Doctor Who's Socio-Political Dark Side
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
- Today's video is a celebration of one of the best runs any TV show ever had, and how its careful inclusion of real-world allegories played a part in both its initial success and lasting power.
/ dennigalla | ko-fi.com/denn... - บันเทิง
Have you watched Torchwood Children of Earth? To me, it is the darkest story to happen in the whole of Doctor Who. It focuses on Classism and how the government would be willing to sacrifice lower class children to save everyone else. It’s heartbreaking and it’s some of the best television out there!
Seen it aye, big fan. Thought about doing a video on that too.
That one is gold
Dennis this is your best video so far. So informative on a subject I didn't know I cared about, until you made me care.
Cheers man. Praise always means the most coming from you. Glad you enjoyed it.
Remember: if somebody tells you Doctor Who has "become political", they haven't really watch Doctor Who.
Agreed.
@@dennigalla The very first episode is about how science is often used by leaders for political gains.
It has though. There’s a giant difference between what was happening in RTD’s first era. And what’s been happening since Jodie Whittaker came on board. There’s no mistake that people accepted the politics right until it descended into woke, virtual signaling, massively forced message first plot second episodes. Nobody can write quality anymore. It’s all tokenism, race swaps, sexuality swaps, gender swaps and forced, lazy diversity in place of well written characters. It’s boring, it’s trite and it’s incredibly lazy. The doctor was only made female because every franchise decided to gender swap, the Doctor is now black because now Hollywood and tv are lazily race swapping every white character in existence, It’s not earned, it feels cheap, it feels forced and again, it’s very lazy patronising tokenism. They’ve been cast entirely on race first and gender first and it’s so wrong and so different that the natural diversity and joy we had in series 1-4 where it was just story. Instead we get a quick fix race swap and gender swap where we sit back and watch the actor get bullied on social media while corporations rub their hands together because they’ve done their bit for diversity
Now it’s a celebration of look how on trend we are and here’s a really shitty plot and topical, trendy, in your face, pointed dialogue instead of an actual script. Perfect example, switching a 15 year Donna noble plot thread into something related to non binary people. For no reason than to again, be topical. When thr metacrisis had absolutely nothing to do with the word non binary, binary was just a thing she happened to say in journeys end about the chameleon circuit. Nothing to do with the definition of binary and non binary, that’s been tagged on and twisted so we can be ‘on trend’.
The forced pronouns comment, the male presenting comments, the unnecessary Isaac Newton race swaps. These aren’t ‘political’, these are executive meddling for the sake of cheap points and everybody hates it, almost everybody. There’s a reason people are switching off in their droves and absolutely ripping the show apart. I will always, always, always stand by the fact that when people moan about the show being ‘woke’ and ‘political’ that yes. Sorry, it has. What was being done back then and what is being done now are MILES apart.
I mean Davros is cancelled for Christ sake because he’s offensive 🤦🏻♂️ I mean Jesus Christ. There’s a clear clear difference between the quality that was woven into the 2005 onwards story, and what’s being slammed in the face of this flogged horse of a show now. And it’s so annoying when people pretend not to know this is what people are talking about,
@@obiwankenobi687 Translation: I agreed with it then so it doesn't count
Biggest rage on the channel yet. Nice one.
Some gorgeous analysis here. I love how these kind of socio-political ideas are baked into RTD's stories. Always makes me laugh when people complain about later series 'getting political', like Russell's fourth ever story in the series wasn't an obvious critique of the British government following 9/11 and the Iraq war, as you say. Also, I'd somehow never picked up on Gridlock's HIV allegory so I have a newfound appreciation for that story after watching this video, thank you! Keep up the good work, man. Looking forward to seeing more stuff from you!
Cheers for watching.
Superhero stories have always had philosophical and socio-political themes baked into them. I guess Doctor Who wouldn't even be what it is without that.
These kinds of ideas are in probably 90% of good stories out there, not always in overt ways such as this. But having some kind of social meaning or relevance helps even an entirely character-based story really come to life.
On the Belgrano, papers have since been released, I believe under the 30 year rule and Information Request(s), that intercepted Argentine communications displayed the Belgrano as an active threat. Furthermore, the Captain of Belgrano has also stated that Britain was justified, as he had orders to act against the Islands or British vessels.
