Firstly let me simply explain what Todorov's theory was. Basically he believed that all story follow a basic plot. 1. There is a state of equilibrium (all is as it should be, although it may not be perfect) 2. Disequilibrium (there is a disruption of hat order by an event, this turns the situation) 3. There is then a recognition that the disorder has occurred (sad moment, realization) 4. New equilibrium (there is an attempt to repair the damage) 5. Restoration of NEW equilibrium (a return or restoration of a new equilibrium, all good again) this then repeats again and again in a cycle This is what Todorov believed, of course many story's had more complex plots, but the base structure was similar. To get more information on the theory itself go under a tab called Theory to Todorov, there more information will be available. Dr. Who - Todorov In the specific episode we watched in class, An Unearthly Child, which was the first episode of the first season there was not much of a full resolution a the end. I believe though that many episodes do end in a full resolution as Dr. Who is a family show. Children usually can't focus much and it would be hard for them to remember what happened in an episode one week prior. Therefore by leaving the episode with a happy ending it makes it more suitable for the children.
Although there was no full resolution the episode still followed Todorov's plot. 1. It started with an equilibrium, everyone was happily calm reading books in the living room. The oldest granddaughter was about to go a date, which is also quite ordinary. 2. Suddenly after the boyfriends accidentally turned the T.A.R.D.I.S they were sent to a unknown time in the world, which shows the disruption. 3. They accept the disorder when the doctor says the machine is broken, and they go explore the city. 4. Another disruption happened when the oldest granddaughter was captured (this is an example of a more complicated plot that the simple basic plot Todorov explained) 5. The granddaughter is found and they are all reunited again (this is the resolution, and the new equilibrium, in this episode. I would guess that the final resolution would occur in the next episode) Because it is a t.v series there isn't a huge resolution, I feel this is part of it's convention of this t.v series as it encourages to keep watching the next episode.
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An Unearthy Child is the first episode of this ongoing tv show, which has became part of the British culture. The first thing you may notice about this episode is that is it indeed still played in black and white. The first colour episode actually only aired in 1970, this means the first 2 doctors spent their life on black and white television, nevertheless this tv show a was a big success. In the first seen there is loud non-diegetic background music that is usually associated with aliens. It starts with a scene in the living room which is panned out and across of all the family members: grandfather and two daughters, reading science based books. The non-diegetic sounds fades away focusing on the ticking sound of a clock. The shots in the first couple of minutes of the tv show are simple panning in and out of characters, which to us now seems rather sad but was indeed high technology back then. I know this because a lot of money was put into the show therefore high technology would be used. The acting you may notice is very over the top compared to modern tv. Although commonly in rom coms or sitcoms some actors still use this over the top-mess to achieve the humor effect. The difference is this was considered normal. Because in the first couple the oldest daughters girlfriend is shown quite a lot it leads you to believe that he may be the hero. I feel this is almost programmed in our brains, as usually the protagonist, hero is a fairly good looking young man. You can even notice this stereotype arise as throughout the season the Doctor seems to become more of a young attractive male, then like here where he is a old grandfather. The Donor in this case I believe is the T.A.R.D.I.S, the time travelling police box space ship, as it gives the Doctor the advantage over others and allows them to go on these adventures. The boyfriend, Ian, I believe is the Dispatcher, as he sends the doctor and the rest of the family on the mission by accidentally setting the T.A.R.D.I.S on. The Hero, which although I felt was not that obvious through the filming, I figured out through my prior knowledge. The fact that the grandfather is called “doctor” and the t.v show is called "Doctor Who". He is also the one who made T.A.R.D.I.S. In addition throughout the episode the idea that the doctor is the hero became more clear, as he was focused on more. Hero’s are not perfect and can commonly be problematic, in this case the doctor is the one who put everyone in danger and generally seems kind off lost at points. This is a convention of Sci-fi movies, as hero's in that genre tend to be odd. The Helper I believe is the youngest granddaughter as she seems to help the doctor through most of the episode. She also seems to know how the everything works and you may notice how she’s always standing right next to the doctor either by his left or right side.The little girl is also limited to the hero’s ability, as she