Doctor Who: Political Allegory in Time and Space

Abstract

Doctor Who, a science fiction program first debuting in 1963, has a longstanding tradition of employing political allegory as a successful strategy to optimize audience engagement. From countercultural revolutions of the 1960s to the ‘spy mania’ craze of the 1970s, Doctor Who expressed popular culture in a format that was accessible to audiences of all ages. By the 1980s Doctor Who ceased using political allegory, much to the detriment of the program’s success. In order to draw audience members back into the program, Doctor Who resumed its use of political allegory, this time satirizing the government, something most viewers could identify and relate to. Unfortunately, the efforts to bring back political allegory came at too late of a stage to preserve the program, and it was cancelled in 1989. When Doctor Who returned to television in 2005, political allegory became the backbone of the program once again, carrying the program to its 60th anniversary in 2023.