From Spencer Baculi
for
"Bounding Into Comics":
According to Doctor Who casting director Andy Pryor, the backlash to the series’ race-swapping of real-world historical figure Sir Isaac Newton has nothing to do with historical accuracy or a growing exhaustion with identity-politics, but is instead based solely [on] – you guessed it – viewers’ own racist attitudes.
Taking place in "Wild Blue Yonder", the second of three new Doctor Who holiday specials helmed by returning showrunner Russell T Davies’ and produced in honor of the series’ 60th anniversary, the historical revisionism in question saw the real-world English physicist brought to life by half-Indian "The Witcher: Blood Origin" actor Nathaniel Curtis, in doing so portraying him not as the white man he provably was, but rather as someone of an unspecified ethnic descent (despite his actor’s noted heritage, the episode never specifically addresses the background of its race-swapped Newton).
Following the special’s premiere, Pryor provided insight into his subversive casting decision during an interview with Digital Spy’s David Opie.
“That was Russell’s idea, actually,” Pryor added. “We had talked about trying to get Nathaniel in the show at some point and I think it’s a sort of rather cheeky, but fun interpretation of Isaac Newton. You know, it’s not a historical drama [Laughs]. Let’s just have some fun with it.”
From Wikipedia:
"Doctor Who" was originally intended to appeal to a family audience as an educational programme using time travel as a means to explore scientific ideas and famous moments in history."
That's not just in Wikipedia, which anybody can edit and slip in untruths. And from what I understand, there was some pushback when alien monsters were introduced, because it would take away from the original thrust of the series.
So I do take issue with Pryor tossing aside the show as historical drama. I'm all for taking certain liberties with such a concept, but only if it can still end with the established timeline. (For instance, hiding the deviations from public knowledge.) Otherwise it violates the first major rule of the Whoniverse:
Isaac Newton meets the Doctor and Donna? Not a problem. He creates the word "Mavity"? Okay, that's a bit of a glitch when dealing with a universe connecting plenty of TV shows in which all of the other shows have said "gravity" if it came up. But hopefully that can be rectified. As far as I know, only the Doctor and Donna have used "Mavity".
But to have Isaac Newton be of mixed heritage? They are rewriting History.
And that's why I object to it.
I also take issue with Pryor's other assessments:
- “It’s sad that we’re in a time where people villainise minorities.”
- “I don’t really have any time for bigotry at all.”
When it does happen, I have no choice, as the Toobworld Caretaker, but to move those shows to alternate Toobworlds.
And since the TARDIS can cross over to other dimensions, that provides me with a way out of the situation. The Doctor and Donna happened to end up in another dimension in which their Isaac Newton was of two heritages. As such, that wouldn't have any effect on their return to Earth Prime-Time, the main Toobworld. (Except for the fact that both of them were now saying "mavity".)
That way, there is no Zonk when we see the televersion of Isaac Newton in other shows, like in 'Star Trek: Voyager' when he was summoned to the Future by Quinn of the Q Continuum.
And in the previous 'Star Trek' series ('The Next Generation'), there was a close approximation of how he really looked in the main TV Universe with a holographic image.
Trying to keep certain historical facts inviolate is not an act of bigotry villainizing minorities.
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