who produces LOM?
-produced by Kudos Film and TV
what is Kudos a subsidiary of?
why was this good for LOM?
- very well known subsidiary of a massive global conglomerate called Endemic Shine
- gives a certain element of quality and reputation because they were made by such a large global company
who contracted Kudos produce LOM?
-BBC
why does the BBC often outsource production?
-BBC often outsources production (dramas in particular) because having these massive companies involved gives the programme a certain ‘stamp of quality’
what is a PSB?
-means it is funded by the public tv license fee (rather than commercials or adverts)
what is the BBC remit?
what is the significance of BBC having this remit?
is LOM niche or mainstream?
- they have to inform, educate and entertain
- means they are able to make more niche programmes for specialised audiences rather than just mainstream popular programmes
- however LOM was a TV drama on BBC1 meaning it was one of the more mainstream programmes
what did the PSB remit and public funding mean for the BBC?
- they can afford to take some risks and make more unusual, niche content
- they don’t have to please advertisers by drawing in massive audiences
how is the PSB remit significantly shown in LOM?
-part of the remit meant that they have to represent more regional areas of Britain
-this is reflected in LOM through the people and settings
from Northern parts of the country such as Manchester
-setting, characters, style and tone perhaps are all reflective of that part of the remit
what time was LOM scheduled?
what did this mean for the content?
- was scheduled at 9pm
- after the watershed
- prime time slot often reserved for programmes considered to be aimed at adults
- meaning they could feature more adult content, such as violence and swearing
why is scheduling important?
-scheduling is important for drawing in audiences
what programmes were scheduled around LOM?
- was scheduled after Eastenders and Outtake TV
- these were 2 very successful programmes on BBC
- then directly after LOM was the news at 10
why was choosing to hammock LOM between these programmes significant?
-choosing to hammock LOM between 2 very successful existing programmes was an attempt to retain audiences across that whole section of the schedule
what types of marketing materials were produced for LOM?
and why?
- variety of marketing materials were produced to promote the show to different audiences
- DVDs, posters, soundtrack, trailers, teaser trailers
- all were used to target different audiences
what print marketing products were produced?
and why?
- posters, DVD covers
- were both styled to feel retro
- used in order to target older audiences from 70s
- nostalgic, familiarity from their youth
why was the BBC test card girl used in LOM?
- BBC test card girl was used to engage older audiences who remembered it
- makes audiences feel nostalgic about past BBC tv features
why were testimonials used on the DVD covers?
- to target specific audiences from different countries
- change and adapting material for different audiences
why did the BBC release a soundtrack for the show?
where was it available?
- it appeals to fans from 70s, or fans of 70s music
- retro, vintage music that older audiences would have enjoyed in their youth
- also used as a marketing material as well as a bit of merchandise to increase their revenue
- was available on amazon and iTunes (digital convergence to other media platforms)
why did they interview the cast and crew?
- producers arranged interviews with cast and crew for magazines and tv guides
- resulting articles would have given new audiences info about the show
why was there a page for LOM on BBC webpage?
- BBC website had a page for LOM so audiences could use it to get info about characters and plots
- could also watch clips and whole episodes on demand
why did the official press release have lots of trivia about 1970s?
- it clearly indicates the retro nature of LOM
- good at targeting older audiences and journalists who remembered that era
why was the BBC logo used on marketing materials?
- gives the show an air of quality and appeal to fans of other BBC dramas
- marketing materials focused on signifying the crime drama genre
- appeals to fans of previous BBC 70s police shows
why did they focus marketing around actor John Simm?
- he was recognisable
- had pre sold audiences from shows like Doctor Who
- use of star power
why was character of Gene Hunt featured a lot in the marketing?
-he became iconic and a popular character with his own set of fans
how popular did LOM become?
- had 2 series in the UK
- built a cult fan base
- there was a spin off show Ashes to Ashes with a female protagonist
- UK version was broadcast in 14 other countries
- received very good viewing figures of 7 million an episode
