To what extent do television producers attempt to target national and global audiences through subject matter and distribution?
Refer to both of your television Close Study Products to support your answer:

Capital and Deutschland 83
OR
Witnesses and The Missing
OR
No Offence and The Killing

Capital (UK):

• commissioned and originally broadcast by the BBC which gives the
series brand identity internationally – particularly through its
subsidiaries BBC America and BBC Worldwide
• Kudos, the independent producer of the series, specialises in TV
series which can be sold or remade for the US market, making it
typical of contemporary media institutions which operate globally
rather than nationally
• Freemantle (international production and distribution company), Pivot
TV (US) and BBC Worldwide all in deals to distribute the series
globally
• promoted in the UK as a ‘state of the nation’ event series
• themes and setting are also constructed to appeal to an international
audience: setting includes recognizable London iconography, familiar
to an international audience from film and TV. Themes span the
domestic and global – family melodrama, romance as well as
reference to the economic crash, terrorism and migration
• the series combines the national style of social realism with the
generic conventions of the crime drama and the focus on a crime to
be solved
• multi-cultural, multinational cast of characters address an international
audience with diverse cultural experiences

Deutschland 83 (Germany):

• distributed by Freemantle, a British production and distribution
company, subsidiary of RTL media, a global company which is
designed to target an international audience
• it is a co-production of AMC Networks, SundanceTV (US) and RTL
Television (German and American), positioning it to exploit the
national and global market
• AMC and RTL were able to develop the series in the context of new
opportunities for distribution and exhibition – e.g. the Walter Presents
platform in the UK, which is a subsidiary of C4, exploiting broadcast
and digital opportunities
• focuses on German – and European – history and politics
• the cast of relative unknowns – even in the country of production – were still used to promote the series through the focus on young,
visually appealing male and female leads
• themes and setting are constructed to appeal to an international
audience through the familiar narrative tropes of an ‘innocent abroad’
and the “Romeo and Juliet” romance. The series is visually stylish
using a familiar postmodern style which exploits the current popularity
of retro styles in fashion and music
• exploitation of social media; part of the Sundance TV marketing
strategy was the use of historical sliders, live tweeting of the
programme by the actress who played the lead character, playlists of
1980s music linked to Spotify and through Twitter account.

Media Language

how the different modes and language associated with different media
forms communicate multiple meanings
• the codes and conventions of media forms and products, including the
processes through which media language develops as genre
• how audiences respond to and interpret the above aspects of media
language
• the way media language incorporates viewpoints and ideologies.

Representations

the processes which lead media producers to make choices about how to represent events, issues, individuals and social groups
• the effect of social and cultural context on representations
• how audiences respond to and interpret media representations
• the impact of industry contexts on the choices media producers make
about how to represent events, issues, individuals and social groups.

Industries

how audiences are grouped and categorised by media industries,
including by age, gender and social class, as well as by lifestyle and
taste
• how media producers target, attract, reach, address and potentially
construct audiences
• how media industries target audiences through the content and appeal of
media products and through the ways in which they are marketed,
distributed and circulated
• how specialised audiences can be reached, both on a national and
global scale, through different media technologies and platforms
• how media organisations reflect the different needs of mass and
specialised audiences, including through targeting.

Audiences

how audiences are grouped and categorised by media industries,
including by age, gender and social class, as well as by lifestyle and
taste
• how media producers target, attract, reach, address and potentially
construct audiences
• how media industries target audiences through the content and appeal of
media products and through the ways in which they are marketed,
distributed and circulated
• how specialised audiences can be reached, both on a national and
global scale, through different media technologies and platforms
• how media organisations reflect the different needs of mass and
specialised audiences, including through targeting.

