P1 TV Drama Case Study

TV dramas are typically around 30 minutes to an hour in length. They are episodic and categorised into series, usually around 8-12 episodes per series. Some conventions of dramas include they often follow multiple different storylines and characters throughout the series and they often have flashbacks to past experiences which deepen the storyline and characters. There are many sub genres of the drama genre such as crime, period and hospital drama, each with their own more specific codes and conventions. 

Death in Paradise (BBC1)

Death in Paradise is an example of a crime drama. Each episode follows the investigation of a murder which is eventually solved at the end of the episode, this is typical of crime dramas as it is typical for them to follow a new crime each episode rather than one for the whole series. There are also running storylines throughout each series which is conventional of dramas because they often have multiple storylines at the same time in order to give the characters more of a back story and make them more likeable to the viewer. Death in Paradise also has comedic elements to it which is different to many crime dramas as they tend to be more serious because they can follow some quite intense topics whereas this show combines the serious element of a murder with some funny events and characters. Each episode is an hour long which allows for enough time for them to solve the murder as well as have other storylines. There are 8 episodes in each series.

Uses and Gratifications Theory:

Escapism- The show's comedic elements satisfy escapism because they make the show more entertaining and interesting to the viewer. It is set on a fictional island and there are many characters who appear throughout the series which gives a sense of escapism because people are able to feel a connection to the characters and it's almost like they're there which can make the viewer escape from their normal life.

Personal identity- The show features a range of characters, each episode introduces around 4 new characters. This means there is some form of representation for all ethnicities, genders and cultures throughout the series so people can feel they can identify with someone in the show.

Personal relationships- People are able to talk with other people who watch the show about who they think the murderer is and this opens up a discussion amongst friends and family. 

Surveillance- This show satisfies surveillance because it gives the viewer an insight into the work of detectives which is something most people will never experience but would find interesting. It is also set in the Caribbean which is interesting for a British audience because it is a very different lifestyle to the typical one here.

Looking for Alaska (BBC3)

Looking for Alaska is a show based on a book with the same name by John Green. It is aimed at around 16-20 year olds because the main characters are around this age so the audience is able to relate to them. It follows the story of a boy joining a new boarding school and how he deals with the events of being a teenager and getting into trouble, it includes themes such as drugs and alcohol. It follows different characters as well as the main character and shows how they all deal with high school and getting older. There are 8 episodes in the series, each one around 50 minutes in length which is conventional of the drama.

Uses and Gratification Theory:

Escapism- The show provides escapism by containing a lot of action and many of the things that happen are gripping and exciting, it involves the characters getting in trouble so it is exciting to find out how they get away with it or what will happen next. 

Personal identity- This show's main characters are teenagers which is similar to the target audience, this means the audience can relate to the characters and they feel represented. They can also relate the events in the show to their own life.

Personal relationships- People who watch this show may choose to talk to each other about their favourite characters or what they believe will happen next, it can start many different discussions that relate to the content of the show. 

Surveillance- Many of the events in the show are things that a lot of teenagers wouldn't personally experience because they're quite extreme and unusual so the audience find it intriguing. In general it is interesting to the viewer because they get to see what life is like for teenagers in a different environment to the one they're used to. 

P1 Response to the Brief

BBC3:

BBC3 offers a range of TV shows, they have a lot of documentaries about hard hitting topics but they also offer reality and makeover shows and some of their documentaries are less serious. They have some dramas, including crime and period dramas. Many of their dramas seem to be based around dark themes such as murder. There are also a few more light hearted dramas about love and finding yourself.

The BBC is a broadcasting service that is payed for via the public buying a television license for the purpose of entertaining, informing and educating. BBC3 was launched in 2003, aimed specifically at a younger audience (16-34). It was moved entirely online in 2014 due to budget cuts however it is now being taken back to TV so that it is accessible to a wider audience. It has produced some popular shows such as Killing Eve and Fleabag which went on to be moved to larger services. It covers multiple genres such as reality, documentaries and dramas. Much of the content is edgy and transgressive which means it appeals to the younger audience because it is in line with current issues. Typically 16-21 year olds enjoy watching shows they can relate to so they enjoy seeing characters around their age group. They also enjoy things that are quite shocking and hard hitting because it acts as escapism from their ordinary life. Television dramas typically follow a storyline, there are many sub genres such as crime drama and period drama. They are usually more serious but sometimes they contain comical elements. Some examples of popular dramas include Peaky Blinders, The Crown and Line of Duty. BBC3's main competitors are streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime as well as mainstream channels like ITV2 and Channel 4. Television dramas tend to be around half an hour to an hour in length. The episodes follow multiple characters and storylines, often switching between the two throughout . They also categorise the episodes into series based around the events in the show.

Audience considerations:

The majority of people who took the survey either said they enjoy home comforts or they like to escape reality, this suggests that young people mainly watch TV in order to have some difference to their usual life or they prefer to find comfort and familiarity. 

The survey suggests that the most popular genre for this age category is comedy followed by action and crime drama. 

The most popular show named was Euphoria, 1 in 10 people gave this answer which shows it is a current popular show in this age category. Peaky Blinders was also a popular option.

Peaky Blinders was the most popular option when asked what is their top 3 TV dramas of all time which shows it is a consistently popular show not just currently. Euphoria is still popular as well as Breaking Bad, Sex Education and Game of Thrones.

The results suggest that the majority of people do not watch BBC3 which suggests that it isn't as mainstream as other platforms and perhaps it isn't appealing strongly to teenagers. The most watched shows were Gavin and Stacey and Killing Eve, likely because these shows went the most mainstream and moved to larger platforms.

The most popular streaming service was Netflix with a large proportion of the participants choosing it as their first choice. Other popular services included Disney + and BBC iPlayer.

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