Thursday, 12 June 2025

Television: Industry Contexts - Public Service Broadcasting

1) What is the BBC's mission statement?

The BBC's mission statement is to inform, educate and entertain. This means: to provide information; to support learning for people of all ages; to produce creative output; to have diverse content, and to reflect the United Kingdom, its culture and value to the world. They seek to act in the public interest through providing high-quality content and services.

2) How is the BBC funded?

The BBC is funded by the TV licence fee. Currently, the licence fee is currently £174.50 (subject to change) a year, which is around £15 a month. This fee must be paid by any household that wants to watch live broadcast TV or iPlayer. This pays for BBC TV, radio, website and iPlayer. A TV licence is unnecessary for Netflix or other international streaming services. They also gain some income from their commercial services: BBC Studios and BBC Studioworks.

3) What must the BBC do to meet its public service broadcasting responsibilities? (Look at the five bullet points in the notes above).

To meet its public service broadcasting responsibilities, the BBC (according to its Royal Charter), must: provide impartial news and information to help people understand and engage with the world around them; support learning for people of all ages; show the most creative, highest quality and distinctive output and services; reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities of all of the United Kingdom’s nations and regions and, in doing so, support the creative economy across the United Kingdom, and reflect the United Kingdom, its culture and values to the world. Their Royal Charter consistently reiterates that they must act in the interest of the public instead of competing in the market.

4) Who is the regulator for TV and Radio in the UK? You can find details on this in the notes above.

In the UK, TV and Radio is regulated by Ofcom (the Office of Communications).

5) How is TV and Radio regulated by Ofcom?

Ofcom regulates TV and Radio by overseeing all broadcasting channels and producing a broadcasting code, that every broadcaster must follow or face large fines and / or have their licence revoked. For example, in 2022, Ofcom removed RT (Russia Today) 's licence for continually broadcasting propaganda that favoured the Russian Government, breaking the rules that Ofcom have with impartiality. Ofcom also regulate TV to ensure that rules are followed and inappropriate content is not broadcast to audiences. The BBC is regulated by Ofcom.

6) How do Doctor Who and His Dark Materials help the BBC to meet the BBC's remit to inform, educate and entertain? Answer this question in at least 150 words.

Doctor Who (specifically the 1963 CSP version) successfully follows two aspects of the BBC's mission statement, particularly to entertain and educate. As Doctor Who is a TV show, it inevitably entertains audiences by giving them a sense of diversion, allowing them to escape from their everyday problems by watching it. The episode An Unearthly Child presents this through its usage of the TARDIS, which helps audiences escape reality as the TARDIS defies laws of physics by being bigger on the inside than the outside. An Unearthly Child is also useful for educating audiences as its main premise is that the characters travel to different worlds and time periods through the TARDIS. In doing so, the show teaches audiences about different eras and worlds, through teaching different aspects of history, culture, etc. The 1963 version, however, may have some aspects in the episode that make it less effective at following the BBC's remit. For instance, in the episode, the Doctor states that the "Red Indian's savage mind" was "blown" when being presented with technology. This line may have normalised or caused audiences at the time to be accepting of racist behaviour, counteracting the educational aspect of the BBC's mission statement.

His Dark Materials essentially only follows the entertainment aspect of the mission statement. This is accomplished through its complicated, fantasy-genre narrative following Lyra exploring different worlds, and its large, epic settings that allow audiences to escape from reality. It utilises CGI through the daemon, Pan, and multiple scenes, such as the scene of the witches flying, which create a sense of diversion as these aspects are impossible in reality. The show is less effective at educating and informing audiences as it explores fictional cities and stories, however, it may be good at educating audiences in representation. His Dark Materials subverts many stereotypes, such as stereotypes of race, through the Black witch, Ruta Skadi, and stereotypes of gender through the opposing scenes of Will cooking and Lyra failing to cook. As a result, audiences can be taught not to use stereotypes to identify people and also to not feel as if they have to adhere to stereotypes themselves.

Grade 8/9 extension questions

Read this Wired feature on how the BBC is adapting to take on Netflix. What does the article suggest the BBC needs to do to remain relevant in a streaming TV age?

To maintain relevant in the era of streaming, the article suggests that the BBC must refrain from using BBC iPlayer as a 'catch-up service; a streaming service where audiences can revisit what they missed on live TV. Most suggestions were to do with featuring shows that haven't been aired recently and that people will want to watch. There were also suggestions for audience personalisation, meaning that if a person opened BBC iPlayer, they would be presented with shows they would want to watch instead of shows they wouldn't have an interest in.

How does His Dark Materials help the BBC to take on the big streaming rivals like Netflix and Amazon?

