Film and TV : Learner Response

1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

20 - D

WWW
- Very good knowledge of shown - if you can add politics/ ideology to your answers you'll do even better.

EBI
- Revise/Learn postmodernism!
- D83 much weaker than Capital... clearly an area to revise.
- Question focus: Q2 starts in quite a misleading way and Q3 is it always focused on representations.

 2) Read the whole mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Identify at least one potential point that you missed out on for each question in the assessment (even if you got full marks for the question).

Q1) Patiche - media products that imitate the style of another text, artist or time period.
Q2) Have the facts straight before making a statement in the question and proof read.
Q3) Political arguments in question 3 would have made a more convincing argument. 

 3) The first question demanded a response using postmodern terminology. Write a definition here of the three main terms:

Bricolage: The juxtaposing of old and new texts, images, ideas and narratives to create new meanings.
Pastiche: Media products that imitate the style of another text, artist or time period.
Intertextuality: Referencing to another text.

4) The second question was on the film industry. Write down two points from the mark scheme about Chicken's promotion and distribution that you didn't include in your answer. 

Could have mentioned the struggle which they faced for 2 years in an attempt to secure a distribution deal. I also would have wrote more about their digital impact on making popularity themselves for free on such a low budget on social media.


5) Look over your mark, teacher comments and the mark scheme for Question 3 - the 25 mark essay question on your TV Close-Study Products. Write a complete essay plan for this question based on the suggested answers in the mark scheme. You can either use something similar to your actual answer or alternatively start from scratch. Make sure it is an extensive, detailed plan focused on the question (representations) and offering specific references to Capital and Deutschland 83 for each section. Try and cover the two texts equally if you can and aim to plan around 5-6 paragraphs in total.

The rise of foreign-language TV

Independent: British viewers can't get enough of foreign-language dramas

Read this Independent feature on foreign-language dramas. It features an in-depth interview with Walter Iuzzolino who curates Channel 4's Walter Presents programming. Answer the questions below:

1) What does the article suggest regarding the traditional audience for foreign-language subtitled media?

2) What does Walter Iuzzolino suggest is the key appeal of his 'Walter Presents' shows?

3) The article makes an interesting claim for the popularity of subtitles in the multi-screen age. What does it suggest?

4) What are the other audiences pleasures of foreign TV drama suggested by the article?

Now look at the bonus article - on Sherlock and how viewers are steering their favourite shows.

5) What examples are provided of how TV companies are increasingly using audiences to inform the production process?


Film School Rejects: The foreign TV dramas you're missing out on

Now read this Film School Rejects feature on the foreign TV dramas you're missing out on. This contains some particularly useful background on Deutschland 83's reception internationally. If the website is blocked, you can access the article text here. Answer the following questions:

1) What does the article tell us about Deutschland 83's release schedule?

2) The article contains important statistics on viewing figures in different countries. What were the German viewing figures for the first and last episode? What were Channel's 4's viewing figures for Deutschland 83?

3) Who are the two production and distribution companies behind Deutschland 83 and what did they announce in October?

4) What does the article suggest was the driving force behind the series being renewed for a new season (and possibly two new seasons)?

5) How does Walter Iuzzolino use social media to engage audiences in new international TV dramas? How does he suggest this has changed the reception of foreign productions in the UK?


IndieWire: The rise of international television

Now look at this IndieWire feature on the rise of international television. If the website is blocked, you can access the text from the article here. Answer the questions below:

1) What does the article suggest regarding the difference between TV and film?

2) What cultural differences are highlighted in the article - for example in turning 'Prisoners of War' into 'Homeland' when remade in the US?

3) Why do you think Deutschland 83 was able to rise above these cultural differences to be successful in the US and UK? Did this inadvertently make the drama fail in Germany?

4) What does the article suggest about subtitling?

5) What does Sopranos actor Steven Van Zandt suggest is the appeal in foreign television drama?


The Guardian: How tech is changing television

Finally, read this Guardian feature on how tech is changing television. This has some particularly useful aspects from an industry perspective - how TV is made, the different formats of TV drama and more. Answer the following questions:

1) What are the traditional lengths for TV drama and what dictated these programme formats?

2) How have streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime changed the way TV drama narratives are constructed?

3) Why has the rise in streaming led to more complex storylines and an increase in cliffhangers?

4) How have the "economics of production" kept TV drama largely sticking to the 45- or 60-minute episode format?

5) How has "permanent 24/7 connectivity" changed both the production and consumption of TV drama?

