What is it about?
Jed Mercurio’s Bodyguard is tightly organised fiction with elements of terrorism, sex, violence and family problems. The exciting plot holds the audience but they are discouraged from questioning the ‘reality’ presented. Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag presents a socially-accepted ‘normal’ that is in conflict with the heroine’s independent attitude. This makes questioning the status quo seem almost natural and encourages viewers to be critical.
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Why is it important?
The paper deals with the characteristics of the television medium in analysing the effects of the two series, an approach to social function usually ignored by critics.
Perspectives
I hope the article helps make social criticism more acceptable.
Professor Emeritus David Margolies
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Social Value and Aesthetic Judgement – Television in the UK, November 2023, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004685925_005.
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