And what if we linger a little longer on what might be hidden behind the camera? While appreciating what is shown to us on big and small screens, among films, programs, and TV series, most of the time we do not question the possible backstories that have accompanied a given production. But for that slice of the audience that cannot help but ask certain questions, the world of TV series has thoughtfully set out to offer stories of media wars whose battlefield is the screen itself. In this case what matters is only who has the full control of the narrative. Between battles for ratings, political influences and commercial dominance, here are three TV series set in an ecosystem dominated by ambition where alliances are born and die in the blink of an eye.
Lotte di potere, scandali e indici di ascolto: 3 serie TV sul lato oscuro delle guerre mediatiche
The Morning Show
Created by Jay Carson and distributed on Apple TV with four seasons to date and a fifth on the way, The Morning Show tells the behind-the-scenes battle that involves everyone perfectly. In the entertainment machine, no one is indispensable: Alex Levy knows this well, as she abruptly loses her co-host of the morning program on the morning show following a sexual scandal. To fill a huge void and a scandal that shows no mercy, the production decides to hire a contrarian voice, reporter Bradley Jackson, an idealistic and impulsive journalist whose method clashes with that of Alex. The media war in this case is mostly internal, a continuous chess match where some try to bury the scandals and others try to keep their job. Making all this even more gripping is the cast involved: Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon are the two leads.
The Newsreader
Another reality set in the frenetic world of television news is The Newsreader, an Australian TV series comprising three seasons and available for streaming on Netflix, set in the 1980s, starring Anna Torv and Sam Reid. The story unfolds in a TV newsroom and tells of an improbable alliance between the stoic Helen Norville and the ambitious yet insecure Dale Jennings. As they try to snag the scoop of the moment, they also seek to soften conservative journalism, while at the same time highlighting the human fragilities and the ruthless competition of these environments.
Rivals
And here we come to Rivals, distributed for streaming on Disney+ with two seasons to date and a renewed third that tells exactly what happens behind the scenes of a major television broadcaster forced to fight to preserve its place. Set in 1980s England, it follows the showdown between the arrogant director of Corinium Television Tony Baddingham and the audacious Delan O’Hara, initially his subordinate and then his rival. In Rivals the battleground is truly entertainment, and the power of the media is a weapon used also as personal revenge between the two sides. Between constant betrayals, low blows and corruption, Rivals shows in this case a television reality that does not serve to inform the country, but to buy social influence.
Comments