OpinionDoctor Who travels to China, an illustration of the benefits of soft power as the UK seeks to build a more creative economy
- Chris Moseley says the launch of the iconic British TV show in China shows the importance of nurturing cultural links – in this case between two cultural giants – to build trust and further cooperation in other aspects of the relationship
When I was a child of four, my family lived next door to a man by the name of Dudley Simpson. Now Dudley, for those who are fans of the long-running British TV science-fiction series Doctor Who and are of a certain age, was the creative genius behind the programme’s incidental music.
From 1963, when Doctor Who first aired, through to 1980, Dudley created those spooky electronic signature riffs and synthesiser-inspired burps, bumps and screeches that defined the series in those early years.
I’ll never forget hiding behind the sofa to watch a 1967 episode, “The Abominable Snowmen” – certainly Dudley’s daughter, Karen, and I recall being deliciously frightened by jobbing BBC actors dressed up in large woolly costumes. Abominable snowmen indeed! Well, Stars Wars and Alien were but a twinkle at the time, and special effects were in their infancy.
This memory came to mind recently when I noticed a set of posters aimed at the Chinese market and promoting the latest series of Doctor Who. Feifei Ruan, the freelance illustrator who designed the posters, said she hopes her latest artwork will be liked by Doctor Who fans in China and also inspire people who are not familiar with Doctor Who to watch the show.
The illustrations will form part of a huge new launch for the sci-fi drama in China, with each image designed to resonate with various Chinese locations and cultural elements.