Doctor Who: Why politics in the series isn’t an issue (but how it’s handled is)

We look back at political storytelling in Doctor Who. When does it work? And when does it work against a good story?

Series 11, like virtually any series of Doctor Who, is a series that has received a lot of complaints from fans. Now, is it my cup of tea? Compared to Philip Hinchcliffe’s or Steven Moffat’s eras, no, not quite. But I also don’t think it’s one of the worst eras we’ve seen of the show, either.

One of the funniest and most recurring complaints I’ve seen for the series – and of course, this is a complaint that I’ve seen for many other franchises – is “Keep politics out of Doctor Who!” Across Facebook pages or YouTube videos, you’ll find something along the lines of how “political” the series has become. As if somehow, this is only a recent trend.

Which is of course nonsense. Anyone who’s watched the Classic Series knows just how political Doctor Who has been for decades. Malcolm Hulke, Brian Hayles and even Robert Holmes have told fiercely political stories.

Some of the best examples of this include Doctor Who and The Silurians, The Curse of Peladon and The Sun Makers. Whether it’s two different races fighting over land they both feel belongs to them, a world debating whether to join a federation, or just a story about how monstrous and painful taxes are, the political influences are screamingly obvious. Especially when you take into context the major events occurring when these stories were made.

Why they worked

So what has made these stories such fondly remembered classics? Why do fans still enjoy watching them, even today? Even when the politics themselves are about as subtle as a sledgehammer?

The main thing it comes down is good, fleshed out storytelling. Especially when all sides were explored. The great political stories did more than just aim to focus on one side completely, but made sure to explore the characters and their views in full, including the villains.

Many of the best villains in these stories have strong motivations for what they do, whether it’s a belief that they have a right to the planet because they were here first, or because they were incredibly afraid of change, particularly when it affected everything about their world. Drama thrives on conflict, and the best drama happens when you see things from both sides.

These stories have also included well-rounded villains, with strong or at least interesting motivations for what they do. In The Silurians, even some of the more ruthless members just wanted to protect their race from another that was clearly dangerous. In The Curse of Peladon, the main antagonist just wanted their world to hold onto tradition and protect their world from outside influences.

The best example

Perhaps one of the greatest examples of political storytelling done right is The Green Death. The issues are extremely clear, as well as the writers’ own views on it: pollution is a strong threat, and we need to look to other ways to survive.

However, what makes the story work is that everything feels fleshed out – the story, the characters, the monsters, and we also have a fantastic villain in the form of BOSS.

On top of that, the story also acknowledges the counter argument – that people always need jobs, and when an organisation offers them, even when those places threaten the environment, that can be hard for families who need to put food on the table to resist. It’s a key point that helps the story feel more grounded, and it’s even stronger as a result.

Robertson (Chris Noth) is presented as a rather obvious Trump parody in Arachnids in the UK. Perhaps too obvious?

(Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC Press.)

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When doesn’t it work?

So when doesn’t it work? Not when the politics are too obvious – as previously mentioned, even in the best stories, the political storytelling is usually obvious. But when those messages overwhelm the needs of the basic story, that can be a problem. It can even work against the message the writer wants to make.

One of the best examples of this is last year’s Arachnids in the UK. It was clear that Chris Chibnall wanted to make a very, very obvious Donald Trump parody with the character of Robertson. If Robertson had been an alien villain, the parody could have worked, but to make him someone American who’s running for President against Trump honestly made him more problematic.

Interestingly, Arachnids had messages about the dangers of corporate pollution just as The Green Death did. But with a less than effectual villain and, as fellow writer Robert pointed out, rather mixed morals, it hardly compares to the classic Jon Pertwee story.

So political storytelling can work extremely well in Doctor Who, but it also needs to work as great storytelling on its own terms. After all, if you don’t take the basic story itself seriously, then how do you expect the fans to take the message seriously?

What are your thoughts on politics in Doctor Who? Is there a place for it in the series? Could it even be essential? Or do you think the series can work without it? Let us know in the comments below.