Identity Lost

The 2018 series of BBC Television's Doctor Who introduced viewers to a female incarnation of the character for the first time since the programme began in 1963. Fans and dedicated viewers of the series were reassured that there would be no changes to how the character would be written following the change in gender. Long-time Doctor Who enthusiast Gian-Luca Di Rocco examines the veracity of this claim. He takes a methodical approach, examining in detail the character of the Doctor as he existed from 1963 through to 2017 (using all adventures broadcast on BBC television and radio as his sources) and then analyzes to what extent the most significant and prevalent character traits were retained in the first female Doctor. In doing so, this book provides an identification of the Doctor's 20 "core" character traits which made the character a unique male action hero. It recounts some of the Doctor's most endearing and cherished qualities, including his cleverest moments, his funniest witticisms, endearing instances of arrogance and rudeness, the finest examples of his eccentricity, and his most heroic and moral actions. Di Rocco also attempts to analyze what changes have been made to the character starting with the 2018 series and the underlying factors which have caused the change. He also suggests a route that can be taken for the series going forward based upon the analysis of what made the character so beloved, unique and successful for over 50 years.