Gay Sex Scene Nets Complaints, But BBC Won't Apologize

A gay sex scene on BBC's Torchwood between actor John Barrowman and another man received 500 viewer complaints amid 3.4 million viewers.

The episode aired last week in the U.K. -- the scene was a flashback featuring Barrowman's "omnisexual" character Captain Jack Harkness in bed with an Italian immigrant in 1927. The show, which airs at 9 p.m. in Britain, has included repeated gay romance story lines. But this scene, reportedly at seven minutes, drew attention for lasting longer than others and being more explicit.

The BBC released a statement saying, "We aim to depict sexual relationships in an honest and realistic way. These scenes are not meant to cause offense." The right-wing Daily Mail newspaper wrote a story about the complaints. And the ATV Today website said the Mail blew up the story, especially since only a fraction of the total viewers complained.

Recently, it was revealed that the BBC cut a separate gay sex scene for British audiences but kept them intact for American viewers.

Was there too much gay sex for the 9 p.m. hour? See for yourself in the NSFW video below (which is apparently a shortened version but we couldn't find a more accurate clip) and sound off in the comments.