It would make a nice change if the next companion was Asian. The first one. RTD got it right in the SJA with Sarah's companions being from different backgrounds.
New companion idea
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I wouldn't want them to hire someone just on the basis that they are asian, just as I wouldnt want them to specifically go in to an audition session expecting only to hire someone white or someone black, or only someone tall, or short for example, as that kind of thing would probably land them with someone terrible for the part. A companion, just as with a doctor, should only be hired based on their acting ability.
Their was an anecdote from Moffat about hiring Matt Smith as the doctor, where he said something along the lines, that he always thought the doctor should be older and was determined to put it this way in his era, yet with 20 mins of doctor auditions he'd hired the youngest doctor ever. This goes to prove that if your really looking for talent, all that stuff about hiring someone who looks a specific way goes out of the window anyway.
Besides, as far as companions go, they've had old, young, black, white, male, female, English and Scottish all in the space of new who, so for those kind of people who are obsessed with that kind of box ticking they aren't doing too badly anyway. None of those particular traits made them interesting as characters though, their acting ability and characters they were given made them interesting, which is the point I am trying to make.
I don't really see how specifically setting out to make the companion asian would be anything special anyway. People would just look and say 'oh look, there's the new companion' just as they always do and there might be the odd murmur that it was the first time someone asian had done it, but I can't really see it would be much of a bigger deal than it would be if the companion was of any other ethnicity. When Freema was cast as Martha there was the odd acknowledgment that she was the first black companion, but no-one acted as though it was exactly earth shattering news, and people judged whether they liked her based on her character and her ability to play it as they always do and always will. The only way a companion would seem special and different before we've even seen them would be if they were written as from the past or if they were alien. A companion that was another modern day human from an ethnicity we just happened to have not had before would just be a bit like 'so what'
Their was an anecdote from Moffat about hiring Matt Smith as the doctor, where he said something along the lines, that he always thought the doctor should be older and was determined to put it this way in his era, yet with 20 mins of doctor auditions he'd hired the youngest doctor ever. This goes to prove that if your really looking for talent, all that stuff about hiring someone who looks a specific way goes out of the window anyway.
Besides, as far as companions go, they've had old, young, black, white, male, female, English and Scottish all in the space of new who, so for those kind of people who are obsessed with that kind of box ticking they aren't doing too badly anyway. None of those particular traits made them interesting as characters though, their acting ability and characters they were given made them interesting, which is the point I am trying to make.
I don't really see how specifically setting out to make the companion asian would be anything special anyway. People would just look and say 'oh look, there's the new companion' just as they always do and there might be the odd murmur that it was the first time someone asian had done it, but I can't really see it would be much of a bigger deal than it would be if the companion was of any other ethnicity. When Freema was cast as Martha there was the odd acknowledgment that she was the first black companion, but no-one acted as though it was exactly earth shattering news, and people judged whether they liked her based on her character and her ability to play it as they always do and always will. The only way a companion would seem special and different before we've even seen them would be if they were written as from the past or if they were alien. A companion that was another modern day human from an ethnicity we just happened to have not had before would just be a bit like 'so what'
Originally Posted by sandydune:
“Alexandra Roach would make a great companion, she was in Utopia.”
“Alexandra Roach would make a great companion, she was in Utopia.”
This is what I was trying to say in my rather long winded post above yours. Namely, here you have selected someone you think would be good for the role based on their acting ability which is how it should be.
Picking someone just based on ethnicity as the Op suggested would not end well in my opinion.
Originally Posted by doctor blue box:
“This is what I was trying to say in my rather long winded post above yours. Namely, here you have selected someone you think would be good for the role based on their acting ability which is how it should be.
Picking someone just based on ethnicity as the Op suggested would not end well in my opinion.”
“This is what I was trying to say in my rather long winded post above yours. Namely, here you have selected someone you think would be good for the role based on their acting ability which is how it should be.
Picking someone just based on ethnicity as the Op suggested would not end well in my opinion.”
While I don't think ethnicity should be a motivational factor, I don't think it would really matter if it was, because they wouldn't just hire someone if they're weren't a good actor/actress.
The only way it would be a problem, is if every actor of a particular ethnic group just happened to all be terrible, which seems extremely unlikely.
Would be an refreshing change if the new companion was male, alien or even from a different time period past or future. Agree with previous posts. Long as they hire a good actor/actress it doesn't matter what gender, sexuality or ethnicity they are. They just need to be good at the job and enjoy it. Hopefully at Christmas or the start of S 10 next year we will have the question answered.
Originally Posted by Sara_Peplow:
“Would be an refreshing change if the new companion was male, alien or even from a different time period past or future. Agree with previous posts. Long as they hire a good actor/actress it doesn't matter what gender, sexuality or ethnicity they are. They just need to be good at the job and enjoy it. Hopefully at Christmas or the start of S 10 next year we will have the question answered.”
“Would be an refreshing change if the new companion was male, alien or even from a different time period past or future. Agree with previous posts. Long as they hire a good actor/actress it doesn't matter what gender, sexuality or ethnicity they are. They just need to be good at the job and enjoy it. Hopefully at Christmas or the start of S 10 next year we will have the question answered.”
Apparently, The Doctor hates male companions these days. He kicked one out of The Tardis the episode after he joined the crew. Then, when the old man in the Titanic episode asked if he could come along, The Doctor rejected him out of hand lying to him about companions. The Doctor only allows men in the Tardis who are connected to women who are already traveling with him. The days of the buddy show where The Doctor and Jamie McCrimmon run around and save the world are gone. Now, it is just a long series of pretty young female companions who have a ton of sexual tension with The Doctor (Donna excepted). Sigh.
