Broadchurch and Black Mirror star Jodie Whittaker has been unveiled as the new Doctor Who, in a short teaser clip broadcast after the Wimbledon men's finals:
There had already been much chatter about the possibility of a female Doctor, with Fleabag actress Phoebe Waller Bridge the bookies' favourite before the big reveal.
Regardless, the news that the Time Lord would be taking the form of a woman for the first time in the show's history drew predictable fire from detractors:
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Luckily, Whittaker had more than a few defenders in high places, including Star Wars leading man John Boyega. The British actor tweeted that he was "so proud" of his Attack the Block co-star.
Actor and MC Riz Ahmed, who featured Whittaker in the music video for his song All Of You, also tweeted his support:
In fact, the majority of the fandom appeared to embrace the choice of Thirteenth Doctor and called on fellow viewers to throw their support behind Whittaker:
Others mocked the objections to a female Doctor with their own complaints about Whittaker's unsuitability for the role:
There were also a few tongue-in-cheek guesses at what obstacles a female Doctor might encounter:
Many Whovians simply shrugged off the backlash, noting that the programme's fandom has never been one to embrace change:
Still, one joker observed, all the online vitriol might actually serve a positive purpose:
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