To think that there's really no need for all the flirting/romance/sexual tension in Doctor Who

[fishdishwish]

I thought we might have a respite from it with Capaldi's arrival, but it now seems his companion must have a younger man to flirt/cheekily banter with.

It's supposed to be about monsters for god's sake, not soapy flirtation.!!

[ABlandAndDeadlyCourtesy]

She's a 27 year old single woman attracted to a new colleague - flirting seems fair!

[seasavage]

Yanbu some of the stuff is great. But Dr Who feels a lot more like something that's gone through some sort of 'make it sexy / funny process'. And it is VERY forced and akward. If it hadn't taken off so well internationally I suspect it wouldn't be quite so 'polished'.

[fishdishwish]

Regarding tonight's episode, why must Clara have someone to flirt with?

[TheDoctrineOfWho]

Jenny and Madame Vastra need not have been married by a celebrant to call each other wife!

Silurians, or at least a branch of them, are Homo Reptilius, aren't they? Madame Vastra is older than the Doctor, isn't she, though she might have been in stasis for some of that time...

It niggles me, the "two thousand years, he's really old" meme because I'm sure many alien species are longer lived than that.

[AnyoneForTARDIS]

totally agree Overthemill.

and in the old ones yes, Ian and Barbra, but never smutty. in the 1st dalek story there was innocent flirting between Barbara and a Thal but it was so subtle and lovely.


and Jo Grant had a 'interest' every other story but again, never more than hand holding and a kiss when she agreed to marry Clifford.

but there was never smut.

[overthemill]

But the first ever Doctor's companion was his granddaughter (Susan) which did always confuse me as a child. I love DW and will always watch (even through the dreadful McGann and McCoy years...) but would like it to return to 'family viewing'. Don't mind love snogging and even sex but smutty innuendo is crass and not appropriate. I did love ecckestone and tennant who revived the brand but all the smut is unnecessary

[Idontseeanysontarans]

You know I've just remembered something..
My parents have all the old DW novels, going right back to the beginning and in Doctor Who and the Crusaders Ian and Barbara kiss after he rescues her!
I think as far as the later novels go they actually married.

[Pixel]

awww how utterly SWEET that Capaldi wont take off his wedding ring in aany role. now THATS love!
Either that or his knuckles have swollen up and he can't take it off arthritis does that .

[ArsenicyOldFace]

About the kiss? Oh FGS.

[RustyBear]

www.theguardian.com/media/2014/aug/28/doctor-who-lesbian-lizard-kiss-peter-capaldi#start-of-comments

Apparently six people agreed with the OP strongly enough to complain....

[ArsenicyOldFace]

It's the messing with history of gay rights DrMalcolm not the kissing. I was assuaged but now I am stressing over who married them as per pp.

[AnyoneForTARDIS]

awww how utterly SWEET that Capaldi wont take off his wedding ring in aany role. now THATS love!

[BubbleButt14]

It's Doctor Who.

It's fine - a bit annoyed that the best Doctor to date just left (Tennant was woeful, far too hammy and over-acted), but Capaldi has made a decent start, very enjoyable first show!

As for the OP - YABU, very much so.

[DrMalcolmTuckerWhosMistress]

And they weren't even KISSING! They were sharing oxygen.

Oh, I'll tell DH that's what I'm doing if he ever walks in on me and PC.

[DrMalcolmTuckerWhosMistress]

I don't even understand why it should be an issue to be honest. People need to get out more if they're going to fuss over lesbian kisses! No different to heterosexual kisses really. Not in this day and age!

[SolidGoldBrass]

Aww, I like the Lesbo Lizards. DS appears to be totally unfazed by them. (Mind you, slightly OT, but I remember my friends, who are lesbians, asking me if DS knew/minded that they were a couple. I said that as neither of them was a steam train, it wouldn't be of any particular import to him.)

