Doctor Who and the politics of casting

Jowett, L. (2018) Doctor Who and the politics of casting. Journal of Popular Television. 6(2), pp. 241-256. 2046-9861 .

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Item Type:	Article
Abstract:	This article argues that while long-running science fiction series Doctor Who (1963-89; 1996; 2005-) has started to address a lack of diversity in its casting, there are still significant imbalances. Characters appearing in single episodes are more likely to be colourblind cast than recurring and major characters, particularly the title character. This is problematic for the BBC as a public service broadcaster but is also indicative of larger inequalities in the television industry. Examining various examples of actors cast in Doctor Who, including Pearl Mackie who plays companion Bill Potts, the article argues that while steady progress is being made – in the series and in the industry – colourblind casting often comes into tension with commercial interests and more risk-averse decision-making.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Colourblind casting, television industry, actors, inequality, diversity, race, LGBTQ+
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN1992 Television broadcasts
Creators:	Jowett, Lorna
Publisher:	Intellect
Faculties, Divisions and Institutes:	University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Research Centre > Centre for Critical and Creative Writing Faculties > Faculty of Arts, Science & Technology > Journalism, Media & Performance Research Centres > Centre for Critical and Creative Writing
Date:	1 June 2018
Date Type:	Publication
Page Range:	pp. 241-256
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Popular Television
Volume:	6
Number:	2
Language:	English
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.1386/jptv.6.2.241_1
ISSN:	2046-9861
Status:	Published / Disseminated
Refereed:	Yes
Related URLs:	Publisher
URI:	http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/id/eprint/9744

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