is younger less wise, this is another characteristic of a helper. If two helpers are allowed I would say that the older granddaughter is one too, although in the beginning of the episode she was reluctant to help later on she becomes quite interested too. The filming does not change much through the episodes stays quite simple, sticking too far away shots, close up and panning in and out. They also include some establishing shots, such as when the just walk out of the T.A.R.D.I.S for the first time. The Villains in this episode are the robots, as they stop the Doctor from leaving and struggles against the hero. Because of their actions we tend to dislike them “hate them” even which is a common stereotype of villains. The episodes ends on somewhat of a cliff hangers. More than that it seems undone and cut off, something that would be less common to nowadays. Although this effect summons the audience to watch the next episode. Doctor Who is a British science-fiction television program made by the BBC since 1963. It’s set in modern time and it’s main protagonist is “The Doctor”, a time Lord who comes from the planet Gallifrey. He travels through time and space is his time travelling space ship called TARDIS (an acronym for Time and Relative Dimension In Space), with the help of his female assistant. The TARDIS is a blue British police box, this was a common sighting around British streets in 1963, which is the first year the tv show was aired. Every season the doctor changes to a new character accompanied by a new attractive female assistant. Well It has been until now, season 11, in which the first female doctor will be starred. This is a very important date in the history of the show as never before has this happened in the 55 years it has been airing, not counting their 3 years pauses in took. It connects to the modern issues of feminism which is grown quite popular. The show is played around 6-9 pm, on saturday evenings. This time is considered prime time which is the most expensive time and most used time of television. This is the reason I believe it is a family show. I think so because many families in Britain tend to watch tv together either before, whilst or after dinner especially on a saturday weekend evening. Furthermore the show is rated PG12, although some episodes have more gory aspects than others. The tv shows episodes are 25 minutes long unlike other more adult tv shows whose episodes can range to 40 min. I think this connects to the family aspect as children find it hard to focus for long periods of time. The Culture of Doctor Who has been spread so widely the work TARDIS has been added to the english dictionary. British life in the 1963'sLife in the 1960’s was a big change, this was the year when the US President John F Kennedy and the Russian President Nikita Khrushchev had saved the world at a near close to nuclear crisis- the cuban missile crisis. Life started looking up people started having more money to spend of entertainment, which gave these tv programmes bigger budgets to work with. In these short ten years, London had transformed from timid city, recovering from the second world war to one of the capitals of the world as some say. It was a city full of freedom of speech, people thought anything was possible. Many say The 1960’s was a big period for the younger generation. I mean it was called the "swinging sixties" for a reason. Teenagers were finally given a voice and a chance for them to do what they wanted. Music flourished and there was a big difference from what adults to what teens were listening too. Groups like the beatles emerged and took over, these groups made revolutionary changes to modern music. One reason the sixties got their nickname the “swinging sixties” as recreational drugs were popularised to have fun and became commonly used in the later part of the decade. Drugs seemed like a fun way to relax, many idols were doing it including the beatles mentioned above. There was also a big change in fashion. Teenagers got their own fashion sense, which was less modest. This also tracks back to it being the age of the younger generation. Mini skirts became popular, bright colours became popular. Also in contrast a more hippy movement started. The sixties was also a big year for women. They became more influential and more jobs became available for them. They were also all now legalised to use the contraceptive pill giving them a hope for a future beyond motherhood and marriage. Lastly it was also a huge year for technological advances.Tv’s suddenly turned from black and white to technicolor. People had more free time in which they can do activities such as watch tv or listen to music. Transistor radios became available for the general public. Even teenagers had their own one on which they could listen to music on the move. By the end of the decade, the unbelievable happened Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first men on the moon, this was a huge step for science. As you can imagine this sudden change to good gave everyone hope and allowed them to dream bigger. It allowed people liberty and to be themselves, these are things we take for granted nowadays. Blink once and you would miss it. |
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May 2018
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