Doctor Who: Language and Representation blog tasks

Our first television Close-Study Product is Doctor Who - An Unearthly Child from 1963.

This is an in-depth study which means we need to analyse the product in terms of media language, industries, audience and representation. In addition, this CSP will be examined in Paper 2 with a short clip to analyse. This means we need to put in extra work on this media topic to ensure we are confident analysing clips in detail.

Notes from the lessons

Narrative theories

Todorov: equilibrium

Todorov suggested that all narratives follow a three part structure.

They begin with equilibrium, where everything is balanced, progress as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution, when a new equilibrium is restored.

Equilibrium > Disequilibrium > New equilibrium

This can be applied to most media narratives.

Propp: character types

Vladimir Propp stated that there were seven basic character roles when he analysed classic fairy tales and that these were present in most narratives. Media products still use these recognisable character types today:

Hero, Villain, Heroine/Princess, Father, Donor, Helper/Sidekick, False Hero

Roland Barthes: Enigma and Action Codes

Action Codes: anything that suggests something dramatic is about to happen. E.g. when the TARDIS begins to take off or when the shadow appears in the final shot of the episode. 

Enigma Codes: a narrative code that creates mystery and gives the audience questions to keep them watching e.g. who is the Doctor and where is he taking them? Will the teachers get home? What is the mysterious shadow in the final scene?

Levi-Strauss: Binary opposition

Binary opposition is a theory that all narratives are driven by conflict of a series of opposing forces. There are many examples that can be found in this Doctor Who episode e.g. good v evil; young v old; human v alien; dark v light etc.

Doctor Who: An introduction

• Listed in Guinness World Records as the longest-running science fiction television show in the world with over 800 episodes.
• The Doctor explores the universe in a time-travelling space ship called the TARDIS [Time And Relative Dimension In Space]. The TARDIS has a vast interior but appears smaller on the outside.
• The Doctor travels through space and time preventing evil aliens or people from harming innocent people or changing history.
• The Doctor has gained numerous reoccurring enemies during his travels, including the Daleks and the Cybermen.
• Twelve male actors have headlined the series as the Doctor. The transition from one actor to another is written into the plot of the show with the concept of regeneration into a new incarnation. In 2018 the BBC had their first female incarnation for the thirteenth Doctor.

Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child

Social and historical context

First episode: Saturday, November 23rd,  1963 on the BBC. The plot was a narrative arc (a story over several episodes) involving the Doctor and his companions voyaging 100,000 years into Earth’s past to help some cavemen discover fire. 

William Hartnell was the first Doctor, as an anti-hero who frequently put his companions in jeopardy for his own curiosity. Daleks made an appearance in the first series, as the arch enemies of the Doctor.

Jodie Whittaker took over the role as the Thirteenth Doctor in 2018 and is the first woman to be cast as the character. 

1960s Britain

1961: First man in space – Russian Yuri Gagarin.

1962: The Beatles spark a British music revolution.

1964: BBC2 TV channel launched (third UK TV channel).

1965: The introduction of the mini skirt in a fashion show.

1967: BBC Radio 1 pop music station launched.

1969: First Man on the Moon – American Neil Armstrong.

1969: Concorde is flown for the first time.

1970: Mass media – 90% of households in UK have a TV, many now in colour.

The 1960s saw a shift in British culture. There was more freedom for young people and a breakaway from traditions.

Episode analysis: An Unearthly Child

An Unearthly Child (sometimes referred to as 100,000 BC) is the first narrative arc in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC TV in four weekly parts from 23 November to 14 December 1963. Scripted by the Australian writer Anthony Coburn, it introduces William Hartnell as the First Doctor and original companions; Carole Ann Ford as the Doctor's granddaughter Susan Foreman, with Jacqueline Hill and William Russell as school teachers Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton. The first episode deals with Ian and Barbara's discovery of the Doctor and his time-space ship TARDIS in a junkyard in contemporary London. 

Plot of episode 1

Schoolteachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright are concerned about one of their pupils, Susan Foreman, who seems to have a very ‘alien’ outlook on England. They have come to her listed address to investigate. They arrive in a junkyard and find a police box, which proves to be no ordinary police box. When Ian and Barbara enter, they discover it to be much bigger on the inside than the outside. In the TARDIS is Susan and her grandfather, the Doctor. Fearing that Barbara and Ian will give away the secret of the TARDIS, he kidnaps them and takes the machine to the Stone Age, where they will have to fight for their lives.

The First Doctor was played as less mischievous and more cruel than later incarnations. He also seems less concerned about saving the human race. 