This wasn't a video designed to get to the bottom of the Belgrano incident, I wanted mainly to discuss the public reaction.
@@dennigalla Well, that's why the comments are here, so that discussions about elements within the video can be had. It does make you look like you don't want someone to challenge the underlying narrative you've created with your video when you make comments like this.
Malvinas son argentinas
Anyone who says that Doctor Who became "woke" with Jodie's run, simply have never watched this show. Doctor Who is a very political show, always has been and that's how it should be, it's a show that spreads positive messages and that's part of why I love it.
Heck, the show used to be more radical at times by modern standards. The first Dalek story ever explicitly says that refusing to kill fascists in the name of not liking violence is extremely shameful.
I guess I disagree that it always spreads a positive message because it does love a little bit of bleakness, as you can see in this video haha. But political commentary is crucial to the show's legacy, that's an undeniable fact.
I think it’s because politics today are a joke and a lot of people don’t take them seriously, it takes away from the show. I agree with most messages the show wants to get across, but whenever those messages are presented, it makes me like the show a little less
@dennigalla oh yeah it can cover bleak topics but the show always tries to be optimistic and tell us how we can be better!
@@foolonthehill8410 how are they a joke?
All good sci fi leans on political messages really, Star Trek did too, it’s this familiarity that grounds it and allows us to connect. I was the only one in my family that sided with Harriet Jones’ decision to blast the sycorax away, I saw them as a future threat to earth and others so why not?
I sided with the Doctor as an impressionable wee nine/ten year old but looking back it was the first example of the Tenth doctor getting on his high horse over something more complex than he seemed to appreciate.
@@dennigallaIt's also some really early foreshadowing for Time Lord Victorious; he had mentioned that Harriet Jones would bring a golden age, but he rewrites it not even a year later. He rewrites time in a small way to suit his opinions.
Holy moly, you opened my eyes to gridlock.
God I never caught that part of gridlock, what an excellent analysis of the era
Yeah it never hit me until like my tenth watch haha. Cheers for watching.
And that's the difference between the politics in the show in the past and in the 13th doctor, one of the doesn't shove it down the throat but still has it in the background
What separates good Who episodes from bad ones is the stories working well without allegory. In the Slitheen episode, they have their own goal of selling radioactive rock. But in the Jagrafess episode, the Editor doesn’t have a clear goal, just “using fear I can -insertsocietyissue” Sure it would turn out it was the Daleks all along but in isolation The Long Game is pretty shit.
Aye, it's a concept-driven episode. I still think Kathica has a good wee story going on - the Doctor sort of inspires her out of going with the flow and into being an actual investigative journalist for a change.
So you're saying that "privileged wealthy types profit off of destruction and death" isn't an allegory?
@@dominickeijzer5844 No I don't think I said that pal.
I love the first Davies era. I think his themes are perfect condensed in the christopher Eccleson series it was crafted so perfectly for the era and will hold up beyond its time.
I love tenth run as well but 9th I don’t think couldn’t be topped for a long while. I hope RTD manages to bring his flare back with Ncuti.
I'm hoping for the same but I think the limited budget and how they made the most of it in 9's series created a certain vibe that just can't ever be recaptured.
@@dennigallaNo recaptured, but better.
@@mayotango1317 Not sure that's possible either - at least for me. 9's series is probably my favourite with 10 + Donna right behind it.
He hasn’t
Top class video this! 👏
Will always be glad for the day I first heard “Wallace and gromit is fucking creepy!” As it lead to me sticking around for this video 🙏
Cheers, mate.
@@dennigalla My pleasure!
I did see another reply where you said about doing a video on Children of earth! I really hope you do, as I'd love to hear your take away from that and just how DARK the whole show was, especially the sequences of the politicians actually discussing "what kids do we give up?"
@@MichSciFi10 I'd love to talk about that series but I'm not sure how likely it really is. These days the way I think about my videos is that I always want to bring something kind of new to the conversation. As happy as I'd be praising Children of Earth I don't really have a unique take on it, I'd just be summarising how good it is when really it speaks for itself.
@@dennigalla No that's entirely fair haha! Hope you do more DW videos for sure! =)
There were political messages, but they worked; now (new episodes) it feels like political messages at the expense of story.
