Capital: Case study blog tasks

Reviews and features

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 Guardian review praises Capital for its ability to capture an allegorical portrait of the expansive city of London in a comparatively short space of time, discussing star actors and the diversity and development of their characters' lives. The London Evening Standard review focuses on its star cast and the relatability factor of the characters. 

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?

The Guardian review particularly focuses on Capital as a state-of-the-nation drama, praising how it depicts a nuanced London ("How much of a city of 8.5 million can you get into one south London street?") and the London Evening Standard review reflects on how Capital is "a series that truly gets it".

Trailer analysis

Watch the trailer for Capital:

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

In the trailer, medium close up shots and various close ups are used to depict the variety of people and lives in London. Many camera pans of aerial shots are also used to clearly depict the location.

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

The trailer introduces separate narrative strands through its quick paced editing and cuts.

Capital in Media Magazine

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?

State-of-the-nation dramas set out to offer social or political commentary. Capital’s main focus is alluded to in its title. It is set in the build up to the banking crash of 2008 and in some ways acts as a satire on the impact of capital – money – on everyday lives.

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

London makes sense in the context of a multi-stranded production, as it brings people from around the country and around the globe. Centring the action on a single street then helps bring some focus to the narrative, demonstrated in establishing shots at various points in episode one.

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

Some of the themes are tackled through people with links to the street. Immigration is explored through the character of Zimbabwean-born traffic warden, Quentina. We also have Polish builders and foreign-born nannies. Petunia represents community and continuity. An opening sequence shows key stages in her life, all in the street: marriage, parenthood, growing old, losing her husband. We then see her in the corner shop being helped by Ahmed.

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

Almost all of the other characters are set against Roger and Arabella as ‘good’ people. We have community-minded (borderline racist) Petunia, similarly community-minded Ahmed, the hard-working Eastern European builders and the spirited Quentina (even if she is a traffic warden). The representations of good versus bad, rich versus poor and industrious versus feckless make for straightforward drama. While Ahmed is portrayed as friendly and helpful, his family’s narrative still involves Islamic fundamentalism. One of his brothers makes anti-Western comments, and his other is visited by a man called Iqbal, who is shown furtively using a laptop, presumably linked to terrorist activities.

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

Capital positions the actions of the banks as criminal due to their hidden and complex activities that are difficult to track down. In this way, Capital attempts to uncover the reality of London's economics and populace.

Capital Media Factsheet

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?

The multi-stranded narrative is explored through the different residents. The characters also demonstrate the state-of-the-nation aspect of this drama. Episode 1 focuses on Petunia Howe (no. 84) and Roger and Arabella Yount (no. 92). We are also introduced to the Kamal family, who run the corner shop, and Quentina Mkfesi, a religious asylum seeker with a PhD working illegally as a traffic warden. The interactions between the characters reflect the tensions between different cultures and costume is used to quickly communicate the different character roles.

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

Capital was produced for the BBC, and fulfils the requirements of a public service broadcaster. The BBC are primarily funded by the licence fee, and has a set of values and public purposes that govern the content that is produced. Fundamentally the BBC seek to educate, inform and entertain.

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

The ownership of Kudos reflects a horizontally integrated company.

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

A key idea that Hesmondhalgh discusses is that the cultural industries are a 'risky business'. Kudos is a horizontally integrated company, which helps to reduce the risk created by producing shows such as Capital. 

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

Capital fits well within these two genres, and uses generic conventions from both areas. It reflects genre development, and contains aspects of crime genre and social realism.

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, website and press coverage. This creates the recognisable brand for the audience. It also shows the London skyline which makes the setting also easily recognisable.

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

Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory applies to Capital as audiences may watch the show for personal identification, due to its nuanced and diverse representation of Londoners shown in its characters.

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

The multi-stranded narrative uses binary oppositions throughout to highlight the difference or inequality in Pepys Road, and then raise questions about inequality in London more widely.

Representations: close-textual analysis

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
Scene 2: work in the City 6.28 – 8.10
Scene 3: “Which of those isn’t absolutely essential?” 14.00 – 15.35
Scene 4: asylum 18.03 – 19.42 AND 31.10 – 32.40
Scene 5: “What use is 30 grand?” 36.40 – 39.00
Scene 6: life at the corner shop 40.10 – 42.55

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.

Scene 1: (London) Pepys Road, mysterious, enigma, London is multi-cultural and diverse, vast, sprawling and overpopulated

Scene 2: (Family & Gender) Picture of sons in his office, white businessmen, fairly international, male dominated

Scene 3: (London) Depiction of middle-class life and home

Scene 4: (Wealth) Asylum seeker working illegally, having a low-paying job as a traffic warden

Scene 5: (London) Office in London showing his high-paying white collar job

Scene 6: (Family & Gender) Corner shop is a family business with the father being the provider

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?

Capital both uses and subverts stereotypes within British society through its characters. Roger and Arabella are both heavily stereotyped, representing some attitudes towards upper middle class folk, depicting them as pretentious and ignorant of their own privileges. In this way the 'banker and rich wife' archetypes are used to reinforce the show's anti-capitalist ideologies. However, it could be said that the Kamal family are still racial and religious stereotypes, despite an obvious attempt to show some nuance of the British Asian and Muslim experience, as the show does not pass the Riz test, due to their family's narrative still featuring Islamic fundamentalism and mentions of terrorism, showing one of the men as resistant to Western culture and presenting some Muslims as anti-modern or 'backward'. 

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.

In late 2006, the company was sold to Shine Limited for around £35m. In 2015, it was included in a 50–50% joint venture between 21st Century Fox and Apollo Global Management's Endemol and CORE Media Group, as Endemol Shine Group.

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

Kudos has produced television series for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Amazon and Netflix and its productions include Tin Star, Humans, Broadchurch, The Tunnel, Grantchester, Apple Tree Yard, Utopia, Spooks (US:MI5), Hustle and Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes.