TV: Deutschland 83 Case Study :)

Introduction: Reviews and features

Read the following reviews and features on Deutschland 83:

The Guardian - Your next box set: Deutschland 83

The Guardian - Deutschland 83 Pity the Germans don't like it

1) Find one positive aspect and one criticism of Deutschland 83 in reviews.

• Positive: The strategic storytelling in the 'near-perfect series' with the first episode being the most-watched foreign-language drama in UK history 
• Criticism: Played into the stereotypes of Stasi officers being cruel ideologues and West German officers having messed up peoples' private lives 

2) Why does the second Guardian article suggest the Germans didn't like the show?

Because they stated that the story was too focused on Martin Rouch so the Stasi agents were not written in a way to be empathised with on a human level

3) Find three 'below the line' comments from either of the Guardian articles. What did the audience think of Deutschland 83? Do you agree with the comments?

• "It was watchable and different but full of holes and implausibilities"- I disagree with this comment because this person seems to barely tolerate the show but there are certain aspects of the Uses and Gratifications theory that could prove this comment wrong for a lot of people. This show has presented aspects of surveillance, personal relationships and even personal identity in order to make the show more enjoyable for a variety of audiences 
• "It has a subtlety sadly missing from 90% of German comedy"- I agree with this comment because this show has a casual nature to make it much more enjoyable to watch. Many media products regarding the Cold War are documentary-based but this show presents a new and refreshing approach by incorporating a sense of casualness and subtlety and arguably even comedy
• "Loved this series. I was in West Germany in the summer of 1983 and I thought the programme makers captured the mood of the time perfectly"- I agree with this comment because this person has first-hand experience of what it was like to live in West Germany so this person has personal identity with the show (applying the Uses and Gratifications theory) so this may be the case for more German audiences because they may feel reminiscent of what living in West Germany was like with aspects of nostalgia too

Interviews and behind-the-scenes video features

Channel 4 News: Matt Frei interviews Jonas Nay

1) What does Jonas Nay say about growing up in a united Germany? 

He said that growing up in united Germany meant that there was no West or East Germans anymore because he was born in 1990- he says living in united Germany meant he greatly values his freedom and mobility

2) The Channel 4 News interview is conducted in German with English subtitles. How does this reflect Channel 4's remit as a public service broadcaster and their target audience?

Channel 4 has potentially done this as an attempt to be innovative and inclusive in the same way that Deutschland 83 has done. By having a British public broadcaster broadcasting a foreign show and interview emphasises their innovative nature compared to other public service broadcasters. Other public service broadcasters may be more concerned with being successful and gaining money but Channel 4 has presented this show in order to be more inclusive for other languages without regards to success or profit- this may show how advanced and developed Channel 4 is compared to other public service broadcasters 

3) Interviewer Matt Frei asks about the current political situation in Germany. Why might this interest the Channel 4 News audience?

This may interest a Channel 4 News audience because if they are watching a news channel, they are likely to be concerned with news and politics- whether that be politics and news from the time of the Cold War or news in current time. An audience that is fascinated by news and politics may want to compare what it was like during the time that Deutschland 83 was based compared to nowadays in Germany. Other public service broadcasters may not pay much attention to the politics of other countries but by Channel 4 presenting this news, it shows that they are trying to educate and expand on their inclusivity so that German audiences feel seen and accepted

Textual analysis: Audience pleasures and representations

We need to consider the audience pleasures of Deutschland 83 alongside various representations created in the first episode.

Scene 1: Garden/BBQ scenes (East & West Germany)

4.58 – 8.20 and 34.00 – 37.20

Technical codes – particularly mise-en-scene: 

-Handheld camerawork at birthday party n the East- gives the audience the impression that we are attending the party with him

-Camerawork at in the West is a 360 degree handheld shot- gives the impression that we are being watched 

Representation of East & West Germany / Family / Gender: 

-Representation of East is warm, intimate, friendly- positive representation of family

-West never focuses on one character for too long so we are unable to form emotional attachments on any of them- the audience is encouraged to maintain distance from the West 

The working-class is fetishised and the middle-class is criticised in the West 

Scene 2: Martin/Moritz first sees the West German supermarket 

14.30 – 20.25

Technical codes – particularly mise-en-scene: 

-Use of colour in the West shows that it is full of bright colour- Puma logo red shirt, supermarket shelves full of colour, fruit 

-Full supermarket shelves are almost an intertextual reference to the 1960s pop art and Andy Warhol's famous soup can- very postmodern scene 

