Despite rumors swirling for decades about a female Doctor happening in most empowering female TV characters of the decade. So to say the first run of a female Doctor was a mixed bag would be accurate.

That's not to say Doctor Who hasn't come close to a female regeneration - it has, a few times. But it never panned out, for various reasons, though arguably the real reason has never been given publicly. For a show that's as long-running as Doctor Who, it's been hard to understand the reasoning behind why it sticks to tradition in some areas and deviates wildly in others. Sadly, one of those ways Doctor Who stuck to tradition was in the Doctor's gender, which lasted far too long – though not for lack of trying from some of the people behind the scenes.

Tom Baker Wanted A Female Doctor All The Way Back In 1980

The British Tabloids Ran With It

While the British tabloid press often speculated about who would be cast as the next Doctor (usually without any evidence), rumors of a female Doctor didn't really kick into high gear until 1980. That was when Tom Baker, the Fourth Doctor actor, announced he was leaving the show and set speculation swirling. Speaking about exit and why, he explained three seasons was enough and said, "It's time for me to let another man - or woman for that matter - have a go. After all, there's no reason why Dr. Who should always be a man." The British press ran with it, with Daily Express running the headline "And Now For Miss Who?" in its October 25, 1980 edition. (via Bleeding Cool)

It was after a different Baker's run that Doctor Who got the closest to a female Doctor before Whittaker, however. Colin Baker played the sixth incarnation of the Doctor, and when he left, Doctor Who co-creator Sydney Newman was the one to suggest a woman. Newman's idea was to have the Second Doctor actor, Patrick Troughton, come back for a one-off season stint before regenerating into a female incarnation. The show got so far as considering three actresses for the role: s de la Tour, Joanna Lumley, and Dawn French.

BBC Avoided A Female Doctor For Several Reasons

The Explanations Given Never Added Up

However, the idea was dashed after Newman clashed with BBC's Head of Drama, Jonathan Powell, and their meeting went so poorly the plans were scrapped. Instead, Sylvester McCoy was cast as the next incarnation of the Doctor. Three years later, the first run of Doctor Who was canceled due to declining viewership and the show having grown stale, a sign that Newman had been right to want to shake up the long-running program.

One has to look a little askance at that explanation when the right person had somehow never been a woman in almost 50 years.

Still, there was plenty of time between then and Jodie Whittaker's run to cast a female Doctor. When the show was resurrected in 2005, again, a woman got close to being cast as the new Doctor. This time, it was Dame Judi Dench, but ultimately, the role of the Ninth Doctor went to Christopher Eccleston. Later, when questioned why he'd also never cast a woman to play the Doctor, then-Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat awkwardly claimed, "I didn't not cast a woman, I cast a man. I didn't [cast a woman] because I wanted to cast Matt Smith and I wanted to cast Peter Capaldi. I didn't think it was a terrible idea, I just thought, 'I want to cast those people' – that was it." (via BBC Radio 4)

On paper, the tired "right person for the job" excuse has always been given as the reason for never having cast a woman as the Doctor before Jodie Whittaker. In reality, one has to look a little askance at that explanation when the "right person" had somehow never been a woman in almost 50 years. It's just a shame that when Doctor Who finally had the guts to cast a woman as the Doctor, her run was undoubtedly tarnished and damaged by showrunner Chris Chibnall's wildly divisive and largely disliked time as show head. Maybe it's time Doctor Who finally taps a female showrunner, too.

Source: Bleeding Cool, BBC Radio 4