TV: Capital Case study

Reviews

1) The reviewers of Capitol have there fair share appreciative perspectives on the show. Some of positive perspectives the reviewers had are: How there portrayal of London is accurately depicted, its well written characters and not to mention the cast chosen for these characters. Even the original novel it was based on has received praise on how relevant its issues were and are currently.

2) People referred to Capitol as a state of the nation due to how it captures London, one of the reviewers said that the lifestyle was instantly recognisable and the fears, issues and conversations were all the same to them.

Trailers

1) The speed at which the camera shots switch focus makes London feel as if its an overloaded place to live. Each shot encapsulates how diverse the people London are with a range people that have different age groups gender race etc. 

2) The theme of family is depicted through the mise-en-scene of the trailer by a variety of ways like its lighting, most of the scenes in the trailer are shot in bright areas or outside on a cheerful morning with characters interacting with each other. The Kamal family wore darker clothing (possibly in relation to being working class) and were mostly shown to be happy with there family. Rodger and his wife were wearing a lot brighter clothes that made them stand out yet argued a couple times throughout the trailer maybe connoting how there family and life in general isn't as happy internally as it is seen externally.

3) A lot of narrative strands are surrounding the short 40 second trailer with the most prominent one being the post cards that everyone on the street keep getting. The relationships of the characters each having there own struggles (e.g Rodger and Arabella) and mentions of getting 2 million pounds from a bonus.

1)The preview clip gives the impression that one of the sub-genres of Capital is crime as the police seem to be getting involved in trying to discover how to stop the post cards being sent to the people of that street

2) Some of the things that suggest that this is a state of the nation show is through how the police are depicted. There shown to be incompetent and needing the help of a student to understand that the situation revolving the post cards are most likely going to keep getting worse.

3) With the whole scene taking place in a shop it creates this sense of realism as its environment has definitely been crafted to resemble shops within the UK.

4) The audience is positioned in a way where they are presumably supposed to agree with the Kamal families opinions on how this issue should have been resolved already. Each insult to the cop is simply accepted by him and he even agrees with there comments which blatantly tells the audience whose in the wrong when they admit the character admits to the police departments faults.

1) This scene makes the upper-middle class family life seem like a stoic and unemotional place. Rodger would rather someone else look after his children while he sorts out other menial tasks. He doesn't seem to have a connection with his own children but the women of the house seems to be far better at communicating with them.

2) A narrative strand that's being shown again is Rodgers difficulties with his children and his regressing marriage. 

3) The audience is positioned to be annoyed at Arabella's outburst with her interrupting a fairly happy scene with all of them together while she disrespectfully calls out to get her phone.

Representations 

1) Opening sequence(00:30-4:49): Loneliness of ageing being shown through Petunias flashbacks and return to the present. The Kamal families closeness being put on display with there interactions mostly subverting stereotypes of Muslim families 

Scene 2 (6:28-8:10): Fast paced editing emphasises the daily busy excitement of London's inhabitants. Mark and Rodgers conversation might be highlighting an issue of senior men not even understanding there businesses as effectively to those beneath them.

Scene 3 (14:00-15:35): "You'd be surprised at how little 1 Million covers these days" Illustrates the ungrateful elite and there hunger for more despite there privilege.

Scene 4 (18:03-19:42 and 31:10-32:40): Immigrants like Quentina sometimes come to London for a place of safety and to live a life where they don't need to fear death. Quentina's experiences within these scenes also show how she's being exploited by people above her.

Scene 5 (36:40-39:00): "What use is 30 grand to anybody." "Its not a question of greed its justice" Puts in perspective the disparity between the classes are. Gives the audience a look at the elites twisted sense of how the world should work. 

Scene 6 (40:10-42:45): The Kamal families sense of warmth contrasts with Rodger and Arabellas desolate lifestyle. Arabella doesn't understand the small acts of generosity from the Kamal family giving her the coriander for free

2) Typically the show seems to enjoy subverting stereotypes of minorities while reinforcing stereotypes of the upper/middle class people. The Kamal family mostly subvert the stereotypes of Muslim families, rather than them being strict to there children they're a lot more kind and supporting but will occasionally question others decisions. Almost everything to do with the upper-class on the other hand was reinforced with most of the workforce being white males and them being greedy, entitled and egotistical.

Industry and Production 

1) The parent company for Kudos is the Banijay Group

2) The breakthrough show for kudos in 2002 was a TV show called spooks

3) Kudos has made several other TV dramas like Gunpowder, Troy, Tin Star, etc. 

4) The show reel suggests it grants several audience pleasures like Identification (Characters with different race, gender sexuality etc), diversion (Robots in a sci-fi show and people from other time periods).

Marketing and Promotion

1) They reference the shows each member of the cast has starred in to show there importance and glamourize the show (Gemmer Jones from Marvellous and The Lady Vanishes). Also by over-exaggerating the events going on throughout the show.

2) They mention the other shows the director and producer has worked on just in case the audience has watched any of there shows and is fond of their creative mindset. 

3) The people who commissioned Capitol are Charlotte Moore and Ben Stephenson.

4) Toby Jones sees the character of Rodger as a complacent banker who has a self imposed pressure to live a life of luxury. Yet he has a creeping dissatisfaction of his current life that wont go away.

5) Adeel Akhtar believes Pepys road as a manifestation of social, economic and cultural changes arriving in London.

6) Shabana Azmi believes that Capital is an accurate representation of Asian families but goes on to say that people are now trying to absorb and understand other cultures.

7) Peter Bowker favourite scene from the drama was where Rodger is left alone with his two children too look after. He seemed to enjoy this scene because of how it made Rodger finally understand that his life is changing.

8) Denx Wax was inspired to produce Capital after reading the book with its nuanced and subtle ways of illustrating political points. The show shows us London's obsession with property and how it almost becomes there identity.

DVD Packaging

1) They use other critically acclaimed TV dramas to promote capital by putting other shows the producers made (Humans and Broadchurch) on top of the package.

2) The design of the package has houses and buildings on top of the cast of characters possibly suggesting that people see there property as more important than the people that reside in them.

3) The review quotes are only placed near the pictures of the actors. 

4) The DVD offers a representation of what London values through its packaging design. The houses are placed on top with the middle/upper class being below them and underneath all of them are the minorities and lower class/working class.