Audio codes – particularly music: 

-Music: Sweet Dreams Are Made Of These- the 80s soundtrack is diagetic sound that plays in the supermarket in which the lyrics can be applied to Martin's first experience in the West

-Dialogue on the bench: "The freedom of the West is that they don't pay attention to you"- dominant capitalist ideologies

Representation of East & West Germany / Communism & Capitalism / Historical accuracy: 

-Shot of police eating ice cream in the West is symbolic of the differences between the East and West- starts to create the positive representation of the West

-Gender: "What does Annette want?"- reductive, stereotypical representation of women and is historically representative of the time

-Music- reinforces American/British influence on Western culture with pop music 

Audience pleasures: 

-Soundtrack- 80s nostalgia

-Dialogue in the supermarket about missiles in 1983- historically accurate so it provides the audience pleasure of surveillance 

Scene 3: Training montage scene when Martin/Moritz learns how to be a spy

20.40 – 22.40

Technical codes – particularly camerawork and editing: 

-fast-paced montage sequence- very quick cuts, including jump cuts to present the idea that there was little time to learn everything in order to not get caught and perhaps the abundance of scenes shown in such a short time reflects the abundance of information in Martin's brain in that short time

-split screen/animated texts and logos- used to compare and educate the audience (and Martin) about the differences between the East and West

-Shots through windows/from high angles- create the feeling of spying/surveillance

Audio codes: 

-German soundtrack from the 80s- adds pace to the scene and may be recognisable for a German audience

- Mix of diagetic and non-diagetic sound along with voiceovers and dialogue

Audience pleasures: 

-Brand logos, text on screen, products to show differences in Germany in 1983- e.g. fruit in the West compared to the empty space on the East which a German audience may identify with or an audience pleasure of surveillance for an audience looking to learn more 

Intertextuality: 

-Gadgets and spy gear- almost gives the feeling of a Bond movie 

Scene 4: Briefcase scene when Martin/Moritz is stealing the NATO nuclear plans

31.13 – 33.30

Technical codes – particularly camerawork and editing: 

-Use of close-ups: lock-picking, Martin's face, documents, map of Germany, Ronald Reagan's signature- recreation of real documents released by the US government in 2013 

-Shot through the blinds- continues visual motif of surveillance-style camerawork

Audio codes – diegetic and non-diegetic sound: 

-Exaggerated diagetic sound- used to create tension (lock-picking, breathing, etc) 

-Low non-diagetic soundtrack- classic spy thriller genre convention

-Background noise used to create the feeling that he is going to get caught

-The music stopped when we heard noise outside the door- suggests that as an audience, we should be holding our breath and being silent in anticipation as though he will get caught if we make a sound

Audience pleasures: 

-Uses and Gratifications theory- personal relationships used because this scene is only effective if the audience wants Martin to get away with it 

-Historical accuracy- real documents used in order to create the feel that these events are real 

Production and industry contexts

Deutschland 83 was produced by German production company UFA Fiction and distributed internationally by Fremantle International. It was broadcast on RTL (Germany), SundanceTV (US) and Channel 4 (UK) as well as many other broadcasters around the world.

1) What kind of company is UFA Fiction and what shows have they produced? 

UFA Fiction is the kind of company that combines production activities of UFA in the areas of series and series, TV, movies, high-end drama and cinema films. They have a astonishingly impressive portfolio that has influenced the German television landscape, some of their works include: Unsere Mütter, Unsere Väter, Nackt unter Wölfen, Ku'damm 56/59/63, Deutschland 83/86/89, Charité 1/2/3, Ein Strong Team, Die Diplomatin, Soko Leipzig, Soko Munich 

2) What kind of company is Freemantle and what do they produce?

Freemantle is the kind of company that independently creates, produces and distributes content- they are an independent group of talents, studios/producers, content makers, creative incubators, culture shapers/game changers. They have produced: American God, Family Feud, The Rain, Too Hot to Handle

3) How does Deutschland 83 reflect the international nature of television production?

Deutschland 83 reflects the international nature of television production as, despite the TV Drama being entirely in German, Deutschland 83 was more successful in different countries such as the UK- this is likely to be due to the fact that Deutschland 83 was produced by a German company but was distributed by a global distributor 

Walter Presents

Watch this Channel 4 trailer for their Walter Presents international drama:

1) How does Channel 4 introduce 'Walter'?

