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 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.

Peter Bowker and Euros Lyn, who have adapted and directed so excellently – have managed to squeeze an incredible amount into one street, one book, and then further squeeze into three hours of television. A lot of the important stuff, as well as what is most wonderful and most terrible about the place. It’s more complicated – and more interesting – than just wonderful and terrible. 

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?

It’s all so instantly recognisable. I live in the capital, in a street from a similar era, though in a far less salubrious area (house prices, obviously still insane, but about a third of Pepys Road). We have pretty much that exact shop. And a few – fewer and fewer – Petunias. There aren’t any bankers, or Range Rovers, or basement excavations, the City’s actual physical shadow hasn’t reached Dollis Hill yet, but the shadows of the shadows have, a couple of doctors moved in to where Jimmy (male Petunia, basically) lived, there’s a lawyer or two, plus the odd nanny. Not to mention the bloody Guardian. The issues, the conversations, the obsessions and the fears are the same.

Trailer analysis

Watch the trailer for Capital:

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

The beginning of the trailer there is a crane shot used to show central London which shows  all the houses and then focuses on the residents lives living down 'Pepys Road' which shows how everyone is living in London and shows which kind of jobs each one of them individually do. 

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

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?

It has a large ensemble cast and features multiple storylines pertinent to its 2007/8 setting. As its title suggests, the action takes place in the melting pot of the UK’s capital, London. Specifically, it focuses on characters with links to Pepys Road (Samuel Pepys, of course, being a a great 17th century state-of-the nation London diarist).

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

Setting the drama entirely in the capital city might enrage those who see the UK as being too London-centric, but it makes sense in the context of a multi-stranded production. London sucks in people from around the country and around the globe. It is vast, complex and endlessly fascinating.

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, Quintana. 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?

Banker Roger is a weak, feckless character, in thrall to wealth and capable of uttering phrases like ‘What use is £30,000 to anyone?’ His wife Arabella, obsessed with interior design and foreign holidays, is only with him for his money.

Almost all of the other characters are set against Roger and Arabella as ‘good’ people.

We have community-minded (if borderline racist in an old-person way) Petunia, similarly community- minded Ahmed, the hard-working Eastern European builders and the spirited Quintana (even if she is a traffic warden).

The representations of good versus bad, rich versus poor and industrious versus feckless make for straightforward drama.

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. So hidden are their activities, so complex and difficult to track down, that a straightforward state-of-the nation drama could not possibly hope to cover them adequately. But it can try and expose them in other ways. The shadowy figure in episode one comes across not so much as a criminal as a Banksy-style urban artist. This is particularly apparent in the closing shot. The camera zooms out to show the street in its entirety. The words ‘WE WANT WHAT YOU HAVE’ have been written in red along the entire length of the road. If the state-of-the-nation is in some ways unseen, perhaps the job of the artist is to make it clear. Perhaps that is just what Capital is trying to do.

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 residents range from those who have lived on the street for many years (Petunia Howe), to a wealthy banker (Roger Yount) who have recently moved to Pepys Road. 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?

1) To provide impartial news and information to help people understand and engage with the world around  them. The BBC will provide accurate and impartial news, current affairs and factual programming of the highest editorial standards so that all audiences can engage fully with issues across the UK and the world.

2) To support learning for people of all ages. Educational content will help support learning for children and teenagers across the UK, whilst audiences will be encouraged to explore inspiring and challenging new subjects and activities through a range of partnerships.

3) To show the most creative, highest quality and distinctive output and services. Innovative content covering many different genres will be provided across a range of services and platforms, setting the standard both in the UK and globally.

4) 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. The lives of the people in the United Kingdom today will be accurately and authentically portrayed in the BBC’s output and services to raise awareness of different cultures, contribute to social cohesion and invest in the development of each nation’s creative economy.

5) To reflect the United Kingdom, its culture and values to the world. High quality, accurate, impartial news coverage will be delivered to international audiences, aiding understanding of the UK as a whole.

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

 The ownership of Kudos reflects a horizontally integrated company. The parent company, Endemol Shine UK, own a range of TV production companies across different formats and genres. Endemol Shine UK is owned in equal share by Apollo Global Management (an American public equity firm) and 21st Century Fox. 21st Century Fox is owned by the Murdoch family, and was established in 2013 as a spin-off for the film and TV aspects of News Corporation. News Corporation was split following a series of scandals in British press.

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

Horizontally integrated so is a part of many industries that they aren't specialised in and so are at risk of losing money and links o Hesmondhalghs idea of a risky venture and is involved in FOX and News Corps .