Haven't seen enough of the new stuff to even be able to comment.
Nick Briggs JNT oops RTD bigs zzzzzzz
This is dark commentary on dark things, but I would reserve _dark _*_side_* for an episode such as _Kerblam,_ where a Doctor who never explores ethics because she is presumed always right by definition promotes the neoliberal idea that murderous corporotocracy is best dealt with by killing activists and giving employees a fortnight vacation.
Would love to have discussed that episode but unfortunately I physically can't stand watching the Chibnall-era. Or most of the Moffat era.
@@dennigalla It would not have fit here anyway. The commentary you mention here is social. The commentary in "Kerblam" is antisocial.
Fantastic video, really captures what I love about this era better than I could put it myself.
Have you tried putting your feelings into words? You might be even better than me.
Nice essay. I nearly didn't watch it due to the title, but I'm glad I did.
Incredible back-handed compliment. What's your issue with the title?
@@dennigalla I thought you were going to complain that Dr Who was too liberal. I was wrong. It wasn't intended as a back-hander.
I read a dissertation where somebody argued that the Doctor Who is anti-political because everybody sees their own politics in Doctor Who no matter which side they lean on. It was an...Interesting take....
Pretty strongly disagree with that haha.
@@dennigalla I very much do too 😂 doing a personal project about the ethics of Doctor Who, so that's why I read this dissertation
I agree with the opening statement. Which makes it heartbreaking that the new RTD is unwatchably bad.
Also, as someone who was there as the Hillsborough disaster unfolded and through sheer luck of ticket allocation was spared being part of/a victim of it back in 1989 I've been aware of fake news for a long time. The BBC proved the police killed those 97 people barely 36 hours after the event yet almost 35 years later due to reporting by other media many many people still believe the fans hold responsibility.
That's amazing and tragic to hear, man. I'm among the millions of British people that refuse to have anything to do with The Sun to this day, long may that tradition continue.
This was brilliantly done 👍
Cheers.
My favourite episode is tough to say. It’s ether the family of blood two parter or the Christmas special 2 parter (I forgot it’s name but I watched it last Christmas and recency bias makes me love it lol.)
I just wish current doctor was actually good with his political allegory. Its not even allegory anymore, just heavy handed and dull.
Mate this is some really amazing stuff. I'm genuinely so happy and proud for you that you're doing this and having all these people loving your work. Doesn't look like you're gonna be stopping anytime soon either which is brilliant. Wishing you all the best from afar.
I appreciate it man. This is still just a wee side gig while I'm working on some short film stuff. Also if you stayed down South we're probably not too far, I'm in London now.
@@dennigalla I did. That’s wild, I had no idea! We should absolutely go get a drink sometime.
@@wanbawmcgraw3022Get me on Instagram and we'll set it up.
@@dennigalla can’t find you 😂
@@wanbawmcgraw3022should be @galladenni
Really good video
Can you make one for the Steven Moffatt era and Chris Chibnall. Some episodes i think are the hungry earth/cold blood from series 5 or Zygon invasion/inversion from series 9 then theres smile from series 10
Also liked that you noted the music used in your video most videos i watch that have music i end up not finding which is annoying when i really like the choice of music.
You're welcome for crediting the music, I always do it. And I don't really have much to say positively about Chibnall and Moffat so probably for the best if I don't talk about them haha.
The doctor has always stood for equality and peace.
I love this view of Gridlock... but how do you mesh that with the Doctor being so intensely uncharacteristically anti-drug at the start of the episode? Seems unlikely RTD is trying to make the Doctor anti-gay or anti-shagging...?
It's not THAT one-to-one as an analogy. The comparison's just relating to the viral transmission, it doesn't mean that Bliss is a literal metaphor for STDs.
@@dennigalla lol fair enuf
Davis version of Doctor Who is basically panto, with all the subtly of a brick.
Your comment has exceeded maximum cringe levels. Please delete your account immediately.
The show acknowledges that the people can be pretty terrible a lot but it’s also so optimistic a lot of the time and my favourite quote will always be from Elton in Love and Monsters “But the truth is, the world is so much stranger than that. It's so much darker. And so much madder. And so much better”
It's an underrated episode, that. Bit of a classic case of Davies getting in his own way with some of the ideas. But Elton was a great one-off character.
