COMPONENT 2 INDUSTRIES & AUDIENCE
SET TEXTS STUDIED:
● Television in a global age (The Bridge and Peaky Blinders ) IND & AUD
● Magazines (Vogue 1965 and The Big Issue 2016) IND & AUD
● Media in the online age (Zoella and Attitude) IND & AUD
The Bridge
Series Overview
● Type: An international co-production.
● Countries: Made by Sweden and Denmark.
● Original Broadcast: Broadcast in both Sweden and Denmark.
● Success: A huge success, broadcast in over 174 countries worldwide.
● Seasons: Ended up getting four seasons.
● Remakes: Remade for the American market (on FX channel) and as a UK/France
co-production called "The Tunnel". Remaking the show multiple times is a strategy
to maximise profit and minimise risk from a successful format.
Production Details
● Production Companies:
○ Swedish: Film Lancel
○ Danish: Nimbus Film
● Filming: Filmed in both Sweden and Denmark.
○ Filming across two countries can be tricky regarding crew, cast movement,
and work regulations.
○ They followed the working laws of Sweden while filming in both countries.
○ Cast and crew were taken from both countries.
● Use of Resources: The Swedish broadcaster SVT has production studios in Malmo
which were used for filming, helping to save time and money.
Funding
● Primary Funding: Came from the two countries involved (Sweden and Denmark).
● Additional Funding (Season 3):
○ Copenhagen Film Fund: Required more Danish cast and crew involvement.
○ Creative Europe MEDIA: Provided a one million pound grant specifically
for high budget, high quality programs.
● Impact of Funding: Funding affects what can and can't be done in a series. The
grant from Creative Europe MEDIA enabled the series to have a high budget, high
quality look, increasing production values. Higher production values often help sell
a program to other countries.
Broadcasting Channels & Model
, ● Sweden: Broadcast on SVT-1.
○ SVT-1 is a national public service broadcaster (PSB), similar to BBC One in
Britain.
○ Follows a PSB remit to serve the public, not commercial TV.
○ Funded by license fees paid by the public.
○ Programs funded by license fees must be reasonably high quality and
somewhat informative/educational, and please audiences.
○ No adverts on the channel.
● Denmark: Broadcast on DR1 (Denmark Radio One).
○ Also a public service broadcaster, license fee funded.
○ Incredibly popular, with something like 97% of the country accessing a DR
service daily.
○ Considered a very mainstream broadcaster in Denmark, helping reach a
large audience.
● United Kingdom: Broadcast on BBC Four.
○ One of the BBC's UK channels.
○ Focuses on international and UK arts, culture, and music.
○ Has a specific peak slot (e.g., 9 p.m.) dedicated to foreign programming
(subtitled content).
○ Broadcasting in this prime time slot was a great way to reach audiences
interested in international dramas.
● Benefit of PSB Channels: As the channels involved are all public service
broadcasters, they face less pressure to broadcast mainstream commercial
content. They can afford to take more risks on programs that are niche or unusual
and might have smaller audiences.
● Digital Streaming: Now available on Netflix in certain countries (Austria, Germany,
Switzerland, Canada).
○ Using digital streaming sites like Netflix is a way to reach more global
audiences.
○ Netflix suggestions can help reach audiences who might not have otherwise
known about the program.
Industry Challenges & Strategies
● International Co-productions: Becoming increasingly common, though still
considered reasonably niche, especially if subtitled.
● Subtitled Content: Often considered "foreign language programming" and niche by
English audiences, sometimes making it difficult to become mainstream. The Bridge
successfully overcame this.
● Piracy: A significant issue when a series is popular, with content being
pirated/illegally uploaded before it's broadcast elsewhere, reducing legal views.
○ Strategy to combat piracy: Broadcast the show at the exact same time in
Sweden and Denmark to reduce the window for piracy before online upload.
● Regulation (UK Example - Ofcom):
○ Ofcom is the regulatory board for the TV industry in Britain.
○ Responsible for ensuring no particularly offensive or harmful content.
○ Audiences can make complaints to Ofcom.
, ○ Scheduling at 9 p.m. (after the watershed) was partly for regulatory reasons,
aiming to target a more adult audience when children are likely in bed.
○ Impact of Technology on Watershed: The idea of the watershed is almost
null and void now due to children's access to streaming devices and content
availability anytime on platforms like BBC iPlayer. Technology has made
regulating this difficult.
Marketing & Promotion
● Print Media: Featured in TV guides and magazines (e.g., Radio Times in the UK,
specialist magazines like Nordic Noir), including interviews with cast and crew.
○ Allowed audiences to learn about the story, characters, and themes like
strong female characters and a feminist perspective.
● TV Appearances: Segments done on programs like This Morning (in the UK)
targeting slightly older demographics.
● Conventions: Cast and crew attended Nordicana, a convention for fans of Nordic
TV/film culture, allowing targeting of specific niche fans.
● Premieres: A premiere was held for Season 3, inviting huge fans to generate
word-of-mouth publicity.
● Online Presence:
○ BBC Four Website: Had a page for the show with character/storyline info,
episode catch-up, and schedule details.
○ Social Media: Used platforms like Facebook and Twitter (aimed at slightly
older audiences) with embedded clips, teaser content, and interviews.
○ Hashtags: Used hashtags like #the bridge and #bron broen to engage
audiences and create trends.
● Marketing Material Focus:
○ Utilised the BBC logo for UK audiences, acting as a stamp of quality.
○ Emphasised Nordic noir genre signifiers to attract fans of the style.
○ Highlighted European locations to make the show feel escapist and exotic.
○ Marketed the involvement of an anti-hero and strong feminist roles to
engage modern audiences.
TB AUDIENCE
Peaky Blinders
Series Overview
● Creator: Stephen Knight.
