life on mars

Question 1

product context

Answer 1

• crime drama set in manny in dual time zone 2006 & 1973
• after an accident, detective sam tyler wakes up in 1973, the episodes are a 21st century account of 1970s life through his eyes
• produced by kudos film/tv for bbc wales originally turned down by channel 4
• 2 series, 16 eps, several global versions produced

Question 2

narrative

Answer 2

• this is usually based on a crime that
  needs to be investigated and solved.
• elements of a flexi narrative as info is withheld from audience and characters are complex, storylines interweave, the
  audience is encouraged to question what is
  real and what is not and is challenged
  through enigma and confusion.
• Binary oppositions function as a narrative
  element including good vs evil, police vs
  criminal.
• Plot situations are included that are typical
  of the crime genre. For example, a car chase,
  an arrest, an interview with a suspect or the
  denouement where the perpetrator of the
  crime is revealed by the detective.
• Story arcs and narrative strands occur in
  episodes and across the series of a crime
  drama. In Life on Mars there is a narrative
  strand of the crime that seems to cross from the present back to 1973 and creates an
  enigma.

Question 3

stock characters

Answer 3

• including a hierarchy with a boss,
  a detective and sidekick and other characters, for example a victim, a range of suspects, the
  perpetrator of the crime etc.
• Often the pairing of characters are binary opposites, and their relationships contributes to tensions within the narrative, e.g., Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt in Life on Mars, compounded by the fact that they are culturally opposite due to the time shift.

Question 4

setting and location

Answer 4

Some settings will be typical of the genre, for
example the police station, the post-mortem lab and urban crime settings. The settings in Life on Mars clearly establish in which time frame the action is taking place.

Question 5

theory
narratology, todorov

Answer 5

The opening of Life on Mars establishes a typical crime drama narrative involving an attempted arrest, a chase and a police interview, this is the equilibrium.

The most significant disruption to this equilibrium occurs when Sam Tyler is involved in an accident and is transported back in time to 1973.

An enigma code is then established as a key element of the narrative and Sam attempts to repair the equilibrium by trying to work out how he can return to the present, enlisting the help of Annie Cartwright.

As this is an example of an episodic drama there would not be a resolution at the end of the first episode, instead there is a
cliffhanger.

Question 6

theory
genre, steve neale

Answer 6

repetition: Life on Mars uses the time travel narrative and the intertextual references to the 1970s that may resonate with audiences.

change: some crime dramas are less easy to categorise as they are hybrid genres. This variation enhances audience appeal; Life on Mars combines the conventions of crime drama with those of fantasy/science fiction with the introduction of time travel and alternative realities.

Genres exist within specific economic,
institutional, and industrial contexts:

The recognisable codes and conventions of crime dramas make them easy to market to audiences. However, subverting and challenging these conventions by introducing more novel elements as in Life on Mars can also ensure commercial success.

Question 7

How genre conventions are socially and historically relative, dynamic and can be used in a hybrid way

Answer 7

• LOM challenge and subvert genre conventions, in this case through the narrative and through reference to other genres.
• Crime dramas are dynamic in that they change and develop to reflect changes in society and to policing methods e.g:

it has intertextual links to historically
relevant dramas, for example The Sweeney.
Making these links allows the programme to be socially relative and to explore issues around representation and how policing and attitudes to certain social groups have changed over time

• Life on Mars is different from other crime dramas in that it highlights social change through Sam’s role in observing and commenting on 1970s policing from a contemporary perspective.

Question 8

media language influences meaning
visual codes
clothing

Answer 8

At the start of the episode the clothing
conventions are typical of a crime drama
whereby costume denotes rank and
hierarchy.

As the episode progresses and the
disequilibrium occurs, the audience are
shown this through Sam’s change of clothing
to typical 1970’s attire with big shirt collars,
flares and stacked heels.

This adds to the enigma. The clothing of the other characters
in 1973 reinforces the time frame.

Question 9

media language influences meaning
visual codes
gesture & expression

Answer 9

• non-verbal communicators are quick ways of constructing meaning:

Sam’s range of troubled expressions, evident from the beginning, rapidly convey elements of his character.

His facial expressions and physical
gestures convey aspects of his personality
and this contributes to tension within the
narrative.

