring it on! I'm excited.

[catrox14]

2 minutes ago, Lugal said:

Jodie Whittaker is a fine actress and I wish her well in the part, but the gender-swapping of characters almost always feels like a gimmick.  I hated it when they did it for the Master (with the resemblance between Michelle Gomez and Kate O'Mara, she would have been perfect for the Rani).

Isn't the Doctor regenerating into an entirely different physical body really a gimmick in the first place just so the show could go on after the First Doctor?  

[Lugal]

1 minute ago, catrox14 said:

Isn't the Doctor regenerating into an entirely different physical body really a gimmick in the first place just so the show could go on after the First Doctor? 

Technically I would consider it more of a quick-fix, but that's splitting hairs I guess.

[theredhead77]

29 minutes ago, ichbin said:

Right....because the series has never included any strong female characters, or female characters who have been portrayed as being essential in their participation in plots to "save the world" while working alongside, and not as a mere tool used by the Doctor.  

It has nothing to do with the inclusion of strong female characters in a supporting role. My original quote was

4 hours ago, theredhead77 said:

It's about time little girls can see that they too can grow up to be a fictional time traveler.
 

Said fictional time traveler is the lead. The one who formulates the plots to "save the world" and now needs strong support to work aside her to help execute her plan. 

[catrox14]

1 minute ago, Lugal said:

Technically I would consider it more of a quick-fix, but that's splitting hairs I guess.

Quick fix maybe the case, but it's become a "gimmick" that keeps the show afloat, so to me the Doctor regenerating into another person shouldn't limit it to persons that are in a male meatsuit (sorry my SPN is showing LOL)

[Chyromaniac]

Benvenuto Signora Tredici!

[Mimiray802]

I think Jodie Whittaker is a fine actress but I've never liked the idea of the Doctor being a woman but when Missy came along I was pretty sure the next doctor would be a woman. I think the gender change will change the dynamic of the show too much. I'm a woman and I don't think it's sexist to keep the doctor male. Now a change in race would have been nice but that's a different matter. Women and men are very different and I've always felt the doctor had very strong male personality. Now I'm happy to be proven wrong and next year I might be typing on here why I love the next doctor but for now I'm still kind of anxious about the direction the show has taken. After basically tuning out  all of the Clara years with both Smith and Capaldi I just really got back on board when Bill came along. If this is just some gimmick and the writing is now horrible I think I'll just have to gather my old Eccleston, Tennant , and Smith Blu rays (pre-Clara of course) and be content with nostalgia.

Edited July 16, 2017 by yoyo926
typo

[whoknowswho]

1 hour ago, catrox14 said:

I'd love this as well. I'd love for some weird reason she went to find Donna, and take her on more adventures.

If they had Donna back on it would probably be the only reason I'd watch.  I absolutely adored her, "Oiy"!  I've been rewatching their series this past week. The only one's I haven't watched more than once, are the Capaldi seasons, and only because Clara annoyed me forever.  Bill's season this year was great. 

[Lantern7]

*sigh* When was the announcement? I had set the DVR for five hours on BBCA, covering Liam Neesen: Wolf Puncher and The Most Famous Ahnuld Movie From 1987. I left after 11, but I saw that the men's final was over (straight sets I'm assuming), and I recorded the Bear Grylls program. And I got nothing. I mean, I can see it online, but I was thinking BBCA would show the announcement "live," because they did that back in 2013 with Capaldi Seriously, wouldn't that be the priority for BBCA? I assumed that would happen, and I feel like a dick wanker for suggesting that would happen in this thread.

Female Doctor? I'm okay with it. It's a deal where I think it's a gimmick, and it's too soon after Missy, but I'm okay with an actress in the role if she gets good writing. And a nice companion, unlike a certain someone we had to endure. Really hoping this Doctor is asexual, because if you had been one gender for how long he has, and he switched overnight, and she had the ability to regenerate, wouldn't she assume she might cross over again? Luckily, the only real love interest the Doctor has is the TARDIS. I do like the idea of River coming back, realizing what the Doctor looks like, and goes straight-up flabbergasted for three full minutes. Bottom line: I'm hoping for the best, and I hope Jodi can pull it off. Also, I wonder if she's related to Lou Whittaker.

ETA for @Occasional Hope: probably not a good idea to bring that guy in as a companion, given how Tom & Lalla ended up. I know, different dynamic, but it would kinda be odd. Maybe. I don't know.

