History & Practice Session XII: Britain in the 1980s

Official Culture

Unofficial Culture

Official culture is made up of widely popular media that reflects mainstream norms and view of the populous of the area. Examples of this would be popular television shows such as Only Fools and Horses and EastEnders with the latter attracting 17.35 million viewers to the launch show and 30.15 million viewers on its Christmas Day episode in 1986. The show was something that many people across England could relate to at the time and helped express their issues in a widely understandable way.

In contrast to this, unofficial culture was inspired by the rebellion against the Thatcherite zeitgeist, mainly consisting of smaller groups often located in northern areas of England. This allowed them to revolt against the majority and make themselves heard. In 1981 the Toxteth riots in Liverpool begun due to the accelerating economic decline and overthrow of Labour, with Margaret Thatcher taking over and disregarding the Tory-free zones. An example of unofficial culture in television would be The Young Ones, a British sitcom focused on the lives of four students and their landlord's family, often including surrealist comedy and anarchic humour. The show helped to bring alternative comedy to the BBC in the 1980's, with its rating peaking at 6.5 million viewers.