Deutschland 83: case study blog tasks
1) Find one positive aspect and one criticism of Deutschland 83 in the reviews.
negative: the title was the least ambiguous ever
posotive : the actinng "Martin is suberbly played by jonas Nay"
2) Why does the second Guardian article suggest the Germans didn't like the show?
make the viewer empathise with a Stasi agent and shows the negative side of german history
3) Find three 'below the line' comments from either of the Guardian articles. What did the audience think of Deutschland 83? Do you agree with the comments?
“the flop of the year”, as Bild called it - Disagree as it is still a intiguing part of History and showing from a perspective of someone who we dont usually see from and it also got millions of views
Germany has found a way of making people abroad think it is cool and sexy – yet Germans don’t like it. I think I see why. - Agree as it shows east Germany to be happy and joyful when in fact it was not a good place to be
In Germany, where the cold war can still send chills, that feels a bit too simple - agree as the threat of war doesn't seem to be at the forefront of the episode and everything is too relaxed
1) What does Jonas Nay say about growing up in a united Germany?
he prefers it and didnt like to controversy that comes with being from east or west
2) The Channel 4 News interview is conducted in German with English subtitles. How does this reflect Channel 4's remit as a public service broadcaster and their target audience? (Clue: revise your work on Channel 4 and Public Service Broadcasting here!)
as the actor is german and the show is set in Germany the interview is dione in german but as Channel 4 is English with English viewres there are subtiles for english viewerts
3) Interviewer Matt Frei asks about the current political situation in Germany. Why might this interest the a Channel 4 audience?
as the show is very political its interesting to compare current affairs with previous affairs , channel four's audience may watch their programme for news and to be informed
1) What kind of company is UFA Fiction and what shows have they produced?
German production company - Where's Wanda , Bornholmer Straße
2) What kind of company is Freemantle and what do they produce?
television production and distribution company - x factor
3) How does Deutschland 83 reflect the international nature of television production?
speaking in native language with subtitles
set in home country
1) How does Channel 4 introduce 'Walter'?
a series of TV shows and films featuring acclaimed foreign-language dramas from around the world
2) What audience are Channel 4 trying to appeal to with the 'Walter Presents' series?
an international audience as there are dramas in different languages from all over the world
3) How does the 'Walter Presents' series reflect the changing nature of television in the digital age?
Globalisation as the world is becoming more connected through the media for example having series in different languages
1) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer? Think about Uses & Gratifications theory (Blumler and Katz).
escapism - separate yourself from your real life and watch tv shows in a different time setting and with different plots
personal relationships - form a bond with many different characters that will make you enjoy the show more
surveilance - gain information as deutschland 83 for example is set in the cold war
personal identity - our values may align with the characters in the show
2) How does the trailer use action and enigma codes (Barthes) to encourage the audience to watch the show?
fast cuts between diffrent dramas makes us feel exited but also creates questions for us as we only see a few seconds of each drama
3) The only words heard in the trailer are in English. Why do you think the UK trailer avoided subtitles or German dialogue?
as channel 4 is a predominantly English speaking audience so as that is their largest audience they'll appeal to them to make the most money
1) How did she use the historical context and real-life events to create a successful drama?
Historical contexts of the cold war and the east and west division in berlin and the youth culture in both sides adds to the appeal from audiences and real life events from her husband make the show more emotionally intriguing
2) Anna Winger discusses the use of music. Why might the soundtrack attract an audience?
It was just an incredible year of pop culture ashion, hair styles and colour palette, suddenly became a part of the 1980’s music experience as music was so big at that time the feeling of nostalgia may have brought audiences from all over the globe together
1) List the key statistics concerning audience figures. Why was it considered the most successful foreign language drama?
After launching with 1.49 million viewers, the first episode has now consolidated with 2.5 million viewers, overtaking the launch of The Returned (9th June 2013) on Channel 4 which previously held the record with 2.2 million
2) How does the press release describe Deutschland 83?
“It’s only January but let’s call it already: coolest show of the year.” Grazia
“This is the next subtitled sensation……..unmissable TV.” TV Times
“This pacy saga could be your new subtitled obsession.” The Guardian
2) How do these use font, colour and graphics to appeal to an audience?
3) Why might the distributors Freemantle International have used different marketing campaigns in different countries?
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