His companion was made his ‘granddaughter’ because it was thought inappropriate for an old man to be accompanied by a young girl if she were unrelated to him. 

Representations

Daniel Chandler's representation theory: CAGE

This is a theory about how the media constructs or represents individuals or groups of people through the media. Key markers of identity can be remembered through the acronym CAGE:

C- Class
A- Age
G- Gender
E- Ethnicity

Characters and representation in An Unearthly Child

Susan Foreman
Susan Foreman is the first of a long-standing tradition of Doctor Who companions.  It was felt improper in 1963 for an older man, such as the Doctor, to be travelling through space with a young 15 year old girl; so she was written as his Granddaughter.  She is a strong link to the young target audience and will often react in ways that the audience might in future episodes [e.g. screaming at aliens].  Classically relatable.

She also provides a link between the chaotic alien madness of the Doctor and the human confusion embodied by Barbara and Ian (and the audience).  She is therefore a translator of the more Sci-Fi elements of the story to a naïve 1960s audience.   She can often be seen explaining some of the Doctor’s stranger outbursts to the humans Barbara and Ian.  Another example of exposition.

The Doctor
The Doctor represents the new age of technology and science that was emerging in the 1960s.  The ‘space race’ was underway and the world was fascinated with all things space travel and linked to other planets.  He represents this new world of discovery.

He is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey and he explores the universe with usually human companions who serve as audience surrogate characters to ask questions which allow the Doctor to provide relevant exposition.  He is often eccentric, distracted and dark in mood.  Some commentators have said he symbolises the struggle between good and evil, some have said he is a symbol of a God-like presence who wanders through time and space trying to change history for the better. 

Teachers Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton

Barbara and Ian represent traditional human values and are classically middle class. They are the people the Doctor explains everything to, so that the audience understands as well.  This is known as exposition.

They are also Science and History teachers so often offer advice and opinions to the Doctor on matters of space and time.  They also have very clearly defined gender roles in the series.

Barbara and Ian also play the narrative role of mother and father to Susan who is very naive and who has not had that paternal guidance from the Doctor.  They are very traditional in their gender roles.  Ian is very physical when there is fighting or physical work to be done. Barbara is represented in a more homely, caring role in the series. These were stereotypical gender roles in the early 60s – but times were changing.  Ian and Barbara are bonded by their human characteristics in their Space adventures.  They represent the caring, empathetic part of the human condition in how they look after Susan and, in later episodes, the Doctor himself. 

Language and Representation: blog tasks

Create a new blogpost called Doctor Who: Language and Representation blog tasks and complete the following questions on your blog:

Language and contexts

1) Write a summary of the notes from our in-class analysis of the episode. You can use your own notes from the screening in class and we'll also post a Google document of class notes too (you'll need your GHS Google login). 

Camerawork and sound:

Mise-en-scene:

Narrative and genre:

2) How can we apply narrative theories to this episode of  Doctor Who? 

Todorov's Equilibrium:

Propp's character theory:

Barthes's enigma and action codes:

Levi-Strauss's binary opposition: 

3) In your opinion, what is the most important scene in the episode and why?

4) What genre is An Unearthly Child and how can you tell? Make specific reference to aspects of the episode.

5) How does An Unearthly Child reflect the social and historical contexts of the 1960s?


Representations

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

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

3) How do the representations of young people and old people in An Unearthly Child reflect the social and historical context of the 1960s? 

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.

Extension tasks and reading

Read this Media Magazine article tracing the cultural impact of Doctor Who. What does it suggest regarding the importance of Doctor Who, representations and industry?

Read this Guardian feature on female characters in Doctor Who. What does it suggest regarding the representation of women over time in Doctor Who?

Consider representations of age in Doctor Who. How have representations of age changed over the 50-year history of the show?

You will have some lesson time to start this but will need to complete this for homework - due date on Google Classroom.

Television: Introduction to TV drama

Our next topic is Television - a crucial in-depth topic.

These are particularly important CSPs as we know they will definitely come up in Media Paper 2. The first 42 marks of this paper will be based on your knowledge and understanding of the two TV programmes across Media Language, Industries, Audiences and Representations.

The CSPs: Doctor Who (1963) and His Dark Materials (2020)

We need to study the following episodes as our in-depth CSPs:

Episode 1 of Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child (1963)
Episode 1 of His Dark Materials (Season 2): The City of Magpies (2020)

Assessment: Paper 2 Section A
Television will be tested using two medium response questions on an extract clip from one of the two episodes we will be studying. One question will be worth 8 marks and one will be worth 12 marks. There will then be one extended 20-mark essay covering the whole of both of the episodes you have studied.

