CSP Television: Doctor Who

An Unearthly Child

Language and close-textual analysis

Narrative: Strange pupil at school with extraordinarily high intelligence and a 'false' address whom the teachers decide to confront and investigate. They end up following the pupil into a junkyard where she disappears. They encounter a strange man on whom they threaten to call the police. As they enter a police box to call they discover the interior is far bigger than the exterior. The man declares himself to be the girl's grandfather and commands that they leave the planet, taking the teachers with them. The pupil begs for him to let the teachers go and let them stay on Earth but after a small struggle then old man commands the machine to work and they are transported to an alien planet.

Character: Young student girl, Female history teacher, Male science teacher, Mysterious old man. 

Iconography: The TARDIS,

Setting: 

• The TARDIS Interior
• A Classroom
• Coal Hill School
• A Junkyard

2) How does Todorov's theory of equilibrium apply to An Unearthly Child? 

Equilibrium: Student attends school as per usual.

Disruption: Student's knowledge seems to out reach that of her teachers.

Recognition: Teachers begin to notice her behaviour and decide to follow her home.

Reparation: They meet her relative and they explain that they are aliens.

New Equilibrium: They are transported to an alien planet.

3) Applying Propp's character theory, what character roles do each of the main characters in An Unearthly Child fit into? Alternatively, you may wish to discuss how characters do not fit Propp's character types.

The heroine is Barbara and Susan as they both require help or are seen as vulnerable/weak by their male counterparts and require saving. However Susan manages to subvert this as she shows courage and defends her teachers, making her more suited to the hero role.  Similarly, Ian does the same and tries to free himself and Barbara which also makes him a hero. The villain is assumed to be The Doctor as he imprisons the two teachers inside the TARDIS mercilessly and displays a callous demeanour with a lack of empathy.

4) What enigma and action codes (Barthes) can you find in An Unearthly Child? Make specific, detailed reference to the text using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.)

The episode opens with a policeman investigating an old junkyard which may be an enigma code as for what he may be looking for or why he is looking for something. As Susan is introduced, we observe her obscure behaviour and expanse intelligence which strikes the audience with the enigma code that she might not be human. This is further supported by the enigma of her address and how her house does not exist.

5) What examples of binary opposition (Levi-Strauss) can you find in An Unearthly Child? How do these create narrative or drama for the audience?

Examples of binary opposition in 'An Unearthly Child' include Light/Dark (seen in the bright lighting of the school and the dark gloomy lack of light in the junkyard), Young vs Old (seen between Susan and The Doctor) and Knowledge vs Ignorance (seen between Susan and the humans) this could suggest that The Doctor and Susan know many secrets that the humans don't and therefore create scepticism in the audience's relationship with these characters.

Representations

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

Ian and The Doctor both reinforce the stereotype of the hero/anti-hero role conventionally being a man and men usually being the more courageous and the first to take action. However Ian soon subverts this stereotype as he is taken hostage and then requires saving.

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

Barbara and Susan both reinforce the stereotype of women being inferior and obedient to men however Susan outstandingly subverts this stereotype as her mental capability surpasses that of any man by light years and she is brave when standing up to her grandfather.

3) What are common media stereotypes of young people and old people? Do any of the characters or scenarios reinforce or subvert these conventional stereotypes (consider this was 1963)? Has this changed in more recent series of Doctor Who?

Young people were usually stereotyped to be narrow-minded, disobedient and reckless. This is reinforced by Susan's abrupt behaviour in class and her rebellious and defensive attitude towards The Doctor when he tries to abduct her teachers. Old people were usually stereotyped to be weak, tired and cranky which is exaggeratedly reinforced by The Doctor's cold demeanour and lack of empathy/sympathy. This has changed more in the more recent series of Doctor Who as The Doctor has become more friendly and eccentric.

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?

There are mainly white/British people in 'An Unearthly Child' this is not surprising as not many people of colour made in on TV in the 1960's. In the most recent series of Doctor Who, this has drastically changed as there are many people of different nationalities and ethnicities.

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

The main characters seem to be of upper/middle class due to their eloquent speech and how Susan attends a school. Ian also mentions how he owns a car which were very expensive in the 1960's and therefore suggests he receives a high income.

Audience

1) Who is the target audience for Doctor Who? Has it changed since 1963?

The consumers targeted are a mainstream audience as there were not many channels on TV in 1963 and their audience was mainly males although was not limited to them alone as millions would tune in whenever it came on. It has gradually changed over the years. Surprisingly growing a predominantly more female audience.

2) What audience psychographic groups might particularly enjoy Doctor Who?

Those who enjoy science fiction, action and drama would enjoy Doctor Who, as would the formerly established audience.

3) What audience pleasures are offered by 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: Teenagers at school who perhaps don't fit in would find gratification in relating to Susan who displays odd behaviour

Personal Relationships: The series follows a narrative arc that continues every episode and leaves the viewers on a cliffhanger which will make the audience want to follow through in the next episode.

Diversion (Escapism): The series includes drama and science fiction which lets the viewers escape from their usual life and be immersed in a strange new and exotic world.

Surveillance (Information / Facts): The show adds in hints of "futuristic" knowledge and facts to explain and carry on the plot.

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

The Visceral pleasure can be seen in 'An Unearthly Child' as the audience can experience the character's perspectives.

Industries

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

3 channels

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

It is one of the biggest sources of income in history for the BBC and one of the first and longest running  TV shows.

3) How does Doctor Who meet the BBC's mission statement to 'inform, educate and entertain'?

It is an ongoing source of entertainment, it educates the audience about some science based in fact.

4) How is the BBC funded?

It does not involve advertisements and thus requires a TV License to watch the channels.

5) Who regulates the BBC and what is the watershed?

The BBC is regulated by OfCOM and the watershed is the period of time in which more explicit shows are permitted to be shown on TV, usually around 9pm.