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 as the use of the narrative enigmas for crime it throws at us as we don't know who is sending the anonymous postcards around of 'WE WANT WHAT YOU HAVE'. Capital also meets conventions of social realism as  it shows diversity of London which strives to represent regions of the UK with authenticity. 

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. The silhouette skyline of London contains clear geographical markers that denote the setting, and also establish the themes of British culture and financial issues

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: uses and gratifications

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. 

Personal Relationship - Audiences can form relationships with the characters shown in Capital and grow feeling and emotions for them. For example, the old lady Petunia who in episode 1 found out and got diagnosed with cancer which puts the audience in a sympathetic and sorry position for her. 

Diversion - Audiences can escape and watch the TV drama Capital to get a break from their everyday lives so thery could relax and catch a break. 

Surveillance - Audiences can watch Capital and educate themselves and learn of what was happening during the time in London before the financial crash happened in London and see what bankers were doing during the time of this crisis and see the rise of housing prices and how it affected people living. 

8) What does the fact sheet 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. The character of Roger Yount is a clear example of this. During his own narrative development, we see binary oppositions within his own character (the money driven banker starts to yearn for a life with more meaning).

Representations: close-textual analysis

Capital offers a range of fascinating representations - from London and asylum seekers to capitalism and inequality. You need to be able to confidently discuss these issues in the context of 2015 London - with reference to key scenes from episode 1. Representations include: London, family, gender, ethnicity, religion, immigration, asylum, inequality, wealth, capitalism, aging and more.

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

*Birdseye view of London lights

*Old white lady (Petunia) - one of the residents living on Pepys Road. 

*Housing prices going through the roof - too expensive.

*Many immigrants moving to UK changing London ans=d making it more diverse.

 

Scene 2: work in the City 6.28 – 8.10

*Busy time everyone coming/ going to work.

*All white males in this scene shows that the people in charge are all white. No diversity and no females.

*Mixed classes on train - giving that authentic London look. Everyone close to one another. 

*Rodgers boss is European. Shows thaT=at immigration is useful - starts to interest people because of high paying jobs in London.  

Scene 3: “Which of those isn’t absolutely essential?” 14.00 – 15.35

*London is really expensive to live in. £1 million is not enough for Rodger - "You'll be surprised how much a million pounds can cover".

*Rodger - upper class white man: impatient, greedy and just wants all the money to himself. 

*Inequality of upper and lower class. Rodger got a whole list of luxuries which would sound impossible for any of the lower class people to even afford.

*Left-wing ideologies - pro feminist. 

Scene 4: asylum 18.03 – 19.42 AND 31.10 – 32.40

*Other side of London overcrowded accommodation, use of background/foley sound.  

*Black female lawyer - could be argued as an example of 'woke' representation - diversity. 

*Working illegally - Quintena. Even though we are shown as Quintena in a positive manner which means we have sympathy for her. 

*Illegal immigration. Seeking asylum. "If I go back I will be killed". 

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 "fundamentally not fair". 

*The global nature of the finance industry, reflects modern global capitalism. 

Scene 6: life at the corner shop 40.10 – 42.55

*Crowded - like Kamals flat all sitting on the table all close to one another.

*"White people have no idea" - Ahmed Kamal (Example Rodger)

*Social class: Arabella doesn't know how to react to basic manners.

*Integration of immigrants - debate played out within Kamal family: "Get a shave". 

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?

Capital definitely reinforces and uses stereotypes as we see shown in the characters in the episode. This is because of how white people are shown as dominant in the city of London (Rodger) and shown as the ones in control of the finance with them living in big posh houses and earning big salaries. We also see stereotypes reinforced within the Asian community as well as we see Ahmed Kamal who is a Muslim owning a corner shop and running and having his own shop. Capital reinforces the stereotypes we see in the media as we see in the centre of London where Rodger works as a male dominated facility with no female representation. This still shows that males are more dominant than women and that they can't work in big buildings such as banks and offices and still could possibly show that we are living in a patriarchal society still.  

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.

The parent company for Kudos is Banijay UK, one of the world’s leading television production companies, specialising in scripted content. In late 2006, 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

Show: Deep Water

Channel: ITV

Show: Responsible Child

Channel: BBC

Award: Winner 2 International Emmy Awards - Best TV Movie/ Mini Series and Best Performance By An Actor

Show: Deadwater Fell

Channel: Channel 4

Award: Nominee 2020 British Academy - Director Fiction Lynsey Miller Television Scripted.