"I am head mingmong. I'm King Ming." Steven Moffat
Via gillo ( here) this simply made my day. RTD and Moffat are honestly the bestest/most geekiest/fannish showrunners ever. And this proves it. ♥
It all started in DWM 482 when a fan wrote in to ask whether the Doctor was a bigamist, since he was obviously married back on Gallifrey, but has since married Elizabeth I, Marilyn Monroe and River Song. And since it's a show about time-travel, he could easily travel back to when any/all of them were still alive... For the full reply (which is worth reading!!!) go here, but for now the important thing is that in his response Moffat claimed that the Doctor's marriage to Liz I could have been annulled as it was never consummated. RTD took issue with this:
"I love your list in DWM 482 of the Doctor’s many wives. Did you ever think we’d be having that conversation, 10 years ago? But… what’s this? His marriage to Queen Elizabeth the First was unconsummated? But, but, but… in The End of Time Part One, the Tenth Doctor arrives on the Ood-Sphere to greet his old friend Ood Sigma with the words, “Got married. That was a mistake. Good Queen Bess. And let me tell you, her nickname is no longer… ahem.” So, what does that mean, boss? What can it possibly mean?? Steve, what does it MEAN??? Thank you."
Moffat's reply:
"Oh for God’s sake, PAY ATTENTION. You’ve gone soft up there in Manchester. Practically tofu, I’d say. Probably all that lazing about, never writing any episodes for me, even though I wrote six for you. Yes, SIX. Actually, no, SEVEN. Time Crash counts too - and it was for charity. But never mind, oh no, I’ll just type on and on and neglect my children, that’s fine! Okay, the facts. I said the marriage was unconsummated - and so it was. You saw for yourself in The Day of the Doctor - he ran straight off after the ceremony. Would we have put that on television if it wasn’t true? But I never said - not once, not ever - that the relationship was unconsummated!”
Yes, Russell! I went there. Even as you gasp and clutch the furniture for support, I am writing in the pages of Doctor Who Magazine, about pre-marital shenanigans! I realise you’ve probably never heard of such unsanctified naughtiness - glancing at your resume, I see you write mainly about fruit and veg for Channel 4 - but it does go on, you know. Well, outside of Manchester. So there you are. You may sleep again. The Doctor’s boast in The End of Time (oh, and thanks for that title, just before I took over) and my statement that his marriage to Elizabeth was unconsummated are in no way contradictory. True fact! Accept my True Fact. Back away in shame at your wrongness. Actually, write me a story, and we’ll say no more about it."
(From TheMarySue)
TheMarySue then goes to point out a whole new interpretation of an already wonderful line - does this mean the Doctor had sex with Elizabeth when he thought she was a shape shifting Zygon?
ETA: Added the perfect Simpsons illustration of the issue:
I can't even. ALL HAIL THE MOFF! (And dear old Rusty.) ♥ ♥ ♥
It all started in DWM 482 when a fan wrote in to ask whether the Doctor was a bigamist, since he was obviously married back on Gallifrey, but has since married Elizabeth I, Marilyn Monroe and River Song. And since it's a show about time-travel, he could easily travel back to when any/all of them were still alive... For the full reply (which is worth reading!!!) go here, but for now the important thing is that in his response Moffat claimed that the Doctor's marriage to Liz I could have been annulled as it was never consummated. RTD took issue with this:
"I love your list in DWM 482 of the Doctor’s many wives. Did you ever think we’d be having that conversation, 10 years ago? But… what’s this? His marriage to Queen Elizabeth the First was unconsummated? But, but, but… in The End of Time Part One, the Tenth Doctor arrives on the Ood-Sphere to greet his old friend Ood Sigma with the words, “Got married. That was a mistake. Good Queen Bess. And let me tell you, her nickname is no longer… ahem.” So, what does that mean, boss? What can it possibly mean?? Steve, what does it MEAN??? Thank you."
Moffat's reply:
"Oh for God’s sake, PAY ATTENTION. You’ve gone soft up there in Manchester. Practically tofu, I’d say. Probably all that lazing about, never writing any episodes for me, even though I wrote six for you. Yes, SIX. Actually, no, SEVEN. Time Crash counts too - and it was for charity. But never mind, oh no, I’ll just type on and on and neglect my children, that’s fine! Okay, the facts. I said the marriage was unconsummated - and so it was. You saw for yourself in The Day of the Doctor - he ran straight off after the ceremony. Would we have put that on television if it wasn’t true? But I never said - not once, not ever - that the relationship was unconsummated!”
Yes, Russell! I went there. Even as you gasp and clutch the furniture for support, I am writing in the pages of Doctor Who Magazine, about pre-marital shenanigans! I realise you’ve probably never heard of such unsanctified naughtiness - glancing at your resume, I see you write mainly about fruit and veg for Channel 4 - but it does go on, you know. Well, outside of Manchester. So there you are. You may sleep again. The Doctor’s boast in The End of Time (oh, and thanks for that title, just before I took over) and my statement that his marriage to Elizabeth was unconsummated are in no way contradictory. True fact! Accept my True Fact. Back away in shame at your wrongness. Actually, write me a story, and we’ll say no more about it."
(From TheMarySue)
TheMarySue then goes to point out a whole new interpretation of an already wonderful line - does this mean the Doctor had sex with Elizabeth when he thought she was a shape shifting Zygon?
ETA: Added the perfect Simpsons illustration of the issue:
I can't even. ALL HAIL THE MOFF! (And dear old Rusty.) ♥ ♥ ♥