Orientalism and the mass media—a study of the representation of Muslims in Southern European TV fiction. The case of Spanish prime-time TV series

Abstract

This chapter analyses the representation of the Muslim world in prime-time TV series broadcast in Spain, a country with a long-established Muslim population and a strategic migratory destination. Specifically, the narratives chosen are constructed to offer a deliberate image of Muslim characters. For this purpose, the sample comprises two TV series which have had a special impact on Spanish audiences: El tiempo entre costuras and El príncipe. The results conclude that the orientalist representation of Muslim ‘others’ contributes to the differentiation between their space and the Spanish/Western one. In this sense, these cultural artefacts help to reinforce national identities and highlight the common traits that countries like Spain, as a ‘peripheral’ Southern European region, share with other EU Member States.