Doctor Who has a good track record for educating viewers on historical figures, with various versions of the time-travelling Doctor (especially in the post-2005 series) meeting significant faces from the past in different episodes.
But of those the Doctor has met on screen, the list up until 2018 consisted mostly of men. While there were a few exceptions (such as Agatha Christie, Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria in the Tennant years), it wasn’t until the arrival of showrunner Chris Chibnall and Thirteenth Doctor Jodie Whittaker that the scales became more balanced.
In just three seasons, Whittaker’s Doctor has now met several incredible women from history, highlighting their stories and educating viewers on often-overlooked parts of the past.
We’ve had some already well-known icons at the forefront of recent episodes, such as Mary Shelley and Rosa Parks. But subsequent episodes have also highlighted figures that rarely get the spotlight, such as wartime spy Noor Inayat Khan or medical hero Mary Seacole. Altogether, the current era of Doctor Who has been a beacon for representation, uncovering hidden stories and revisiting overlooked parts of history.
Now, for upcoming Easter special Legend of the Sea Devils, the show will feature Madame Ching, a Chinese pirate leader from the 1800s rarely counted alongside the likes of Blackbeard despite her huge impact on society at the time she was alive. Isn’t it time we gave Chris Chibnall some credit for telling these sorts of stories?
After all, it’s been there since the beginning of this era. During Whittaker and Chibnall’s first season of Who, the Doctor and her gang met Rosa Parks. The civil rights activist, who protested segregation by refusing to give up her seat for a white passenger on a bus in 1955, was the first historical person of colour in an episode whose story was the main focus (the show previously featured Queen Nefertiti as an incidental character in 2012, who at this point was the only other person of colour from Earth’s history to appear in the new series).
Rosa focused on racism and segregation – not only during 1955, but how it also affected the Doctor’s companions in the present day. It showcased the importance of going back to what the show was originally intended for: educating its viewers.
Centring stories like that of Rosa Parks’ activism helps to push for positive change and educate audiences on the truth of our history – it may not always be easy, but it’s an essential story to tell.
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Since Rosa we’ve also seen the brilliant Ada Lovelace (known as the world’s first computer programmer) join the Doctor on her adventures. In a world where women in STEM still face sexism and gender barriers, learning about Ada Lovelace means that young viewers can see that women have been just as important to the history of technology as men, and that they too can be mathematicians and scientists, whatever their gender.
The Doctor’s adventures have always been about inspiration and hope, and the show continues to deliver that to its viewers through spotlighting female pioneers – and not just in science. Joining the Doctor and Lovelace in this story was Britain’s first Muslim war heroine, the incredible Noor Inayat Khan.
Doctor Who has featured many historical figures during its nearly 60 year history, but the Thirteenth Doctor’s era has featured more historical women of different races than any other period of the show. We’ve had countless movies and shows depicting the events of the Second World War, but Khan is rarely mentioned. Sending Khan on an escapade with the Doctor is a powerful tool; it not only represents a wider range of audiences, but also celebrates them and their history.
Other women featured were more well-known. Just a few episodes after meeting Lovelace and Khan, the TARDIS landed outside of Villa Diodati and introduced us to the legendary Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein.
Showcasing so many women in one season of Who and portraying their complex histories also balanced the scale of telling more female stories. It means that we can look back upon Doctor Who’s past and learn about brilliant men AND brilliant women, getting a more even view of history and the events that have made our society what it is today.
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Most recently, Mary Seacole helped the Doctor defeat the potato-headed Sontarans during 2021’s Doctor Who: Flux. While the name Florence Nightingale may be more recognisable in the British education system, British-Jamaican nurse Seacole also played a key role in the Crimean War, setting up the ‘British Hotel’ to tend to wounded soldiers during the conflict.
Uncovering stories about women whose lives remain forgotten or largely untold has been one of the most beautiful parts of recent Doctor Who. Viewers young and old may now know of Mary Seacole’s incredible story, the TARDIS once again a vehicle for education and inspiration.
We have two final episodes of Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor Who this year. This Sunday, we’ll see Madame Ching join the list of famous women who’ve met the Doctor. She has probably the most complicated history of them all, and it will be interesting to see how the show balances the life of a ruthless pirate with the Doctor’s morality.
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However the show tackles this, we know one thing: that complex stories deserve to be told just as much as more palatable ones when used as a tool for education.
Wherever Doctor Who heads next after the departures of Chibnall and Whittaker, let’s hope there’s space for the show to continue to delve into women throughout history and their stories. The TARDIS was designed to explore the universe, with the Doctor our teacher to show us the way. There’s no better use for a beloved franchise whose viewers span generations all over the world.
Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils comes to BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday 17th April. All 13 seasons of Doctor Who are also available to watch now on Amazon Prime Video – sign up for a Prime Video free trial.
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