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

Before Saturday March 26th 2005, "Doctor Who" had been off the air as a regular, new TV series for more than fifteen years; until a production team led by Russell T. Davies re-imagined the programme so successfully, so triumphantly, that it's become an instant Christmas tradition, a BAFTA winner, an international 'superbrand' and a number one rated show. It's even been credited with reinventing family TV. 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. Content......Page 6 Foreword......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Introduction......Page 12 Part I. Fans and Producers ......Page 34 1 'The Russell T. Davies Era': Authorship and Organisation ......Page 36 2 'The Doctor Who Mafia': Fans as Textual Poachers Turned Gamekeepers ......Page 65 Part II. Genre and Format ......Page 96 3 Time Travel in New Who as Comedy, Soap Opera, Adventure... and Science Fiction ......Page 98 4 TV Horror: The Importance of Monsters ......Page 127 Part III. Quality and Mainstream TV ......Page 156 5 The 'Quality TV' Debate... and the Value of Doctor Who ......Page 158 6 Mainstreaming Who: The Importance of Music ......Page 189 7 A Mainstream Cult?......Page 213 Bibliography......Page 244 Index......Page 264 "Triumph of a Time Lord is the first book-length, scholarly study of the 'new Who' phenomenon. It explores Doctor Who through contemporary debates in TV Studies: 'what is quality TV?' and how can we define TV series as both 'cult' and 'mainstream'? More than that, it challenges academic assumptions, analysing the significance of Murray Gold's music as well as visual representations. It also considers the role of fandom in the show's return: what are the consequences of fans taking charge of the TV series they love?"--Jacket. Explores the ' Doctor Who' phenomenon through to the casting of Matt Smith as the Doctor. This book examines "Doctor Who" through contemporary debates in TV Studies about quality TV and how can we define TV series as both 'cult' and 'mainstream'.