Doctor Who CSP LIAR

 1) How can we apply narrative theories to this episode of  Doctor Who? 

Todorov's Equilibrium:

Todorov suggested that all narratives follow a three part structure.

They begin with equilibrium, where everything is balanced, progress as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution, when a new equilibrium is restored.

Equilibrium > Disequilibrium > New equilibrium

This can be applied to most media narratives 

Propp's character theory:

 

Vladimir Propp stated that there were seven basic character roles when he analysed classic fairy tales and that these were present in most narratives. Media products still use these recognisable character types today:

Hero, Villain, Heroine/Princess, Father, Donor, Helper/Sidekick, False Hero 

Barthes's enigma and action codes:

Action Codes: anything that suggests something dramatic is about to happen. E.g. when the TARDIS begins to take off or when the shadow appears in the final shot of the episode. 

Enigma Codes: a narrative code that creates mystery and gives the audience questions to keep them watching e.g. who is the Doctor and where is he taking them? Will the teachers get home? What is the mysterious shadow in the final scene?

Levi-Strauss's binary opposition: 

Binary opposition is a theory that all narratives are driven by conflict of a series of opposing forces. There are many examples that can be found in this Doctor Who episode e.g. good v evil; young v old; human v alien; dark v light etc.

2) In your opinion, what is the most important scene in the episode and why?

 In my opinion, the most important scene in the film was when Susan Foreman's teachers went to her house.

3) What genre is An Unearthly Child and how can you tell? Make specific reference to aspects of the episode.

4) How does An Unearthly Child reflect the social and historical contexts of the 1960s?

The Doctor and his companions voyaging 100,000 years into Earth’s past to help some cavemen discover fire. 

Representations

1) What stereotypes of men are reinforced and subverted in Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child? How?

The doctor chose to speak to the man while Susan was next to them

2) What stereotypes of women/girls are reinforced and subverted in Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child? How?

It shows that women dont have as much knowledge meaning they have less power

3) How do the representations of young people and old people in An Unearthly Child reflect the social and historical context of the 1960s? 

The representation of young people make them look dumb and make us think they have lack of knowledge, Compared to older people having more knowledge and more experience in life then young people.

4) What representations of race/ethnicity can be found in Doctor Who: An Earthly Child? Is this surprising or not? Give reasons for your answer and consider historical / cultural context (the 1960s). Has this changed in more recent series of Doctor Who?

The doctor is mainly focused on the white male characters and only 1 black male was shown in the film.

5) How is social class represented in An Unearthly Child? Think about how education and knowledge is presented in the episode.

They use typical middle class characters showing that they have cars and clothes. Representing them as not poor.

Audience

1) Who is the target audience for Doctor Who? Do you think it has changed since 1963?

2) What audience pleasures are offered by Doctor Who - An Unearthly Child? Apply Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory to the episode. Make sure you provide specific examples from the episode to support your ideas.

Personal Identity: The education on space and alien outer world and the relatable character dynamics

Diversion (Escapism):  The social knowledge about the TARDIS and the way people see it

 

3) What additional Uses and Gratifications would this episode provide to a modern 2020s audience?

Use social media like TikTok and Instagram to show real life views

4) Thinking of the 3 Vs audience pleasures (Visceral, Vicarious and Voyeuristic pleasures), which of these can be applied to An Unearthly Child?

Voyeuristic Pleasure: Watching something you wouldn't normally get a chance to see (e.g. inside TARDIS).

5) What kind of online fan culture does Doctor Who have? Give examples.

Doctor Who now has an international online fan culture of events, fan fiction, fan-edited trailers and more. The BBC also produces merchandise to sell to this audience. 

Industries

1) What was the television industry like in 1963? How many channels were there?

There were only two channel's in the UK: BBC and ITV

2) How does An Unearthly Child reflect the level of technology in the TV industry in 1963?

When An Unearthly Child was made. It allowed the BBC to create the space and time travel effects we can see in the episode which were considered amazing at the time. 

3) Why is Doctor Who such an important franchise for the BBC? 

Doctor Who is one of the most iconic franchises that the BBC has. It has been shown all over the world through BBC Worldwide and generates huge income for the BBC.

4) What other programmes/spin-offs are part of the wider Doctor Who franchise?

K9

Sarah Jane Adventures

Torchwood

Class

5) Why does the Doctor Who franchise have so much merchandise available? Give examples. 

Due to its long history in the scifi tv program era and it is a dedicated global fandom