GCSE Revision Guide for 2018€¦ · The Pitch – Planning The Pitch – Planning and Selling...

GCSE Revision Guide

for 2018

Serial Television Dramas

Student Booklet 1

Introduction .......................................... 2

Section 1: The Exam ............................ 3

The AOs ............................................ 4

Exam FAQs ....................................... 4

Section 2: Prior Knowledge ................. 5

Media Language ............................ 5

Genre ............................................... 5

Forms and Conventions .................. 9

Institution ....................................... 13

Audience ....................................... 22

The 4Cs ........................................... 26

Representation .............................. 29

Section 3: Fact File ............................. 35

Section 4: The Exam – The

‘Knowledge Question’ ....................... 41

Task 1: The ‘Knowledge Question’41

Task 1: Mark Scheme ..................... 42

Exam-style Questions ..................... 43

Section 5: The Exam –

Planning, Pitching and Selling

Your Ideas .......................................... 48

Task 2: Plan ..................................... 48

Task 2: Mark Scheme ..................... 49


Task 2: Plan and Sell ...................... 52

Task 2: Mark Scheme ..................... 53


STUDEN T BOOKLET ONE

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GCSE AQA 2018 Revision Guide: Serial Television Dramas

Introduction

This revision guide has everything you need to revise for your AQA GCSE Media

Studies exam. It tells you what to expect in the exam and how to answer the

different kinds of question. There are activities to help you practise each type of

question, so you can use what you know to get the most marks in the exam. This

guide will help you revise the key concepts and all of the media terminology you

have learnt during the course. It will help you understand what you need to do

when you get the preliminary material – four weeks before the exam – and what

to do in the exam. It will show you what the examiners are looking for, and how

to get better marks.

The practice activities are designed to help you build your knowledge and

practise your skills.

The extension activities are slightly harder practice activities or require more

independent work.

The exam-style questions are to help you get used to understanding and

answering the types of question that might come up in the exam.

You can keep track of your learning in the revision tracking grid. Put the date in

each section when you have finished it. Your teacher may want to sign that you

have completed it.

Tick whether it was easy, OK, or hard. You can use this to remind you which

sections you need to revise again. When you have finished everything, go back

to any ‘hard’ sections and work through them again.

Topic/Section Finished (date) Easy OK Hard

The Exam and the Assessment Objectives

Key Concepts: Genre

Key Concepts: Institution

Key Concepts: Audience

Key Concepts: Representation

The Knowledge Question

The Pitch – Planning

The Pitch – Planning and Selling

Settings and Posters

Storyboarding

Websites

Marketing

Working with the Preliminary Material

Ideas for the Preliminary Material

Keywords / Terminology Activities


Section 1: The Exam

Four weeks before the exam, you will get a brief – the preliminary material (see

Section 7). This helps you to understand what you need to revise, plan and prepare.

Check these dates with your teacher nearer the time.

The exam is 1 hour and 30 minutes long. There are four tasks to complete.

The AOs

The exam tests these assessment objectives (AOs):

• AO1 – Recall, select and communicate knowledge

Can you recall (remember) what you have learnt about this topic? Can you

select or choose what is relevant to this question? And can you communicate

what you have learnt about this topic and get it down on paper in the exam?

This is the most important AO and counts for half of the exam marks.

• AO3 – Research, planning and presentation

Can you show that you have researched the topic area (perhaps by finding

out about institutions, watching serial television dramas, using lots of examples,

and understanding who the audience is for different types of serial television

dramas)? And can you show you have researched the products you are

going to plan? Do you know the codes and conventions for different kinds of

serial television drama, for example? Can you plan a product using the codes

and conventions, perhaps coming up with ideas for a pitch? Can you present

your work well? Is your writing accurate and do your drawings and designs

look good?

This AO is worth a quarter of the exam marks.

• AO4 – Construct and evaluate

Can you construct (design, sketch, create, label) something in the exam? This

might be a storyboard, a poster, a website, or something else. You need to be

able to show creative and technical skills. For example, in a storyboard, you

can be creative with your ideas, but also show technical skills by drawing close-

ups and long shots properly, and by knowing how to describe the edits

properly. Can you evaluate what you have done? This means you need to be

able to explain why you have constructed your product in this way and what

you think the effect of it will be – for example, why did you use a close-up or a

certain colour scheme, and how did you think the audience would react to

this?

This AO is worth a quarter of the exam marks.

The preliminary material will be released on ______________________

Your exam will be on ______________________


Exam FAQs

I like drawing – can’t I just concentrate on the

creative/design task?

You can – but you probably won’t pass the exam! You

will be better off dividing your time equally. No matter

how fantastic your creative task is, you can’t get more

than 15 marks for it.

I hate writing. Do I have to do the long essay question?

Yes. But the exam board is always happy to reward

answers in bullet points, lists, mind maps, charts, and so

on. If you don’t like writing paragraphs, put your ideas

across in a different way!

I always run out of time and I’m worried I won’t finish the

paper – does it matter?

This is a common issue – but you can solve this. You have 90 minutes and four

tasks. This is about 20 minutes per task, with a little extra time for thinking and

checking. What time does your exam start? Work out what time you should

finish each question. This can keep you occupied while you are waiting for the

exam to start. When you are allowed to start writing, jot down your times on the

exam question paper, and stick to them! Leave a space if you haven’t finished

a question and come back to it at the end if you have time.

I panic and forget everything I’ve learnt.

You don’t need to panic for this exam. You have the preliminary material. This

gives you a really good idea of what will be in the exam. And it gives you four

weeks to plan, prepare and practise.

I can’t draw. Will I get marked down?

No. This isn’t an art exam. Your pictures just need to get your ideas across. It’s

your ideas and your ability to communicate them that matters. And if you have

to produce a storyboard, for example, each picture is only a quick sketch – there

really isn’t time for ‘proper’ drawings. But practise your sketching – can you show

clearly what is in ECU, CU, MS and LS? (Look at Section 6 for help with this.)

I never watch serial television dramas. Does this matter?

Yes, it does. One of the key things the examiner is looking for is evidence that

you have watched serial television dramas. It is better if you have watched lots

of different types of drama too. You will have watched a lot in class, but keep

watching and rewatching dramas right up until the exam. Keep a log (notes)

about what you have watched – this will help you to remember. You can use

the Fact File in Section 3 of this resource.


Section 2: Prior Knowledge

Media Language

Genre

What is a serial television drama?

It’s a serial:

The main purpose of a drama is to

tell a story over a series of episodes.

A serial has a story arc – a story

that runs through the entire series.

It is episodic narrative – it unfolds

gradually over a series of episodes.

Typically a serial drama will have 9–

12 episodes in a series or season.

The season or series does come to

an end, even if another season is

made. They do not go on forever

like soap operas.

They are not single products like

films.

It’s on television:

A television drama is made for initial distribution on television. They are not

made for cinema release. Some may be broadcast over the web via Amazon

Prime, Netflix and so on. They may also be downloaded or bought on DVD.

However, they are made for television rather than for the cinema or radio.

It’s a drama:

The name tells you what is in it: drama!

Drama can be defined as ‘an exciting, emotional, or unexpected series of

events or set of circumstances’ (Oxford Dictionary Online).

There may be other elements of course, but the drama has to be the

strongest aspect.

Drama can occur in many different genres, and serial television drama can

be within the following subgenres:

o Crime or police procedural

o Romance

o Medical

o Historical/costume/period

o Science-fiction / alternative history

o Action-adventure

o Comedy


Practice Activity 1:

Think about the drama Call the Midwife

o What makes it a serial television drama?

o Which genres and subgenres is it in?

Subgenres and hybrid genres

Genres and subgenres can merge and overlap. Dramas can use elements

from more than one subgenre.

Many dramas are hybrids – this means they mix elements from two or more

genres.


Explain why each of the following cannot be considered a serial television drama: 1. The Great British Bake Off 2. Emmerdale 3. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 4. The Big Bang Theory

Dramas

Action-adventure

Historical /costume

War Romance Pirate

adventures Historical medical

Comedy



Match the dramas to the subgenres. Some dramas can go into more than one category.

