Doctor Who : Audience and Industry
Audience
1) Who is the target audience for Doctor Who? Has it changed since 1963?
The target audience for Doctor Who ranges from all ages, genders and ethnicity especially as the casting started including different races and genders like when the doctor became a girl or a black male. However this has differentiated from 1963 as back then this show was mainly targeted to white middle aged males. This is because there was only white characters in the show and the doctor was an old white male. The idea and concept of the show could've also be seen as too complicated for females to comprehend.
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.
The target audience for Doctor Who ranges from all ages, genders and ethnicity especially as the casting started including different races and genders like when the doctor became a girl or a black male. However this has differentiated from 1963 as back then this show was mainly targeted to white middle aged males. This is because there was only white characters in the show and the doctor was an old white male. The idea and concept of the show could've also be seen as too complicated for females to comprehend.
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: A sense of personal identity could have been seen when Susan , a typical regular teenage girl was shown at the start of the show.Personal Relationships: The relationship between Susan and her grandfather , the close relationship between the teachers and studentDiversion (Escapism): The TARDIS which is seen as a supernatural spaceship which is seen to be bigger on the inside and just a police phone box on the outside or the time travel aspect of the show.Surveillance (Information / Facts): The scientific aspect of the show like when Susan is seen to be arguing with the teacher over a chemical reaction
3) What additional Uses and Gratifications would this episode provide to a modern 2020 audience?
An audience member may have a personal relationship to the episode if their grandparents before them used to watch and enjoy the show before them.
4) Thinking of the 3 Vs audience pleasures (Visceral, Vicarious and Voyeuristic pleasures), which of these can be applied to An Unearthly Child?
Visceral pleasure could be applied to this show as there is a large sense of mystery especially as it ends in a cliffhanger.
5) What kind of online fan culture does Doctor Who have? Give examples.
The name given to the fans of Doctor Who is Whovians and these fans not only watch and enjoy the show but they're also in things such as online communities, message boards, and fan sites. The name was given so they feel as if they belong in a club united together with other fans.
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?
BBC and ITV. In terms of technology, videotape had only been in use for seven years when An Unearthly Child was made. It allowed the BBC to create the space and time travel effects we can see in the episode which were considered amazing at the time.
1) What was the television industry like in 1963? How many channels were there?
There were only two TV channels in the UK in 1963: BBC and ITV.
BBC and ITV. In terms of technology, videotape had only been in use for seven years when An Unearthly Child was made. It allowed the BBC to create the space and time travel effects we can see in the episode which were considered amazing at the time.
3) Why is Doctor Who such an important franchise for the BBC?
Doctor Who is one of the most iconic franchises that the BBC has. It has been shown all over the world through BBC Worldwide and generates huge income for the BBC.
4) What other programmes/spin-offs are part of the wider Doctor Who franchise?
The BBC has maximised the popularity of the Doctor Who franchise by creating a series of spin-offs that build on the same universe or characters as the original show.
5) Why does the Doctor Who franchise have so much merchandise available? Give examples.
These spin-offs allow the BBC to target slightly different audiences while still taking advantage of the huge Doctor Who fanbase.
- K9
- Sarah Jane Adventures
- Torchwood
- Class
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