Afterword

The Hope of the Doctor

Abstract

This Afterword considers whether Doctor Who’s religious meanings are “polysemic” (different for different audiences) or “neutrosemic” (mirroring the religious commitments of those reading the programme). I argue that implicit religion is a useful concept not just in relation to the show’s plurality of meaning, but also its unpredictable cultural life, inspiring generations of viewers (and fans who would become its producers) to pay attention to the Doctor’s unusual heroism. Doctor Who promises moral and educative possibilities; it conveys a deep hope in transformative agency, even if these meanings cannot be guaranteed to arrive for audiences.