Fiction Series Research Articles

Translation and adaptation studies on common ground: the Murat Davman crime fiction series

ABSTRACT When claims emerged that Ümit Deniz’s Murat Davman crime fiction series (1956–1974) was an adaptation of Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer series (1946–1996), they were quickly debunked. The claims, however, prompted questions about whether Deniz’ series may be an adaptation of other novels Deniz translated into Turkish. This article reads Deniz’ corpus with the tools of intertextuality and translation theory and characterizes his series as both a concealed translation/global adaptation of the Hammer series, other novels and an original work. In so doing, it brings together hitherto distinct disciplines and offers a revised constructive interpretation of the East–West relationship when it comes to discussion of the circulation of texts, which is usually structured by assumptions of the incompetency and backwardness of the East and the perceived superiority of the West. Through the series, we see the importance of recognizing the potential of East–West as moments of mutual enrichment.

O RAPTO DA MENINA DOURADA REDES SOCIAIS, MANIPULAÇÃO DA OPINIÃO PÚBLICA E ATRAÇÃO PELO GROTESCO NO EPISÓDIO THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, DO SERIADO BLACK MIRROR

Created by british screenwriter Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror is an anthology science fiction series launched in 2011 by Channel 4. The episodes, which do not feature characters and fixed frames, are driven by the increasingly frequent mediation of human relations by social networks and technology, represented by the “black mirror” common to all devices – the screen. The National Anthem episode, corpus of this article, will be used to investigate some themes, among which the strength of social networks; the attraction of the public by the grotesque and the manipulation of public opinion in today’s mediatized society.

Media Circus and Mass Hysteria: The Representation of the Press in Flemish Fiction Series

By undertaking a textual analysis of five Flemish (Belgium) television series, this study contributes to the broader understanding of European journalism fiction. The findings underscore a prevailing negative representation of journalism, emphasizing commercial interests and portraying news outlets as disruptive forces in democratic processes. As such, the Flemish series advocate for a collaborative relationship between news media and government officials, aligning with a public service-oriented model. At the same time, a discernible pattern emerges wherein critical assessments predominantly target fictional news brands, systematically contrasted with more neutral portrayals of non-fictional news brands. Lastly, the series perpetuate gendered stereotypes thereby highlighting a lack of inclusivity.

Periodismo, género y televisión: la imagen de las mujeres periodistas en las series estadounidenses (1988-2022)

Over the decades, the film industry has perpetuated certain narrative paradigms and stereotypes about female journalists. Some of these have been transferred to television fiction, where such portrayals have been updated with new archetypes. The aim of this research is to determine the way female journalists are portrayed in US fictional series. To this end, an analysis has been carried out regarding eight series broadcast between 1988 and 2022, which focus on journalism, featuring women as the protagonists who work in the profession. A diachronic perspective has been taken, which allows us to see the evolution of these stereotypes over more than three decades. In this way, it is possible to observe changes in archetypes as well those that persist, and to show evidence of social progress related to the diverse portrayals of women journalists.

"Isn't that what you want, to be accepted?": Critical analysis of LGBTI+ characters on television series in the United States

In recent years, there has been an exponential increase in the number of LGTBIQ+ characters and storylines appearing in serialized fiction in the United States. This has gained importance due to the effects of media discourses on social imaginaries with regard to the sexual diversity of a community that suffers a high degree of social, political and labor discrimination. The objective is to critically analyze which are the general trends in recent years. Hence, this research is based on a critical discourse analysis of fictional series from the last decade, from two levels: first, the macro-level, in which the discourse around which the storylines are based is analyzed; and a second micro-level, which addresses the issues of lexicalization, focus and conceptual polarization. The results suggest the existence of a dual pattern in these characters, whereby they are based within the construction of a homonormative narrative and/or otherwise placed in marginal or socially excluded settings. Moreover, many traditionally common stereotypes are maintained, and sexual identity and orientation continue to feature prominently among the main story arcs of these characters. It is thus concluded that quantitative growth is insufficient if it is not accompanied by greater normalization.