@@dennigalla I agree, it was one of my favourites as a 7 year old but it didn’t age too well, a lot of missed potential in not bringing Elton back in a later episode like James Corden’s character
@@sethrowley8086 It's Jackie Tyler at her absolute shining best.
My friend asked me why they hate chinall’s episodic politics, and ive always said “RTD was great bc he’s a leftist. Chibnall was neoliberal” no hate to chibnall, just love the politics of rtd
a fan since 63: who cares? this disney doctor became my annoyance since the last few minutes of starbeast where they simply emasculated the doctor. i will listen to big finish though, as disney hasn't got to them, yet.
Great vid. Always enjoy the upload
Cheers man, glad to have you with us.
I was living in the U.K. when the Belgrano happened. It was far from clear cut, and I'm happy you gave it nuance.
Aye it definitely seems like it could be seen either way. When I was doing some research I did see some Argentinians involved admitting that it was fair play by the British. But like I said I wasn't interested in finding fault but talking more about the reaction and conversation and how they influenced The Christmas Invasion.
Cheers for watching.
I dont mean to correct you on your point on the general belgrano but their isnt any serious debate abouts its morals or legitmacy as a target theses days, this is due to the fact the the cpt agreed that it was a military target and was planing to go into the exculsion zone and becason documents realsed in the late 2000s that revealed that the british government new that the ship was planing a combat mission agianst british warships. Obviously at the time this wasnt revealed and kept top secret because of the information was intercepted via our ally chile who was official not involved in the conflict and revealinf their involvement could have triggered diplomatic backlash or a wider conflict.
Their not real much debate or moral dylemia outside of argintinian nationalist circles who ignore these facts
Aye you're right. There's absolutely no moral complexity in torpedoing 300 people to death to maintain control of a colony.
@@dennigalla true but that's more so complexity over the war it self. However the action it self was well within what is justified in war, the only question is weither the war itself was. Tho it did make for some good doctor who and I don't believe the fact that britian knew the belgrano was planing to conduct attacks against us was revealed in 2006 so it was a fair point for Coventry. As for the war itself their is alot of nuance in it
@@dennigalla tho calling it a colony gives wrong impression considering it was technically an over sea territory and the only people living their supported british rule and our among the first know people to have inhabited the area. Even then the question on weither the blood shed for a remote barren bearly populated island is still an important one as well as the actual motives behind the response
@@dennigalla Reading through your replies to everyone bringing this up, you really should take into consideration that the people of the Falklands were being invaded by a foreign power that they did not want to be ruled by, and have voted against doing with a so ever since. Like, a lot of the rhetoric you use, flat out treats the Falkland islanders in a very inhuman way.
@@ShiftyMcGoggles You have absolutely no fucking idea what you're talking about. I am one of the biggest proponents of decolonisation you will ever meet. I'm Scottish and pretty die-hard about Independence as I utterly despise the notion of unelected leaders, especially monarchies.
To me is just seems like my absolute and deliberate denial to pick a side in the video and get into the nitty gritty of the war at large - because I'm only talking about one specific event insofar as people need to know about it to compare the Belgrano to the Sycorax - has caussd some inner bias in you to lurch to the surface and lash out.
This isn't a The Falklands War in 15 minutes primer. So you'd do well to not jump the gun and assume what I believe based on the absence of me railing on British exceptionalism and the Tories and the Monarchy - which would be an entire video all in itself.
In short: get a fucking grip of yourself, man. I don't see how you could possibly take what I said in here as some kind of denigration against the Argentinians.
Beautiful analysis from one of my favourite small TH-camrs. You've got a really deep appreciation for media and its deeper meanings that I really like, and this is no different. Doctor Who has some really interesting sociopolitical allegories and I'm glad there are people like you to appreciate and talk about them. Also, the music is so good! It's solemn but hopeful and really fits your vibe. Keep it up, dude. :D
Cheers, man. I tried to be careful with the music this time round, especially when talking about something as hideous as the AIDS crisis. I didn't want to have some incredibly obviously bleak background music but neither did I want to just blast some upbeat techno haha. I think they all fit fairly well.
