Quality TV and cultural origin

Abstract

Quality TV is a multi-layered phenomenon that often expresses itself through its formal qualities. This article asks to what extent form also depends on cultural origin. It compares the Spanish historical series Isabel (RTVE) and the Anglo-American The Crown (Netflix) by subjecting their narrative and medium-specific styles to a mixed method analysis. Despite similar authorial intentions, Isabel invests in action and dialogue and The Crown in cinematic style; furthermore, Isabel’s teleological and political narrative contrasts with The Crown’s fragmented, more private narrative. While both series ingeniously adapt their telling to their historical periods, the Spanish understanding of history as a feat of memorization simplifies the narrative to thicken factual density, whereas the more metacognitive Anglo-American approach to history ensures a multi-level reading of the account, which is more in line with quality TV.