SET TEXTS STUDIED:
● Television in a global age (The Bridge and Peaky Blinders ) IND & AUD
● Magazines (Vogue 1965 and The Big Issue 2016) IND & AUD
● Media in the online age (Zoella and Attitude) IND & AUD
The Bridge
Series Overview
● Type: An international co-production.
● Countries: Made by Sweden and Denmark.
● Original Broadcast: Broadcast in both Sweden and Denmark.
● Success: A huge success, broadcast in over 174 countries worldwide.
● Seasons: Ended up getting four seasons.
● Remakes: Remade for the American market (on FX channel) and as a UK/France
co-production called "The Tunnel". Remaking the show multiple times is a strategy
to maximise profit and minimise risk from a successful format.
Production Details
● Production Companies:
○ Swedish: Film Lancel
○ Danish: Nimbus Film
● Filming: Filmed in both Sweden and Denmark.
○ Filming across two countries can be tricky regarding crew, cast movement,
and work regulations.
○ They followed the working laws of Sweden while filming in both countries.
○ Cast and crew were taken from both countries.
● Use of Resources: The Swedish broadcaster SVT has production studios in Malmo
which were used for filming, helping to save time and money.
Funding
● Primary Funding: Came from the two countries involved (Sweden and Denmark).
● Additional Funding (Season 3):
○ Copenhagen Film Fund: Required more Danish cast and crew involvement.
○ Creative Europe MEDIA: Provided a one million pound grant specifically
for high budget, high quality programs.
● Impact of Funding: Funding affects what can and can't be done in a series. The
grant from Creative Europe MEDIA enabled the series to have a high budget, high
quality look, increasing production values. Higher production values often help sell
a program to other countries.
Broadcasting Channels & Model
, ● Sweden: Broadcast on SVT-1.
○ SVT-1 is a national public service broadcaster (PSB), similar to BBC One in
Britain.
○ Follows a PSB remit to serve the public, not commercial TV.
○ Funded by license fees paid by the public.
○ Programs funded by license fees must be reasonably high quality and
somewhat informative/educational, and please audiences.
○ No adverts on the channel.
● Denmark: Broadcast on DR1 (Denmark Radio One).
○ Also a public service broadcaster, license fee funded.
○ Incredibly popular, with something like 97% of the country accessing a DR
service daily.
○ Considered a very mainstream broadcaster in Denmark, helping reach a
large audience.
● United Kingdom: Broadcast on BBC Four.
○ One of the BBC's UK channels.
○ Focuses on international and UK arts, culture, and music.
○ Has a specific peak slot (e.g., 9 p.m.) dedicated to foreign programming
(subtitled content).
○ Broadcasting in this prime time slot was a great way to reach audiences
interested in international dramas.
● Benefit of PSB Channels: As the channels involved are all public service
broadcasters, they face less pressure to broadcast mainstream commercial
content. They can afford to take more risks on programs that are niche or unusual
and might have smaller audiences.
● Digital Streaming: Now available on Netflix in certain countries (Austria, Germany,
Switzerland, Canada).
○ Using digital streaming sites like Netflix is a way to reach more global
audiences.
○ Netflix suggestions can help reach audiences who might not have otherwise
known about the program.
Industry Challenges & Strategies
● International Co-productions: Becoming increasingly common, though still
considered reasonably niche, especially if subtitled.
● Subtitled Content: Often considered "foreign language programming" and niche by
English audiences, sometimes making it difficult to become mainstream. The Bridge
successfully overcame this.
● Piracy: A significant issue when a series is popular, with content being
pirated/illegally uploaded before it's broadcast elsewhere, reducing legal views.
○ Strategy to combat piracy: Broadcast the show at the exact same time in
Sweden and Denmark to reduce the window for piracy before online upload.
● Regulation (UK Example - Ofcom):
○ Ofcom is the regulatory board for the TV industry in Britain.
○ Responsible for ensuring no particularly offensive or harmful content.
○ Audiences can make complaints to Ofcom.
, ○ Scheduling at 9 p.m. (after the watershed) was partly for regulatory reasons,
aiming to target a more adult audience when children are likely in bed.
○ Impact of Technology on Watershed: The idea of the watershed is almost
null and void now due to children's access to streaming devices and content
availability anytime on platforms like BBC iPlayer. Technology has made
regulating this difficult.
Marketing & Promotion
● Print Media: Featured in TV guides and magazines (e.g., Radio Times in the UK,
specialist magazines like Nordic Noir), including interviews with cast and crew.
○ Allowed audiences to learn about the story, characters, and themes like
strong female characters and a feminist perspective.
● TV Appearances: Segments done on programs like This Morning (in the UK)
targeting slightly older demographics.
● Conventions: Cast and crew attended Nordicana, a convention for fans of Nordic
TV/film culture, allowing targeting of specific niche fans.
● Premieres: A premiere was held for Season 3, inviting huge fans to generate
word-of-mouth publicity.
● Online Presence:
○ BBC Four Website: Had a page for the show with character/storyline info,
episode catch-up, and schedule details.
○ Social Media: Used platforms like Facebook and Twitter (aimed at slightly
older audiences) with embedded clips, teaser content, and interviews.
○ Hashtags: Used hashtags like #the bridge and #bron broen to engage
audiences and create trends.
● Marketing Material Focus:
○ Utilised the BBC logo for UK audiences, acting as a stamp of quality.
○ Emphasised Nordic noir genre signifiers to attract fans of the style.
○ Highlighted European locations to make the show feel escapist and exotic.
○ Marketed the involvement of an anti-hero and strong feminist roles to
engage modern audiences.
TB AUDIENCE
Peaky Blinders
Series Overview
● Creator: Stephen Knight.
