The unprecedented success of Italian crime drama serial Gomorrah : The Series has spurred much interest in the industry as well as a lively critical debate. Little attention, however, has thus far been paid to the creative process behind the series. This article contributes to filling this gap by investigating the branding strategies and the writing strategies that have informed the development process. Particular emphasis is given to the analysis of the storylining techniques employed in the development of the arcs of Season 1 with a view to unpacking how, in turn, these determine mechanisms of the viewers' engagement with characters. As typical of much contemporary serial dramas, these are predominantly antiheroes and therefore our allegiance to them is questioned when problematic issues are raised, as in the case of violent actions and dubious moral choices. The investigation combines three interplaying methodologies: i.e. a genetic approach, close textual (quantitative and qualitative) analysis and a cognitive theoretical framework to offer a general poetic model for analysing serial narrative. While the article deals with one particular case study, the more general aim is to contribute to developments in the field of cognitive studies of serial drama, with a specific focus on creative development and writing practices.
Russo, Paolo
Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment\School of Arts
Year of publication: 2017Date of RADAR deposit: 2017-02-23