Abstract
Period drama was the predominant domestic fiction genre on Flemish TV until the late 1 980s. It was very popular, but the press reviews were mostly negative, complaining, above all, about its low quality. 7 his article investigates the press discourse on television quality and situates it Within several relevant contexts: academic writinog on television quality; the Flemish broadcasting and social context; and broader discourses about cultural value. Two major lines of thought can be found in reviews of Flemish period drama. On the one hand, -they criticize its professional qualilty and its low level; on the other hand, they laud its Flermish character and cnsider it to be 'typically Flemish'. These mixed reviews can be linked to the prevailing cultural nationalism, aiming to culturally elevate the Flemish and to formn a national identity. Thus, the press take part in the wider process of the discursive construction of national identity.
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