Triumph of a Time Lord Regenerating Doctor Who in the Twenty-first Century

by Hills, Matt

• ISBN13: 9781848850323
• ISBN10: 1848850328
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-02-15
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris

Summary

This is the first full-length book to explore the 'new Who' phenomenon through to the casting of Matt Smith as the new Doctor. It explores 'Doctor Who' through contemporary debates in TV Studies about quality TV and how can we define TV series as both "cult" and "mainstream". Further, the book challenges assumptions in focusing on the importance of breath-taking, dramatic moments along with narrative structures, and in analysing the significance of Murray Gold's music as well as the series' visual representations. Matt Hills is a lifelong 'Who' fan and he also considers the role of fandom in the show's return. He investigates too the multi-generic identity, the monster-led format, and the time-travelling brand of BBC Wales' 'Doctor Who'. In the twenty-first century, TV is changing, but the last of the Time Lords has been more than ready: he's been fantastic.

Author Biography

Matt Hills is Senior Lecturer in Media & Cultural Studies, Cardiff University.  Author of  Fan Cultures (2002), The Pleasures of Horror (2005) and How To Do Things with Cultural Theory (2005).

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. vii
Acknowledgements	p. ix
Introduction - Bringing Back a TV Icon	p. 1
Fans and Producers
'The Russell T. Davies Era': Authorship and Organisation	p. 25
'The Doctor Who Mafia': Fans as Textual Poachers Turned Gamekeepers	p. 54
Genre and Format
Time Travel in New Who as Comedy, Soap Opera, Adventure à and Science Fiction	p. 87
TV Horror: The Importance of Monsters	p. 116
Quality and Mainstream TV
The 'Quality TV' Debate à and the Value of Doctor Who	p. 147
Mainstreaming Who: The Importance of Music	p. 178
A Mainstream Cult?	p. 202
Bibliography	p. 233
Index	p. 253
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