Doctor Who and the Convergence of Media

Abstract

The British science fiction series Doctor Who embraces convergence culture on an unprecedented scale, with the BBC currently using the series to trial a plethora of new technologies, including: mini-episodes on mobile phones, podcast commentaries, interactive red-button adventures, video blogs, companion programming, and `fake' metatextual websites. In 2006 the BBC launched two spin-off series, Torchwood (aimed at an exclusively adult audience) and The Sarah Jane Smith Adventures (for 11—15-year-olds), and what was once regarded as an embarrassment to the Corporation now spans the media landscape as a multi-format colossus. This article critically explores many of the transmedia strategies the BBC has employed in relaunching this property. Has it resulted in a richer and more entertaining experience, or is it merely an economic exercise in merchandising and branding? Can these media really work together to create a coherent and satisfying whole?

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