Critical Studies in Television Conference 2023

Description

Historical Power, Historical Trauma and the Gothic Historical Drama
This paper proposes that there are a number of historical television dramas which make use of the aesthetics of the Gothic in order to signal their focus on historical traumas which still have contemporary resonance. This is part of a wider use of a Gothic mode in these dramas in presenting and considering these traumas, not just as the individual experiences of specific characters, but as socially structured, as we see the individual characters placed into conflict with their social and cultural structures. These dramas use elements of anachronism as part of their signalling that these are not just historical traumas, but traumas that are still active or have active legacies today, such as racism, sexism, colonialism and capitalist imperialism. Presenting these dramas through the Gothic mode is not only a way of signalling that these productions deal with traumas and issues that are still relevant, but is also a way of appealing to different audiences from those conceived of in relation to the cosy heritage drama. This is done in part through the overt use of sex, violence, modern obscenities, as part of a subversion or distortion of the expectations of the classic heritage drama.

Using examples such as Taboo, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Black Sails and Deadwood, this paper will outline this conception of the Gothic historical television drama, exploring how its aesthetics relate to the increasing broad social and cultural awareness of these historical traumas and their continuing legacies. While historical television dramas have always contained an overtly socially conscious strand, and there are still many historical dramas that do not use the Gothic mode, the aesthetics of these Gothic historical dramas overtly signals their association with trauma. It also makes use of changes in the aesthetic possibilities of television production and distribution technologies, and uses these aesthetics to stand out from other historical productions and to potentially attract different audiences. Gothic historical dramas stand at the nexus of social change, technological change and the demands of streaming in reassessing our relationship with the past in the present.

Period	06 Jul 2023
Event type	Conference
Location	Ormskirk, United KingdomShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International