Deutschland 83: case study blog tasks
Introduction: Reviews and features
Read the following reviews and features on Deutschland 83:
The Guardian - Your next box set: Deutschland 83
The Guardian - Deutschland 83 Pity the Germans don't like it
1) Find one positive aspect and one criticism of Deutschland 83 in the reviews.
One postie aspect of Deutschland 83 reviews is that Deutschland 83’s first episode of eight was the most-watched foreign-language drama in UK history. One negative review of Deutschland 83 is it doesn’t just make the viewer empathise with a Stasi agent on a human level – in the way The Lives of Others did – it makes us engage with the socialist regime’s worldview, in which a military exercise in West Germany poses a potentially existential threat. Yet as if to make up for such a radical premise, it then backtracks into stereotype. Stasi officers are cruel ideologues who blackmail family members and fake reports for political ends.
2) Why does the second Guardian article suggest the Germans didn't like the show?
By focusing the story around Martin Rauch, a young East German border guard going undercover in the west, it doesn’t just make the viewer empathise with a Stasi agent on a human level – in the way The Lives of Others did – it makes us engage with the socialist regime’s worldview, in which a military exercise in West Germany poses a potentially existential threat.
Yet as if to make up for such a radical premise, it then backtracks into stereotype. Stasi officers are cruel ideologues who blackmail family members and fake reports for political ends. The West German officers have messed-up private lives, but they are honest. And to top it all, the peace movement in the west turns out to have been infiltrated not just by Soviet agents, but gay Soviet agents at that – a McCarthyite fantasy come true. In Germany, where the cold war can still send chills, that feels a bit too simple.
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?
- Martin is superbly played by Jonas Nay,- I agree with this as he plays the character of Martin externally well and brings so many different things to the character of martin such as the emotional aspect of the character and really make us resonate with him as well
- It has been a bigger comparative hit abroad than at home
- it doesn’t just make the viewer empathise with a Stasi agent on a human level
Channel 4 News: Matt Frei interviews Jonas Nay
1) What does Jonas Nay say about growing up in a united Germany?
He values his freedom and mobility , he can think and say what he likes
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 promises to deliver "deliver high quality , innovative, alternative content that challenges the status quo",
3) Interviewer Matt Frei asks about the current political situation in Germany. Why might this interest the a Channel 4 audience?
He believes that "the standpoint which Angela Merkel is taking a very, very good", this may interest a Channel 4 audience, as they are able to gain knowledge about other countries politics history and society as a whole.
We need to consider the audience pleasures of Deutschland 83 alongside various representations created in the first episode.
Type up your analysis from the lesson using the headings below. You may want to watch the key scenes again and develop your notes in further detail - the more specific and memorable your analysis, the better it will serve you when writing an essay on TV drama. Here's a Google doc we have worked on in past Media lessons on this topic - feel free to use these notes alongside your own. You'll need to use your Greenford Google login to access this.
Scene 1: Garden/BBQ scenes (East & West Germany)
4.58 – 8.20 and 34.00 – 37.20
Make notes under the following headings:
Technical codes
360 degree camera movement circling Martin when talking to Edel and his sister created sense that things are closing in on Martin.
Contrast in East - camerawork seems to accompany Martin to his mum’s birthday party rather than threaten him.
Representation of East & West Germany / Family / Gender
Western family (Edel family) is shown to be dysfunctional and unhappy. The BBQ scene feels awkward and forced.
Strong contrast in the East German party scene with close family, friends enjoying themselves, relaxed atmosphere.
Perhaps an example of fetishisation of the working class in the media - it makes East German life seem appealing and positive which is arguably historically inaccurate.
Scene 2: Martin/Moritz first sees the West German supermarket
14.30 – 20.25
Make notes under the following headings:
Technical codes
Mise-en-scene - use of colour and costume. Iconic Puma logo red T-shirt as a colourful contrast to the dull East.
Audio codes
Music - Sweet Dreams Are Made Of These. Diegetic sound but full of meaning to convey Martin’s first experience of the West.
Representation of East & West Germany / Communism & Capitalism / Historical accuracy
Shot of two policemen eating ice creams is symbolic of the difference between East and West.