TV: Deutschland 83 case study

Reviews and features

1) What positive aspects of Deutschland 83 are highlighted in the reviews?

There is a good show of differences between the country even though they are the same country are clearly very different from one another on both parts.
There is also a very soon show of action and tension within the scenes and have a lot of these scenes which are always keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. It also states the main actor is in fact a very good actor and represents his character very well.

2) What criticisms are made of the show?

Some criticisms made of the show are that there is a lack if actual drama and the show has made the situation which was at hand to be represented as very simplistic and not shown to be the actual real issue which was at hand and this is shown as there was a clear unpopularity in Germany who probably had a lot of people who knew the real situation.

3) Why did the Telegraph suggest that Deutschland 83 did the 'period' aspect of 'period drama' so well?

The telegraph suggested that Deutschland 83 did the "period" aspect so well is because they represented both sides of the country and appealed to a lot of the old nostalgia for people. This is also because they mainly showed the aspects of West Germany which was thought to be a much more modern part of Germany which was keeping update with the other western countries, which is why there would have been a lot of nostalgia for people who were alive at the time.

4) Find three 'below the line' comments from either of the Guardian articles. What did the audience think of Deutschland 83? Do you agree with the comments?




Interviews and behind-the-scenes video features

1) What does Jonas Nay say about growing up in a united Germany? 

He says that there really no longer is any East or West Germans any more and for the country to be united and have freedom is great, however also states when asked that if he was 25 in the year of 1983 then he certainly would have liked to have lived in West Germany as he says the one thing which he would have valued and still values in his current life is the freedom which he has.

2) The Channel 4 News interview is conducted in German with English subtitles. How does this reflect Channel 4's remit as a public service broadcaster and their target audience? (Clue: revise your work on Channel 4 and Public Service Broadcasting here!)

The channel 4 news interview is conducted in German and it even during the interview corrected himself when he speaks in English by accident. This helps them reach their target audience as their fans can experience the authenticity of the show and still understand. He speaks about how he is recognised more by fans from the UK who are in Germany rather than people who live in Germany. The target audience is clearly people who are from other countries as they seem to be more successful there. This also helps justify why they are playing foreign shows.

3) Interviewer Matt Frei asks about the current political situation in Germany. Why might this interest the Channel 4 News audience?

This may interest the audience of the channel 4 news as it may be a way to receive inside information which is unfiltered by the large UK media news outlets, however it is also because the people who are watching the News are likely to be intellectuals, meaning that they would be interested in current affairs of other countries which is probably why they are watching the news.
Behind the scenes clips
Making Of: Why Should You Watch Deutschland 83
Watch this short promotional clip for Deutschland 83.

1) Why should audiences watch Deutschland 83 - what does the clip offer viewers?

Audiences should watch Deautschland 83 as it offers suspense which audience often enjoy and receive the enjoyment from the tension of the key scenes when he is potentially about to be caught. Despite showing people what the war was like and the interesting points and view points of the war there is also humour sometimes which is often used to lighten the mood. I think that audiences should watch Deautschland 83 as it is an interesting show even if you are not interested in the war or history as there is also suspense, tension and humour at right times so there is something for everyone to enjoy.

2) Why is history an important aspect of the appeal of the show?

History is an important aspect of the appeal of the show as this is what will interest a lot of the people in UK as I think that a lot of us are not entirely sure about what happened or may only know one side of the story and may want to find out more about what actually happened.

3) What technical aspects are highlighted in the video?



Making Of: Set Design
Watch this interview with Production designer Lars Lange.

1) Why were the set design, costume and props so important for Deutschland 83?

The set design, costume and props were so important as a lot of history enthusiasts who wound have known a lot about the show would have been watching and would have been disappointed if things weren't accurate and would have left bad reviews and put other people off from watching the show.

2) How historically accurate was the setting, costume and props?

They attempted to make the the props, costumes and settings as close and realistic as possible and this was possible due to the real documents and other props being released as it had been 30 years, however some things were still kept secret and therefore they tried to make it as accurate as possible, but did kind of have  to guess for some things.

3) Why were the props, costumes and music such a key audience pleasure for Deutschland 83?

The props, costumes and music such a key audience please as the props and costumes could be made pretty accurate as the documents had been released, meaning that they could compare and make the ones in the film more realistic. The costumes were also important as it helped the audience visualise and understand what it actually was like. The music was a key element of audience pleasure as it allowed the audience to know when there was a high amount of suspense as there would be very ominous music playing when there is an incident and often a pop song not soon after this has been resolved.


Textual analysis: trailer

1) The opening of the trailer uses sound and editing to draw the audience in. Explain why this is effective.

The use of sound suggests that the series is filled with non-stop action and assures the audience that they won't be feeling bored. The use of editing suggests to the audience that this is not a normal show and sums up what the show is about as well as giving an insight to the audience of what to expect. 

2) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer? Think about Uses & Gratifications theory (Blumler and Katz).

Surveillance, people could be watching this show in order to learn more about history.The action and suspense may help audience stay interested and focussed on the entire show.

3) How does the trailer use action and enigma codes (Barthes) to encourage the audience to watch the show?

The use of the timer counting down can be seen as an enigma code because it makes the audience question what will happen when times is up. It also shows situations where the martin is in danger and we as the audience would like to find out what is happening in the situation and whether the character who we have come to know gets shot.

4) Pick three shots/scenes from the trailer that capture the spy thriller sub-genre. Why might this appeal to an audience? Try and apply Neale's genre theory 'repetition and difference' (the original notes on genre theory are here).

1/ When the women holds the gun up to his face 
2/The contrasts of East and West
3/The scene where Martin has to pick the lock of the door.

I think that they may appeal to the audience as there is a clear use of suspense and this attracts the audience to want to know what happens next as they can see the intensity of the scene.

5) Pick three examples of mise-en-scene from the trailer that capture the 1983 setting the confirm the sub-genre of period drama. Why might this appeal to an audience? 

1/Ronald Reagan's speech
2/The explosion 
3/The balcony scene with the flags hanging 

6) The trailer uses the song 'Two Tribes' by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Why did the producers select this soundtrack for the trailer?

I think that these are good songs which they used as this is what they are trying to portray and their target audience was actually people from foreign countries such as America and the UK so it is good that they used a song which they may recognise as they may be sceptical about watching a foreign language TV drama.

7) The only words heard in the trailer are in English. Why do you think the UK trailer avoided subtitles or German dialogue?

I think that the UK trailer avoided subtitles or German dialogue as people may judge the show based on the fact that it is a foreign language TV drama and it may put off viewers from watching the show and they hope that if people go out of their way to watch it that they would be interested and intrigued by the storyline and the use of suspense to not care to much.


Production and industry context

1) Read this Freemantle Media press release on the worldwide success of Deutschland 83. How is the drama described by the distributor? Why was it considered such an international success?

Deutschland 83 is a suspenseful coming-of-age story and Martin Rauch is hiding in plain sight in the West German Army gathering secfrets of NATO military.

2) Read this Freemantle Media press release on Deutschland 83 becoming Channel 4's highest rated foreign drama. What was the consolidated viewing figure for Episode 1 of Deutschland 83? What praise for Deutschland 83 is included in the press release?

It had 2.5 million viewers, it's the best show of the year as it is so interesting and "gripping"."This is the next subtitled sensation"

3) How does the press release promote the Channel 4 'Walter Presents' collection of international TV drama?

Walter Presents are going to offer over 600 hours of drama that can be downloaded as well since Deutschland 83 forms Walter Presents new on demand service. 
Watch this Channel 4 trailer for their Walter Presents international drama.

1) How does Channel 4 introduce 'Walter'?

They introduce Walter as a man that does nothing but watch drama series in order to find the best ones. Walter is seen to dedicate a lot of his time to drama shows who is providing a personal view and seems to be a trustworthy person who is very educated and watching these shows very critically.

2) What audience are Channel 4 trying to appeal to with the 'Walter Presents' series?

They are trying to appeal to people who like the drama genre and possibly people who spend a lot of time watching new series, the audience can trust these reviews.

3) How does the 'Walter Presents' series reflect the changing nature of television in the digital age?

All of Walter Presents shows are going to be available for box sets for free that can be downloaded and watched anywhere.They tell the audience that box sets are available online.
Marketing and promotion

Look at the online Channel 4 press pack for Deutschland 83.

1) Read the programme information from the press pack. How does the programme information seek to interest a reader from the first paragraph?

The first paragraph creates tension and introduces the audience to the character as well as setting that Martin who is in during these series of events and it creates many questions in the readers mind like why was Martin picked

2) What does the programme information suggest the main strengths of the programme are?

The suggested strengths are that this tv show is gripping and fast paced.