Introduction to TV Drama

Television drama is a popular TV genre. ‘Binge-watching’ series in one go is a recent phenomenon while other dramas have built hugely loyal fanbases (e.g. Doctor Who) over many years.

There are many sub-genres and hybrid genres in TV drama from costume drama to fantasy or science-fiction.

Key conventions

TV Drama has certain recognisable conventions or typical features. These include: 

• Dramatic narrative, usually linear (with continuity across episodes.) This is called a narrative arc where the story goes across the series.
• Ensemble cast (characters with own storylines). Sometimes an episode will focus more on one character or another.
• Specific technical codes e.g. realistic lighting and editing for social dramas to keep it gritty. Common use of flashback, point of view shots, dialogue and voice over, enigma and action codes throughout.
• Use of stereotypical ‘stock’ characters get storylines across quickly.

TV Drama series

A TV drama series is a set of connected TV episodes that run under the same title e.g. Stranger Things, Doctor Who or His Dark Materials. They are usually structured in ‘seasons’ or ‘series’ and often end with a ‘season finale’. (‘Season’ is the US word but you will hear the British term 'series'.)

Genre

Genre definition: a style or category of TV, film, music or literature.

Genre is the term to classify any TV or film media product that has a chosen style and follows certain codes and conventions e.g. comedy, action or crime drama. 

Genres can change over time and there is increasingly a fashion to combine genres to create hybrid genres. E.g. Science fiction and fantasy.

NCIS

We can use the mnemonic NCIS to remember how to analyse the genre of film or television:

Narrative: the storyline and preoccupations / issues e.g an action adventure film usually features a dangerous quest or mission. Todorov’s Equilibrium theory of narrative structure might apply here.
Characters: the people who drive the story. Here you may see examples of  Propp’s character types e.g.  In fantasy there is often a hero, princess, helper, villain etc.
Iconography: the mise-en-scene (CLAMPS) to create a particular look e.g. a horror movie may be particularly focused on blood, darkness and set at night.
Setting: the locations or time period used e.g. in Western movies, you will often see it located in American or Mexican deserts around 1800s.

Introduction to TV drama: blog tasks

Watch the BBC trailer for season 2 of our CSP - His Dark Materials:

Now answer the following questions:

1) Who do you think are the main characters in His Dark Materials? Why?

2) What narratives (storylines) are introduced in this trailer?

3) What settings appear in the trailer? Describe as many as you can.

4) What genre (or genres) are suggested by this His Dark Materials trailer? You may find reading the IMDB page for His Dark Materials helpful here. 

5) Who do you think the target audience for His Dark Materials is? Give reasons for your answer.

Extension tasks:

How does this His Dark Materials trailer meet the conventions of a TV drama series?

Read this Guardian TV review from the first episode of His Dark Materials season two. What did the reviewer think of the episode? Also look at the comments from readers below the article - do they agree? 

Due date on Google Classroom.

Recap: Advertising case study 3 - Represent NHS Blood campaign

Our final close-study product for Advertising and Marketing is the 2016 NHS Blood and Transplant online campaign video 'Represent' featuring Lady Leshurr.

This product provides an excellent opportunity to explore a range of different representations: ethnicity, masculinity, femininity, class, age, disability and ability and place. It's also a different type of advert as it's not promoting a product but instead is a campaign designed to influence the audience's behaviour.

Sample questions for Advertising and Marketing

In your Media exams, you are likely to get questions similar to these:

1) Why do advertisers use stereotypes? [6 marks]

2) Explain how advertisements reflect the historical context in which they were created. [12 marks]

Think about how you might answer those questions based on the CSPs we have studied.

Advertising campaigns

Some adverts are produced in a series as a campaign. An advertising campaign is a series of advertisements that share a singular theme, message or idea. These are used to raise awareness of an issue or of the brand itself. The best campaigns have an emotional impact on audiences.

An advertising campaign will usually appear across multiple media platforms - print, broadcast and online.

Represent: background information

Lady Leshurr is an English rapper, singer and producer. She is famous for her freestyling rap style and has her own clothing line. 

This is the advert CSP:

The two articles we read in the lesson provide details on the campaign and how it was developed. This also gives information on why blood from people with a BAME background is so vital. 

