Representations of social, cultural and historical events can vary within long-form television dramas from different countries.(no intro or concl)

Representations of social, cultural and historical events can vary within long-form television dramas from different countries.’ Discuss how and why audiences might respond to and interpret these representations differently.

Stranger Things reflect the continuing success of streaming services such as Netflix, who strive to maintain its brand with innovative and original programming, which is apparent through the episodes hybrid genre of action, sci-fi and horror, as well as their 1980's inspired nostalgia, attracting a range and wide audience. Netflix has successfully enabled immersive viewing, known as binge watching, which gives the audience the opportunity to consume a piece of media within a day whilst not having to wait for a new episode, therefore Netflix's viewers can watch when, where and how they want, which decreases the interest of linear TV. For example, Netflix generates on average roughly 38 minutes of viewing per day in households that have it, whilst linear TV generates 3.5 hours. It also has over 167 million subscribers and is available in over 190 countries, excluding China, North Korea, Singapore and Syria due to their privacy laws and government. Due to Stranger Things' success, it is now the most-watched Netflix programme of 2019 and has been released on Blue-Ray and DVD, as well as being available on the web, and on the app. Deutschland 83 reflects the highly competitive nature of US cable and satellite television in which channels such as Sundance Channel seeks quality programming to maintain the brand and the reliance of German commercial broadcasters on international co-productions for prestige drama.  

Typical of LFTVD, both Deutschland 83's and Stranger Things' narrative structure are novelistic; they show multiple storylines and characters that stretch over a number of episodes and seasons. D83's spy narrative is of global cultural resonance and helps explain the international success of the series, despite its poor audience figures in Germany. Additionally, both narrative's supports Todorov's theory of narratology. ST portrays an untroubled, quiet town with traditional families, but Will soon goes missing and disrupts the equilibrium. The discovery of Eleven further disrupts this separation of equilibrium and this problem is not resolved by the ending of the episode. In a similar way, D83 shows a character that lives a happy, normal life in East Germany but Lenora, who embodies this disruption, disturbs the equilibrium as she takes Martin away from his home. It is this theory and structure that entices the audience and enforces this process of binge-watching with unresolved endings and a disruptive atmosphere.  

Stranger Things intertextuality reflects the traditional 1980’s family and gender relations, set within a mostly white world of suburban family life. Mothers are represented as strong, yet struggling figures trying to hold their families together. Joyce Byers opposes to the typical, domestic role of a mother; she is over-worked and conscientious. She is represented as an emotionally unstable and vulnerable character after her son goes missing, and this weak state is represented through not only her emotive dialogue and characteristics but also by her clothes and home; she is dressed in dark and miserable colours and her house is cluttered. Supporting Van Zoonen's idea that a genders meaning can vary according to cultural and historical context, Joyce would have faced extreme judging due to her divorce, representing a broken family, adding extra weight to her stress, as it was unusual to be divorced in the 1980s. Moreover, during her screen time, the lighting of the shots is mostly dark and dim, and she is mostly placed in the background when with atypical male leader son, Jonathan Byers. To contrast to this, Karen represents the domestic role of a mother in this era – she cooks, cleans and strongly supports her family with strict responsibility.  During her screen time, Karen is positioned in the foreground and in strong lighting, signifying her importance and dominant role. However, whilst the females signify some element of control, the fathers are atypically represented as absent or insensitive through their out of focus camera shots, positioned in the background with little dialogue. Mike’s teenage sister, Nancy, is represented in contradictory ways: she anti-stereotypically excels at science while still fitting stereotypes of the girly teenager. Nancy, therefore, supports Gauntlet's theory that the media tended to convey singular, straightforward messages about the ideal types of gender identities, but now it offers a more diverse range of characters. This is also apparent through the contrasting mother roles and the disparity of the absent fathers with Hopper's dominant and supporting role as a police officer once realising the seriousness of Will's disappearance.

Showing signs of Gilroy's idea of binary oppositions, gender in Deutschland 83 reflects the social contradictions in the divided 1980s Germany, which is reflected through the Levi - Strauss' split screens and comparison of lack or extreme colour and choice. East Germany is represented as a rigidly controlled state that promotes women’s equality, with Leonora as the powerful woman, reinforced through the low angled close-ups, her serious body language and overpowering dialogue. Whereas in West Germany, which is less controlled, the military is represented as rigidly patriarchal, and the women, especially Ingrid, are represented as anxious and vulnerable.

Another representation in Stranger things is the authority of the police and government. The episode represents a shadowy world of possibly sinister enforcement agents, suggesting an all-powerful secret state. Silver Fox (Mathew Modean) is represented as a masterful and powerful character, represented through the low angles, and smartly dressed costumes. When on-screen, foreboding, non-diegetic sounds appear. He also creates a sense of nostalgia for the older audience as he was a well-known actor of the 1980s. Whereas, the local police, by contrast, is represented in a humanised way – they are good-natured but made lazy and complacent until forced into action. short cut shots between Joyce and Jonathon are interrupted by tracking and panning shots when Hopper arrives representing how Hopper is taking control of the case and is attempting to eliminate panic amongst his town’s citizens, especially the traumatised family of the Byers. Their cream boiler shirt and trousers along with a sheriff hat, police badge, walkie-talkie and police car all represent Hopper as an authoritative member of the town.

In Deutschland 83 complex, diverse and ambiguous representations are used to reflect the difficulties faced by Germany incoming to terms with its divided past and the political and military tensions of the early 1980s. For example, this episode shows diverse characters within authority; Wolfgang Edel conforms the stereotypical role of a general – he shows signs of leadership and the direction in a fatherly manner, showing support and assistance, whilst Walter Schweppenstette is presented as  conceited, arrogant and selfish.

To conclude, representations of social, cultural and historical events can vary within form television dramas from different countries due to the audience and the effect it has on them.