
A focused OCR A-Level Media Studies theory lesson applying David Hesmondhalgh’s Cultural Industries Theory to Stranger Things Season 1 Episode 1.
This fully editable PowerPoint (.pptx) lesson is designed as a stand-alone theory, recap or revision lesson for OCR A-Level Media Studies Paper 2: Evolving Media, Section B – Long Form Television Drama.
The lesson focuses on how Stranger Things supports and partly challenges Hesmondhalgh’s theory of cultural industries, particularly the idea that media companies try to reduce risk and maximise profit by using familiar, commercially successful ideas. Students begin by considering why a streaming platform such as Netflix may prefer familiar ideas over completely new ones, linking this to risk, genre, audience appeal and recognisable conventions.
Students then explore Hesmondhalgh’s key ideas, including how cultural industries use familiar genres, stars, narratives, formulas, branding, marketing and distribution to reach large audiences. The lesson applies this to Stranger Things, considering how Netflix uses familiar sci-fi, horror and mystery conventions while still adding originality through 1980s nostalgia, coming-of-age elements and a distinctive ensemble cast.
Students analyse how Episode 1 reduces commercial risk through its dark lab opening, unseen monster, suspense, 1980s nostalgia, Dungeons & Dragons, bikes, friendship group, child protagonists, mystery hook and broad audience appeal. The lesson helps students understand how Stranger Things is commercially safe for Netflix while still feeling fresh and memorable.
The lesson builds towards an exam-style response: To what extent does Stranger Things Episode 1 support Hesmondhalgh’s theory of cultural industries? It includes sentence starters, a word bank, model response, judgement prompt and success criteria. This links clearly to OCR A-Level Media Studies LFTVD 30-mark questions, especially where students need to apply theory to industry, audience appeal, genre familiarity, risk reduction and Netflix’s streaming model.
This lesson covers
OCR A-Level Media Studies
Paper 2: Evolving Media
Section B: Long Form Television Drama
LFTVD
Stranger Things
Stranger Things S1E1
The Vanishing of Will Byers
David Hesmondhalgh
Cultural Industries Theory
Risk reduction
Profit maximisation
Netflix
Streaming platforms
Commercial appeal
Familiar genre conventions
Originality and innovation
Sci-fi
Horror
Mystery
1980s nostalgia
Dungeons & Dragons
Audience appeal
Broad audience
Binge-watching
Cultural industries
30-mark exam preparation
What is included?
Fully editable PowerPoint (.pptx) lesson
Do Now industry/audience recap task
Teacher feedback/model answers
Lesson objectives
Hesmondhalgh theory explanation
Turn and Talk task on familiarity and originality
Task on how Netflix reduces risk through Episode 1
Printable analysis table
Teacher feedback/model examples
Theory in action tas
Something went wrong, please try again later.
This resource hasn't been reviewed yet
To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have purchased this resource can review it
Report this resourceto let us know if it violates our terms and conditions.
Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.