Television in the Global Age

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Option 1: Peaky Blinders and The Bridge

1. Explore how Peaky Blinders uses marketing to target and attract audiences. [15]

2. Explain the strategies that television organisations use to minimise risk and maximise audiences. Refer to The Bridge in your response. [15]

Section A: Television Part 1 — Peaky Blinders (15 Marks)

Paragraph 1: Star Appeal

Point: Peaky Blinders uses the star appeal of its lead actors as a central marketing strategy to attract established fanbases.

Evidence: Character posters and trailers prominently feature Cillian Murphy (Thomas Shelby) and Helen McCrory (Polly Gray), emphasizing their intense, stylized performances.

Theory: This aligns with Hesmondhalgh’s Cultural Industries theory, where media companies "format" their products using stars to minimize financial risk and guarantee an audience.

Analysis: By centering the campaign on Murphy, the BBC leverages his "indie-film" credibility to target a "prestige-seeking" audience that values high-quality drama.

Cultural Context: This reflects the contemporary celebrity-driven culture of the "Golden Age of TV," where high-profile film stars are used to elevate the status of television series.

Paragraph 2: Genre Formatting

Point: The marketing campaign heavily utilizes recognizable genre conventions to target fans of period crime dramas.

Evidence: Trailers feature slow-motion "power walks," period-accurate weaponry, and the iconic flat caps, all set to modern rock music.

·Theory: This can be seen through Neale’s Genre Theory, where marketing must emphasize "repetition" of genre expectations to attract an audience while offering enough "difference" to stand out.

·Analysis: The juxtaposition of 1920s visuals with a modern soundtrack (e.g., Nick Cave) signals a "cool," contemporary take on the historical gangster genre, attracting a younger, tech-savvy demographic.

·Cultural Context: This taps into the historical fascination with post-war Britain, rebranding the gritty reality of Birmingham’s industrial past as an aspirational, stylized aesthetic for global consumption.

Paragraph 3: Fandom and Participation

·Point: Peaky Blinders fosters a "participatory culture" by involving fans directly in the marketing process to build brand loyalty.

·Evidence: The BBC launched campaigns inviting fans to submit their own artwork, with winning entries used in official nationwide billboards.

·Theory: This exemplifies Jenkins’ Fandom theory, where audiences are no longer passive but "textual poachers" who actively contribute to the media product’s lifecycle.

·Analysis: This strategy transforms the audience into "brand ambassadors," increasing social media engagement and ensuring the show remains "relevant" in a crowded digital marketplace.

·Cultural Context: It reflects the digital shift toward interactivity, where successful brands must move beyond top-down broadcasting to build active, online communities.

Section A: Television Part 2 — The Bridge (15 Marks)

Paragraph 1: The Co-production Model

Point: A primary strategy used to minimize financial risk is the implementation of a co-production model between international broadcasters.

Evidence: The Bridge was co-produced by Sweden’s Sveriges Television (SVT) and Denmark’s Danmarks Radio (DR).

Theory: This relates to Curran and Seaton’s ideas on power and industries, where media organisations seek partnerships to spread costs and ensure the logic of profit is maintained.

·Analysis: By sharing the budget, both broadcasters could achieve higher production values than they could alone, while guaranteeing a "pre-sold" audience across two national territories.

Cultural Context: This reflects the growing trend of European media collaboration, designed to create high-end content capable of competing with American "big-budget" imports.

Paragraph 2: Cross-Demographic Casting

·Point: Casting decisions are strategically made to maximize the show's reach across different national and international demographics.

·Evidence: The series features a dual lead (Saga and Martin/Saga and Henrik) representing both Sweden and Denmark, often highlighting linguistic and cultural differences.

·Theory: This is an example of Hesmondhalgh’s idea of "formatting" products to maximize audiences through diverse casting choices.

Analysis: This strategy ensures that the show appeals to both Swedish and Danish viewers simultaneously, while the "odd-couple" dynamic provides a universal narrative hook for global audiences.

Cultural Context: It addresses a globalized media landscape where viewers are increasingly comfortable with "subtitled drama," allowing niche national products to find mainstream international success.

Paragraph 3: Genre Hybridity (Nordic Noir)

·Point: The use of "Nordic Noir" as a genre hybrid helps minimize risk by utilizing a successful, globally recognized formula.

·Evidence: The Bridge combines elements of the police procedural with bleak cinematography and social commentary on the failings of the Scandinavian welfare state.

·Theory: This aligns with Neale’s view that genres are "instances of repetition" that provide a safe framework for both producers and audiences.

·Analysis: By adhering to the "Nordic Noir" aesthetic established by shows like The Killing, The Bridge secured global distribution deals (e.g., BBC Four) as a "known quantity" with a proven track record.

·Cultural Context: The genre functions as a critique of modern society, using the "bridge" as a metaphor for the literal and metaphorical gaps between social classes and nations.