Peaky Blinders (Series 1, Episode 1) AS Level Media Studies Fact Sheet PDF

A level Media Studies – Set Product Fact Sheet Peaky Blinders (Series 1, Episode 1) AS Component 2: Investigating set and costume design. It has also attracted big media forms and products name actors like Tom Hardy and Adrien...

A level Media Studies – Set Product Fact Sheet Peaky Blinders (Series 1, Episode 1) AS Component 2: Investigating set and costume design. It has also attracted big media forms and products name actors like Tom Hardy and Adrien Brody. In the USA, the show was first distributed A Level Component 2: Media forms by the Weinstein Company and Endemol; it and products in depth was purchased by Netflix in 2014, who also distributed it worldwide, leading to a global Focus areas: audience. Media language Representation PART 1: STARTING POINTS – Media Media industries language Audiences Consider the codes and conventions of media forms and products, including the PRODUCT CONTEXT processes through which media language develops as a genre: Peaky Blinders is a hybrid-genre, long form TV drama that combines gangster, Western and Genres are ‘types’ of media product that present historical drama elements. The set product is the codes and conventions in a way that provides very first episode of season 1, broadcast in September specific audience pleasures. They are favoured by 2013 on BBC Two in the UK. producers and institutions as they often represent a risk-free investment. Audiences’ (and creators’) Peaky Blinders was produced in the UK by relationship with genres is complex, involving a Caryn Mandabach Productions and Tiger Aspect balance between familiar tropes and fresh elements for BBC Two. The show ran for six seasons from that enable genres to evolve. 2013 to 2022. For seasons 5 and 6, the show moved to a primetime slot on BBC One. Peaky Blinders could be classed as a cross- genre or hybrid long form television drama. The ‘showrunner’ for all six seasons was It has many characteristics of the gangster Steven Knight, an established screenwriter and subgenre. This differs from other crime genres; TV producer. in that it often focuses on the personal lives of a criminal family. Peaky Blinders could also The plot of Peaky Blinders focuses on the be classed as historical drama – it uses lavish Shelby family, who run the eponymous criminal production design to evoke a specific period and gang in 1920s Birmingham. The first seasons location concentrating on Birmingham in 1919. examine the effects of WWI on the working It also explores many of the social and political classes, while later seasons portray Tommy issues of that time. Shelby’s attempts to move from crime into legitimate businesses, and then onto politics. Peaky Blinder’s creator and chief writer, Steven Knight, has also said each season is based Peaky Blinders has won a host of awards, around another movie genre. In season 1, he said including – for season 1 – Best Director at the he was particularly inspired by the Western. BAFTAs, and numerous awards for lighting, 1  A level Media Studies – Set Product Fact Sheet Knight said he wanted to ‘mythologise’ British The narrative of Peaky Blinders is typical of the working-class lives in the way ‘Americans took gangster genre: the power of the criminal family 19th century agricultural workers and called them is threatened – by other gangs, by the law, and Cowboys and made them heroes of Westerns’. from threats within – and the main characters must pull together (or sometimes betray each Some of the gangster conventions that Peaky other) to survive. Blinders uses are: Episode 1 of Peaky Blinders establishes a The importance of family loyalty – it doesn’t number of plots and subplots around these matter who the enemy is, the Law or other themes. Tommy’s robbery (hidden from gangs, the Shelbys are devoted to protecting Arthur) has backfired and brought Campbell to and securing their family. This focus on family Birmingham. Meanwhile Communists, the IRA dynamics (an element familiar from soap opera) and rival gangs from different ethnic groups is also reminiscent of the US crime drama are referred to as threats to manifest later in the The Sopranos. season. In addition, Grace, an undercover agent, catches Tommy’s eye, opening a possibility of The protagonist is a cool, quiet but ambitious both romance and betrayal. antihero who uses intelligence and cunning, as well as brutal violence, to ascend the ranks of In long form TV drama, more subplots and a criminal family/organisation – or is strategic characters can be added to add richness and in order to maintain their position at the top. complexity to a more generic narrative. There Tommy Shelby embodies this stock character is space for Aunt Polly, Ada and Freddie, Billy in Peaky Blinders – a man of few words, as he Kimber, the Lee Family, the IRA and even says to Arthur in the first episode; ‘That’s what Danny Whizz-Bang to have fully developed I do, I think.’ His plan to inflate the value of the narrative arcs all in one season. racehorse, despite Arthur’s concerns, illustrates his ingenuity. Consider the processes through which meanings are established through The antagonist is a lawmaker who is intertextuality. investigating the hero and his family/ There are numerous references to the Western organisation. This is unusual in crime drama as genre in the first 15 minutes of the opening here the investigator threatens the status quo, episode. Some of these are: Tommy’s ride established by the criminals, rather than seeking through the city streets, the townspeople who to preserve it. Often the detective resorts to dash to hide when he arrives and then linger to unorthodox methods, including those as brutal watch the drama, the peaceful living room that as the gangsters, to achieve results (see Eliot hides a bustling gambling den, etc. Ness in The Untouchables). In Peaky Blinders, Campbell is the antagonist in the first season The story of a crime family, the power dynamics – in episode 1, his ride through Birmingham, within it, and their battles with rivals/the law righteous sermon to the police and his torture was immortalised in Francis Ford Coppola’s of Arthur, clearly establish him as a binary The Godfather. The ‘rise of the foot soldier’ opposition to Tommy. narrative arc, from working class to mob boss, references The Godfather 2. Within the criminal family there is usually an older patriarch/matriarch around whose The ‘ruthless enforcer vs mob boss’ set up, as power the other characters orbit. Aunt Polly well as the 1920s setting and costume (especially plays this role in Peaky Blinders. Another stock flat caps), recall The Untouchables. gangster genre character is the less smart, more violent sibling of the hero – in this case, Arthur – playing another binary opposition to the protagonist. 2  A level Media Studies – Set Product Fact Sheet Consider how genre conventions are socially He also wanted the production design to reflect and historically relative, dynamic and can be the narrative tone: ‘…set within industrial used in a hybrid way. poverty but full of energy, vigour, and excitement, not despair.’ Knight has spoken often about what he calls the ‘black hole for TV production in the middle of Consider the opening sequence as Tommy rides the country’. He said that in the Midlands there through Small Heath – Western iconography, is a ‘cultural cringe’ about their location and (tall man on a horse) is used to establish identities. Whilst Liverpool and Manchester Tommy’s reputation and the environment is full have celebrated their cultural histories, there of ‘vigour’. have been very few TV shows or movies set in the Midlands, particularly in Birmingham. Gesture and expression: while the rest of the cast have an intense dramatic energy, Cillian He also seeks to reveal the ‘secret history’ of Murphy’s performance as Tommy is extremely England – the lives and dramas of people who under-stated, almost static by comparison. His aren’t wealthy or landed gentry. Producer Laurie stillness and lack of emotion link to the Western Borg said the show was a conceived as ‘the cowboy archetype – strong, silent, but coiled anti-Downton Abbey’, showing a completely and ready for action. His backstory of PTSD different world existing in the same historical following the First World War adds an emotional period. backstory to this posture. Despite this, the production design is Visual technical codes: Tracking shots are used spectacular and lush, the costumes particularly to follow the characters through the streets and having an impact on mainstream fashion. Ornate other locations. sets, costumes and décor is usually a convention of the historical drama. Consider how camera shots and editing used to Consider how the combination of elements establish tension between Arthur and Tommy, of media language influence meaning. Tommy and Freddie (especially the scene in the pub) and Tommy and Polly (compare the Consider how elements of media language including scene in the family meeting with the one in the technical and visual codes work together to create church). meaning in the music video. Camera movement, editing and mise-en-scène Visual codes: creates a ‘sense of energy and excitement, not Clothing: the costumes have been one of the despair’. most impactful elements of the show, leading Audio codes: Knight to starting his own fashion brand. What impression do the suits, waistcoats and shirts of Dialogue: Tommy is a man of very few words the Peaky Blinders say about them? but what he says is well-chosen. How does this fit with his