TITLE:
Current Narrative Research on Historical TV Dramas from a Bottom-Up Perspective
AUTHORS:
Yuxi Zhou
KEYWORDS:
Historical Dramas, Botton-Up Perspective, Material Selection, Narrative Logic
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Journalism and Communication,
Vol.13 No.1,
January
21,
2025
ABSTRACT: Chinese history is long and dates back to ancient times, leaving behind a wealth of cultural heritage. On this foundation, historical dramas have flourished and achieved remarkable success. However, following this period, the narrative methods and subject matter of Chinese historical dramas have become rigid, severely limiting the development of such dramas. To address this challenge, historical dramas have undergone innovative interpretations on multiple levels, with research into this new interpretation utilizing a Bottom-Up Perspective. In terms of subject matter, historical dramas have gradually moved beyond the traditional focus on “heroes”, instead turning their attention to the lesser-known individuals swept up in historical currents. Within the narrative logic, the Youth Narrative is thriving. Even though the traditional theme of heroic figures, the dramas tend to show their ordinary and life-like aspects; and family narratives have replaced political power struggle narratives, forming a narrative structure of “light comedy + ancient costume history.” This change has brought new developments to historical dramas, but there are still many shortcomings, such as logical gaps and the deconstruction of heroes.