The Wire

Episode 12 (plot heavy resolving a lot of narrative strands)

Keema ‘good police’ has been severely wounded

McNulty blames himself. Admits it is about himself but self pitying and gets drunk. Male reaction. Not strength but weakness, self pity.

Explodes the myth of the convention of the crime drama. Good cop vs villain
‘ A moment de-constructing the mythic pursuit of the bad guy. (David Simon)
Moral crusade personal him and me. Stringer and McNulty but explodes the whole narrative. McNulty has caused the problem with his vanity and ego. Asking what is the point ?

Bodie. His narrative arc is beginning. See his journey from the pit …
Learning the game and the chain of command. Moves above Wallis and gives him advice. If he’s coming back he starts at the bottom as he can’t run at the sight of blood.
Can’t turn down a promotion.
‘In any job if you turn down a promotion you have got one foot out the door’


Detail of the operation like a well run and organised business. American dream.

13 hours of television longer than the Godfather. Intricacies of character and narrative. Prolonged investigation follow the whole proves and feel involved so a lot closer.

Maurice Levy Jewish lawyer stereotypical.

Every ethic group in America is reviled and held in contempt by the other..not the melting pot of myth but the corrupt and seething mass of American life rubbing up against each other trying to make a living
Doesn’t pull punches calls him ‘that Jew lawyer’ Difficult line shows that writers unwilling to compromise
Thin line between legality and corruption but ethically wrong

Lieutenant Daniels has paid into the account held himself taut and supported the chain of command but now playing game on own terms.
Acts with his eyes
Can see how power corrupts. Chain of command.
Stands up to his superiors. Burrell brings up his past. Blackmail. Shows how it works. This was pre-figured in episode 3 but had to see clues that Daniel has a history.
Like a novel. Nothing incidental. ‘Ask your audience to commit on a different level’
Good writing Daniels speech understands the system and stands up to it
‘you’d rather live in shit then let the world see you work a shovel’

Senator is the most corrupt. Daniels upsets him so abuses his power to demote him. Daniels knows he is committing career suicide.

Can see if you follow the money then can see where the illegality goes. Drug dealers fair game bt the lawyers , bankers, politicians are the real mennace to society and get away with the white collar crime which drives and allows the lower level criminality. Officials giving money back. Obviously tainted money.

Minimalism of the acting.

Moral currency of the life of Wallis. He is a key character that we warm to. Lost in the pit looking after children. Father figure in his teens. Acting that evokes empathy. Criminal but human and can see how he is corrupted as he has no options. Has to play the game and hard to get out. Becomes his family. D’Angelo is his parallel but he is in too deep. D tries to help him, advises him no loose talk, no second thoughts no snitching, stand by your people. History of America and the variety of groups that inhabiting it. West-side is his home. Foreboding for him. Audience has a sense of dread.
Police have let him down. He is the real victim here.
Mother alcoholic has abandoned him
‘I’ll slap the bright out his eyes’
Affects Daniels shows the human cost. ‘Poor kid ‘ McNulty and Bunk more worried about the case. Shows loss of humanity and the affect police work has nullifying emotion.

Family in America and the family of the wider community. American values of individualism and looking after your own. Barksdale family clan. Tied to the history of different ethnic groups colonising America.

Food is central to the cop drama. The scene is an homage to that. Doughnuts and coffee.
Witness who changed her story in the first episode. Ambitious as need the audience to remember who she was and to recognise that Barksdale is clearing up. 10 seconds but again a clue that a hard working audience can pick up on.

Novelistic. Chapters with numerous clues and plot developments creating a rich and dense text. Can’t dip in like in a book or start in the middle. Follow the development over time.
“a novel for television’

80’s projects ‘unpoliceable’ and untenable so have been pulled down recently.

Mid level management js tricky like Daniels and the police the gang has the same issues
Stuck between a rock and a hard place

Lester Freamon becomes central. First episodes he was in the background. Strong writing and ambitious. Slow character development. Mentors Presbolowski. He becomes useful.