GLOW words to use in connection to this campaign

• Literal – the actual, obvious meaning 
• Semiotics - the message behind what you see (hidden messages)
• Reinforce stereotype – when a representation is what we usually see in the media
• Challenge/subvert stereotype - When a representation goes against what we normally see in the media
• Mass/mainstream - A mass or mainstream audience is made up of a large group of people (men, women, children, elderly).
• Niche - A niche audience is a small subset with a narrow range of interests or characteristics. 

Codes and conventions of rap music videos

• There are many low-angled, close up shots in hip hop videos, to imply the artists’ power over their audience. The low angle gives them the power, because they look down on the audience and the close up gives status because it implies they’re important enough to have a frame to themselves.
• Sections of direct contact with the camera (the artist usually spends a lot of time looking straight into the camera as if to talk or have a conversation with the audience and relate to them)
• Props regarding costume tend to be used, for e.g. gold jewellery (male rap artists are commonly known to wear heavy chains or prominent rings)
• Show a clear display of emotions – if the tone of the song is angry, the artist is likely to present this through their gestures and facial expressions.
• Strong editing cuts between concept / performance and narrative.

Represent NHS Blood & Transplant campaign: blog tasks

Work through the tasks in this blogpost to make sure you're an expert on this CSP.

Re-watch the Represent video and then watch the 'making of' video:



1) What does BAME stand for?

2) Why is there a need for blood in the BAME community? 

3) What does this advert want people to do once they've seen it (the 'call to action')?

4) Why have the producers chosen famous BAME celebrities to feature in the advert? Give an example of three well-known people who appear in the advert and why they are famous - make sure you write their names and spell them accurately.

5) Suggest some connotations for the slow-paced long shot of empty chairs at the end of the advert.

6) How does the advert match the key conventions of a typical urban music video?

You will have lesson time to answer these questions but will need to complete for homework - due date on Google Classroom. 

Extension tasks

1) How does the advert subvert stereotypes - this means present people in a way we don't normally see them in the media? Give three examples (e.g. ethnicity, masculinity, femininity, age, class, disability/ability etc.) 

2) How does the advert reinforce certain stereotypes of the BAME community?

3) Choose one key moment from the advert and write an analysis of the connotations of camera shots and mise-en-scene (using CLAMPS).

4) Read this MOBO press release about the "B Positive" campaign - the follow-up to the Represent advert. How does it aim to build on the success of the Represent campaign?

5) How is celebrity endorsement or star power used to make the campaign stand out?

Finally, research the following stars in more detail: Lady Leshurr, Ade Adepitan, Kanya King. Why are they famous? How do they help the campaign reach different segments of the niche BAME audience?

Recap: Advertising case study 2 - Audrey Hepburn Galaxy advert

Our second close-study product for Advertising and Marketing is the 2016 Galaxy chocolate advert 'Chauffeur' featuring dead Hollywood film star Audrey Hepburn.

This product provides an excellent opportunity to explore a range of different representations: celebrity, place (Italy), gender and more. 

Galaxy advert: background information

This is the advert CSP:

You can read more about the incredible CGI technology that went into creating the advert here. There is also a Guardian feature from the production company behind the advert explaining the technical process. 

GLOW words to use for this CSP

• Intertextuality: When one media text refers to or suggests another media text
• Semiotic codes: The media language choices (‘signs’) that create connotations for the audience.

Historical context of confectionary advertising

Nostalgia, or a "yearning for yesterday," is a frequently used advertising tool.  It is particularly common in the chocolate industry.

This classic Flake advert from the 1980s creates a nostalgic atmosphere of a more innocent time: 

Galaxy brand identity

The Galaxy brand identity has focused on luxury and indulgence for over 25 years. This 1995 advert is a good example of the Galaxy brand and also features a nostalgic soundtrack:




Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was a huge Hollywood star in the 1950s and 1960s. She was associated with Hollywood glamour and style and was also a fashion icon and model. She died in 1993 at the age of 63.

For the Galaxy advert, the advertising agency used a CGI-version of Hepburn from 1953, the year of her hit film Roman Holiday. The advert is set on the luxurious Italian Riviera which creates intertextuality and nostalgia – two key audience pleasures.


Intertextuality in Media Products

Intertextuality is where one media product (e.g. Galaxy) makes reference to other media products (e.g. Audrey Hepburn movies such as 1953 film Roman Holiday) to interest and engage the audience.

Narrative theory

We also need to learn narrative theories in GCSE Media Studies and the Galaxy advert is an ideal time to learn these. Narrative theories help us understand how media texts are constructed to engage an audience and keep them watching or reading until the end.

