Doctor Who's new pann Bill Potts is gay - and actrs says ''s about time'

Contents:

• ‘DOCTOR WHO’ ANNOUNC S FIRST GAY LEAD CHARACTER
• DOCTOR WHO'S BILL POTTS TO BE SHOW'S FIRST OPENLY GAY PANN
• DOCTOR WHO GETS FIRST OPENLY GAY PANN
• DOCTOR WHO GETS FIRST OPENLY GAY PANN
• ‘DOCTOR WHO’: PEARL MACKIE’S CHARACTER BILL POTTS WILL BE FIRST OPENLY GAY COMPANN
• DOCTOR WHO'S NEW PANN BILL POTTS IS GAY - AND ACTRS SAYS ''S ABOUT TIME'
• PEARL MACKIE NFIRMS THAT NEW DOCTOR WHO PANN BILL POTTS IS GAY
• DOCTOR WHO: NEW COMPANN IS OPENLY GAY, BUT IT IS ‘NOT THE MA THG THAT DEF HER,’ SAYS PEARL MACKIE
• ‘DOCTOR WHO’: PEARL MACKIE WILL PLAY THE FIRST OPENLY GAY COMPANN THE SERI
• DOCTOR WHO TO FEATURE FIRST OPENLY GAY PANN
• HOW NEW DOCTOR WHO COMPANN PEARL MACKIE REVOLUTNIZ A SCI-FI INSTUTNON HIS WAY OUT, SHOWNNER STEVEN MOFFAT HAD ONE MORE SURPRISG TRICK UP HIS SLEEVE.BY JOANNA ROBSONAPRIL 15, 2017SIMON RIDGWAY/BBC AMERICASAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEA STRANGE THG HAPPENS WHEN A PROPERTY HAS BEEN KICKG AROUND POP CULTURE AS LONG AS DOCTOR WHO. MUCH LIKE THE CREATIVE TEAM NOW CHARGE OF THE STAR WARS ANCHISE, MOST OF THE PEOPLE WORKG ON WHO THE DAYS WERE RAISED ON THE SCI-FI STUTN. SHOWNNER STEVEN MOFFAT, OCSNAL CELEBRY GUT WRER NEIL GAIMAN, THE REVOLVG ST OF DOCTORS AND COMPANNS, AND MORE ALL HAVE AN ANSWER READY WHEN THEY’RE EVABLY ASKED “WHO IS YOUR FAVORE DOCTOR?” AFTER MORE THAN FIFTY (NON-NTUO) YEARS ON AIR, THIS IS A SHOW FOR FANS, BY FANS. THAT TENSE LOVE N BE A GREAT THG—BUT N ALSO, AT S WORST, RULT A B OF STALE NAVEL-GAZG WHEN TO STORYTELLG. ENTER PEARL MACKIE, THE NEWT OCCUPANT OF THE TARDIS, WHO PARTIALLY LAND THE GIG OF PANN BEE SHE IS UNFAIAR WH THE WORLD OF WHO. HER FIRST EPISO, AIRG SATURDAY ON BBC AMERI, ACTS AS A KD OF SOFT REBOOT FOR THE ANCHISE AND IS CHEEKILY NAMED “THE PILOT.” AS BILL POTTS, THE TENSELY CHARISMATIC MACKIE BURSTS TO THIS FAIAR UNIVERSE A WAY THAT’S LS “BREATH OF H AIR” AND MORE “GALE FORCE WD.”SPEAKG WH , THE 29 YEAR-OLD MACKIE EXPLAS WHY SHE MISSED THE WHO PHENOMENON THE FIRST TIME AROUND: “I WAS PART OF THE DOCTOR WHO-LS YEARS WHEN SORT OF WAS OFF THE AIR JT BEFORE I WAS BORN, AND THEN ME BACK WHEN I WAS ABOUT 16, WHEN I WAS MOSTLY TERTED HANGG OUT PARKS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.” THOUGH, SHE NFS, “YOU’D HAVE TO KD OF BE LIVG UNR A ROCK TO NOT KNOW ABOUT DOCTOR WHO AND ABOUT THE TARDIS” AND SAYS SHE UGHT THE OCSNAL CHRISTMAS SPECIAL.BUT UNLIKE THE OTHER YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN IALLY UNFAIAR WH WHO THAT HAVE BEEN HIRED BY THE ANCHISE RECENT YEARS, MACKIE DIDN’T DO HER HOMEWORK. IN A RATHER GENI MOVE, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER BRIAN MCH ACTUALLY TOLD MACKIE NOT TO WATCH THE PREV SEASONS OF THE SHOW. ENERGIZED BY