One of the companions should ALWAYS be female - little girls are in desperate need of brave, smart heroines on TV and the companion role is great for that. It should never just be two males in the TARDIS.
Since there are bound to be many great Asian actresses out there then, yes, purposely hiring an Asian female next time would be a great step. After all, a study has shown that TV boosts the self esteem of white boys and harms the self esteem of other genders and races. Aiming for a greater diversity on shows like these would be a great way to tackle that.
Since there are bound to be many great Asian actresses out there then, yes, purposely hiring an Asian female next time would be a great step. After all, a study has shown that TV boosts the self esteem of white boys and harms the self esteem of other genders and races. Aiming for a greater diversity on shows like these would be a great way to tackle that.
Clara and 11 nearly but not quite. In Bells of St John she refered to the trades as a "song box!. Later 11 flicked her bottom with a duster and made a comment about her skirt being too tight. Notice how he didn't complain when she asked him to be her fake boyfriend in Time of the Doctor. Now he has changed he is more like a dad to her. Only romance he might have is with River or a new woman in his age bracket.
Originally Posted by CD93:
“Perkins turned him down
”
“Perkins turned him down
”
Yes. And the Doctor rejected the request from the young female soldier, Journey Blue, in Into the Dalek.
Also I do not detect any sexual tension between 12 and Clara. Though, I think, Clara clearly now loves the Doctor it's not sexual/romantic love. He's now more like a father figure to Clara, as Sara said.
There's no doubt that there have been plenty of pretty, young female companions, but I'm afraid Theophile is suffering from confirmation bias. There are examples that do not support his contentions.
When the cast for e.g. Amy - did they have in mind that they wanted a Scottish actress? Was the original character sketch Scottish, or did they adapt the script to that later?
Originally Posted by JAS84:
“Was there even an audition process? Karen had already been in an episode in series 4.”
“Was there even an audition process? Karen had already been in an episode in series 4.”
Andy Pryor suggested Gillan as a result of that - she was the last to audition, though. Amy was Scottish as a result of Karen.
Which is fair enough - either they have characteristics in mind, and a Scottish/Asian actor comes along and fulfils them, or they make the ethnic/cultural background integral to the character, and then cast accordingly. Either way is fine.
Writing a vague character and then deciding only to audition from a specific background probably isn't.
Writing a vague character and then deciding only to audition from a specific background probably isn't.
I actually think they should add a male companion either from the future or the past (not Victorian/World War eras) with Twelve and Clara for the second half of Series 9, exit Clara at Christmas and add a new female companion for all of Series 10 with the male companion and the Doctor.
Originally Posted by Theophile:
“Apparently, The Doctor hates male companions these days. He kicked one out of The Tardis the episode after he joined the crew. Then, when the old man in the Titanic episode asked if he could come along, The Doctor rejected him out of hand lying to him about companions. The Doctor only allows men in the Tardis who are connected to women who are already traveling with him. The days of the buddy show where The Doctor and Jamie McCrimmon run around and save the world are gone. Now, it is just a long series of pretty young female companions who have a ton of sexual tension with The Doctor (Donna excepted). Sigh.”
“Apparently, The Doctor hates male companions these days. He kicked one out of The Tardis the episode after he joined the crew. Then, when the old man in the Titanic episode asked if he could come along, The Doctor rejected him out of hand lying to him about companions. The Doctor only allows men in the Tardis who are connected to women who are already traveling with him. The days of the buddy show where The Doctor and Jamie McCrimmon run around and save the world are gone. Now, it is just a long series of pretty young female companions who have a ton of sexual tension with The Doctor (Donna excepted). Sigh.”
Ahh but! didnt The Doctor give Jack the chance to travel with him after the year that never was? but Jack declined obviously as he wanted to stay behind with Torchwood and defend the planet in the Doctors absence
i would honeslty love to see Jack become a full time companion in the TARDIS!. but JB is obviously commited to ARROW (which i love him in)
Originally Posted by CD93:
“Andy Pryor suggested Gillan as a result of that - she was the last to audition, though. Amy was Scottish as a result of Karen.”
“Andy Pryor suggested Gillan as a result of that - she was the last to audition, though. Amy was Scottish as a result of Karen.”
So not just Moffett picking the prettiest actress at the auditions then, which is what it looked like he's been doing to me. Not that I'm complaining. Indeed, if you want my recommendation for the next companion I nominate
Spoiler
Oh wait. She still had to audition, So he is just picking the prettiest girl after all.
God bless you, sir.
Originally Posted by joe_000:
“It would make a nice change if the next companion was Asian.”
“It would make a nice change if the next companion was Asian.”
^Which type of Asian?
The reason I ask is that I've noticed that in American English, the term 'Asian' is often used to mean EAST Asian (i.e. Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Thai, etc.) whereas in British English we usually mean SOUTH Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Nepalese, Sri Lankan, etc.)
Personally I like the idea!
IMO, an attractive British-Indian actress would be both a first and quite interesting.
It would be cool if her character were an actual Mughal princess from the 17th century (as opposed another companion from modern day UK).
And she should have a quirk, like she hates shoes and insists on going around barefoot.... or she has an exotic pet.
Having said that, I'm in NO hurry for Clara to leave. It would be nice to see the two girls become friends and travel together for a while.
Originally Posted by Theophile:
“They should bring back Handles. ”
“They should bring back Handles.
”
im sure The doctor has him stowed away in the TARDIS somewhere just waiting to fixing him
The next companion should be Michelle Keegan:
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...08_634x726.jpg
Enough said.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...08_634x726.jpg
Enough said.
Rita Afzal from The God Complex was my only issue with that episode... That they killed her off, that is.
She would have made an excellent companion.
She would have made an excellent companion.
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