Dr Who

• Background Infomation

  Studying series 1 episode 1, which was released on the 23 november 1963, which was a saturday. Broadcasted on the BBC, to fill a gap between children's and young adult programming. Production led by first female producer.
• Representation of Men 


  Representated positively, seen as powerful and dominent when the doctor and the teacher get into a fight. They are in power and have high responsability
• Representation of women


  Independent (atypical at the time), reflects growing feminist ideas, however still dependent of men (Susan with the doctor). Female teacher seen as a more maternial personality.
• Synopsis

  Deals with Iran and Barbra (Susans teachers) discovery of the Doctor and his time-space ship the TARDIS in london. The rest of the episodes are set in a stone age power struggle
• Target Audience

  The programme should appeal to three audiences:

  1. children accustomed to viewing television at the timeslot
  2. teenage audience of juke box jury
  3. the adult sports fans of grandstand
• How did it appeal to audiences from its production

  • Broadcast on a Saturday to help target family audiences
  • As its on the BBC, it had a large audience out of lack of choice, and an air of quality
  • British cast and location helped to target British audience
  • Entertaining,
  • Engaging for Sci-Fi fans
  • Idea of space was popular because of the 1960's Space Race
  • Escapism for audiences
  • Some scarier scenes may of have made it feel more suitable for adults
• How does it appeal to audiences from its cast

  • Older doctor helped to engage older viewers
  • Susan would have engaged younger female audiences, she would have been seen as a feminist role model, rebellious and progressive
  • Flashbacks would have intrested audiences over Susan's abnormality
  • Lack of diversity targets a mostly white audience, which can alienate a modern audience
  • Modern audiences may be offended on the Doctors racist sterotypes
• How does it appeal to SCI-FI fans

  • Use of low budget pratical effects would have amazed 1960s however limited because of budget
  • Electronic music might have seemed modern and exciting
  • Sub Genre of time and space travel
  • Iconography such as alien figures
  • Enigma ending and opening captivated audiences and made them think
  • Reflects 1960s obsession with space
  • Binary Opposition between a relatable school setting to an abnormal setting of the tardis
• Useful key media theorists:

  • Propp's character type

  >Barbra - Hero. Saves Susan as she acts strange

  >Susan - Princess. Has to be "saved"

  >Doctor - Villain, stops Barbra from saving Susan and hides infomation

  >Ian - Helper, another teacher who helps barbra along, taking physical roles

  
  

  • Levi-Strauss binary opposition
  • Katz Audience theory
  • Todorov narrative theory