HER H TAKE ON THE UNIVERSE, THE CREATIVE TEAM SAID: “WHATEVER YOU’RE DOG CURRENTLY IS WORKG, SO MAYBE ’S BT NOT TO WATCH ALL BEE MIGHT CHANGE YOUR PERFORMANCE. IT’D BE QUE NICE IF YOU EXPERIENCED THGS AS BILL EXPERIENC THEM.”THAT WI-EYED WONR—SUCH A KEY FACTOR TO THE WORLD OF WHO— EASILY FOR MACKIE AND IS ALSO BAKED TO THE CREATN OF HER CHARACTER. MANY OLD-SCHOOL FANS HAVE NOTED THAT BILL’S STYLE (SPECIFILLY, HER PATCH-VERED JACKET) SEEMS LIKE A NOD TO AN EARLY, BELOVED PANN, ACE MCSHANE—THOUGH MACKIE SAYS THAT WAS NOT TENTNAL. BUT AFTER WATCHG “THE PILOT,” THE CLEARER PARISON IS TO THE MOST POPULAR PANN OF ALL TIME: PANN OF ALL TIME: BILLIE PIPER’S ROSE TYLER.WHEN WE FIRST MEET BILL, SHE’S DISHG UP CHIPS A UNIVERSY FETERIA. THE WAY MACKIE SCRIB BILL MAY SOUND FAIAR TO FANS OF ROSE—A LONDON SHOP GIRL:SHE’S VERY REAL, VERY MUCH KD OF A GIRL THAT YOU ULD WALK PAST ON THE STREET. SHE’S SORT OF BEEN PLUCKED OUT OF THAT LIFE AND THEN BEEN SHOWN THE WONRS OF SPACE AND TIME VIA THE TARDIS AND THE DOCTOR. I THK 'S QUE NICE THAT SHE’S AN EVERYDAY PERSON. SHE ULD LIVE NEXT DOOR TO YOU. SHE’S VERY, VERY SEPARATE TO THAT WORLD. IT’S MORE LIKE IF YOU OR I SUDNLY DISVERED THAT A GUY THAT WE KNEW HAD A TARDIS THAT ULD TAKE ANYWHERE WE WANTED TO GO.AS MACKIE NOT, THAT “ORDARY” VIBE OF BILL STANDS OUT STARK NTRAST TO THE “EXCEPTNALISM” THAT HAS MARKED RECENT PANNS LIKE KAREN GILLAN’S AMY POND (WHO MET THE DOCTOR AS A CHILD AND GREW UP WH A TEMPORAL CRACK HER WALL) OR JENNA COLEMAN’S CLARA OSWALD, WHO, LET’S SAY FOR THE SAKE OF EXPEDIENCY, EXISTED MULTIPLE TIMEL. AMY WAS “THE GIRL WHO WAED.” CLARA WAS “THE IMPOSSIBLE GIRL.” EVEN ROSE WAS “THE BAD WOLF.” BUT BILL? WELL, SHE’S JT BILL.SIMON RIDGWAY/BBC AMERICAOF URSE, AS RECENT HEADL HAVE BEEN EAGER TO POT OUT, MACKIE’S BILL IS AT LEAST SOMEWHAT EXCEPTNAL WH THE META WORLD OF DOCTOR WHO, BEE SHE’S THE FIRST GAY PANN (IF WE DON’T UNT PART-TIMER CAPTA JACK HARKNS) TO RI AROUND THE TARDIS FULL-TIME. BUT EVEN BILL’S SEXUALY IS TREATED A SUAL AND EVERYDAY A MANNER. MOFFAT HIMSELF HAS STRSED THAT WE SHOULDN’T MAKE A FS OVER BILL BEG GAY: “WE DON'T WANT YOUNG KIDS, WHO MAY HAPPEN TO FANCY THEIR OWN GENR, WE DON’T WANT THEM TO FEEL AS IF THEY ARE SOME OF KD OF SPECIAL SE, AS THAT’S IGHTENG.”BUT MACKIE NOT THAT PUTTG A GAY CHARACTER AT THE CENTER OF SUCH A POPULAR AND BELOVED SHOW IS WORTH AT LEAST A CERTA AMOUNT OF FS. “GROWG UP AS A MIXED-RACE GIRL WHO WANTED TO BE AN ACTRS, I DIDN’T SEE MANY PEOPLE LIKE ME ON THE TELLY. I JT DIDN’T,” SHE SAYS. “FOR ME, BEG ABLE TO BE A REGNIZABLE FACE OF AN ETHNIC MORY IS GREAT. THAT’S IMPORTANT FOR ME, SO I IMAGE THAT FOR THE YOUNG GAY, AND THE OLR GAY MUNY, THAT IS IMPORTANT TO SEE SOMEONE A MASTREAM SHOW THAT IS GAY.”AND THOUGH MOFFAT ADVOT FOR MIMAL FS, THE SHOW IS NOT TRYG TO HI OR ERASE BILL’S