When Doctor Who first returned to our screens in 2005, good ol’ Russell T Davies filled it with his favourite type of characters – mothers. From Jackie Tyler to Nancy to the Doctor’s mother randomly popping up, motherhood is a recurring theme. But fathers are just as important in the Whoniverse, and we’re here to talk about Nu!Who and its fathers on Father’s Day.
And there’s probably no better way to start than with Pete Tyler, as the character forms the central plot of “Father’s Day.” In his absence, Jackie’s created the legend of a perfect father for Rose. And it’s Jackie’s story of Pete’s death, how he died alone, that leads to Rose begging the Doctor to take her there. But obviously, because Rose isn’t a robot, she can’t resist interfering with history to save her father. During the following attack by Reapers, she learns that her dad isn’t perfect. Pete is the kind of dad who might not always be effective, but he’s trying to do the best for his family, even if that means killing himself in order to protect them. That’s a character trait that appears again in Pete’s World Pete, as he fights to save his daughter from a parallel universe.
Doctor Who’s greatest strength are its characters, because they give the show the realism any science-fiction series needs. And the ex-spouse relationship between Clive and Francine is true-to-life, with bitter recriminations raging on both sides, but amidst all that, Clive is attempting to still be part of his children’s lives. When we first meet him, he’s trying to bring his girlfriend to his son’s birthday party, in an attempt to join the family together. But it’s later that Clive comes into his own. While Francine believes the Master’s lies about the Doctor, cooperating with government operatives in an attempt to capture Martha, it’s Clive who speaks out and warns Martha, regardless of any recriminations sure to swiftly follow.
When the character of Donna Noble was conceived, she had a father in Geoffrey. Sadly, however, Howard Attfield died during filming of “Partners in Crime”, and so producers looked around for another father figure for Donna. Who better than Bernard Cribbins? Before Donna leaves to travel with the Doctor, Wilf treats her as special. Their close relationship, as opposed to Donna’s sometimes strained relationship with her mother, can be seen in the way Donna confides the truth in Wilf. But that’s not to say that Wilf is blind to her faults – after her memory wipe, he pleads with the Doctor to return her memory, because she was better with him. Donna might still have the potential to be great, but Wilf recognises that most of our personality is tied up in our experiences. Wilf is just awesome, being one of the very few people who can track down the Doctor (yeah, yeah, “universe is bringing us together”), and it’s his strength, hope, and belief in what’s right that leads the Doctor to say he would be proud to count Wilf as his dad.
What with Melody being stolen before she’s even born, there was never much of a chance for Rory to be a traditional father. He doesn’t even know that Amy is possibly pregnant until her 'ganger form goes into labour. But then Rory (with the Doctor’s help) goes to extreme lengths to find his wife and daughter, including blowing up several Cyber ships to make a point. Using his Lone Centurion persona emphasises the fact that Rory won’t stop looking until he finds his daughter, and not even the discovery that she grows up to become River Song stops Amy and Rory in their quest. But it’s (kind of, possibly, maybe) OK, because at least Rory and Amy sort of get to bring up their child, as their childhood best friend Mels.
Mark Williams was already known for playing Arthur Weasley, who’s one of the top fictional dads ever. So it made sense to have him play Rory’s dad, who appeared in “Dinosaurs on a Spaceship” after being accidentally picked up by the Doctor. At the start, Brian doesn’t quite get on with Rory, believing that Amy is far too good for him. But through their adventure together, Brian realises what it is that Amy sees in him. Brian is the type of man who carries a thermos and a trowel with him wherever he goes, but that doesn’t mean he’s staid and stuck in his ways. When the Doctor comes to stay with Amy and Rory, and plans on leaving them behind again, it’s only Brian’s intervention that sends them off. For Brian, keeping Rory close to him and safe is nothing compared to making sure that he’s happy. It’s pure bad luck that this next trip is the one that traps Amy and Rory in the past (for pure heartbreak with this and Brian, there’s the unshot epilogue “PS”, where Brian meets his grandson and learns of his son’s life).