audience

• uses and gratifications in the returned

  • bulmer and Katz's 4 ways why we watch media
  • ESCAPISM: Uk audiences want to escape to France
  • PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS: talk about thrillers
  • PERSONAL IDENTITY: moral message reinforces dominant ideologies
  • INFO/SURVEILLENCE: learn about French cultures
• Bandura: how audiences respond

  • vulnerable audiences imitate behaviours seen as shown in bobo doll experiment
  • 15 age rating
• The Returned has been described by critics as 'a zombie show without the zombies'. This suggests that it uses conventions from horror but subverts them.
• the return of the dead could also represent the idea of death being reversible or temporary. In many religions, there are beliefs that people will rise again at the end of time. This theme may appeal to religious viewers who believe in life after death.
• who is the returned's target audience?

  • niche audience
  • ABC1
  • French
  • zombie fans
  • thriller fans
  • appeals to many ages and genders due to relatable characters
• hall reception theory: the returned

  • preffered: new, creative approach to the supernatural thriller genre
  • negotiated: oppresses women and leaves audience on cliffhanger which divides fans
  • oppositional: regressive, inappropriate to show minors in a sexual way, slow pace due to having each episode solely focused on one character