Capital (UK):

• commissioned and originally broadcast by the BBC which gives the series brand identity internationally – particularly through its
subsidiaries BBC America and BBC Worldwide
• Kudos, the independent producer of the series, specialises in TV
series which can be sold or remade for the US market, making it
typical of contemporary media institutions which operate globally rather than nationally
• Freemantle (international production and distribution company), Pivot TV (US) and BBC Worldwide all in deals to distribute the series globally
• promoted in the UK as a ‘state of the nation’ event series
• themes and setting are also constructed to appeal to an international audience: setting includes recognizable London iconography, familiar to an international audience from film and TV. Themes span the domestic and global – family melodrama, romance as well as reference to the economic crash, terrorism and migration
• the series combines the national style of social realism with the
generic conventions of the crime drama and the focus on a crime to be solved
• multi-cultural, multinational cast of characters address an international audience with diverse cultural experiences.

Deutschland 83 (Germany):

• distributed by Freemantle, a British production and distribution
company, subsidiary of RTL media, a global company which is
designed to target an international audience
• it is a co-production of AMC Networks, SundanceTV (US) and RTL Television (German and American), positioning it to exploit the national and global market
• AMC and RTL were able to develop the series in the context of new opportunities for distribution and exhibition – e.g. the Walter Presents platform in the UK, which is a subsidiary of C4, exploiting broadcast and digital opportunities
• focuses on German – and European – history and politics
• the cast of relative unknowns – even in the country of production – were still used to promote the series through the focus on young, visually appealing male and female leads
• themes and setting are constructed to appeal to an international
audience through the familiar narrative tropes of an ‘innocent abroad’ and the “Romeo and Juliet” romance. The series is visually stylish using a familiar postmodern style which exploits the current popularity of retro styles in fashion and music
• exploitation of social media; part of the Sundance TV marketing
strategy was the use of historical sliders, live tweeting of the
programme by the actress who played the lead character, playlists of 1980s music linked to Spotify and through Twitter account.

To what extent do television producers attempt to target national and global audiences box
through subject matter and distribution?
Refer to both of your television Close Study Products to support your answer:
Capital and Deutschland 83
OR
Witnesses and The Missing
OR
No Offence and The Killing

no offence and the killing

No Offence (UK):
• the importance of targeting an audience beyond the national evident
in Channel 4’s investment in online company TRX (The Rights
Exchange) which aims to facilitate the sale of programmes abroad
• No Offence is produced by AbbotVision, the independent producer of
Shameless – which was successfully remade in the US – suggesting
that the appeal to an international audience is a deliberate strategy
• No Offence represents British national culture to a British audience –
but this identity is also used as a selling point internationally through
the appeal of difference
• the series has a social realist aesthetic which is a recognizable
national style but is also popular in Europe (evidenced in the
popularity of social realist films in Europe)
• No Offence was broadcast on France2 the public service broadcaster,
to very high viewing figures; the perceived weakness of French
broadcast TV provides opportunities for export.
• the series’ focus on the detective narrative and crime drama is familiar
and understood globally, the representation of the independent,
female detective has proven popularity.
The Killing (Forbydelsen, Denmark/Germany):
• co-production of Danish and German PSB companies (DK and ZDF)
creates a more powerful transnational base, able to negotiate
international deals
• The Killing was designed to exploit the economic possibilities offered
by an international/ global market (e.g. success of Wallander). The
appeal of the series was extended through the production of American
and Turkish versions
• themes and setting are constructed to appeal to an international
audience by integrating conventions of a successful US long form
drama and the crime drama but providing difference through the
Nordic Noir brand
• the values of Scandinavian society, which focus on equality, are
appealing to a national audience but also cosmopolitan, transnational
audience
• although unknown to the international audience, the series uses the
promotion of the star (Sophie Grabol) to market the series
• the character of Sarah Lund is a familiar detective stereotype and
conforms to the concept of the celebrity detective
• marketing of the series to the audience beyond the national was
evident but had limited official social network presence (a Facebook
page but no twitter account), but many fan blogs and forums engaged
with the series. The Killing was promoted by the Danish tourist board
and a great many unofficial tie-ins with fashion and lifestyle products

