Contextual Studies - Review a British TV Drama

I am reviewing Doctor Foster for my British TV drama. I chose this as it has the adult themes that are similar to what I am doing in my film. Its a short TV mini series created by Mike Bartlett commissioned by the BBC about Gemma Foster, a head doctor of a practice who has the perfect job and family, until she suspects her husband is having an affair. As she begins to investigate things turn deeper and darker as secrets unfold and her perfect life starts falling apart.

Mike Bartlett managed to captivate audiences being one of the years most successful drama's on TV and was immediately commissioned for a second series. It won several awards including Best new drama at the National Television Awards and the lead actress Suranne Jones won a BAFTA for best actress.

When looking at the complexity of the characters they hold many different attributes to their personalities. He has clearly developed many layers that show the different sides of them creating a more compelling and intriguing hook to discovering new things about the characters as the series unfolds. I want to bring this to my film as I believe this is the way to good story telling as well as the protagonist playing a strong woman like mine.



When watching the series I particularly focused on the first episode looking at key camera angles, sound and other aspects that had been done to make the episode highly watchable. There are many close ups used to display emotion and an importance of an object as well as uses of mid, long and establishing shots. I love that there are a wide variety as the audience will never get board and it never stays on one shot for too long. When looking at sound I particularly like the way its used to build mystery and tension. When she first discovers a Blonde hair on her husbands scarf there is no audio at all making the focus all about what we are seeing. When Gemma slowly starts unraveling her husbands affair the score turns to a dark and tense sound that indicates something is wrong. I will use that in my film to add the tension as mine is a Thriller/ Drama.

The series as a whole is thrilling and captivates the viewer into Gemma's tragic breakdown of what seemed to be the most faultless marriage as it disarrays into tragedy and despair.