[catrox14]

2 minutes ago, whoknowswho said:

If they had Donna back on it would probably be the only reason I'd watch.  I absolutely adored her, "Oiy"!  I've been rewatching their series this past week. The only one's I haven't watched more than once, are the Capaldi seasons, and only because Clara annoyed me forever.  Bill's season this year was great. 

I loved it when Donna became the DoctorDonna and it made me hopeful she might be The Doctor at some point. I feel like Donna's demise was the worst for any companion. She did not get a happy ending nor the ending she wanted. I'd like for 13 to take her on new adventures.  Maybe 13 could have Wilfred back. 

[Occasional Hope]

Apparently JW's real life husband is an actor.  Maybe he could be her companion ;)https://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/client/christian-contreras

[katie9918]

I'm good with this.

 

I didn't need a female Doctor to make my life complete like so many on the Internet seem to have, but if I can't have one season of Capaldi out from under Moffat after his strongest turn was when he was finally out from under Clara or a miniseries with Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor (not giving up on that yet!), I'm good with this.

 

Though I do fear the possibility that the gimmicks that tanked Michelle Gomez's Master in my eyes (starting with "Missy," everything screamed "He's a WOMAN NOW!!") might prove too tempting. 

 

I want the Doctor to be written as a person, just like the Doctor has always been. Whitaker can take care of the rest.

[cardigirl]

I rewatched Closing Time this week, and was reminded of why I fell in love with doctor who in the first place. I guess Matt smith will always be the Doctor for me. While I love Capaldi, there are only a handful of his episodes that generated the same feeling in me. Here's hoping the next season brings that back. 

[chitowngirl]

Stolen from Social Media-verse: Nevertheless, she regenerated.

[Lantern7]

I would've wanted Michelle Yeoh to be considered. "It's the Doctor. SHE'S A WOMAN!!!!!!!!!" Two people here will get that, and I do not care.

I reserved Attack the Block from the library. What else has Jodi appeared in? And would the blue hoodie be acceptable as the outfit?

[The Companion]

11 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

*sigh* When was the announcement? I had set the DVR for five hours on BBCA, covering Liam Neesen: Wolf Puncher and The Most Famous Ahnuld Movie From 1987. I left after 11, but I saw that the men's final was over (straight sets I'm assuming), and I recorded the Bear Grylls program. And I got nothing. I mean, I can see it online, but I was thinking BBCA would show the announcement "live," because they did that back in 2013 with Capaldi Seriously, wouldn't that be the priority for BBCA? I assumed that would happen, and I feel like a dick wanker for suggesting that would happen in this thread.

Female Doctor? I'm okay with it. It's a deal where I think it's a gimmick, and it's too soon after Missy, but I'm okay with an actress in the role if she gets good writing. And a nice companion, unlike a certain someone we had to endure. Really hoping this Doctor is asexual, because if you had been one gender for how long he has, and he switched overnight, and she had the ability to regenerate, wouldn't she assume she might cross over again? Luckily, the only real love interest the Doctor has is the TARDIS. I do like the idea of River coming back, realizing what the Doctor looks like, and goes straight-up flabbergasted for three full minutes. Bottom line: I'm hopinh for the best, and I hope Jodi can pull it off. Also, I wonder if she's related to Lou Whittaker.

My husband was so mad it wasn't an announcement show like last time. You definitely weren't alone. 

I was worried casting a woman would feel like a stunt, but Jodie Whittaker feels like a good fit to me. I am excited to see how it goes. 

1 minute ago, Lantern7 said:

I would've wanted Michelle Yeoh to be considered. "It's the Doctor. SHE'S A WOMAN!!!!!!!!!" Two people here will get that, and I do not care.

I reserved Attack the Block from the library. What else has Jodi appeared in? And would the blue hoodie be acceptable as the outfit?

My understanding is that the hoodie is a take on Capaldi's costume and it will not be hers.

[Occasional Hope]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jodie_Whittaker

[tennisgurl]

Wow, so not only is the new Doctor a woman, but she's Beth from Broadchurch! That's the part that's really weirding me out. Not that Jodie Whittaker isn't a good actress, but Beth is the role I'm most familiar with, and she's so...Beth. Anyway, I'm cautiously optimistic about this casting. I think, if its done well, it could be just the change the show needs to shake up the dynamics and do something interesting and fresh. I don't think it will change the show a ridiculously amount, but it will add a new flavor to the show, especially with any future companions. Will we still get our attractive young 20 something woman from the UK with an attractive woman from the UK Doctor?

