Henna Ashraf
Television Genres
Introduction
Genres, in media production industries are defined as a main name for sub-categories which consist of the same elements. Examples of genres within television programmes are, Period Drama, drama, Sci-Fi, crime, thriller, soaps and comedy sitcoms to name a few. Continuing from this, I will be writing about four different examples of television genres and will then explain which category they fall into, giving explanations. Also, in the wider context, I will be referring to the characteristics; codes and conventions of other television programmes, which fall into the same category and explain the similarities for each. The four examples of television programmes which I have chosen to write about are: The Bill, Citizen Khan, Great Expectations and Eastenders.
The Bill
The Bill is an example of a television programme which fits into the Crime genre. It is about police officers and detectives from an inner London police station and how they enforce law and order, on a regular basis. As a force, they come across situations such as alcohol and drug abuse, rape cases, domestic violence and more so. Officers are always on the chase to find suspects, victims, witnesses and evidence which can strengthen the cases as well as trying to prevent activities from taking place.
Reasons which make this a television programme based on crime is due to the fact that police officers are present which helps to keep law and order in society. However, when laws are broken, it becomes a criminal activity, hence the genre; crime. Within the episodes, we as an audience see a lot of action. For example, there are extreme behaviours and use of police cars and sirens, travelling at great speeds in danger, to help create the suspense. As the suspense builds up, it creates a contract with the viewer, to influence them to watch the remainder of the programme. Despite this type of television programme is targeted at an adult audience, it can sometimes be suitable for younger people to watch too.
Scenes within the episodes which include blood, money, scandal and police taping are all elements of a crime based programme. Crime series tend to contain problems which lead onto finding more and more evidence and then the problem is solved towards the end; which is very like Todorov's theory. Similarly, The Bill also contains all these entire elements because it is based upon police officers in a station in London, therefore their duty is to look after the public and provide a safe service for them. The officers have to prevent criminal activity as well as resolve issues relating to this and there are always different situations. Some of the action, we get to see are of raids, violence and abuse, which the police officers overcome, using strategy.
Common settings of crime programmes are police stations, streets, pubs, people's living accommodation, courtrooms, alley ways and park. Crime can take place almost anywhere therefore settings are unrestricted. Nevertheless, The Bill also has settings in homes, streets and police stations, meeting the standards of a crime programme. Generally, the characters involved are police officers, both in and not in uniform, victims, criminals and key witnesses, which The Bill also has. Police officers can be in uniform and not in uniform when on duty, but most of the time when they are not in uniform, then it is because they are on an undercover sting operation. This makes the work more realistic, within the programme and hence we are more likely to believe it. Almost all crime based programmes are very interesting to watch because they are based on stories and plots which, either have happened, or are currently happening.
Citizen Khan
An example of a family based comedy sitcom, which has recently been on air, is Citizen Khan. Citizen Khan was hosted on BBC One at 10.35pm, on a Monday for six consecutive weeks as a series sitcom, at watershed times. It was aired at this time because it contained some adult language and humour, which is unsuitable for a young audience, hence why it shown during the watershed period.
Like most other comedy sitcoms, Citizen Khan also had a limited setting. The environment in which this sitcom was presented was either of two places; the Khan's family home in Sparkhill, Birmingham or a room in the local Jamia Mosque. The camera shots were moving from location to location to keep the audience occupied, whereas if it were in a single location it might have become boring, when the humour levels were at a minimum. However, as this is a comedy programme the audience pays more attention to the humour rather than the location.
The purpose of this programme is to amuse, entertain and make people laugh, which this programme managed to accomplish successfully. It is a realist sitcom as it refers and relates to the lives of Asian families, from a funny perspective, which is a form of escapism for individuals whom such aspects have affected. Problems which generally arise within comedy sitcoms are based on relationship issues, work, class, career, marriage and problems associating with beliefs. Some of the story lines which were in Citizen Khan were about Shazia's marriage with an upper class guy, Mr Khan's position in the mosque committee, a friends funeral and so forth. These are all issues which almost everyone can relate to which is why it was so popular among a lot of people. Often sitcoms are centred on or around families, which makes it more appealing.
Usually, comedy sitcoms are half and hour long and so is Citizen Khan. This shows that this follows the guidelines of a comedy sitcom production. Not only is is roughly half an hour long, but it also has the regular characters with an ongoing plot. The situation is resolved within the airing time and the characters features are all important, although there can always be more than one main; called sub-plots. In this case, Citizen Khan makes fun of society and some specific things about society like every other comedy sitcom. It also gives a chance to criticise things, without being offensive. Alongside this, a comedy sitcom also conveys a message, regardless of how small or big it may be. Nevertheless saying this, comedy sitcoms do use a lot of stereotypes and one of the most famous stereotypes used by Mr Khan is "ginger". He uses this term when he refers to the new mosque manager; Dave.
