How is the conflict of Historical authenticity and dramatic expectation represented in the characters of Peaky Blinders? - Essay Assignment

Introduction

This study explores how the BBC Television series Peaky Blinders represents the conflict of historical authenticity within its characters. By dissecting if there can be a genuine balance upon using fictional characters in a historical setting, I am able to research if in which it can be authentic as well as following the conventions of dramatization, in order to meet expectations of its audiences. As Hansen and Machin observe “All scholarly research starts with choosing a topic, that is a decision about what to research” (Hansen and Machin, 2013, p. 15).

The Television Series itself is an ideal example to use during this topic, whilst being well established it also holds the correct elements in order to really challenge and be a candidate for the research. Set in the early 20th Century it forms around the authentic gang called ‘The Peaky Blinders’; although the gang was real the actual character’s, including the ‘Shelby’ family, were not.

As viewers we often misplace the occurrence of legitimacy in period dramas through its overall visuals and ambience as the interpretation of the genre is “informed by a respect for history, a sure feeling of the period, and a deep and precise sense of place and time” (Toplin, 1988, p. 1225). But like many, this case study is seen to be successful in the execution of bending the truth of legitimacy through its characters, and embracing these untruths as it is more stimulating than what actually happened in history. We see this through characters as it is “rather better at exploring the emotional life of its characters than conventional scholarly historiography” (Bell and McGarry, 2013, p. 14).

Through this theoretical framework I am using specific research methods that are tailored to this study to delve deeper into how fact really works in fiction. ‘It is argued that research methods should be carefully grounded in an understanding of the nature of the investigated phenomena’ (Svensson and Doumas, 2013, p. 442). Conforming to this, my review of literature explores the portrayal of characters and their narratives. Whilst debating how true to the original source the direction given by producers is; as they try to execute the best outcome when representing Elite History. This, complimenting my methodology, of interviews and questionnaires of both audience as well as producer from primary research.