How Women Were Influential In The Creation Of Doctor Who

The Master once asked the Doctor if the future was gonna be all girl, well it turns out that statement has never been more true...

We are now accustomed to there being a female Doctor in the TARDIS, played by Jodie Whittaker, with numerous female writers, producers and directors helping shape the new era of the show. However it wasn't always like this, the BBC was once a more male dominated environment and it was Who that helped bring roles to more women at the BBC...

Verity Lambert made history as the first female producer at the BBC in 1963. As the series' producer of Who she was ridiculed at the time by men thinking that a woman couldn't produce TV, she quickly proved naysayers wrong by delivering one of the most successful shows of the 60s. She was at the forefront of the show when 'Dalekmania' hit in 1964, the Dalek's massive success spawning fan mania comparable to Beatlemania, another craze of the 60s.

Verity Lambert on the set of 1965's 'Mission To The Unknown' 

Lambert made decisions that would create the show we know today. The main one making Susan the Doctor's granddaughter. Initially, Sydney Newman, the man who came up with the idea for Who, had the Doctor merely travel with Susan. But Lambert thought it inappropriate that an old man be travelling with a young girl and so, the decision was made to make her his granddaughter. Not only making Susan a three dimensional character, but also adding layers to the Doctors mysterious backstory. Between her departure and the next major female voice, Rona Munroe in 1989, there was a noticeable decline in the characters of the companions. They were only there to scream and ask questions and we knew very little about them beyond that.

The First Doctor and his granddaughter Susan Foreman in the first ever story 'An Unearthly Child' in November 1963.

Doctor Who also gave the opportunity for one of the first female directors to work at the BBC - Paddy Russell. Who directed 'The Massacre' in 1966, plus three more stories under Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker respectively. Russell was the only female director of the classic era. This paved the way for more female oriented crews on BBC productions outside of Who into the 70s.

The 1970s were a very male dominated era for the show, with only Russell directing three serials. It was in the 80s that a female presence reemerged; Barbara Clegg became the first female writer in 1983 with 'Enlightenment', a story which was notable for introducing Eternals and bringing Guardians back to the screen for the first time since 1077. It was often seen that a woman couldn't write sci-fi and so whenever a woman did write for the show, it was with a male writing partner. The most famous of these being Pip and Jane Baker, who scripted four stories between 1985 and 1987.

The Sixth Doctor in 'The Trial Of A Time Lord - Part 14' written by Pip & Jane Baker 

Andrew Cartmel was responsible for bringing in Rona Munroe to script the final classic story 'Survival' in 1989. This story proved a fan favourite and she was subsequently invited back to write for Peter Capaldi's Doctor in Series 10 in 2017. Munroe also has the distinction of being the only writer to write for both the classic and new series. In total there were only three female writers, one producer and director between 1963 and 1989. This is something the new series would strive to improve when it returned in 2005...

The Doctor & Ace walking off in the final shot of Rona Munroe's 'Survival', the final regular story for 16 years. 

Blog Rationale

The first thing I have to do in order to fully understand the modern climate of how we consume media is I have to reflect on how much media I consume on a standard day. Upon reflecting on my own media consumption I noticed that at nearly every point during the day I am almost always consuming some form of media. For example, when I wake up I put the TV on and check my phone. When I commute to university I am looking at my phone, going on social media and listening to an audiobook for almost the entire journey. I then listened to that audiobook as I walk to and from university. Whilst looking at my phone throughout the day. At these intervals I am looking at social media, finding the latest news and opinions (This is something I then thought I could translate into one place for my blog). I would then repeat this process on my way home and upon getting home would have the television on often. Whether it be relaxing in the evening, making dinner or washing up. This means that I am nearly always consuming media during the day, even when I go to bed I will open YouTube and watch videos before looking at my phone one final time before going to sleep. 

The aim for my blog is to look at Doctor Who, both from a fan's eye and a critical eye. It will not be my aim to sing the show's praises. For example, if an episode or topic is flawed or could have been handled differently. I will point that out in my writing. Having said this, it is my intention for the blog to be informative. I want the audience to learn something, but not have it presented to them in merely a formal way. I want to structure the blog so that the text feels engaging and the audience can connect with what I am saying. That is how I will avoid making my blog a fan site, in that while it does promote the show and what it is offering, I am being critical and voicing concerns and not merely singing it's praises. 

The target audience for my blog will be those aged between 16 and 24. This is because they are the age range most likely to conform to the demographic of using social media and reading blogs. I will use my own social media platforms to promote the blog and give it a bigger outreach. 

The USP of my blog will be to cater to fans of the new series and the classic series. Looking at relevant topics that are happening now and can be compared to events from the shows past. This information will be conveyed in an informative yet critical way. The advantage of this is that I am writing from a fans perspective and so I can compare the entirety of the show because I know what I am talking about. These articles will be written in a way that is easy to digest the information for the audience and is engaging.