A majority of Britons and half of women say it’s important the next Doctor Who is male – and among fans David Tennant is by far the most popular Doctor
The Sunday Times reported last week that “informed sources at the BBC” suggested the next Doctor Who could be a woman, after the 11th Doctor Matt Smith announced he will leave the series by the end of the year. The report fuelled speculation over who Mr Smith’s successor might be and which traits he or she may have, on which today YouGov can reveal the public’s opinion.
New YouGov research finds that with regard to the next Doctor the most voted trait “it’s important that they should be” is British, with 54% selecting that option. Second most important to the public however is being male, with a majority (52%) overall and half (49%) of all women choosing that trait.
In terms of current or previous Doctors, among those who are interested in the show Matt Smith ranks as the third favourite Time Lord (14% choose him) after Tom Baker (16%) and David Tennant who stands out as favourite for 43%. Sylvester McCoy, however, is the least favourite Doctor for 29% and second least preferred is Colin Baker (11%).
The great majority of Britons, though, are not interested in the programme: 68% are “not very” or “not at all” interested, compared to 31% who are “quite” or “very” interested.
Matt smith first stepped into the Tardis in 2010, as the youngest person to play the Doctor. His last appearance will be the 50th anniversary episode in November and the Christmas special.
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