For All Mankind: space drama’s alternate history constructs a better vision of Nasa: Great art is often difficult to quantify. Apple TV’s series For All Mankind is a case in point, running the risk of being too sci-fi for drama fans (rockets, moon bases, Mars) and having too much naturalistic drama for sci-fi aficionados (jealousy, …
Bridgerton – how period dramas made audiences hate the corset: Liam Daniel/Netflix When you think of a corset, you might imagine period drama dames sucking in as they cling onto a bedpost as a feisty lady’s maid aggressively laces them in. Nextflix’s hot Regency inspired drama Bridgerton features similar such tortuous scenes. In the run …
How costumes in period dramas shape our perception of royalty: Our version of the present-day royals is carefully constructed and curated. Kept at bay behind a red velvet rope, we will never get a glimpse into the bedrooms and offices of regal power. That is, other than in period dramas. In film and TV dramatisations …
Line of Duty: why there are so many Northern Irish coppers in British crime dramas: Ted Hastings Northern Irish past has come back to haunt him several times in Line of Duty. BBC/World Productions/Steffan Hill There are few TV shows that light up social media quite like Line of Duty. At the core of the …
Bridgerton: in defence of ‘inaccurate’ costumes in period dramas: Netflix recently announced that its new series, Bridgerton, is the company’s most popular show to date. Adapted from Julia Quinn’s historical novels, Bridgerton depicts a set of upper class families at the beginning of the London “season” in 1813. The show has captured audiences and critics …