Yesterday, on the spur of the moment,
instead of working on a job application I decided to attend a conference
organized by former QUB Prof. of Film Des Bell and Irish historian Dr Fearghal
McGarry, entitled 'Reframing History: film, television and the
historians'. Interestingly, a few months back I attended some events during the
BBC's Festival of History and Broadcasting (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17033362). Many
issues were raised yesterday that I've been pondering since February, and here
are a few musings.
One common debate was the integrity of televised historical documentary series or programmes. Many argue that the information is 'dumbed down' and the audience's intelligence insulted. The reality we are in now is that tabloid-esque broadcasting has generated a vicious supply-demand cycle in which the bulk of TV viewers seem to desire 'reality' shows and docu-dramas such as X-Factor, Geordie Shore, Big Brother, TOWIE, etc. …
One common debate was the integrity of televised historical documentary series or programmes. Many argue that the information is 'dumbed down' and the audience's intelligence insulted. The reality we are in now is that tabloid-esque broadcasting has generated a vicious supply-demand cycle in which the bulk of TV viewers seem to desire 'reality' shows and docu-dramas such as X-Factor, Geordie Shore, Big Brother, TOWIE, etc. …