An analysis of the audio-visual style used in the portrayal of journalism: being and ought to be in The Wire and The Newsroom

The portrayal of journalism in fictional series of the 21st century cannot be fully understood without considering two productions, which are The Wire (HBO, 2002-2008) and The Newsroom (HBO, 2012-2014). However, academic approaches to the two series have focused on aspects related to theme, narrative, and reception, which generally receive more attention in the field of television studies than other equally relevant viewpoints. This paper aims to fill the existing gap with regard to formal approaches by proposing a textual and comparative analysis of the stylistic keys of both series in their approach to journalistic activity. One of the main findings is that although both series are very realistic, The Wire focusses on a formal system built upon the strategies of staging, planning, editing and sound space, with a tendency to descriptively display the facts, while The Newsroom uses an expressiveness that idealises the way the profession is carried out with a sentimental emphasis.

When TV neighbours become good friends: Understanding Neighbours fans' feelings of grief and loss at the end of the series.

Fans may experience significant upset and distress when a television series ends. However, grief and loss reactions to the end of a fictional series have seldom been investigated. It is likely that the degree to which such reactions are felt is influenced by viewing motives (e.g., pleasure, meaning making), connection to the series and its fan community, relationships formed with characters, including parasocial bonds and experiences of empathy, and tendency to engage with others' perspectives and emotions, including fictional characters. The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of fans' grief and loss reactions to the end of the television series Neighbours, which aired from 1985 to 2022. Fans (n = 1289) completed an online survey shortly after the screening of the final episode. The survey measured grief emotions and cognitions, acceptance that the series had ended, distress at the loss of a parasocial relationship with a favourite character, feelings of closure, and expressions of gratitude for the series. Predictors of these grief and loss reactions examined in the survey were viewing motives, fan identity, strength of a parasocial relationship formed with a favourite character, empathy towards that character, and tendency to take others' perspectives, experience empathic concern and personal distress, and tendency towards engagement with fictional characters. Greater grief and loss reactions were experienced by fans whose motives for watching involved being entertained and exposed to different lifestyles, who felt a stronger fan connection to the series, and who formed stronger parasocial empathic relationships with their favourite character. Factors such as gender, age, and empathic tendencies predicted various types of grief reactions. Understanding fan experiences when a long-running series ends advances theory and research on viewer parasocial relationships and engagement with media, as well as providing evidence that the loss of a series or favourite character can be viewed as a type of grief experience.

A gothic Taoism and its dual facets: possible worlds in The Haunted Monastery

Recent scholarship has argued for a Western basis for the Judge Dee Mysteries, a detective fiction series by Sinologist Robert van Gulik (1910–1967) set in Tang China. But these studies primarily focus on how Chinese elements are recreated to cater to Anglophone readers’ tastes, neglecting to discuss their actual Western origins in any detail. This paper will make the attempt by focusing on one of the novels, The Haunted Monastery, to investigate how Gothic Taoism is projected through the internal organization of the semantic universe (characters, settings, and conflicts) in the multiple worlds of this detective fiction. It observes how van Gulik recreates anti-religious conventions in the traditional Western Gothic novel and in Chinese courtroom fiction. This artistic innovation highlights the dual facets of Taoism in the story, as it navigates between the realms of crime and faith. On the one hand, it faces the purely divine world, while on the other, it faces the secular world dominated by limitless desire.

Hospitality and anti-tourist attitudes through the host-guest relationship in the Westworld science fiction series

Westworld is a science fiction series that proposes a theme park of the future where ‘guests’ can live a Wild West experience without restrictions or reprisals, thanks to reallooking android ‘hosts’ who grant all their wishes. Due to the topic covered, this science fiction series allows its use as a common thread for an article that considers the concept of hospitality, the host-guest relationship and its consequence for the management of tourist destinations. This is achieved through an exegesis of Westworld and an analysis of academic bibliography. First, different concepts of hospitality and what they imply for the host-guest relationship are identified. Subsequently, how different theoretical developments on the resident-tourist relationship are proposed entailing different interpretations and reactions to the same objective reality. In conclusion, it should be noted that when tourism is perceived as subordinating the host to the wishes of the guest (as in Westworld), the appearance of anti-tourism attitudes among residents is only a matter of time, generating conflicts. Furthermore, the importance of dominant interpretive theories in determining the reaction of the local population to events that occur should be highlighted.

