PEAKY
BLINDERS
How has your chosen
Media text attracted its
audience?

How has an audience
responded to your
chosen media text?

The first thing you
must define is context
and audience.
Context/Intro

Set in Birmingham in
1919, Steven Knights
Peaky Blinders is a
crime drama which
follows former world
war one soldiers who
have returned home
and formed a criminal
gang.
Placement/Target audience.
Peaky Blinders was aired on
BBC Two. BBC Two's remit
historically was screening
programmes targeting the arts,
culture, drama and some
comedy. Texts should be
appealing to audiences not
already served by BBC1 or
ITV. Over its first thirty or so
years the channel developed a
reputation for screening highly
praised and prestigious “High
Brow” drama series.

This successful
placement has helped
attract its intended
target audience.
A highbrow text is
intellectually and
culturally rich.

Peaky Blinders has
elements of a
highbrow text but also
contains various
mainstream
conventions.
Incidentally a criticism
of BBC 2.
Peaky Blinders has been complemented for its high
production value and cinematography. A gratification
of an active audience.
Boardwalk Empire VS Peaky Blinders?
Boardwalk Empire VS Peaky Blinders?
A negotiated audience enjoyed the text but thought it lacked
originality and often seemed to mirror some of the key
narrative themes of Board Walk Empire, a American text set
in the same era. The text was also accused of sacrificing its
artistic merit and realism for mainstream convention. Others
thought its failure to meet the heights of Boardwalk were down
to budget.
Audience Response
The points of comparison between Peaky
Blinders and HBO's Boardwalk Empire
are conspicuous. Both are set immediately
after the first world war in a gangland in
which the future is up for grabs; and both
feature a returning soldier shattered and
embittered by his war experiences.
"Tommy is one of those men who came
back from this war horrifically damaged,
who were spat back into society without
any counselling," says Murphy. "And, of
course, a lot of them brought their
weapons home with them. There were a
lot of guns around at the time. Tommy has
a huge disdain for authority

In the end, Peaky Blinders flattered to
deceive. Ultimately, it only served to
prove that, when it comes to truly
great shows, British TV still can’t
match American television.
Partly, this is down to scope and
budget.
Audience Response – Underdeveloped?
A oppositional response to
the text was that it was all
style no substance. Again
some critics put this down
to budget. Most highbrow
TV series have 12 episodes
per season. With Peaky
Blinders only including 6,
Jim Shelly, the Daily Mail
critic, felt the series was
rushed with characters and
plots often under
developed and lacking
complexity.
Attracting an audience. Audience response.
One way Peaky Blinders
attracted an audience and thus
gained a positive audience
response was via breaking the
stereotypical representation of
regional identity, in this case the
Brummie. 
A study was conducted in
2008 where people were asked
to grade the intelligence of a
person based on their accent
and the Brummie accent was
ranked as the least intelligent
accent.
Attracting an audience – The use of the film star

Cillian Murphy
Attracting an audience – The use of the film star

Cillian Murphy
Attracting an audience – The use of the film star

Cillian Murphy Tommy Shelby
Attracting an audience – The use of the film star

Sam Neil
Attracting an audience – The use of the film star

Sam Neil
Sam Neil -C.I. Chester Campbell
Attracting an audience – The use of the film star

Helen McCroy
Attracting an audience – The use of the film star

Helen McCroy
Attracting an audience – The use of the film star

Helen McCroy – Aunt Polly

Peaky blinders

  • 1.
  • 2.
    How has yourchosen Media text attracted its audience? How has an audience responded to your chosen media text? The first thing you must define is context and audience.
  • 3.
    Context/Intro Set in Birminghamin 1919, Steven Knights Peaky Blinders is a crime drama which follows former world war one soldiers who have returned home and formed a criminal gang.
  • 4.
    Placement/Target audience. Peaky Blinderswas aired on BBC Two. BBC Two's remit historically was screening programmes targeting the arts, culture, drama and some comedy. Texts should be appealing to audiences not already served by BBC1 or ITV. Over its first thirty or so years the channel developed a reputation for screening highly praised and prestigious “High Brow” drama series. This successful placement has helped attract its intended target audience.
  • 5.
    A highbrow textis intellectually and culturally rich. Peaky Blinders has elements of a highbrow text but also contains various mainstream conventions. Incidentally a criticism of BBC 2.
  • 6.
    Peaky Blinders hasbeen complemented for its high production value and cinematography. A gratification of an active audience.
  • 7.
    Boardwalk Empire VSPeaky Blinders?
  • 8.
    Boardwalk Empire VSPeaky Blinders? A negotiated audience enjoyed the text but thought it lacked originality and often seemed to mirror some of the key narrative themes of Board Walk Empire, a American text set in the same era. The text was also accused of sacrificing its artistic merit and realism for mainstream convention. Others thought its failure to meet the heights of Boardwalk were down to budget.
  • 9.
    Audience Response The pointsof comparison between Peaky Blinders and HBO's Boardwalk Empire are conspicuous. Both are set immediately after the first world war in a gangland in which the future is up for grabs; and both feature a returning soldier shattered and embittered by his war experiences. "Tommy is one of those men who came back from this war horrifically damaged, who were spat back into society without any counselling," says Murphy. "And, of course, a lot of them brought their weapons home with them. There were a lot of guns around at the time. Tommy has a huge disdain for authority In the end, Peaky Blinders flattered to deceive. Ultimately, it only served to prove that, when it comes to truly great shows, British TV still can’t match American television. Partly, this is down to scope and budget.
  • 10.
    Audience Response –Underdeveloped? A oppositional response to the text was that it was all style no substance. Again some critics put this down to budget. Most highbrow TV series have 12 episodes per season. With Peaky Blinders only including 6, Jim Shelly, the Daily Mail critic, felt the series was rushed with characters and plots often under developed and lacking complexity.
  • 11.
    Attracting an audience.Audience response. One way Peaky Blinders attracted an audience and thus gained a positive audience response was via breaking the stereotypical representation of regional identity, in this case the Brummie. A study was conducted in 2008 where people were asked to grade the intelligence of a person based on their accent and the Brummie accent was ranked as the least intelligent accent.
  • 12.
    Attracting an audience– The use of the film star Cillian Murphy
  • 13.
    Attracting an audience– The use of the film star Cillian Murphy
  • 14.
    Attracting an audience– The use of the film star Cillian Murphy Tommy Shelby
  • 15.
    Attracting an audience– The use of the film star Sam Neil
  • 16.
    Attracting an audience– The use of the film star Sam Neil Sam Neil -C.I. Chester Campbell
  • 17.
    Attracting an audience– The use of the film star Helen McCroy
  • 18.
    Attracting an audience– The use of the film star Helen McCroy
  • 19.
    Attracting an audience– The use of the film star Helen McCroy – Aunt Polly