𝐻𝒾𝓈 𝒟𝒶𝓇𝓀 𝑀𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓇𝒾𝒶𝓁𝓈: 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐼𝓃𝒹𝓊𝓈𝓉𝓇𝓎

Audience

1) Read this audience rating guide for His Dark Materials. Based on the screening and this article, who do you think the target audience is for His Dark Materials and why? What about psychographic groups?

Target audience for his dark materials is aimed at a contemporary family audience for the BBC Sunday night broadcast slot (8.10pm).

Psychographics are that it's targeted at fans of the fantasy genre along with fans of the original books by Philip Pullman.

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: 

Personal Relationships: 
Diversion (Escapism): 

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. 

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 Materials and watch the fan reaction video above.
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? 

Industries

1) Which companies produced this His Dark Materials series?

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

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.

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.

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

Comparison: Doctor Who - An Unearthly Child and 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)?

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

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

Grade 8/9 extension tasks and reading

Read this Guardian review of His Dark Materials - The City of Magpies and also read some of the comments 'below the line' (BTL). Do you agree with the review? What about the comments? 
Try this critical Irish Times review of His Dark Materials. Why does it think the show is disappointing?
Here's another review of our CSP episode of His Dark Materials. What does it say about the difference for fans of the book versus fans of the TV show?
This Slate feature on the cultural significance of American network HBO is a long read but gives you a brilliant history of the channel. It also shows how HBO has turned TV into possibly the most respected and culturally significant media entertainment form.

Personal Identity: