Opening credits and themes in television shows serve several important functions: they establish the setting, mood, subgenre, and overarching themes and ideologies of the show. Specifically, the opening scenes and credits of The Wire introduce its gritty portrayal of the law and police work in Baltimore through realistic scenes of officers dealing with crime, while A Touch of Frost presents a more traditional representation of a detective and his work in a small English town.

1. First impressions…
Opening Credits The Wire and
A Touch of Frost
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1S69staui8
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDffAEg2jsw&feature=related
• Question: Opening credits / themes – What
functions do they have?
• Answer: Establishing setting / mood / subgenre
/ themes and ideologies / stars

2. The Wire
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmIvu1yg
3bU&feature=player_embedded
• Series 1 episode 1
• What do we learn from the opening scene?

6. The Wire
• What representations of the ‘law’ are
constructed?
• How are they constructed?

7. A Touch of Frost
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hraDXLFt
xA&feature=player_embedded
• Series Finale
• What do we learn from the opening scene?

8. How do the representations contrast?