The Problematic Gaze

• 'It’s a Wonderful Life' (1946) Jimmy Stewart and the Shattered American Dream

  In this episode of The Problematic Gaze, we take a smart yet light-hearted look at It’s a Wonderful Life  from 1946, starring Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, the man whose shattered dreams somehow become the emotional glue holding Bedford Falls together. We explore how the film mirrors a nation rebuilding itself after WWII, balancing hope, anxiety, and the looming pressure of the corporate machine embodied by Mr. Potter.We dig into the film’s gender politics, especially the Madonna/Whore dynamic that frames Mary as the idealized homemaker while Violet is cast under the town’s moral magnifying glass. We also zoom out to the cultural moment: the news events shaping the postwar world,  the film landscape Frank Capra re-entered after the war, and the popular songs that set the mood of 1946.Deep dive into with us into a beloved holiday classic—proof that beneath all the tinsel lies a rich tangle of ideals, anxieties, and unfulfilled ambitions.Click here to follow us on all our socialsPlease leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.  And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at [email protected]. We love hearing from you!

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• THE PROBLEMATIC GAZETTE: Listener Letters Corner, Christmas TV, Rowland & Janet,

  Welcome to The Problematic Gazette, a bonus addition to our main show. Our Dave and Dr Lee chew the fat, read out Gazer comments  and  discuss things we've seen, read and heard this week.To watch video versions of our full episodes check out The Problematic Gaze YouTube channel here!Click here to follow us on all our socialsPlease leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.  And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at [email protected]. We love hearing from you!

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• Unwrapping Downton Abbey's 2011 Christmas Special. Period drama and the Myth of the Good Aristocrat.

  In this festive deep dive, The Problematic Gaze visits the candlelit halls of Downton Abbey to dissect the beloved—and controversial—2011 Christmas Special. From Mary and Matthew’s snow-dusted proposal to the unspoken emotional labor of the servants, we unwrap how the episode uses holiday warmth to soften the edges of Edwardian class hierarchy, gender expectations, and the romanticisation of aristocratic life. Through critical analysis and cultural context, we explore how period drama is often used to remind us of the good old days, when everyone knew their place, Britannia ruled the waves and even the poorest could be happy (unless you're Daisy the kitchen maid, and then life was actually shit!)Watch the episode of international hit drama Downton Abbey from Christmas Day 2011.  Click here to watch on itvX in the UKPlease leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.  And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at [email protected]. We love hearing from you!GAZER HOMEWORK: Next Week we dissect the beloved US Christmas film (or is it?) It's A Wonderful Life from 1946

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• THE PROBLEMATIC GAZETTE: Grange Hill, Collagen and Christmas Markets

  Welcome to The Problematic Gazette, a bonus addition to our main show. Our Dave and Dr Lee chew the fat, read out Gazer comments  and  discuss things we've seen, read and heard this week.To watch video versions of our full episodes check out The Problematic Gaze YouTube channel here!Click here to follow us on all our socialsPlease leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.  And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at [email protected]. We love hearing from you!

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• Servalan and the sexual politics of 'Blake’s 7' from 1980. With special guest Toby Hadoke

  In this episode of The Problematic Gaze, we’re joined by actor, writer, comedian, and classic TV chronicler Toby Hadoke for a deep dive into Series 3, Episode 10 of the enduring British cult sci-fi phenomenon Blake’s 7  from 1980.  Toby brings his insight, humour, and encyclopaedic genre knowledge to a conversation about what made the series daring, flawed, and unforgettable. We explore the show’s gender politics, performances, production challenges, and the fascinating contradictions that helped cement Blake’s 7 as one of British sci-fi’s most compelling—and complicated—television landmarks.To watch the episode of Blakes 7, Harvest of Kairos, discussed in this podcast  Click hereClick here to follow us on all our socialsPlease leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.  And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at [email protected]. We love hearing from you!GAZER HOMEWORK: Next Week we dissect we kickstart our Christmas curation with an episode of international hit drama Downton Abbey from Christmas Day 2011.  Click here to watch on itvX in the UK

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