A clip from 1972 has resurfaced showing the Doctor and his companion talking about – further proof that the series has had strong social awareness for decades.
On Saturday, November 25, the sci-fi extravaganza returned for the first of its three , featuring back as the Time Lord.
In the episode The Star Beast, the Doctor shares a scene with a creature Meep (), where he .
Newcomer Rose Noble, the trans daughter of Donna Noble (), is also introduced, played by trans actor and Heartstopper star .
Following the release of the episode – as expected – there were some trolls who felt the need to lambast the show for being ‘woke’ (which, true woke people will know, is not a bad thing, but simply means being aware of and attentive to important societal issues).
However, Doctor Who has always been conscious of political and social matters, making a point to reference them directly in dialogue on multiple occasions.
One example linking to the explanation of pronouns was brought up in a resurfaced clip from an episode that aired more than 50 years ago, when Jon Pertwee was playing the Third Doctor opposite his companion Jo, played by Katy Manning.
In the instalment, which was episode two of the four-part serial The Curse of Peladon, the Doctor and Jo are on the planet of Peladon, where they meet a group of intergalactic delegates, including one called Alpha Centauri.
During a conversation with his companion, the Doctor says: ‘I hardly think Centauri would hurt a fly, would you?’
‘No, I think he’s rather sweet. Or is he a she?’ Jo responds.
‘Neither. She’s an it. It’s a hermaphrodite hexapod,’ the Time Lord explains, to his companion’s surprise.
Alpha Centauri was played by two actors – while actor and stuntman Stuart Fell physically played the alien, they were voiced by actress Ysanne Churchman.
After the clip was shared on X (formerly Twitter), many Doctor Who fans celebrated the fact that half a century ago, the series was already discussing pronouns.
‘Doctor Who talking about pronouns in 1972. King,’ one person said, while another wrote: ‘Fantastic that Doctor Who discussing pronouns is as old as Watergate.’
‘Forgotten watching this till just now, Doctor Who talking about pronouns previously too which many supposed fans haven’t acknowledged in their attacks on the latest episode,’ someone else stated.
One fan wrote: ‘”I miss when Doctor Who wasn’t woke”. Shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up, anybody who’s watched Classic who knows they tackled issues like gender identity, pollution, fascism and more.’
Following the first of the 60th anniversary specials, the programme’s as a trans character was hailed by fans.
Whovians have also loved David’s frequent , such as wearing a pin of the Tardis designed with the colours of the Transgender Pride flag.
Doctor Who episodes from 1963 to 1996, and the revival series from 2005, are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