3) Read the press pack interview with writer Anna Winger. How did she use the historical context and real-life events to create a successful drama?

4) Anna Winger discusses the use of music. Why might the soundtrack attract an audience?

Using the top songs of 1983 means it creates nostalgia which is an audience pleasure and it was a year where pop culture was thriving so it would remembered.


International marketing


1) How does the UK DVD cover communicate the sub-genre of the drama?

The UK DVD cover communicated a sub genre of the drama by making the audience question what the show is about as it shows two sides of the wall on either side of him and there is one side which is very bland and boring and one side which has a lot of colour and character. There is also the question of why it says at the bottom of the DVD "A gripping cold war thriller" and has the image of a man in uniform smiling, however we would expect to see people during the war to be more serious and worried for their life, which already suggests this is going to be different to all the other shows. It also shows a walk-man which suggests that it is using the nostalgia of this time period when many of their target audiences would have been very young and interested in what actually happened.

2) Analyse the mise-en-scene in the UK DVD cover. What does it communicate to the audience?

By watching the first episode we know Martin Rauch has a girlfriend in the East, however, the West side of the wall shows a couple kissing which could be hinting at the fact Martin Rauch may fall in love with someone from the West. The missiles also tell the audience that this will be action packed, which is a genre that attracts a young audience.

3) How does the American branding use font, colour and graphics to appeal to an audience?

The colours used are quite vibrant and stand out which would immediately grab the attention of viewers.

4) Why might the distributors Freemantle Media International have used different marketing campaigns in different countries? 

They may have used different marketing campaigns in different countries as this is something which

The impact of new/digital technology on the media

1) What does the 'industry' concept in A Level Media Studies refer to?

The term industry refers to the different firms which are in charge of production or distribution of products in the media. The industry is the entirety of the media.

 2) What does David Hesmondhalgh argue with regards to how the creative industries have changed since the 1980s?
He argues that there has been a significant shift in cultural production since the 1980's. 

 3) Choose the three most significant points Hesmondhalgh makes regarding the changing cultural industries. Why are these the most significant in your view?
- Digitisation has allowed the technology sector to compete directly with traditional media companies.

- The amount of money put into advertising and cross promotion in texts has
significantly increased

- One of the most importance points is the increase in corporations owning companies in different sectors of the industry.

This has meant that there has been larger companies which control majority of the industry, therefore creating niche audiences and markets.
  4) What is technological convergence? 

Technological convergence is the process by which existing technologies merge into new forms that bring together different types of media and applications.

5) How are technology companies challenging traditional broadcasters in the TV industry?
Amazon and Netflix began producing original TV series to compete with them. They are considering the ease of the user and different devices which they watch on. At first they were reliant on other producers coming to them to distribute their product, however this does not mean that 

6) What budgets will Netflix, Amazon and Apple spend on original programming next year?

Netflix to spend $8 billion on original content
Amazon to spend $4.5 billion on original content
Apple to spend $1 billion on original content

7) How many countries are Netflix and Amazon available in?

Netflix - 190
Amazon - 200

8) The global nature of modern television means producers are having to consider international audiences when creating content. What example from Netflix does the article use to explain this?
In the show Stranger things they changed the name of the demon to whatever would have been relevant or the equivalent in the region which they are playing it.

 9) Do you think technology companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon will increase their interest in the television industry?

I think that technology companies will follow in Amazons footsteps and will invest in the television industry as it has become more and more popular and due to binge watching there seems to be a lack of TV shows for people to watch and this is a perfect opportunity to use a big names brand such as Google to create a streaming service.

 10) How do changes in technology influence the creation of TV dramas such as Capital or Deutschland 83? How?

I think that technology has had a massive influence on TV dramas such as Capital or Deutschland 83 and as they have been able to reach a much larger audience then they would have been able to if they did not have the technology which they used available as it would have most likely only been aired in Germany and the show was not even successful or popular in its native country so it would not have been successful.

Marxism & hegemony

1) Re-read the Mail Online review of Capital. Why does it suggest that Capital features a left-wing ideology?

I think that it suggests that capital features left wing ideology, simply for the reason that it does. The show clearly shows left wing opinions and sides with everything which we think to be a left wing opinion. For example immigration, Quintina is represented to be a hard working individual who is being exploited and is not claiming any benefits and is only doing this for her survival as she knows if she goes back to her country she will be killed and even mocks that she will be lucky if she is just raped. The other immigrants which are shown at the Pakistani family, the Kamals and they are also represented in a very positive and sympathetic way, and appear to have integrated into the British culture as they show some of what we consider to be British banter and seem to respect the culture. This shows two very positive left wing opinions of immigrants and although I believe that they have made some valid points which make sense, they failed to notice the positives of the TV show and how it showed diversity for example.

