TV: Industry contexts

 Q1:   The article suggests the traditional audience for foreign-language subtitled media would have typically been described as 'quietly declared pretentious, dull and, possibly, a little odd.'.

Q2:  He suggests that 'until the mid-Noughties, foreign language programming' was the equivalent of the channels were 'restaurants who had put a special on the board'. However, 'Walter Presents makes the specials board the main offering – so you can't play safe with the televisual equivalent of a cottage pie.' Essentially, he suggests that his streaming service focuses on what has previously been seen as a very niche section of TV, and in a way makes it mainstream.

Q3:  The article suggests that in the multi-screen age, we're frequently distracted by notifications and messages that appear, while subtitles are 'a welcome enforcement for us to focus as the viewer has to be extremely concentrated and engaged in order to not miss any of the subtitles.

Q4:  The article suggests 'the locale is such a fundamental part of their appeal', as 'we all love getting that insight into a different culture, the unfamiliar setting gives a freshness to genre pieces' as audiences emerge in completely different cultures, and that seeing the setting, the local people, the houses, the costume, the accents, and the language is a large appeal itself.

Q5:  The show premiered on a US network before it was released on a German network.

Q6:   Germany's viewing figures began at 3.19 million during the pilot and then dropped to 1.63 million in the last episode, while Channel 4's figures peaked at 2.13 million viewers.

Q7: His outfit with the nerdy glasses and the notebook his posture and facial expression make him look like a hippy or someone with anti-societal sentiments. He looks for that needle in a haystack in order to push his streaming service forward for his audience.

Q8:  With streaming networks releasing all of the episodes in one block – and many viewers of mainstream TV shows now waiting until all the episodes can be watched as a box set – producers of TV fiction have had to rethink. The form of storytelling now has to reflect the fact that people could watch the whole series straight away; so the hooks at the end of every episode are very important. But you also have to think about how you give information. With a thriller for terrestrial TV, you tend to have a recap at the start of each episode. But, with streaming video on demand, you can get straight on with the story.

Q9: An increase in cliffhangers peaks the audience's interest and curiosity in the film it brings in a more die-hard fanbase and an audience who will wait for the next season in order to know what happens.

Q10:  Audience demographics are now much younger and the wider availability means that audiences can watch on demand and catch up on any shows they've missed, so the tension between episode cliffhangers is more relaxed as producers won't have to worry as much about events being forgotten or lost over time between episodes.

Q11:  Seasons/series are shot in blocks, to maximize the use of time and minimize costs; these serial dramas are shot in a large density since they don't necessarily need dividing but shooting on an episodic basis makes logical sense for both actors and audiences and is a recognisable convention for the audiences. 

Q12:  It has allowed large audiences to have a platform for their opinions on the best and worst aspects of shows and producers can then take these criticisms on board and then adapt the show to suit their audience's desires. Despite this, it is sometimes hard to get a fully representative view due to the high density of differing opinions which can sometimes lead to unpopular changes.

Q1: Hesmondhalgh argued we should “resist the more negative aspects of commodification”. There is no doubt culture is increasingly packaged as a product to be sold to consumers, but Hesmondhalgh was concerned the process produced “unrecognized and under-rewarded paid labor”.

Q2: Technological convergence is when media companies can connect with their customers more easily and learn more about their preferences and choices.

Q3: Virtual and augmented reality are being incorporated into broadcast TV programming, offering viewers a more immersive and interactive experience. 

Q4: Lupin a foreign french series that Netflix picked up which was a massive success in the company reaching a wider audience.