ABSTRACT

The opening episodes of BBC1ʹs Bodyguard (2018) broke records for a drama debut, the highest launch figure for any new drama across all channels in the United Kingdom since 2006. This article examines the hit series with a particular focus on notions of public service and post-military identity. The paper explores how the drama conveys ‘public service’ in the UK context at this specific historic moment, adding to writer Jed Mercurio’s oeuvre of dramas that explore the professional ethics of public servants. More specifically, I argue that the analytical lens of ‘post-militariness’ offers a nuanced way to better understand the complex cultural and political work of the traumatized war veteran from the 9/11 wars, as portrayed in popular media culture. Bodyguard is only one of many dramas representing contemporary war veterans who are often depicted as struggling to transition to civilian life. ‘Post-militariness’ accounts for both the persistence of military identity as a source of pride and as a source for feelings of betrayal.

摘要

BBC1 的《保镖》（2018 年）的开场剧集打破了戏剧首演纪录，这是自 2006 年以来英国所有频道的新剧首播数字最高。本文探讨了这部热门剧集，特别关注公共服务和军后身份。这篇论文探讨了这部戏剧在这个特定的历史时刻如何在英国语境中传达“公共服务”，并为作家杰德·默库里奥探索公务员职业道德的戏剧作品增添了色彩。更具体地说，我认为“后军事化”的分析视角提供了一种细致入微的方式，可以更好地理解 9/11 战争中受创伤的退伍军人的复杂文化和政治工作，正如流行媒体文化所描绘的那样。保镖只是代表当代退伍军人的众多戏剧中的一部，他们经常被描绘成努力过渡到平民生活。“后军事化”解释了军人身份的持续存在，既是自豪感的来源，也是背叛感的来源。