"It isn't, technically, but \[the Doctor's\] an outsider who doesn’t fit in with the world and lives his own life, and he's very othered from sex and from relationships and from politics and from the establishment."
Thats... just not true? Has he seen his own series? The most beloved doctors all have a will they wont they with one or more companions, with implied sexual interest. Furthermore othered from god damn politics? What? The whole series is about him being the defacto protector of humanity, with a whole ass government department knowing what and who he is.
15
bhind45Mar 28, 2026
+1
> The most beloved doctors all have a will they wont they with one or more companions,
So... one Doctor?
1
CharlieParkourMar 27, 2026
+3
Maybe in Nu-Who. The first Doctor's companion was his granddaughter and he generally played a father figure or mentor to his companions. I really don't think it was until John Nathan-Turner started running the show that they started exposing excessive companion cleavage and having the Doctor slap her on the ass. Coincidentally, this is when the show was in decline and was eventually cancelled. Nathan-Turner was also an out gay man, but I don't know if that's relevant.
Personally, I think any hints at will they/won't they with the companions in the show or among shippers is kind of gross. A thirty year old dude snogging with a 17 year old Rose is pretty bad, but a thousand year old? And there's the whole mentor/mentee power imbalance. Amy Pond crushing on the Doctor is not out of the ordinary, but shipping that is sick. This is a children's show to a certain extent.
On the other hand, the Amy/Rory storyline is epic. And then there's River Song, who is Timelord adjacent, and completely independent at least. Her arc is one of the better things written into the show.
As far as politics goes, the show has always been highly political. It's like a nonstop metaphor for what's going on in our world. However, while the Doctor is constantly meddling in politics, it's almost always as an outsider to the system. Of course, there's the time he became the President of Gallifrey, but he got ousted from that position for dereliction of duty while he was off galavanting around the universe. And when he spent a series marooned on Earth by the Time Lords, he essentially worked for the government through UNIT, but that was more as a consultant. And I've always thought the military should be non-political anyways.
3
Prefer_Not_To_SayMar 27, 2026
+2
I've seen Classic Who. I certainly don't think the Doctor played a father figure or mentor to *most* of his companions. A handful of them, sure, but not most. While JNT had *one* companion out of about ten who wore suggestive clothing (Peri), I don't recall the Doctor ever slapping her on the butt. I don't remember every single detail from the show but I think I would have heard about that more often if it happened.
Rose is 19 in series 1, not 17. Not that it makes much of a difference when compared to someone who is 900 years old. Then again, escapism should sometimes be treated like escapism. Vampire romance is popular because "mysterious older man is romantically interested in a young everywoman" is a popular trope. Doctor Who's peak in popularity was when the Doctor/Rose love story was in full swing, for the same reason. And I say that as someone who doesn't like that pairing but it's fantasy. It doesn't matter if it's a children's show because they're not going out and falling in love with 1000-year-old aliens.
All that aside, here's the important part: RTD is the one who *started* the Doctor being interested in sex and relationships to begin with! So what's he doing using the Doctor being "othered" from relationships as an example of DW being a gay show?
(Okay, romance techically started with Grace in the TV movie but the Doctor left her at the end.)
2
CharlieParkourMar 27, 2026
I would say mentoring is one of Dr. Who's main things besides saving the universe. Expanding people's horizons while helping them realize their full potential, when not actively putting them in mortal danger. Like I said, it's a children's show to an extent, but it's pretty obviously for adults too. So everything can't just be waved off as dumb kids won't get it.
As far as Peri's ass goes, I recently watched the blu-rays and that was something that stood out moreso than most anachronisms. I want to say it may have been towards the end of The Two Doctors. They bring Patrick Troughton back and turn him into a baggy pants gourmand. Absolutely hilarious. It's possible the slap was edited out at some point, someone else would know better than I do.
I don't know what RTD is trying to say. It's possible a lot of the undertone is coded or it could just be people projecting themselves onto the show. I certainly found out about some interesting Dr. Who subcultures I never knew existed when I Googled "Doctor Who slaps Peri's ass". Be forewarned. I've said that if you want a pansexual bon vivant humping his way around the universe, you've always got Harkness.
0
CharlieParkourMar 27, 2026
Not sure why stating obvious facts is being downvoted. How about proposing a decent counter argument instead of lazily pressing one finger to make your point?
0
twinkleyedMar 27, 2026
Right? The Doctor is a womanizer.
0
SloppykrabMar 27, 2026
+1
I haven't seen Whitaker's Doctor, is she still a womaniser?
1
DaveShadowMar 27, 2026
+2
I mean, by the end, it was pretty clear she had feeling for Yaz, so....yeah, she kind of was.
Mind, I think it's less "womanizer" and more that the Doc is absolutely a massive flirt, who does also develop feelings for some companions. Sure, the character is played at times like he's also naive or innocent (Smith's Doctor felt that way at times, though even he was the one who got married). But Tennant was absolutely a flirt who was aware of things like that. Nchuti had the Rouge angle. They all have River. The only one who I can't point directly to a relationship for is Eccleston's and he was only in a dozen episodes.
Trying to say the Doctor is "othered" from relationships is bizarre.
2
twinkleyedMar 27, 2026
+1
Sort of. Her Doctor is sort of bland.
1
BUYMEBONESTOORMMar 27, 2026
+24
Russell T Davis on how he ruined the Dr Who series
24
Alastor3Mar 28, 2026
+1
Chibnall killed the show
1
bhind45Mar 28, 2026
-1
As did Steven Moffat, oh and John Nathan-Turner, oh! and Graham Williams
-1
DouglasqqqMar 27, 2026
+12
He sees it as a gay show because when all you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail.
12
Meat-DimensionMar 27, 2026
+2
I miss The Soup
2
ListoKalistoMar 27, 2026
-1
[ Removed by Listnook ]
-1
CharlieParkourMar 27, 2026
+1
"all the other disgusting things..."
Do you mean MAGA?
17 Comments