Abstract
This paper discusses the cognitive effect of a highly successful 1985 British television program, "Edge of Darkness," which was viewed by millions and received critical plaudits and the accolade of the industry itself. The program is shown to represent a significant television event for formal and cognitive reasons that can usefully be related to the politics of television fiction and postmodern culture. Before describing the program in detail, the relevance of situating it within this broader framework is outlined, i.e., how cognition works in relation to the story's discursive process. The specific qualities of Edge of Darkness are clarified by considering the text itself and why and how it was made. The program is identified as postmodernist stylistically because it: (1) moved to and fro between the logic of realism/naturalism and a kind of modernist reflexivity; (2) explored complex psychic and political depths; (3) dealt with the concept of mapping; and (4) wove a number of themes (the "back story") into an engaging fiction. The knowledge and understanding the program generated is analyzed by situating the text in its contexts of consumption and production. It is concluded that the goal of the program--consciousness raising--was achieved, although any sense the fiction makes to television viewers is conversely viewed as tenuous. (67 notes and references) (CGD)
Citation
McGuigan, J. The Cognitive Dimension--"Edge of Darkness.". Retrieved August 10, 2024 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/139767/.
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