Steven Moffat, the executive producer of hit BBC programme Dr. Who, has said that he intends to “lie” to his audiences and revise history to include more black people in the show’s episodes.
Speaking to BBC journalists about positive discrimination Mr. Moffat, who is due to step down at the end of next year’s series, said: “Sometimes the nature of a particular show – historical dramas, for instance – makes diversity more of a challenge, but Doctor Who has absolutely nowhere to hide on this”.
“Young people watching have to know that they have a place in the future. That really matters. You have to care profoundly what children’s shows in particular say about where you’re going to be.”
He said that adding fake diversity would send a positive message that would resonate with the whole entertainment industry.
“Outside of the fiction, it’s about anyone feeling that they can be involved in this industry as an actor, a director, a writer… It’s hugely important, and it’s not good when we fail on that. We must do better,” he said.
“We’ve kind of got to tell a lie. We’ll go back into history and there will be black people where, historically, there wouldn’t have been, and we won’t dwell on that.
“We’ll say, ‘To hell with it, this is the imaginary, better version of the world. By believing in it, we’ll summon it forth’.”
The extraordinary statement came after Mr. Moffat revealed that the current Dr. Who iteration, played by ‘Thick of It’ actor Peter Capaldi, was originally offered to a black actor.
He said “for various reasons, it didn’t work out” but that it would be “amazing” for both Dr. Who and his sidekick to both be “non white”.
“Two non-white leads would be amazing. In fact, a lot of people would barely notice,” he said.
“I certainly don’t think there’s ever been a problem with making the Doctor black, which is why it should happen one day.”
There appears to be little opposition, at least none seen by Breitbart London, for the Doctor being black, given that the character’s body is known to change over time.
But placing black people at various points to “lie” to the public about history will no doubt cause some frustration.
The BBC refuses to comment.
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