character’s backstory? Consider the costumes of the female characters – Ada, Polly and Grace. Costume indicates Consider how Campbell is the opposite of this – different kinds of female character: the how do his speeches reveal his character (and a rebellious daughter, the matriarch and the ‘sweet backstory equally as brutal as Tommy’s)? girl with a secret’. Music: the use of punk and rock songs, often Iconography and setting: Knight was often released sixty years after the events of the told tales from this era by his relatives. When show, establishes a modern feel to a period he created Peaky Blinders, he ‘visualised the drama. Knight has said he wanted to ‘emphasise story through the eyes of a young boy growing the idea of people in the period with modern up in this environment, so there’s a sense of emotions, aspirations and expressions.’ heightened reality: the horses are bigger, the men taller, the pubs more glamorous.’ 3  A level Media Studies – Set Product Fact Sheet The music supervisor Amelia Hartley also Gangster films and historical dramas have a added that the angry, but energetic punk recognisable array of conventions that produce songs also indicate the simmering emotion audience pleasures. These include narrative beneath Tommy’s calm exterior. A key musical ingredients like anti-heroes, scenes of suspense contribution is from Nick Cave and the Bad and violence, but also more aesthetic pleasures Seeds, who provide the sinister theme song, and like spectacular locations and costumes. contributed 14 songs in total over six seasons. However, Neale would say they also need to Consider theoretical approaches display something original to set them apart Narratology – Todorov: from other examples. Evolution is essential to sustain a genre, and Peaky Blinders does this Consider how Peaky Blinders fits into Todorov’s by offering greater depth and complexity to five step narrative structure, and how it also the typical ‘tough guys’. It does this by rooting plays with it. Think about the interesting reversal their violence in historical and socio-economic of protagonist and antagonist, and the way the context (especially PTSD). When considering audience are encouraged to empathise with the the set design and its location, it is not only criminals. industrial but also hellish – fire explodes or The equilibrium: the opening scenes establish glimmers in almost every scene in this episode. Tommy as a man of great status. They also show This offers a distinctly different aesthetic to the day-to-day running of the Shelby’s gambling other period dramas like Bridgerton. operation, but the disruption (the mistaken theft of the guns) has already occurred and further PART 2: STARTING POINTS – disruption (Campbell’s campaign) is already Representation beginning. Consider how representations may invoke discourses and ideologies and position As befits a long-form drama, almost every audiences (A Level only). character has their own narrative arc, e.g. we see Arthur’s equilibrium, more firmly disrupted Knight said that he is deliberately trying to tell by his ordeal with the police. Only a few of stories about the ‘secret history of England’ that these are resolved in the first episode, and this may be darker, more violent and subversive encourages viewers to watch the entire series. than the more sanitised view of British history To examine how each of these arcs manifests in portrayed in mainstream costume dramas. There season 1 and 2, look at the actor interviews in are no glimpses of aristocracy, businessmen or the BBC production notes: factory owners, at least in season 1, the focus is https://bbc.in/3L49dUc entirely on working class people and one area. There are some recognitions hinted at in the Knight’s intentional ‘mythologising’ of focus episode, e.g. the Shelbys know Campbell’s industrial communities, however criminal, identity and reputation before he even arrives. has resulted in a fresh sense of civic pride in Birmingham. There are now Peaky Blinders Enigma codes often drive long-form drama tours, theme pubs, and a Rambert dance by constantly introducing new characters and production in Birmingham. narrative twists – some of which are answered with others leading to further enigmas. The representation of men as brutal and violent is complicated by the Shelby boys’ experiences Genre – Steve Neale: in the war. Knight described them as ‘men who Neale says that though genres may be seen as have forgotten about physical consequences.’ being limited by familiar tropes, they are also Though apparently fearless, in reality, they are marked by difference, variation, and change. suffering from PTSD. 4  A level Media Studies – Set Product Fact Sheet Despite the machismo inherent in the gangster Representations of gender: genre, there are several strong and empowered female characters in the show. In the focus Tommy, like many other gangster characters in episode we are introduced to Polly, a matriarchal the genre is seen as ‘tough guy with a heart figure; Ada, a rebellious daughter; and Grace, of gold’. Though emotionally restrained and who though initially ‘too pretty’ for the pub, capable of bursts of incredible violence, he is is revealed as a cunning undercover agent. kind to children and the elderly and wants to Knight has said this reflects the burst in female support (and defend) his community. independence during WWI, where women ‘took Though the violence in the show has been over’ running the country. criticised, the machismo of the many of the These portrayals could raise interesting characters is rooted by previous trauma. This discussion about the way working class lives and adds a layer of vulnerability to traditional ‘tough communities, as well as gender roles, are shown guy’ gangsters. in historical dramas. As noted above, the female characters in the show are more complex and narratively The effect of historical context on significant than the usual ‘gangster’s moll’ representations and sex workers featured in the genre. Polly Representations of class/local identity: particularly has more backstory and nuance to her character than a superficial crime family Knight and his producers have said they were matriarch, including a problematic relationship deliberately trying to offer a darker and less with motherhood and her extended family. upper-class view of British history between the world wars. Grace is also an interesting female representation. Initially she is a fish-out-of- This could be seen as historical revisionism water, ‘too pretty’ for the area, who can calm a – a deliberate attempt to excavate alternative bar with her siren’s song. Later it is revealed she versions of a historical period by looking at the is a ruthless and dedicated undercover agent who lives the lower classes, women, LGBTQ, or has adopted a ‘pretty’ disguise to get closer to migrant people, instead of royalty and wealthy Tommy. people. Consider theoretical approaches Peaky Blinders doesn’t downplay the squalor Identity theory – David Gauntlett of the industrial city, but it does portray it as a place of community, grudging respect and Gauntlett asserts that audiences actively borrow frequent excitement. from media texts to help construct their identity: ‘a narrative of the self’. These are not stable, To contrast these two representations of they are fluid, depending on the media text and industrial Birmingham, you could consider characters being consumed. Tommy’s ride in the opening sequence to Campbell’s journey from the train station (and Long form multi-protagonist drama offers ensuing sermon). audiences a range of different characters for audiences to identify with. Even when they Knight has pointed out that in 1919, are in conflict (e.g. battles between favourite Birmingham was seen as ‘the workshop of characters in Game of Thrones), we still identify the world’, a hub for the British Empire, with them. This also suggests a fluid nature to manufacturing all the things needed to maintain identity. that empire. The ambitions and plans of the Shelby clan represent this as a place of dirt and By showing a brutal yet highly stylised poverty, but also remarkable opportunity. representation of working-class Midlands life, Gauntlett would say Peaky Blinders is promoting a diversity of identities. Instead of 5  A level Media Studies – Set Product Fact Sheet the upper-class version of early 20th century The show was created by Steven Knight, who history, we are shown a different (and extremely grew up in the Small Heath area of Birmingham. exciting) world that can offer audience from this Knight had previously written several successful area, or from this class, a more authentic text to film and TV titles, including Dirty Pretty identify with. Things, Hummingbird and Eastern Promises – these are also crime dramas with strong Gender performativity – Judith Butler characterisation and explorations of social issues Butler asserts that gender is not a fixed including national and class identity. His name biologically determined characteristic, but rather on the project was a major draw for production a fluid social construct. She suggests people companies and finance. ‘perform’ a gender role composed of clothes, hair/make-up, posture and other behaviours. Peaky Blinders was distributed by the Weinstein Company in the USA but, in the wake of the Costume is crucial in Peaky Blinders for #MeToo movement’s revelations, the rights were constructing not just gender, but also status sold to Netflix. This has exposed the show to a and power. The Peaky Blinders themselves far wider global