Doctor Who stars deny stories in show are too politically correct
- Publication: The Guardian
- Date: 2018-12-03
- Author: Mattha Busby
- Page:
- Language: English
The stars of Doctor Who have rejected claims that the TV programme has become too politically correct, defending the sci-fi show's storylines as an "entertaining reminder" of important issues.
Recent episodes of Doctor Who, which the actors recognised did provoke "extreme opinions" among some viewers commenting online, have covered issues such as the US civil rights movement and the 1947 partition of India, a political move understood by many to have been mismanaged by Britain, costing hundreds of thousands of lives and displacing more than 10 million people.
The actors Mandip Gill, who plays Yaz in the show, and Tosin Cole, who is Ryan, told the Radio Times that broaching these topics could prompt viewers, in an entertaining way, to think about broader issues.
"Everyone's going to have their own opinion - it is what it is, Cole said. "The fact that we can give everyone a little friendly, entertaining, reminder of these issues is great."
Responding to the accusation of being too politically correct, Gill said: "It makes me laugh because having the words 'too' and 'correct' in the same sentence is really bizarre to me. How can you be too correct about something? You do see some extreme comments under news articles. I'm only human, I do check and read them. But they don't bother me and actually they're creating conversation."
This Doctor Who series is the first to have a female lead; Jodie Whittaker has received glowing reviews since taking on the Doctor role. Her debut attracted the highest viewing figures of any new Doctor since the show first came back on air with Christopher Eccleston in the lead in 2008..
The programme generates the most revenue for BBC Worldwide of all its properties once merchandise and syndication is accounted for, with a global audience of about 70 million.
In recent years it has attracted criticism for backstory-heavy plots that leave the casual viewer struggling to make sense of complex storylines. However, after bringing in a new show-runner, the programme this season has pursued more standalone adventures and delved into historical events.
The show is broadcasting an episode on New Year's Day this year.
Caption: The new series has covered India's partition and American civil rights
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- APA 6th ed.: Busby, Mattha (2018-12-03). Doctor Who stars deny stories in show are too politically correct. The Guardian .
- MLA 7th ed.: Busby, Mattha. "Doctor Who stars deny stories in show are too politically correct." The Guardian [add city] 2018-12-03. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Busby, Mattha. "Doctor Who stars deny stories in show are too politically correct." The Guardian, edition, sec., 2018-12-03
- Turabian: Busby, Mattha. "Doctor Who stars deny stories in show are too politically correct." The Guardian, 2018-12-03, section, edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Doctor Who stars deny stories in show are too politically correct | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Doctor_Who_stars_deny_stories_in_show_are_too_politically_correct | work=The Guardian | pages= | date=2018-12-03 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=26 April 2024 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Doctor Who stars deny stories in show are too politically correct | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Doctor_Who_stars_deny_stories_in_show_are_too_politically_correct | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=26 April 2024}}</ref>