Dramas Call the Midwife Stranger Things Skins The Man in the High Castle Poldark And Then There Were None Misfits Vera Home Fires Grimm Downton Abbey Holby City Casualty Sherlock Wolfblood Peaky Blinders Once Upon a Time Suits CSI The X-Files The Dumping Ground Doctor Who Game of Thrones Arrow Supernatural Happy Valley You, Me and the Apocalypse The Wrong Mans The Night Manager Line of Duty Westworld SS-GB Law and Order

Genres and subgenres

Dramas

Period/costume

Science fiction and alternative history

Fantasy

Action-adventure

Romance

Medical

Police/crime/ forensic

Legal

Children/teens

Extension Activity:

Looking at your completed table, which do you think are the most popular and least popular subgenres of serial television drama? Why do you think this is?


Extension Activity:

Some serial television dramas stay within one subgenre, while some draw from a range of subgenres. Which approach do you think makes for a better drama? Explain your reasons.

Serial television dramas often have elements of drama and elements of

romance or action-adventure, for example.

Drama conventions:

High tension, high emotion, arguments, sudden discoveries, falling in love,

infidelity and adultery, pregnancy, ending of relationships, death, near-

death, arrests, imprisonment, revelations.

Action conventions:

Fights, battles, races, chases, daring escapes, explosions, high speed and lots

of danger.

Adventure conventions:

Hero on a quest to find/rescue/save someone or something, a journey to new

or exotic places.


Read the synopsis for Series 4, Episode 3 of Sherlock.

• Which parts are drama?

• Which parts are action?

• Which parts are adventure?

• Use different colours to colour code them.

Synopsis:

Watson turns out to be alive! (He was shot at the end of the last episode). Sherlock tricks Mycroft into revealing that they have another sibling – a sister called Eurus. Eurus sends a bomb attached to a drone to Sherlock’s apartment. Sherlock and Watson jump through the windows to escape it. Mycroft only just escapes. The apartment is destroyed. They hijack a fishing boat and go in disguise to Sherrinford, a maximum-security psychiatric prison on a remote island. It is slowly revealed that Eurus is running the whole asylum. She gives them puzzles to solve and tasks to do – making them choose who to kill and who to save. A plane is on a crash course into London, and there is only a little girl awake on it – the crew and passengers are all either asleep, drugged or dead – and Sherlock only has minutes left to save her. Sherlock also finds out what Eurus did to his dog, Redbeard, when he was a child. But then it is revealed that Redbeard was not his dog but another boy, Sherlock’s friend, and Eurus killed him. Sherlock realises that Eurus is lonely and that he should offer her the love and companionship she has never had. Eurus returns to the

asylum. Sherlock and Watson rebuild the Baker Street apartment.

Extension Activity:

Why do so many serial television dramas hybridise with action and/or adventure?


Forms and Conventions of Serial Television Dramas

Conventions of serial television dramas can include:

Complex characters and relationships

o The main characters have to be

interesting enough to hold our

interest across hours of programming.

o Heroes often have a dark side too,

or villains have likeable qualities.

o Relationships are rarely simple! This is

where much of the drama comes

from. Think about the relationships in

soap operas – in dramas they tend

to be similar.

o Common features are: love

triangles, hidden siblings, uncertainty

over who is the father of the baby,

adultery and infidelity, first loves

returning from the past, hidden

identities, secrets and lies.

Interesting settings

o Often in the past, with elaborately recreated worlds using costumes, props

and settings.

o Even fantasy-based dramas tend to have convincing settings, such as in

Grimm.

o Some dramas show you the inner workings of an institution, such as a

prison, hospital or school, that you would never normally see.

o Some dramas are based in beautiful places and the scenery is important

to the viewing pleasure of the audience, e.g Poldark, Jamaica Inn.

Strong narrative lines

o A main story arc runs throughout the whole season, or even over several

seasons.

o The plot unfolds in an episodic nature. Each episode will have its own plot

lines that may get resolved, but these will be part of the bigger story arc

that spans the whole series.

o Most dramas follow the five stages identified by Todorov:

an equilibrium (everything is normal at the beginning)

a disruption (something strange happens, someone new arrives,

something changes)

a recognition of the disruption (a person, or the hero, realises that they

have to do something)

an attempt to repair (the hero tries to get things back to normal, tries

to overcome the threat)

a resolution (a new equilibrium is established)


There are usually a lot of enigma codes at the start of a drama – the

end of the drama solves the enigmas and provides answers to the

questions.

Enigma codes are the hooks or mysteries that keep the audience

watching the drama.

o The narrative of a drama is often organised around opposite pairs (also

known as ‘binary oppositions’ – a theory by Lévi-Strauss). The conflict

between these opposites drives the narrative forwards.

The most typical binary opposition is good vs evil.

The battle between good and evil is often shown through the hero vs

villain.


Which conventions of serial television drama can you identify in each of these images?

1.

2.


Extension Activity:

Watch a range of trailers or opening sequences of serial television dramas. Identify the conventions of the genre.


Identify Todorov’s five stages in the narrative in Season 1 of Poldark. Underline and label the equilibrium, disruption, recognition, attempt to repair and new equilibrium.

In the 1700s, Ross Poldark has been fighting in America. He is a hero. When he comes back to his home he finds his father has died and his family home and business have fallen into ruin. Even worse, Elizabeth, his childhood sweetheart and fiancée, has just got engaged to another man – his cousin Francis. Ross still loves Elizabeth and he is sure she still loves him. But he realises he can’t win her back and he needs to move on. He meets and marries another woman, Demelza. He starts rebuild his home and his

business. He lives happily with Demelza and his Mine is in business again.


From the synopsis of Poldark, identify some enigma codes that could hook the audience in.


Binary oppositions often drive forward the narrative. What binary oppositions could work for these? Example: Men vs women

• Teenagers vs… • Teachers vs…

• The government vs… • Servants vs…

• The poor vs… • Pirates vs…

• Prison guards vs… • Justice vs…

• Americans vs…

Extension Activity:

Identify a serial television drama that focuses on some of the main binary oppositions you have identified OR watch a trailer for a serial television drama and identify all the binary oppositions within it.


Look at the list of names for serial television dramas below. Create a list of ‘rules’ or tips for a good serial television drama name.

• Breaking Bad • Poldark

• Mad Men • Peaky Blinders

• The Walking Dead • Vera

• Downton Abbey • Holby City

• SS-GB



What is a title sequence for? Tick the common ingredients and effects of a good title sequence.

Includes the name of the show

Indicates the tone or mood of the show

Creates a sense of anticipation or excitement

Lists who helped make the show – camera people, make-up artists, etc.

Gives the name of the main actors

Shows the setting and time period

Gives the names of the characters

Has a strong theme tune that the audience can recognise

Shows some key aspects of the content of the show

Now underline or highlight what you consider to be the one most important feature of a title sequence on the list.

Extension Activity:

Write the common elements of a title sequence from Practice Activity 10 into the following table, then watch the title sequence of three different serial television dramas. Note which features they use and how they use them. Which title sequence do you think is the most effective, and why?

Title sequence element

Serial television drama 1




Institution – Who Produces Dramas?

Institution is all to do with the business and industry behind serial television

dramas.

Institutions are the companies who create, produce, distribute, show, market

and regulate serial television dramas.

Institution can mean:

o the TV channels (e.g. Sky, the BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5)

o the production companies (e.g. Fremantle, Endemol)

o the programmes themselves (e.g. Downton Abbey, Casualty)

o production and streaming companies (e.g. Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Prime)

o the regulators (e.g. Ofcom)

Some channels are public service broadcasters. They get money from the

government, the licence fee or charities. They have to provide a service to

the public.

Other channels are commercial. They are run solely as businesses. They have

to make money for their shareholders. They often make money by selling

advertising space, or by a company sponsoring a programme. They may

also sell merchandise.

Streaming companies are increasingly important and dominant in the world

of TV. Many people use live streaming and on-demand TV, and whole series

and box set downloads. Some are pay by subscription, others are pay on

demand.


Budgets

Serial television dramas are often made by the larger production companies

for the bigger channels such as ITV, the BBC, HBO, AMC, etc. as they have

the money available to fund these expensive dramas.