SEXUALY. HER CSH ON ANOTHER YOUNG WOMAN IS THE VERY BEATG HEART OF “THE PILOT”—DOCTOR WHO HAS A LONG HISTORY OF LEANG ON LOVE AS GENRE METAPHOR—BUT ’S REVEALED QUE MATTER-OF-FACTLY. “FOR BILL, HER SEXUALY IS JT HER SEXUALY,” MACKIE EXPLAED. “IT’S NOT THAT IMPORTANT TERMS OF THE CHARACTER. FOR HER, ’S NOT A BIG AL, ’S SOMETHG SHE’S JT VERY HAPPY AND QUE CHILLED AND FORTABLE WH. BUT I DO UNRSTAND THAT REPRENTATN IS IMPORTANT. I JT THK, I MEAN, ’S 2017. IT’S ALL ABOUT TIME. HOPEFULLY, THERE’LL BE MORE TO FOLLOW.”SIMON RIDGWAY/BBC AMERICAOVER THE URSE OF FIVE S, DOCTOR WHO HAS FOREVER BEEN REVENTG SELF. IT’S WHAT THE SERI IS KNOWN __FOR. BUT THIS IS A PARTICULARLY ODD TIME THE ANCHISE’S HISTORY FOR MOFFAT TO PURSUE RADIL REVENTN. BOTH MOFFAT AND STAR PETER CAPALDI HAVE ANNOUNCED THAT THIS WILL BE THEIR FAL SEASONS ON DOCTOR WHO, MEANG THAT THE SERI WILL ONCE AGA REBOOT WHEN NEW SHOWNNER CHRIS CHIBNALL AND AN AS-YET-UNNAMED LEADG ACTOR/ACTRS TAKE OVER. THERE’S NO WORD YET WHETHER MACKIE OR THIS SEASON’S OTHER PANN, MATT LUS’S NARDOLE, WILL STAY ON THE SHOW TO BRIDGE THE TRANSN—THOUGH THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN SOME MORS THAT MACKIE WILL BE PARTG AS WELL. WHICH WOULD BE AN UTTER SHAME.ONE MIGHT EXPECT THAT FOR THEIR FAREWELL TOUR, CAPALDI AND MOFFAT WOULD LEAN HEAVILY ON THEIR RPECTIVE HISTORI WH THE SERI. THAT’S CERTALY HOW STAR DAVID TENNANT AND PREV SHOWNNER RSELL T. DAVI WENT OUT: WH THEIR EY FIRMLY ON THE REARVIEW. AND THERE WILL BE SOME __OF THAT BACKWARDS LOOKG THIS SEASON, THOUGH TERTGLY, MOFFAT SEEMS TO BE STG BACK TO REFERENC THAT PRE-DATE HIS TIME AS SHOWNNER. THE WATER-LOGGED MONSTER OF “THE PILOT” RELLS THE DRIPPG VILLAS OF 2009’S “THE WATER OF MARS,” AND JOHN SIMM WILL BE RETURNG AS THE FAN FAVORE, TENNANT-ERA RNATN OF THE MASTER. BUT SPE THOSE (AND SURELY MANY MORE) REFERENC, THE CLN OF MACKIE AS BILL MEANS THAT MOFFAT HAS A CHANCE TO END THE SERI ON A TLY H AND HIGH NOTE.“STEVEN’S LLED A REBOOT BEFORE,” MACKIE SAYS, REFERRG TO SEASON 10. “I THK IS SORT OF A REAWAKENG OF THE WORLD OF DOCTOR WHO—NOT THAT ’S BEEN ASLEEP. YOU SEE THE DOCTOR THROUGH BILL’S EY, AND ALLOWG THE DIENCE TO GO THROUGH THE TARDIS WH BILL, YOU’RE ALLOWG THEM TO HAVE BOTH THE JOY OF DISVERY AND THAT FAIARY. IN A WAY, PRENTS SORT OF OLD, INIC L, BUT THEN ALSO GIV A BREATH OF HNS TO .” BUT MACKIE IS MORE THAN BREATH OF ANYTHG. SHE’S EXACTLY THE KD OF STRONG WD DOCTOR WHO NEED S SAILS TO SEND MOFFAT AND CAPALDI ON THEIR WAY.SEASON 10 OF DOCTOR WHO PREMIER ON BBC AMERI APRIL 15. NEW EPISOS ARE AVAILABLE THE NEXT DAY AT , ON THE BBCA APP, AND ON VOD.MOST POPULARAND JT LIKE THAT… PREPAR FOR ITS LAST SUPPERBY CHRIS MURPHYRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHTHE TV MOVIE IS MAKG A WEIRD, WONRFUL COMEBACKBY DAVID CANFIELDJOANNA ROBSON

