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New “Doctor Who” special sparks trans joy while trolls are outraged

Fans praised showrunner Russell T. Davies for putting "diversity right at the heart of the narrative."
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Yasmin Finney in Doctor Who
Yasmin Finney in Doctor Who. Photo: Screenshot

A new Doctor Who special premiered over the weekend that has transgender fans cheering and anti-trans trolls going berserk.

“The Star Beast,” the first of three episodes celebrating the long-running British sci-fi series’ 60th anniversary, debuted on BBC One in the U.K. Saturday and is currently streaming on Disney+ in the U.S. Written by out showrunner Russell T. Davies (creator of the original Queer as Folk), the episode features the return of David Tennant to the show’s title role, along with the introduction of Heartstopper star Yasmin Finney’s Rose Noble, the trans daughter of Tennant’s character’s former companion Donna (Catherine Tate).

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The episode also put themes of gender identity front and center, with multiple conversations about pronouns and gender, and Finney’s character playing a crucial role.

Following its premiere, fans took to social media to praise the trans-inclusive episode.

“Russell T Davies truly stood up and said Trans people are beautiful and we love to see it,” Emily Garside, author of a book on Davies’s television work, wrote on X. “The Doctor doesn’t stand for transphobes and neither does the Whoniverse.”

“Bloody loved the new Dr Who,” journalist Jay Rayner posted. “Rockets, aliens, a fire fight in a suburban street, Donna, Tennant. All of that. But more than that, @russelldavies63 put diversity right at the heart of the narrative, the weft and the weave. With a blissfully light touch. Fabulous.”

Journalist and TV personality India Willoughby, who is trans, wrote that she was “very moved” by the episode.

Many fans cheered the depiction of Tate’s character as a fiercely supportive parent to her trans child.

“I watched Dr Who tonight with my 21 year old trans daughter. It was wonderful to see her smile and enjoy the show. (She’s a huge Whovian!),” one fan wrote on X. “I am happy to say that, like Donna Noble, I am a proud mum of a brave trans woman.”

“Donna standing up for her trans daughter getting deadnamed… as a trans guy i’m [sic] sat here sobbing,” another fan wrote.

Predictably, however, anti-trans conservatives blasted the episode as “woke.”

“The whole episode is dedicated to promoting the cult of gender ideology. Many vulnerable children watch Dr Who – this is dreadful propaganda from the BBC yet again,” anti-trans organization Family Education Trust wrote on X.

The anti-trans brigade seems to be particularly riled up about a scene in which Finney’s character scolds Tennant’s about assuming that a fuzzy alien (voiced by out actress Miriam Margolyes) uses he/him pronouns.

Doctor Who casting director Andy Pryor addressed the backlash Sunday on X.

“Just stopped by to say that on @bbcdoctorwho (or any of our work) we don’t work hard to cast inclusively for publicity. We do it because we like stories. & stories should speak to all of us & include all of us,” he wrote.

Other fans took to X to ridicule transphobes for their hysterical reactions to the episode.

“For all those people throwing their dummies from their prams and stamping their tiny feet that Doctor Who has a #trans character, get used to it because trans people are here to stay, and no matter what crap you spout on twitter is going to change that,” one fan wrote.

“I loved Doctor Who tonight. I particularly am looking forward to seeing grown men throw their toys out of the pram over the next 24 hours,” wrote RuPaul’s Drag Race UK alum Banksie.

Two more anniversary specials written by Davies and featuring Tennant, Tate, and Finney are set to drop on Disney+ in the U.S. on December 2 and 9.

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