Why is my chosen TV show/episode Postmodern and what characteristics does it withhold?
‘Pete Versus Life’ is a British comedy series written by George Jeffrie and Bert Tyler-Moore, broadcasted weekly on Channel 4. The program surrounds a man named Pete for whom nothing seems to be going right, and as the title suggests, the camera follows Pete as he battles the challenges of life. Pete is a sports journalist who is looking for work and his greatest accolade is interviewing Christiano Ronaldo’s gran.
The TV show itself is set out in the form of a football match. Constantly, throughout the program, commentators are shown who are narrating what is happening on screen. There are many times where split screening and action replays are shown, identical to how they would be in a football match. This is clear use of pastiche, as the tv show imitates a sporting broadcast, using all the elements of it, only adapting it in the form of a narrative. Regularly, a blue and red logo is shown in the top right corner of the screen with the title of the program, this again is identical to how a sports logo would be seen in the exact same position of a football game broadcast. Continuing this pastiche element, the characters of the show are introduced as ‘contestants’ at the beginning of the show, relating it back to a sports game.
Adding to this, hyperreality is highlighted very apparently throughout the show. The commentators that are shown on a regular basis, speak of Pete’s life and the happenings of the program in terms of a sports game. One noticeable example of this is when Pete is having sexual intercourse with a woman, and the commentators narrate what is happening, relating it to a football game with quotes such as “Pete’s reaching the finishing line earlier than he thought.” This is clearly suggesting that Pete has almost reached climax. This is similar to hyperreality’s significance as a medium to explain current issues such as consumerism, because of its reliance on sign exchange value (eg brand x shows that one is fashionable, car Y indicates one’s wealth) – example sourced from wikipedia.
The use of pie charts and data sheets throughout the show could signify possible simulacra as it shows the truth which is concealing Pete’s ability to succeed.
One could argue however, that the program itself is not at all postmodern nor does it have postmodern values as there is a constant time set that it is following. This is because each episode leads onto the next and the program is shown in order of time, following the basic guideline of time.
Faisal Choudhry
