Humans C2

Question 1

Who produced Humans?

Answer 1

Kudos and AMC co-produced it although it was shown on Channel 4 but they don’t have an in house production team.

Question 2

On what channels was it shown?

Answer 2

It was first shown on Channel 4 in June 2015 and then it was shown on AMC in the US a few weeks later.

Question 3

What is Channel 4?

Answer 3

Channel 4 is an English commercially funded channel but is not for profit and has a PSB remit for informative, educational, diverse, and alternative programming that show cases new talent such as Gemma Chan. They do not have their own in house production company so they must outsource to others such as Kudos and AMC. It was first founded in 1982

Question 4

How did the multiple produces impact production and the series?

Answer 4

The co-production between Channel 4, Kudos, and AMC resulted in a bigger budget (£12 million), a larger distribution, allowed for special effects, well known actors, and larger marketing tactics.

Question 5

What is AMC?

Answer 5

AMC is an American pay television channel that is owned by the conglomerate AMC Networks. It launched in 1984

Question 6

How is a global audience targeted?

Answer 6

American stars were used (William Hurt), through the online marketing techniques, the American production company viewers would trust, etc. The series was also adapted for an American, Thai, and Chinese audience and was based on the Swedish show Real Humans.

Question 7

How was the series marketed?

Answer 7

• Social media eg) Twitter, Facebook, and for Persona Synthetics
• Website for Persona Synthetics
• Trailers on YouTube
• Humans available on Channel 4 and All4
• Posters
• Trailers for the show (2 trailers)
• Trailers for Persona Synthetics (‘Meet Sally’, ‘product recall’)
• In Regent Street in May 2015 holograms of synths were displayed in shop windows
• There were eBay listings for the synths
• Lorries were spotted picking up ‘faulty synths’
• Actors went to comic cons, publicity events, and were interviewed for magazines and radio

Question 8

Who regulates TV?

Answer 8

OFCOM

Question 9

How was Humans regulated?

Answer 9

Humans was regulated by OFCOM to make sure it fits Channel 4’s remit. The producers arguably self regulated the show by keeping the amount of violence and swearing low as although it was intended for an adult audience it was then distributed to a wider audience globally and was accessible online

Question 10

What social contexts are reflected in the series?

Answer 10

• The rising population of the Sci Fi genre through the new Star Wars and Star Trek films
• The fears about rising technology eg) AI
• The fears that one side of society will overthrow the other eg) terrorists
• Reflects postmodern world where we are unsure what’s real

Question 11

How has the Sci-Fi genre developed overtime?

Answer 11

Sci Fi develops over time to reflect the current fears in society. For instance in the 1950s people were scared of space travel so the Sci Fi genre reflected this through the use of aliens. Now people are scared of the recent develop of AI and this is reflected through robots.

Question 12

How is Freud’s theory of the Uncanny used?

Answer 12

Freud’s theory of the Uncanny can be applied to the synths in Humans. He suggested that there is a psychological experience of something strangely familiar which humans experience in humanistic things especially when they are taboo. Freud explored this in his 1919 essay ‘Das Heimliche’ in which he explore the topic of eerie dolls and waxworks.

Question 13

How is the three laws of robotics used?

Answer 13

Isaac Asimiov’s three laws of

Question 14

How is intertextuality used?

Answer 14

• ‘The Stepford Wives’ novel by Ira Levin (1972) which was made into films in 1975 and 2004
• Odi stands for Open Data Institute which wa founded by Tim Berners-Lee
• Niska may be based on pleasure model Pris in Phillip K Dick’s ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’ adapted into ‘Blade Runner’ in 1982
• It was based on the Swedish TV show ‘Real Humans’ 2012
• The Hawkins family’s name may come from Stephen Hawking
• The opening scene parallels ‘I, Robot’ 2004
• There is a scene featuring a real Channel 4 presenter

Question 15

How can Todorov’s narrative theory be applied to Humans?

Answer 15

Todrov’s theory seems to work if applied across the series but not on one individual episode as no new equilibrium is found as it ends on a cliff hanger with Anita kidnapping Sophie. There is also a non-linear structure through the flashbacks which subverts the theory.

Question 16

How can Neale’s genre theory be applied to Humans?