‘DOCTOR WHO’ ANNOUNC S FIRST GAY LEAD CHARACTER

The new Doctor Who pann, Bill Potts, will be openly Who clud a few LGBTQ rol the past (Jack Harkns even got his own spoff, Torchwood), but Bill is the first openly gay lead character.

It’s important to say people are gay, people are black – there are also aliens the world, so watch out for them.

“[Beg gay] is not the ma thg that f her character – ’s somethg that’s part of her and somethg that she’s very happy and very fortable wh.

DOCTOR WHO'S BILL POTTS TO BE SHOW'S FIRST OPENLY GAY PANN

”Gay characters have featured the programme the past, but never prevly as full-time was announced last April that Mackie would be takg the role and her first episo is due to air on 15 April. Media ptn, "Bill’s gay and shouldn’t be a big al.

"The new seri of Doctor Who will see the Time Lord joed by his first openly gay Potts's sexualy will be revealed pretty much straightaway her send le of dialogue when the show returns to BBC One on 15 April. "She add: "It's important to say people are gay, people are black - there are also aliens the world as well so watch out for them. ""[Beg gay] is not the ma thg that f her character - 's somethg that's part of her and somethg that she's very happy and very fortable wh.

"Image source, BBC, Ray BurmistonImage ptn, Pearl Mackie will jo Peter Capaldi - who will appear his last seri of Doctor WhoGay and bisexual characters have featured Doctor Who before, such as Capta Jack and River Song, but this is the first time the Doctor's permanent pann has been openly gay. The new seri of ‘Doctor Who’ will feature the Time Lord’s first ever openly gay pann, has been revealed.

DOCTOR WHO GETS FIRST OPENLY GAY PANN

“[Beg gay] is not the ma thg that f her character — ’s somethg that’s part of her and somethg that she’s very happy and very fortable wh, ” Mackie ’s no g out scene, or big inty reveal.

DOCTOR WHO GETS FIRST OPENLY GAY PANN

Instead, Bill’s troduced to as beg many thgs; gay is jt one of the first openly gay pann is the natural ntuatn of a pattern Doctor Who has been rryg on sce 2005, ever sce Queer as Folk creator Rsell T. On 31st March 2017, actrs Pearl Mackie announced an terview wh BBC News that her character, Bill Potts, would be Doctor Who’s first openly gay pann.

‘DOCTOR WHO’: PEARL MACKIE’S CHARACTER BILL POTTS WILL BE FIRST OPENLY GAY COMPANN

Wh the show, beg gay isn’t a big al to Bill herself but the real world, where homophobic hate crime is on the crease and where young people n still feel sred or embarrassed about g out, ’s a big al that one of the most popular TV shows the untry has done this. I didn’t have any female gay role mols growg up.

Like many other gay women, I grew up a very heterosexual environment. When I got olr and eventually began to realise I was gay, I was very ightened of .

