His Dark Materials

 Language and close-textual analysis

1) How does His Dark Materials fit the conventions of the fantasy TV genre?

talking animals , witches flying , CGI effects .

2) Applying Propp's character theory, what character roles do some of the main characters in His Dark Materials fit into? 

Hero - Lyra

Villain - Ms. Coulter

Helper - Will 

3) What enigma and action codes (Barthes) can you find in His Dark Materials? Make specific, detailed reference to the text using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.)

" Who are the spectres?" this encourages the audience to keep watching so they find out who it is

4) What examples of binary opposition (Levi-Strauss) can you find in His Dark Materials? How do these create narrative or drama for the audience? You can find reminder notes on all these narrative theories here - just scroll down to narrative. 

Good vs evil

Representations

1) How are women represented in His Dark Materials? Are gender stereotypes reinforced or subverted? Think about Lyra and Mrs Coulter here.

subverted because they are brave

2) How are men and masculinity represented in His Dark Materials? Think about Will and Lee Scoresby here.

it breaks “men are meant to be tough” stereotypes 

3) How is age (e.g. teenagers; adults) represented in His Dark Materials? Does the show reinforce or challenge stereotypes about young people? Think about Lyra and Will plus the abandoned children they meet. Also think about Mrs Coulter and other adults.

young people = hero’s , adults = often flawed

4) How is race and ethnicity represented in His Dark Materials? Are stereotypes reinforced or subverted?

everyone matters equally 

5) What representations of the world can you find in the episode - is it like real life? A fantasy world? Something from the past or future? Give examples from the episode.

different worlds exist not just past present future

Audience

1) What audience do you think His Dark Materials is aimed at and why? Think about demographic and psychographic groups. You can revise Pyschographics here.

teens 13+ because it’s epic fantasy , it’s not too childish 

2) What audience pleasures are offered by His Dark Materials - The City of Magpies? Apply Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory to the episode. Make sure you provide specific examples from the episode to support your ideas.

Personal Identity: relate to lyra/wills courage growing up

Personal Relationships: care about their friends ships and bonds with others 

Diversion (Escapism): enjoy magic worlds , forget daily life

3) Thinking of the 3 Vs audience pleasures (Visceral, Vicarious and Voyeuristic pleasures), which of these can be applied to His Dark Materials? Refer to specific scenes or moments in the episode to explain your answer. 

visceral - exiting fights , flying , chases , thrills and tensions

vicarious - feel lyras fear , hope , courage

voyeuristic - explore strange worlds and secrets .

4) How did fans react to Season 2 of His Dark Materials? What about critic reviews? You can find some possible answers for this in this BBC website article on the critical reception for His Dark Materialsand watch the fan reaction video above.

Fans loved it; critics praised it but some said it was slow.

5) What might be some of the preferred and oppositional readings for His Dark Materials? Why did some fans love it? Why have other people criticised it? 

the adventures and big themes . too complex , too slow or too critical of religion 

Industries

1) Which companies produced this His Dark Materials series?

BBC studios, Bad Wolf , HBO

2) What were the UK viewing figures for A City of Magpies? How did this compare to season 1 of His Dark Materials?

3.4m lower than season one (7m) 

3) What was American network HBO's role in making His Dark Materials and why is this important? Look at the notes above for more on this.

bigger budget 

4) What famous stars are in His Dark Materials and why do you think they were selected for the show? Watch the Comic Con panel video in the notes above to see the stars talking about the show.

dafne keen , Ruth Wilson , James McAvoy , their all great actors 

5) Who are Bad Wolf and what do they produce?

Uk studio , makes big dramas . they produce His dark materials , Doctor who 

Comparison: Doctor Who - An Unearthly Childand His Dark Materials - The City of Magpies

1) How are the technical conventions different between 1963 Doctor Who and 2020 His Dark Materials (e.g. camerawork, editing, sound and mise-en-scene)?

1963 DW: simple , low budget 

2020 HDM: cinematic , CGI

2) What similarities and differences are there between Doctor Who and His Dark Materials in terms of genre and narrative?

dw: light , family , episodic 

hdm : dark , mature , on going 

both: fantasy/sci-fi , worlds , quests

3) How are representations of people, places and groups similar or different in the two shows?

dw : playful , clear morals 

hdm: darker , complex morals 

both: young hero’s , strong adults