Serial television dramas can be expensive because of:

o costly special effects

o elaborate stunt work

o large casts

o the big spectacle / set piece

o expensive models of settings, ships, monsters, etc.

o lots of different locations

Low-budget dramas are also possible.

Low-budget dramas usually have fewer action sequences, fewer special

effects, or effects that can be created through CGI rather than by making

expensive sets, props, employing stunt actors, etc. They are often filmed

inside, on a set, in a few locations that can be used over and over again.

Many television channels have some low-budget dramas and some big-

budget dramas.

New technology has made it possible to make independent low-budget

dramas too. These are usually made and shared completely without any

connection to the usual production or distribution companies or TV channels,

instead using cheap technology to create, upload, share and distribute

dramas (iPhones, laptops, the Internet…); for example, Ikea Heights.

Low-budget dramas are often more unusual, innovative and risk-taking in their

ideas as they do not have to please a big studio or guarantee big profits.

Big stars usually only appear in big-budget dramas. Low-budget dramas

cannot afford to pay them. Low-budget dramas use less famous stars, or

stars who want to do something different or worthwhile.


Marketing Institutions market their dramas to try to make sure the drama gains a bigger

audience and so is more likely to be profitable for the company.

Marketing can be expensive or cheap. Serial television dramas rarely have the same amount of marketing as, for example, a Hollywood blockbuster, but many of them are marketed in some form.

The marketing campaign can last for days, weeks or months. It usually peaks when the drama is about to be broadcast.

The marketing campaign can include:

o using the actors’ names as a way to guarantee quality to the audience or

draw in a fan base

o posters on buses, billboards

o a website for the drama

o trailers

o stars on chat shows or doing magazine interviews, etc.

o social media such as Twitter and Facebook

o gaining interactivity with the audience through competitions, web-based

forums, chat rooms, etc.

o releasing ‘behind the scenes’ information, sections of footage, shots of the set

o event marketing such as flash mobs or laser shows

o cross-media promotion, including merchandising, websites, talk shows

and radio shows, presence in the press, TV magazines, Heat magazine coverage of the premier and the ‘red-carpet dresses’ and so on. All this helps to create a ‘buzz’ about the drama.

Big-budget dramas with a lot of money to spend on marketing can afford to use any marketing strategy.

Low-budget dramas have very little money to spend on marketing. They often use online methods and even guerrilla marketing tactics.

Websites are often a key marketing tool for serial television dramas. On the website, the audience can find many features to inform them about the serial television drama, to engage and entertain them, to promote the serial television drama and to make them want to watch the serial television drama. There are also opportunities to buy products and merchandise.

Franchising adds to the profits of the institution. A franchise is when other programmes or merchandise (games, books and so on) are based around the same ideas as the original series. The related products will usually feature the same locations, or the same characters, or the same events. Any product which has a sequel or spin-off can be considered the start of a franchise. For example, Torchwood was a spin-off of Doctor Who.

Some dramas make a lot of money from merchandising, such as Doctor Who. The merchandising makes money in its own right. It also adds to the visibility of the core brand, increasing the popularity of the programme.

Many serial dramas are sold overseas. Downton Abbey and Sherlock are particularly popular and have been sold worldwide. The US is the biggest market, closely followed by Europe. China is one of the fastest growing markets.


Practice Activity 11

Compare the different types of TV. Put yes / no / doesn’t apply.

PSB TV e.g. BBC

Commercial TV e.g. ITV

Streaming / on-demand TV e.g. Netflix

Must show TV programmes at specific times

Must sell advertising space

Series should have cliffhangers to entice audience to watch the next episode

Programmes must be a regular length, e.g. 30 mins, 60 mins

Programmes need to start with a reminder of what happened in last week’s episode

You can choose whether to pay for the service

Programme content must appeal to all licence payers, and not offend anyone

Programme content must appeal to advertisers

Whole season is available to watch whenever you want


Extension Activity

Which model of TV (PSB, commercially funded or streaming) do you think will be most popular in 20 years’ time? Why?

Extension Activity

Which model of TV programming gives most freedom to programme makers?


Big budget or low budget? Put these features of a serial television drama into the correct category.

• stunt work • outdoor sets

• indoor sets • one location

• lots of different locations • CGI monsters

• models of monsters • large cast

• small cast • lots of special effects

• effects done on a laptop • filmed on an iPhone

• filmed using many professional cameras • famous stars

• unknown actors

Big Budget Low Budget



Big budget or low budget? Put these features of a marketing campaign into the right category.

• using the actors’ names

• using the director’s name

• posters on buses

• billboards

• websites

• trailers

• stars on chat shows

• magazine features

• magazine interviews with the stars

• Twitter and Facebook

• competitions

• web-based forums and chat rooms

• releasing ‘behind the scenes’ information, sections of footage, shots of the set

• event marketing such as flash mobs or laser shows

• merchandising

• Heat magazine coverage of the premier and the ‘red-carpet dresses’

Big Budget Low Budget

Extension Activity:

Compare the production values of two serial dramas such as Once Upon a Time and Misfits. Find out how much each one cost to make and decide why each one was either expensive or cheap to make.


Extension Activity:

Use the TV listings to compile a list of serial television dramas currently on TV.

Name of programme

Subgenre Channel Scheduling

(day and time) Length of

programme



Case study. Find out about an influential institution. Look at the example below.

Case Study: The BBC • One of the biggest and most influential TV companies in the world.

• Launched 1927.

• A PSB.

• The original remit was to ‘inform, educate and entertain’.

• Hosts several serial dramas: Silent Witness, Apple Tree Yard, Taboo,

• Sherlock, Being Human, The Cider House Rules, etc.

Complete a case study for Endemol

Complete a case study for AMC

Complete a case study for Ofcom


Extension Activity:

Choose a serial television drama and research it to prepare a more detailed institution case study for this drama.

Example institution case study:

Cast Offs – Institutional Issues

• Funded by the disability section of Channel 4

• Broadcast on Channel 4 in the late-night slot

• The show was cast before the script was written. This was because there are fewer

disabled actors available, so the director wanted to gather his cast before he finalised

the script.

• A serial TV drama, a comedy in the mockumentary style

• Cast Offs cost £100,000 per episode. (Compare to Skins which costs £600,000 per

episode.

• Disabled writers and some of the writers from Skins wrote Cast Offs

• All relatively unknown actors (so lower wage bills)

Extension Activity:

Find out what range of merchandise is available to buy for one of serial television drama’s big franchises, such as Doctor Who or Game of Thrones.

Extension Activity:

Research the marketing campaigns for a big-budget drama and for a low-budget drama. Which campaign do you think was the most effective in reaching its audience?


Look at the website for Doctor Who at zzed.co.uk/7743-1 Note five features that help it to appeal to its audience.


Look at the website for The Walking Dead at zzed.co.uk/7743-2 How is it different from the website for Doctor Who? Note three features that The Walking Dead website has that the Doctor Who website does not have.

Extension Activity:

Which website do you think is best – Doctor Who or The Walking Dead? Why?

Extension Activity:

Look at the websites for other serial television dramas. How do they help the audience stay connected to the shows?


Audience – Who Watches Serial Television Dramas?

Different serial television dramas will have different audiences. Not everybody will watch the same drama. The audience who watches SS-GB may be very different from the audience who watches The Dumping Ground.

Dramas can have a primary (main) audience and a secondary audience. For example, a serial television drama may have a primary audience of teens, but a secondary audience of the 20–35 age group.

The primary or main audience is often called the target audience.

Audiences can be segmented – different segments will watch different serial television dramas.

Audience demographics, such as age, location, gender and class, can all be used to define or segment the target audience.

Audience psychographics segments the audience by their attitudes and approach to life. This can also be used to segment and define the target audience.

The 4Cs (Young and Rubicam) – the ‘cross-cultural consumer characteristics’ are psychographics, dividing audiences or consumers into seven types: mainstreamers, reformers, aspirers, succeeders, the resigned, strugglers and explorers

The Uses and gratifications theory suggests the audience has four main needs. These can all be satisfied through serial television dramas:

o information and surveillance

o personal identity

o companionship

o entertainment

Big-budget serial television dramas are often very mainstream – they need to appeal to a very wide audience so that they can make enough money to cover their huge costs of production.

