Doctor Who - LIAR

 Doctor Who - LIAR




Language and Contexts

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

Todorov's Equilibrium: start with teachers talking about their star student (equilibrium) teachers find out about the doctor(disruption) trans-versed into a new location (new equilibrium)

Propp's character theory: Ian and Barbara (heroes) Susan(damsel/side character) Doctor Who (villain) 

Barthes's enigma and action codes: 

Levi-Strauss's binary opposition: youth vs age/ normal vs supernatural


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

when Ian and Barbara discovered the truth about Susan and the Doctor's identity


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

the genre is sci fi due to the time travel and tech heavy content it presents


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

it provides futuristic optimism within the society due to escapism

Representations

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

reinforced: being dominate and commanding (1st Doctor)   Subverted: being grounded and respectful towards women (Ian) 


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

reinforced: being told what to do instead of being able to think for themselves (Susan)   Subverted: having a career and being treated the same amount of respect by men (Barbara)



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

its shown through traditional authority and youth culture within the characters


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?

in the early versions of Doctor Who, the cast of actors within the show were predominantly white males. this is not surprising as this is a British show, made during a time when there was not much diversity. however, in the most recent version, the show finally casted their first black Doctor in 2023 due to the increase in diversity and to bring a sense of inclusiveness of the show itself.


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

the social class was high/middle due to the amount of people that could access a television at the time

Audience

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

people in the age of 10-40 in 1963 but it has increased to 15-60 since then

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 relatability to the characters (Ian and Barbara)

Diversion (Escapism): the audience immersing themselves in the sci fi reality


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

they provide things like streaming and merchandise that allows the audience to engage and invest more in the show

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

Visceral- travel through time in space and them being transported to a desert
Vicarious- experiencing the life of the Doctor or the teachers
Voyeuristic- 

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

theories, fanfictions, videos, merchandise, 


Industries

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

it wasn't as popular due to some people not having access to televisions and there were only two channels

2) How does An Unearthly Child reflect the level of technology in the TV industry in 1963?
 
through its B&W colouring and editing  

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

due to its long term loyal fans and storyline


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

tales of the TARDIS, Class, Torchwood


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

due to its popularity and long term fans 








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