The language used within this programme is very informal. A lot of the language used is informal because it is in an environment which is personal and had they been formal, it would have made it sound weird and not as funny. In every comedy sitcom, there is always a central character called a protagonist. In this sitcom, the protagonist is Mr Khan and the antagonist is Dave and Mr Maliks' family usually. However, as the plot keeps changing so does the antagonist.
Great Expectations
Great Expectations is an example of a period drama, which is set in the Victorian times. Directly, in the opening of the programme we are able to tell that it is set in that era by looking at the costume and setting. For example, we are able to see old fashioned clothes after moving into today's era. Old buildings and homes are used to set the atmosphere and impact, as well as the use of colour brown and yellow. These two colours have been used quite a lot, in different shades, to imply the dusty and sandy times of the olden era.
The setting which the programme is evolved around is in a village, in a countryside. There are very little number of houses around, however a lot of greenery and fields. Other locations of a period drama settings are in towns and farmhouses, which allow the audience to see the rich and poor divide. This is because the poorer people would live in farmhouses or small villages, whereas the rich would live in villas and massive mansions in towns. In Great Expectations the setting of the opening is in a village. Also the characters within the programme represent the type of class they are from. For example, Pip is from a poor background and to represent this we see him wearing ragged old clothes, torn shoes and his hair is very scruffy. Before even learning about him we make a judgment from his appearance. His scruffiness makes him look unappealing and like a tramp, which are words associated with very poor people.
On the other hand, the rich people are represented as wise, clean and tidy and posh. For example, the clothes that both men and women wear do not contain creases or spillage of food on them and they do not wear aprons around the house, like the women from a lower social class do. Rich mean wear pocket watches. This shows a clear division between the poor and rich, we is not only shown to us in this programme, but many other programmes alike this one. Not only this, but the rich also have large meals of fine dining and humungous celebrations, which is different compared to the lower class. Lower class families have to work extremely hard for their food and sometimes have to live without it for a few days.
Shakespearean language has been used within this programme, whereas in the present day there is a mixture of the languages spoken. It is directly obvious that the language used within this is from the Victorian times, as they use words like 'thou" and so forth. The bourgeoisie ride on horses and carriages and the proletariat's have to walk to places as they lack money. Many of the story lines in period dramas, similar to the stories in Great Expectations, are generally related to the viewers own set of social and cultural beliefs and their own life experiences. This makes it appealing to a large audience, as it is a realist programme, which is often a part of a series. Great Expectations had a worldwide international response, as this song was able to apply to a wide range of people.
Most story lines in this involve family, love and torture, as so do all other period dramas. It can contain flashbacks like Great Expectations does. Also there are hardly any graphics used, everything is almost natural.
Eastenders
Coronation Street, Holby City and Eastenders are all different types of soaps. The soap I have chosen to write about is Eastenders which is a realist soap relating to situations and life stories which a lot of individuals would have come across. Eastenders is set in the actors homes as well as in the Albert Square market and the pubs. However, other examples of soaps may also be set in a busy environment such as business places, cafes and outdoor meetings places alongside the places that have been shot in Eastenders. Frequently they are set in middle, lower-middle and working class settings as they are cheaper to afford.
Soaps like Eastenders are a complete family entertainment package, as they contain mixed emotions like other soaps, which keep the family entertained. Also it is aired on television a few times in a week before watershed times, which allows it to be viewed by the entire family, knowing that it is less likely to contain adult language, scenes or humour. Eastenders is a serial programme.
The positive thing about soaps are that they can introduce new characters at any point, to bring a twist(s) to the story, whereas comedy sitcoms can't. Following from this, soaps commonly have cliffhanger endings at the end of each episode, which draws the audiences' attention so that they watch the next episode. Eastenders contains a good deal of cliffhanger endings. However, a large quantity of soaps over exaggerate with their story lines and contain heaps of gossip and rumours, which makes it more entertaining and interesting. Therefore, there the numbers of people watching soaps is so great and one of the most watched soaps is Eastenders, for that reason. Alongside this, there are also dilemmas which lead to arguments, break ups and cat fights. Nevertheless, the main focus tends to be on personal relationships and family life, which relates to every individuals life.
