Regional Identity in TV Drama

1. Representations of Regional
Identity in TV Drama
To analyse representations of
regional identity in TV Drama

2. What is regional identity?

3. 80's TV shows such as
"Bread", "Boys from the black
stuff" and "Brookside"
depicted them as thieves and
killers

4. What is regional identity?
• Regional identity is the notion that part of a
person's identity is rooted not only in the
country but also in the region they live in. A
strong example of regional identity would be if
one was asked where he or she was from and
would reply “Sheffield" instead of the UK,
etcetera. Regional identity, then, is a sense of
belonging similar to that of national identity
but on a smaller scale or level.

5. TV Drama characters with regional
accents

6. DOC Martin
• Successful surgeon Dr. Martin
Ellingham abruptly leaves his London
practice to become general
practitioner in the sleepy fishing
village of Portwenn (Cornwall), where
he spent the holidays during his
youth. But his luxury car and lavish
wardrobe immediately rub the locals
the wrong way, and once they get a
load of his abrasive attitude and lack
of bedside manner, he quickly
alienates most of the townsfolk

7. Make a prediction
• How do you expect the Cornish people in Doc
Martin will be represented?
• What aspects of media language will be used
to do this?

8. Groups
• Group 1: Denise, Annamaria, Nikol and Jordan
• Group 2: Kate-Lyn, Emma and Bridget
• Group 3: Ewelina, Laurel and Gabriella.

9. Analyse this clip in terms of Media
Language
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sNf-
MwxTSE
• You will watch the clip THREE times
1. First time: watch it without taking notes.
2. Second time: gather your points
3. Third time: select your supporting evidence.
• You will be given time to take notes.

10. Marking Criteria

11. Point Evidence Comment
• P- Gesture codes are used to portray the older Cornish
plumber as incompetent and lazy.
• E-The older plumber is sitting down eating a sandwich
while his son seems to be doing the work, when he
does help he causes the pipe to burst sending water
spraying into the surgery.
• C- By featuring him as sitting down and by casting a
larger actor who is eating while at work immediately
conveys the image that working class Cornish men are
laid back, overeat and do not work hard. Although this
could also be seen as a stereotypical representation of
plumbers in general.

12. Plenary
• You will have 2 minutes each to present back
your textual analysis.
• Audience: What level would you give each
group and why? Give each group a WWW and
an EBI.

13. Marking Criteria