2) Choose three quotes from the review that are particularly critical of Capital and paste them into your blog post. Do you agree with the criticisms? Why?

- "With a fizzle like a firework on a wet night, Capital (BBC1) dribbled to a soggy ending."
- "Everything British came in for a dose of loathing."
- "But that concept went nowhere. The residents were bemused, but not scared."
I think that all of these criticisms are very crucial as it will dictate how people view the program and what they think about it. I feel like this review is very important as they don't say a lot of good things about the TV show and a lot of things which they say are very relate able and that people will agree with a lot of the statements which have been said. To answer the question i do agree with a lot of the statements which have been said in the article as they have said a lot of things which have been said. With the critical things which i have chosen to speak about are all very true. I agree that there could have been a much better end and was very anti climactic due to the amazing concept which the show had which may not have reached its full potential which it could have. I feel like there was a few things which showed British culture to be good, for example Petunia being a sweet old lady who is just confused about the ethnicity of the the Pakistani family and how the Pakistani family want to adopt the British banter, however does show some negatives, for example that people may be working to hard but I don't really think that this is an offensive statement.
3) What scenes or characters from Capital could be read as promoting left-wing ideology?

I think that the main character who promotes left wing ideology is Petunia as the rest of the characters which promote left wing ideology are either majorly impacted by it or impacted by it first hand, however Petunia is an old white woman and this group of older white people is thought to be the more racist, less accepting group of people as they are not used to the situation of multiculturalism and so much diversity and we can see that she has been left behind in this matter as she makes the mistake of confusing the Pakistani family as Indians, however is shown to be very apologetic and doesn't seem to be partial or rude to anyone who may have moved to the country through immigration. Although it may not be as important to show that she has left wing ideologies, but Quintina is clearly shown to have left wing ideologies as she has moved to the country as an immigrant, however we are still shown to sympathise with her as she is shown to be an immigrant who is working hard and is forced to get less money then she would if she was working legally and would be able to pay taxes and contribute too if the government allowed her too and isn't shown to be taking advantage of the government.

4) What about the other side of the argument - are there any aspects of Capital that reinforce the status quo in capitalist London?

There are many aspects in Capital which reinforce the status quo in capitalist London, for example Roger Youte who had a large amount of money in the beginning of the series and was expecting more money was shown to become a bit lazy through his years and was beginning to be replaced by a younger more hard working man, which suggests that the busy city of London doesn't wait for anyone. It may also be showing that the elite in London for example Roger and his family will always remain wealthy as even if they become lazy and stop doing work, may not receive as money as they has hoped such as a million will still receive money like 30K simply for a bonus as they are now in that position and will be sad and fight over that much money although his bonus is larger then the average wage in the UK. Another thing being that Quintina is such a hard worker and will still only be able to earn such a small amount of money with such a struggle because of her status and suggests that even the area in which she works constantly surrounds her with wealth and reminds her of poverty as the same time.

Media Magazine feature on BBC drama The Casual Vacancy and ideology

1) Why did the Daily Mail suggest The Casual Vacancy promoted a left-wing ideology?

It mocked and shamed wealthier residents when they planned to sell of the local food bank.

2) How does the article suggest characters, narrative and setting are used to promote a left-wing ideology?

The show suggests that the characters and narrative are used to promote a left wing ideology as it shows the food bank closing to be an extremely negative thing and shows the disgust of some of the characters when they close it down. It suggests that the right wing opinion of closing food banks is the correct decision as it would reduce the rate of taxes which means the people who are working will receive more money, however this also means that the very wealthy are not supporting the poor.

3) What research is quoted regarding BBC bias and what did it find? Do you think the BBC is biased?

"BBC is too cosy with J.K.Rowling" is quoted as the bias of the BBC and we know that the BBC is known and reported to have left wing ideologies and this may show a connection to J.K.Rowling as she is also known to have left wing views. I do think that the BBC is mainly fair and represents both views equally, however there are obviously their own opinions on what is right and wrong which may become apparent.

4) Gramsci's theory of hegemony suggests people are kept under control through active consent - the control of 'common sense'. How could you apply the Daily Mail or the BBC to the idea of hegemony and dominant ideologies in the UK media?

