Introduction to TV Drama

Introduction to TV Drama: Blog tasks

Use our Media Factsheet archive on the M: drive Media Shared (M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets) or on Google Drive here.

1) What is serial television drama? Write your own definition.

-A TV split into a series of episodes where the plot unfolds after each episode, this plot will be finished by the end of the series.

2) List five of the TV dramas discussed in the history of the genre on page 1 of the factsheet. How has the genre evolved over time?

-The Avengers
-The Sweeney
-Minder
-Starsky and Hutch
-Danger Man

3) List the sub-genres of TV drama featured in the factsheet. Come up with your own example of an existing TV drama to fit each category.

-Medical: Greys anatomy 
-Teen: Euphoria
-Science-fiction/fantasy: All of Us Are Dead
-Police Procedural (crime): Brooklyn Nine-Nine
-Period (costume): Downton Abbey.
-Family: Friday Night Lights

4) Why is setting so important for TV drama?

-The viewer can be influenced by or make decisions based on when and where the piece is set. The setting also shows them what type of drama it is as a bright and crowed setting would shoe the audiences it is a happy drama, whereas a dark and isolated setting may show them it is an eerie and cold drama.

5) How do TV dramas typically use character? What audience pleasures can be linked to character in TV drama? (Hint: Uses & Gratifications theory!)

-To reflect modern audiences, there is a greater presence of strong females as well as black and ethnic minority characters. Increasingly, gay, lesbian and transsexual characters are also represented in television serials, notably in Orange is the New Black.

6) What is a multi-strand narrative? Give an example of a TV drama that features a multi-strand narrative.

-It is when two or more stories running concurrently in an episode, in addition to any serial beats.

7) What is a cold opening?

-A cold opening is when companies employs a teaser at the beginning to hook the audience and keep them watching.

8) How can Todorov's theory of equilibrium be applied to TV drama serials?

-Generally, stories move through Todorov’s narrative stages though often without the return to equilibrium at the end of each episode.

9) What is the typical form for TV dramas and how are the programmes typically distributed to an audience?

-Many serial dramas fill one-hour or a commercial hour, with some dramas commissioned to span a two- hour slot.

10) How have subscription channels (such as HBO) and streaming services (such as Netflix and Amazon Prime) changed the form and content of TV dramas?

-Drama serials presented on subscription cable channels, such as HBO, AMC and Showtime are not governed by the same considerations as commercial networks like ABC & CBS, Cable channels and services like Netflix and Amazon Prime commission shorter runs and do not need to stick with the same run times as subscription channels.

11) Choose a TV drama and do your own analysis of it using the SETTING / CHARACTERS / NARRATIVE / FORM headings as featured on page 3 of the factsheet.

-Brooklyn Nine-Nine

-SETTING:
-Police station in Brooklyn 

-CHARACTERS:
-Follows the professional and personal lives of a team of detective, mainly Jake Peralta, Amy Santiago and many more.

-NARRATIVE:
-Each episode is focusing on  catching a new criminal and solving the crime they has committed.

-FORM:
-Distributor: NBC Universal Television Distribution and Netflix
-Running time: 30 minutes

12) How might the TV drama genre evolve in future?

-As audiences consume content in different ways serial dramas may become more diverse and targeted toward niche groups. Online programme makers are starting to create more short form content, leading to drama serials that run for much less than 60, or even, 30 minutes.

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