Channel 4 introduced 'Walter' as a "humanised" version of an algorithm that picks the best TV dramas with the best storylines and characters. By making 'Walter' seem like a real person, the audience is more likely to trust Channel 4 and the services they have to offer because people tend to trust people more than machines so this also builds the good image of Channel 4 as being trustworthy 

2) What audience are Channel 4 trying to appeal to with the 'Walter Presents' series?

I think that Channel 4 is trying to appeal to an audience in around their mid-twenties because there were elements of romance, nudity, action, drama, and other dark themes which may not appeal to an audience younger than their mid-twenties because they typically tend to look for lighthearted things to watch and aren't attracted to the dark themes 

3) How does the 'Walter Presents' series reflect the changing nature of television in the digital age

The 'Walter Presents' series reflects the changing nature of television in the digital age because we can see that they feature a lot more foreign TV dramas which is still unusual for most other broadcasters- this clearly highlights the changing nature in the consumption of television because people are trying to expand their knowledge on other cultures which is something that is very common for young people in the digital age because they are constantly trying to expand their knowledge 

Marketing and promotion

Trailer

1) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer? Think about Uses & Gratifications theory (Blumler and Katz).

Using Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory, we can see that the audience pleasure of surveillance is present because we can see real footage of the president from that time giving a briefing and this means that audiences can learn from this show as there is real information being given and it isn't just fiction. Despite the audience pleasure of surveillance, there is also the pleasure of entertainment which is caused by the fighting scenes that keeps audiences engaged because they are entertaining to watch 

2) How does the trailer use action and enigma codes (Barthes) to encourage the audience to watch the show?

Using Barthes' enigma and action codes, we can see that there have been a few enigma codes created. One being the shot of Martin's mother who was rushed into the hospital with a pale face so the enigma code of whether she was going to live or not was created. There was another one where we see someone tapping Martin's shoulder but we don't know who it is so the enigma code of who is tapping his shoulder is created because we don't know if this character is on Martin's side or if it is somebody who is going to get him in trouble. Another enigma code is created when a character holds a gun up to Martin so the audience is unaware of whether Martin is going to get shot or not 

3) The only words heard in the trailer are in English. Why do you think the UK trailer avoided subtitles or German dialogue?

I think the UK trailer avoided subtitles or German dialogue in order to emphasise the fact that this show is for anybody to watch and is not just exclusive to German audiences. If there was German dialogue in the trailer, British audiences may feel like this show is not for them to watch because it is not in their language and they will feel out of place and just not watch it 

Press pack

Read the Channel 4 press pack interview with writer Anna Winger. (If the link doesn't work, you can find the text from the interview here). 

1) How did she use the historical context and real-life events to create a successful drama?

Anna Winger used historical context and real-life events to create a successful drama as she based Martin (the East German protagonist) on her husband when he was in West Germany in the military. Her husband would listen to Russian troops in East Germany as he was a radio signaller in the West. The Russians would greet him by name which revealed that they knew he was listening  but there was also a mole at his base that he never discovered which gave Winger the idea to write a story from the perspective of the mole that was never discovered and this character was written as Martin 

2) Anna Winger discusses the use of music. Why might the soundtrack attract an audience?

The soundtrack of Deutschland 83 may attract an audience because the top 100 songs from 1983 are still listened to in modern days which means that people still enjoy music from the 80s. This may also attract an audience that grew up listening to music from the 80s because it may introduce the feeling of nostalgia and allow those audiences to reminisce on what it was like listening to music like this in the 80s

Press release

Read this Channel 4 press release on the success of Deutschland 83. (If the link doesn't work you can find find the text from the article here).

1) List the key statistics concerning audience figures. Why is considered the most successful foreign language drama?

• Deutschland 83 is now the highest rated foreign-language drama in UK TV history 
• It launched with 1.49 million viewers
• The first episode attracted 2.5 million viewers (overtaking the launch of The Returned on Channel 4 which previously held the record with 2.2 million viewers) 
• Deutschland 83 is the first German-speaking drama to play on a mainstream US cable network

Deutschland 83 is considered the most successful foreign language TV drama because of the impressive statistics that were generated. Despite the show being in a different language, the enjoyment of the show overcame the language barrier and allowed it to become the highest rated foreign-language drama in UK TV history 

2) How does the press release describe the drama?

• Daily Mail: “Evocative and gripping"
• The Daily Telegraph: Great fun, and powered by an irresistible 1983 vintage soundtrack”
• The Times: A stylish curtain-raiser for Walter Presents”
• The Guardian: “This pacy saga could be your new subtitled obsession”
• TV Times: "This is the next subtitled sensation... unmissable TV”
• Grazia: “It’s only January but let’s call it already: coolest show of the year”

International marketing

Look at these two different marketing campaigns - the UK DVD release (left) and the American Sundance TV advert (right).

