Capital

 Read the following review and feature on Capital:

Guardian review by Sam Wollaston
London Evening Standard: five things you need to know about Capital

1) What positive points does the review pick out about Capital? What criticisms are made - either of the TV drama or the original novel?

The cast is brilliant

As mentioned, Toby Jones – well on his way to true national treasure status – leads the way as investment banker Roger Yount, imbuing what could easily have been a predictable character with a weary warmth.Then there’s Gemma Jones, who younger viewers will know as Madame Pomfrey in the Harry Potter films and horror buffs will know from Ken Russell’s The Devils, as elderly resident Petunia Howe, and Adeel Akhtar, brilliant in the aforementioned River, as shopkeeper Ahmed Kamal. 

It’s based on an acclaimed novel

Released in 2012, John Lanchester’s novel of the same name offered a hilarious and incisive look at the boom-and-bust economics of 2007 and 2008 as the backdrop for its characters. It received significant praise from critics, and its themes remain disappointingly relevant almost a decade later.

2) What references can you find in the reviews and feature to the idea Capital is a 'state-of-the-nation' drama? How does it capture modern-day London?

 

. Extremely high priced housing is a common theme in London

. The corner shop is a significantly shared experience in almost all of  Londoners

. Increase rates of immigration 

Watch the trailer for Capital:

1) How does the drama use camerawork to capture London life?

Crane shot establishes the area of London then the street which is important in the show is shown with a moving shot with civilians walking .

2) How does the trailer introduce the different narrative strands suggesting tension or enigma in the 40-second running time?

A wide variety of characters who are displayed in different scenarios with contradicting emotions .

Issue 83 of Media Magazine has a feature exploring Capital as a media product. Read ‘We Want What You Have’ in MM83  (p10). You'll find our Media Magazine archive here - remember you'll need your Greenford Google login to access. Answer the following questions:

1) What does the article suggest about the 'state of the nation' genre and how Capital is an example of this?

That they try to represent an entire country at a particular moment in time . Capital follows this theme as it has a large ensemble cast with multi narratives .

2) What does the article suggest regarding the setting of Capital?

Although it may anger many who feel the UK is overly London-centric, setting the play exclusively in the capital city makes sense when considering a multi-stranded production. People from all around the world and the nation swarm London. It is enormous, intricate, and incredibly fascinating. 

3) What are the major themes in Capital and what does the article suggest regarding the impact of money on communities?

People with ties to the street are used to address some of the themes. Quintana, a traffic warden who was born in Zimbabwe, serves as a vehicle for exploring immigration. We also have foreign-born nannies and Polish builders. Petunias stand for continuity and community. Important life events are depicted in the opening scene, all on the street: marriage, parenthood, ageing, and losing her spouse. Then, we witness her receiving assistance from Ahmed in the corner store. 

4) What different representations in Capital are discussed in the article?

Thrall to wealth, Banker Roger is a weak, foolish individual who can say things like, "What use is £30,000 to anyone?" His wife Arabella is only with him for his money; she is infatuated with interior design and exotic vacations.
The majority of the other characters pit Arabella and Roger against each other as "good" individuals. 

5) What does the final section of the article suggest regarding genre and overall message of the drama? 

Capital portrays the bank's conduct as unlawful. Their operations are so intricate and challenging to uncover, hidden from view, that they could never be fully covered by a simple state-of-the-nation scenario. But it may attempt to reveal them in different ways. The enigmatic individual in episode one seems more like an urban artist in the vein of Banksy than a criminal. The final image makes this more clear. When the camera pans out, the entire street is seen. The full length of the road is marked with the red text, "WE WANT WHAT YOU HAVE." Perhaps the role of the artist is to clarify the situation if the country's status is in some sense hidden. Maybe that's just .

Use our Media Factsheet archive on the M: drive Media Shared (M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets) or on Google Drive here (you'll need your Greenford Google login) to find Media Factsheet #194 on Capital (BBC TV Drama). 

Read the whole of Factsheet and answer the following questions:

1) What does the factsheet say about the characters on the first page?

Range of residents : Petunia Howe ,Roger Yount , Kamal family and  and Quentina Mkfesi

2) Focusing on the industrial contexts, how does Capital help the BBC meet its obligations as a public service broadcaster?

To provide impartial news and information to help people understand and engage with the world around  them. 

To support learning for people of all ages.

To show the most creative, highest quality and distinctive output and services.

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. 

To reflect the United Kingdom, its culture and values to the world.

