We need to make sure we are experts in television drama for this major section of Media Exam 1 - conventions, media language, notable successes and historical context.
TV Drama: key notes
Television drama is a hugely popular genre and a staple across schedules and streaming services. ‘Binge-watching’ is a recent phenomenon while other dramas have built hugely loyal fanbases (e.g. Doctor Who, Game of Thrones).
There are many sub-genres and hybrid genres in TV drama from the costume drama to the hospital drama.
Setting
TV dramas tend to take place in recognisable settings with regular locations that characters can inhabit.
Most dramas are defined by their location and the iconography (mise-en-scene) is vital for communicating the sub-genre and narrative expectations to the audience.
Even science-fiction family dramas such as Doctor Who feature regular settings such as the Tardis.
Character
Most TV dramas have a large ensemble cast – a range of characters. These characters are often stereotypical – communicating a lot to the audience quickly.
Often recognisable and relatable – giving audiences the pleasure of identification and an ongoing ‘relationship’: we keep watching to find out what happens to them.
Characters often reflect the sub-genre (think police, hospital or period costume drama stock characters).
Narrative
Most TV dramas have multi-strand narratives telling a range of interconnected storylines. An overall narrative arc often goes over the whole season or series. Others feature episodic narratives with storylines resolved in one episode. Flashbacks can also feature.
Many TV dramas now employ a ‘cold opening’ – the opening scene taking place before credits/titles – designed to create enigma and draw the audience in. Ultimately, it is the sub-genre of the TV drama that will help set narrative expectations for the audience.
Note: If you missed the initial lesson on TV Drama, we analysed a series of TV drama opening scenes to explore how the setting, character and narrative is established using technical codes (e.g. camerawork/editing/mise-en-scene) and audio codes (dialogue/voiceover/diegetic and non-diegetic sound). One of the opening sequences is available on YouTube:
Note: If you missed the initial lesson on TV Drama, we analysed a series of TV drama opening scenes to explore how the setting, character and narrative is established using technical codes (e.g. camerawork/editing/mise-en-scene) and audio codes (dialogue/voiceover/diegetic and non-diegetic sound). One of the opening sequences is available on YouTube:
An introduction to TV Drama: Blog task
Use our Media Factsheet archive on the M: drive Media Shared (M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets) to find Media Factsheet #164 on Television Serial Drama. Save it to USB or email it to yourself so you have access to the reading for homework. Read the whole of Factsheet and answer the following questions to show your comprehensive knowledge of the television drama genre:
1) What is serial television drama? Write your own definition.
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?
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.
4) Why is setting so important for TV drama?
5) How do TV dramas typically use character? What audience pleasures can be linked to character in TV drama? (Hint: Uses & Gratifications theory!)
6) What is a multi-strand narrative? Give an example of a TV drama that features a multi-strand narrative.
7) What is a cold opening?
8) How can Todorov's theory of equilibrium be applied to TV drama serials?
9) What is the typical form for TV dramas and how are the programmes typically distributed to an audience?
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?
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.
12) How might the TV drama genre evolve in future?
Extension task: TV Drama v Film
Building on question 12 above, read this fascinating extended article comparing TV drama to film. It will also help to bridge the gap between our work on the film industry and our new topic of TV drama. Where do you stand on the debate? Is TV drama the key medium of storytelling or will cinema always be king?
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?
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.
4) Why is setting so important for TV drama?
5) How do TV dramas typically use character? What audience pleasures can be linked to character in TV drama? (Hint: Uses & Gratifications theory!)
6) What is a multi-strand narrative? Give an example of a TV drama that features a multi-strand narrative.
7) What is a cold opening?
8) How can Todorov's theory of equilibrium be applied to TV drama serials?
9) What is the typical form for TV dramas and how are the programmes typically distributed to an audience?
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?
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.
12) How might the TV drama genre evolve in future?
Extension task: TV Drama v Film
Building on question 12 above, read this fascinating extended article comparing TV drama to film. It will also help to bridge the gap between our work on the film industry and our new topic of TV drama. Where do you stand on the debate? Is TV drama the key medium of storytelling or will cinema always be king?
Complete for homework - due next Wednesday.
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