practise question

"It is essential for a TV programme to simultaneously target both mass and specialised audiences"

Explore this statement with reference to Les Revenants

Thirty minutes

Knee jerk reaction: Yes! Les Revenants expertly targets both 'casual' and 'devoted' audiences, by providing the audience with a range of polysemic readings

Key theory: Stuart Hall's reception theory

cult audience

mogwi cult audience

MICHAEL'S TOP TIP - how useful is this theory really? Does Les Revenants even have a preferred reading? Surely it lacks one, instead focusing on confusing the audience as much as possible with a range of hermeneutic codes and complex use of intertextuality?

A niche target audience is a smaller, specialised, active audience who become devoted. They often talk about the show on fan pages and typically buy the merchandise. Where as a mass target audience is an undefined larger target in which a show appeals to everyone, this was especially common until 1982 when they were only 4 channels as people didn't have the choice and diversity they have now therefore the shows had to appeal to a larger audience. however now shows have become a lot more niche as there are hundreds of channels and people are also able to stream shows whenever they want therefore shows have to target a more specialised audience. Les revenant was first showed on Channel 4 in the uk. However in France it was shown on Canal +. i believe that Les Revenant targets both a mass and a niche target audience through the use of polysemic readings and referential codes. the show also relates to Stuarts hall's reception theory. in this theory he argues there is 3 ways in which an audience can read a text. in Les revenants i believe its mostly negotiated readings which is when the audience generally agrees with what they see but they may disagree with certain aspects of the show.

One way that Les Revenant appeals to a niche secondary audience is through the use of their trailer. In the trailer there is English subtitles through they have used english newspapers such as the daily mail and the Sunday times for their reviews. therefore even though it is in French and its mass audience is French people it also targets a British audience through the use of the English subtitles.however the audience may then get frustrated as the trailer is fast paced and action packed horror show where as the actually episodes are slow and lack fast paced editing and action. therefore the slowness of the show would only appeal to a niche target audience. another way it attracts a cult target audience is through the use of having the band Mogwai do the sound track. Mogwai are an english rock/metal band which has a cult audience. Therefore by using them for the sound track it creates a niche audience who watch it because they like the band. Also the cult target audience of Les Revenant are those who will buy the merchandise t-shirt that has the pub's logo on it. therefore an active cult/niche target audience leads to more revenue.

One negotiated reading within Les revenants is of death and sex which is also a binary opposition. This is in the scene when Lena (Camille's) twin has sex for the first time which in french is "Le petit mort" which means the loss of virginity which has then symbolically led to Camille being killed as her bus drives off a cliff. this is also a polysemic reading as it has more than just the meaning of Lena loosing her virginity and Camille dying as there is a link between the two. Which a cult audience would find the reference fascinating while the mass audience may not understand. however the Binary opposition between promiscuity of virginity may be uncomfortable for the audience. also the binary opposition is an interesting exploration of the relationship between twins as it implies that Camille could tell/ knew what Lena was doing. The crane shot following Claire (Camille's mother) upstairs conforms to horror conventions which would appeal to a niche audience who enjoy horror films. also the audience may find enjoyment at Claire's atypical response of having her dead daughter back alive as she is shocked and cautious where as typically the mother would run and embrace her daughter. therefore she is subverting character archetypes.

In conclusion