The cult of Charlie Brooker - auteur theory and San Junipero
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| Nathan Barley is a save critique of hipster culture, digitally convergent media and awful journalism that has either aged terribly or too well, depending on your perspective. However, it is clear that Brooker's nihilism is very much on show from his earliest TV work |
You can find links to all of the shows discussed by clicking here
Auteur - the idea that the producer of a media product has a distinctive style that is repeated over and over again
Fandom - the obsessive and enthusiastic consumption of media which goes beyond just ‘watching’. Charlie Brooker's enthusiastic yet ultimately hateful mode of address was particularly popular in the early 00's, and his cult appeal among his rabid fans clearly led to his opportunity to construct global mega smash Black Mirror
- Nathan Barley - an angry, aggressive satire of vice magazine and East London in the early 00’s. Crude humour, confusing, very of the time
- Dead Set - combines reality TV with the zombie genre. No credits, constant exposition and extreme violence. themes of media and manipulation and reality TV combined with the zombie genre. Combining dark comedy and extreme violence, it demonstrated many of Brooker’s auteuristic qualities. Extremely British!
- Brooker’s show Screenwipe is essentially a popular media studies show, and demonstrates Brooker's obsession with how media makes meaning.
- Screenburn - early columns demonstrate Brooker’s sense of humour, with lots of swearing and lots of irreverence
- Black Mirror; satirical TV show that explores the dark side of technology, with extremely upsetting subject matter. Descriptive language and consistent reiteration of the themes made the very first episode notorious.
- Presenting style - breaking the fourth wall, self deprecating humour, filled with violence and irreverent comedy. Niche mode of address, appealing to a very specific sense of humour