“This isn’t Oz.” Orange Is the New Black and the Feminine Complex TV

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5209/arab.78915
Keywords: Orange Is the New Black, Television, women showrunners, femenine representation, narrative

Abstract

Orange Is the New Black (Netflix, 2013-2019) was one of the first shows written by and starring women that appealed to a broad, gender-neutral audience. In a format as predominantly male-dominated as TVIII's serialised drama, this show was a paradigm shift for quality television and narrative complexity. This research studies the narrative characteristics of the show, focusing on the plots and characters of its first season. The differences between Orange Is the New Black and the norms of serialised drama affect the number of power-related plots featuring women and the way in which these stories are developed. The increase of women in the screenwriting team is consisten with changes in the narrative construction and in the representation of historically neglected groups.

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Author Biography

Adrià Naranjo, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja

Adrià Naranjo is a PhD student and lecturer on the Screenwriting MA at the Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR). His thesis focuses on the forms and structures of seriality in Netflix original works. Specifically, he addresses the impact that the all-at-once release has had on the use of canonical serial resources and the construction of episodes as narrative containers. He has also published articles in which he proposes new methodologies for the analysis of television works, seriality and the use of narrative tools such as dialogue and cliffhanger, among others. He has also worked as head of the scriptwriting department in several film schools and has received awards for his work as a scriptwriter. He is a member of the research group Media ART: Narrativas comunicacionales, audiovisuales y artísticas en la sociedad digital (UNIR).

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Published
2022-06-02
How to Cite
Naranjo A. (2022). “This isn’t Oz.” Orange Is the New Black and the Feminine Complex TV. Área Abierta. Revista de comunicación audiovisual y publicitaria, 22(2), 255-269. https://doi.org/10.5209/arab.78915
Issue
Vol. 22 No. 2 (2022): Monográfico: Mujer(es) e industrias creativas
Section
Monográfico

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