Long form TV drama (LFTD)

TVs new golden age

Formal conventions

High concept – based around a unique idea, or a fresh twist on a familiar story

Deutschland 83 – traditional idea pf being undercover but this time with a younger
protagonist in a more recent historical text

Stranger things – a traditional horror thriller but this is usually a topic for a film, also
including a child’s perspective when dramas are usually aimed at adults

Novelistic – multiple storylines and characters that stretch over a number of episodes and seasons

‘Beyond the binary’ – character move beyond simple ‘good’ and ‘bad’ and become more complex
with complex situations

Narratives are based around ‘systemic change’ not focused on one individual

Communities facing challenges and dealing with them by embracing, or rejecting, their own diversity

Ambitious themes that explore social issues – ‘State of the Nation’ stories

Deutschland 83 – east and west dealing with the US/Russia threats the difficulties faced by
the east and the excesses of the west exploring the idea of surveillance

Stranger things – challenging the American dream with issues like surveillance, human
experimentation and reference to the MKULTRA experiments of the 70s/80s

Cinematic – high quality, direction, acting, production design etc., tangible world brought to life with
production design

Stranger things- extensive amounts of details in the production designs

Flow – one chapter flows into the next makes it easy to binge watch- encouraged by dumping (ST)
and box sets (D83) Netflix encourages continuous flow through a season

Moving Beyond Genre

Netflix provides a micro-tagging system to help focus audiences more on their favourite content:

Stranger things – horror, thriller, science fiction, conspiracy, coming of age and family
drama

What makes a LFTD unique in comparison to others?

 A subversive world that provides escapism

 Less traditional narrative/storytelling structure with unexpected twists (unexpected deaths)
 Encourages audiences to respond with their own media and take part – cos play,
conventions, online communications – prosumers
 Becomes part of the cultural parlance and embeds into society

Long form dramas – dramas that will have a story over the course of multiple seasons

The institutional context US Network Television -

US network broadcasters must satisfy their advertisers and hold market share. They are controlled
by federal regulations.

The institutional context US cable television – HBO or Showtime

The subscription based cable channels can take more risks and form.

The trouble with UK TV drama

UK broadcasters have failed to meet the challenges of the US cable channels move to long form with
their risk taking content and style

Commissioning remains tightly controlled and conservative in outlook

Sky Atlantic was success of US long form

Audiences

Binge watching became popular when DVDs came out, particularly in the late 90s/ early C21

A move from ‘water cooler’ TV to ‘shared universe’ fandom (as with cinema)

US long form dramas often use Easter eggs and have mid breaks

State of nation tv

Long form shows challenged the simplistic storylines and stereotypical characters that dominate
network TV in the us

Breaking Bad

After a quite initial reception its critical reception was quickly established with Emmy awards and
popular success peaked at its end in 2013

Narrative arch

Walter white represents an everyman character but the hero’s journey is inverted the tragedy –
hero tempted motif

He moves from protagonist to antagonist and represents a false hero or the anti-hero still
sympathetic!?

Jesse as helper donor dispatcher

Narrative – Style and Exposition

They have POV shots, so you can feel more immersive and also could make you feel disorientated or
sick

Genre

It’s hybridity. It uses elements of the western, crime/ gangster/ noir, physiological drama and black
comedy

Critics also suggest it draws on generic elements in US TV sitcoms, drama and literature of the father
holding the family together trope

Walter White
Emasculated by his position in life. Humiliated by Bogdan, chad hank et al

Narrative suggests he regains his masculinity as he turns to criminal activity and cooking

He regains independence but loses the its to family as he comes the alter ego of Heisenberg

This represents a crisis of masculinity and social class

Representation in Breaking Bad

Other characters also have a reverse character arc’ or are dysfunctional

Hank is arrogant and macho – but slowly loses his nerve gets traumatised and is paralysed in a shot
out caused by Walter. But identifies Walter White as the kingpin

Skylar becomes corrupted and an accomplice

Social class- the demise of the respectable, hardworking, middle class. Rampant insecurity as the
new norm, American capitalism broken? Marxist critical approach

American family – key us ideological construct. Undermined by neoliberal economics 80s+

War on drugs – how drugs has poisoned American sociality and cultural discourse and relations with
Mexico. Corruption of Walter White = the corruption of society.

The American dream – potent nation myth. Demise of middle class dream? Fame, celebrity and get-
rich-quick culture dominates. The 1% and the 99% kardashinisation

Health care crisis – millions of Americans cannot afford or don’t have decent health care insurance