His crying and hitting of the
steering wheel before he is hit by the car
emphasises his frustration and suppressed
emotions in the wake of Maya’s abduction.

Throughout the episode his expression of
bewilderment allows the audience to
empathise with his surreal situation. This is
echoed in the equally confused expressions
of the police team in 1973 as they attempt
to understand his time travel story.

Question 10

media language influences meaning
visual codes
iconography & setting

Answer 10

the props, backgrounds and settings work in binary opposition to construct the narrative.

For example, the modern office in the police
station is introduced early in the episode so
that audiences can see the contrast to the
1973 office with its lack of technology, dingy
smoke-filled atmosphere and piles of
paperwork.

The modern road network contrasts with the demolished site ready for development in 1973. Other props effectively establish the historic time frame and contribute further to Sam’s confusion including for example, the old cars, the police panda cars and the walkie talkies.

Question 11

media language influences meaning
technical codes

Answer 11

Camera shots, movement and angles work together to communicate messages and ‘show’ the narrative. LOM has high production values and a cinematic style which is used to convey information without the use of dialogue.

• Close-ups advance the relationships
  between characters and establish tension
  and a dynamic. E.g., in the convo between Maya and Sam where he takes her off the case and in the interview with Raimes. Close ups on Sam throughout the episode reinforce his confusion and disorientation.
• Framing is also important in the
  establishment of characters and
  relationships, e.g., in the first meeting between Sam and Gene Hunt. Here, the combination of framing, gesture and
  expression foreshadows the relationship
  clash between these two characters.
• Camera movement contributes to the
  surreal elements of the narrative; for
  example, the 360-degree tracking shot when
  Sam stands up in 1973 disorientates the
  audience, introduces the changed setting
  and reinforces Sam’s confusion.
• The editing of the shots is also important; e.g., the low angle shot of Sam viewing
  Maya’s blood-stained shirt on the swing is
  powerful when followed by the bird’s eye
  view of the urban setting constructing a
  sense of foreboding around what has
  happened to her.

Question 12

media language influences meaning
audio codes

Answer 12

• The David Bowie track ‘Life on Mars’ is
  played at key moments in the episode and
  specific lyrics relate to the narrative. It is
  playing in the car before Sam’s accident and
  the focus of the lyrics, ‘A friend is nowhere to
  be seen’ emphasises his isolation. ‘As she
  walks through a sunken dream’ foreshadows
  the dream like narrative that is about to
  unfold.
• The strength of Sam’s emotions is emphasised by the audio codes, the diegetic sound disappears as he is crying and we only hear the music soundtrack. It is as if he is already in a dream or nightmare and the fact that he cannot be heard reinforces his inability to voice emotion as identified in the previous scene with Mya before her abduction.
• The use of silence is also very emotive. After
  Sam is hit by the car there is silence which
  further reinforces the audience shock at the
  incident they did not anticipate and then a
  series of audio codes reinforce confusion and
  disorientation. These include sirens, music,
  non-diegetic medical dialogue ‘stand clear’, a
  dream like whisper and the beeping of a heart monitor.
• The soundtrack of the 1970s world is
  underlaid by music from that period making
  intertextual references to the time and
  creating nostalgia for the audience.

Question 13

audio codes
dialogue

Answer 13

at the start of the episode the
dialogue is conventional of a crime drama, e.g., when the team go to arrest Raimes,
‘We have a warrant …’ and in the interview
room.

juxtaposes with

Gene Hunt’s turn of phrase and
vocabulary constructs his representation and
places him in the 1970s time frame where
what was acceptable contrasts with modern
policing w his exist refs “They reckon you’ve got concussion - I couldn’t give a tart’s furry cup if half your brains are falling out. Don’t ever waltz into my kingdom acting
king of the jungle.’

• When Sam ‘comes to’ in 1973, his
  disorientation is emphasised in his
  conversation with the police officer,
  highlighting that terminology and vocabulary
  is socially relevant. Sam says his car is a Jeep,
  the policeman assumes this is a ‘military
  vehicle’ and fails to understand the reference
  to the mobile phone, just as the team in the
  office misunderstand his request for a PC.

