User:Laura/ParentPage Sandbox
Not just kids
Doctor Who is a family programme. It's not kids' television. People of all ages watch it. That means some stories are for kids — but some aren't (we're lookin' at you, Torchwood) and therefore this wiki contains content that may be classified as mature, distressing or offensive. This page will endeavour to adequately warn our readers by giving some examples of such content. However, it is an unfortunate fact that we cannot warn for every instance of what a particular individual would find inappropriate, and readers are advised that they are bound by Fandom policy.
Readers should be aware that DWU characters have had every kind of sex imaginable. And they regularly die violent deaths — sometimes while chewin' tobacco, drinkin' whiskey and/or droppin' some acid, man. They should also remember that Doctor Who is a time travel show. That means it regularly depicts things we now frown on, because they used to be commonplace. In the same way Mad Men features offices thick with cigarette fog, you should expect that the Doctor will sometimes relish brandy with a 17th century pirate — or even go window shopping for a bong at a head shop in 1967 San Francisco. Also, because it's over 50 years old, Doctor Who is a bit of a TARDIS itself: some of its attitudes and conventions are of the time a particular episode was made and are not concurrent with today's political views.
Furthermore, we host videos which showcase DWU actors in candid interviews or in other roles they've had in their careers. Such videos give valuable information about those actors — but they may include strong language and/or mentions of topics viewers may find uncomfortable or distressing.
The only thing we can promise is that we will ruthlessly root out any pornography, violent imagery, or racial hatred that has absolutely nothing to do with DWU stories or the people involved in making them. Our motto is that if it ain't about the Doctor Who Universe, it ain't on this site. If you ever see any objectionable material on this site has no connection to Doctor Who or its related shows whatsoever, please contact one of our administrators immediately.
General parental guidelines and bbfc ratings
Television
Our main show, Doctor Who, varies significantly in terms of ratings, but is generally classified as a family-friendly show. Bbfc ratings range from "U" for episode one of The Time Warrior to "12" for Arachnids in the UK. Episodes (and by extension, our wiki pages relating to them) contain depictions of violence which range from mild to distressing. Extensive blood and gore is rare, but some content has been the centre of much controversy. Swearing is rare, but does happen. As does discriminatory language (see "Prejudice and bigotry" section). Sexual references are also fairly mild, with no sex shown on screen, but as our pages cover all mediums with lots of crossover, there is no guarantee that the severity of our wiki pages will match the episode in question.
Torchwood and Class are targetted at adults, and therefore have an average rating of "15". Sex is depicted on screen and mentioned frequently, and violence and swearing is of a higher severity than their parent show, with Torchwood being the main offender.
The Sarah Jane Adventures and K9, on the other hand, are generally more kid friendly, and have a typical rating of PG. Violence is mild and sexual reference and strong language is very low.
Films
Two Doctor Who theatrical feature films were made in the mid-1960s, both based on earlier television serials. These films pre-date film ratings systems, but they would likely be classed as having "mild fantasy violence" today.
The directo-to-video DWU spin-off movies produced by the likes of Reeltime Pictures and BBV Productions usually attempt to strike a comparable tone to the TV stories which inspired them. However, by virtue of being a library of independent productions rather than a continuous franchise, exceptions do exist. Most famously, the film Zygon: When Being You Just Isn't Enough prominently features frontal nudity as well as sexual acts, to the extent that there are actually some screenshots that we are not allowed to show on the Wiki.
Audios
While audios such as those of Big Finish Productions and AudioGO don't contain swearing or overt sexuality or gory sound effects, their content matter can vary. Professor Bernice Summerfield and the Crystal of Cantus, for example, is notable for revealing a very dark explanation for the creation of Cybermats, which involves the death of infants. Audios for Torchwood and Class also contain content on par with their television ratings.
Comics
In the long history of Doctor Who comic stories, almost none have been formally rated by any comics authority. Of course, few, if any, are at all troubling for parents. Doctor Who comics are typically mild, with almost no hint of sexuality and little in the way of gory depictions of violence. Language in is also very mild.
Doctor Who Magazine, IDW, Titan Comics or Cutaway Comics stories are written to more of a teenage/young adult standard, and are a bit more explicit in their depiction of violence, but generally do not contain any particularly objectionable content.
Prose
Doctor Who novels range the gamut from books for young readers to books for adults.
Target novelisations, New Series Adventures, and Doctor Who Annual short stories are typically for younger readers. Quick Reads can also be enjoyed by kids who are under 12, but they're actually written for adults with literacy issues.
Books written from about 1992 to 2004 — that is, the period of time when Doctor Who was off the air - are harder to define. In particular the Virgin New Adventures line was interested in "pushing the envelope". Although there is no formal book rating "system" out there, this wiki advises caution to those under 15.
Faction Paradox contains more mature themes and language, and Short Trips and Decalog series are intended for older readers.
Iris Wildthyme media are broadly light-hearted, but may contain humour that some would deem inappropriate, such as the existence of the Time Cock (yes, you read that right).
Spin-off novels such as Torchwood and K9 share the the same sort of content as their respective television shows.
Specific content warnings
Sexual assault and paedophilia
Sexual assault, such as rape, exists in the DWU, sometimes even happening to our beloved companions. Dodo Chaplet, in particular, is given an unfortunate life after the events of the tv show, and her wiki page reflects that. And where there are victims, there are assaulters. Oswald Danes, for example, was sentenced to death for the rape of a young girl. A list of characters who fall victim to this crime can be found here, and a list of in-universe rapists can be found here.
Unfortunately, sexual assault also happens in the real world, and Doctor Who has not escaped being connected with such people. Jimmy Savile, who has a large history of sexual assault against children, featured in a mini episode that tied in with his own show, albeit long before his crimes became public knowledge.
Prejudice and bigotry
While standards are slowly changing, bigotry and prejudice is still prominent in our society, and therefore is mentioned on this wiki, both in narrative context and when discussing real world people or events.
Racism is a subject matter of multiple stories in the DWU, and there are characters that are intentionally written as holding racist views, such as Krasko, who tried to stop Rosa Parks from igniting the Civil Rights Movement. But not every depiction is done with an intentionally negative light. Doctor Who is a very old show, and there are things that were considered less controversial in it's beginnings that are condemned today. We absolutely could not talk about racism in Doctor Who without mentioning The Talons of Wen-Chiang. Not only does it feature negative Chinese stereotypes, but also has a very prominent example of yellowface.
Other forms of bigotry included in the DWU are sexism, homophobia, and transphobia. The mention of Vanessa in Greeks Bearing Gifts, for example, has generated controversy.
Slurs are also occasionally used in the Doctor Who franchise, and therefore may be mentioned in relevant articles. One particular instance to note is The Celestial Toymaker, which contains the First Doctor reciting an outdated nursery rhyme.
As with sexual assault, Doctor Who is no stranger to being connected to prejudice and bigotry of real world people. Gareth Roberts, for example, was subject to controversy due to comment made on his personal Twitter account. We politely request that readers be remember that any views expressed in comments and interviews are not necessarily the views of the wiki.
Domestic violence
Some of the stories covered contain depictions or mentions of domestic violence. Fear Her is one such story, with Chloe Webber's father being the abuser in that case.