market. wear expensive sharp suits (upper class), with flat caps (working class), that also turn Peaky Blinders would be good example of into weapons (aggressive masculinity). This Netflix’s commitment to ‘telling local stories costume announces their masculinity as being on a global platform’, i.e. commissioning or dominating, territorial and violent. purchasing content based in a very specific location and culture, that also has international Grace is an interesting representation of appeal. The Korean show Squid Game is another ‘performed’ femininity. She deliberately dresses good example of this. more ‘girlish’ and innocent when she first goes for the job at the pub. Her singing is also soft, Consider how a UK audience may respond to the emotional and melodic. Later, it is revealed show, and then consider how might a non-UK this is just a performance and she is actually a audience (particularly in non-English speaking vengeful and driven undercover agent. territories) respond to the plot and themes? Some ideas: what elements of the narrative are Consider the costumes, postures, hair, makeup universal (you may want to refer to Vladmir and dialogue of the male and female characters. Propp’s ‘narratemes’ here)? What themes and How do they ‘perform’ different considering issues may appeal to audiences from different masculine and feminine roles? Who are they cultures? What values might be shared (e.g. performing them to (i.e. trying to convince)? loyalty to family in the face of adversity)? Where do we see ‘cracks’ in these gender Consider the significance of economic performances? factors to media industries and their products. PART 3: STARTING POINTS – Media industries As a public service broadcaster and non-profit institution, the BBC isn’t constrained Consider the processes of production, by the commercial model of other broadcast distribution and circulation by TV in the UK. Instead of ‘playing it safe’ by organisations, groups, and individuals in a repeating popular concepts or genres, it has global context. a responsibility to develop fresh and unique Peaky Blinders is a is a co-production between content and diverse voices. Caryn Mandabach productions, Tiger Aspect (both independent) and Yorkshire Screen Fund. The Midlands, much neglected by TV The show was the first to receive a grant from production, has been a key area of investment Yorkshire Screen Content Fund, set up to for the BBC, who has been shifting their studios promote production and representation of the and other offices from London to Manchester county. and other northern cities since 2011. 6  A level Media Studies – Set Product Fact Sheet This means there is investment earmarked for June 2022, it had 45.71 million hours of playing productions like Peaky Blinders that are shot time in just one week (making it the second most and produced, as well as being set, in an under- popular title after Stranger Things). represented part of the UK. However, it remains a popular mainstream show, with international Fans from around the world – from Korea to sales potential. Argentina – dress up in Peaky Blinders cosplay and share videos on social networking apps like As television becomes more of a global industry, TikTok, indicating the global reach of the show. international co-productions are becoming Consider theoretical approaches common. Netflix has ‘rescued’ many BBC productions like The Last Kingdom, providing Cultural industries – Hesmondhalgh: a cash injection for struggling titles. BBC has also collaborated extensively with cable and One of Hesmondhalgh’s key ideas is that cultural streaming channel HBO on big budget shows industries are different to other manufacturers. like His Dark Materials. Media texts are purchased usually just once, and then continually re-used rather than wearing The BBC has a global reputation as a quality out and having to be replaced. This means IP media brand which less well-known channels/ (intellectual property) and the range of products platforms would be eager to collaborate with. using it must be sold (and re-sold in different While most UK-produced content is distributed forms) to maintain a profit. This leads to heavy by BBC America, Peaky Blinders is the investment in familiar products (including stars) exception. and less experimentation. Netflix is the number one streaming service The BBC is free from these constraints, as is – as of 2022 they have over 200 million paid Netflix (which is subscription based). Both subscribers, with 37 million joining in the institutions need to make entertaining shows that previous year. They have invested heavily in engage with a range of audiences – so they still original content, but also commissioning or need to appeal to fans of genres, particular stars buying existing shows from non-Anglophone and directors. However, unlike TV channels territories. 