I feel like I should see more of Jodi's stuff. I know her from Broadchurch, and I totally forgot she was the woman from Attack the Block, what else should I look at? I hope they give her a chance to give 13 a unique, Doctor-ish personality, and don't give her stereotypically "female" traits like being super flirty or "motherly" or she needs to be saved by a strapping male companion or guest character all the time. If they can do that, I'm totally excited to see what 13 has to offer! I was never a fan of Missy (I give side eye to the fact that the ONE female Master is the one who can be redeemed), but that seemed like a very Moffat thing, so hopefully that wont be an issue anymore.

[tessaray]

I was against a female Doctor until we actually got one, so now I'm (also) cautiously optimistic. (Funny how that phrase keeps popping up.)  I liked the reveal, because I do think we needed to see her as the Doctor.  She really did nail it without saying a word. 

Honestly, the thing I'm most worried about is Chibnall saying he had a five year plan. No. Just No. Moffat's convoluted, timey wimey crap is one of the things that annoys me most about nuWho. 

[theredhead77]

11 minutes ago, tessaray said:

Honestly, the thing I'm most worried about is Chibnall saying he had a five year plan.

"Just no" is right. I quit believing / having faith in 5 "five year plans" after LOST!.

[tessaray]

21 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

"Just no" is right. I quit believing / having faith in 5 "five year plans" after LOST!.

Lost soured a lot of people on any kind of "plan". For me, it was Battlestar Galactica.  At least they finally admitted they were making it up as they went along.  

Doctor Who is best when the episodes are mostly standalone and the Doctor/companions explore the galaxy/history and have adventures.  Not that I didn't enjoy Matt Smith's first series but the subsequent arcs just dragged the show down.  (IMO, YMMV)  

I hope they let JW continue the professorial thing that has worked so well for Capaldi this last season. 

Edited July 16, 2017 by tessaray

[MissLucas]

7 minutes ago, tessaray said:

Lost soured a lot of people on any kind of "plan". For me, it was Battlestar Galactica.  At least they finally admitted they were making it up as they went along.

It was clear from season 2 onward nobody had a plan. Not that having a plan is that much better as HIMYM proved. I enjoyed some of the longer arcs in New-Who but five years sounds very ambitious - I'd stick with three and have a plan B, C and D at hand.

[Mabinogia]

8 minutes ago, tessaray said:

I hope they let JW continue the professorial thing that has worked so well for Capaldi this last season. 

That could be a fun gag; the notorious professor now being a young woman. She could claim to be his daughter, could also take on another student as companion.  It could be a running joke that students keep just up and vanishing.

I am a bit weary of the 5 year plan too. I don't feel like this show needs a plan. It's more of a procedural to me, each episode having a problem to be solved that gets solved and they move on. I just hate when the show gets bogged down in too many long term storylines. It's just not necessary.

[ganesh]

I guess I need to just hide in my basement if I want to be unspoiled for anything. I mean, I didn't seek out any spoilers, didn't click on anything Who related, and SF Gate of all things on my FB is like THIS IS THE NEW DOCTOR with a pic. Come on. Don't put the actor's name in the headline or show a pic. If you want to know, you can click on the link. That's just not fair. I hope the Doctor shows up this morning and distracts me from FB so I don't know who the next Doctor is when the xmas special rolls around. 

[Lokiberry]

18 minutes ago, tessaray said:

Lost soured a lot of people on any kind of "plan". For me, it was Battlestar Galactica.  At least they finally admitted they were making it up as they went along.  

Doctor Who is best when the episodes are mostly standalone and the Doctor/companions explore the galaxy/history and have adventures.  Not that I didn't enjoy Matt Smith's first series but the subsequent arcs just dragged the show down.  (IMO, YMMV)  

I hope they let JW continue the professorial thing that has worked so well for Capaldi this last season. 

Babylon 5 is the only show that's every got that 5 year plan thing right, and even it got a little rocky in the final season due to cast changes.  I hope Chibnall let's it play out; see what works and doesn't work and makes adjustments. I honestly believe Moffat's determination to turn Clara into a quasi-Doctor come hell or high water is what dragged series 8 and 9 down.

