An introduction to TV Drama: Blog task

1) What is serial television drama? Write your own definition.

A serial television drama is a T.V drama that contains multiple seasons, each season having a different over arching 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?

 Doctor Who
The Avengers
Danger Man
The SweeneyMinder
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
Blue bloods
Medical
HousePeriod
Vikings
Science-fiction/fantasy
Stranger things
Family
My wife and kids
Teen
Riverdale
4) Why is setting so important for TV drama?

 Setting helps establish the show and helps keep it recognisable
5) How do TV dramas typically use character? What audience pleasures can be linked to character in TV drama? (Hint: Uses & Gratifications theory!)

 TV dramas typically use characters to help develop personal relationships between the character and the audience. T.V shows often also use archetypal characters to help establish the show and make it recognisable.
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 there are multiple smaller narratives while also having one over arching narrative over the season or movie. e.g. How I met your mother
7) What is a cold opening?

 A cold opening is when a T.V show has a small scene before the opening credits. Brooklyn 99 is notorious for this.


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

The beginning of the season would be the equilibrium, the main or villain will cause the disequilibrium, the finale of the season will be the new equilibrium.9) What is the typical form for TV dramas and how are the programmes typically distributed to an audience?

 Television serial drama lends itself to multi-strand storytelling

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?

 T.V originally had audiences wait a week for new episodes, these new streaming sites now have promoted binge culture where audiences can just watch an entire season or seasons in one sitting 

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.

 Stranger things:

 Setting:
 is set in the fictional rural town of Hawkins, Indiana, during the early 1980s.

 Characters:

 Stranger things follows milli bobby brown as eleven, fin wolfhardt as Mike, Noah Schnapp as Will Byers, Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair, Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler, Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers, Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, David Harbour as Jim Hopper.

 Narrative:

 A single thread narrative that follows the lives of the main characters dealing with the Noah Schnaps character going missing, and the arrival of a strange new girl called eleven played by Millie Bobby Brown.

 FORM:

Distributor Netflix, 40-45 minutes an episode 

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

 All I can say for sure is that I believe production quality will improve; as T.V becomes more popular and profitable the more money production companies are willing to invest in producing movie standard production quality. 

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