His Dark Materials helps the BBC take on streaming competitors as it's a very high-quality, modern TV show, with a very large budget as provided by HBO. The show is very similar in quality to shows on Netflix, Disney+, etc, and hence, helps attract audiences. It stars famous actors like Ruth Wilson and Lin-Manuel Miranda and helps to attract a much wider audience. This contrasts many other BBC programmes that only appeal to certain, niche groups of people, that are only aired by the BBC as they don't need to turn a profit (as a public service broadcaster) and, as a part of their key purpose, must have diverse content. 

Do you think the TV Licence is good value for money? Why?

The TV licence isn't great value for money when compared to subscription-based services like Netflix and Disney+. As the TV licence costs £174.50 annually, it equates to around £15 a month, while other streaming services average at around £10 a month. While a TV license allows someone to access BBC iPlayer (that can be accessed without a licence regardless) and live TV, live TV has become too unpopular for it to be worth the money. Now, streaming services are exponentially more popular, and most young people don't even watch live TV anyway. Furthermore, the BBC offers much more niche programmes that are far less popular in comparison to most shows on Netflix and Disney+, so there's more of a deterrent against people purchasing the TV licence as there's a higher chance that they would prefer the shows on more popular streaming services rather than the shows on the BBC. Overall, there's much less incentive for people to purchase a TV licence rather than a subscription to a streaming service, as the shows are less mainstream and the price is slightly higher.

Thursday, 5 June 2025

Television: His Dark Materials - Audience and Industries

Audience

1) Who do you think the target audience is for His Dark Materials and why? What about psychographic groups? You can revise Psychographics here.

I think the target audience for His Dark Materials would be fans of the fantasy genre, as the show uses many conventions of fantasy TV, such as the daemons and witches. Fans of coming-of-age, young adult books similar to the original His Dark Materials books by Philip Pullman would most likely also enjoy the show. With Psychographics, I think that the target audience is most likely the Explorers, since the show is based on Lyra's quest and adventures in new worlds. Potentially, fans could also be Reformers, as the cast is quite diverse. Moreover, as the show has some political commentary on religion and the patriarchy through the Magisterium, it's possible that Reformers would agree with their representation of those groups and hence, enjoy watching the show. On the other hand, this would likely make the Resigned not fans of the show, as they respect institutions. Furthermore, since the show is of the family genre, they may have also been targeting the Mainstreamer psychographic group.

2) What audience pleasures are offered by His Dark Materials - The City of Magpies? Apply Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory to the episode. Make sure you provide specific examples from the episode to support your ideas.

Personal Identity:

Devoted fans of the fantasy genre would enjoy His Dark Materials as it includes conventional aspects of fantasy TV, through the daemons, the witches, the tear in the sky, etc. This also applies for fans of the steampunk genre, through the hot air balloons and other pieces of technology. Young, teenage girls might also find pleasure in relating to Lyra, as would teenage boys, or people who are from Oxford, in relating to Will. Moreover, children or young people in general would enjoy the show's focus on young people. Lastly, perhaps people who feel they don't fit in with stereotypical gender roles may feel their identity represented, through the reversal of gender roles in the episode. For instance, the scene where Will cooks Lyra an omelette, and later on when Lyra struggles to cook, subverting the stereotype that women are best at cooking.

Personal Relationships:

Audiences could form parasocial relationships with any of the characters of the show, although it's more likely these relationships would be formed with the protagonists rather than the villains. The most prominent example where audiences are positioned to form relationships with the protagonists is the scene where Will asks Lyra to team up, developing the narrative and making the audience feel like a part of the group. Furthermore, fans of the actors behind any of the characters are likely to watch the show simply based on the fact that their favourite actor is in it. For instance, fans of Ruth Wilson, who plays Mrs Coulter, or James McAvoy, who plays Lord Asriel (although he isn't in the episode.) However, arguably the most popular actor in the cast is Lin-Manuel Miranda, an American songwriter, singer, actor, etc. famous for writing the musicals Hamilton and In the Heights, and also the soundtracks on well-received movies like Moana.

Diversion (Escapism):

Audiences can find diversion in essentially all aspects of the show, however, the most obvious example of this is in the large establishing or over-the-shoulder shots used to show the fantasy settings, such as when the "city in the sky" is shown. These shots are presented alongside epic, non-diegetic music that sets the adventure genre and makes the audience feel as if they are in the scene themselves, providing a sense of escapism. Audiences could also find diversion in the complicated multi-strand narrative. 
 
3) Thinking of the 3 Vs audience pleasures (Visceral, Vicarious and Voyeuristic pleasures), which of these can be applied to His Dark Materials? Refer to specific scenes or moments in the episode to explain your answer.