Question 14

theory
post modernism
braudillard

Answer 14

post modern elements:
- The programme is postmodern in its narrative and the manipulation of time and space. The narrative is paradoxical and fragmented and audiences are required to suspend their disbelief

• There are also elements of bricolage,
  intertextuality and cultural codes to create audience appeal through nostalgia. Meaning
  is shaped through reference to the 1970s, its
  culture, music and crime dramas of the time,
  for example The Sweeney. The programme
  relies on audience understanding of crime
  drama to decode meaning which is then
  accepted as the reality of the time.
• The programme also has a social, cultural and historical context: its construction requires the audience to view 1970s Manchester with 21st century eyes and judge it accordingly.

simulacra:
- The 1970s world of Gene Hunt is a hyper reality created by a range of recognisable
signs; it is the 1970s re-presented from a
mediated perspective.

• It could also be said that Sam Tyler’s 21st
  Century world is also hyper-real in that it is
  based on the audience’s cultural perception of the police force that is itself constructed and mediated, rather than experienced first-hand. The audience understanding of this institution is based on what has been seen in other constructed media products.

Question 15

how representations are constructed
through a process of selection and combination.

Answer 15

tech codes:
- in the opening scenes in present day Sam Tyler is shown to be in control, giving orders and managing the situation. In the 1970s world the use of close ups and 360 panning shots creates a representation of his confusion, disorientation and lack of control over the situation.

audio codes:
- the 1970s dialogue and vocabulary used by the police officers and Gene Hunt establish the cultural differences between then and now and create negative representations of the police. The music soundtrack also represents the 1970s.

iconography:
- clothing, particularly in relation
to the historical context, contributes to the
construction of representations and will have
been a key consideration of the producers in
creating the characters and their roles.

Question 16

How representations may invoke discourses and ideologies and position audiences

Answer 16

• Life on Mars, re-present 1970s life through a 21st century lens. They portray ideas and values relevant at the time which may now be challenged by a contemporary audience.
• The time frame of the programme invokes a
  discourse around representations of the time, particularly in terms of patriarchal and feminist discourses, in contrast to more contemporary representations.
• Audiences are positioned to consider how
  representations have changed over time.

Question 17

The effect of social and cultural context on
representations
The effect of historical context on representations

representations of men.

Answer 17

• with its dual time frame, highlights
  what it means to be a man in a particular
  historical and cultural setting. The cultural
  significance of male representation is reinforced by the binary oppositions between Sam’s world and that of the 1970s milieu of Gene Hunt and his team.
• The representation of masculinity constructed in 1973 through the police team is one showing hypermasculine traits of dominance and power, esp in Gene Hunt. He is defined by his language and physical response to situations. His immediate reaction when challenged by Sam Tyler is to hit him.
  Sam later refers to him as: ‘An overweight, over-the-hill nicotine-stained borderline alcoholic homophobe with a superiority complex and an unhealthy obsession with male bonding’
• Gene Hunt’s hypermasculinity is constructed
  through iconography, e.g., his office has a dartboard, a typical male pursuit, and a film poster of Gary Cooper in the Western High Noon, contributing to the surface realism of the 1970s masculine world. He refers to the office as ‘my kingdom’.
• Sam Tyler both subverts and conforms to typical representations of masculinity. In 1973 he is in contrast to the police of the time, particularly in the way in which he treats the female characters.
  He confronts the macho behaviour of Gene Hunt and is sympathetic to the plight of Dora. In the 2006 world he demonstrates masculine traits of control over Maya’s role and the crime investigation.
• Early in Episode 1, after his first confrontation with Hunt, the framing constructs a representation of Sam as vulnerable with closed body language while the rest of the office functions around him.
• It is Annie he trusts and turns to for help and he is happy to confide in her emotionally. However, the 2006 Sam is less comfortable when dealing with emotion in relation to Maya. When the audience are shown him crying, it is silent emphasising his emotional isolation.

Question 18

The effect of social and cultural context on
representations
The effect of historical context on representations

representations of women.

Answer 18

• Just as with Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt, Annie
  Cartwright and Maya Roy function as binary
  oppositions, highlighting the cultural and social differences between the two worlds in relation to the role of women
• Women are under-represented in the 1970s world of LOM ; e.g., Annie is referred to
  in derogatory terms by the male police officers as a ‘nice little plonk’, despite the fact that she has a degree in psychology. She explains she is part of The Women’s Department: women in the police at the time had a restricted range of duties and were viewed as inferior to their male counterparts.

