Moffat: Doctor Who Has Always Felt To Me Rather Female

Steven Moffat has given his views on whether he feels a young female companion is always the best choice.

Responding to the reader question in the new DWM (#506) he says: “Doctor Who has a tremendous appeal to young girls as well as young boys. They have to have an identification point; someone that they can imagine themselves being. The truth about Doctor Who is the main character has never been the Doctor. He the star turn, with the best lines, and the big moments, but it’s always been the story of his companions – and often his companion has been a young woman he has met and befriended. I think it would be damaging to Doctor Who if that voice and viewpoint were not represented.”

He continues: “Science-fiction is notoriously male. You can tell that because everyone wears uniforms and marches around talking about rules. But Doctor Who has always felt to me, rather female. It’s full of kindness and compassion and eccentricity and wisdom instead of violence. And from that point of view it is important that the main character, the Doctor’s best friend, should be female. Someone will now pop up and say it’s called Doctor Who, not Clara (or or Rose or whatever). Well, listen you, it’s not called The Doctor either, it’s called Doctor Who – it’s about that question and who’s asking it.

He adds: “All the bloke companions, with the exception of Jamie, are sort of friends-in-law, like Rory. The Doctor likes Rory very much, but he wouldn’t really know what to say to Rory unless Amy was in the room. And Rory wouldn’t know what to say to the Doctor unless Amy was in the room. And the only way they could communicate with each other was if they talked about Amy.”