Independent and low-budget dramas may be niche – they appeal only to a small group of people. They are not under pressure to appeal to everyone, so they can be more unusual or take more risks.

Serial television dramas sometimes inspire extreme fans. They watch and rewatch the series, they buy all the merchandise, they join fan groups online, they read and write fan fiction, they attend events, they cosplay and so on. Doctor Who and Firefly in particular have inspired very strong followings. Doctor Who has a fairly mainstream fan following, while Firefly has a more cult following.

The merchandising often supports this extreme fandom, appealing to people who like to collect obsessively and to complete their collections.

Extreme fans gain much of their personal identity through their fandom.


Scheduling and audience

Some serial television dramas will be broadcast after the watershed at 9pm.

Others may only be seen as suitable after 9.30pm, or even in the late-night

11pm slot.

The target audience and the scheduling of a show are often linked. TV

companies often break down the day into segments. They use audience

information to decide who is likely to be watching television at each time of

day. This can seem stereotypical, but can be a useful guide.

Scheduling can play an important part in the success or failure of a

programme. Scheduling it at primetime (7–10pm) will help its success. In

particular, scheduling it on BBC1 or ITV on Sunday night at 8pm or 9pm almost

guarantees an audience – at least for the first few episodes.

Scheduling it on, for example, BBC2 at 11.30pm will mean it has a much

smaller potential audience. This may be good for niche products or ‘slow

growers’ which are new and risky and may take time to build an audience.

Sometimes schedulers will ‘hammock’ a new programme – put a new or risky

programme between two strong programmes, to help it get an inherited

audience of people who don’t bother changing the channel after the good

programme, instead waiting for the following good programme, and almost

‘accidentally’ viewing the hammocked programme in between.


Look at the following list of dramas. Which demographic is likely to be the main target audience group?

adults family children (5–12) teenagers

Dramas Target audience group(s)

Doctor Who

Misfits

Skins

Breaking Bad

The Dumping Ground

The Walking Dead

Downton Abbey



Create a demographic profile for the following serial television dramas. Decide the age group, gender, location and interests of their typical or target viewers. The first one has been filled in for you.

Audience demographics

Skins Downton Abbey

Sons of Anarchy

Gossip Girl Your

favourite drama

Age group 14–18

Gender Both

Location UK

Interests Teen culture, relationships


Scheduling. Look at the following breakdown of the day. Who is most likely to be the main audience group in each time slot?

• retired people

• the unemployed

• working adults

• preschool children and their parent(s)/carer(s)

• children (5–12)

• teens

• students (18+)

Time slot Likely audience group(s)

6am–8.30am

8.30am–12pm

12pm–3pm

3pm–6pm

6pm–9pm

9pm–12am

12am–6am

Extension Activity:

Look back at your answers for the Extension Activity in the section on Institution where you compiled the scheduling information. How do you think the scheduling helps or hinders the serial television dramas to reach their target audience group?



Match the ‘need’ with how it is fulfilled by a serial television drama. The Four Needs Definition

Information

Getting accustomed to the characters as if they are friends; getting involved in the plot and wanting to find out what happens to the characters; discussing serial television dramas and their issues with other people; having something to talk about with other people.

Entertainment and diversion

Comparing yourself to people in serial television dramas; wondering how would you react in the same situation; thinking about how you feel about various issues and conflicts.

Companionship

Finding out about new things and new places; finding out about different historical periods or ways of living; getting ‘behind the scenes’ glimpses into usually closed institutions, such as prisons or hospitals, helping you to get knowledge about the world and what is happening.

Identity

Taking you away from your own problems and your own world for a while – escapism – to give you some excitement and drama in your life, to stop you being bored.

Follow up question: Which of the Four Needs is the most important for every serial television drama?

Extension Activity:

Watch two serial television dramas. Each serial drama should fulfil some or all of the audience’s Four Needs. Make notes of specific instances where each drama fulfils each of the Four Needs, e.g. where and how does the drama fulfil the need for information?

Four Needs Drama 1:

...........................................

Drama 2:

......................................................

Information

Entertainment and diversion

Companionship

Identity


The 4Cs

The 4Cs (a theory by Young and Rubicam) is another psychographic approach

to audience segmentation.

Young and Rubicam suggest that everyone can essentially be divided into one

of seven main types, although, of course,

some of us may have elements of more than

one type, some of us may change from one

type to another during our lifespan, and some

of us may not fit into any type!

The 4Cs refers to the phrase: ‘Cross-cultural

Consumer Characteristics’.

Mainstreamers are people who tend to

focus on family, on the tried and trusted, and on the domestic and

everyday. They like to follow the crowd and do what everyone else does;

this makes them feel safe. They tend to choose the most well-known

brand/dramas.

Reformers tend to be anti-materialistic and interested in social justice. They

often reject advertising and fashion and like to make their own choices

based on what is ‘fair’ and ‘good’. They often support independent

programmes and programmes made by minority groups.

Aspirers can be seen as ‘wannabes’ – they tend to be materialistic and

interested in appearances, celebrities, fashion and status. They will take on

new fashions quickly and are often interested in whatever is trending.

Succeeders are often professionals – people who tend to be responsible,

successful and the ‘pillars of society’. They have done well out of the status

quo and like things to stay the same, and they often reward themselves

with high-status expensive brands.

Explorers are people who like to try new things. They are likely to be early

adopters of new technology and to seek out new ideas and new

approaches.

Strugglers are the people who find it difficult to make ends meet. They

may live disorderly or chaotic lives, and may be seen by others as victims or

the dispossessed. They may rely on bingo, gambling or the lottery to

change their life. They often seek escape from their problems.

The resigned tend to be older people with old-fashioned or traditional

values. They don’t like change and can be nostalgic about the past.



Match the person with the type, and then with a drama type that might suit them. Some drama types could suit more than one type of person. Some people might like more than one type of drama.

Person description Type Drama type

A lawyer. She earns a lot of money and likes to buy nice things for herself.

REFORMER

Will watch the most popular drama

because everyone else is watching it so

it must be good.

A social worker. She feels strongly about improving rights for people and animals. She is a vegetarian.

SUCCEEDER Whatever drama her favourite actor is in.

A games designer. She loves trying out new technology,

going to new restaurants and trying new sports.

MAINSTREAMER

Might watch an old drama from years

ago, or one set in the past. Doesn’t like dramas about new

things or ideas.

An unemployed person. She watches TV all day and plays

online bingo.

EXPLORER

Will watch dramas online and subscribes

to Netflix – finds regular scheduled TV a bit old-fashioned.

A retired person. She knows what she likes and

she’s not changing now. She thinks the modern world is dangerous and unpleasant.

ASPIRER

Will watch dramas with high production values that get good reviews. Prefers the

BBC as a mark of quality.

An office worker. She loves to follow fashion and always tries to buy what the celebrities are wearing.

STRUGGLER

Will watch dramas that are set in exotic

locations, or that provide a strong

sense of escapism.

A part-time worker and mother. She thinks

more about her children than herself. She buys the big brands because she

knows she can trust them.

RESIGNED

Looks out for unusual or independently

produced dramas, or ones with a cult

following.


Extension Activity:

Are you one specific type, or do you have elements of more than one type? Explain which type(s) you are, and why.

Extension Activity:

Watch some serial television dramas. Make notes of specific instances which could appeal to each of the types of people.

Type Drama name and how it could suit this type

Mainstreamer

Explorer

Reformer

Resigned

Struggler

Aspirer

Succeeder

Extension Activity:

Research and find out about the opportunities which are available for fans of Doctor Who or The Walking Dead to become involved in fan activities. Are there fan groups, conventions, websites?


Representation – How is the World Represented?

Representation is how a person, place, idea or anything else is shown, or

‘represented’ on screen.

Dramas, like all media products, always show a biased and selective view of

the world. They do not reflect reality.

All representations reflect the ideas, biases and assumptions of the producers.

The audience can also read the representations in a biased way, or from a

particular point of view.

It can be a problem if we believe the media represents reality, and if we

forget that it is a constructed, created and biased view of the world.

