Doctor Who - LIAR: Blog Tasks

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Language and Contexts 


1) In your opinion, what is the most important scene in the episode and why?
I think the most important episode is when Barbra and Ian went in to the TARDIS. This is because its the fist sign of sci-fi.

2) What genre is An Unearthly Child and how can you tell? Make specific reference to aspects of the episode.
Science Fiction story that tells us about adventure, time travel, and educational explorations of history.

3) How does An Unearthly Child reflect the social and historical contexts of the 1960s?
It highlights traditional gender roles via Ian and Barbara, features a paternalistic, patriarchal Doctor, and appeals to a changing, youthful audience, bridging traditional British class structures with the space-age, atomic future.

Representations

1) What stereotypes of men are reinforced and subverted in Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child? How?
Male stereotypes are reinforced through doctor who by a protective role as a physical, rational hero by trying to protect Susan from the teachers                                                                         .

2) What stereotypes of women/girls are reinforced and subverted in Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child? How?
Susan Foreman reinforces the damsel in distress stereotype through her screaming and dependency on the Doctor, while Barbara Wright initially breaks gender norms as a professional teacher, only to be forced into a domestic, caring role later.

3) How do the representations of young people and old people in An Unearthly Child reflect the social and historical context of the 1960s? 
It reflects 1960s social shifts by contrasting traditional authority with emerging youth culture. The Doctor represents an enigmatic, untrustworthy older generation, while Susan embodies a naïve, intelligent new youth.


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?

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. 

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