The next episode of Doctor Who will focus on a legendary figure from the twentieth century: Rosa Parks. Will the episode be able to do justice to the icon?
Following on from the outer-space hijinks of The Ghost Monument, the third episode of Doctor Who this series will focus on something very different altogether. Something far scarier and far more important than any alien world: Earth’s history. Here’s what we know from the official synopsis for Rosa.
"Montgomery, Alabama. 1955. The Doctor and her friends find themselves in the Deep South of America. As they encounter a seamstress by the name of Rosa Parks, they begin to wonder whether someone is attempting to change history."
So it’s pretty obvious that, as much as I would’ve preferred otherwise, Rosa won’t be a pure historical. Specifically, it won’t be an episode that features no science-fiction elements other than the Doctor and her companions. These stories were very common in the first three seasons of the Classic Series, before they were gradually phased out in Season Four. It’s a shame that this couldn’t be a return to that kind of story, but never mind.
Regardless, focusing on the civil rights icon Rosa Parks is definitely bold. Bold and very risky. This is not only an important figure in history, but one that has lived in some viewers’s lifetimes. So how she’s written and handled will be incredibly important.
British actress Vinette Robinson will be playing Rosa Parks. Will she be able to do justice to the woman herself?
(Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC. Image obtained from: official Doctor Who website.)
Doctor Who and American accents
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If there’s one thing I’m admittedly slightly worried about, it’s that she’s played by British actress Vinette Robinson. Not that I have anything against her as an actress, or her performances in other roles.
But this does run the risk of a great performance ruined by a weak accent. This is something that’s occurred in quite a few Doctor Who stories over the years. For example, while the story definitely had other problems, Daleks in Manhattan really suffered from quite a few weak accents. Not from all of the characters – a couple at least were played by actual Americans. But still, the accents definitely stood out.
Dalek didn’t have this problem, but not only was that a strong episode. It also used quite a number of actual Americans in the cast. So this meant that there was less chance of a bad accent ruining the story.
I’m hoping that Rosa won’t have this problem. I’m really hoping that Robinson’s performance is not only good, but is also matched by an equally decent accent. Not only that, but that the sci-fi element of the story doesn’t get in the way too much of what’s important about Rosa Parks’s story. We’ll have to wait until Sunday to find out, though.
Are you looking forward to Rosa? Do you hope it’ll do justice to Rosa Parks’s story? Let us know in the comments below.