I think that the Daily Mail or the BBC are extremely popular due to the fact that they show things which are obviously seen to be common sense and even suggest certain views and opinions and know that these things will be popular and agreed with. I think that sometimes they can makes statements which will be the opinion of the people as this is more likely to bring attention to their programme. Although the BBC is funding based and should therefore theoretically be more fair, it may simply give the public what they want as this will give good reviews and attention to the show and is more likely to keep them as the public service broadcaster of the country. The daily mail of course hints to the fact that they are in fact right wing and have very specific views, however they are of course careful to ensure that they are not obviously denying left wing opinions as this would really restrict their potential audience.

Episode 2 & 3 summary -- Capital

Episode 2 Summary:

- When Arbella comes back from her trip she discovers that roger has hired a new nanny, as the  police assure them that they are trying their best to find out who is sending these postcards with the text "We want what you have". As the episode progresses we learn that the postcards have now developed into them sending dead animals, which makes the incident much more serious and could be a sign that whoever is sending these things could be dangerous. Petunia passes away and the builder begins work in refurbishing the home when he locates a briefcase full of cash.

Episode 3 summary:

- Roger and Arbella are forced to move out their home as the company which Roger works for discover that there has been fraudulent activity under his account, which pushes them to move house to somewhere in the countryside. We see that Quintina is then deported even though the circumstances in which she broke the law were special and attempts to appeal to the judge. Iqbal accessing dangerous websites causes Shahid to be arrested after he begins to blog about the issue and the police were already tracking the computer due to Iqbals actions, which is ironic as he is the one who said "he gets scared going north of the river".

TV: Capital - Representation questions

Additional questions

Group 1: To what extent do the representations in Capital reflect the concerns of modern 21st century London life? [25 marks]

The representations in capital clearly attempt to reflect some of the concerns of modern  21st century London life, as they do not portray all the Londoners in a positive light and may show some of the characters to be much more sympathetic then others and I think that a key part of the show is that some of the white British people who's parents and family have been born and brought up here, such as the family of Roger are not always perfect and face issues too. They are also not shown to be the most sympathetic bbbbbnnnnn family, which begins to show that the show is trying to show London for how it is, a multicultural city, however still shows the issues which we are facing. In the case of Zimbabwean asylum seeker, Quentina we are positioned to feel very sympathetically for her and feel sorry for her. We are placed on her side as we see the struggles which she faces, we can see the severity of her situation immediately as she is introduced as she gets ready and is seen to have to live with some random men, which she appears to have no connection to as they do not even exchange greetings with one another, although they are in the same household, we then see her in her traffic warden uniform and can already tell that this is not the most glamorous job in the world as she probably receives a lot of abuse from people, in fact we see an example of this when she puts a ticket onto Rogers car and he says "Go on, put another on the Range Rover, it’s so big" as he shouts at her in an angry manor. We then see her go to visit this man who we as the audience a  re already sceptical about and the show may be suggesting that there are a lot of people who very dodgy and are exploiting people and the government, when Quentina hands her the cheque of £300 and the man says, "you work too hard" in a condescending manor and doesn't seem as if he is actually concerned for her well being and when she responds that she has been working overtime he takes a larger cut and takes a third of her paycheck. When she is disappointing with this he says, "well if you don't like it you can have it paid into your own bank account" as he knows she can not. Anyone else who was working on this wage of £200 a week which is extremely low would have received money from the government to help her and wouldn't even have to pay any tax as the amount is under £12000. The reason we can feel very bad for the character is because she is seeking asylum and the reason that most illegal workers work is so that they can earn a higher wage without paying tax, however this character wouldn't even earn enough to pay tax and would in fact be entitled to benefits from the government, however as she does not want to be kicked out of the country and be sent home where she will be "killed" or "raped". Then there is the second generation Pakistani family who are portrayed very sympathetically as they treat the old woman very nicely when she comes to the store and take care of her when she comes to their store, even though she mistakes them and calls them Indians, but she seems very sorry about it, which may be showing that there is such a wide variety of people from other countries and shows that there may be an issue with immigration. We also see the younger members of the family who are attending university so they are clearly trying study and earn a living as they are in university. I think that the show is trying to show that immigration is not a big issue as they are clearly showing that the Pakistani family are clearly showing British banter when they speak that I think their British audiences would understand.
In conclusion I think that each character shows some of the 21st century issues and that each character shows one of the issues or has a story related to them which illustrates one of the issues.