In Episode 1 we see her in her role
as administering first aid rather than engaging in active police duties. Also, despite her insightful contribution into the mind of the killer, is effectively marginalised and instructed to ‘trot along sweetheart’ by Hunt.

• Dora also serves to highlight the tension between Tyler and Hunt, their dealing with her reflects the cultural differences in attitudes to women. Sam’s interviewing technique is softer and more respectful, whereas as Hunt’s is aggressive and
  confrontational.
• In contrast, Maya Roy is in a more senior, active rather than passive role in the police and is able to act on her initiative and challenge Sam. However, she is also portrayed as the victim as she is
  abducted and items of her clothing are left
  behind, reinforcing her vulnerability.

Question 19

rep of ethnicity

Answer 19

• In the construction of the 1970s world of Life on Mars there is an under-representation of minority ethnic groups within the police force, representing the situation at the time.
• Nelson’s construction is stereotypical, focusing on the Jamaican accent, bright clothing and jewellery. He is constructed as ‘other’ and ‘exotic’ and does not have a central part in the narrative. His role as a barman reinforces the cultural power relations which assume his inferiority
• Maya’s representation as an Asian women who has risen through the ranks of the police is more positive, reflecting a more equal contemporary society.

Question 20

theory
feminist, bell hooks

Answer 20

• in the 1970s time frame audiences are
  forced to consider the assumed dominance
  of men and the oppression of women. Gene
  Hunt’s ‘kingdom’ has no room for women, or
  men like Sam who are responsive to the
  situations involving Annie and Dora.
• the environments in the 1973 world are
  largely masculine, the pub and the office are
  inhabited by men and intimidating to
  women.
• the language used to refer to women at this
  time is reductive and derogatory, for
  example ‘tart’, ‘bird’ and ‘skirt’.
• Annie’s character highlights how women
  were prevented from achieving their
  potential through a patriarchal, oppressive
  world. She is well educated, but is not given
  the same opportunities in the police force as
  her male counterparts.
  When she is in conversation with Sam about the motive and psychological profile of the killer, she is his equal and this is shown by the camera shots.

However, the others marginalise her, making
sexist comments and treating her as inferior.
Gene Hunt’s response is to dismiss her and
to define her by her sexuality, ‘I think you’d
better trot along now sweetheart before I
have to hose this lot down’. This is in sharp
contrast to the role of Maya in the modern
force.

Question 21

theory
feminist. van zoonen

Answer 21

• By directly contrasting the worlds of 1973
  and 2006, the programme illustrates that
  the dominant understandings of gender
  have changed over time to reflect changes in
  society in terms of the roles of men and
  women.
• In the 1973 world Gene Hunt’s
  representation is constructed as one of
  hyper-masculinity and Annie’s role is
  domestic and nurturing.
• Maya’s opportunities are very different to
  those of Annie due to changes in society to
  address gender equality, e.g., the
  Equal Pay Act of 1970 and passing of the EU
  directive on equal pay in 1975.

Question 22

Processes of production, distribution and circulation by organisations, groups and individuals in a global context

Answer 22

• the BBC has a remit to inform, educate and entertain and to produce high quality
  programmes for a diverse range of audiences.

The Charter sets out the BBC’s five public purposes
o To provide impartial news and information
to help people understand and engage with
the world around them
o To support learning for people of all ages
o To show the most creative, highest quality
and distinctive output and services
o To reflect, represent and serve the diverse
communities of all of the United Kingdom’s
nations and regions and, in doing so, support the creative economy across the United
Kingdom
o To reflect the United Kingdom, its culture
and values to the world

• mainstream programme from a
  popular genre. It was produced by Kudos Film and Television, broadcast by the BBC and distributed by BBC Worldwide. The programme was nominated for a range of awards including in the 2008 BAFTAS In
  2006 it won an International Emmy for Best UK Drama Series.
• The success of Life On Mars over two series is an example of how the BBC as a mainstream broadcaster, whilst engaging in risk and producing new, innovative programmes, also relies on the repetition of successful formats to secure audiences in an increasingly competitive media landscape.
• The programme has high production values for a television series, evident in the choice of
  locations, the cinematography and the actors
  including John Simm, Philip Glenister and Liz
  White.
• LOM had a wide global distribution and an
  adaptation of the programme was produced by ABC in America and other countries including Spain and Russia.