Television Genres
Introduction
Genres, in media production industries are defined as a main name for sub-categories which consist of the same elements. Examples of genres within television programmes are, Period Drama, drama, Sci-Fi, crime, thriller, soaps and comedy sitcoms to name a few. Continuing from this, I will be writing about four different examples of television genres and will then explain which category they fall into, giving explanations. Also, in the wider context, I will be referring to the characteristics; codes and conventions of other television programmes, which fall into the same category and explain the similarities for each. The four examples of television programmes which I have chosen to write about are: The Bill, Citizen Khan, Great Expectations and Eastenders.
The Bill
The Bill is an example of a television programme which fits into the Crime genre. It is about police officers and detectives from an inner London police station and how they enforce law and order, on a regular basis. As a force, they come across situations such as alcohol and drug abuse, rape cases, domestic violence and more so. Officers are always on the chase to find suspects, victims, witnesses and evidence which can strengthen the cases as well as trying to prevent activities from taking place.
Reasons which make this a television programme based on crime is due to the fact that police officers are present which helps to keep law and order in society. However, when laws are broken, it becomes a criminal activity, hence the genre; crime. Within the episodes, we as an audience see a lot of action. For example, there are extreme behaviours and use of police cars and sirens, travelling at great speeds in danger, to help create the suspense. As the suspense builds up, it creates a contract with the viewer, to influence them to watch the remainder of the programme. Despite this type of television programme is targeted at an adult audience, it can sometimes be suitable for younger people to watch too.
Scenes within the episodes which include blood, money, scandal and police taping are all elements of a crime based programme. Crime series tend to contain problems which lead onto finding more and more evidence and then the problem is solved towards the end; which is very like Todorov's theory. Similarly, The Bill also contains all these entire elements because it is based upon police officers in a station in London, therefore their duty is to look after the public and provide a safe service for them. The officers have to prevent criminal activity as well as resolve issues relating to this and there are always different situations. Some of the action, we get to see are of raids, violence and abuse, which the police officers overcome, using strategy.
Common settings of crime programmes are police stations, streets, pubs, people's living accommodation, courtrooms, alley ways and park. Crime can take place almost anywhere therefore settings are unrestricted. Nevertheless, The Bill also has settings in homes, streets and police stations, meeting the standards of a crime programme. Generally, the characters involved are police officers, both in and not in uniform, victims, criminals and key witnesses, which The Bill also has. Police officers can be in uniform and not in uniform when on duty, but most of the time when they are not in uniform, then it is because they are on an undercover sting operation. This makes the work more realistic, within the programme and hence we are more likely to believe it. Almost all crime based programmes are very interesting to watch because they are based on stories and plots which, either have happened, or are currently happening.
Citizen Khan
An example of a family based comedy sitcom, which has recently been on air, is Citizen Khan. Citizen Khan was hosted on BBC One at 10.35pm, on a Monday for six consecutive weeks as a series sitcom, at watershed times. It was aired at this time because it contained some adult language and humour, which is unsuitable for a young audience, hence why it shown during the watershed period.
Like most other comedy sitcoms, Citizen Khan also had a limited setting. The environment in which this sitcom was presented was either of two places; the Khan's family home in Sparkhill, Birmingham or a room in the local Jamia Mosque. The camera shots were moving from location to location to keep the audience occupied, whereas if it were in a single location it might have become boring, when the humour levels were at a minimum. However, as this is a comedy programme the audience pays more attention to the humour rather than the location.
The purpose of this programme is to amuse, entertain and make people laugh, which this programme managed to accomplish successfully. It is a realist sitcom as it refers and relates to the lives of Asian families, from a funny perspective, which is a form of escapism for individuals whom such aspects have affected. Problems which generally arise within comedy sitcoms are based on relationship issues, work, class, career, marriage and problems associating with beliefs. Some of the story lines which were in Citizen Khan were about Shazia's marriage with an upper class guy, Mr Khan's position in the mosque committee, a friends funeral and so forth. These are all issues which almost everyone can relate to which is why it was so popular among a lot of people. Often sitcoms are centred on or around families, which makes it more appealing.
Usually, comedy sitcoms are half and hour long and so is Citizen Khan. This shows that this follows the guidelines of a comedy sitcom production. Not only is is roughly half an hour long, but it also has the regular characters with an ongoing plot. The situation is resolved within the airing time and the characters features are all important, although there can always be more than one main; called sub-plots. In this case, Citizen Khan makes fun of society and some specific things about society like every other comedy sitcom. It also gives a chance to criticise things, without being offensive. Alongside this, a comedy sitcom also conveys a message, regardless of how small or big it may be. Nevertheless saying this, comedy sitcoms do use a lot of stereotypes and one of the most famous stereotypes used by Mr Khan is "ginger". He uses this term when he refers to the new mosque manager; Dave.