1) How does the UK DVD cover communicate the sub-genre of the drama?

The UK DVD cover communicates the sub-genre through the choice of words on the wall behind that reads "OVER THE WALL, UNDER COVER" which has strong connotations of a spy drama because "UNDER COVER" gives the audience the impression that he has to hide his identity in order to find something out. We can also see the two contrasting sides of the wall and perhaps this represents the East and West of Germany so this may cause some conflict. This leads me to believe that this is a spy drama with some elements of action (caused by conflict of both sides of Germany)

2) How do these use font, colour and graphics to appeal to an audience?

• UK DVD Cover: In this cover, a bright yellow font has been used for the title of the show and perhaps this has been done in order to be the first thing that the audiences' attention is brought to. We can also see that the two sides of the wall are contrasting from dull colours to bright colours and perhaps this binary opposition is to reinforce the differences between the East and West of Germany
• Sundance TV Poster: This poster has a much more colourful background where blues and pinks and purples have been used and perhaps this is a more lighthearted approach to promote the show that would appeal to an audience that would attend the Sundance Film Festival

3) Why might the distributors Freemantle International have used different marketing campaigns in different countries? 

I think that the distributors Freemantle International have used different marketing campaigns in different countries in order to appeal to each specific country that they are promoting the show to. This means that different countries may be more interested in certain things more than other countries so they have adapted the marketing campaigns in every country to appeal to the vast majorities interests

TV: Capital Case Study :)

Reviews and features

Read the following review and feature on Capital:

Guardian review by Sam Wollaston

London Evening Standard: five things you need to know about Capital

1) What positive points does the review pick out about Capital? What criticisms are made - either of the TV drama or the original novel?

• The way that Peter Bowker and Euros Lyn adapted to and directed Capital excellently, especially due to the way they managed to squeeze so much into just one street, one book ad three hours of television without overwhelmingly positive or negative portrays 
• The way that seemingly 'terrible' characters still evoke sympathy from the audience due to the good writing of the show 
• The writer of the article familiarises the street that Capital was shot on with the street that they live on- these similarities in setting suggests that the representation of London in Capital is realistic and authentic 
• There was also a positive point made about the cast that appeals to many age ranges, all types of audiences may recognise at least one actor in this show 
• The way that Capital has incorporated real issues in London, such as the economy and other financial issues, has increased how relatable the show is to an audience from London because they can relate and see themselves with these issues

• A criticism of Capital was made regarding the lack of coverage over every aspect of London- but I believe that this is an unfair criticism because the show is only three hours long so it is unrealistic to expect them to be able to cover every single aspect of London life in this time 

2) What references can you find in the reviews and feature to the idea Capital is a 'state-of-the-nation' drama? How does it capture modern-day London?

This review states the idea of Capital being a 'state-of-the-nation' drama due to the similarities that can be identified in the rising house prices and the local shops that we, as an audience, may recognise in our own environment. It also captures modern-day London/Britain because it accurately and realistically depicts the variety of lives that are lived in a capitalist society- whether that is the financially-sound or economically-struggling. There is also a sense of jealously that has been portrayed through the postcards that read "WE WANT WHAT YOU HAVE" where we are led to believe that the economically-struggling are envious of the financially-sound because they have what the economically-struggling desire and find impossible to acquire

Trailer analysis

Watch the trailer for Capital:

1) How does the drama use camerawork to capture London life?

We can identify that at the beginning of the trailer, there is an establishing drone shot that shows the city of London in order to establish the setting for the show. We can then see that the shots progressively get more and more zoomed into a specific part of London, where we learn the name of the street that this show takes place on- 'Pepys Road'. We can see examples of dolly shots, zooms, and even handheld camera shots in order for the constant movement of the camera to capture the true chaos of London and how London is always moving 

2) How does the trailer use mise-en-scene to capture the family element of the drama?

The family element of the drama is captured by the use of casual clothing and nightwear because it gives the show an emphasised portrayal of domestic life in London. There is also a large emphasis of houses throughout the trailer and this successfully presents the idea of a family unit- specifically the one family that was sat around the dinner table where the use of props (cutlery, food, table, etc.) that also showed happy facial expressions through smiles and laughs. But in the trailer, there was also a woman shouting at her husband in their home too where she is clearly expressing distressed and angry facial expressions which successfully identifies the difference in families that live in London

3) How does the trailer introduce narrative strands suggesting tension or enigma in the 40-second running time?