Hardest scene to write.. never filmed anything more disturbing’

The big king pin does not look like a stereotypical gansta rap video. Shows it’s a myth, too bright for that. Attracts attention if bling. Avon Barksdale is low key we don’t even see him until middle episodes.

Episodic tv means that stars dictate the action they need main time. Here they allow good actors to even out all the action so no one character that dominates. No stars so the plot can develop ad each character can grow.

We think D’Angelo will be the main narrative drive then McNulty then…The characters grow and the actors inhabot the roles and maintain their roles. D’Angelo explodes in this episode at Stringer Bell and we can feel the raw emotion which was unscripted and can feel the pent up emotion of someone feeling the emotion. Cathartic for him.

Playing with convention on arrest of the kingpins
‘Look as these Delta Force…’ reality is not the big bust but the compromise

The stairs scene parallels the Wallis scene down to the nod

No dialogue when the case links the money with the politicians. “if you get it you get it’
In a conventional drama they will explain.

Left thinking is it all worth it. Is Wallis or Keema worth the pay off. Not personal all a game. Reality is much more mundane than fiction of conventional narratives.

Ashes to Ashes

Ashes to Ashes (BBC)

How does this police procedural follow the generic conventions and the narrative structure of the crime drama?
Puzzle /enigma murder
Clues. Things under his nails
Unidentified blunt instrument ‘hammer?’ Note in pocket. Envelope
Pre title sequence
RWF – revolutionary workers front suspect
‘circumstances do keep pushing us together’ mother – unsubtle
Code to crack
Pace quickens
Suspense – we know they are listening bug in flask
Incidental music to heighten emotion / tension
Depends on stereotypes and caricatures. Only one hour.
Archetypes – Luigi, Ray Carling
Actually poses the questions will I get back if I solve this ?
Murder solved
Extract – Confession ,
Easily rounded up denouemnet quick
Willing suspension of disbelief

Sub-plot
Alex daughter and death ? in the future
Flashforwards / mother/ daughter / coma
Relationships
Changing roles and attitudes
Strong female characters
How has technology changed the way audiences can watch and interact with the programme ?
Godfather ,
Romance

Binary oppositions (Claude Levi Strauss)
Old police methods / new
Good cop /bad cop
Sensitive / brusque
Communism / fascism
CND / Nuclear
Working class / politicised institutions
Governmet secrecy / democracy
Feminism / Sexism
Crime in 81/ Crime in 2009


Discuss the representations of gender in a chosen episode
Snakeskin boots
The Quattro
Feminists Greenham Common
Gene Hunt sexism
Leather driving gloves
Sexist jokes
Threats and bullying
Extract : women in the police station

Discuss the representation of 1980’s Britain
Home office take the body
Smoking in the office
Luigi – ethnicity
Classic poster of tennis player
Thatcher
Weapons
Long boozy lunches
Gene Hunts longue carabine
Fashion. White leather, new romantics
Extract : Daughters bedroom Jackie, Adam and the Ants,roller skates, tape recorder, Shakin Stevens, Duran Duran, Enola Gay, OMD, Clash, teardrop explodes
As a BBC production refer to the following issues in your analysis ;
Distribution
Exhibition
Production
Marketing and promotion
Regulation issues
BBC remit and code of conduct
Controversies
Global implications
Historical background

Define the audience for the programme
Target audience profile
Positioning an audience
Scheduling
Uses and gratification theory
Debates about spectatorship and audience use of the text
Entertainment
Suspense
Clues
Masculine environment sexist homophobic
Different audiences define them


Humour – what are we laughing at ?
Changing times
Attitudes
Putting Carling into the role of homosexual
Laughing at overt masculinity
More feminised 2009
Use the Media Magazine spring edition to research humour

