Audience
2) Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory is displayed throughout the entirety of the episode through the uses of the three main audience pleasures, for example:
Personal Identity: Many teenagers or younger people may perhaps see themselves or their own lives portrayed on screen, through the characters of Lyra and Will. Their general manner of speaking or their attitude could be relatable for the younger viewers, or the actions they do (e.g. Lyra acting somewhat constricted and walking on the bed with her shoes). Also, Lyra and Will's budding friendship can prove relatable to specific viewers who feel as though they have friendships of their own that are seemingly similar, if not the same as their one.
Personal Relationships: Audiences may form strong attachments to the characters, and may feel emotions such as worry or concern for their safety, more so during frightening or tense scenes. Older viewers may likely feel apprehension for Lyra and Will, especially if they have children of their own, due to the fact that Lyra and Will are the youngest of the ensemble cast.
Diversion (escapism): His Dark Materials offers escapism on an immense scale, as it consists of many quick, heart-racing, terrifying scenes which draws in audiences and leaves them feeling completely immersed within the experience, as if they were there themselves. This is successfully done by the use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound, fast-paced camera shots, petrifying settings and intense dialogue.
3) Out of the 3 Vs, visceral pleasure relates the most with His Dark Materials. This is completely due to the amount of expeditious and enthralling scenes, a notable example being the chase scene in 'The City of Magpies' between Lyra and Will and the mysterious children left in the city. This provides visceral pleasure as it captivates the audience and may even cause them to shiver out of pure excitement or anxiety.
4) On the whole, there were mixed reviews regarding Season 2 of His Dark Materials from both fans and critics. It is initially described as "great, robustly made, with great actors everywhere, occupying well-built universes" though this is immediately followed by "but it doesn't inspire as much wonder as it ought to". Critics feel as though the show now lacks many vital elements which make up the entirety of it, with a review stating "for a series about magical worlds, aimed at younger viewers, however, there's not quite enough magic" and another saying how "the daemons never quite replicate the humour and self-doubt they convey in the books". It is evident through these statements that most prefer the book series counterpart over the TV show, which isn't surprising given how this is the typical case with most book series-turned TV dramas or films. Also, it signifies how the TV series doesn't include many crucial aspects that were in the books, and how the second season doesn't have the same novelty and enjoyment as the first one does. Another review mentions that whilst the show may appeal to avid fans of the original Philip Pullman books, it wouldn't offer the same excitement to someone who hasn't initially been introduced to or was into the books beforehand. Overall, the critic reviews were mostly negative, however there was some praise amongst all this.
5) The preferred reading of His Dark Materials is the fantasy genre, and that it is targeted towards families, with children above the age of 12. Producers attempt to give out the assumption that it is a thrilling and intense series, with intimate storylines and dramatic dialogue, along with a hugely action-packed plot. The oppositional reading of His Dark Materials is that is can at times be somewhat controversial and even convey a sense of religious persecution as they paint a seemingly bad picture of Christians and they are portrayed to be villains. Fans may love the show due to the wide range of characters and their fascinating backgrounds, along with the riveting storylines and the diversity within the cast. Others may criticise the show due to the fact that it lacks some magical elements from the books, which takes away the whole fantasy genre.
Industries
1) His Dark Materials was produced for an international audience by both the BBC and HBO. BBC is a British company whereas HBO is an American television network. Additionally, it was created for these platforms by an independent company, Bad Wolf.
2) The first broadcast of the episode 'The City of Magpies' had audiences of 4.4 million across the UK. This was somewhat less than the broadcast of the pilot episode, which had a figure of 7.7 million people watching it in the UK.
3) HBO was a co-commissioner of His Dark Materials, along with the BBC. HBO is widely known for producing some of the most magnificent and successful TV shows of all time, and provided an opportunity to bring in a lot of money from His Dark Materials which was important because it has over 40 million subscribers and brings in around $7 billion in subscription revenue each year.
4) The show features a number of famous stars, with both British and American actors and actresses. These include Brits Ruth Wilson and James McAvoy and American Lin-Manuel Miranda who wrote the world-famous hit musical Hamilton. These actors and actresses were perhaps chosen for the show in order to provide star power as they have big names.
5) Bad Wolf was first founded in 2015 to create ambitious, imaginative and relevant drama for the global TV marketplace. It has produced series for many well-known broadcasters which includes HBO, BBC, AMC and Sky.
Comparison: Doctor Who - 'An Unearthly Child', His Dark Materials - 'The City of Magpies'
1) The technical codes in Doctor Who are entirely different to that of His Dark Materials. For example, in Doctor Who, which was first released in 1963, the camerawork is more flimsy and rough as opposed to His Dark Materials as the camerawork in it was done in a more smooth, professional way. This is due to the fact that in modern times, we have access to a huge range of technology and resources to better our media pieces, which is again shown through the clear contrast between the special effects used in both TV shows. His Dark Materials uses CGI (computer-generated imagery) which is much better quality in comparison to Doctor Who, as well as the sound and editing too.
2) In terms of genre, Doctor Who and His Dark Materials are very similar. They both consist of a hybrid genre, as they are both sci-fi and fantasy. This means that their target audiences would not be that different from each other. They follow near identical storylines such as other-worldly dimensions, different universes and obscure creatures. Both TV series follow a narrative arc, and include narrative aspects like Propp's character theory, Todorov's equilibrium theory and both action and enigma codes.
3) Some ways in which representations of people, places and groups are different in Doctor Who compared to His Dark Materials is that there isn't a diverse cast and most, if not all characters are all white. This is implicit of the decade that the show was released in, which is different to modern day as His Dark Materials includes a much more diverse cast full of people within the BAME community. Representations of gender in Doctor Who are also much more stereotypical and women are portrayed as inferior as opposed to men, whereas in His Dark Materials they are conveyed as fierce and independent. A way in which representations in both TV shows are quite similar is through the younger teenage characters, who are typically smart, kind and thoughtful (e.g. Susan Foreman and Will Parry). The settings in both TV series are different in some ways too, as 'An Unearthly Child' starts out in a normal, every-day setting (a public school) but 'A City of Magpies' is set in an abandoned, destroyed city.
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