The narrative strand introduced to us in the trailer was narrative of the postcards that were being posted by somebody that the audience is unaware of at this stage. This ominous and mysterious feeling is carried on when the message on the postcards is revealed to us and we find out that they say "WE WANT WHAT YOU HAVE"- this creates enigma codes of who is sending these messages and why they're sending them. Towards the beginning of the trailer, we can see a hooded figure with no identity taking pictures of the front of houses- this leads the audience to wonder if there is a relation between this person and the person sending the postcards but this is confirmed as the trailer progresses. We can see a brief scene where Quentina is put in a jail cell and this creates an enigma code as we are unsure what she did to get there or how serious the trouble she got into was

Watch the Episode 1 preview for Capital:

1) What does this preview clip suggest about the potential sub-genres for Capital?

There is a potential sub-genre of crime because of the characters telling the police officer about the mysterious postcards they are receiving- the police being present suggests that there is crime happening

2) What elements of the clip might suggest this is a 'state-of-the-nation' drama?

From this clip, it is suggested that Capital is a 'state-of-the-nation' drama because the racial inequalities in society are presented accurately. This is because one character mentions Islamophobia which is a real issue in society, especially recently where there have been endless stories of police officers treating women and ethnic minorities with misconduct. This idea is even emphasised when another character stated that the police only got involved because a white person complained once

3) Analyse the mise-en-scene in this clip. How does this provide realism and familiarity for audiences?

In this clip, the use of the setting of the corner shop provides familiarity and realism for the audience because corner shops are familiar to a vast majority of British audiences so it emphasises the realistic and accurate representation of London. We can also identify the use of props in this scene- from the stock on the shelves to the alcohol in the background- as providing familiarity for the audience because they can identify it with their own community 

4) How is the audience positioned to respond to the different characters in this particular sequence?

The audience is positioned to respond to each character differently because we are able to see the characters behind the till take passive and accepting approach whilst answering the police while also trying to calm down the two more active characters- an older audience may relate to this because they don't seem to want to cause any trouble. The other two (younger) characters were more brave when talking to the police because they called them out on racial injustice which allows a younger audience to respect them perhaps because they are standing up to the injustices in the police force. We are also positioned to dislike the police officer because he hasn't helped the family at all and presents the police force as incompetent because they offer no help

Representations: close-textual analysis

Capital offers a range of fascinating representations - from London and asylum seekers to capitalism and inequality. Representations include: London, family, gender, ethnicity, religion, immigration, asylum, inequality, wealth, capitalism, aging and more.

These notes from your feedback in the lesson analysing these clips will help with this element of the case study. 

1) Write an analysis of the representations in each of the key scenes from episode 1 we studied in the lesson:

Scene 1: opening sequence 00:30 – 4.49

• White-British people don't have a full understanding of foreign people- Petunia assumes the cashier is Indian and he corrects her 
• The montage shows how London has changed over time 
• Drone shot of London captures the scale and power that the city holds
• "Usman isn't going anywhere, he gets vertigo going North of the river"- feels authentic and shows that immigrants are not outsiders because they are fully integrated into London life 
• There is a skip visible during the funeral scene to execute how people and society and culture changed in London as time goes on
• They all have stereotypical jobs 

Scene 2: work in the City 6.28 – 8.10

• Roger and Lothar clearly have no idea what Mark (younger man) is talking about- nod to the 2007 financial crisis and lack of oversight in the banking industry
• "No need to go too heavy on the terminology Mark"- older generation dismissive of younger generation
• Offices are overwhelmingly white, male and middle-upper class- lack of representation of different genders, ethnicity, race, class, etc 
• Drone shot of London area which feels authentic- shows the financial district which emphasises power and wealth as well as the importance of finance 

Scene 3: “Which of those isn’t absolutely essential?” 14.00 – 15.35

• "You'd be surprised how little a million pounds covers these days"- wealth and money divide
• Reference to German boss and cultural stereotypes 
• Arabella and Roger's relationship is conditional and is based on how much money Roger earns

Scene 4: asylum 18.03 – 19.42 AND 31.10 – 32.40

• The sound (background noise, loud music, baby crying, chatter, etc) emphasises the difficulty of living with other people 
• Quentina's narrative highlights sharp contrast with Roger's life (power/dominance of financial district) 
• "Perhaps a little kiss?"- emphasises power and patriarchy
• Black female lawyer- subverts traditional stereotypes (left-wing ideologies)
• Quentina is being exploited (paid £200 for £300 worth of work)- people trafficking/criminal exploitation of Quentina as she is "not permitted to work"