Propp’s  Character theory

Vladimir Propp stated that there were seven basic character functions when he analysed 100 fairy tales and that these were present in most narratives. Media products still use these recognisable character types today:

Hero, Villain, Heroine/Princess, Father, Donor, Helper/Sidekick, False Hero

Todorov: equilibrium

Todorov suggested that all narratives follow a three part structure.

They begin with equilibrium, where everything is balanced, progress as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution, when a new equilibrium is restored.

Equilibrium > Disequilibrium > New equilibrium

This can be applied to most media narratives.

Galaxy advert: Representations

The TV advertisement for Galaxy uses a range of stereotypes. Stereotypes are used so that information can be quickly communicated to the target audience. What stereotypes are used in this advert and why? Are they reinforced or subverted?

Place: Italy

Celebrity: Audrey Hepburn

Product: Galaxy chocolate

Time: 1950s

Gender: Men & Women

Galaxy 'Chauffeur' advert: blog tasks

Work through the tasks in this blogpost to make sure you're an expert on this CSP.

Re-watch the Galaxy advert then answer the questions below:

1) Why is the advert set in the 1950s? What audience pleasure does this provide? 

2) Who is Audrey Hepburn?

3) Why did Galaxy select Audrey Hepburn for this advert? 

4) What is intertextuality?

5) What Audrey Hepburn film is suggested in this advert and how is this effect created (e.g. mise-en-scene - CLAMPS: costume, lighting, actors, make-up, props, setting)?

6) What are the connotations of Audrey Hepburn and celebrity in this advert? 

7) What representations of gender can you find in this advert?

8) Are stereotypes reinforced or subverted in the Galaxy advert? Give examples.


Extension tasks

Which of Propp's character types are represented in the advert? (Note: just choose two or three character types that are definitely used in the advert - it does not use them all). 

How does the advert's narrative (story) follow Todorov's theory of equilibrium?

Read the Framestore case study and the Guardian feature. How did they recreate an Audrey Hepburn film using location, casting and CGI?

Now read this Vintage Everyday feature behind the scenes of the Galaxy advert. What other background information do you learn here regarding the construction of the advert?

Women in the 1950s are represented very differently in two of our advertising CSPs: OMO and Galaxy. What similarities and differences can you find by analysing the two products?

Due date for this work on Google Classroom.

Recap: Advertising case study 1 - OMO print advert

The first close-study product for Advertising and Marketing is the 1955 advert for OMO washing powder that appeared in Woman's Own magazine.

This product provides an excellent opportunity to analyse the changing representation of women in advertising over the last 60 years.

Sample questions for Advertising and Marketing

In your Media exams, you are likely to get questions similar to these:

- Why do advertisers use stereotypes? [6 marks]

- Explain how advertisements reflect the historical context in which they were created. [12 marks]

OMO advert CSP (1955)

OMO was a popular washing powder brand in the 1950s. This advert was from 1955 and needs to be studied both in terms of historical context and how it would be received today.

In 1955, British society was still adjusting after World War Two in which women took on many traditionally male jobs with men off fighting. This led to advertising in the 1950s often trying to reinforce traditional female stereotypes of housewives and mothers in order to protect male power both at work and at home.

Annotations

In the lesson, you'll have a chance to annotate your own copy of the OMO advert and make notes of the key conventions and what they communicate to the audience.

Here are some of the questions we discussed when we annotated our copy of the advert in class:

And here's an image of an annotated advert from a lesson on OMO - you'll need your Greenford Google login to access this.

OMO advert: blog tasks

Work through the tasks in this blogpost to make sure you're an expert on this CSP.

1) What year was the advert produced?

2) How were women represented in most adverts in the 1950s?

3) What typography can be found in the advert and what connotations might this have?

4) What does the costume, make-up and placement of the model (mise-en-scene) suggest about women's role in society in 1955?

5) Why is a picture of the product added to the bottom right of the advert?

6) What are the connotations of the chosen colours in this advert - red, white and blue?

7) How does the anchorage text use persuasive language to encourage the audience to buy the product? Give examples.

8) What representation of women can be found in this OMO advert? Make specific reference to the advert and discuss stereotypes.

Extension questions

What is the preferred reading for this advert - what did the producers of the advert want the audience to think in 1955?

What is the oppositional reading for this advert - how might a modern audience respond to this text and the representation of women here?

How much do you think things have changed over the last 60 years with regards to representations of women in advertising? Give examples from a variety of adverts

How is the aftermath of World War Two reflected in the Omo advert? Why did many adverts in the 1950s strongly reinforce the stereotype of women as mothers and housewives?

You will have lesson time to answer these questions but will need to complete for homework - due date on Google Classroom.