[DJG1122]

1 hour ago, tessaray said:

I was against a female Doctor until we actually got one, so now I'm (also) cautiously optimistic. (Funny how that phrase keeps popping up.)  I liked the reveal, because I do think we needed to see her as the Doctor.  She really did nail it without saying a word. 

 

Exactly. I couldn't have put it any better. 

I haven't read any other forums, websites, etc, but what I am seeing on this forum is a few Yessss, this is the best thing that could have happened and a few Nooooo, this is the worst thing that could have happened and mostly, I wasn't expecting this but I'll watch and see how she does. 

Edited July 17, 2017 by DJG1122

[foreverevolving]

If I say "About Time" will it be too repetitive?

I loved this little write up.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/a-thousand-year-old-alien-is-now-a-woman-or-how-white_us_596bc1c1e4b06a2c8edb4778

Maybe it's cause I'm a woman, maybe it's cause i'm jewish thus technically belong to a minority group (unless i'm visiting my home country), maybe it's cause i'm bi (another minority), or because I have green eyes (another minority), or maybe simply because I enjoy the show and understand, as the 11t said: times change and so must I, I have always been okay with a female doctor, a black doctor, an asian doctor, an actual alien looking doctor..
Just like I would be okay seeing James bond be a woman or non white (not sure if the whole "actual alien" part would work for an earth based secret service agent though).

 

So i'm excited, seriously 54 years.. it's about damn time.

Edited July 17, 2017 by foreverevolving

[benteen]

2 hours ago, Lugal said:

Typical Moffat sexism, after making a mess of things, he expects a woman to come in and clean up after him.

But more seriously, I'm not sure about the casting.  It doesn't fix what was wrong with the show.  The writing has been awful under Moffat and Chibnall's episodes have been mediocre at best.  Season 1 of Broadchurch was good, but the second season was terrible (haven't seen season three).  Maybe he can pull it out, I hope he can, but I don't have much faith in him.

Jodie Whittaker is a fine actress and I wish her well in the part, but the gender-swapping of characters almost always feels like a gimmick.  I hated it when they did it for the Master (with the resemblance between Michelle Gomez and Kate O'Mara, she would have been perfect for the Rani).

But in the end, I was hoping for Nitin Ganatra (Eventhough I know there was never a chance for that).

Well, the 13th Doctor has one advantage already in that Moffat will NOT be writing for her.  As I've mentioned before, Moffat is terrible with his female characters.  Alex Kingston, Jenna Coleman and Michelle Gomez are all talented actresses but I found their characters annoying due to Moffat's writing.  I can't say that the writing on Chiball's Broadchurch impressed me...the acting and examination of grief was always stellar but the story was average at best in Season 1 and awful in what little I saw in Season 2.  I hear Season 3 is better but I haven't had an interest in watching it.  But I am more than ready to say good-bye to Moffat as a showrunner so I will take any new blood.

Question, is Whittaker a natural blonde?  As I recall, she was a brunette in Broadchurch.  I'm only asking this because someone joked that with the blonde hair, she looks quite a bit like Kate Stewart.  That made me laugh thinking that The Doctor was trying to regenerate to look like The Brigadier and ended up looking like Kate Stewart.  Just picturing him trying to explain it to Kate.  "I loved that man, damn it!"

I was wondering which one of The Doctor's old friends would be the first to see him in this form.  It might very well be Kate Stewart, as Chiball wrote "The Power of Three" which brought in this version of Kate Stewart to the world of Doctor Who. 

[starri]

Hell, if the Doctor had regenerated into Kate Stewart, I wouldn't have complained.  I know she wasn't exactly an original creation, having first appeared in those weird, licensed fan films from the 90s, but she was one of my favorite things about Moffat's tenure.

The one thing about this that actually does make me a little sad:  Elisabeth Sladen wasn't alive to see it.  I have a feeling she'd have loved it.

[tessaray]

11 minutes ago, benteen said:

Question, is Whittaker a natural blonde?  As I recall, she was a brunette in Broadchurch.  I'm only asking this because someone joked that with the blonde hair, she looks quite a bit like Kate Stewart.  That made me laugh thinking that The Doctor was trying to regenerate to look like The Brigadier and ended up looking like Kate Stewart.  Just picturing him trying to explain it to Kate.  "I loved that man, damn it!"

