JOURNAL ARTICLE

Reality television and the politics of mass surveillance in channel 4's Hunted.

  • Published In: Critical Studies in Television, 2024, v. 19, n. 1. P. 58 1 of 3

  • Database: Humanities Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Brayton, Sean 3 of 3

Abstract

This article analyzes the representation of mass surveillance in *Hunted*, a British reality television series on Channel 4 where ordinary citizens roleplay as fugitives evading state surveillance and capture. The series frames surveillance as a symmetrical, population-wide practice through a "fugitive fantasy" that obscures the racialized and unequal realities of being watched, particularly in a post-9/11 context. It also personalizes contestants' experiences via narratives of the "therapeutic self," portraying surveillance as a transformative and empowering challenge rather than a violation of privacy. Finally, *Hunted* employs a "gamification" format that emphasizes individual competition and self-governance, which mitigates systemic critiques of mass surveillance by presenting it as a game-like contest rather than a political or social problem.

Additional Information

  • Source:Critical Studies in Television. 2024/03, Vol. 19, Issue 1, p58
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Communication and Mass Media
  • Publication Date:2024
  • ISSN:17496020
  • DOI:10.1177/17496020231185103
  • Accession Number:175542145
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