@@dennigalla I thought you were very tactful. Keep making great videos!
A big problem with the Moffat era is how politically empty it seems compared to Davis. Moffat really, really struggles with political narratives and often times it felt like he didn’t have much to say or was at least not very good at saying it. Moffat really comes from the 1990’s school of liberalism, particularly Blair style of politics where fundamental change is seen as either wrong, misguided or outright evil. It reminds me a lot of Jk Rowling and how the Harry Potter series in retrospect had very shallow political commentary, and at times borderline reactionary politics. Not saying Moffat is a reactionary or anything like that, but his episodes don’t seem to have much deeper political subtext. Also explains why he couldn’t write the Daleks to save his life, if you don’t understand them as an allegory for fascism and supremacy, then you aren’t ever going to produce anything of substance or depth with them.
It’s not that doctor who has become too woke, it’s just that since 2005 with NewWho, the politics in it has been surface level and basically “Trump is voldomort” type shit
the long game and bad wolf/parting of the ways is an allegory for j...
Kojima Hideo was also ahead of his time on fake news in 2001's Metal Gear Solid 2
The same guy who's Death Stranding showed a world after a catastrophe where people are sheltered inside and the hero is a delivery guy. It came out in 2019.
I'd love Kojima and RTD to create something together
Nick brigs narrator bring zzzzzz
Man just found out what sifi is
The social and political elements never went away. It's just that it isn't handled as well. I just finished Series 11 and Rosa is cringe and Kerblam! is actively morally repugnant. Oxygen on the other hand is a really good criticism of capitalism. Demons of the Punjab is a really good episode about a major political and social historical event.
You're the second person to mention Kerblam being awful in these comments, I'll need to check it out now.
Quality video mate, fantastic analysis of so much stuff I never realised when watching the show
Cheers man.
Good content
Subbed
Cheers man. Glad to have you with us.
America isn't watching anymore, neither are millions of fans (both "new" and old) who fell away during the Jodie and Capaldi eras, the specials didn't even crack the Disney+ top 100 and despite the BBC fudging the the Christmas and Anniversary specials 2 and 3 were flops, Anniversary special 1 a ratings disappointment.
Without even getting into how offended many people were by RTD's twisted reasoning behind his Davros retcon and the infamous pronouns scene the current Doctor Who feels like a show dying, not one going strength to strength. This isn't the show we loved and isn't the show we want. I'll take a bitter pleasure in watching it crash and burn.
I didn't hate the 10 and Donna specials but the Christmas episode was godawful. And yeah, I agree the reasoning behind Davros's appearance change is insanity.
"Anniversary special 1 a ratings disappointment." 9 million isn't a ratings disappointment and all 4 specials in 2023 were very successful so you are wrong.
@dennigalla "Oh we dont want to make disabled & deformed people look bad with the davros character" It's about as absurd as saying Darth vader is offensive to people with amputated limbs! Completely ridiculous.
@@rogerkeleshian2215 that's not what was actually said. It was more the trend of disabled people being portrayed as bad in media, that's an unfortunate fact.
@friendlyotaku9525 I more so paraphrased it but the point still stands. I'm pretty sure most people in wheel chairs don't see themselves depicted with davros on screen no more than we the viewers see this despicable despot and immediately associate it with the average person without functioning legs. It's just the idiot director trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist. If anything, davros never saw his lack of functioning limbs as anything more than another challenge that his superior intelligence overcame.
Great video!
Cheers.
Man, I never thought of it that way. i'm on my first watch atm and as a early teenager I don't pick up on a lot of these things, and you put it so beautifully. I think that what Doctor Who does really well is showcase humanity. Like you said, at its best and at its worst. It is my wholehearted belief that humanity can and will get to the points Doctor Who showcases. Even after the Davis Era ends, you see that through all the seasons (At least to where I am now. End of Season 8). I could write a whole lot more, but I could never put it as you did. This is a spectacular video, and i think it might be one of my faves here on the internet. Fantastic job :D
What a pity that his new run with Gatwa is absolute tripe.
We've only seen one episode, for Christ's sake.
@@dennigallaand I liked the episode well enough. Liked it better than tennants and capaldis first episode, about on par with smiths. I definitely like the amount of mystery they’ve added to his episode