Posted in: Doctor Who, TV | Tagged: bbc, disney, doctor who

Doctor Who: BBC Rejects Both Complaints About "Rogue" Same-Sex Kiss

The BBC dismissed two British viewers' complaints (out of 67 million+ people) over a same-sex kiss in the Doctor Who episode "Rogue."

The BBC has dismissed viewer complaints about an episode of Doctor Who featuring a historic gay kiss between Ncuti Gatwa and Jonathan Groff. Both of them. Two viewers complained about the "inappropriate sexual innuendo" in the banter between Gatwa's Time Lord and Groff's bounty hunter, Rogue, in a Bridgerton-inspired episode "Rogue," written by Loki alum Kate Herron and Briony Redman. If you're reading this, you've probably already watched the episode, and you don't need a recap of the plot. TL;DR – The Doctor falls in love "for realsies" and shows it.

The Non-Controversy of "Doctor Who: Rogue"

Here is the summary of the complaint and the BBC Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) findings, originally published on July 18th, yet media outlets are seizing on it now:

"Complaint: Two viewers complained that this episode included sexualised content unsuitable for children in the audience.  The relationship between the Doctor and the character Rogue was presented with inappropriate sexual innuendo and developed at a speed which he thought concerning.  The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the BBC's editorial standards of harm and offence.

Outcome: 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, while 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. Not upheld"

Putting Things in Perspective

Let that sink in for a moment: the United Kingdom has a total population of around 67 million people, out of which TWO complained about a gay kiss on an episode of Doctor Who that aired in 2024. Captain Jack (John Barrowman) briefly kissed the Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) in the 2005 revival, but that encounter lacked the sexual charge of the Time Lord's encounter with Rogue. Yaz (Mandip Gil) fell in love with the Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), but her love was unreciprocated because that Doctor was portrayed as on the asexual spectrum, or "ace." Nobody complained to the BBC about gay characters in the series for nearly two decades- but now, two people had their inner gay panic triggered just because the Doctor fancied someone who was a man and actively pursued them.

When Doctor Who launched in 1963, homosexuality between men was still a crime in the UK (but not between women: Queen Victoria, who approved the law in her time, didn't believe women could be sexually attracted to each other). Homosexuality was not decriminalized until July 27th, 1967, and same-sex marriage was not legalized until March 2014. Now, Doctor Who has cast an LGBTQ actor to play a sexually awake Doctor who is pursuing his romantic interests. The series and society have come a long way despite some people trying to roll things back to the Dark Ages.

You can stream Doctor Who: Rogue on the BBC iPlayer in the UK and Disney+ outside the UK and watch it as many times as you like.

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