My upbrgg had tght me wasn’t okay to be gay. I grew up foster re for the latter half of my childhood and teenage years but my real Dad, who I lived wh durg my formative years, was very homophobic and ma fun of gay people.

DOCTOR WHO'S NEW PANN BILL POTTS IS GAY - AND ACTRS SAYS ''S ABOUT TIME'

Not only was not tght as part of the curriculum but you’d also be badly bullied if anyone thought you were gay. Comg to terms wh my sexualy whilst growg up was a long and difficult procs and I strongly believe if there were some female gay role mols like Bill Potts who I uld look up to, I would have felt more fortable wh my sexualy and accepted myself a lot quicker. Bill reassur that ’s okay to be gay.

PEARL MACKIE NFIRMS THAT NEW DOCTOR WHO PANN BILL POTTS IS GAY

As I mentned earlier, I grew up thkg wasn’t okay to be gay bee of the lack of LGBT+ reprentatn the media, school bulli and bee at home and the playground, heterosexualy was the only thg that was ever spoken about.

The very prence of a gay ma character (and one who is portrayed so posively) one of the untry’s most popular TV shows, reassur me, as a lbian viewer, that ’s not weird or wrong to be gay; I feel clud rather than exclud (which is ually the se) and therefore, normal. Bill keeps me ground and remds me ’s ok to be gay + ’s not a big al like people make out. Her gayns is normal.

DOCTOR WHO: NEW COMPANN IS OPENLY GAY, BUT IT IS ‘NOT THE MA THG THAT DEF HER,’ SAYS PEARL MACKIE

I jt love how isn’t a big al, ’s sually mentned and that’s that, ’s not often that beg gay is reprented 1/3. that you n be fortable wh beg gay but also aaid of tellg the people you re about. Beg gay is part of her character but they don’t make a big al about .

Wh Pearl Mackie’s portrayl of her I feel that ’s normal to be gay, and acceptable to be me. She really has “normalised” beg gay – for a lack of a better word.

Beg gay don’t fe Bill’s character. But beg gay isn’t the only thg about you and ’s not the only thg about Bill eher.

‘DOCTOR WHO’: PEARL MACKIE WILL PLAY THE FIRST OPENLY GAY COMPANN THE SERI

She is such a great character and the fact that she is gay (which don’t fe her) mak her a huge spiratn to me, even as a guy. Reprentatn isn’t jt cludg a gay character and beg done wh . If you’re wrg a gay character a realistic way, then this sort of stuff is gog to e up too, bee happens real life.

It’s so nice to see a gay person wh a super supportive father figure bc I’m really. Comg om someone who is gay, genuely ma me cry. At a time where posive LGBT+ reprentatn is still slim, havg a character like Bill has meant so much people, pecially those who are gay.

Doctor Who's new pann Bill Potts is gay, was revealed today - and the actrs behd the character, Pearl Mackie, has said that she wel the creased reprentatn for LGBTQ people on televisn.

DOCTOR WHO TO FEATURE FIRST OPENLY GAY PANN

She then add: "It's important to say people are gay, people are black - there are also aliens the world as well so watch out for them. "[Beg gay] is not the ma thg that f her character - 's somethg that's part of her and somethg that she's very happy and very fortable wh.

It’s important to say people are gay, people are black — there are also aliens the world as well so watch out for them.

[Beg gay] is not the ma thg that f her character — ’s somethg that’s part of her and somethg that she’s very happy and very fortable wh. When Doctor Who returns to BBC One on April 15, the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) will meet a new iend, Bill, actrs Pearl Mackie – who plays Bill – has nfirmed that her character is openly gay, sayg that "reprentatn is important, pecially on a mastream show".

