Publisher Description

"Time and Relative Dissertations in Space" takes the reader on a rich and varied study of one of the greatest television programmes of all time: "Doctor Who." "Doctor Who" has travelled an erratic path since it began in 1963, veering between respected institution and the source of countless jokes about low-budget visual effects. Yet, despite periods of hostile criticism and cancellation, the programme has survived to tell stories that span the breadth of space and time, returning to BBC1 in 2005 as a revitalised family drama with huge popular and critical success. "Time and Relative Dissertations in Space" is the first study of "Doctor Who" to explore the Doctor's adventures in all their manifestations: on television, audio, in print and beyond. Although focusing on the original series (1963-89), the collection recognises that "Doctor Who" is a cultural phenomenon that has been 'told' in many ways through a myriad of texts.Combining essays from academics as well as practitioners who have contributed to the ongoing narrative of "Doctor Who", including Paul Magrs, Daniel O'Mahony, Lance Parkin and Dale Smith, the collection encourages debate with contrasting opinions on the strengths (and weaknesses) of the programme, offering a multi-perspective view of "Doctor Who" and the reasons for its endurance. With essays addressing core themes such as genre, narrative, authorship, visual style, music, sound, audiences, adaptations and the portrayal of history on screen, "Time and Relative Dissertations in Space" will be of interest to those involved in the wider field of Television Studies as well as readers with a fascination and love for "Doctor Who."

Author Biography

David Butler is Lecturer in Screen Studies at the University of Manchester

Table of Contents

Part I: An earthly programme: origins and directions 1. How to pilot a TARDIS: audiences, science fiction and the fantastic in Doctor Who - David Butler 2. The child as addressee, viewer and consumer in mid-1960s Doctor Who - Jonathan Bignell 3. 'Now how is that wolf able to impersonate a grandmother?' History, pseudo-history and genre in Doctor Who - Daniel O'Mahony 4. Bargains of necessity? Doctor Who, Culloden and fictionalising history at the BBC in the 1960s - Matthew Kilburn Part II: The subtext of death: narratives, themes and structures 5. The empire of the senses: narrative form and point-of-view in Doctor Who - Tat Wood 6. The ideology of anachronism: television, history and the nature of time - Alec Charles 7. Mythic identity in Doctor Who - David Rafer 8. The human factor: Daleks, the 'evil human' and Faustian legend in Doctor Who - Fiona Moore and Alan Stevens Part III: The seeds of television production: making Doctor Who 9. The Filipino army's advance on Reykjavik: world-building in studio D and its legacy - Ian Potter 10. 'Who done it': discourses of authorship during the John Nathan-Turner era - Dave Rolinson 11. Between prosaic functionalism and sublime experimentation: Doctor Who and musical sound design - Kevin J. Donnelly 12. The music of machines: 'special sound' as music in Doctor Who - Louis Niebur Part IV: The parting of the critics: value judgements and canon formations 13. The talons of Robert Holmes - Andy Murray 14. Why is 'City of Death' the best Doctor Who story? - Alan McKee 15. Canonicity matters: defining the Doctor Who canon - Lance Parkin 16. Broader and deeper: the lineage and impact of the Timewyrm series - Dale Smith 17. Televisuality without television? The Big Finish audios and discourses of 'tele-centric' Doctor Who - Matt Hills Afterword: My adventures - Paul Magrs

Review

"Adds to existing scholarship on "Doctor Who" in important ways the book brings together the work of an impressive range of writers that collectively present an engaging, thought-provoking and complex analysis of the texts of "Doctor Who.""--Cathy Johnson, Department of Media Arts, Royal Holloway University of London."

Long Description

Time and relative dissertations in space takes the reader on a rich and varied study of one of the greatest television programmes of all time: Doctor Who. This book is the first study of Doctor Who to explore the Doctor's adventures in all their manifestations: on television, audio, in print and beyond. Although focusing on the original series (1963-89), the collection recognises that Doctor Who is a cultural phenomenon that has been 'told' in many ways through a myriad of texts.Combining essays from academics as well as practitioners who have contributed to the ongoing narrative of Doctor Who, the collection encourages debate with contrasting opinions on the strengths (and weaknesses) of the programme, offering a multi-perspective view of Doctor Who and the reasons for its endurance.

Review Quote

"Adds to existing scholarship onDoctor Whoin important ways… the book brings together the work of an impressive range of writers that collectively present an engaging, thought-provoking and complex analysis of the texts ofDoctor Who."--Cathy Johnson, Department of Media Arts, Royal Holloway University of London.

Details