80% of content commissioned in using a commercial model (where shows can 2021 was from outside the US and Canada. be cancelled mid-season if the audience figures aren’t high enough for advertisers), they have Shows like Squid Game (South Korea), Lupin more opportunity for experimentation and taking (France) and Money Heist (Spain) have been risks. huge successes in different territories and crucially offering very different content to the PART 4: STARTING POINTS – franchise-heavy titles of rival channels like Audiences Disney+. How media products target, attract, reach, Consider recent technological change address and potentially construct audiences. and media production, distribution and circulation and the impact of digitally Peaky Blinders offers several audience convergent media platforms. pleasures that targets a diverse range of viewers. The popularity of online streaming services Fans of the gangster or even Western genre means that audience viewing figures for a would enjoy the clear genre conventions being scheduled broadcast are no longer the main used and innovated upon. Audiences who indicator of a TV show’s success. enjoy historical dramas – both for educational purposes and for visual spectacle – would Season 6 of Peaky Blinders had 5.42 million enjoy the lavish production design and unique viewers in the UK when it premiered on BBC 1 fashions. in April 2022. When it premiered on Netflix in 7  A level Media Studies – Set Product Fact Sheet More particular and educated – especially Peaky Blinders has been credited with fuelling politically left-leaning – viewers would enjoy a cultural Renaissance in Birmingham (and the the social and political issues explored, and the other Midlands filming locations). Knight has alternative view of British history. spoken about a ‘cultural cringe’ in this locality. He wrote Peaky Blinders to address this and Traditionally masculine viewers would identify ‘mythologise a geographical area, a period with (and admire) the tough, no-nonsense male of history and class of people who are never characters, whilst respecting their strict codes normally focused on in this way.’ and moral values. These uniqueness (but also the universal appeal) Female viewers, especially with feminist values, of these portrayals has led to fans from all would admire the strong and complex female over the UK flocking to the Midlands – often characters that defy stereotypes. in full costume – to go to theme pubs, tours, Consider theoretical approaches educational events, museums, and art gallery shows. There was a Peaky Blinders Festival in Reception theory – Stuart Hall: Digbeth attended by 20,000 people – including Hall asserts that individual audience members will the Mayor of Birmingham – in costume. interpret media texts in different ways according to their established values and beliefs. He believed This is what is known as a ‘cottage industry’ – there were three modes of ‘reception’, where unofficial, ‘satellite’ products that provide fans audiences decode what they consume. with an extended experience beyond the TV screen. Dominant/intended meaning: the audience accepts the intended meanings and ideology of There are social media groups around the world the text’s producers. In the case of dedicated to Peaky Blinder cosplay. Look at the Peaky Blinders, this would be viewers who #peakyblinders threads on TikTok or another agree with and enjoy the valorisation of platform. working-class lives and history. There is also a wealth of fanart and fanfiction Negotiated meaning: the audience accept some available. This what Jenkins refers to as ‘textual of the intended meaning but reject others. Some poaching’ – non-professional producers viewers may enjoy the depictions of industrial (‘prosumers’) sampling bigger cultural areas as vibrant and exciting but may find the products and using them as a basis for their stylised violence upsetting. own creativity, then distributing them outside the network (or control) of the institutions that Oppositional meaning: the audience reject produced the original text. the intended meaning and instead formulate their own interpretation. They may find style of the show off-putting and superficial and the historical accuracy dubious (factually, the Blinders mainly operated in the late 1800s, not the 1920s). They may also reject the use of anachronistic punk and rock music annoying. Fandom – Henry Jenkins: Jenkins asserts that fandom is deeply personal and creative relationship with media products. He believes that particularly genre films and TV can unite marginalised people and even be appropriated for political purposes (e.g. the use of the three finger salute from The Hunger Games by Hong Kong democratic protestors). 8