The psychology of Doctor Who examined

As you may have gathered, today marks the 50th anniversary of the first episode of Doctor Who.

Two years ago we published two news articles - Behind the Sofa and The Regeneration Game - about Chartered Psychologist Dr Sarita Robinson's investigation of the appeal of this enigmatic hero.

In the latter she suggested the fact that we normally begin by watching the show from behind the sofa is not something to worry about:

“Issues which may be difficult to talk about in the real world – for example death, separation or oppression – can be easier to discuss when they involve aliens in a far-off fantasy world.

“The Doctor and his companions can also act as positive role models for children. The show never encourages the use of violence – the Doctor never carries a gun, for instance. And it has plenty of strong female characters. Rosie Martha, Donna and Amy have all been quite feisty.”

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