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Doctor Who: The Hand of Fear

Name: Doctor Who: The Hand of Fear
Director: Lennie Mayne
Released: 1976
Duration: 100 min

Representation Score

3.5/10

Limited

1976

Director

Lennie Mayne

Runtime

100 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The production starts to break down traditional gender roles by highlighting Leela's autonomy and combat skills. However, the work adheres to the genre conventions of its time, lacking explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities and disabilities. Ultimately, the film uses alien societies to explore cultural differences, moving away from Anglo-centric norms while still working within the constraints of 1970s television.

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Category Breakdown

Does Doctor Who: The Hand of Fear have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The story does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or depict non-straight relationships. The interpersonal dynamics focus on the friendship between the Doctor and his companions.

How does Doctor Who: The Hand of Fear portray gender?

Good

Leela challenges 1970s gender norms by being a strong combatant. Her autonomy and martial skills balance the Doctor's teaching role, showing that women can be active and competent.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Doctor Who: The Hand of Fear?

Fair

The speculative biology on Svartos replaces traditional human races. Leela brings a non-Western perspective that questions the scientific establishment's dominance.

How does Doctor Who: The Hand of Fear represent religion and culture?

Fair

The story examines conflicts between science and tribal traditions. It critiques scientific arrogance through a moral framework that contrasts civilized characters with tribal ethics.

Does Doctor Who: The Hand of Fear include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no prominent depictions of physical, neurodivergent, or sensory disabilities in this series.

Present on Screen

Leela challenges 1970s gender norms through her autonomy and combat skills.
The use of extraterrestrial species serves as a metaphor for cultural otherness.
The narrative challenges scientific arrogance through a relativistic moral framework.

Limited or Absent

The story lacks any representation of LGBTQ+ identities.
There are no depictions of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.
Interpersonal dynamics remain limited to traditional mentor-student relationships.

Official Synopsis

When the TARDIS lands in a quarry on Earth, Sarah unearths what appears to be a fossilised hand, buried in one-hundred-fifty-million-year-old strata. Analysis shows the hand to be silicon-based and inert, but when Sarah begins to act as if possessed, the Doctor suspects that it may still be alive...

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