How Women Were Influential In The Return Of Doctor Who

In 2005, Doctor Who returned to Saturday night's with more than it's fair share of differences, chief among which being the increased female presence the revival had over it's classic counterpart...

Russell T. Davies was now in charge of the series and with this we saw a return of the developed companions. From the start of episode one 'Rose', we see Rose's life, job, mother and boyfriend. We are introduced to and have been thrown into her world, not the Doctor's. This was the way to reintroduce the audience to the show, by giving them someone they can relate to. Who became more than just sci-fi, it became a kitchen sink drama with relatable characters which the audience would invest in. Audiences liked this method as viewing figures would regularly exceed 8 million.

Rose Tyler was the first new series companion and the first to be shown as a rounded character 

Behind the scenes, Davies only had one female writer and two female directors throughout his tenure. While this may not look good it is worth noting that the era did have a female producer in Julie Gardner. Gardner worked alongside Davies in 2004 to bring Who back and the person who had final say was Jane Tranter, BBC drama commissioner - Meaning that the return of Doctor Who in 2005 was down to female voice and passion.

2010 saw another new era, Steven Moffat became showrunner and a host of changes developed during his time. Moffat had made history by casting Michelle Gomez as the first female Master in 2014. Reaction to this was understandably mixed because the Master had, until then, been a male character. But many eventually warmed to the idea. Gomez managed to bring layers and complexities to the character that hadn't previously been seen when the Master was a man and, by the end of her tenure, many saw Gomez to be on par with Roger Delgado as the best Master.

Missy, the first female Master, pictured with the Twelfth Doctor 

Moffat built upon what Davies started and brought more female writers and directors in to work on the show. Between 2010 and 2017, four more directors were hired to work across 12 episodes (the equivalent of a series). Plus three more writers. While these still aren't big numbers, it is showing a step in the right direction with more women getting opportunities.

Until this point Who had been a male driven show, with a dozen male leads being proof of this. However this changed on July 16th 2017 when Jodie Whittaker was announced as the first female Doctor. The news was announced during the men's Wimbledon final to draw maximum audiences. Reaction was mixed but it reinforces the belief that Who is a progressive show and that it is 'breaking the glass ceiling'.

Jodie Whittaker's casting broke the stigma around the Doctor as she became the first woman to play the part

The current era is the most inclusive in the show's history. In the last two seasons there have been four female directors and five writers, coupled with two producers and the Doctor. Series 12 proves to be the biggest female driven series ever. Reaction to this era is divisive however it is a testament to Chris Chibnall's (the current showrunner) desire and want for Who to be a more diverse show and so far it is proving to be that.

An infographic displaying some information and statistics about female influence in Doctor Who