Since Peter Capaldi announced that, after four years he’s leaving the role of Doctor Who once he’s filmed the 2017 Christmas special, there’s been much speculation about who should succeed him as the Time Lord.

The fervour and excitement surrounding this story has been so great, questions have even been raised in the House.

Not the House of Commons. The house of my mate Terry – a ‘Whovian’.

No, he’s not half-man, half-vacuum cleaner. A Whovian is a dedicated Doctor Who fan(atic).

They’re sometimes called other things – but this is a family friendly post.

The questions raised by Terry – and the media – were the same ones asked when the previous two Doctors (David Tennant and err . . . cough . . . umm . . . wotsisname) admitted they’d had enough of being chased around Cardiff by a BBC Wales camera crew every Saturday night as they routinely saved the Universe with the aid of little more than a witty remark, a knowing smile and a screwdriver that’s almost as versatile as a Swiss army knife.

The Doctor also has unseen help in scaring-off alien monsters in the form of the relentless, bombastic musical accompaniment of the National Orchestra Of Wales.

The musicians always give the impression that the louder and faster they play, the more money they get.

Perhaps they spend it all on aspirins?

Prior to seeing a couple of the Capaldi episodes last year, I hadn’t watched Doctor Who for decades.

It was so long ago, the Doctor was still making house calls.

I stopped watching the show after sitting through a video tape of six episodes back-to-back and suddenly realised I needed something that I’d never have access to while I remained a Doctor Who fan. A life!

Anyway, these were the questions raised by Terry The Whovian and the entire British media . . .

Why can’t the next Doctor Who be a woman?

Why can’t the next Doctor Who be played by a black actor?

Why can’t the next Doctor Who be played by a black actress?

All valid and worth considering. But I just wonder . . . if Doctor Who is ever played by an actress, could it lead to other fictional male characters changing their sex?

Will our TV schedules and multiplexes treat us to the adventures of . . .

Jane Bond

Shirley Holmes

Mary Potter

Freda Krueger

Lucy Skywalker

Judith Ben-Hur

Mad Maxine

Darth Ada

And . . .

Indy Anna Jones.

Let me know if you think of any more . . .