Can you work out the back story without knowing the previous episodes

Make your own episode based in 1991

Skins

Industry
Create a timeline of developments in Channel 4’s history
From the first broadcast – Film Four – E4 – More 4 – Brookside – Big Brother – web-site – 4OD
Research the remit and charter for Channel 4
How is it funded
Representation
Is it stereotypical /clichéd (listen to Adam and Joe talking about Skins on you tube)
Skateboards
Music
Effie- moody,sultry troubled, acts with eyes not much range
Drugs mushrooms glamorous, hallucinatory scene in the woods, influential methadraone
Becomes a saw like theme youngster in the woods
Boys
Teachers
Bristol
The countryside
In what way is it simplistic, stereotypical and clichéd ?
All older characters are caricatures or figures of fun authority
Costumes/fashion
Consider critical reviews
BAFTA Audience Award (won over X factor and others)
Consider the influence of the internet and social networking sites on the success of the programme
How have digital technologies impacted upon the success of the series ?
Interactive media – how do young audiences consume texts compared to an older audience
Half the audience are over 35 – can you explain why ?
Apply uses and gratification theory
Profile the target audience
Preferred,negotiated, aberrant, opposite readings
BARB figures 1.3 million
American version has been commissioned (MTV set in Baltimore)
Characters
Accents from all over country Nottingham Cornwall
Harry Enfield
Narrative
Males are driving the narrative
Women look strong and deep but do they drive the narrative
Stereotypes
• Caricatures
• Hair and beauty
Cartoonish
Fun
Comedic
Language, nudity
Famous stars
Change the cast
Analyse the marketing and promotion for the show
Watch Charlie Brooker talking about ‘Yoof TV’
Listen to Adam and Joe reviewing Skins
What needs does Skins gratify for a young audience ?
‘fairytale’ ‘guilty pleasure’ ‘well written’
Regulatory issues. What may be controversial.
OFCOM
Compare to Grange Hill or Byker Grove
How have audiences and television for young people moved on

Romantic Comedy

Four Weddings and a Funeral (Mike Newell)

Why does it work so well ? Love, Comedy, Writing, Acting
Love – marriage ‘if you love the person with all your heart’
Audience
Consider the different audiences for the film
Research the cost to make - £6 million
Box Office UK
Box Office US
Worldwide $250 million dollars
DVD sales
Industry
What is the formula for a successful romantic comedy
Research Working Title films
Representation
Representation of England – heritage , history, churches, institutions, countryside, stately homes, 7th richest man in Britain, 137 rooms, castles, tudor pubs, public school, reserved, unable to communicate or show emotion, large churches, choirboys, traditional weddings, Indian tea plantations, funeral on council estate in rain, Gareth from different section of society, Auden, Morris Minor, Mini, inoffensive swearing and sex
Homosexuality – gay men at the funeral, quite an iconic moment, most memorable speech, used in schools, great performance, no music, just close ups, very moving, real love in the film
Hegemony - The English are presented as normal and the Scots and Americans as outsiders and trying too hard. Promoting a comfortable and aspirational lifestyle of the upper and upper middle class.
Representation of Scotland – lakes, mountains, Hamish, Lairds, Kilts, Kirk, Fire, bagpipes, estates, highland jigs, ‘its brigadoon’, landowner as politician
Nice feeling, may get things wrong and say things out of turn but at the end no-one really cares or remembers so don’t take life too seriously, life is meant for fun and not to take too seriously, English trait, sign of a highly civilised society that we can laugh at our foibles.
Writing – Richard Curtis, clever set pieces, revises the script until perfect comic timing, best man funeral speeches, weddings comedic moments, obvious but well written and performed, memorable scenes, how many is a good run
Hugh Grant – upper class English twit, eccentric, loveable, nervous tics, sweet natured,
Andie MacDowell – Marquee name, US appeal, love interest,
Narrative
Define the 3 Acts
Follows classical Hollywood Narrative
Apply the narrative theories of the following
Todorov
Propp
Levi Strauss
Barthes
Research critical reviews