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sensiblecatHands up if the name Mary Whitehouse means anything to you? Self-appointed guardian of the nation's morals, she terrorised TV professionals throughout the 70s with her National Viewers' and Listeners' Association and her complaints about sex, violence and general poor taste. In fact, there are people in DW fandom who blame her influence for the introduction of K9, because when it was all dark and Gothic under Tom Baker, she kept complaining it wasn't suitable for the children any more.
It's probably a sign of advancing age that I don't just remember Mrs W but I feel a slight stirring of sympathy for her this week. Because I really don't like where DW is going, and the reason is I don't feel it's a family show anymore.
Now okay, family shows mean different things to different people, and I've no particular desire to return to the days of farting aliens. I accept that at times RTD came close to overstepping the mark, and possibly did once or twice. It's a tricky one, keeping an adult fandom entertained and pleasing the family audiences, too. So much so that there were plenty of people who said it was impossible to do a modern Saturday night show for all the family, before RTD proved them wrong.
My personal squick counter was almost triggered by the shootout in DOTM and now it's well into the red zone. You see, I work with kids. They have a moral compass but it's a pretty blunt instrument. I think RTD understood that. A lot of adults felt that the Doctor went very very dark at the end of FoB when he punished the Family, and I think that's correct, but that was dark in a way that would bother adults more than most children. Children's fiction is full of much-loved examples of nasty people coming to horrible but entirely appropriate ends - read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory if you don't believe me. And children see the Doctor as the moral arbitrator and dispenser of justice, so unless they are especially sensitive (and I accept that a few are), they'd be okay with the family suffering. It's the grown-ups who see what a dark place the Doctor has gone to, and why.
The debate over whether the Amy vaporised by the Doctor was the real one or not is philosophically very interesting and I think a case can certainly be made that the Doctor wasn't being particularly inhumane (though for once, a "Sorry, so very, very sorry," wouldn't have gone amiss). Clearly the Doctor didn't like what he had to do. But I doubt whether a six or seven year old would understand those niceties. They would see the Doctor killing Amy. For once, I'm on Mrs Whithouse's side. This isn't just a show for grown-ups. The reason that the grown-ups who are being terribly clever making it today love it and love their work is that when they were that age themselves,they saw a character they could love and admire, somone who didn't just solve problems by killing people, and above all someone who could be trusted.
The forced pregnancy is another deeply disturbing trope that, frankly, I'd rather not see in this particular show (or any show if I'm honest). But what bothers me even more - and I'm sorry if I'm coming over as a prude here, is that the POTB seem to be quite laid-back about implying that the Doctor may have fathered Amy's baby. Now you could say that's put in for the adults but it adds a grey area to the Doctor's morality that I think is unfortunate to say the least. I don't care if the Doctor is asexual in principle, but I don't want the slightest suggestion that he might be shagging a married lady or exploiting a vulnerable young woman.
Back in the Doctor and Rose days, they managed to show us a beautiful relationship that was both innocent and sexual. It's a remarkable achievement in modern television and it didn't do the ratings or the show's reputation any harm at all. I think it was a breath of fresh air. Please, let's keep well away from the "nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more" mentality. Kids pick these things up but lack the maturity to process them without it undermining trust.
How can you trust a Doctor if you don't know if he's a real Doctor or not? I think kids have enough tricky judgements to make about powerful adults in their lives these days without complicating the issue with clones and avatars. The kids are fans too, and I sometimes think SM forgets that. Yes, he might argue that he ran all the plots past his own boys and they were fine with it. But kids say what they want grownups to hear (especially grownups who have the power to take them onto the TARDIS set for a treat!) And they have their dad to explain why it's all right and the Doctor isn't really as bad as it looks.
They've already lost Sarah Jane. Don't rob them of the Doctor too.
It's probably a sign of advancing age that I don't just remember Mrs W but I feel a slight stirring of sympathy for her this week. Because I really don't like where DW is going, and the reason is I don't feel it's a family show anymore.
Now okay, family shows mean different things to different people, and I've no particular desire to return to the days of farting aliens. I accept that at times RTD came close to overstepping the mark, and possibly did once or twice. It's a tricky one, keeping an adult fandom entertained and pleasing the family audiences, too. So much so that there were plenty of people who said it was impossible to do a modern Saturday night show for all the family, before RTD proved them wrong.
My personal squick counter was almost triggered by the shootout in DOTM and now it's well into the red zone. You see, I work with kids. They have a moral compass but it's a pretty blunt instrument. I think RTD understood that. A lot of adults felt that the Doctor went very very dark at the end of FoB when he punished the Family, and I think that's correct, but that was dark in a way that would bother adults more than most children. Children's fiction is full of much-loved examples of nasty people coming to horrible but entirely appropriate ends - read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory if you don't believe me. And children see the Doctor as the moral arbitrator and dispenser of justice, so unless they are especially sensitive (and I accept that a few are), they'd be okay with the family suffering. It's the grown-ups who see what a dark place the Doctor has gone to, and why.
The debate over whether the Amy vaporised by the Doctor was the real one or not is philosophically very interesting and I think a case can certainly be made that the Doctor wasn't being particularly inhumane (though for once, a "Sorry, so very, very sorry," wouldn't have gone amiss). Clearly the Doctor didn't like what he had to do. But I doubt whether a six or seven year old would understand those niceties. They would see the Doctor killing Amy. For once, I'm on Mrs Whithouse's side. This isn't just a show for grown-ups. The reason that the grown-ups who are being terribly clever making it today love it and love their work is that when they were that age themselves,they saw a character they could love and admire, somone who didn't just solve problems by killing people, and above all someone who could be trusted.
The forced pregnancy is another deeply disturbing trope that, frankly, I'd rather not see in this particular show (or any show if I'm honest). But what bothers me even more - and I'm sorry if I'm coming over as a prude here, is that the POTB seem to be quite laid-back about implying that the Doctor may have fathered Amy's baby. Now you could say that's put in for the adults but it adds a grey area to the Doctor's morality that I think is unfortunate to say the least. I don't care if the Doctor is asexual in principle, but I don't want the slightest suggestion that he might be shagging a married lady or exploiting a vulnerable young woman.
Back in the Doctor and Rose days, they managed to show us a beautiful relationship that was both innocent and sexual. It's a remarkable achievement in modern television and it didn't do the ratings or the show's reputation any harm at all. I think it was a breath of fresh air. Please, let's keep well away from the "nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more" mentality. Kids pick these things up but lack the maturity to process them without it undermining trust.
How can you trust a Doctor if you don't know if he's a real Doctor or not? I think kids have enough tricky judgements to make about powerful adults in their lives these days without complicating the issue with clones and avatars. The kids are fans too, and I sometimes think SM forgets that. Yes, he might argue that he ran all the plots past his own boys and they were fine with it. But kids say what they want grownups to hear (especially grownups who have the power to take them onto the TARDIS set for a treat!) And they have their dad to explain why it's all right and the Doctor isn't really as bad as it looks.
They've already lost Sarah Jane. Don't rob them of the Doctor too.
