Discussion post: Because Trek fandom shouldn't have a monopoly on genderswap, now should it? [stunt

If you've hung around my journal for a while, you may have heard me talking every so often about the Classic Doctors as women - what they'd be like, how that'd change their storylines if at all, how girl!One and Polly would totally team up to tease Ben, etc. But when I think of them, I would always imagine a feminized version of the actors who portrayed them, not a different actress. And that got me thinking: Who would I pick to portray each Doctor, if I were to pick from among the fine ladies of British drama?

I turn the question to you: if you were recasting the Classic Doctors with actresses (from any era, not necessarily just those from the 60's, 70s, and 80s), who would you pick?

Tragically, my knowledge of British actresses is somewhat lacking, so I have only a few ideas. For some reason, Cherie Lunghi strikes me as a really good girl!Two, especially after seeing her in Horatio Hornblower. She has that mischeviousness about her, that sense of fun and energy, and she does the stealth!mockery really very well. Plus, there's something about her eyes. I don't know. It'd be difficult to make her look properly "cosmic hobo", but I think she could pull it off.

Also, girl!Three would be Joanna Lumley. I do not know why I am so certain. Maybe because I've seen her in so much 70s gear; maybe because she shares Pertwee's pechant for comically huge sunglasses in her publicity photos. Or maybe because I just got a mental picture of Lumley swordfighting Roger Delgado, nicking his lunch, and then giving him a flirty little pout when she throws his sword back. It was beautiful.

I'm tempted to cast girl!One as Maggie Smith but I do believe that'd be typecasting.

So, who would your girl!old-school!Doctors be? Why? Pictures, explanations, and discussion are highly encouraged!

July

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26 1	27	28	29	30	31

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

If you're looking to avoid typecasting Smith (who was also the first person I thought of for a female!One), might I suggest Classic!Who recurring actor Jean Marsh? She could project that air of mystery and slight menace that Hartnell had in his early appearances, and it'd feel like home for her. ;)

I loved Lunghi's character in Horatio Hornblower for being both distinguished and pixieish, and you're right, that really does correcspond well to Troughton's twinkling-eyed Two, so I'll just endorse this one.

I love Lumley, but I'd also throw in Helen Mirren for female!Three, if only because she could deliver Three's unofficial catchphrase of "Now listen to me ..." with the same Puff-Chested Certainty of Rightness that Pertwee brought to bear as the ultimate Patrician Liberal. :)

Of course, Lis Sladen is already female!Three IN CANON, but that's another matter altogether ... ;)

I don't know my British actresses nearly well enough to suggest anyone for female!Four, but she'd have to be odd and mercurial (and curly hair would be a bonus). Oh, hell ... Tilda Swinton, maybe?

As tempted as I'd be to cast Georgia Moffett as female!Five, Rachel Weisz would be a much better fit personality-wise, since she can do earnest good intentions, with that distinct touch of impatient peevishness, that defined Davison's wide-eyed but somewhat bitchy Five.

I was about to say "Jennifer Saunders for female!Six" as a joke, but the more I think about Baker's bombastic onscreen persona, the more I think it could seriously work.

Female!Seven is a difficult ones as well, but ... maybe Miranda Richardson, who can be comic and dark by turns, much like McCoy.

And it doesn't technically fall under the parameters of your question, but Amanda Donohoe for female!Nine. She'd be aces in Eccleston's wardrobe, and she'd definitely be the most hardcore of the Doctors. :)

[link] [reply]

I really like the idea of Tilda Swinton as female!Four. Curly hair can be handled with a wig if all else fails, but I think she'd have Four's mix of savant and space-case down perfectly, and it's not like his wardrobe would be crazier than anything else she's already worn. :) And the thought of Helen Mirren as female!Three makes me happy just because I'd love the chance to see her play a little bit more comic as well as serious, a la the first few episodes of Spearhead from Space.

Miranda Richardson!Seven is perfect, though - I'm kicking myself for not thinking of it. For some reason I'm imagining her in Sleepy Hollow, and the personality 180 that her character did near the end. Also I can't help but think she'd look good in a hat.

I haven't seen Amanda Donohoe in anything that I can remember, so I'll take your word on her as female!Nine. I was thinking of Claudia Black for female!Nine myself, but I think I'm biased because of her role as Vala.

Obvously that picture is a sign that people should be writing Rose/Lunghi!Two. Possibly it's not that Pete's World doesn't have a Doctor; it's that Pete's World's Doctor is several regenerations back and female. :)

[link] [parent] [reply]

Claudia Black even LOOKS like a female!Nine. Good call. I chose Donohoe because she can do bad-ass punk-rawk chicks very well, and she was in Lair of the White Worm.

Miranda Richardson was in both Blackadder and Neil Jordan films, so that pretty much makes her perfect for comic-to-dark whip-snap transitions like McCoy did as Seven.

And depending upon how far you chose to reverse the genders, Mirren as female!Three would be awesome for the "assistants," as well, with Mirren!Three being gruffly maternal toward the string of adoring young men who nurse crushes on her, from more serious-minded scientist Dr. Len Shaw, to wide-eyed young pretty-boy Joseph "Joe" Grant, to intrepid reporter Sammy James Smith. ;)

Len/Liz would have the most reluctant and repressed crush on the Doctor ever. And would be annoyed at himself for finding the crazy lady who waltzed in and took his job strangely attractive. But where does the Brigadier fit into all this?

Female!Four and male Romana would be another genderswitched pair I'd like to see, especially a male Romana II. Male Romana I as the book-smart young man making sarcastic remarks about female!Four I can see, but I'm wondering how the drawn-out divorce of the E-space trilogy would play out.

But where does the Brigadier fit into all this?

You've already seen her ...

Oh, and ... Roman I:

And Roman II:

And Dr. Len Shaw:

Oh, and Emily Watson for female!Eight.

And you seem to be even more right than you know about Lunghi, since she's already teamed up with one of the Doctor's companions. ;)

Not many I can think of at the moment, but I thought I should mention the Hepburns ♥ I think Audry Hepburn would make a lovely 5, she has that same quiet nobility about her that Peter Davison did. Katharine Hepburn would do a fantastic Three, I believe. Maybe Elaine Harper for Two? She has that sweetness he had. I want to suggest Shirley MacLaine for one of the Girl!Doctors but I think she'd be more of a companion type.

Maggie Smith as One WOULD be typecasting, but damn if she wouldn't do it fantastically well!

The thing about typecasting is that sometimes it works, right? ;) And Audrey Hepburn as Five is something I hadn't even thought about but seems so perfect now that I do; I can see her playing Five's annoyed-but-patient moments really well.

stunt_muppet

Discussion post: Because Trek fandom shouldn't have a monopoly on genderswap, now should it?

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

sorry for the late reply; was AFK

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

July