Serial television dramas often rely on ‘stock characters’ (similar to a shorter

version of Propp’s character roles): the main hero; the sidekick; the evil villain;

the victims who need saving; the authorities/experts/scientists who can be

arrogant or foolish, and the hero has to fight them too.

Propp’s character roles: the hero, the helper, the donor, the false hero, the

princess, the villain, the dispatcher.

Repeated representations of groups/types of people can lead to stereotypes

or one-sided views of issues or events.

Representations are constructed by what a character looks like, what props

or costume they have, their posture, gestures and facial expressions, and by

their place in the narrative.

Dramas often use stereotypes as a shorthand to communicate ideas. This is

because the audience finds stereotypes (e.g. the good-looking but

untrustworthy woman; the self-sacrificing mother; the daredevil teen; the

brave old man) easy to recognise and easy to understand.


It is easier for producers to present a stereotype rather than a more complex

character.

People who don’t fit the stereotype sometimes aren’t represented in dramas

– they become ‘invisible.’

Men are often stereotyped as active and important for what they do, and

women are often stereotyped as passive and important for how they look.

Some institutions, particularly PSBs, try to avoid using stereotypes. They have a

remit to provide diverse programming that will appeal to all types of people.

They may try to move beyond gender, race and age stereotypes.

Countertypes can challenge traditional stereotypes and offer new ways of

representing people. For example, Helen Mirren played one of the first

female detective inspectors in Prime Suspect in 1991. She was a countertype

then. Now it is much more common to have a female in the role of lead

detective.

Heroes and villains are often stereotypes. Villains tend to be evil, cowardly,

less intelligent, charismatic, easily tricked, and sometimes they are old, ugly

and ‘foreign’.

Heroes tend to be resourceful, strong, brave, determined, good. They also

tend to be male, white and young or middle-aged.

This reinforces the idea that good-looking people are good and trustworthy

and ugly people are evil or untrustworthy.


Identify the stock characters in Doctor Who.

The person or people who need saving.

HERO Humans

Tries to prevent the hero from achieving his or her goal; often works on the side of evil.

HERO’S SIDEKICK Doctor Who

Usually the main character, the good guy, their struggle or journey drives the narrative.

VILLAIN Clara

Helps the hero, acts as backup or support.

VICTIM Missy



Identify the stock characters in Poldark.

The judges and rich men who want the poor to suffer.

Hero

The poor miners and fisherpeople who are starving.

Sidekick

George Warleggan who hates Ross and will do anything to beat him.

Authorities

Ross Poldark, who stands up for the rights of the poor.

Villain

The doctor who helps Ross Poldark. Victims

Extension Activity:

In many serial television dramas it is hard to identify the stock characters because they overlap or change over time. Can you think of a serial television drama which does not use the stock characters and explain how and why it is different?


Look at the comments about the representations in this image. Do you agree with the interpretations? Can you add anything?

Old-fashioned clothes and beard – suggests this is a costume or period drama.

Clothes are smart and expensive looking – perhaps he is wealthy.

Dressed smartly with a tie – is he a businessman?

He is looking at his watch – this has connotations of being impatient, or that he is a busy man with no time to waste.

His facial expression is unsmiling – he could be angry or annoyed.

Dark colour palette could suggest he is evil or untrustworthy.

Overall impressions suggest he might be a villain.



Make comments about the representations in this image.


Make comments about the representations in this image. Speculate about what kind of narrative and setting the image suggests too.


Extension Activity:

Consider the representations in the dramas you have studied. Sketch one or more of the characters and make annotations, commenting on the representation.


Stereotypes of gender. Look at the list of qualities. Put the qualities/actions you stereotypically associate with men in one box, and the qualities/actions you stereotypically associate with women in the other box. caring brave strong fearless daring emotional sensitive cries fights cheeky determined rebellious follows the rules afraid good with technology prepared to die for the cause a lone wolf / maverick needs to be rescued wants to fall in love

Man Woman

Following the stereotypes, are men or women more likely to be cast as the hero in a drama?



Some gender stereotypes can feel outdated now. The audience doesn’t always want to see strong men and weak women. It doesn’t reflect the world we live in or the people we are. Some dramas try to be more up to date, or to reflect a wider range of character types. They use countertypes, and gradually these become the ‘new normal’. Consider Mary and John Watson in Sherlock. Which of the qualities would you choose to describe each of them? caring brave strong fearless daring emotional sensitive cries fights cheeky determined rebellious follows the rules afraid good with technology prepared to die for the cause a lone wolf / maverick needs to be rescued wants to fall in love

Mary John

Extension Activity:

Consider three different serial television dramas. Explain how each one uses stereotypes or countertypes of gender and whether you think this appeals to its audience group or not.


Section 3: Fact File

Use this section to create fact files about three serial television dramas. Make

sure the three dramas you choose are dramas you know well, and are quite

different from each other. Be prepared to watch these dramas over and over

again! Put key details / notes / examples in each box.

Drama 1 name:

Genre, subgenre

and/or hybrid

genres

Settings (time

and place)

Main narrative

(story arc of

series)

Plot of one

episode in

Todorov’s five

stages

Main enigma

codes

Binary

oppositions

The hero

The villain


Stock

characters

Stereotypes

Countertypes

Gender

representations

Audience

demographics

Audience

psychographics

Uses and

gratifications

Scheduling

Budget

Marketing

campaign

details

Website details


Drama 2 name:

Genre, subgenre

and/or hybrid

genres

Settings (time

and place)

Main narrative

(story arc of

series)

Plot of one

episode in

Todorov’s five

stages

Main enigma

codes

Binary

oppositions

The hero

The villain

Stock

characters


Stereotypes

Countertypes

Gender

representations

Audience

demographics

Audience

psychographics

Uses and

gratifications

Scheduling

Budget

Marketing

campaign

details

Website details


Drama 3 name:

Genre, subgenre

and/or hybrid

genres

Settings (time

and place)

Main narrative

(story arc of

series)

Plot of one

episode in

Todorov’s five

stages

Main enigma

codes

Binary

oppositions

The hero

The villain

Stock

characters


Stereotypes

Countertypes

Gender

representations

Audience

demographics

Audience

psychographics

Uses and

gratifications

Scheduling

Budget

Marketing

campaign

details

Website details


Section 4: The Exam –

The ‘Knowledge Question’

Task 1: The ‘Knowledge Question’

This mainly tests AO1: Recall, select and communicate knowledge. Can you

recall (remember) what you have learnt about this topic? Can you select or

choose what is relevant to this question? And can you communicate what you

have learnt about this topic and get it down on paper in the exam?

This is the most important AO and counts for half of the exam marks. This AO is

tested in the knowledge question AND in all the other questions – if you don’t

know anything about the topic, it will show in all your planning and practical

work too!

Task 1 also tests AO3: Research, planning and presentation. Can you show that

you have researched the topic area? You can show this by finding out about

institutions, watching serial television dramas, using lots of examples,

understanding who the audience is for various dramas, etc. Can you present

your work well? Is your writing accurate and do your drawings and designs look

good?

To do well in this question you need to have a good knowledge of the topic (all

the revision points in Section 2 above) AND be able to apply this to serial

television dramas – you must be able to give actual examples from serial

television dramas.

Sometimes the questions have bullet points. Use these to organise your answer –

write a paragraph or two for each bullet point.

If the question makes a bold statement – ‘Serial television dramas are a dying

genre’, for example – argue for and against it. Show you have your own

opinions and ideas!