I was wondering which one of The Doctor's old friends would be the first to see him in this form.  It might very well be Kate Stewart, as Chiball wrote "The Power of Three" which brought in this version of Kate Stewart to the world of Doctor Who. 

I thought she looked a lot like Kate too, which could make future UNIT episodes interesting.  

[whoknowswho]

2 hours ago, cardigirl said:

I rewatched Closing Time this week, and was reminded of why I fell in love with doctor who in the first place. I guess Matt smith will always be the Doctor for me. While I love Capaldi, there are only a handful of his episodes that generated the same feeling in me. Here's hoping the next season brings that back. 

Cardigirl--Ioved Matt Smith too. He's where I came in again after not having seen Who for years. I loved him, as the character, he is "my" Doctor (well, and a bit of Tom Baker from the old days). I also loved David Tennant too for different reasons, and having watched Ecclestone's season again this past couple weeks, I liked him too.  He was Fantastic. :)  Capaldi I wanted to love so much, and parts of him I did but he was saddled by so much of Clara and messy scripts, I haven't "loved" his run. Till this year--I really liked Bill, Nardole and less cranky/more fun messy hair Capaldi. 

I don't know this actress, I'll be unspoiled completely as I have been by most UK actors, as I'm in Canada (still a member of the Commonwealth, but still...) but I'm not sold on having a male character, beloved by millions, change gender. I'm personally not ready, as I am not sure how it will be played--or more importantly, written.  She may be brilliant.

I'm hoping I'll be happy with 13 eventually, but today, I'm just sad about it. 

[whoknowswho]

2 hours ago, catrox14 said:

I loved it when Donna became the DoctorDonna and it made me hopeful she might be The Doctor at some point. I feel like Donna's demise was the worst for any companion. She did not get a happy ending nor the ending she wanted. I'd like for 13 to take her on new adventures.  Maybe 13 could have Wilfred back. 

Donna was awesome, and Doctor/Donna was a beautiful thing.  Maybe because she was so normal-- she was a typical person, not too thin, too beautiful, too clever or too rich.  Of all the Doctor Who episodes--the Ood episodes were the ones I've watched the most and loved. (the singing gets me)  My hands-down favorite companion was Donna. Many hated her.  Her losing her memories, and going back to her sad little "Best Temp in the World" life absolutely broke my heart to bits. Plus Wilf, was my favorite Grand dad ever, ever, ever. 

I'm going to watch them again, and mourn a bit tonight. 

[benteen]

DT was my favorite Doctor but I really liked Matt Smith too.  I don't think Moffat gave him the best stories to work with but Smith was immensely likeable in the role.

[eXiled]

I haven't watched Twelve's run with any regularity, so I didn't realize I was still invested until I heard the news and teared up a little. I am stoked! I'm totally looking forward to Thirteen. I want her as eccentric and difficult and heroic as the males who came before her, dammit. No lovey dovey stuff. No mothering. No needing to be saved by males. As long as she is THE DOCTOR, I am in for the long haul. It helps that Moffat is gone. :-0

[starri]

I guess upon reflection, they were probably always planning to cast a woman as Thirteen.  I doubt Moffat knew specifics (I believe the director of the Christmas special even said he didn't know), but he still put "the future is female" into Twelves's mouth.

[Bruinsfan]

9 hours ago, cardigirl said:

I wonder how all the fans who disliked Clara will feel about a woman Doctor? Maybe it's a different thing, but many people disliked Clara's 'take-charge' or bossy ways, and felt she grabbed too much power. I liked Clara and thought of her as a strong 'empowered' character, so maybe I am ready for a female Doctor. Have to wait and see.  

I think my distaste for Clara was Clara-specific, as I really enjoyed Missy, Kate Stewart, River Song (after a bad initial impression) Amy Pond, and classic companions Tegan Jovanka, Romana I, and Sarah Jane Smith, all of whom were on the take charge/bossy side for their respective eras. Also thought Quill was far and away the best part of Class and it'd be hard to get more aggressive than that character.

I'm only familiar with Whittaker from Attack the Block, which I quite liked her in though it doesn't really tell me how she'll do as the Doctor. But I'd been hoping they would cast a woman in the role—my only real line in the sand is casting an actor who's not from the UK.