Is Doctor Who Racist?

A new collection of essays alleges that the long-running BBC series Doctor Who is "thunderously racist," Radio Timesreports.

Doctor Who and Race, which is scheduled to be published in July, accuses the show of treating non-white characters as "second class." It backs up the claim, according to Radio Times, by noting that Doctor Who has never featured a black or Asian Doctor in the title role, has a history of using white actors to play ethnic characters, and often portrays primitive people as "savages."

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Several essays in the collection also characterize the show's "slapstick" portrayal of Adolf Hitler in a 2011 episode as inappropriate.

In response, the BBC has defended the series, telling Radio Times that it has demonstrated a "strong track record of diverse casting among both regular and guest cast." Among the examples offered by the BBC are Freema Agyeman's portrayal of the Time Lord's first black companion in 2007 and Noel Clarke's role as recurring character Mickey Smith.

Do you think Doctor Who is racist?