Introduction to TV Drama: Blog tasks

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


Serial television drama has a continuous plot that unfolds in sequence episode-by-episode until a resolution is reached 

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?

  • doctor who
  • the avengers
  • danger man 
  • starksy and hutch 
  • the Sweeney 
dramas have become more widespread in terms of content produced and who the audience is targeted at in this new digital age.

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

  • Police  (crime) - blue blood (2010)
  •  Medical - casualty (1986)
  •  Period (costume) - downtown abbey (2010)
  •  Science fiction/fantasy - stranger things (2016)
  •  Family - fuller house (1987)
  •  Teen - riverdale (2017)
4) Why is setting so important for TV drama?

Setting allows the audience to establish some sort of idea of characteristics of the characters. It also allows the audience to think about the type of drama it'll be.

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

Characters are often in a large ensemble that are all usually diverse and all have different characteristics that can apply to different members of the audience. This links to Bulmer and Katz theory of uses and gratifications where audiences or media consumers can create personal relationships with the characters they see.

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

A variety of different narratives in one whole narrative that all contain a final solution/conclusion.

7) What is a cold opening?

When a show jumps straight into the narrative without the opening credits.

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

In TV narrative there is almost always some sort of disequilibrium that starts off and as the narrative develops there is a climax where the disequilibrium gets solves and we move into a stage of new equilibrium that is not the same as the beginning but is a stage of peace and harmonious  

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

TV dramas take an episodic approach that usually air weekly at a certain time and play through seasons with season finales and build ups to new seasons.

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?

Streaming and subscriptions services allow people to binge shows and entice them in to watching episode after episode which allows audiences to quickly finishes seasons reduces the needs for " frustrating" cliffhangers and unnecessary build ups.

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.

Riverdale (2017 Netflix/CW series)

setting:

  • Riverdale
  •  county in the US, Rockland County,
characters:
  •  Archie Andrews
  •  Betty Cooper
  • Veronica Lodge
  • Jughead
  • Hermione Lodge
  • Cheryl Blossom
  • Josie McCoy
  • Alice Cooper
  • Fred Andrews
  • Hiram Lodge
  •  Kevin Keller
  • F. P. Jones
  • Reggie Mantle
  • Toni Topaz
Riverdale consists of a group of teenagers, most of them being friends, each with different stories and backgrounds who all come together as one group to solve murders/mysterious things occurring in their town.

narrative:
  • multi strand narrative-all eventually link together 
  • each season always has one main pint of disequilibrium that each episode take to resolv
form:
  • network: The CW Television Network
  • 44-46 minutes per episode

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

TV drama may not be on TV as such anymore due to the rise in popularity of streaming services such as Netflix which now make their own original series may take over the TV drama industry, however it depends on the audiences , how this industry evolves as produces would look at how the audience prefer to watch their content whether its through weekly episodes or a binge series. 

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