TV: Introduction to TV Drama

 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.
A serial drama television are long running series that have number of parts over a period of time that tell a story and  delivers a narrative resolution.

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, the Sweeney, Minder - the genre has changed as production value grew, plot and character progression past episodic narratives, introducing ensemble casts and character arcs.

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.

Crime-Criminal Minds, Medical-The Pitt, Period-Bridgeton, Sci-fi-Doctor Who, Family-Modern Family, Teen-Fresh Prince of Bel-air.

4) Why is setting so important for TV drama?

Setting carries codes and conventions, based around leading characters that allows for long term development of cast and plot, bringing in fresh new characters and sub-plots to prevent a 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!)

Large casts of personable and polarising characters draw in audiences through familiar and comforting conventions in certain sub-genres. There is now more of an importance of minority characters allowing them to change and develop vastly, especially through a rotating roster of story of the week guests.

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

Multi-strand narratives are two or more stories running throughout the episodes and the series as a whole through arcs such as The Pitt, a medical drama that follows every single student doctor, junior and senior resident and attending in the ER in one single 15 hour shift a season.

7) What is a cold opening?

A cold opening is an opening that is sudden and hooks the audience in with a teaser  through enigma codes, shortly followed by title sequences and first commercial breaks.

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

Many dramas have episodic and narrative arcs that often end each couple of episodes in equilibrium before it's torn out of balance, finding resolution.

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

Typical form depends of who produces the programme but it tends to be about 24 episodes ranging from 40 minutes to an hour, distribution tends to rely on advertising and the genres that fit their typical rating.

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?

Subscriptions have more freedom and can age their plots as well as not needing to shift the timing of the original project to fit into time slpots.

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.

-Setting – A post-covid ER in Pittsburg 2023.

-Characters – Personalities conventional of the profession, cocky, kind, over confident with an ensemble cast that is diverse in age, race and sexuality. 

-Narrative – Serialised as each 50 minute episode is representative of an hour of the shift with superisingly rich character arcs with 15 episodes to represent a 15 hour shift.

-Tone – Shifting between facing the realities of an over worked staff and underfunded ER with solid humour and respectful and engaging narrative with a realistic look and feel. 

-Target audience – Series distributed by HBO Max for a 15+ audience generally yet attracts audiences of vastly differing ages due to it's quality and representation of people from all walks of life and situations. 

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

The TV genre may evolve as mid-budget films are dying out, to favour bigger projects with international and domestic audiences, steaming platforms may permanently effect the form of dramas permanently yet there is still a content pressure to create something distinctive and worthwhile.