Gendering Doctor Who

Abstract

This entry provides an introduction to gender and its representations within Doctor Who , considering femininity, masculinity, and the gendered significance of the TARDIS. Gender has been a central concern in academic writing on Doctor Who throughout the show's long history, with very little consensus forthcoming regarding the “progressive” merit of these representations. Despite this, there have been considerable changes in the nature of these representations throughout the years, with there being a discernible shift in representations of femininity and women from the “classic” era to the “reboot” of 2005. Building on this, the announcement of the first female Doctor in 2017 has once more indicated a shift in the gendered dimensions of Doctor Who , demonstrating the show's continued role as a barometer of broader shifts in societal attitudes to gender.