There are many positive points that the reviews pick out about Capital. One of the main positive things is that it shows the diverse side of London and I think that it shows the reality of London in present day as I think that most streets do tend to have a very diverse group of people who live in the same area and there are often groups who you would expect not to get along, to actually get along very well and vise versa.
2) What criticisms are made - either of the TV drama or the original novel?
"Yet it was a disappointment. This was no Dickensian bird’s-eye view, but an overly schematic tangle of under-developed plotlines populated by underwritten characters."
There was also no overarching storyline and didn't head in one complete direction that connected everyone together.
3) How does the TV drama change the time period and location for the story in comparison to the original novel?
The novel was originally set during the 2008 financial crisis but the TV drama updates it to 2015 and changes the location slightly (Clapham to Balham)
4) In the Telegraph 'behind the scenes' article, what does the writer say about the London housing market?
"Capital is a snapshot of property boom that no one can comprehend". House prices are becoming so high in London and it is becoming very difficult for people to join the housing ladder is it is simply unaffordable for young people or even people who have been saving up for a long time and has created a situation where the rich are simply becoming richer.
5) What references can you find in these reviews and features to the idea Capital is a 'state-of-the-nation' drama? How does it capture modern-day London?
TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
At the very beginning of the series there is a birds eye view of London, which the audiences will be familiar with and recognise, therefore instantly knowing where it will be set and begin to relate with the show and characters. The show also tends to have montages of London and different shots to perhaps show different views of the same place.
2) What does the camera movement when characters are initially introduced suggest about the drama and its London setting? Pick out one or two shots in particular.
The first shot which shows London which is a birds eye view shows London before the camera angle changes and moves from character to character as we are introduced to them.
3) How does the trailer use mise-en-scene to capture the family element of the drama?
The trailer shows the children of the banker, Roger and the Pakistani family being shown together shows a family setting along side a clip of the family having dinner also shows a sense of family.
4) Bastille's 'These Streets' is used as the soundtrack for the trailer. What does this communicate to the audience and why is it effective?
Bastille's song is upbeat and doesn't suggest that there is any reason for disequilibrium in the TV show, however since we have already seen the first episode of the TV drama we know this is not the case, so we may think it is suggesting that the people who live on the street may be going to fight against who ever is targeting them. It is interesting that even though the show was set in 2008 the Bastille band, which is a British band formed in 2010 which means that that the newer generations are more likely to recognise it.
5) How does the trailer introduce narrative strands suggesting tension or enigma in the 40-second running time?
There are many clips and shots of the card which says "we want what you have", which is very threatening even without any context we can see that this is a very likely reason to be the main issue within the film and causes a lot of tension instantly. Even if the audience don't take notice of this cue and dismiss it, there are multiple shots within the trailer which consumes a lot of the time of the trailer so we know that it is a key element to the TV drama.
EP 1 PREIVEW
1) What does this preview clip suggest about the potential sub-genres for Capital?
Some of the possible sub-genres presented in this clip are family, crime and mystery due to post cards that they have been receiving.
2) What elements of the clip might suggest this is a 'state-of-the-nation' drama?
The clip contains characters of different ethnicity and it is set in a familiar location to many Londoners which is a corner shop.
3) Analyse the mise-en-scene in this clip. How does this provide realism and familiarity for audiences?
There are a lot of shots which show a London setting and typical London households, although you may not think that general houses on a street do not necessarily show a London setting, I think that Londoners would recognise the setting and be able to relate to it. It creates realism as in some of the shots an unclean house hold is shown and this may be relate able for a lot of us as we may often not have the most clean households and leave mess and audiences may like to see other people who are similar to them.
4) How is the audience positioned to respond to the different characters in this particular sequence?
The audience is forced to address the issue of white privilege in the policing system which in this case is proven undeniable. All audiences watching are positioned against the detective because they can't tell whether to trust his judgement or not.
EP 2 PREVIEW
1) How does this clip represent upper-middle-class family life?
The clip represents upper middle class as it shows a large kitchen with modern designs, which I would still consider to be very modern although this was a few years ago which may mean that they had paid a large amount of money to have this done.
2) What narrative strands are suggested in this sequence?
It suggests that the banker(Roger) has an interest and is attracted to the younger babysitter rather then his wife and we begin to see that there are many issues between their family even though they seem to have a very large amount of money available to them and may lead to jealousy between them and may create tension between them and may cause one of them to cheat on the other.
3) How is the audience positioned to respond to Roger Yount, the main character (banker and father to the two boys)?
The audience are positioned to begin to sympathise with the character as they can see that he has never been left in such a position with so much responsibility and that the wife has left him. Although the audience also feel like he should have some of those responsibilities and be able to take care of them we also understand that he has to work to keep their high expenses up and the home running.
1) Who is the parent company for Kudos?
