Wednesday, 8 December 2010

British TV Drama - Our Friends in the North

Season 1, Episode 1
Our Friends in the North is unlike many British TV Drama depictions of North East
England. This is because it has fully rounded characters with authentic regional
accents. It also uses real political and social events specific to Newcastle and Britain as a whole during the era portrayed, including general elections, police corruption, etc.



In the beginning of the clip Nicky arrives back from the USA and he goes to visit his girlfriend. There is a mid-shot whilst his girlfriend’s mother answers the door to him, but she doesn’t seem happy to see him. This could indicate to the audience that Nicky has disappointed his girlfriend in the past so her mother doesn't approve of him.


Nicky and his brother (Geordie) have a very typical male relationship. They both know that they
love each other but they prefer to hide their feelings with quick insults and sarcasm.
As Geordie enters Nicky's bedroom, there is a slight long shot of the bedroom. There are many posters of Civil Rights activists to represent Nicky's support of the Civil Rights Movement. But Geordie's views are the complete opposite

The narrative shows many typical values of families (not just Northern ones). They sit
around the dining table as a family as Nicky’s family give him his birthday presents.
We also notice that Nicky acts childish whenever he receives a gift which contrasts his appearance of a mature, young man

1 comment:

  1. Very good analysis Noel. This is the type of analysis I expect from you every time - good use of examples, media language and insightful interpretations.

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