Watching the Sarah Jane with Tom Baker last night, one thing that stood out at the end was the difference in the partings.

Back then SJ didn't hug the doctor - didn't even give him a peck. Despite the fact that they had just spent a great deal of time and a great many adventures together.

Contrast that with the goodbye between DT and SJ.

Things have certainly changed.

Without being old enough to know for sure, isn't that just reflective of society as a whole? Even as a boy, many (most, if I'm honest) of my close friends are female and a hug is a normal greeting. In fact, I've frequently house shared with females or with other mixed groups, whereas in the 70s that sort of thing seemed to be enough to trigger a sitcom.

I think that there was a no touchy-touchy rule back then, no romance albeit hidden between the Doctor (who then was a father figure) and the companion.

Romance has now come into it, sadly

Or happily, as some of us would say.

I think society has changed quite conciderably in the 40 odd years since the stories in question were written and broadcast.

It would be odd if Doctor Who was still being written to reflect the quite conservative social attitudes that were displayed in primetime BBC TV in the 1970's. I think its a reasonable assumption that had the show continued in that mould its 21st relaunch would have been a failure.

Crikey, even cornerstones of traditional broacasting like the Archers have had a modern 'sexy' makeover recently. For better or worse its just the way of modern broadcasting.

Oh I agree, I just crave the simplicity of my childhood sometimes

I was born in the mid 80's, and even the McCoy stuff was pretty much beofre my time. I don't remember Dr Who being anything other than a hormone and Inuendo driven romp.

At the time I wasn't even aware that there was any sort of relationship between Sarah & The Doctor. It wasn't untill School Reunion that it became apparent to me that there had been a relationship (albeit hidden) between the two of them. Did I genuinly miss this at the time or is this just something that has been "invented" in new Who ?