It's funny. I liked the River Song character, I enjoy the actress who played her and I even like the concept of the story arc. I still felt disappointed when it was over. It just didn't feel like it was done well for some reason. As for the Doctor, I'm ready for him to be a grumpy old man with a dry wit. I think it would fit perfectly with the new companion.

I too enjoy the River story arc, and am a fan of Alex Kingston...I'm hoping they continue to use the character, because we know that a lot of her journal takes place after 10/11. She talks of older gentlemen as the Doctor, and we still have yet to see a Doctor give her her sonic.

http://i.imgur.com/1JLmIpf.jpg

http://rebeccaamoore.com/2014/05/29/...o-infographic/

http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/sexism-...ruth-63574.htm

Interesting articles about sexism in Doctor Who. They put every episode of the relaunched series up against the Bechdel test and found that Moffat introduced about a 32% increase in sexism during his run (which goes up even higher if you take in account the episodes he wrote during Davies'). In the picture, the lower the percentage rate the more sexist it is.

That's obviously changing now.

They really need to come up with something less flawed than the Bechdel test, in any case.

How is it changing? Because the Doctor is older? That makes no sense.

There's supposedly not going to be any romantic interest between the doctor and companions for the forseeable future.

Other than River Song, there hasn't been a romantic interest between Doctor and companion since technically Rose (you could argue Martha since she liked him but that wasn't reciprocated, even then that was several companions and years ago). There doesn't have to be romantic interest between the two for there to be sexist content.

http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/doctor-...date-60972.htm

Doctor Who Series 8 (2014): What We Know UPDATE

A compilation article of everything we know about Doctor Who Series 8 so far. This will be continually updated as more info emerges over the coming months until broadcast.

Note: This post may contain some spoilers. Spoilerphobes read at your own risk!

LAST UPDATED: 31 May 2014.
Airdate

August 2014

Filming began 6 January 2014.
Format

13 episodes

Other notes: One episode may end up being the Christmas special. Moffat stated he wants Capaldi’s debut series to be a continuous run and not split.
Main Cast

Peter Capaldi -- The Doctor
Jenna Coleman -- Clara Oswald

Recurring Cast

Samuel Anderson -- Danny Pink
Ellis George -- Courtney
Neve McIntosh -- Madame Vastra
Catrin Stewart -- Jenny Flint
Dan Starkey -- Strax
Paul Hickey -- Inspector Gregson

Other notes: Alex Kingston possibly hinted at a return for River Song.
Guest Cast

Tony Way -- Alfie
Michael Smiley -- Colonel Blue
Robert Goodman - Reg
Tom Riley -- Robin Hood
Ben Miller - Sheriff of Nottingham
Roger Ashton-Griffiths -- Master Quail
Trevor Cooper -- Friar Tuck
Ian Hallard -- Alan-a-dale
Jonathan Bailey
Pippa Bennett-Warner
Keeley Hawes -- Ms Delphox
Hermione Norris
Frank Skinner
Louisa Rose Allen aka Foxes

Monsters & Villains

Clockwork Droids
Daleks
Robots
Minotaur-like creature
Ms Delphox
Sheriff of Nottingham

Rumours: Mark Gatiss is reportedly writing another story with the Ice Warriors. The Master is also rumoured as the major series villain.
Writers

Steven Moffat
Phil Ford
Mark Gatiss
Steve Thompson
Gareth Roberts
Peter Harness
Jamie Mathieson

Other notes: Neil Gaiman and Chris Chibnall have both stated that they have been approached to write a story, but it is dependent on their time and commitments to their other projects. Neil Cross said he was writing a story, although it has yet to be officially confirmed. Tom MacRae has written another script although he is unsure if it will be in Series 8. Jack Lothian‘s CV originally claimed he was writing an episode, but a later update removed it. New writer Frank Cottrell Boyce also said he had a story in the works, although it was unclear again if it will make it to Series 8.
Directors

Ben Wheatley (2 episodes)
Paul Murphy (2 episodes)
Douglas Mackinnon (3 episodes)
Paul Wilmshurst (2 episodes)
Rachel Talalay (2 episodes)

Other notes: Peter Jackson has said that discussions over him directing an episode were “getting serious”.

Amy Pond and Matt Smith's doctor had a romance arc going for Karen Gillan's entire run on the series, even with Rory there. And there were certainly moments teased between Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman, although they moved away from that towards the end.

That to me is more sexist than anything the Bechdel test can come up with, because it essentially creates a (mis)perception that the only reason a companion even exists to have a romance with the doctor.

As far as the Bechdel test goes, as I mentioned, it's flawed in its own right, because, literally, the only thing it gauges is whether or not two female characters talk about something other than a man. It doesn't take any aspect of the production into question (setting, time period, etc), and it's easy for both a non-sexist work to fail the text as well as a sexist work to pass.

In any case, they're moving away from the TARDIS being a "snog box". According to them, I should add, not just according to me.

I would say that test is worthless. Most of the fans of the show I know are all females. They could not care less about the females companions.

As for moffats score. It is rigged, they need to include Rory with Amy as he was basically a woman on the show.

This is not true at all, for both Amy and Clara. The Matt Smith Doctor was always an "old soul in a young body" type and he was always portrayed as a big brother type to Amy. She came onto him for that first arc simply as a story element to portray her uncertainty to marry Rory.

Yeah.. this is a prime example of sexism right here ROFL

We're just gonna disagree on that one. No point in discussing it further.

ok, but there is seriously virtually no evidence whatsoever that there's romance between 11+amy ROFL ROFL

You're misinterpreting what he said. No, there never was any actual romance, but it was very obviously set up as a will they/won't they dynamic. This was moreso the case in the first Amy season, but even in the second there were very obvious innuendos.

Amy's Choice.