[Weirdbeard]

BBC to producer: "Hi, we just wanted to check how you were doing with the Inclusivity Checklist for series 8?"
Producer: "Umm...well, we're working on it?"
BBC: "Let's see - any post-op transexuals in it yet?"
Producer: "Er...no. Maybe later"
BBC: "Riiiight. What about a disabled character?"
Producer: "Hmm. Do Daleks count?"
BBC: "Disabled bad guys are too stereotypical. And you already decided they could levitate. So, no".
Producer: "Well, I'm sure we can work on it".
BBC: "You need something" searches list "Aha! How about a lesbian kiss?"
Producer: "Maybe....can it involve a lizard?"
BBC: "Absolutely. Good work!"

OK, maybe slightly tongue-in-cheek. I am absolutely for inclusivity. Just not at the expense of quality, eh?

[BertieBotts]

Oh I definitely lust after Matt Smith. DH met him, I was

I agree it's far overdone now. Rose, yes. River, ehh, possibly. I was really rooting for river/doctor but then it got a bit weird. None of the others fit, although TBH I can see the thing - if a young handsome clever man whisked you off throughout time and space - taking the time to focus totally on you and show you particular things and make you feel special while you're pretty young and impressionable yourself you probably would feel quite addicted and excited about that and probably would feel like you loved him. And being an alien you could see him being totally oblivious to this every time as well. The doctor is unique, special, charismatic and fantastic and if he showed up for real in your life when you're 19 years old you probably would fall in love with him, or at least the idea of him.

[theskewbald]

actually council tax on the tardis would be a right beggar to sort out wouldn't it?

[theskewbald]

intergalactic lesbians and 'we are married you know' about a gazillion times was dull, and when they also bunged in scottish independence we were taking bets on what next, bedroom tax, nhs reform or maybe even house prices. Would prefer it to be just bonkers daleks and stuff.
Loved Ten and Matt Smith not sure about Capaldi yet.

[JoffreyBaratheon]

I think as a one-off, during the Billie Piper/David Tennant time, it was fine and added to the story - the whole 'Bad Wolf' over-arcing plot only made sense if they did lerve eachother.

The mistake the writers/producers made, was in continuing with the love crap after Billie left. Martha's unrequited love for the Dr was boring and the whole character of Martha took DW to a new low. Nothing wrong with the actor - just the scripts.

Then River Song and the Dr's wife... no, just no. Matt Smith was brilliant - the writing... awful, flat and schmaltzy.

If they'd dropped the love nonsense after Billie and got back to the roots of DW at that point, would have been no harm done.

I love Peter Capaldi and I love Clara - she is my favourite companion since Rose. Could do without the romance even as a sub plot with lesser characters.

My son is a Whovian, or was, but loathed Saturday's episode and especially loathes the intergalactic lesbians and played a drinking game with the sexual innuendos but luckily wasn't doing shots.

[YeGodsAndLittleFishes]

OP yanbu it is killing it as family viewing as we all just squirm and pretend not to notice all the really bad bits. There is truly enough in real life (other people's lives) and soaps. It is not a children's programme any more, sadly, and is making us uncomfortable now for thinking it ever was good family viewing.

[DrMalcolmTuckerWhosMistress]

Norah!

The ring he wears was one he had specially made to go over his wedding ring because he doesn't like to take it off. However,mits going to be referenced to at some point. He is married to river, but whether or not this is the reason for him wearing it we will just have to wait and see!

[SolidGoldBrass]

FolknNorah - have you forgotten Captain Jack?

My DS has loads (nearly all the NEw WHo) on DVD and we watch them a lot. Even I sometimes think that some of the 'sexual tension' is a bit much (and I am an erotic writer FFS) when I'm watching it with DS.

Mind you, today we have been watching Boom Town (Ecclestone era, the one with the Rift in Cardiff) and I found myself feeling sorry for Micky and thinking that the character was well-drawn.

[FolknNorah]

Hot shoot = photo shoot obviously