Or maybe she was christened Billie-Jo (then shortened to Billie or Bill). Or, more simply, Billie (as in Billie Holiday, or even Billie Piper )

Bill is transgender just because she's known as Bill!?

I've no problem with a transgender companion, but to assume or even speculate the character is transgender simply because of her nick name is ludicrous.

It's just "bread and circuses" for the feeble minded to sell newspapers.

If she is it could alienate some viewers making it sound people from that era being thick and dim which the character is.

That pissed alot of fans off doing that specials year.

Yeah lets all bloody slag off the mccoy era all over again.

Well at least he had a decent companion in Ace unlike this joke of a companion.

She asked some reasonable questions about Daleks, and that makes her thick?

WOW just WOW - So many conflicting views, so many bigoted views, and a fair few racist views. Is this what the forum has become?

Let us address the elephant in the room then.
Pearl is a talented actress, now if she doesn't gel with you, if you find her abrasive and annoying then guess what. Yeah, that's right she's done her job. The character Bill is all that. You should be pleased that they have employed someone that is good at their job.

Pearl is a girl. Oh my golly gosh, a girl you say. But girls are not boys, they don't have beards. How can a show I love continue with this female agenda? How can a show choose to feature women in a prominent role? Why oh why oh why oh why from tumbridge wells. Erm, you have watched Doctor Who before right?

Pearl isn't white - that's right, there I have said it, Pearl is in fact green, or is it blue, oh hang on, no, she's black (a term I have never fully understood) Who gives an actual rats ass on that. Unless of course all the stories are going to be between 1640 and 1970 in which case how awkward, but then again maybe that will help educate some of the dumb idiots. Colour of skin is irrelevant, just like opinions on it.

I bet she is gonna be gay \ trans \ into paving slabs \ etc - Imagine having a character that is human, that y'know leads a human life, having human times with other humans (or paving slabs) As long as she is written as a human, and she is in fact a human then so what. Now if she is an alien and likes licking the skin of tomatoes then I for one will be marching on the BBC as I am against the BBC alien tomato licking agenda.

This is the end of the show - No it isn't

I think I have managed to address the elephant, now my opinion.
Finally we have confirmation of a new companion - She reminded me of Ace, just without the nitro9 - I liked Ace, she is my fave companion ever. I want to see more of this big haired motormouth, if she ever revers to the Doctor as Professor I might just squeal.

I'm fond of most eras to a greater and lesser extent, McCoy definitely included but "all?" Nah. And I've generally really enjoyed the latest era, but have got used to it getting slagged off plenty on here! Don't mind, s'all subjective opinion. I mean, didn't think Bill came off as thick at all, for example!

For a moment, I misread what you'd said and believed you thought "throwing a tantrum" was my favourite phrase.

For the record, my comment wasn't particularly aimed at you. Mostly the "others" who only post here when there's some kind of DW publicity event (as now) or when it's on air simply to express their dislike of it, or the supposed "agenda", or something abusive and largely incoherent.

Just the usual internet "same old, same old", demonstrating some of the worst aspects of humanity.

Now the wave has peaked, I see there's been a bit of an outbreak of reasonableness in recent posts.

Yesterday an ice cream van drove quickly past my house and I'm sure there was a photo of Pearl Mackie holding a yellow lolly plastered onto the side of it.

I've searched Google Images, and this is the only photo I can find:

http://www.icecream-van-hire.co.uk/i...lls-Livery.jpg

Anyone else got a proper look of this type of van who can say whether it's her or not?

I loved McCoy's second and third seasons... a huge improvement over what had come those few years prior, and I think it's a shame they get the same wrap as The Twin Dilemma through to Season 24.

The decline and death of DW in the late 80's is basically the go-to comparison when people want to try and make a point of how bad a state the show is in, when truthfully speaking it's nowhere near that battered and beaten in terms of commercial success.

Humanoid detected - singular.
The mention of a Dalek being a "tank".
BILL - an acronym for "Bofors Industry Light and Lethal" (which is an Anti-tank Guided Weapon).

[And I've definitely spent too much time over thinking this! LOL ]

so are they saying there's no series this year ?

.

That was announced some time ago. Christmas Special is the next episode.

Quite right. And not only commercial success, but today the show has a very high profile across the world and is backed totally by the BBC.
Back in 1989, the BBC had no faith in it at all.

Basically, there is absolutely no comparison with the overall state of Doctor Who today and Doctor Who in the late 1980s. None at all.

I think so...

I've always had a lot of time (pun fully intended) for the McCoy era

Doctor Who Magazine have said the same, it is a clip from an actual episode.

Bill could just be shortened for Billie, Wilhelmina, Sybil, Belinda or something else altogether.

Really? But weren't some of the shots of Daleks taken from Into The Dalek? Maybe I'm wrong...

I'd be surprised if that clip (parts of it anyway) ended up in an actual episode of DW...to me it just didn't feel like it had the quality that a proper episode would/should have... It felt like the red nose day skit...

Plus it would also mean we have Daleks again early in series 10.. which I suppose is possible, they may want to do what they did in series 7, coming back after a long break lets kick off big, which apparently means seeing the Daleks again..

well if they're already making episodes then why isn't there a series on this year ?

.

They start filming in January to JUST get a series ready for September transmission....




...that has not happened this year for <reasons>. It's going back to the Spring.

Can we give the poor girl a chance? I don't understand how people can immediately leap to conclusions about her. I won't be making any judgements until I have seen a few episodes.

It's not a surprise to me that they have chosen a black actress although I did think it was probably time that they had an Asian companion. It really doesn't matter what colour she is though as long as she's not a controlling know all like Clara who is more important than the doctor. I just hope that she has some humour and fun about her.

Plus the set looked incredibly cheap and nasty even by DW standards.