Genre Conventions in TV drama 2

How would you define TV Drama?

TV drama is a fictionalised account of a narrative in the medium of television. TV drama can be split into several sub-genres.

What does genre conventions mean?

A set of rules that the genre uses repeatedly. A well-used formula.

Soap operas are on-going and may continue for a long time. Some conventions are:

• Set in a particular place
• Shown on TV
• Focus on family life and personal relationships
• Based on a group of characters living in a particular place
• Romance, love and secret relationship are in most storylines.
• Focus on working-class communities.
• Everyday situations and relationships
  
  

• Multi stranded narratives
• No relation to outside world (What happens in the real world doesn't affect the characters in the soap)
• sponsors - (soap operas are funded by product placement)
• not unlikely narratives ( but unlikely for them all to happen to the same people in the same village / street)
• Creates realism ( placement of clocks, diegetic sound, ect)

·       Dramatic narrative (storyline)

·       Ensemble cast (each character – own storyline)

·       Expressive lighting techniques dependent on sub genre e.g. high key lighting in Period Drama

·       High production value sound/emotive

·       Exaggerated, hyper real representations of character – cultural stereotyping for entertainment values

·       Scheduled Prime Time (but can be dependent on sub genre e.g. some Crime Drama post watershed)

·       Scheduled in 30 minute / 60 minute (more common) or 90 minute feature length slots

·       Mass, mainstream target audience (non challenging representations)

·       Target audience identified per sub genre e.g. Teen Dramas, Crime Drama (older demographic)

·       3 Act narrative structure (beginning, middle and an end)

·       Use of Binary Oppositions (creates conflict and anchors meaning)

·       Critical and commercial success – reputation for pedigree

·       Reputation for quality – success is important for the broadcaster

·       Primary channels – BBC1 and BBC2 with some slots allocated to Downton Abbey

·       Open narratives common – some mini series

·       Many TV Dramas made by independent British Production Companies and commissioned by the BBC/ITV/Sky 1/2/3, Sky Atlantic

TV Drama and Narrative types

Continuing Series: a series where the narrative or plot doesn’t end. The official title for Soap Operas. Series: The main plot or narrative continues and is resolved at the end of the season. Key characters and plotlines are carried over to the next season. ( Lost, 24 )

Serials: Are similar to series but each episode is a self-contained narrative.( Shameless, Spooks, Hustle ) 

One Offs: self-explanatory, drama where the narrative begins and ends in one often feature length episode. A variation on this is the two part drama.

What are the sub-genres of TV Drama?:

Continuing Dramas :  ‘ Eastenders’, ‘Coronation Street’…

Crime and Police Dramas : ‘ The Bill’, ‘The Wire’, ‘CSI..

Medical/Emergency Dramas : ‘ ER’, ‘Casualty’….

Sci-Fi/ Fantasy Dramas : ‘ Dr Who’, ‘Heroes’…

Literary adaptations : Pride and Prejudice’, Oliver Twist

Contemporary melodramas : ‘ Skins’, ‘Waterloo Road’

Comedy Dramas: ‘Shameless’, ‘Desperate Housewives’