Scene 5: “What use is 30 grand?” 36.40 – 39.00 

• "What use is 30 grand to anybody?"- highlights the contrast between the Kumar family or Quentina (whose lives would be changed by £30k) and emphasises the wealth inequality 
• Technical construction- cross cutting of his reaction and time lapse to show his state of mind

Scene 6: life at the corner shop 40.10 – 42.55

• Arabella and corriander- proof that she has never even been in her local corner shop which reflects the idea that the upper-class are detached from their own community 
• Kamal family dinner- close-knit and warm family despite harmless disagreements 
• Positive representation of family life and working-class life
• Arabella shocked by warmth and generosity 

2) How does Capital use stereotypes? Do the characters and issues represented in Capital reinforce or subvert the stereotypes we typically see in the media?

Capital uses stereotypes as a way to reinforce them as well as subverting them in order to present an accurate representation of London. It is a stereotype that Pakistani people and Indian people run corner shops in London which is reinforced by Ahmed and his family which makes the show seem more realistic. There is also a stereotype of immigrants being lazy which Quentina subverts as she is a hard-worker who works overtime when she doesn't even have to. Capital also reinforces stereotypes of middle class white men being in positions of power as Roger and his boss both fit this assumption 

Industries and production context

Capital was produced by independent production company Kudos for the BBC. Look at the Kudos website and also read the Kudos Wikipedia page 

1) Who is the parent company for Kudos?

The Banikay Group

2) What was the breakthrough show for Kudos in 2002?

Spooks- BAFTA Award-winning spy drama

3) Watch the showreel on the Kudos website. What other TV dramas have Kudos produced? What awards have they won?

• Apple Tree Yard
• Broadchurch S3: Winner of Best Drama Series at the TV Choice Awards and Best Crime Drama 2017 at the National Television Awards 2018
• Tin Star
• Troy
• Humans S2
• The Tunnel
• Vengeance
• The Boy With The Topknot
• Man in an Orange Shirt
• Grantchester S3

4) What audience pleasures does the showreel suggest Kudos productions offer? 

• Entertainment: action scenes in the showreel that are sure to excite an audience
• Personal Identity: representation of different races, ethnicity, and sexuality
• Personal Relationships: audience gets to know recurring characters part of the ensemble cast
• Surveillance: some dramas looked into historical meanings 

Marketing and promotion

Read the BBC Press Pack for Capital 

1) How does the programme information on page 3 make Capital sound interesting to audiences?

The cast is praised on their involvement in previous works that allow the audience to recognise their talents. Their talent is also recognised when the programme information includes the fact that Capital is a "critically acclaimed and bestselling novel" in order to entice an audience so that they are curious as to how Capital truly is and encourages them to watch 

2) Why does the programme information mention the other shows that the director and producer have worked on?

The programme information mentions the other shows that the director and producer have worked on as this encourages fans of the series to watch Capital as they have similar plots as well as similar quality

3) Who commissioned Capital for BBC?

• Charlotte Moore: Controller of BBC One
• Ben Stephenson: Controller of BBC Drama

4) Read the interview with Toby Jones. What does he say about the character of Roger?

Toby Jones says that Roger "isn’t an evil banker, he’s a slightly complacent banker. He’s become used to a certain way of life and has a self-imposed pressure to live that way. He spends a lot of money on things that other people don’t spend money on – for example, fixtures and fittings - but that is normal to him and his wife. He is not totally in charge of his life or his work"

5) Read the interview with Adeel Akhtar (page 10). What does he suggest Capital says about the fictional Pepys Road and the sense of community (or lack of it) in London?

Adeel Akhtar suggests that Capital presents Pepys Road as a manifestation of a lot of things that are slowly happening, socially, economically, and culturally- meaning that it isn't too far from the reality of a lot of roads in London and Britain. Adeel Akhtar also presents the suggestion that Capital "looks at the idea of a community, and what it means to belong to the community from whatever background you’re from. One of the problems is that some people within a community, such as Ahmed’s brother Usman, feel ostracized from it. They feel like they don’t belong and are on the outside looking in. Capital looks at that concept and also that they are all part of something bigger than themselves"

6) Read the interview with Shabana Azmi (page 12). What does she say about Asian representations in Britain? 