Task 1 Mark Scheme

Marks Main qualities What you have to do…

Level 6

13–15 marks

(Probably

A*/A)

Excellent

knowledge and

understanding

Likely to debate

the points in the

question

Answer all parts of the question fully

Give examples from two or more serial television

dramas; use a good range of examples; give

some details

Use plenty of media terminology and use it

appropriately and precisely

Write clearly and concisely (keeping it focused

and to the point)

Use your examples to discuss and debate the

points made in the question, showing

independent ideas

Write in role; refer back to the preliminary material

Level 5

10–12 marks

(Probably

A/B)

Good knowledge

and

understanding

Likely to support

the points in the

question

Answer all parts of the question

Give a range of examples from two serial

television dramas

Use media terminology, mainly appropriately

Write clearly and concisely (keeping it focused

and to the point)

Relate your examples clearly to the issues raised

in the question

Write in role; refer back to the preliminary material

Level 4

7–9 marks

(Probably

C/D)

Satisfactory

knowledge and

understanding

Likely to describe

examples

Answer most parts of the question

Give examples from two serial television dramas

Use some media terminology

Write fairly clearly

Describe the serial television dramas you have

seen, without explaining why they are relevant

to the question

Level 3

5–6 marks

(Probably

D/E)

Basic knowledge

and

understanding

Answer some parts of the question

Give some examples, perhaps from the same

serial television drama

Briefly describe some aspects of a serial

television drama but don’t comment on why it is

relevant to the question

Use little media terminology

Write in a way that is not always clear or easy to

follow

Level 2

1–4 marks

(Probably

E/F)

Limited,

undeveloped or

superficial

knowledge and

understanding

Don’t answer the question, or address any of

the points made in the question

Give some brief examples, perhaps from a

drama that isn’t serial television drama

Don’t use media terminology

Write in a way that is not clear or easy to follow

Give an answer that is brief or unfinished

Level 1

0 marks

Ungraded

No work worthy of

a mark Include no work worthy of a mark


Exam-style Questions

Exam-style question

1. Successful serial television dramas:

• always have a great story to tell

• have engaging main characters

• have vivid settings

Explain how far you agree with these points. Refer to at least two serial

television dramas.


Read the sample answer.

Look at the mark scheme and tick off every aspect the answer has achieved.

What mark do you think this answer deserves, and why?

What could the candidate do to make this answer better?

Sample Answer: The Walking Dead has a great storyline. The main story arc for the whole series is whether

the characters will survive until the end of the series. For Season 7, it is specifically whether

Negan (the villain) will take over Alexandria, where Rick Grimes, the hero, and his people live.

Within each episode there are individual plots that often reach a resolution. For example, in

Season 7, Episode 8, the enigmas are whether Rick will keep being beaten by Negan or

whether he will stand up to him again. The initial disruption in this episode is when Rick’s

son plans an attack on Negan’s men, and this provides an enigma as to whether he will get

away with it or not. This is resolved by the end of the episode as Negan brings the boy back

and kills someone else instead. The overall story arc continues as Rick resolves to fight Negan.

In The Man in the High Castle (TMITHC), the overall story arc of the series is whether Juliana

and Joe Blake will survive working with the resistance. Within this, each episode has its own

plot line such as whether Juliana will find her contact in no-man’s land.

The narrative in The Walking Dead is driven by the binary opposition between the zombies and

the humans, so it is really clear to see who the main heroes (the humans) and who the main

villains (the zombies) are. These are very clear representations because the zombies look really

different from people, they are barely human, they want to kill you and they have no feelings

or intelligence so they make good villains who are easy for the audience to recognise and

dislike. But it is also more complex, as among the humans there are heroes and villains too.

Rick is a typical, even stereotypical, hero – a middle-aged white man, who is fit, strong, brave

and caring. He is engaging because we also see his psychological struggles with events and see

him lose hope sometimes so you can empathise with him. Negan is an entertaining villain

because he is funny but also really unpredictable and violent. Like many dramas, the middle-

aged white men are the main characters and the drama focuses around their battle for power.


The representations in TMITHC seems a bit racist really, but that is because it is the story of

how the world would be different if America and the Allies had lost the war, and the USA

had been taken over by the Nazis and the Japanese. So the Japanese are always shown as

‘foreign’ and strange, doing rituals, bowing, speaking in Japanese, etc. so you have to read

subtitles in those parts, and being quite emotionless. This makes them the villains. Likewise,

the Nazis are all shown as fanatics of Hitler so they are the other villains. The heroes are the

ordinary Americans like Joe and Juliana – both stereotypically young, good-looking and very

fit, strong and brave.

The settings in TWD are vivid because it is set in completely normal modern-day America.

This makes everything more realistic, which makes it easier for the audience to identify with it.

It balances out the lack of realism in the storyline (the zombies) so it makes it seem more of an

action-adventure series and less of a fantasy series. This makes it easier for the audience to

fulfil their need for personal identity, as they can imagine themselves in the same setting and

wonder how they would react. In TMITHC the settings are really vivid because it is America,

but Japanese-style in San Francisco, and Nazi style in New York. It’s interesting to see familiar

places presented in an unfamiliar way. This helps the audience fulfil their need for escapism,

entertainment and diversion, but it also fulfils the need for information and surveillance as it

makes you think how the world could be if things had turned out differently in World War II.

Exam-style question

2. A successful serial television drama must:

• have a hero and a villain

• have an interesting setting

• hold the audience’s interest

Explain how far you agree with these points. Refer to at least two serial

television dramas.


Read the sample answer below.

Use the mark scheme to decide what mark it should get.

Tell the student three things they need to do to make it better.

Out of these three things, what do you think is the one MOST IMPORTANT thing they need to do?

All dramas have a hero and villain in them and the hero is the main person who does all

the important stuff and they are the main person in all the drama. This is the hero’s job

and they are the ‘good’ in the good vs evil. Usually heroes are handsome and brave and

strong and they have a good sense of humour and the audience would want to identify

with the hero and be like them. But the villains are on the side of bad or evil and their

job is to try to stop the hero from winning and sometimes the villain is shown as someone

from a different race. Russians used to be the main villains. Before that it was Germans

and more recently it is Middle East people because of 9/11, although that is really racist.

But usually the hero is a tall handsome English or American guy.


One I watched was in an island off Scotland and it was nearly always raining so I suppose

this is an interesting setting because I had never seen it before and I would never go there

but some people liked it because tourism in that place has gone up a lot since then.

Another one was in different luxury hotels mostly in Majorca which were fun to see inside,

and even on a private fortress. And you could see behind the scenes like how the hotel

was run and what the manager was doing, so that was interesting and that could keep

the audience watching, although really they will watch for the plot and the action and to

find out if Tom Hiddleston gets out alive or not, but he probably will because he’s the tall

handsome white upper-class hero and they always win in the end.

Extension Activity:

Rewrite this answer so it will get a higher grade.

Exam-style question

3. Although serial television dramas are often set in another time or place, they

usually have a message about our own world.

Explain how far you agree with this statement. Refer to at least two recent

serial television dramas.


Here is a plan for this answer. But you don’t have much time in the exam. Choose what you think are the SIX most important points to cover in this answer.

Explain what serial television dramas are

Give a detailed history of the BBC

Give a detailed history of the genre of serial television drama and how it has changed over the years

Tell the examiner about your favourite serial television drama and why you like it

Give a case study of AMC

Explain briefly the different time and/or place of a serial television drama

Give an example of how a serial television drama uses another time or place to say something about today’s world or our own world

Describe your favourite character in a serial television drama

Give an example of a serial television drama which doesn’t seem to address any current issues in our own world

Outline what kinds of drama you watch and when you watch them

Discuss why it is sometimes easier / more effective to explore current issues through another time or place

Give your opinion on whether a specific drama addresses a current issue in an interesting way

Explain how serial television drama can balance the entertainment provided by another time or place, with ideas about what is happening in our own world

Explain why you think serial television dramas are boring and why you don’t watch them

Give an example of a scene or character from a second serial television drama which comments directly on current issues in our own world

Describe the most interesting serial television drama you have seen recently


Extension Activity:

Use your answer plan to help you write a good answer.

Exam-style question

4. Even though serial television dramas are often set in other times or worlds,

they still reflect the biases and prejudices of our own times.

Explain how far you agree with this statement. Refer to at least two serial

television dramas.

Extension Activity:

Use this answer plan to help you write an answer for this question.

You could write in notes or full sentences.

You could work in pairs or groups.

