An introduction to TV Drama

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.

Those are shows that are played on TV or Online that is unfold episode per week or so on, not all in one day. 

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(1961-1969), Danger Man (1962-1968), The Sweeney (1975-1978), Minder (1979 – 1994). 

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 Procedural- Brooklyn 99
Medical- Good Doctor
Period-SNL
Science-fiction/fantasy- The Vampire Dairies 
Family- Keeping Up With Kardashians
Teen- Riverdale

4) Why is setting so important for TV drama?

It allows the series to develop in a lot period of time, shows the familiarity and diversity of places and helps 
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.

it's a story that has multiple plots at the same time. Telenovela is a great example of multi-stand narrative, as it usually have more them one main characters and different stories showed throughout the episodes. 

7) What is a cold opening?

Cold opening is an opening scene that is played before the titles. The cold opening leaves the audience curious what actually happened in this scene and how it will develop throughout the episode.

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

The story in a TV drama takes stretches throughout the season where we have the equilibrium, then there's a some problem or a complication that is usually discovered in the first episode, and as the rest of the episodes goes on, we are in disequilibrium and usually almost at the end there's a climax and new equilibrium where the we have a teaser to the next season.

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

Nowadays it is popular to have TV dramas that we can binge watch (watch all episodes at once) them, rather then wait for weekly episode. 

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?

As I said in Q9, people like to binge watch the series and watch the series all over again whenever and wherever they want to. 

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.

TV drama -Stranger Things 
Setting- 5 kids in small American town in the 80's
Characters - Four boys that are bullied in school and love adventures, with one girl with supernatural powers. 
Narrative - each season has the original 5 fighting with 'upside down' creatures and scientists that want to take 11 back.
Form- Distributed by Netflix, running time- 42-62 minutes

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

I feel like things like weekly episodes won't be that popular and I feel like things like 80s theme thrillers is something that will become even more popular.