BBC dismisses complaints from two viewers over Doctor Who’s historic gay kiss

The BBC has chucked out complaints from viewers over Doctor Who‘s groundbreaking same-sex kiss.

In the recent season of the British sci-fi series, Ncuti Gatwa’s titular Time-Lord travels back to 1813 England to attend a fancy Regency-era party, where he meets Rogue (Jonathan Groff), a bounty hunter from the future.

As is the case with Doctor Who, the episode featured an array of gnarly alien creatures, time-hopping hijinx and fantastical action sequences, as well as – this part is new for the long-running series – a heartwarming gay kiss between the Doctor and Rogue.

The latter, trailblazing display of love and inclusivity is what viewers couldn’t grasp – and by viewers, we mean two, two viewers.

According to Deadline, these two viewers took issue with the “inappropriate sexual innuendo” between Gatwa and Groff’s characters, and said it was “unsuitable for children”. One also thought – this bit is funny – their fast connection was “concerning”.

On Thursday (29 August), the BBC’s Executive Complains Unit (ECU) dismissed their complaints. In a statement, they said the ECU “considered the sexual innuendo to be towards the mildest end of the spectrum and in any case likely to go over the heads of children.

“The development of the relationship served the needs of a fast-moving plot and was unlikely to strike viewers of any age as a model for interpersonal relationships outside this particular fictional context.”

Although Doctor Who has featured same-sex kisses in the past, notably between Captain Jack (John Barrowman) and the Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) in 2005, this episode marked the first time in the show’s history the title character has been confirmed to be queer.

Upon release, the episode – aptly titled ‘Rogue’ – was met with universal acclaim from critics, while LGBTQIA+ viewers celebrated the impact it will have on younger queer fans.

While Rogue’s future is unknown – due to him sacrificing himself to save Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) from being sent to another dimension – Groff has expressed in interest in reprising his role.

“I hope we’re seeing Rogue again. Rogge tells the Doctor at the end of the episode to find him, so it’s totally up to the Doctor. So, the ball is in his court, so to speak,” the Frozen star said on an episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed.

Doctor Who season 14 is available to stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK and Disney Plus in the US.

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