Doctor Who Love and Monsters (2006)
Theory 1 - Robert Warshow from 'The Gangster as Tragic Hero' 1948: 'One goes to any individual example of the type with very definite expectations and originality is to be welcomed only in the degree that it intensifies the expected experience without fundamentally altering it'
The episode 'Love & Monsters' can be applied to the this theory by Robert Warshow because of how this doctor who episode includes much more originality and balances out the episode by using less sci-fi conventions and including much more comedy and romance conventions than the doctor who series normally would through the use of characters and overall narrative. This episode I feel has included to much originality to the point were we see less of our expectations of the sci-fi series. Comparing this episode to other Doctor Who episodes I felt that many sci-fi elements of the series were not included and felt that in other episodes the balance between sci-fi and other genres tended to shift much more to sci-fi. I felt this episode was more balanced because even though there was a lot of comedy and romance, the overall narrative did include a lot of sci-fi conventions as well by still using the main series iconography, such as the 'Tardis', the 'Sonic Screwdriver' and the use of an alien villain.
Theory 2 - Rick Altman from 'Film/Genre 1996: 'Not all films engage spectators' generic knowledge in the same way and to the same extent. While some films simply borrow devices from established genres, others foreground their generic characteristics to the point where the genre concept itself plays a major role in the film.
The episode also reflects Rick Altmans theory because of how conventions of comedy and romance have been included through the characters they have used and the overall narrative. In this episode the comedian Peter Kay was playing the main alien villain (The Abzorboloff). Rick Altmans Theory talks about how different audiences interpret differently. In this episode many fans (Whovians) of the Doctor Who series felt that because using the comedian Peter Kay in a comical way by playing a northern alien character, they felt that it was a parody episode/spoof. Digital Spy's Dek Hogan criticised Kay's performance, calling the Abzorbaloff "a marvellous idea and it's a pity his creativity was absorbed by a turn from a visiting comedian". Stephen Brook of The Guardian stated that he "hated" the episode, describing it as a "parody of Doctor Who fans". However other public viewers/ non hardcore fans of the series, including myself, might interpreted this differently because of how if they don't watch doctor who a lot or never they wouldn't know the original narrative structures, the amount of sci-fi conventions used and the use of iconography or characters used in the narrative. Romance elements were also used through the use of the group in the narrative called 'LINDA'. The group 'LINDA' was also interpreted as a parody by a lot of fans, because they felt it was a negative representation of them. Romance was shown throughout the narrative with the characters Elton and Ursala. Adult humour was also included at the end of the narrative when Ursala's face was on a slab and Elton was talking about how they still have a sexual relationship which audiences will interpret differently according to there age.
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