The audience experiences a visceral pleasure, especially, through the scene of Mrs Coulter torturing the witch - the episode utilises an extreme close-up and heightens the diegetic noise of the 'thorn' being pulled out of her, in order to raise the feeling of tension in the audience. Another prime example of a visceral pleasure is seen through the chase scene. In this, the editing uses quick pans and handheld camera movement (yet still stabilised, in order to ensure the show still seems high quality to the audience), alongside fast-paced editing, in order to raise the suspense and tension in the sequence. The music also raises in volume very quickly (right after Lyra's daemon says that "there's someone there"), and objects are scattered around, to increase the almost chaotic aspect of the scene.

The audience experiences vicarious pleasures mostly through the beginning of the episode. Specifically, through the wide, establishing shots of epic landscapes, that adhere to the fantasy genre and allow the audience to feel as if they are actually in the location. One example of this is when Lyra and Pan first see the "city in the sky" through an over-the-shoulder shot, that positions the audience to feel like they're in the setting, through the characters.

The audience experiences voyeuristic pleasures particularly through the meeting that the Magisterium has inside the ship. As they are an authoritative institution that is likely exclusive to high-ranking people, the audience experiences a voyeuristic pleasure by seeing something that they wouldn't usually have the opportunity to see. This voyeuristic effect is intensified through the the scene being set in a remote location: the meeting is held inside a private room, inside a ship, on a lake far from civilisation (by there being no lights on the mountains except the tear in the sky), at midnight.

4) How did fans react to Season 2 of His Dark Materials? What about critic reviews? You can find some possible answers for this in this BBC website article on the critical reception for His Dark Materials and watch the fan reaction video above.

Based on the BBC article, one critic wrote that the episode lacked the same 'magical' essence that season one had, and that the daemons are not fleshed out enough to compare to how they are in the original books. A critic from the Telegraph, wrote that the story felt increasingly dense compared to before - good for a novel, but not for a TV show. On the other hand, some critics held positive opinions on the episode, in that it was suitable and still interesting for both adults and children. Another critic praised the time that the episode gave before Will and Lyra warmed up to each other, allowing audiences to take sides with them before the suspense starts to build in the narrative.

From this thread on Reddit, the episode was generally praised. with people enjoying and talking about some aspects of the episode. However, there was some discussion of plot holes left in the episode, as the TV show could not replicate the depth in the original books.

5) What might be some of the preferred and oppositional readings for His Dark Materials? Why did some fans love it? Why have other people criticised it?

The preferred reading would mostly be held by fans of the original books and also people who became fans of season one of the show. This reading would most likely surround the complicated narrative following Lyra and also the general high quality of the episode. Some fans may also love the fantasy and young adult / coming of age genre that the show follows, through Lyra's 'quest' and the different settings, and magical aspects, like the witches and daemons.

The oppositional reading to His Dark Materials would most likely come out of the dense narrative of the show. Fans may feel that (echoing what some critics said in the BBC article) the episode has too many things included in, such as the spectres and the dust. Some audience members may not be particular fans of the fantasy genre, or not enjoy the acting, settings, technical aspects (although unlikely considering the high quality of the show), etc.

Industries

1) Which companies produced this His Dark Materials series?

His Dark Materials was commissioned by HBO and BBC and created by the company Bad Wolf.

2) What were the UK viewing figures for A City of Magpies? How did this compare to season 1 of His Dark Materials?

The first episode of the first series of His Dark Materials series was watched by audiences of 7.2 million in the UK and 423,000 on HBO. The first broadcasts of the CSP episode had audiences of 4.4 million on BBC1 and 227,000 on HBO.

This shows a substantial decrease in the viewing figures for the second series of His Dark Materials. However, this is not reflected by the general consensus on the show, as on Rotten Tomatoes, the rating actually increases from series one to two for both critics and fans.

3) What was American network HBO's role in making His Dark Materials and why is this important? Look at the notes above for more on this.

The American network HBO co-commissioned His Dark Materials alongside BBC for an international audience. This is heavily important as HBO is associated with producing high-quality TV shows, such as Succession. HBO brings in large amounts of profit (unlike the BBC, who make none at all), with over 40 million subscribers that contribute to the $7 billion subscription revenue that the company receives annually. In comparison, the BBC's entire budget, for everything, not only TV shows, is $5 billion. As a result, since His Dark Materials was rumoured to be the BBC's most expensive show to produce, HBO shared the costs, with their huge budget, and ensured a large audience would be able to watch the show and turn a profit.

4) What famous stars are in His Dark Materials and why do you think they were selected for the show? Watch the Comic Con panel video in the notes above to see the stars talking about the show.