HOW NEW DOCTOR WHO COMPANN PEARL MACKIE REVOLUTNIZ A SCI-FI INSTUTNON HIS WAY OUT, SHOWNNER STEVEN MOFFAT HAD ONE MORE SURPRISG TRICK UP HIS SLEEVE.BY JOANNA ROBSONAPRIL 15, 2017SIMON RIDGWAY/BBC AMERICASAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEA STRANGE THG HAPPENS WHEN A PROPERTY HAS BEEN KICKG AROUND POP CULTURE AS LONG AS DOCTOR WHO. MUCH LIKE THE CREATIVE TEAM NOW CHARGE OF THE STAR WARS ANCHISE, MOST OF THE PEOPLE WORKG ON WHO THE DAYS WERE RAISED ON THE SCI-FI STUTN. SHOWNNER STEVEN MOFFAT, OCSNAL CELEBRY GUT WRER NEIL GAIMAN, THE REVOLVG ST OF DOCTORS AND COMPANNS, AND MORE ALL HAVE AN ANSWER READY WHEN THEY’RE EVABLY ASKED “WHO IS YOUR FAVORE DOCTOR?” AFTER MORE THAN FIFTY (NON-NTUO) YEARS ON AIR, THIS IS A SHOW FOR FANS, BY FANS. THAT TENSE LOVE N BE A GREAT THG—BUT N ALSO, AT S WORST, RULT A B OF STALE NAVEL-GAZG WHEN TO STORYTELLG. ENTER PEARL MACKIE, THE NEWT OCCUPANT OF THE TARDIS, WHO PARTIALLY LAND THE GIG OF PANN BEE SHE IS UNFAIAR WH THE WORLD OF WHO. HER FIRST EPISO, AIRG SATURDAY ON BBC AMERI, ACTS AS A KD OF SOFT REBOOT FOR THE ANCHISE AND IS CHEEKILY NAMED “THE PILOT.” AS BILL POTTS, THE TENSELY CHARISMATIC MACKIE BURSTS TO THIS FAIAR UNIVERSE A WAY THAT’S LS “BREATH OF H AIR” AND MORE “GALE FORCE WD.”SPEAKG WH , THE 29 YEAR-OLD MACKIE EXPLAS WHY SHE MISSED THE WHO PHENOMENON THE FIRST TIME AROUND: “I WAS PART OF THE DOCTOR WHO-LS YEARS WHEN SORT OF WAS OFF THE AIR JT BEFORE I WAS BORN, AND THEN ME BACK WHEN I WAS ABOUT 16, WHEN I WAS MOSTLY TERTED HANGG OUT PARKS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.” THOUGH, SHE NFS, “YOU’D HAVE TO KD OF BE LIVG UNR A ROCK TO NOT KNOW ABOUT DOCTOR WHO AND ABOUT THE TARDIS” AND SAYS SHE UGHT THE OCSNAL CHRISTMAS SPECIAL.BUT UNLIKE THE OTHER YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN IALLY UNFAIAR WH WHO THAT HAVE BEEN HIRED BY THE ANCHISE RECENT YEARS, MACKIE DIDN’T DO HER HOMEWORK. IN A RATHER GENI MOVE, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER BRIAN MCH ACTUALLY TOLD MACKIE NOT TO WATCH THE PREV SEASONS OF THE SHOW. ENERGIZED BY HER H TAKE ON THE UNIVERSE, THE CREATIVE TEAM SAID: “WHATEVER YOU’RE DOG CURRENTLY IS WORKG, SO MAYBE ’S BT NOT TO WATCH ALL BEE MIGHT CHANGE YOUR PERFORMANCE. IT’D BE QUE NICE IF YOU EXPERIENCED THGS AS BILL EXPERIENC THEM.”THAT WI-EYED WONR—SUCH A KEY FACTOR TO THE WORLD OF WHO— EASILY FOR MACKIE AND IS ALSO BAKED TO THE CREATN OF HER CHARACTER. MANY OLD-SCHOOL FANS HAVE NOTED THAT BILL’S STYLE (SPECIFILLY, HER PATCH-VERED JACKET) SEEMS LIKE A NOD TO AN EARLY, BELOVED PANN, ACE MCSHANE—THOUGH MACKIE SAYS THAT WAS NOT TENTNAL. BUT AFTER WATCHG “THE PILOT,” THE CLEARER PARISON IS TO THE MOST POPULAR PANN