Shabana Azmi says that Asian representation in Britain has become fairer and more accurate, she also acknowledges that "there’s awareness that the world is shrinking, and becoming a global village. We are absorbing cultures, and understanding them, or at least trying to understand them within their own paradigms"

7) Read the interview with Peter Bowker (who adapted Capital - page 14). What are his favourite scenes in the drama and why?

Peter Bowker says that his favourite scenes in the drama are: "Christmas morning where Roger has been abandoned and left to look after his two children" and "the Kamals’ chaotic family meals" and "when Bogdan the Polish builder talks to Matya the Hungarian nanny about the affluent Londoners they are working for" 

8) Read the interview with Derek Wax, the Executive Producer for Kudos (page 16). Why did he produce Capital and what does it say about the way we live now?

• Derex Wax (the Executive Producer for Kudos) says he produced Capital because "the novel really spoke to me as it has a sweeping Dickensian ambition to it, all life in one street. I loved the sense of this big, expansive panorama of life as well as the small details of human behaviour. The whole of London seen through the microcosm of one street. And the characters are so complex, real and believable. Sometimes big ‘state of the nation’ novels use characters to illustrate political points, but Capital is far more subtle and nuanced. John gets inside their heads and allows us to engage with their thoughts and feelings, observes them with insight, humour and humanity, allows the story to breathe"
• Derex Wax also says that Capital "definitely speaks to me about where London and the country is now. The obsession with property, the fact that London house prices have risen extraordinarily, has only intensified the sense of a society of haves and have-nots. Your home becomes the thing by which you are defined at some level, and in Capital we go from Bogdan's bedsit to Petunia's home untouched for 60 years, to Roger and Arabella with their multiple homes and constant refurbishment, which is a fascinating way of entering the psychology of these characters. Everyone’s connection to money is explored but then the novel expands to ask what life’s real value is, and it does this with a very deft, light touch. I’d say the novel is profound but never overtly polemical" 

DVD packaging

Look at the DVD packaging for Capital. There are many marketing techniques employed here.

1) How does the packaging use other critically acclaimed TV dramas to promote Capital?

In the top centre of the packaging, it is clearly stated that Capital is created by the makers of Humans and Broadchurch. These are more British TV Dramas which means that fans of those shows may watch Capital due to their enjoyment of the genre . We can also see the cast on the front of the packaging which includes some actors which have been in other projects- this makes them recognisable to some audiences and allows them to gain the attention of more people to encourage them to watch 

2) What does the use of design and images suggest to the audience about the drama?

The design of the packaging already reveals that this drama takes place in London and this is due to the silhouettes of iconic landmarks that have been positioned above the characters. This positioning may suggest that there is much more to London than the landmarks that everyone automatically associates with London, it gives a sense of humanity to London because it shows that there are real people that live in London that have real issues- London is more complex than we think 

3) How are review quotes used on the cover and what do they suggest to the audience about sub-genre, narrative and audience pleasures?

Capital uses review quotes such as "insightful and moving", "a compelling portrait of modern Britain", "terrific", "a dazzling, able cast", "before you know it, the story has got you gripped". These quotes help to establish sub-genres of mystery and social realism as there are sure to be enigma codes within the plot that keep the audiences hooked. We may also be able to assume that the cast has been used to promote and sell the DVD because the reviews speak highly of the cast and leads the consumers to believe that they will form personal relationships or personal identity with the characters 

4) What representation of London does the DVD packaging offer?

The packaging offers a diverse representation of London with images of the cast members but also offers an economically thriving environment by showing silhouettes of London's famous landmarks (such as the London Bridge and the Gherkin)

Marxism & Hegemony: Blog Tasks :)

Mail Online review of Capital

1) Re-read the Mail Online review of Capital. Why does it suggest that Capital features a left-wing ideology?

This review suggests that Capital features a left-wing ideology due to the diversity of the ensemble cast- this is due to the diversity in gender, ethnicity, and race. The reviewer believes that the diversity of Capital was overly exaggerated and makes it clear that the representation of the upper class (Roger and Arabella) in comparison to the working-class characters from ethnic minorities is what makes Capital appear to be left-wing 

2) Choose three quotes from the review that are particularly critical of Capital and paste them into your blogpost. Do you agree with the criticisms? Why?

