tv in the global age

humans opening titles ML

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humans s1e1 ML

ML Fears in humans

Sci-fi genre is not just known for its stylistic elements but also it’s themes, which link to **societal factors** at that time in history. “They play on our fears about invasion, extinction and annihilation.” - Rob Whiter

* Government control
* Playing God
* Modern technology

ML Intertextuality in Humans

* History: references slavery - robots working in greenhouse
* Political: UK Legislation - forced by law to get upgrade on synthetics
* Cultural:
* Asimov blocks - Anita references these, robots have certain blockades which stop them from doing a certain behaviour
* Channel 4 News - Gives us a sense of realism, makes fears more real/concerning
* Remake of humans - links to Steve Neale's repetition

ML Steve Neale genre theory

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(ML) How does Humans apply to Baudrillards post modernism theory?

Post modern texts often apply elements of simulacra and the hyperreal. It may be argued that the series itself is a comment on the attractions of the hyperreal e.g. Joes sexual attraction to Anita.

Todolov’s equilibrium theory ML

RETURNED female reps - conform

* Woman announces her pregnancy, which she believes will heal her
* Adele has an emotional breakdown, she is in her wedding dress, her husband who is a policeman is the one to comfort her
* Claire calls two men for help straight away, she remains within the house (a domestic setting) - close-ups of Claire reinforce her passive representation
* Claire and Julie are both carers
* Lucy - object of the male gaze.
* clothing, gesture and the technical codes, trapped in a menial job, in a subservient relationship with an older man on whom she relies for money

RETURNED female reps - subvert

* Julie lives by herself
* Camille is seen as active and resourceful in escaping from the valley and determined in her need to return home
* Lena is mostly in outdoor settings throughout the episode i.e. at the pub, on the streets

RETURNED male reps subvert

* Jerome - more emotional and unable to cope with his loss and grief, says meetings help him

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RETURNED male reps conform

* Pierre - dominant, rational and in control within the community.
* - Claire turns initially after the return of Camille
* - he questions Camille about what she can remember, taking control of the situation.

RETURNED age reps

* Lena is constructed as a stereotypical rebellious teenager who has regular confrontations with her parents. Her representation is constructed through her code of casual clothing, her truculent behaviour and expressions
* Camille is unbothered and unapologetic - arrives home late, ‘I'll tidy up later’
* Victor appears innocent

HOWEVER..

* Victor is not presented as a stereotypical child - he does not talk once, he is alone but he is also presented as somewhat vulnerable

RETURNED political context

* Forceful closing of Sanguette camps
* French view others as non-human

how does the political context of the returned link to returned as others

* The returned/undead are not human, therefore are ‘other’ and are feared by the living in the same way that the French people feared the impact of migration on their communities. In The Returned, the community is established in the beginning as the equilibrium that will inevitably be disrupted.
* Pierre symbolises the current mediatic characterisation of others as savages that serve the purpose of presenting the West as human and migrants as non-human - he is the voice of how a traditionally christian society rejects others
* Simon and Adelle sequence - door is symbolic of border, Adele is fearful of Simon compared to lena not being fearful of him
* The undead are further reinforced as ‘other’ by linking them to unnatural events, for example the receding of the dam waters.

theories

* staurt hall
* van zoonen

RETURNED Key facts - industries

* Created by Fabrice Gobert
* $11 million dollar budget (high production value)
* Based on the french film ‘They Came Back’
* Season 1 premiere: Canal+ in France, Channel 4 in UK, Sundance Tv in USA

Canal+

* French premium cable channel (pay for prescription)
* Studio distributor and Tv Channel for The Returned
* Trusted to provide high quality programming and broadcasts several kinds of programming
* Owned by Canal+ groups, which is owned by Vivienda, a French mass media conglomerates - which doesn’t just operate on Tv
* Filmed during limited time shots at dusk - have the money to do this

Vivienda

* Music: Apple records
* Film/TV units: Canal+ group
* Other assets: Paddington bear, ubisoft
* Mass media conglomerate

Sundance Tv

* Owned by AMC networks
* Founder is Robert Renford
* Celebrate creative humanity, distinctive storytelling…
* Showcase most compelling and iconic films across genres
* smart and thoughtprovoking entertainment

Channel 4

* no public funding - funded through advertisements and license fee
* robin hood system - all profit goes back into content
* broadcaster
* be innovative and distinct, champion alternative points of view, stimulate public debate on contemporary issues

what regions was the returned released in

france, uk, usa, germany, sweden

more reach than just the domestic place it was filmed (multiple subtitle options)

the returned audience

* middle class ABC1 - thought provoking, educated
* mainstreamers of zombie genre - horde, return of dead
* reformers - political and social context of the returned
* explorer for non-french audience - thought provoking
* 15+ - prime time slot
* alternative fans of zombie/supernatural dramas, who will appreciate genre hybridity
* audience identification
* film/tv literate audience; appreciate difference

the returned marketing

* sold on genre with twist and enigma - content of trailer'; supernatural/zombie/family drama
* sold worldwide (us did a spin-off)
* sold as a quality drama - marks of trust: channel4 canal etc.
* magazine coverage - targets film fans of sci'/fi horror audience
* innovative, interactive website 360 degree of town, young tech lit audience

Hesmondhalgh - “minimise risk and maximise audiences”

* always a risk when creating a new TV drama but using an existing concept/ narrative - utilised in the Campillo Film version helps to minimise the risk
* Maximising the audiences could be applied to the idea of the hybrid genre; using media language of enigma and the zombie genre to attract wider scope of audiences along with the family drama.

Hesmondhalgh - “formatting creative products… through horizontal and vertical integration”

* Canal+, Canal+ Group and Vivendi demonstrates a clear example of both vertical and horizontal integration


* vivendi controls more than one stage of the distribution process - vertical integration.
* Horizontal integration comes by the nature of Vivendi - also owns in other media industries which gives them more opportunities in the creative industries.

Curran & Seaton - “dominated by profit and power”

* created underneath the umbrella of a mass media conglomerate
* opposing argument- isn’t a reduction in creativity as The Returned is well known as an award-winning TV drama, and championed by USA TV channel Sundance TV and also creative through discussion on Genre