Answer 16

Humans uphold many conventions of the Sci-Fi genre through the use of the motif of technology, robots, the blue colour scheme etc
However the series also borrows conventions of other genre. For example the setting of the forest is more inline with the thriller genre and the family home is more like a drama series.

Question 17

How can Levi-Strauss’ theory of binary oppositions be applied to Humans?

Answer 17

Clear binary oppositions are created such as:
- work vs family
- emotions vs rationalism
- immoral vs moral
- digital natives vs digital sceptics
- human vs synth
- female vs male
- Laura vs Anita
- sentient vs unsentient 
- slave vs master
- Mattie vs Laura
However usually the producers position the audience to chose a side but in this case they leave it up to the audience to decide eg) SYNTH VS HUMAN

Question 18

How can Baudrillard’s Post Modernism be applied to Humans?

Answer 18

• Intertextual references to pop culture and real life are used which makes the audience question reality
• Hyperreality through the synths - uncanny
• Hyperreality through the post modern marketing
• Hyperreality through the universe being an alternative present day
• non- linear narrative structure
• post modern themes such as Sci- Fi, AI etc

Question 19

What are the main character’s names?

Answer 19

Joe Hawkins
Laura Hawkins
Sophie Hawkins
Mattie Hawkins
Toby Hawkins

Anita/Mia
Niska
Fred - missing
Max - not missing
Leo Elster

D.I. Karen Voss
D.S. Pete Drummond
Simon
Jill Drummond

Professor Hobb

Odi
Dr George Millican

Question 20

How can Hall’s representation theory be applied to Humans?

Answer 20

• Stereotypes used by the series such as stroppy teens, men lusting after women, Anita as a housewife, Leo as the hero etc. These all reflect domiant ideologies in society.
• However many characters challenge stereotypes such as a working man, stay at home dad, non sexualized teenage girl etc - due to Channel 4’s remit?
• Asian characters included which challenges TV drama’s conventions but reflects Channel 4’s remit for diversity.
• However all ethnic minorities are synths which suggests an imbalance

Question 21

How can hooks’ feminist theory be applied to Humans?

Answer 21

• Evidence of patriarchy through Anita as a housewife, Anita replacing Laura, male salesman selling women as objects etc.
• Some characters challenge patriarchy such as Mattie being intelligent and Laura being a working mum.
• However bell hooks’ theory supported by the fact that a white woman has more power than the Asian woman

Question 22

How can Van Zoonen’s feminist theory be applied to Humans?

Answer 22

• There is some sexualization through the brothel scenes where the women are literal objects for the male gaze and Joe and Toby both lusting after Anita.
• However this is subverted by Laura and Mattie who are both shown as intelligent women

Question 23

How can Butler’s feminist theory be applied to Humans?

Answer 23

Anita plays gender performatively and perhaps Mattie and Laura dislike her because of this as they have constructed their own ideas of gender. However Sophie is indoctrinated by society and therefore fascinated by Anita.

Question 24

Who is the target audience for Humans?

Answer 24

• 15 - 40-year-olds
• digital natives
• fans of drama
• fans of the Sci-Fi genre
• mainstream audience
• young heterosexual men due to Gemma Chan
• the inheirited fanbase of Real Humans
• fans of AMC productions eg) The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad
• fans of the stars

Question 25

How can Livingstone and Lunt's regulation theory be applied to Humans?

Answer 25

Technology has increased the amount of freedom of the consumer as they can access programs such as Humans when they choose to but also made regulation more difficult as All4 makes the watershed redundant and the show is now easily accessed by a younger audience.

Question 26

How can Hesmondhalgh's theory be applied to Humans?

Answer 26

Humans producers minimise risk by: - Basing it on an existing popular series - Creating other versions for the US, China, and Thailand - Through star theory - The companies are vertically and horizontally integrated and part of conglomerates eg) Kudos is part of Endemol Shine

Question 27

How can Hall's reception theory be applied to Humans?

Answer 27

The preferred reading of the series is that the audience is encouraged to see technology as an important issue and to examine the ethics of AI whilst being entertained by the show.

Question 28

How can Jenkins' fan theory be applied to Humans?

Answer 28

Fan sites for the show mostly about Mattie/Leo's relationship which is further developed later in the series. There are fan-made wiki pages, social media which allows fans to interact with the producers and cast members as well as at events like Comic-con.