Heroism in Doctor Who

This first comprehensive study of heroism and the heroic in “Doctor Who” (1963-2020) uses one of Britain’s longest-running TV series to access the changing state of the nation and its collective emotions since the early Sixties. The analysis of two decade-spanning processes of heroization (of the Doctor and female characters in the series) is combined with close readings of individual episodes that feature heroic moments in crystallized narratives of past and future. Nostalgic collective memory, female empowerment and key moments of British history (e.g. World War II) all resonate in the series, which shows how popular heroes negotiate socio-cultural change and identity construction.PublishedThis first comprehensive study of heroism and the heroic in “Doctor Who” (1963-2020) uses one of Britain’s longest-running TV series to access the changing state of the nation and its collective emotions since the early Sixties. The analysis of two decade-spanning processes of heroization (of the Doctor and female characters in the series) is combined with close readings of individual episodes that feature heroic moments in crystallized narratives of past and future. Nostalgic collective memory, female empowerment and key moments of British history (e.g. World War II) all resonate in the series, which shows how popular heroes negotiate socio-cultural change and identity construction