The casting is revolutionary, while also being precedented. But then that’s the paradoxical nature of this much-loved show
The casting of a new Doctor prompts speculation equalled only by that surrounding the appointment of a new England manager, or the next James Bond. This is in part because the choice is seen to say something about the country. Doctor Who is, in cliche, a “national institution”, a term first applied to it by the Radio Times as long ago as 1972. And the smart casting of Ncuti Gatwa to fill these boots is a sign that the showrunner, Russell T Davies, is determined it should remain an institution well into the 21st century.
For while there are undeniably ways in which Gatwa’s casting is innovative, he is equally clearly a fine actor with a strong theatrical pedigree, someone known for showy supporting television roles, but not yet as an above-the-title star. Which is a sentence that also describes most of his predecessors.
James Cooray Smith is a freelance writer specialising in film and television history