Serial television drama is… (briefly define the genre)

It can show biases or prejudices through… (briefly describe how it can be biased through representations and narratives)

A drama I saw recently was… (give title)

It reflected the biases or prejudices of today’s world because… (explain – perhaps refer to stock characters, stereotyping, gender or race, how the narrative is organised and binary oppositions, comment on specific scenes, what the characters say, how issues are presented, and anything else you think added to this bias)

I think this was/wasn’t biased because… (give your opinion or overview on how this story was presented)

This might affect the audience through… (refer to audience appeal, the success of the drama, the effect of stereotyping or any other way it matters / might affect the audience)

A second serial television drama I saw recently was… (give title – try to choose a drama that contrasts with your first choice in terms of subgenre, target audience or level/type of bias and prejudice)

It reflected the biases or prejudices of today’s world because… (explain – perhaps refer to stock characters, stereotyping, gender or race, how the narrative is organised and binary oppositions, perspectives on current scientific possibilities or developments, comment on specific scenes, what the characters say, how issues are presented, and anything else you think added to this bias)

I think this was/wasn’t biased because… (give your opinion or overview on how this story was presented)

This might affect the audience through… (refer to audience appeal, the success of the drama, the effect of stereotyping or any other way it matters / might affect the audience)

Bias and prejudice are important/useful/problematic/common/irrelevant in serial television dramas because… (sum up your viewpoint, answering the question in one or two sentences)

Mark each other’s answers using the mark scheme.

Give each other advice on how to improve.

Find the best answer in the class and share it.


Exam-style question

5. Explain why serial television dramas appeal to the audience. Refer to at least

two dramas.


Read the first paragraph of the sample answer.

Version 1 People like serial dramas because they have a good story which lasts for ages and

you want to find out what happens in the end. Most of the episodes begin with

something exciting or strange and you don’t find out what it is until the end of

the episode but then something else happens so you have to watch next week as

well. It’s entertaining. The characters are good and you get to know them over

the series so you feel familiar with them and think about them.

The start of this answer has some good ideas but it doesn’t sound like a Media Studies student who wrote it. Using more Media Studies terms and ideas immediately makes it a better answer.

Compare the rewritten paragraph to the first paragraph. Highlight the Media Studies terms and ideas that are used in the second version.

Version 2 The audience enjoys the genre of serial television dramas because the key convention

is that they have a strong narrative arc which lasts over the whole series, so the

audience is hooked into the narrative. Episodes often begin with enigma codes and

end on cliffhangers to increase the audience’s engagement. This offers

entertainment, fulfilling one of the audience’s four needs. In addition, the audience

often enjoys the complex characters who develop over time during the series. The

audience can ‘get to know’ the characters, fulfilling a second need – companionship.


Now do the same kind of thing to the next paragraph to make it sound more like it was written by a Media Studies student.

They aren’t always the typical types of people, but they can be interesting or change

over the series. You can imagine yourself in their shoes. The settings are often really

interesting and people get to see things they wouldn’t normally see. So there are

lots of reasons to enjoy serial television dramas, which is why they stay popular.

Extension Activity:

Continue working on the answer to this question. It really needs some specific examples. Add examples from at least two serial television dramas from your own viewing. Make sure you sound like a Media Studies student.

Extension Activity:

Practise writing a timed answer to any of the example exam questions. Give yourself 20–25 minutes. Remember you can write in paragraphs or use bullet points, mind maps, diagrams and so on.


Section 5: The Exam – Planning, Pitching

and Selling Your Ideas

This is the planning, pitching and selling question. In this part of the exam, you

need to show you have good ideas – but ideas that are based on sound

research and knowledge about the topic area.

In the planning question you may be asked to PLAN – to put forward a series of

ideas WITHOUT commenting on why they will be good or work with your

intended audience group.

OR, you may be asked to PITCH your ideas – to plan and sell your ideas – where

you have to put your ideas forward and explain how and why they will work.

Read the question carefully to see what you are being asked to do.

Task 2: Plan

In this first section, we are focusing on planning questions. These questions test

AO3: Research, planning and presentation. Can you show that you have

researched the topic area; perhaps by finding out about institutions, watching

serial television dramas, using lots of examples, or understanding who the target

audience is? And can you show you have researched the products you are

going to plan? Do you know the codes and conventions for different kinds of

serial television drama, for example? Can you plan a product using the codes

and conventions? Can you present your work well? Is your writing accurate and

do any drawings and designs look good?

It also tests AO1 again, which is your knowledge of the topic. If you don’t know

anything about serial television dramas, it’s hard to plan an effective serial

television drama! It also tests AO4: Construct and evaluate – will your planning

help you to construct an effective product?


Task 2: Mark Scheme


Level 6

13–15

marks

(Probably

A*/A)

Confident

understanding

Independent

ideas

Totally

workable

Ideas show a confident understanding of the codes

and conventions of serial television dramas

Ideas are very appropriate for this kind of drama

Ideas are very well suited to the identified audience

group

Show flair and imagination in the ideas

Address all parts of the question, with a good level of

detail

Writing is well organised and clear

Use a range of media terminology effectively and

precisely

Level 5

10–12

marks

(Probably

A/B)

Good

understanding

Successful and

imaginative

ideas

Ideas show a clear understanding of the codes and

conventions of serial television dramas

Ideas are generally appropriate for this kind of drama

Ideas suit the identified audience

Show some creativity in the ideas

Answer all parts of the question with some detail

Writing is well organised and clear

Use media terminology, mainly appropriately

Level 4

7–9 marks

(Probably

C/D)

Satisfactory

understanding

Largely

relevant ideas

Ideas show a satisfactory understanding of the codes

and conventions of serial television dramas

Ideas may be mostly suitable for this kind of drama

Ideas may be mostly relevant to the identified

audience

Offer appropriate ideas

Answer most parts of the question

Write clearly

Use some media terminology, not always accurately

Level 3

5–6 marks

(Probably

D/E)

Basic

understanding

Recognisable

ideas

Ideas show a basic understanding of the codes and


Ideas may not suit this kind of drama

Ideas may not suit the likely audience group

Offer limited ideas

Answer some parts of the question

Writing not always clear or easy to follow

Unlikely to use media terminology

Level 2

1–4 marks

(Probably

E/F)

Little

understanding

Limited ideas

Ideas show little understanding of the codes and


Ideas not suitable for this kind of serial television drama

Ideas not suitable for the likely audience group

May not refer to the question or bullet points

Writing not clear or easy to follow

Unlikely to use media terminology

Likely to be brief or unfinished

Level 1

0 marks

Ungraded

No work worthy

of a mark Include no work worthy of a mark


Exam-style Questions

Exam-style question

1. Plan a new serial television drama.

Tell us about:

• the name of the drama

• the plot

• the main character(s)

• the main setting(s)


Read the sample answer below and use the mark scheme to decide what mark it should get. How would you improve it? Make any additions or changes that you think would make it better.

Name: Ward 7

Plot:

Main series story arc: Will the main character survive her cancer?

• Equilibrium – an 18-year-old girl called Sasha is in hospital with cancer. She

seems to be getting better. She has a boyfriend in the next ward too, also ill.

• Disruption – she has a sudden relapse

• Recognition – the doctors realise what has happened and call in a new expert

• Attempt to repair – the new expert thinks he can treat her – but it is risky. A

further subplot is that the new doctor is very young, and he and Sasha start to

have feelings for each other.

• The resolution and new equilibrium – Sasha is cured, temporarily, and the new

doctor leaves. She gets back together with her boyfriend.

Binary oppositions:

• Sasha vs her cancer

• The boyfriend vs the new doctor

• The new doctor vs the old doctors who don’t trust his risky methods

Main characters

• Sasha – very pretty, was a bit superficial, selfish and obsessed with her

appearance at first – a stereotypical teenager in some ways – but she grows as

a person during the series and realises that there are more important things,

like what kind of person you are and how you treat other people.

• Boyfriend – kind, sweet, weak at first, overwhelmed by Sasha’s strong personality

and sense of entitlement. Fits the stereotype of the ‘best friend’ at first, but he

becomes a stronger person through the series and grows into more of a hero-type.

• Doctor – handsome, clever, gifted. He fits the stereotype of the hero, but he

doesn’t become the romantic lead. He is torn between his feelings for Sasha and his

understanding that it is not right to have a personal relationship with a patient.


Main setting

• The hospital, mainly in Ward 7. Quite small and claustrophobic, mainly shot in

medium shots and close-ups, cold colour palette of white and blue, noises of

machines.