Question 23

The significance of economic factors, including commercial and not-for-profit public funding to media industries and their products

Answer 23

• The BBC is a public service broadcaster, funded by the licence fee, with a remit to inform, educate and entertain, and this influences what is produced. The funding arrangement allows the BBC some aspect of freedom as they are less driven by ratings and profit.
  The BBC’s relative autonomy
  enables it to offer a diverse range of programming content and crime dramas are an important element of its content and schedule.
• The BBC does also have commercial operations which supplement the licence fee enabling new programming. These include BBC Studios, a global production company and distributor.
• There is considerable support from the
  public within fudning, the arts and entertainment industry and sections of the government for what is seen as the essential role played by the public service broadcaster.

Question 24

The significance of patterns of ownership and
control, including conglomerate ownership, vertical integration, and diversification

Answer 24

• The BBC is a vertically integrated organisation, it has an in-house production company BBC Studios which has seven production bases in the UK and other global bases in partnership with other countries.
• BBC Studios and BBC Worldwide merged in 2017 integrating production, sales and distribution. Under the one name, BBC Studios this now covers all aspects including developing, financing, producing and marketing content as well as distributing it across a range of global platforms.

Question 25

How media organisations maintain, through
marketing, varieties of audience nationally and globally

Answer 25

• The marketing campaign was created by Amanda & Paul from Red Bee Media and consisted of:

o Establishing a brand for the programme
throughout the marketing material based on
intertextual references to the 1970s so
introducing the enigma of the dual time setting. This includes obvious similarities
with 1970s police programmes, for example
The Sweeney.

o A teaser trailer used an intertextual link by
portraying Sam Tyler as a character from
Camberwick Green, a 1970s children’s
television programme.

o A poster featured Gene Hunt and Sam Tyler
in front of a 1970s Ford Cortina with the
tagline ‘Back In The Nick of Time’. The
iconography of the poster including the retro
font style and the characters’ clothing
established an enigma for the audience.

Question 26

The regulatory framework of contemporary media in the UK
The role of regulation in global production,
distribution, and circulation

Answer 26

• LOM was scheduled at 9pm, this post watershed slot indicates to viewers that the programme may contain content that is unsuitable for children
• Where versions of the programme are broadcast in different countries, there may be issues around different regulatory systems. Attitudes of different countries to offensive material including sexual content and swearing may differ and amendments may have to be made to the programme.

e.g., within LOM the BBC does not carry advertising, but other countries broadcasting the programme may sell advertising. Consequently, the programme may have to be edited to incorporate advertising breaks.

Question 27

theory
regulation, livingstone & lunt

Answer 27

• The BBC as a public service broadcaster operates both a consumer-based regulatory model offering choice for audiences through the BBC remit which details the range of content that must be produced by the channel including news and current affairs, and also a citizen- based model playing a role in shaping society and taking responsibility for media content through self regulation

E.g., For example, decisions made about
the scheduling of Life on Mars ensured that
citizens were protected from potentially offensive material.

Question 28

theory
cultural industries, hesmondhalgh

Answer 28

• Whilst the BBC as a public service broadcaster is not under the same pressure as commercial broadcasters in terms of ratings and competition, it still uses a range of strategies to minimise risk and maximise audiences, one of these being vertical integration. (LOM was produced by Kudos,
  broadcast by the BBC, and distributed globally by BBC Worldwide).
• Another key strategy used by the BBC is
  formatting their cultural products. Where
  audiences can anticipate what to expect from new products through, for example familiarity with genre conventions, then the risk in minimised.

E.g., LOM contains an enigmatic narrative
twist, and typical codes and conventions of a crime drama. The marketing of the programme also used recognisable stars and once the programme was established, the characters of Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt.

Question 29

target audience

Answer 29

• The primary target audience is a wide,
  mainstream audience who are fans of crime
  drama. The programme has cross-gender appeal with the narrative and characters attractive to both genders.
• A secondary audience is fans of fantasy/science–fiction who would be attracted by the hybrid generic elements in the programme which may appeal to a more alternative/niche audience.
• A tertiary audience may be fans of the 1970s period who would experience pleasure through nostalgia and the intertextual references.