Several shots emphasise representation of East and West - close-up of chandelier, wide shot of luxurious bedroom etc.
Audience pleasures -
Historical reality - Blumler & Katz U&G theory - surveillance. Danger of WW3, reference to Pershing II missiles. Key elements of D83 based on historical fact.
Music - 1980s references - nostalgia. Faithful reconstruction of Germany in the 1980s.
Scene 3: Training montage scene when Martin/Moritz learns how to be a spy
20.40 – 22.40
Make notes under the following headings:
Technical codes
Fast-paced editing including jump cuts, typical of montage sequence.
Split screen / editing / graphics used to emphasise difference between East and West.
Audio codes
Music and SFX: Non-diegetic sound adds pace to the sequence.
Dialogue/voiceover - covers a lot of narrative.
Audience pleasures
Intertextuality - similar to a Bond sequence (particularly with the gadgets)
German audience - nostalgia in terms of products and brands.
International audience - surveillance (U&G theory) - learning about Germany, 80s gadgets etc.
Genre pleasures - spy/thrille
Scene 4: Briefcase scene when Martin/Moritz is stealing the NATO nuclear plans
31.13 – 33.30
Blumler & Katz - Uses and Gratifications theory. Surveillance - the use of real documents and genuine moments from history of cold war educates audience about German/American/Russian history. Threat of WW3.
U&G: Personal relationships - this scene is effective because the audience is now invested in the character of Martin. We care about what happens to him which creates the tension in the scene. Audience have to want Martin/Moritz to escape here for whole drama series to work. Emotional investment in character.
Action and enigma codes - audience think Martin will be caught at any moment. U&G theory - diversion. Visceral pleasure - scene is tense for audience to watch, adrenaline.
Voyeuristic pleasure - seeing a scene or activity we wouldn’t normally have a chance to see.
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?
t's a fiction film and TV production company; they've produced shows such as: Deutschland 83/86/89,
2) What kind of company is Freemantle and what do they produce?
t's a British multinational television production and distribution company based in London; they produce shows such as Too Hot To Handle and The X Factor
3) How does Deutschland 83 reflect the international nature of television production?
It is set in Germany, showcasing German culture, history and language. It encompasses the globalisation of the TV industry.
Walter Presents
Watch this Channel 4 trailer for their Walter Presents international drama:
1) How does Channel 4 introduce 'Walter'?
Walter focuses on action tv dramas
2) What audience are Channel 4 trying to appeal to with the 'Walter Presents' series?
An audience that likes action
3) How does the 'Walter Presents' series reflect the changing nature of television in the digital age?
This shows that action is the most prominent aspect of Tv as everything is meant to be viewed and seen as fast paced as nowadays in the digital era their is a lot of fast paced editing and even social media is fast paced this means that people really enjoy quick access to things.
Marketing and promotion
Trailer
1) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer? Think about Uses & Gratifications theory (Blumler and Katz).
educate - the start of the trailer, documentary footage of 1983', cold war, educating the audience that these events really did happen; maybe entices them to learn about this piece of history independently.
Personal relationships - Martin having to leave for work people can relate to this as family members often leave for long periods of work
Diversion/Entertainment - Show could be used as a form of escapism for the audience, as most television is.
2) How does the trailer use action and enigma codes (Barthes) to encourage the audience to watch the show?
Martin/Moritz jumping from the balcony, suggesting the show will be action packed with adrenaline pumping scenes.
3) The only words heard in the trailer are in English. Why do you think the UK trailer avoided subtitles or German dialogue?
So they could draw in a wider audience
Press pack
Read the Channel 4 press pack interview with writer Anna Winger. (If the link doesn't work, you can find the text from the interview here).
1) How did she use the historical context and real-life events to create a successful drama?
Her Husband was a radio signaller in West Germany, listening to the Russian troops in East Germany. The Russians knew him by name and therefore there was mole in his base. Never finding out who he was she decided to write a story based on the point of view of the mole. In 1983 the tensions were so high that the East misunderstood the preface of Able Archer and the Russians were ready to strike any minute but came to there senses later. 30 years later information about Able Archer was declassified, which showed how close to war we were.