Two Sides of the Same Hegemony: Human, Control, Power Struggles and The Hunger Games

As being one of the most popular contemporary young adult fiction series at the time it was published, The Hunger Games Trilogy explores crucial real-life issues within a fictional apocalyptic world. This article delves into the analysis of the book series’ various societies through the lens of Antonio Gramsci’s theory of hegemony and Jeremy Bentham’s panopticon prison, which Michel Foucault later interpreted as a tool for societal discipline. The argument presented here centres on the striking similarity in the control methods employed by the two distinct power centres in the series—Capitol and District 13—to govern the people under their rule. By utilizing the theories of hegemony and panopticon, this study scrutinizes this type of control in detail. Additionally, the article examines how both Capitol and District 13 employ media, hunger, and the Hunger Games as separate tools for control, elucidating their respective impacts on society. Despite the initial portrayal of Capitol as evil and District 13 as good, a thorough analysis reveals that they share the same underlying motivation and methods in their quest for ultimate control over everything.

Tourist destinations masked in the symbolic constructs of «Money Heist» (Netflix, 2017-2021)

The popular Spanish fiction series Money Heist has been seen in more than 190 countries and has won the International Emmy Award for Best Drama. In 41 episodes over five seasons, a group of thieves dressed in red overalls and concealing their faces behind Salvador Dalí masks break into the Royal Mint of Spain and the Bank of Spain with the intention of carrying out an ambitious heist at each location. There are almost no product placements of real-life tourist attractions in the narrative structure of the series. This article discusses whether certain symbolic constructs identified in Money Heist could act as tourism inducers in the same way as the placement of real-life locations, a practice explored extensively in recent research. This study finds a considerable increase in tourist numbers to the Royal Mint of Spain that coincided with a massive rise in searches on YouTube for identifying elements of the series and a significant correlation between those elements and Spanish tourist destinations on Instagram. It thus offers evidence of the presence of symbolic constructs that could serve as inducers of both domestic and international tourism to Madrid.

The production of Spanish fiction series for SVOD: evolution, trends and strategies

The consolidation of digital television via subscription video on demand (SVOD) services has created an unprecedented increase in the consumption of serialised TV shows, which has had direct consequences on the content production sector. Faced with an increasingly demanding, hyperconnected and discerning audience and a supply of content never previously seen, television production and distribution strategies are involved in a process of change and adaptation. This paper seeks to analyse the production of Spanish television series created to be distributed on SVOD platforms. The aim is to know the role that production companies play in the creation of television series for SVOD so as to identify strategies and cooperative alliances between production companies and platforms and to detect possible patterns and trends in the operations of the audiovisual market. Using a mixed methodology that combines quantitative study with qualitative data analysis, the 88 Spanish TV series and miniseries that premiered on SVOD platforms from 2016 to 2021 are analysed, taking as a starting point the year in which these platforms began operating in Spain. The results confirm a trend towards cooperation between independent production companies and the platforms themselves, while no presence of in-house production is observed. Likewise, the atomisation of the role of production companies in the context of SVOD is shown, a phenomenon that already existed in generalist television production.

Scriptwriters’ Conceptions of Audience Attitudes Toward LGBTQ+ Characters

ABSTRACT Drawing on media production studies, this research observes the understudied figure of the scriptwriters of fictional series to identify their feelings about different audiences and the way they respond to LGBTQ+ characters and narratives. Specifically, it seeks to understand how they use these mental images of their audiences when they create LGBTQ+ content. Semi-structured interviews were conducted online with twenty scriptwriters of different genders and sexual identities. A thematic analysis of their responses shows that they mostly have stereotypical mental images of their audiences’ preferences regarding LGBTQ+ characters and contents, which these scriptwriters actively draw upon in their work. Moreover, those images are based on their personal life experiences. Young LGBTQ+ scriptwriters are the only ones who tend not to conceive audiences as conservative or traditionalist. It is also observed that female and gay scriptwriters employ narrative strategies to protect queer audiences, female writers are inclined toward emotionally supportive portrayals, and gay writers develop characters that defend LGBTQ+ rights. The conclusion is that the creation of LGBTQ+ characters for TV series requires diverse teams of writers and literacy on sexual and gender prejudices, even among queer scriptwriters.

