Deutschland 83 Case Study

Introduction: Reviews and features

1) Find one positive aspect and one criticism of Deutschland 83 in the reviews.

A positive is that critics had praised the drama for its gripping narrative + authentic historical detail. A criticism is that it was a bit too dramatic.

2) Why does the second Guardian article suggest the Germans didn't like the show?

They found it too westernized for their liking.

3) 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?

Varying audience opinions; some praised the show's tension and acting, while others disliked its pacing.

Promotional interview

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

He described Germany as peaceful, which was very different from how it's portrayed in the game.

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!)

It demonstrates Channel 4's commitment to diverse, international content.

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

The current political situation in Germany was relevant to Channel 4's socially aware audience.

Textual analysis: Audience pleasures and representations

Scene 1: Garden/BBQ scenes (East & West Germany)

4.58 – 8.20 and 34.00 – 37.20

They do a great job of showing the difference between East and West Germany. In the garden scene, there's a lot of medium shots of the guests; the camerawork in general seems to focus on the guests, and it emphasises to the audience the closeness and "freedom" of the party. There's also a lot of diegetic sound of the guests chatting and music playing, which brings a lot of happiness and atmosphere to the party. But compared to West Germany, things are a lot different. There's hardly any sound compared to the last scene, and no music. Instead, the camerawork focuses on Martin, and everything is quite close-up. There's even a 360-degree shot that shows things are closing in on Martin, making it clear that not everything is what it seems. The music this time is non-diegetic, which makes the audience feel more suspenseful and puts them in Martin's shoes. Martin can be caught at any time, and it's clear to the audience.

Scene 2: Martin/Moritz first sees the West German supermarket 

14.30 – 20.25

Martin rushes into the supermarket. The shelves are full of props and stacked high. The camera's mainly on Martin's face, which looks totally amazed. To Martin, everything in the West seems surreal, as everything is readily available and the public seems freer than in the East. The music playing in the background is the song Sweet Dreams Are Made Of These, which fits with Martin's initial feeling of being in the west. The song is a classic 80s track, so it's no surprise that it's playing – it really adds to the nostalgia. Plus, the missile talk brings up surveillance, and we find out more about what's going on and the Cold War, which could've led to WWIII.

Scene 3: Training montage scene when Martin/Moritz learns how to be a spy

20.40 – 22.40

It's a fast-paced montage sequence, and the graphics and VFX are used to show the difference between the East and West. The music that isn't part of the scene adds suspense and action, which makes the sequence much more enjoyable for the audience. The dialogue also showcases a lot of narrative.

Scene 4: Briefcase scene when Martin/Moritz is stealing the NATO nuclear plans

31.13 – 33.30

There are loads of close-ups that show Martin's panic and anxiety. There are also close-ups of the documents, which show key things like Ronald Reagan's signature. The non-diegetic sound really adds to the atmosphere, and the fear on Martin's face communicates to the audience that he's in deep trouble. It also creates an enigma code, as the audience doesn't know whether Martin's going to get caught or not. It all adds to the suspense, and we're all on the edge of our seats, desperate to see Martin succeed. It also shows how surveillance was used back in the Cold War, which is pretty interesting. It makes the audience feel like they're right there with Martin, experiencing all the suspense and drama.

Production and industry contexts

Deutschland 83 was produced by German production company UFA Fiction and distributed internationally by Fremantle International. It was broadcast on RTL (Germany), SundanceTV (US) and Channel 4 (UK) as well as many other broadcasters around the world.

1) What kind of company is UFA Fiction and what shows have they produced? 

UFA Fiction is a German television studio. Some of their shows include Der Upir, Disko 76, and of course Deutschland 83.

2) What kind of company is Freemantle and what do they produce?

Freemantle major international distributor responsible for global TV content.

3) How does Deutschland 83 reflect the international nature of television production?

The show blended German authenticity with international appeal, boosting global interest. Particularly, the show was quite western oriented.

Walter Presents

1) How does Channel 4 introduce 'Walter'?

They introduced it as a way to show quality international drama.

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

Appeals to viewers seeking unique foreign-language shows.

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

The Walter Presents series reflects growing demand for diverse content via streaming platforms.

Marketing and promotion

Trailer

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

Diversion: the drama offers suspense to viewers, and engages them with the drama and Cold War theme; it brings in viewers to this world based on true events, which intrigues them and keeps them hooked

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

The trailer uses enigma codes to build tension + suspense; it keeps the audience guessing what happens next and encourages them to watch the show, and the action codes showcase the gripping action inside of the drama

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

The UK trailer probably did that to not alienate English audiences + not turn down audience interest.

Press pack

1) How did she use the historical context and real-life events to create a successful drama?

Anna Winger used real events to enhance authenticity. The historical context and real-life events incorporated into the drama helped to make it stand out and bring it an interesting and engaging narrative.

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

1980s music attracts nostalgic viewers, who might've heard those songs before; it attracts an audience again due to the nostalgia and encourages them to watch the show

Press release

1) List the key statistics concerning audience figures. Why was it considered the most successful foreign language drama?

The show was Channel 4's most successful foreign-language drama at the time; it launched with 1.49m viewers, and the first episode had a total viewer count of 2.5m.

2) How does the press release describe Deutschland 83?

The press release praised its unique mix of spy thriller and historical drama.

International marketing

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

The UK DVD cover communicates the sub-genre of the drama by emphasizing espionage with bold typography and shadowy imagery. It shows to the audience that this isn't a normal historical drama.

2) How do these use font, colour and graphics to appeal to an audience?

Dark tones and Cold War symbolism target thriller fans and people who enjoy historical media.

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

They used different marketing campaigns to target 2 vastly different audiences.