Ofcom Will Not Investigate Controversy Over ‘Doctor Who’ Lesbian Kiss Between Madame Vastra and Jenny
The lesbian kiss in the recent “Doctor Who” episode will not be investigated further, UK watchdog Office of Communications (Ofcom) said.
Ofcom confirmed that it has received a total of six complaints about the barely a second-long kiss between “Doctor Who” characters Madame Vastra (Neve McIntosh) and her wife Jenny Flint (Catrin Stewart).
In the first season 8 episode of the show titled “Deep Breath,” Vastra, a reptile-like alien, and her human wife Jenny have returned along with their Sontaran butler Strax (Dan Starkey). In one scene, the Paternoster Gang helped the new Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and companion Clara (Jenna Coleman) deceive their robot enemies by holding their breath.
Jenny had trouble holding her breath so Vastra locked lips with her to share her oxygen.
Although they have appeared in the show since 2011, the kiss they shared on Saturday was the first that was aired onscreen.
It didn’t make six people happy, though.
One viewer claimed that the characters flaunted their sexual preference on TV, and that it’s inappropriate for a children’s program. The complainant even compared BBC network to a porn channel.
Another said that the scene was “gratuitous” since the show is aimed at kids.
Ofcom confirmed receiving the complaints, but decided not to probe further.
“Having assessed the complaints, we can confirm that they do not raise issues warranting further investigation,” an Ofcom rep told The Independent. “Our rules do not discriminate between scenes involving opposite and same sex couples.”
Other than the few complaints, the scene received generally positive reviews from its millions of viewers.
The show, aired in the UK on Saturday, was Capaldi’s first full episode as the Time Lord. His predecessor Matt Smith made a cameo in the penultimate scene to ask Clara to help his new regenerated self.
Read: ‘Doctor Who’ Deep Breath Spoilers: Eleven Phones In [VIDEO]