Exam Question 5

Social context can have a large influence on television and how certain things are portrayed. The Avengers was a television show that first aired in 1965 and several things that are shown in the series relate directly to the context of the time. In season 4 episode 1, "The Town of No Return", there are a lot of references to context made. 

A very obvious part of context in 1965 is that the Second World War ended 20 years prior. This is shown by the air field, the abandoned soldiers quarters and the underground bunkers that Steed and Emma find in the episode. The war is also verbally mentioned several times and there is even a scene where Steed is remembering his time he served in the RAF. Even the plot was about a secret invasion of Britain and one of Hitlers plans for the war was to invade Britain but his failed. 20 years isn't a long time in a persons life and the war would still be very fresh in their memory.

Another context relation is that of social class and accents. John Steed and Emma Peel both have posh or RP accents and dress in rather sophisticated upper-class clothes. In 1965 there were plenty of posh or wealthy people who dressed well in rather dapper outfits. Piggy Warren also has a RP accent and certainly seems quite middle-class. Steed carries around an umbrella with him even though it is not raining, wears a bowler hat and even his walk is quite posh. Emma Peel is often wearing gloves and a beret, which is also very upper-class attire. At the start of the episode Steed and Emma start fencing which is often considered a rather posh sport. Afternoon tea is another thing that would usually be done by people of middle or upper-class. Steed and Emma have afternoon tea on the train on the way to Little Bazeley. 

Yet another reference to concept is how equality between men and women is show. In the episode Steed and Emma are both equal. They are both shown to have the same skill and they both do the same amount of work in solving the mystery of what is going on in the town. At the beginning of the episode when Steed is asking about where the coffee and the cream are, Emma simply tells him where it is rather that getting it  for him like women might have been expected to prior to or even at the time the episode was released. Another way Steed and Emma are shown to be equal is when they order the same drink at the pub. In the 1900's many people might have the opinion that Brandy was more of a manly drink. The fact that Steed and Emma are shown to be equal relates to context because around 1965, there became a rather prominent feminist movement campaigning for more equality  between men and women. 

In conclusion, The Avengers relates to social context in many occasions and does this to help the audience feel like they can relate to several things referenced and also so that they can remember other things as well.