Television: Doctor Who - Audience and Industries

Audience

1) Who is the target audience for Doctor Who? Do you think it has changed since 1963?

The target audience for Doctor Who (An Unearthly Child), according to Demographics and Psychographics, would be most likely White British and middle-class (considering the representation in the actual episode consisting only of this), and primarily teenagers (teenagers are stereotypically more likely to enjoy science fiction), although any age from around 10 to 40 and above would also enjoy it. For gender, it was likely aimed towards a male audience, as a result of STEM being a stereotypically male area. However, since 1963, this has definitely changed - female viewership of Doctor Who has increased, and gendered genres have become more relaxed. Perhaps, it has even become a more female-centred show, as science fiction is a similar genre to fantasy, which has over time become very popular with women (in literature, shows, etc). With psychographics, they have mostly stayed the same from the beginning of the show to the modern era: the viewership mostly consists of Mainstreamers, considering the popularity of the show, or perhaps Strugglers (who seek diversion / escapism) or Reformers, who are labelled as quite intellectual and tolerant.

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:

Susan could provide a sense of personal identity to teenagers, especially from the 1960s, as she wears and listens to time-appropriate fashion and music. She could also provide this sense to other students, teenage girls specifically, or people who feel that others don't understand them properly (as does Susan). Barbara and Ian could provide a sense of personal identity to other teachers, but potentially also parents as they act as parental figures to Susan in their worry for her. The Doctor likely doesn't provide much audience gratification in this way, but people who work in STEM (slightly a reach), or have grandchildren, may relate to him.

Personal Relationships:

The audience is positioned to form a relationship with Susan: they are influenced into worrying for her and her situation. They view the show through the perspective of Barbara and Ian, also creating a relationship. It's unlikely for audiences to form a relationship with the Doctor, as he is portrayed as the villain, but they may enjoy his character.

Diversion (Escapism):

Any show will provide a sense of escapism or diversion to their audience, but science fiction is especially known for this. Specifically, Doctor Who allows the audience to 'escape' into other worlds in different eras, or in strange places, to see things that would be considered impossible. For example, the TARDIS being bigger on the inside than the outside, or the world shown at the end of the episode alongside the shadow. 

Surveillance (Information / Facts):

Doctor Who could provide audiences with information through what Susan says about science, but there isn't much taught in this episode. 

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

Despite it being less educational for a 1960s audience, this episode is highly educational for a modern audience on what TV and general life and society was like in the 1960s. For example, racism was more prevalent and less called-out / recognised ("Red Indian's savage mind was blown"), and the audience could see more about what the fashion was like, what school life was like, the diversity in Britain at the time (very little), etc. The audience could also learn about the low-quality of TV in the 1960s, as the show is in black and white and has quite clunky, slow camera movement and poor-quality acting (Ian falling during the TARDIS's space-travel sequence).

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

Visceral (Physical thrill of watching something):

• Space / time travel sequence
• Argument between the Doctor and Ian
• Ian and Barbara exploring the Junkyard

Vicarious (Experiencing something through the characters):

• Space / time travel sequence
• Empathising with Ian and Barbara's concern for Susan 
• Empathising with Susan's experience in school

Voyeuristic (Watching something you wouldn't normally get a chance to see):

• Space / time travel sequence
• Argument between the Doctor and Ian
• Seeing private conversations between Ian and Barbara
• Seeing the inside of the TARDIS
• Seeing the inside of the Junkyard
  

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

Doctor Who has an extremely large fan base comprised of fans who are known as 'Whovians'. They have events, create fanfiction, edited videos, buy official merch produced by the BBC, etc.a They also often meet up with members of the casts in different seasons. The 'Whoniverse' is composed of podcasts and spin-offs, such as K-9, a show derived from a character in Doctor Who, documentaries, behind-the-scenes, etc. In the latest series of Doctor Who, fan culture was represented in the show and appreciated.

Industries

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

The television industry was extremely limited in 1963. There were only two channels: ITV and BBC, and videotape (newer alternative to film) had only been in use for seven years when An Unearthly Child was released. The quality of acting and effects was quite poor, as seen during Ian's falling, and the space and time travel sequence, most likely as there was a low budget. However, these effects were considered amazing at the time. Later on in 1967, BBC2 was launched as the first colour TV channel, and as more people began owning colour TVs, both BBC and ITV also switched to colour.

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

An Unearthly Child reflects a level of technology that would be considered quite poor and outdated now. The camera movement is considerably slow and clunky, most prominently just after the time travel sequence where the camera pans to everyone in the aftermath. The special effects are quite mediocre, as seen in the intro and the time travel sequence.

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

Doctor Who is an extremely important franchise for the BBC. It reflects two aspects of their core mission to "inform, educate and entertain", as it's both educational and entertaining. It's one of the most iconic franchises the BBC has, and has been shown globally, generating a huge stream of income. The extent of their viewership is shown best in their special episode: "The Day of the Doctor", which, in 2013, aired in 98 countries over 6 continents.

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

• K-9
• Torchwood
• Sarah Jane Adventures
• Class
  

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

The Doctor Who franchise has a wide variety of merchandise available, such as clothing, water bottles, badges, notebooks, and a huge amount of other things. This is done to maximise the amount of income produced by the show, as fans of the show are likely to buy something based on another thing that they enjoy. Merch can also sometimes mimic objects in the show itself, creating an incentive for fans to purchase.