The show stars many famous people, such as: Dafne Keen (Lyra), Kit Connor (who plays Pan, and is also recently famous for Heartstopper), Amir Wilson (Will), Ruth Wilson (Mrs Coulter), etc. However, arguably the most famous of the cast is Lin-Manuel Miranda, who plays Lee Scoresby. He is famous for writing and starring in the hit musical Hamilton: the fourth highest-grossing Broadway musical theatre production, that debuted only in 2015. He also wrote the musical In The Heights, alongside songs from the Disney movies Moana and Encanto. Hence, he is a highly sought-after actor for his popularity with fans of musical theatre, who would be likely to watch the show just because of him being in it.

5) Who are Bad Wolf and what do they produce?

Bad Wolf are a TV drama production company based in Wales. They have built up a reputation as one of the foremost independent production companies in the UK, producing over 117 hours of high-end drama for huge broadcasters and networks including HBO, Sky, BBC and AMC. They have produced many shows alongside His Dark Materials, such as A Discovery of Witches (for Sky / AMC) and Doctor Who (for the BBC / Disney).

Comparison: Doctor Who - An Unearthly Child and His Dark Materials - The City of Magpies

1) How are the technical conventions different between 1963 Doctor Who and 2020 His Dark Materials (e.g. camerawork, editing, sound and mise-en-scene)?

For the 1963 version of Doctor Who, the camerawork was considerably slower and more clunky, as seen in the scene of the camera panning to Ian and Barbara after the TARDIS travels to a different world. The sound was more 'crunchy' or low-quality, and the editing was less fast-paced. The VFX for Doctor Who is also much more outdated, as seen by the sequence of the TARDIS taking off that would likely have been considered excellent back then. On the other hand, His Dark Materials has very smooth camerawork, as seen by the chase scene that uses multiple different camera shots (stabilised handheld camera movement, pans, birds-eye view, etc.) to exaggerate the suspense of the sequence. In this scene, the editing is also much more fast-paced, contrasting the editing in Doctor Who. The sound is very high-quality, which is as expected for a modern TV show, and the VFX has also seen a drastic improvement from 1963 to 2020, when His Dark Materials was released. This is seen especially through the daemons, specifically Lyra's daemon, Pan, a talking animal created entirely through CGI. For mise-en-scene, there is a very large improvement with specifically the settings from Doctor Who to His Dark Materials. In Doctor Who, the settings are quite simple, while in His Dark Materials, the settings are epic and fantasy-scale, including entire cities, forests, and expensive sets like ships.

2) What similarities and differences are there between Doctor Who and His Dark Materials in terms of genre and narrative?

Both shows follow a narrative of travelling between worlds, an aspect of both the fantasy and science fiction genre respectively. They both follow a girl who is quite different from normal, with both Lyra and Susan subverting mostly all gender expectations, such as stereotypes associated with intelligence and power dynamics with men. In both shows, there's also the vicarious aspect of 'people discovering something new for the first time'. In Doctor Who, it's when Ian and Barbara enter the TARDIS for the first time, and seeing that it is bigger on the outside then on the inside, they consider it to be an illusion. For His Dark Materials, it's when Will first meets Lyra and deems Pan to be a 'talking animal' (which it essentially is, despite the fact Lyra disagrees with this description), although he acclimates to the new situation quite quickly. This scenario or idea happens often in both the fantasy and science fiction genre, with the characters acting as a sort of 'self-insert' for the audience to be able to insert themselves into the scene and see the new 'magical' or 'genius technological' location, object, etc. through the eyes of the character.

3) How are representations of people, places and groups similar or different in the two shows?

In Doctor Who, the cast has essentially no diversity at all, with it being comprised entirely of White British actors. In addition, the episode is quite racist, with the mention of the "Red Indian's savage mind" being "blown." Today, this throwaway line would be considered highly offensive (as it is) and the show would likely be cancelled immediately, however, it was most likely not seen as offensive at the time. On the other hand, in His Dark Materials, the representation (although minimal) is there, with Will being played by a mixed-race actor (Amir Wilson, who is half-white and half-Sudanese), and the witch Ruta Skadi being played by Jade Anouka, a black woman. Race is essentially ignored in the show, which is still a drastic improvement from the representation in Doctor Who. Representations of gender also become exponentially more progressive. For example, in Doctor Who, the Doctor takes Ian away for a conversation and completely ignores Barbara while trying to convince them not to investigate the TARDIS, and Barbara consistently comes to Ian for reassurance. However, in His Dark Materials, the show completely subverts gender representations, specifically through the scene where Will cooks Lyra an omelette, that she eats with her hands before calling him a "kitchen boy", subverting the stereotype that women should cook for men. This stereotype is also subverted through the scene of Lyra attempting to cook and failing. The representations also become much more modern in His Dark Materials through the Magisterium, who represent religion and the patriarchy. As the show presents the Magisterium as evil, cruel and incompetent, it is likely that they intended to portray real-life religion and the patriarchy in the same way. 


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Television: Industry Contexts - Public Service Broadcasting

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