OF ALL TIME: PANN OF ALL TIME: BILLIE PIPER’S ROSE TYLER.WHEN WE FIRST MEET BILL, SHE’S DISHG UP CHIPS A UNIVERSY FETERIA. THE WAY MACKIE SCRIB BILL MAY SOUND FAIAR TO FANS OF ROSE—A LONDON SHOP GIRL:SHE’S VERY REAL, VERY MUCH KD OF A GIRL THAT YOU ULD WALK PAST ON THE STREET. SHE’S SORT OF BEEN PLUCKED OUT OF THAT LIFE AND THEN BEEN SHOWN THE WONRS OF SPACE AND TIME VIA THE TARDIS AND THE DOCTOR. I THK 'S QUE NICE THAT SHE’S AN EVERYDAY PERSON. SHE ULD LIVE NEXT DOOR TO YOU. SHE’S VERY, VERY SEPARATE TO THAT WORLD. IT’S MORE LIKE IF YOU OR I SUDNLY DISVERED THAT A GUY THAT WE KNEW HAD A TARDIS THAT ULD TAKE ANYWHERE WE WANTED TO GO.AS MACKIE NOT, THAT “ORDARY” VIBE OF BILL STANDS OUT STARK NTRAST TO THE “EXCEPTNALISM” THAT HAS MARKED RECENT PANNS LIKE KAREN GILLAN’S AMY POND (WHO MET THE DOCTOR AS A CHILD AND GREW UP WH A TEMPORAL CRACK HER WALL) OR JENNA COLEMAN’S CLARA OSWALD, WHO, LET’S SAY FOR THE SAKE OF EXPEDIENCY, EXISTED MULTIPLE TIMEL. AMY WAS “THE GIRL WHO WAED.” CLARA WAS “THE IMPOSSIBLE GIRL.” EVEN ROSE WAS “THE BAD WOLF.” BUT BILL? WELL, SHE’S JT BILL.SIMON RIDGWAY/BBC AMERICAOF URSE, AS RECENT HEADL HAVE BEEN EAGER TO POT OUT, MACKIE’S BILL IS AT LEAST SOMEWHAT EXCEPTNAL WH THE META WORLD OF DOCTOR WHO, BEE SHE’S THE FIRST GAY PANN (IF WE DON’T UNT PART-TIMER CAPTA JACK HARKNS) TO RI AROUND THE TARDIS FULL-TIME. BUT EVEN BILL’S SEXUALY IS TREATED A SUAL AND EVERYDAY A MANNER. MOFFAT HIMSELF HAS STRSED THAT WE SHOULDN’T MAKE A FS OVER BILL BEG GAY: “WE DON'T WANT YOUNG KIDS, WHO MAY HAPPEN TO FANCY THEIR OWN GENR, WE DON’T WANT THEM TO FEEL AS IF THEY ARE SOME OF KD OF SPECIAL SE, AS THAT’S IGHTENG.”BUT MACKIE NOT THAT PUTTG A GAY CHARACTER AT THE CENTER OF SUCH A POPULAR AND BELOVED SHOW IS WORTH AT LEAST A CERTA AMOUNT OF FS. “GROWG UP AS A MIXED-RACE GIRL WHO WANTED TO BE AN ACTRS, I DIDN’T SEE MANY PEOPLE LIKE ME ON THE TELLY. I JT DIDN’T,” SHE SAYS. “FOR ME, BEG ABLE TO BE A REGNIZABLE FACE OF AN ETHNIC MORY IS GREAT. THAT’S IMPORTANT FOR ME, SO I IMAGE THAT FOR THE YOUNG GAY, AND THE OLR GAY MUNY, THAT IS IMPORTANT TO SEE SOMEONE A MASTREAM SHOW THAT IS GAY.”AND THOUGH MOFFAT ADVOT FOR MIMAL FS, THE SHOW IS NOT TRYG TO HI OR ERASE BILL’S SEXUALY. HER CSH ON ANOTHER YOUNG WOMAN IS THE VERY BEATG HEART OF “THE PILOT”—DOCTOR WHO HAS A LONG HISTORY OF LEANG ON LOVE AS GENRE METAPHOR—BUT ’S REVEALED QUE MATTER-OF-FACTLY. “FOR BILL, HER SEXUALY IS JT HER SEXUALY,” MACKIE EXPLAED. “IT’S NOT THAT IMPORTANT TERMS OF THE CHARACTER. FOR HER, ’S NOT A BIG AL, ’S SOMETHG SHE’S JT VERY HAPPY AND QUE CHILLED AND FORTABLE WH. BUT I DO UNRSTAND THAT REPRENTATN IS IMPORTANT. I JT THK, I MEAN, ’S 2017. IT’S ALL ABOUT TIME. HOPEFULLY, THERE’LL