2) Anna Winger discusses the use of music. Why might the soundtrack attract an audience?
The music was from the 80s and would attract people who grew up in the era so nostalgia is a key message for this.
Press release
Read this Channel 4 press release on the success of Deutschland 83. (If the link doesn't work you can find find the text from the article here).
1) List the key statistics concerning audience figures. Why was it considered the most successful foreign language drama?
Launched with 1.49 mil viewers
- First ep now consolidated 2.5 mil viewers
- Due to the release of fully consolidated ratings for the launch ep has shown that the show is now rated highest amongst foreign film
2) How does the press release describe Deutschland 83?
“Evocative and gripping.” - The Daily Mail
“Great fun, and powered by an irrestible 1983 vintage soundtrack.” - The Daily Telegraph
“This is the next subtitled sensation……..unmissable TV.” - TV Times
“This pacy saga could be your new subtitled obsession.” - The Guardian
International marketing
Look at these two different marketing campaigns - the UK DVD release (left) and the American Sundance TV advert (right).
1) How does the UK DVD cover communicate the sub-genre of the drama?
With the sunlight illuminating his face and the walk-man and headphones on his head , combined with his longing look conveys the coming-of-age sub-genre. The summer-like feel as well as the grafiti couple, painted kissing in the background are attributes to this.
2) How do these use font, colour and graphics to appeal to an audience?
March 21, 2025
Deutschland 83: case study blog tasks
Introduction: Reviews and features
Read the following reviews and features on Deutschland 83:
The Guardian - Your next box set: Deutschland 83
The Guardian - Deutschland 83 Pity the Germans don't like it
1) Find one positive aspect and one criticism of Deutschland 83 in the reviews.
positive - "It's a perfect moment in a near perfect series"
criticism - " Though very much an international package, it has been a bigger comparative hit abroad than at home."
2) Why does the second Guardian article suggest the Germans didn't like the show?
It shows a Stasi agent on a "human level", making us "engage with a socialist regime's worldview". The Germans clearly didn't like the way this was portrayed even though the series was well taken in other countries.
"The peace movement in the west turns out to be infiltrated not just by soviet agents, but gay soviet agents" - Germany is a very conservative country and so are majority of the people, in real life and modern day they wouldn't openly except any gay people let alone gay soviet agents.
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?
"Not quite the flop of the year...but underwhelming nonetheless." The show wasn't received well by German audiences , as they may have seen it to be insensitive to the tragedies they or their family members went through during the split of Germany. Although I understand why it wasn't received well at home but I don't believe it to be "underwhelming" at all.
" Though very much an international package, it has been a bigger comparative hit abroad than at home." the show was very dramatised for its international audiences however this didn't go down well at home. It was seen to be marketed for international audiences more than domestic.
"It's a perfect moment in a near perfect series" - the moment in the supermarket captures perfectly Martin/Moritz's naivety, as Tobias makes it clear to him what's truly at stake, conveying he has no choice in the matter. It also relays that Martin is still a child, even though he has to partake in what we would deem in modern society as adult activities. Although in TV dramas it's common for teenagers to be used as spies as they can go more undetected (ie. Alex Rider).
International marketing
Look at these two different marketing campaigns - the UK DVD release (left) and the American Sundance TV advert (right).
1) How does the UK DVD cover communicate the sub-genre of the drama?
With the sunlight illuminating his face and the walk-man and headphones on his head , combined with his longing look conveys the coming-of-age sub-genre. The summer-like feel as well as the grafiti couple, painted kissing in the background are attributes to this.
2) How do these use font, colour and graphics to appeal to an audience?
With the UK DVD release, the graphics is drawn in a cartoon-like way in a sans-serif font, I assume to depict that the main character is still a child himself(ie. the coming-of-age sub-genre). The rest of the typography on the DVD release is sans-serif, giving that sleek and modern look, as the show depicts itself as a modern retelling of historical events, subtley conveying that they may have a modern take on these events. The colour scheme is also a wash of muted yellow over the entire picture - again conveying that innocence of childhood and the nostalgic theme of it.
3) Why might the distributors Freemantle International have used different marketing campaigns in different countries?
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