• "Honestly, you’ll get rid of your family after Christmas faster than this feeble drama departed" 
• "The crime was handed from one cardboard character to the next" 
• "You can be certain it wasn’t the plot that attracted the BBC drama department in the first place" 

I agree with the second criticism to a certain extent but I believe that this review are too harsh because it is unfair to describe the characters as "cardboard" because they all have been depicted for particular portrayals to get certain messages across to the audience which means that the characters are not as two-dimensional as this review suggests. I also believe that the writers must have had certain intentions for the ending of the show so the way that the show ended should not be criticised which leads me to disagree with this review. I don't agree with the final criticism because the plot of the show was well thought out- especially the mystery that coincides with the postcards that each character received. This criticism seems to be exaggerated and perhaps this is a political opinion based on how Capital is right-wing and the reviewer is offended by what is being portrayed in this show

3) What scenes or characters from Capital could be read as promoting left-wing ideology?

Left-wing ideologies have been portrayed through the character of Quentina because she is seen as a hard-working illegal immigrant but she isn't getting paid what she deserves due to the large commission she must pay in order to receive her wages. The portrayal of Quentina allows the audience to sympathise with her and this reinforces left-wing ideologies because it promotes helping the less wealthy and reducing inequalities. Another way that left-wing ideologies are promoted is through Ahmed's family because they are the representation of a working class family in the show and we can see the importance of working to provide for your family as well as emphasising the importance of family values whilst they were seated around the table 

4) What about the other side of the argument - are there any aspects of Capital that reinforce the status quo in capitalist London?

The status quo in capitalist London is reinforced by the character of Roger- this is especially portrayed through his reaction to the £30,000 bonus. Roger had severely struggled with the bonus of "only" £30,000 and this allows the audience to fully understand how insignificant £30,000 is to the wealthy people in London when in fact, that amount of money could have changed Ahmed and Quentina's lives- this further reinforces the importance of money in a capitalist London society 

Media Factsheet - Applying Marxism 

Factsheet #66: Applying Marxism

1) What does Marxism suggest regarding power in society?

Marxism suggests that power was held by a minority (the elite or bourgeoisie) who had access to capital and could use their money and power to generate more wealth 

2) Why is The Apprentice a good example of the media reinforcing capitalist values and ideologies?

The Apprentice is a good example of the media reinforcing capitalist values and ideologies because the person who has all the power (Lord Sugar) has been put in a superior position to reinforce the idea of the capitalist elite. Due to all his power, he has the ability to create wealth and uses his power to provide a livelihood for the winner of the competition- all of the contestants are dependant on him for their survival. They must possess certain qualities that are rewarded with success and can be seen as part of the construction of false consciousness regarding the personalities if people who are valued within the capitalist system 

3) Come up with three examples of media texts (e.g. TV programmes, newspapers etc.) that either fetishise working class life (e.g. EastEnders presents quite a harmonious East End community which probably doesn't accurately reflect East London life) or demonise working class life or poor people (e.g. The Daily Mail and The Sun newspapers regularly demonise people living on benefits with headlines referring to 'scroungers'.)

• Daily Mail: The Daily Mail demonises the working class because they produce blatantly classist headlines online and in the physical newspaper. The Daily Mail are undeniably a right-wing tabloid so they naturally reject left-wing ideologies- this is especially done by criticising the working class in order to portray the upper class in a better light 
• Eastenders: Eastenders undeniably fetishises the working class by portraying the community as the standard for all working-class people which is entirely inaccurate. The show does not portray an accurate representation of East London at all but instead is just purely for the sake of entertainment 
• The Sun: The Sun is another right-wing tabloid that completely rejects left-wing ideologies because they tend to produce headlines in which they blame the working-class people in London for all the issues that the upper-class people have to face 

4) Look at the bullet points on page 4 of the factsheet: When making a Marxist reading of a text, look out for representations that:

• show the values of the power elite as beneficial to the mass
• show queries or challenges to the base as meaningless, foolish or anti-social via ‘failed revolt’
• show the subdominant position of the masses as a naturalised idea
• show the values of the power elite as ‘natural’ or ‘right’
• show that being a member of the mass is a good thing
• show the masses accepting the values of the power elite
• show the values of the power elite as being ‘for the good of the masses’ (even when unpleasant)

Now try applying those bullet points to Capital. Think about the setting, characters and narrative strands - how many of the bullet points apply to Capital? Does Capital reinforce or challenge the values of capitalism? Give examples from episode 1 to support your points.

Capital subverts some Marxist readings as the mass is presented in a more positive light (Quentina, Ahmed's family and Petunia) than the power elite (the bankers, Roger and Arabella). In Capital, being a member of the mass has been viewed as positively- this is especially portrayed whilst Ahmed and his family were eating dinner. The Government having the ability to deport Quentina is a representation of the masses accepting the 'natural' values of the power elite no matter how unpleasant they may be