3) What do we learn about the ownership structure for production company Kudos? 

Kudos is owned by a horizontally integrated business. The main business, Endemol Shine UK, is the owner of several TV production firms that work in a variety of genres and formats. Apollo Global Management, an American public equity firm, and 21st Century Fox each own an equal stake in Endemol Shine UK. The Murdoch family owns 21st Century Fox, which was founded in 2013 as a spin-off for News Corporation's film and television divisions. After several controversies in the British press, News Corporation was divided. 

4) How can David Hesmondhalgh's ideas in The Cultural Industries be linked to Capital and Kudos? 

Horizontally integrated 

5) How does the factsheet suggest Capital meets the genre conventions of crime and social realism?

It meets both genres for crime and social realism with the use of narrative codes .

6) How does the factsheet analyse the DVD packaging and what this communicates to the audience?

The DVD cover uses the same promotional images that feature in media pack that links to british experiences that would be similiar .

7) Look at page 5 of the factsheet. Choose one of the audience theories in the table and apply it to Capital.

Personal Identity - Audiences can relate to some of the problems and dilemmas that the residents in Captial face either it be receiving threatening postcards or even getting to grip of the house prices. 

8) What does the factsheet suggest regarding binary oppositions in Capital?  

The multi-strand storyline utilises binary oppositions to show inequality on Pepys Road, and then raise questions about difference in London more widely. 

These notes from a lesson analysing these clips will help with this element of the case study. You'll need your Greenford Google login to access the document.

1) Write an analysis of the representations in each of the key scenes from episode 1 we studied in the lesson:

Scene 1: opening sequence 00:30 – 4.49 - Birds eye view of London , Petunia living on Pepys road ,House inflation and the rise of immigration .
Scene 2: work in the City 6.28 – 8.10 - Very busy , No diversity (only white people) , Rodgers boss is German, Inclusivity on the train .
Scene 3: “Which of those isn’t absolutely essential?” 14.00 – 15.35 -£1million doesn't suit Rodger an upper class white man , Inequality of upper and lower class , Left wing ideologies .
Scene 4: asylum 18.03 – 19.42 AND 31.10 – 32.40 - Black female lawyer , overcrowded London , Illegal immigrant worker . (Quintena) , 
Scene 5: “What use is 30 grand?” 36.40 – 39.00  -Drone shot of London ,  Shows how wealthy London is and how populated it is ,Rodger - Greedy man and wants more money  

Scene 6: life at the corner shop 40.10 – 42.55  - Kamals flat all sitting on the table all close , "White people have no idea" , Social class.

You can choose which aspects to focus on for each scene: e.g. London, family, gender, ethnicity, religion, immigration, asylum, inequality, wealth, aging etc. Feel free to use bullet points for each scene - a summary of your notes is fine.

2) How does Capital use stereotypes? Do the characters and issues represented in Capital reinforce or subvert the stereotypes we typically see in the media?

Stereotypes are undoubtedly used and reinforced by Capital, as the episode's characters demonstrate. This is due to the way that white people are portrayed as being in charge of the financial system and as being dominant in the city of London (Rodger), earning large salaries and living in luxurious homes. Along with Ahmed Kamal, a Muslim who owns and operates his own shop, we also witness preconceptions within the Asian community being reinforced. The prejudices that are perpetuated by Capital are similar to those that describe Rodger's workplace in central London, which is a male-dominated area devoid of female representation. This continues to demonstrate the dominance of men over women .

Industries and production context

Capital was produced by independent production company Kudos for the BBC. Look at the Kudos website and also read the Kudos Wikipedia page.

1) Who is the parent company for Kudos? What changes of ownership have there been for Kudos? This is an example of conglomerate ownership.

Banijay UK but in 2006 sold to  the company was sold to Shine Limited for around £35m. 

2) Watch the showreel on the Kudos website. What other TV dramas have Kudos produced and for which channels? What awards have they won?

Show: Then You Run. 

Channel: Sky

Show: SAS Rouge Heroes 

Channel: BBC One/Epix 

"The performances are TOP drawed" - Metro (5 stars) 

Show: Tin Star

Channel: Sky/Amazon

Award: Winner 2021 British Academy Scotland Awards - Best Actress Abigail Lawrie 

Show: Code 404

Chanel: Sky/NBCU 

Show: Two Weeks To Live

Channel: Sky/ HBO Max

Award: Winner 2021 Venice TV- Best Comedy 

Show: Grantchester 

Channel: ITV/PBS