BE MORE TO FOLLOW.”SIMON RIDGWAY/BBC AMERICAOVER THE URSE OF FIVE S, DOCTOR WHO HAS FOREVER BEEN REVENTG SELF. IT’S WHAT THE SERI IS KNOWN __FOR. BUT THIS IS A PARTICULARLY ODD TIME THE ANCHISE’S HISTORY FOR MOFFAT TO PURSUE RADIL REVENTN. BOTH MOFFAT AND STAR PETER CAPALDI HAVE ANNOUNCED THAT THIS WILL BE THEIR FAL SEASONS ON DOCTOR WHO, MEANG THAT THE SERI WILL ONCE AGA REBOOT WHEN NEW SHOWNNER CHRIS CHIBNALL AND AN AS-YET-UNNAMED LEADG ACTOR/ACTRS TAKE OVER. THERE’S NO WORD YET WHETHER MACKIE OR THIS SEASON’S OTHER PANN, MATT LUS’S NARDOLE, WILL STAY ON THE SHOW TO BRIDGE THE TRANSN—THOUGH THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN SOME MORS THAT MACKIE WILL BE PARTG AS WELL. WHICH WOULD BE AN UTTER SHAME.ONE MIGHT EXPECT THAT FOR THEIR FAREWELL TOUR, CAPALDI AND MOFFAT WOULD LEAN HEAVILY ON THEIR RPECTIVE HISTORI WH THE SERI. THAT’S CERTALY HOW STAR DAVID TENNANT AND PREV SHOWNNER RSELL T. DAVI WENT OUT: WH THEIR EY FIRMLY ON THE REARVIEW. AND THERE WILL BE SOME __OF THAT BACKWARDS LOOKG THIS SEASON, THOUGH TERTGLY, MOFFAT SEEMS TO BE STG BACK TO REFERENC THAT PRE-DATE HIS TIME AS SHOWNNER. THE WATER-LOGGED MONSTER OF “THE PILOT” RELLS THE DRIPPG VILLAS OF 2009’S “THE WATER OF MARS,” AND JOHN SIMM WILL BE RETURNG AS THE FAN FAVORE, TENNANT-ERA RNATN OF THE MASTER. BUT SPE THOSE (AND SURELY MANY MORE) REFERENC, THE CLN OF MACKIE AS BILL MEANS THAT MOFFAT HAS A CHANCE TO END THE SERI ON A TLY H AND HIGH NOTE.“STEVEN’S LLED A REBOOT BEFORE,” MACKIE SAYS, REFERRG TO SEASON 10. “I THK IS SORT OF A REAWAKENG OF THE WORLD OF DOCTOR WHO—NOT THAT ’S BEEN ASLEEP. YOU SEE THE DOCTOR THROUGH BILL’S EY, AND ALLOWG THE DIENCE TO GO THROUGH THE TARDIS WH BILL, YOU’RE ALLOWG THEM TO HAVE BOTH THE JOY OF DISVERY AND THAT FAIARY. IN A WAY, PRENTS SORT OF OLD, INIC L, BUT THEN ALSO GIV A BREATH OF HNS TO .” BUT MACKIE IS MORE THAN BREATH OF ANYTHG. SHE’S EXACTLY THE KD OF STRONG WD DOCTOR WHO NEED S SAILS TO SEND MOFFAT AND CAPALDI ON THEIR WAY.SEASON 10 OF DOCTOR WHO PREMIER ON BBC AMERI APRIL 15. NEW EPISOS ARE AVAILABLE THE NEXT DAY AT , ON THE BBCA APP, AND ON VOD.MOST POPULARAND JT LIKE THAT… PREPAR FOR ITS LAST SUPPERBY CHRIS MURPHYRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHTHE TV MOVIE IS MAKG A WEIRD, WONRFUL COMEBACKBY DAVID CANFIELDJOANNA ROBSON

BBC"It's important to say people are gay, people are black. "[Beg gay] is not the ma thg that f her character – 's somethg that's part of her and somethg that she's very happy and very fortable wh. Ahead of the Season 10 premiere of Doctor Who (Saturday, April 15 at 9/8c on BBC Ameri), anchise newbie Pearl Mackie has revealed that her character, new pann Bill Potts, is openly gay.