The language used within this programme is very informal. A lot of the language used is informal because it is in an environment which is personal and had they been formal, it would have made it sound weird and not as funny. In every comedy sitcom, there is always a central character called a protagonist. In this sitcom, the protagonist is Mr Khan and the antagonist is Dave and Mr Maliks' family usually. However, as the plot keeps changing so does the antagonist.
Great Expectations
Great Expectations is an example of a period drama, which is set in the Victorian times. Directly, in the opening of the programme we are able to tell that it is set in that era by looking at the costume and setting. For example, we are able to see old fashioned clothes after moving into today's era. Old buildings and homes are used to set the atmosphere and impact, as well as the use of colour brown and yellow. These two colours have been used quite a lot, in different shades, to imply the dusty and sandy times of the olden era.
The setting which the programme is evolved around is in a village, in a countryside. There are very little number of houses around, however a lot of greenery and fields. Other locations of a period drama settings are in towns and farmhouses, which allow the audience to see the rich and poor divide. This is because the poorer people would live in farmhouses or small villages, whereas the rich would live in villas and massive mansions in towns. In Great Expectations the setting of the opening is in a village. Also the characters within the programme represent the type of class they are from. For example, Pip is from a poor background and to represent this we see him wearing ragged old clothes, torn shoes and his hair is very scruffy. Before even learning about him we make a judgment from his appearance. His scruffiness makes him look unappealing and like a tramp, which are words associated with very poor people.
On the other hand, the rich people are represented as wise, clean and tidy and posh. For example, the clothes that both men and women wear do not contain creases or spillage of food on them and they do not wear aprons around the house, like the women from a lower social class do. Rich mean wear pocket watches. This shows a clear division between the poor and rich, we is not only shown to us in this programme, but many other programmes alike this one. Not only this, but the rich also have large meals of fine dining and humungous celebrations, which is different compared to the lower class. Lower class families have to work extremely hard for their food and sometimes have to live without it for a few days.
Shakespearean language has been used within this programme, whereas in the present day there is a mixture of the languages spoken. It is directly obvious that the language used within this is from the Victorian times, as they use words like 'thou" and so forth. The bourgeoisie ride on horses and carriages and the proletariat's have to walk to places as they lack money. Many of the story lines in period dramas, similar to the stories in Great Expectations, are generally related to the viewers own set of social and cultural beliefs and their own life experiences. This makes it appealing to a large audience, as it is a realist programme, which is often a part of a series. Great Expectations had a worldwide international response, as this song was able to apply to a wide range of people.
Most story lines in this involve family, love and torture, as so do all other period dramas. It can contain flashbacks like Great Expectations does. Also there are hardly any graphics used, everything is almost natural.
Eastenders
Coronation Street, Holby City and Eastenders are all different types of soaps. The soap I have chosen to write about is Eastenders which is a realist soap relating to situations and life stories which a lot of individuals would have come across. Eastenders is set in the actors homes as well as in the Albert Square market and the pubs. However, other examples of soaps may also be set in a busy environment such as business places, cafes and outdoor meetings places alongside the places that have been shot in Eastenders. Frequently they are set in middle, lower-middle and working class settings as they are cheaper to afford.
Soaps like Eastenders are a complete family entertainment package, as they contain mixed emotions like other soaps, which keep the family entertained. Also it is aired on television a few times in a week before watershed times, which allows it to be viewed by the entire family, knowing that it is less likely to contain adult language, scenes or humour. Eastenders is a serial programme.
The positive thing about soaps are that they can introduce new characters at any point, to bring a twist(s) to the story, whereas comedy sitcoms can't. Following from this, soaps commonly have cliffhanger endings at the end of each episode, which draws the audiences' attention so that they watch the next episode. Eastenders contains a good deal of cliffhanger endings. However, a large quantity of soaps over exaggerate with their story lines and contain heaps of gossip and rumours, which makes it more entertaining and interesting. Therefore, there the numbers of people watching soaps is so great and one of the most watched soaps is Eastenders, for that reason. Alongside this, there are also dilemmas which lead to arguments, break ups and cat fights. Nevertheless, the main focus tends to be on personal relationships and family life, which relates to every individuals life.
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