semiotics

Narrative

Stock characters: Propp

Key themes that set up a binary narrative: Levi-Strauss

Key narrative moments (i.e. structure) – Todorov, Freytag, Chatman

16-34 year olds

The killing

• Co-production of Danish and German PSB companies (DK and ZDF) creates a more powerful transnational base, able to negotiate international deals
• The killing was designed to exploit the economic possibilities offered appeal of the series extended through the production of American and Turkish versions
• Themes and setting are constructed to appeal to an international audience by integrating conventions of a successful US long form drama and the crime drama but providing difference through the Nordic noir brand
• The values of Scandinavian society, which focus on equality, are appealing to a national audience but also cosmopolitan, transnational audience
• Although unknown to the international audience, The series uses the promotion of the star (Sophie Garbol) to market the series
• The character Sarah lund is a familiar detective stereotype and conforms to the concept of the celebrity detective
• Marketing of the series to the audience beyond the national was evident but had limited official social network presence (a Facebook page but no twitter account), but many fan blogs and forums engaged with the series. The killing was promoted by the Danish tourist board and a great

The Killing:

The killing is a 2011 crime series that follows the police investigation of the murder of a young girl. It interlocks three different stories.

Production companies: Fox Television Studios; Fuse Entertainment; KMF Films; Fabrik Entertainment

Original network: AMC (2011–13); Netflix (2014)

Based on: Forbrydelsen; by Søren Sveistrup

Original release: April 3, 2011 –; August 1, 2014

Executive producers: Veena Sud; Mikkel Bondesen; Søren Sveistrup; Piv Bernth; Ingolf Gabold; Dawn Prestwich; Nicole Yorkin

co-production of Danish and German PSB companies (DK and ZDF)
creates a more powerful transnational base, able to negotiate
international deals
• The Killing was designed to exploit the economic possibilities offered
by an international/ global market (e.g. success of Wallander). The
appeal of the series was extended through the production of American and Turkish versions
• themes and setting are constructed to appeal to an international
audience by integrating conventions of a successful US long form
drama and the crime drama but providing difference through the
Nordic Noir brand
• the values of Scandinavian society, which focus on equality, are
appealing to a national audience but also cosmopolitan, transnational audience
• although unknown to the international audience, the series uses the promotion of the star (Sophie Grabol) to market the series
• the character of Sarah Lund is a familiar detective stereotype and conforms to the concept of the celebrity detective

No Offense:

No offense is a crime, drama series where a group of police officers try their best to keep the streets of Manchester free of crime. When all else fails, they decide to use unconventional methods to teach the perpetrators a lesson.

First episode date: May 5, 2015

No. of series: 3

Production company: AbbottVision

Original network: Channel 4

Genre: Police procedural; Drama; Black comedy

Executive producers: Paul Abbott; Martin Carr; Paul Coe

the importance of targeting an audience beyond the national evident
in Channel 4’s investment in online company TRX (The Rights
Exchange) which aims to facilitate the sale of programmes abroad
• No Offence is produced by AbbotVision, the independent producer of
Shameless – which was successfully remade in the US – suggesting
that the appeal to an international audience is a deliberate strategy
• No Offence represents British national culture to a British audience –
but this identity is also used as a selling point internationally through the appeal of difference
• the series has a social realist aesthetic which is a recognizable
national style but is also popular in Europe (evidenced in the
popularity of social realist films in Europe)
• No Offence was broadcast on France2 the public service broadcaster,
to very high viewing figures; the perceived weakness of French
broadcast TV provides opportunities for export.
• the series’ focus on the detective narrative and crime drama is familiar
and understood globally, the representation of the independent,
female detective has proven popularity.

No Offence is a 2015 British drama series which is centred around a group of police officers who do their best to keep Manchester safe. However when they are exhausted of their resources they turn to unconventional methods to teach the perpetrators a lesson.

The tv series is located in Manchester and broadcasted on Channel 4. The first episode reached 2.5 million views. No Offence stars Joanna Scanlan.

The Killing

Another police procedural drama, but of Danish origin.
‘The Killing’ translates to ‘The Crime’ in English from the Danish translation. The programme is set in Copenhagen. It has been highlighted for the photography of the Danish setting as well as acting.

Another police procedural drama, but of Danish origin.
‘The Killing’ translates to ‘The Crime’ in English from the Danish translation. The programme is set in Copenhagen. It has been highlighted for the photography of the Danish setting as well as acting.

• Genre theory including Neale

Cultural industries including Hesmondhalgh