The first of three stories with an historical theme with the twins aboard the TARDIS. Starting with a gentle romp in Turin in 1886. Ostensibly, Pretty Woman meets Doctor Who as Rose attends her first opera. The Doctor’s thoughts about that are important. He considers whether it would strain their relationship if she didn’t like things like opera. Despite his man in the street appearance, The Doctor IS an aristocrat of his homeworld, well-educated. He understands Rose’s working class world but he is not really of it. He is a personal friend of Puccini and Leonardo Da Vinci among other great historical figures. The TV personas of Doctors #9 and #10 are far less middle class than past incarnations. But neither of them can be separated from their past. Doctor #9 may have a

Salford accent but he still likes Puccini operas.

And yes, the historical detail is correct. That IS the date of the premiere of Puccini’s La Boheme. Yes, the critics were cool about the production. And yes, Puccini was having a fling with the widow Gemignani.

As for “Il Dottore”.....

Well, nobody really knows why The Doctor is called The Doctor or where and when he first got that title. But this is a perfectly plausible explanation. The character from Commedia Dell'Arte doesn’t actually bear a lot of resemblance to our kind, generous, heroic Doctor, but the characteristics The Doctor explains to Rose do seem to fit him.

http://www.teatroregio.torino.it/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Il_Dottore