Endemol Shine Group, 21st Century Fox, Apollo Global Management
2) What was the breakthrough show for Kudos in 2002?
"Spooks"
3) Watch the showreel on the Kudos website. What other TV dramas have Kudos produced? What awards have they won?
'Broadchurch', 'River', 'Flowers', 'Capital', 'Grantchester' 'Humans'
Winner of 4 BAFTA awards
4) What audience pleasures does the showreel suggest Kudos productions offer?
They include some actors which the audiences may recognise and be intrigued in watching as they want to see what the character has to bring to the TV drama. There also seems to be a lot of tension and suspense included in the showreel which instantly attracts viewers and makes them want to find out what the rest of these shows are about.
1) How does the programme information on page 3 make Capital sound interesting to audiences?
It goes through each of the characters and states there background and their situation until they have to face the issues which they have. The fact that they go through all the characters and they have such a wide range if characters means that a lot of people who read this may be interested as they may be able to relate to a lot of the characters and be intrigued.
2) Why does the programme information mention the other shows that the director and producer have worked on?
The programme information mentions other shows that the director and producer have worked on as they may enjoy the work which they had seen in the TV drama and may interest them in watching other TV dramas which are similar.
3) Who commissioned Capital for BBC?
Charlotte Moore and Ben Stephenson
4) Read the interview with Toby Jones. What does he say about the character of Roger?
"Roger isn’t an evil banker, he’s a slightly complacent banker. He’s become used to a certain way of life and has a self-imposed pressure to live that way. He spends a lot of money on things that other people don’t spend money on – for example fixtures and fittings - but that is normal to him and his wife. He is not totally in charge of his life or his work. "
5) Read the interview with Adeel Akhtar (page 10). What does he suggest Capital says about the fictional Pepys Road and the sense of community (or lack of it) in London?
"It looks at the idea of a community, and what it means to belong to the community from whatever background you’re from. One of the problems is that some people within a community, such as 11 Ahmed’s brother Usman, feel ostracised from it. They feel like they don’t belong and are on the outside looking in. Capital looks at that concept and also that they are all part of something bigger than themselves."
6) Read the interview with Shabana Azmi (page 12). What does she say about Asian representations in Britain?
"If you look at the subject of Capital, and the number of communities that are being represented, there’s awareness that the world is shrinking, and becoming a global village. We are absorbing cultures, and understanding them, or at least trying to understand them within their own paradigms."
7) Read the interview with Peter Bowker (who adapted Capital - page 14). What are his favourite scenes in the drama and why?
' have a few favourite moments in the book which I wanted to make sure stayed as favourites in the adaptation. Christmas morning where Roger has been abandoned and left to look after his two 15 children is one that Euros (Director) has done brilliantly. Roger realises that his life is changing but it’s done with such comedy! It is one of those glorious Basil Fawlty moments where the farce is working at one level and the emotional farce is working at another.
I also love the Kamals’ chaotic family meals. They are quintessentially archetypal family scenes that everybody lives through, but played with great comedic panache.
And when Bogdan the Polish builder talks to Matya the Hungarian nanny about the affluent Londoners they are working for, it’s fascinating. Capital has a wonderful scale but is all about the minute observations of human nature'
8) Read the interview with Derek Wax, the Executive Producer for Kudos (page 16). Why did he produce Capital and what does it say about the way we live now?
'The novel really spoke to me as it has a sweeping Dickensian ambition to it, all life in one street. I loved the sense of this big, expansive panorama of life as well as the small details of human behaviour. The whole of London seen through the microcosm of one street.It definitely speaks to me about where London and the country is now. The obsession with property, the fact that London house prices have risen extraordinarily, has only intensified the sense of a society of haves and have-nots. Everyone’s connection to money is explored but then the novel expands to ask what life’s real value is, and it does this with a very deft, light touch. I’d say the novel is profound but never overtly polemical. '
1) How does the packaging use other critically acclaimed TV dramas to promote Capital?
Family
London skyline
Ensemble cast
Makers of humans and broad church
2) What does the use of design and images suggest to the audience about the drama?There are many images of families which obviously relate able for most people and therefore it is likely to be a successful selling technique, it shows a large range of people such as the Pakistani family and although they may not be the target audience it may interest them in watching the film and as it doesn't state that they are Pakistani so it may interest other Asian viewers such as Indians as they may feel as if it is also relateable.
3) How are review quotes used on the cover and what do they suggest to the audience about sub-genre, narrative and audience pleasures?
The review quotes may suggest what kind of TV show it is as it is rated by professionals and they know that it is likely to be an unbiased review and may suggest the genre and theme of the TV show.
4) What representation of London does the DVD packaging offer?
It may suggest that it is a state of the nation drama as it shows the London skyline and may suggest that the issues are being recognised as there is an Asian family which audiences may assume are referring and discussing immigration in the country.
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