• This is contrasted with flashbacks when Sasha remembers being outside, shot in

wide-angle lens, with long shots and sweeping pans across open landscapes in

warm summer colours.

Exam-style question

2. Plan a serial television drama for young people aged 15–18.

Tell us about:

• the name of the drama

• the plot

• how the opening will hook the audience in

• the main characters and the actors who play them

• the main setting(s)


Read the sample answer below.

Use the mark scheme to give this answer a mark.

What do you think the candidate needs to do to get a better mark? Tell the student three things they need to do to make it better.

The name of the drama is The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Boy.

It is based on someone who can travel through time and space and into other

worlds and can come back when he wants.

The plot is the guy going to all these different places and he has adventures in

each one, then he comes back and he’s in his room and his mum’s like ‘have

you done your homework?’ and he just laughs because he’s just been saving

the universe and she doesn’t even know it.

The opening will hook in the audience because you think he is ordinary and you

are like what’s this, where’s the drama? Then bang, he’s in another world and

you’re like oh my goodness. And then bang, and he’s somewhere else and this

will be pretty exciting to watch and to see where he goes next and what he does.

The main character is an 18-year-old boy and he is really cool but not many

people know that and they think he’s a bit of a loser, and he will be played by

Tom Johnson who is a new actor and not famous yet.

The setting will be his house and loads of other worlds which will be really

good to see and interesting and some of them will be the places everyone

wants to be when they are 18.


Extension Activity:

Now improve the candidate’s answer. Work with their ideas but add to and improve them to try to get a higher mark.

Extension Activity:

Now answer the question using your own ideas for a new serial television drama for young people aged 15–18. Mark you own and other’s work using the mark scheme. Suggest any ways they could be improved.

Task 2: Plan and Sell

The Task 2 questions so far have only asked you to plan. The next exam-style

question asks you to plan and sell your ideas.

To ‘sell’ your ideas, it will help if you write in role, if you show imagination and

creativity, if you use persuasive language and points which back up your

argument, and if you sound really enthusiastic about your ideas, e.g. instead of

writing ‘this will appeal to the audience’, write ‘the audience will love this

because…’

The mark scheme shows this emphasis on evaluation and selling. These questions

test AO3 (research, planning and presentation), AO1 (knowledge), and part of

AO4: can you evaluate what you have planned? This means you need to be

able to explain why you have planned your drama in this way and what you

think the effect of it will be – for example, why did you choose that name, that

actor or that setting for your drama, and how do you think your target audience

will react to this?


Task 2: Mark Scheme


Level 6 13–15 marks

(Probably

A*/A)

Confident understanding

Independent

ideas

Totally workable

Ideas show a confident understanding of the codes and conventions of serial television dramas

Ideas are very appropriate for this kind of drama Ideas are very well suited to the identified audience group Show flair and imagination in the ideas Justify, evaluate and sell the ideas throughout Address all parts of the question, with a good level of detail

and detailed reference to the brief Writing is well organised and clear Use a range of media terminology effectively and precisely

Level 5 10–12 marks

(Probably

A/B)

Good understanding

Successful and

imaginative ideas

Ideas show a clear understanding of the codes and conventions of serial television dramas

Ideas are generally appropriate for this kind of drama Ideas suit the identified audience Show some creativity in the ideas Justify, evaluate and sell most of the ideas Answer all parts of the question with some detail and clear

reference to the brief Writing is well organised and clear Use media terminology, mainly appropriately

Level 4 7–9 marks

(Probably

C/D)

Satisfactory understanding

Largely

relevant ideas

Ideas show a satisfactory understanding of the codes and conventions of serial television dramas

Ideas may be mostly suitable for this kind of drama Ideas may be mostly relevant to the identified audience Offer appropriate ideas Justify, evaluate and sell some of the ideas Answer most parts of the question with some reference to

the brief Write clearly Use some media terminology, not always accurately

Level 3 5–6 marks

(Probably

D/E)

Basic understanding

Recognisable

ideas

Ideas show a basic understanding of the codes and conventions of serial television dramas

Ideas may not suit this kind of drama Ideas may not suit the likely audience group Offer limited ideas Try to sell some ideas Answer some parts of the question; limited reference to the

brief Writing not always clear or easy to follow Unlikely to use media terminology

Level 2 1–4 marks

(Probably

E/F)

Little understanding

Limited ideas

Ideas show little understanding of the codes and conventions of serial television dramas

Ideas not suitable for this kind of drama Ideas not suitable for the likely audience group May not refer to the question or brief Little attempt to sell the ideas Writing not clear or easy to follow Unlikely to use media terminology Likely to be brief or unfinished

Level 1 0 marks

Ungraded

No work worthy of a

mark Include no work worthy of a mark


Exam-style Question

For this question, you need to pitch a serial television drama that will work well for

a broad family audience, including children of age 8 upwards.

1. Pitch us your ideas. We want to hear all about them, and tell us why you

think YOUR ideas will work best.

Tell us about:

• the name of the serial television drama

• the plot

• the main characters and the actors who play them

• opportunities for overseas sales and merchandising


Read the answer and highlight in one colour where the candidate is PLANNING, and in another colour where they are SELLING, or saying, why an idea will work. For example, in the first section, the underlined is the planning, and the bold is the selling:

The name of the drama: The Other Me. The title is mysterious – how can there be

more than one me? – so it provides an enigma which will intrigue the audience

and make them want to watch it.

The plot:

• Equilibrium – happy family

• Disruption – son finds a boy who looks just like him in another part of

London but everyone denies it / won’t talk about it

• Recognition – son meets other boy and they find out each other’s stories,

gradually discovering they are both clones

• Repair – the two boys use social media and explore on their bikes to find

their other cloned siblings and to uncover how and why so many children are

being cloned

• New equilibrium – the parents admit their son is a clone and the son accepts

his new extended family of brothers

This plot would work well as it uses the issue of cloning to address real-life issues

that affect a lot of families such as blended families, dealing with new siblings,

finding out you are adopted, or that you have another set of stepbrothers and

stepsisters you didn’t know about. But the central message is that it all ends in a

happy family, so this message will reassure the target audience of children and

parents and make it a feel-good drama.


The main characters and the actors who play them

The main boy will be the hero. He will be about 10 years old, kind and caring,

but also a bit of a rebel, someone who asks too many questions and is determined

to find out the truth. He (and his clones) will be played by an unknown actor.

He will be cute looking, but quite plain, so each time he is playing a different

clone, his different hair and style will make him look different. Because he is cute

and rebellious, he will appeal to the audience, especially the children.

The other main characters will be the mum and dad. They will be fairly

stereotypical to appeal to a mainstream audience. The mum will be played by

Olivia Coleman. She has a big fan base and has won lots of awards, and a lot of

the audience will want to watch the drama because she is in it. The dad will be

played by David Tennant who is also famous and will bring in his fan base. Both

the parent actors have also starred in successful serial dramas before.

The villain will be the scientist, played by Andrew Scott, who played Moriarty in

Sherlock. Although he isn’t as famous as Coleman and Tennant, the audience will

recognise his face, and it will help draw in fans of Sherlock, which was hugely

successful.

Opportunities for overseas sales and merchandising

Overseas sales should be guaranteed as this has quality actors in it, and it is set in

modern-day London, which a lot of foreign tourists will recognise. The title

sequence shows iconic images of London, so foreign buyers will immediately be

able to relate to it. There is a good opportunity for a video game based on this,

as the main boy is searching for cloned siblings so this would make a good

‘collecting’ type video game.


Now use the mark scheme to mark this answer. What mark would you give this answer? Is there anything the candidate could do to improve their answer?

Extension Activity:

Now write your own pitch to answer the question. Remind yourself of the question and the target audience before you start.

Extension Activity:

Colour-code your own or a partner’s work to show what is planning and what is selling/evaluation. Has every bullet point got both planning and evaluation? If not, change or add to your own or your partner’s work to improve it.

Now use the mark scheme to give the proposals a mark/grade. Suggest any improvements to your own or your partner’s work and act upon the advice.

GCSE Revision Guide for 2018€¦ · The Pitch – Planning The Pitch – Planning and Selling...

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