Question 30

Consider how the programme appeals to these audiences

appeal of genre

Answer 30

Audiences have expectations of the genre and gain pleasure in seeing expectations fulfilled (Neale). The genre offers escapism where the audience can be involved in the intellectual puzzle of solving the crime and pursuing the clues alongside the police.

The fantasy/science fiction element of Life on
Mars offers an additional layer of escapism in the suspension of disbelief. The audience may feel a personal identification with themes in the drama, or with one of the characters, Sam Tyler positions the audience to empathise with him and his situation.

Audiences also gain information on the
workings of the police, in LOM , audiences
may be shocked by the methods used in the 1973 world. Popular dramas like Life on Mars create a buzz and encourage social interaction (uses and grat)

Question 31

Consider how the programme appeals to these audiences

narrative appeal

Answer 31

The narrative effectively highlights Neale’s theory of how repetition and difference ensure the dynamic nature of genres.

LOM incorporates the typical codes and
conventions of the crime genre for example, the crime, enigmas, narrative strands and typical characters and settings whilst offering something different in terms of the enigma of the dual time frame.

This would appeal to fans of crime dramas as well as an alternative audience who may be attracted to the non-linear, surreal narrative structure and lack of closure.

Question 32

Consider how the programme appeals to these audiences

characters

Answer 32

LOM introduced characters that would appeal to the audience. Gene Hunt’s character became iconic, and his catch phrases were absorbed into the culture of the time.

Audiences were positioned to sympathise with Sam Tyler, the restricted narrative meaning that the audience solve the mystery alongside him and they are positioned to see Hunt’s methods through his eyes and judge them accordingly.

Question 33

Consider how the programme appeals to these audiences

intertextual refs

Answer 33

the music of period
including David Bowie gives audiences pleasure through recognition. Nostalgia through visual codes and iconography, for example the Crombie, kipper ties, velvet jackets the Ford Cortina, flicked hair etc

Question 34

Consider how the programme appeals to these audiences

inherited fan bases

Answer 34

audiences like crime dramas
and there will be an expectation that a BBC
production will be high quality. The programme will also appeal to fans of stars including John Simm who may attract a younger target audience who associate him with Doctor Who and 24 Hour Party People

Question 35

Consider how the programme appeals to these audiences

marketing

Answer 35

The marketing campaign used much
of the above to target the audience including the 1970s soundtrack, the nostalgic references to 1970s culture and the enigmatic narrative.

The characters were also an important part of the marketing, Sam Tyler’s voiceover was used in the trailer ‘My name is Sam Tyler …….’ Audiences were encouraged to empathise with him from the start through the trailer ‘Where else could I go’, ‘Help me’.

Question 36

theory
reception, stuart hall

Answer 36

3 hypothetical positions from which messages and meanings may be decoded:

• An audience may understand and accept the producers’ intended meaning, to construct a programme that appeals to audiences by including some typical conventions of the crime drama

(Audiences will be entertained
by the programme and enjoy the intertextual
reference to 1970s culture and society) .

• Some audiences may assume a negotiated
  position, judging the 1970s references from a 21stcentury perspective. They may enjoy the elements of nostalgia and the soundtrack but feel uncomfortable with the sexism and the dominant male perspective
• Some audiences may adopt an oppositional
  position and may feel that the representations that are constructed, particularly that of Gene Hunt, legitimise racism, sexism and the use of violence.

Question 37

social and cultural context

Answer 37

• consider the effect of social and cultural contexts on representations of gender and ethnicity and how these may have changed to reflect changes in society.

LOM shows 1970s society in terms
of social hierarchy, power, gender roles and how authority was regarded. The programme reflected the inequality between men and women in society, the majority of police officers seen are men, and women in the programme are under represented and marginalised.

• How the narrative and representations in LOM create a discourse around policing in the past and today, and what this reveals about society.

Question 38

historical context

Answer 38

• The representations constructed in the
  programme are affected by the historical context, they reflect the society of the time.
• Audience interpretations of Life on Mars may reflect historical circumstances, for example those audiences who can recognise the intertextual references to historical products The Sweeney may respond differently to a younger audience.