Both of those were started long before the TARDIS arrived. Seeing a romance blossom out of shared experiences is a very different thing.

And why does having a romance preclude the fact of two people travelling together and having fun and adventures?

The vast majority of people have had or are in relationships... If we want the companion to be relatable, then by the law of averages they should have a relationship too. I don't see the issue with this - I can only see it as certain people wanting to go back to that way from classic Who (with an audience that has changed and in a show that has itself changed...). I just don't understand this want to cling on to what their idea of Doctor Who is, when it's a show about change, and by reverting it would alienate it for many viewers - and not gain the new followers it's after. Let's remember, it's not written for us: the converted.

Well, that's blown my preconceptions of Doctor Who fans, hasn't it?

I think that might be an opinion for the myth thread then...

But regardless of preconceived ideas of 'Whovians', the remit of the show is to appeal to as many people as possible, therefore using the issues and themes that would encompass as many people as possible... Surely?

I don't care if Clara and Danny are in a relationship, as long as they're interesting characters and we get some brilliant stories with them and Twelve in Series 8. That's what matters.