Перевод в переводе: стратегии передачи инокультурности (по «китайским» детективам Р. ван Гулика)

This article presents an analysis of various methods of translating foreign cultural colouring in works of fiction. An exotic culture (Chinese) is mediated by the author’s native language (British English) and then serves as an object of translation for a foreign-language target audience (Russian-speaking). Such a double ethnolinguistic barrier is overcome by translators in different ways, involving various strategies. The analysis focused on Robert van Gulik’s novels The Emperor’s Pearl and Necklace and Calabash from the English-language crime fiction series about Judge Dee, translated into Russian by Zh. Grushanskaya, I. Mansurov and O. Zavyalova with a minimal time gap. The research methodology is based on comparative and contextual analysis as well as analysis of dictionary definitions using lexicographic sources. In addition, the methods of analysis and synthesis, generalization and abstraction, classification, interpretation, and description are applied. Realia as fragments of the linguistic and conceptual worldview of mediaeval China are actively used by van Gulik to create a specific colouring of Chinese culture, exotic for Europeans. From British English into Russian, they are translated by means of various techniques reflecting different translation strategies. The multiple solutions include foreignization with explanatory translation, domestication, omission and elimination of national specifics. The translation variability revealed is determined by the individual translation style due to the levelling of other factors of translation multiplicity, since the time gap between the translations is minimal, the target audience is homogeneous, and the direction of the interlanguage and intercultural contact is one-dimensional. The identified errors in translation solutions deviating from adequacy are caused by pseudo-equivalence traps and incorrect strategies for conveying foreign cultural realia in a doubly mediated translation.

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY APPLIED TO THE FORENSIC AREA

The analysis of DNA samples to solve crimes is something widely oberved in films and fiction series, however, does this really happen in everyday life? The present work consists of a bibliographical review, the objective of which is to provide a historical review of the development of Molecular Biology, its use in the forensic field and the main techniques used by it. In this sense, it is noted that the development of this science, as well as the techniques and methodologies it carries out, accompany the technological development and tools available to it. The use of DNA, which once began with the aim of identifying immigrants, is now used in a variety of techniques to blame or discriminate against criminal suspects. Although it is advanced and this work describes some of the techniques used by molecular biology, many others can be characterized to understand the future of this science within criminal investigation.

Journalistic Practices in Difficult Times: The Cases of Fictional Television Series Borgen and El Caso in Denmark and Spain

This study sets out to understand how journalism is represented in the Danish fiction series Borgen and the Spanish series El Caso: Crónica de Sucesos. The aim is to provide an understanding of how journalism is conceptualized in non-American fiction. Through textual analysis, we found out that Borgen (years 2010 and up) represents a generational and evolutionary conflict in which journalistic values are restrained by political and commercial imperatives reflecting challenges in Danish journalism. As such, this series criticizes the free press myth—commonly found in American fiction series. El Caso (1960s) also engages with this myth through the representation of journalism practices embedded in Spain’s Francoist regime that balance public and political-religious interests. However, El Caso smooths over this conflict to illustrate how journalists cleverly overcame the censorship of the Catholic church. Both series explore the gendered and cultural obstacles of their respective contexts and eras.

Отражение пост-экономических проблем в научно-фантастических сериалах «Звездный путь» и «Вавилон 5»

The article examines “Star Trek” and “Babylon 5” as components of American political culture and collective memory, focusing on their portrayal of economic issues. It aims to analyze how economic ideas are depicted in science fiction films and how they are absorbed into mass culture to fit the needs of a consumer society. The study draws on interdisciplinary historiography and economic theory, integrating insights from economic and cultural anthropology as well as sociology. Its novelty lies in analyzing how economic and social issues are perceived and how alien economic development is portrayed in the visual narratives of science fiction series. The analysis focuses on how these series represent economic experiences and social contradictions, such as inequality and development disparities in American society. It also explores the political and ideological dimensions of the economy as a driver of social and cultural transformation, particularly amid economic globalization and growing criticism of capitalist rationality. Additionally, the study considers how economic development is understood through collective memory, with socio-economic traumas from modernization and globalization intensifying inequality and disparities. The study further explores how “Star Trek” and “Babylon 5” shape perceptions of economic issues in U.S. society by promoting the idea of a socially responsible economy. The author argues that these series envision a post-capitalist economy grounded in humanism, progress, and development. In conclusion, the findings suggest that “Star Trek” and “Babylon 5” serve as cultural mechanisms for the assimilation and reevaluation of economic concepts, addressing collective traumas and ideological contradictions as society balances social responsibility with market dynamics.

Science Fiction Series <i>Orville</i> as Space for the Memorial Cultures and Memory Wars

The relevance of collective memory analysis comes from the increasing role of memorization in social processes, which are currently acquiring increasingly significant conflict potential. The author analyses visual material of the popular science fiction series The Orville, which represents a segment of American political culture, as one of the cultural mechanisms for the assimilation of ideology and politics in mass cultural discourse. It is presumed that The Orville parodies the classic epics Star Trek and Babylon 5 and thus is part of the processes of deconstructing the historical collective memory of modern American society. This study intends to establish how a formally parody series not only mocks and imitates, but also constructs its own versions of memorial culture. The article aims: 1) to describe the universal tactics of deconstruction as a form of revision of existing memorial cultures; 2) to clarify the possibilities and boundaries of describing memorial culture through the prism of visual mass culture, using the example of a science fiction series; 3) to analyze the modes of updating political and social contradictions in American society on the example of the TV series The Orville; 4) to consider the specificity of the transformation of mass consciousness by constructing a new version of identity in the light of a radical revision of the narratives of classic science fiction series; 5) to analyze the political and ideological dimensions of the memory wars presented in the clash of traditional and liberal values of the characters in the series. Methodology of the article bases on the principles of the memorial turn and the analysis of the politics of memory within the paradigm of cultural and intellectual history and includes the methods of discourse analysis and intent analysis. The novelty of the study lies in determining the directions and specificities of the assimilation of the political, limited by the problems of collective memory, cultural, religious and gender identity along with military and ideological confrontation in modern mass culture of historical memory within the visual space of the science fiction series The Orville. The series is analyzed as an attempt to deconstruct the cultural experience and legacy of Star Trek, which actualized science fiction series as one of the sources of cultural and social meanings for modern consumer society. The author also analyzes the contribution of the series to the development of the collective memory of US society; the transformation of the concepts of Self and Otherness through the prism of specifying cultural, religious and gender roles. Revision of the past in popular culture as an alternative space for the functioning of collective historical memory is investigated. As a result of the study, it is presumed that The Orville actualizes modern American laughter culture and inspires attempts to rethink collective memory, the collective historical experience of trauma and represents an attempt to abandon the strategies of historical amnesia and ignoring politically inconvenient experiences.

What affects perceived quality? An examination of television fiction series

With the number of television series increasing almost daily and resources becoming increasingly sparse, it is more important than ever for companies to determine which series will have market success or not. This paper attempts to identify the characteristics of television fiction series that cause consumers to perceive them as being of high quality. In a nation-wide survey, we surveyed 874 television viewers about ten series from four genres to investigate which characteristics of television series predict consumers’ perception of their quality. Although in most cases the coherence of the plot and the dialogues have a strong and positive effect on perceived quality, overall, we find that different genres have different predictors of perceived quality. We discuss the implications of our findings and provide recommendations for future research and practice.

Doctor Who and the seeds of anxiety: exploring popular narratives of energy justice and exploitation

Achieving and implementing sustainable socio-technical transitions requires high levels of public understanding and acceptance across multiple sectors including energy, transport, heating, and other domains. However, the level of public understanding of even the most “obvious” high carbon sector, energy production, and of the surrounding class relations around its production and consumption, remains under-examined. A specific gap is how energy narratives diffuse through and are shaped by widely accessible popular sources. The extent that public understanding may be informed by how popular culture presents issues of energy, class and access, merits consideration, yet is underexplored. This article contributes to the emerging field of energy humanities by examining five stories from the popular BBC science fiction series Doctor Who, broadcast in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. It situates them in the time they were created and finds that the program provides representations of energy production and class and that these stories yield critique of political repression of subjugated peoples. However, Doctor Who ultimately does not convey a meaningful sense of endogenous social change as questions of justice are resolved by a saviour arriving from without. Our contention is that Doctor Who distils and represents via drama a degree of support for energy justice critique present in a particular place and time, the UK from the 1960s to the 1980s. Yet we also contend the energy justice critique apparent in Doctor Who is limited by several interlocking characteristics: the paternalistic rescue of victims of oppression matched by the uncritical validation of other and newer energy sources; therefore, the need for technological progress is endorsed. These limitations in normative energy justice appear in a programme viewed by millions and we contend these limitations prevailed in the wider culture which produced and watched it. Ultimately therefore interpretation of Doctor Who reflects on the theme of denialism, of the need for a just energy transition, which is conspicuously relevant today across multiple nations.