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Jack Graham

Jack Graham wrote about Doctor Who and Marxism, often at the same time. These days he co-hosts the I Don't Speak German podcast with Daniel Harper.Support Jack on Patreon.

5 Comments

  1. jane
    May 15, 2013 @ 12:28 pm

    Never thought of the Silurian story as an allegory for Israel/Palestine! Thank you for this reading.

    It also helps me to make sense of the next Silurian story, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship. The Silurians (our Palestinians) have been wiped out by Solomon — named after a Jewish King. Does this mean we should take the Doctor's response to Solomon as an allegory for an interventionist's response to Israel?

    Reply

  2. Jack Graham
    May 15, 2013 @ 1:24 pm

    I'd be surprised if Chris Chibnall can spell 'allegory', personally.

    Reply

  3. James S
    May 16, 2013 @ 4:45 am

    I hope not! In Dinosaurs, Solomon's main (only) character traits are his covetous nature and need for profis. That allegory turns a bland, harmless, slightly eccentric episode into something that makes me want to puke.

    I think, I hope that in the case of both stories Chibnall though he was writing harmless "romps"-for kids. But in the case of the Hungry Earth he felt he should add a dash of political allegory (for the ilussion if depth) Just like he added a few Guantanamo Bay references to Torchwood, but had the UN doing them. Poor Chibnall-mostly harmless

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  4. Wm Keith
    May 16, 2013 @ 6:50 pm

    Bland? Harmless? Slightly eccentric? Playing Sandifer's "Toymaker" rule, I hereby declare DoaS so offensive that it is Not Canon. To argue this properly, however, I would need to watch it again. But to summarise, possibly inaccurately (as Chibnall deserves): let's humiliate strong women, who need to resign their executive jobs for the love of a good sexist; let's manufacture a father-son relationship which completely outweighs husband-wife; let's throw in a bit of lecherous torture (not for this Solomon a treaty with the Queen of Sheba) on the part of a murderous wandering covetous Jewish capitalist who must be murdered in turn by another wanderer; oh, did I mention the bonding over shooting things and the comedy gay robots? But, on the other hand, it's got Dinosaurs! On a spaceship!

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  5. Wm Keith
    May 16, 2013 @ 6:57 pm

    Thank God that he is now the hottest property in British TV. (I didn't see Broadchurch. Was it a miraculous improvement on everything his leaden talent had previously sullied?) Please, please can Chibnall be golden-handcuffed to ITV and never write for the BBC again, least of all become story editor for Doctor Who.

    Reply

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