Introduction to TV Drama
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Use our Media Factsheet archive on the M: drive Media Shared (M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets) or on Google Drive here (you'll need your Greenford Google login) to find Media Factsheet #164 on Television Serial Drama.
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.
It tells a story which has a problem that is resolved (todorov) usually over a number of episodes often following a narrative arc and a multi strand narrative
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?
It tells a story which has a problem that is resolved (todorov) usually over a number of episodes often following a narrative arc and a multi strand narrative
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
- Danger Man
- The Sweeney
- Minder
- Starsky and Hutch
Most Tv dramas followed a set narrative structure which has a story of the week. This meant that they would present a new problem or issue and resolve it within the same episode. Every new episode would start fresh with another plot and you would not have to see the previous episodes in order to understand what was happening. It allows the broadcaster to schedule the episode at any time in any order.
Hill Street Blues changed the shape of the TV drama series by focusing on multiple characters not just one. This is an ensemble cast and provides more depth to the characters and their relationship to each other. Problems of the disequilibrium would run over multiple episodes before it was resolved - this is a narrative arc rather than an episode narrative that TV dramas followed previously.
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.
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!)
Personal Identity (finding ourselves reflected in the media) , Surveillance (information useful for living), Diversion (allow the audience to escape from reality) and Personal relationships (developing affection and caring about the characters)
6) What is a multi-strand narrative? Give an example of a TV drama that features a multi-strand narrative.
- Police procedural (crime) - Criminal Minds
- Medical - Greys anatomy
- Period (costume) - Bridgeton
- Sci-fi / fantasy - Stranger things
- Family - Dynasty
- Teen - Outer Banks
4) Why is setting so important for TV drama?
By focusing on the setting it allows the drama to develop over a long period of time, weathering the comings and goings of the cast members by replacing one archetypal character with another. Bringing in new characters also prevents the show from going stale.
5) How do TV dramas typically use character? What audience pleasures can be linked to character in TV drama? (Hint: Uses & Gratifications theory!)
Personal Identity (finding ourselves reflected in the media) , Surveillance (information useful for living), Diversion (allow the audience to escape from reality) and Personal relationships (developing affection and caring about the characters)
6) What is a multi-strand narrative? Give an example of a TV drama that features a multi-strand narrative.
A multi-strand narrative is when multiple narratives or plots are unfolding at the same time for example in suits
7) What is a cold opening?
It is when a show plays a part of an episode usually at the disequilibrium before the title sequence. This generate enigma codes which make the audience want to watch the full episode to gain all of the answers.
8) How can Todorov's theory of equilibrium be applied to TV drama serials?
They all follow the plot of the equilibrium being disrupted forming a disequilibrium and then working towards a solution to form a new equilibrium over a set of episodes or multiple series. Usually they don't come to a new equilibrium within one episode encouraging the audience to watch multiple and binge watch.
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.
Criminal Minds
7) What is a cold opening?
It is when a show plays a part of an episode usually at the disequilibrium before the title sequence. This generate enigma codes which make the audience want to watch the full episode to gain all of the answers.
8) How can Todorov's theory of equilibrium be applied to TV drama serials?
They all follow the plot of the equilibrium being disrupted forming a disequilibrium and then working towards a solution to form a new equilibrium over a set of episodes or multiple series. Usually they don't come to a new equilibrium within one episode encouraging the audience to watch multiple and binge watch.
9) What is the typical form for TV dramas and how are the programmes typically distributed to an audience?
In the US, the commercial networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) schedule most of their drama serials in blocks of twenty-four one-hour episodes, effectively spanning half the calendar year. In order to accommodate so many commercial breaks the running time of a network drama is around 42
minutes, presenting more simplistic narratives that can weather frequent interruption.
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, hence their dramas allow for a lot more adult and challenging content. Cable channels and services like Netflix and Amazon Prime also often commission shorter runs (between six and thirteen episodes) and do not need to stick to rigid running times.
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.
Criminal Minds
SETTING - The BAU in Quantico, Virginia
CHARACTERS - Aaron Hotchner, Jason Gideon, David Rossi, Derek Morgan, Elle Woods, Jenifer Jareau, Emily Prentiss, Penelope Garcia, Spencer Reid, Luke Alvez, Tara Lewis, Matthew Simmons as well as various returning characters
NARRATIVE - Usually each episode starts with a cold opening of a crime and the episode is spent trying to find the criminal, sometimes this might run over multiple episodes or series. The episodes follow the team as well as the criminals.
FORM - Produced by the Mark Gordon Company, CBS and ABC, it has 17 seasons so far and each episode usually runs for 40-50 minutes
12) How might the TV drama genre evolve in future?
There will be bigger budget tv dramas with much more complex narratives
A/A* 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?
I think that in TV drama you can explore multiple narratives for longer in a way that everyone can follow it whereas in films you can not follow too many narratives as it may be confusing for some viewers. I think that people don’t have time to watch films but have time to watch episodes. I also think that tv dramas are better at making people want to continue watching them because even if someone does not like the show they will have enigma codes that they want to be answered so will continue watching whereas if a movie is boring in the first 10 minutes people won’t want to continue it. In film the plot is more focused and easier to follow and films usually have a higher production budget so will have more star/director power and better marketing.
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