It has recently been suggested that the Doctor, the central character of the BBC’s Doctor Who, is in fact the most compelling Jewish character ever seen on British television. This talk will consider this statement though a consideration of the show’s history both off-screen and on. It will explore the (real and imagined) displays of Jewish identity seen across 50 years through a discussion of such features as the Doctor’s changing appearance his rivalry with the Master and the long-standing enmity towards the Daleks.

Dr James Jordan is based at the University of Southampton where he holds the position of Karten Lecturer at the Parkes Institute for Jewish/non-Jewish Relations.