Doctor Who- Liar

Language and Contexts

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

Todorov's Equilibrium: beginning of Doctor Who there was equilibrium because no one knew about the Doctor and Susan living in the Tardis. When the teachers discover that the Doctor and Susan live in the Tardis there is disequilibrium.  

   

Propp's character theory:  The Doctor is almost always the protagonist. They identify the disturbance (alien threat) and take actions to restore balance often exploring new places to find the solution. 

Barthes's enigma and action codes:

In the 1963 pilot, enigma codes are established through the mystery of Susan’s advanced knowledge and the Doctor’s identity, while action codes like the teachers entering the junkyard drive the plot toward the discovery of the TARDIS.

Levi-Strauss's binary opposition: 

In the pilot episode, binary oppositions are used to create tension by contrasting the teachers' human logic and 1963 reality against the Doctor's alien mystery and advanced technology.

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

The most important scene is when Ian and Barbara first enter the TARDIS because it creates a total narrative disequilibrium by physically shattering their understanding of reality and forcing them into a journey they cannot escape.

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

"An Unearthly Child" is a science fiction mystery that establishes its genre through the alien technology of the TARDIS and the investigative plot surrounding Susan’s strange knowledge and origins.

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

The episode reflects the 1960s context by contrasting traditional educational authority and gender roles with the era's emerging youth culture and the technological excitement of the Space Race

Representations

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

Ian Chesterton reinforces the stereotype of the authoritative, protective male by using logic and physical strength to lead the group, whereas the Doctor subverts traditional hero tropes by being an elderly, physically frail, and morally evasive character.

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

In the pilot, Barbara reinforces the 1960s stereotype of the emotional, vulnerable female through her screams and reliance on Ian for protection, while Susan subverts the "simple teenager" trope by possessing advanced alien intelligence that makes her intellectually superior to her adult teachers.

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 episode reflects the 1960s generation gap by portraying Susan as a modern, culturally-aware teenager who challenges the status quo, while the Doctor represents a traditional, authoritative patriarch whose Victorian-style values clash with the era's shifting social dynamics.

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 1963 pilot, representations of race are almost entirely absent, reflecting a "whites-only" media bias typical of the era's lack of diversity, which contrasts sharply with modern Doctor Who series that feature a multicultural cast and diverse leads to reflect 21st-century global society.

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

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:

Diversion (Escapism):

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

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

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

Industries

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

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

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

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

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