Introduction to TV Drama

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 TV drama is a television programme with an ongoing plot that develops in continuous parts by episodes.

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?

Minder, The Sweetener, Danger Man, The Avengers and Doctor Who.

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.

Police Procedural (crime)-- Vigilante

Medical-- Doctor Slump

Period (costume)-- Celebrity

Science-fiction/fantasy-- Night has come

Family-- 18 Again

Teen-- Pretty Little Liars

4) Why is setting so important for TV drama?

Serial dramas play out in a ‘precinct’ or communal location inhabited by the ensemble cast of characters. Settings have a significant impact on the plot; they are a part of it, and establishes an interesting mood for the audience.

5) How do TV dramas typically use character? What audience pleasures can be linked to character in TV drama? (Hint: Uses & Gratifications theory!)

Unlike the early drama series, characters in serial dramas go on a journey, allowing them to change and develop – although not too much or they run the risk of outliving their function in the narrative. More often than not their presence in story of the week forces the guest characters to change and grow. Empathy and engagement with the persons or material they represent bring enjoyment to the audience.

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

A multi strand narrative have two or more stories running concurrently in an episode. An example is Downton Abbey.

7) What is a cold opening?

Drama producers employ a teaser at the beginning to hook the audience and keep them watching. This is also referred to as a cold opening to generate enigma or intrigue before the title sequence or first commercial break.

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

Generally, stories move through Todorov’s narrative stages though often without the return to equilibrium at the end of each episode.

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 schedule most of their drama serials in blocks of twenty-four one-hour episodes, effectively spanning half the calendar year. A network drama's running duration with commercial breaks is approximately 42 minutes, with simpler stories that can withstand repeated interruptions.

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.

Doctor Slump:

SETTING-- South Korea.

CHARACTERS-- It's a romantic comedy series about the relationship that started out as hate but ended up being love between two characters whose professions looked bright but fell poorly for various reasons. The two main protagonists were bitter competitors in high school who broke up after graduation. However, they wind up living together at one of the characters' houses after being forced to leave their careers as doctors.

NARRATIVE-- Each episode has its own conflict, some episodes contains flashbacks from their high school experiences.

FORM-- Distributor: Netflix  Running time: 1 hour (per episode)

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

As the film industry moves towards a model of making only high or low budget films, television drama is filling the void vacated by the mid-budget movie. They aim to make bigger and more international content there is a fear that the TV producers are moving away from making smaller scale content aimed primarily at domestic audiences.