We have now completed our work on Television - our first in-depth topic and one guaranteed to come up in Media Paper 2.
We now now need to create an index to make sure we have completed all the blog work for this topic. Every index you create is an excellent way to make sure you are revising the course as we go - as well as highlighting if you've missed anything. Your index should include the following:
For your index, the text should link to YOUR blogpost for that topic so you can access your work quickly and easily for checking and revision. This also means if you have missed anything you can catch up with the work and notes and won't underperform in assessments and exams due to gaps in your knowledge.
Assessment revision
You will have an assessment on the Television topic as your end of Year 10 exam. This will be an assessment based on the real Paper 2 Section A to help prepare for this aspect of the final exams. You'll need to revise everything you've learned for Television across the four key concepts - Language, Representations, Audience and Industries.
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is a vital part of our media landscape.
It is a public service broadcaster which means we own it. It doesn't make a profit and exists to produce high-quality media for the British public. It's paid for by the TV licence and produces a huge amount of content for the whole of Britain - TV, radio, BBC website, iPlayer and more. The BBC still follows its original mission statement from 1927:
Inform, Educate and Entertain
The licence fee is currently £174.50 a year and must be paid by any household that wants to watch live broadcast TV or iPlayer. You don't need a TV licence to watch Netflix or other international streaming services.
BBC: Industry notes
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is a public service organisation and the oldest national broadcaster and the biggest in terms of employees [over 20,000]. It is different from other TV broadcasters in that funding comes from us all as BBC licence fee payers whereas other channels rely on advertising and sponsorship. The BBC has 3 key purposes: To Inform, Educate & Entertain. This means:
To provide information (that is supposed to be balanced)
To support learning for people of all ages
To produce creative output
To have diverse content (such as with its representations)
To reflect the United Kingdom, its culture and values to the world
BBC regulation
TV is regulated in the UK to ensure that rules are followed and inappropriate content is not broadcast to audiences.
The BBC is regulated by OfCOM (the Office of Communications). OfCOM oversees all media channels and produces a code of conduct that all media channels must follow or have their licence to make content removed and/or be fined heavily. This includes what can be shown before the 9pm watershed and various other quality standards.
Although OfCOM is instructed by government, it is independent which means the BBC can remain impartial and does not simply broadcast what the government tells it to.
Complete the following questions on the BBC and industry contexts using the notes above the article you have read:
1) What is the BBC's mission statement?
2) How is the BBC funded?
3) What must the BBC do to meet its public service broadcasting responsibilities? (Look at the five bullet points in the notes above).
4) Who is the regulator for TV and Radio in the UK? You can find details on this in the notes above.
5) How is TV and Radio regulated by Ofcom?
6) How do Doctor Who and His Dark Materials help the BBC to meet the BBC's remit to inform, educate and entertain? Answer this question in at least 150 words.
There are some important contexts we need to learn for the Industry and Audience key concepts for His Dark Materials.
His Dark Materials is an example of contemporary family/fantasy TV drama. The series is based on the
trilogy of books of the same name by Philip Pullman. The second series is based on the book
The Subtle Knife.
Industries
The CSP episode is the opening episode of Season 2, The City of Magpies, and was first broadcast in the UK on Sunday 8 November 2020 on BBC1 at 8.10pm. It was made available on iPlayer on the same
day, and on DVD from 28 December 2020.
It is significant because it was co-commissioned for an international audience by the BBC and the
American television network HBO, and was always intended to be distributed on a number of
platforms: as a scheduled, broadcast programme (BBC1), on cable (HBO), as well as on demand
(iPlayer) and on DVD. It was created for these platforms by an independent company, Bad Wolf.
The first episode of the first series of His Dark Materials series was watched by audiences of 7.2 million in the UK and 423,000 on HBO. The first broadcasts of the CSP episode had audiences of 4.4 million on BBC1 and 227,000 on HBO.
Industry terminology: GLoW
Some of the key terminology for studying the Industries contexts for His Dark Materials:
Co-production: a media product produced by two separate companies or institutions. His Dark Materials is a big-budget co-production between the BBC (from the UK) and HBO (from America).
Brand Identity: how a business presents itself and wants to be perceived by the consumer.
His Dark Materials marketing and promotion As His Dark Materials was aimed at an international audience, the show features both British and American star names such as Brits Ruth Wilson and James McAvoy and American Lin-Manuel Miranda who wrote the smash hit musical Hamilton.
There were a range of videos and promotional events designed to create a buzz around the new season of His Dark Materials:
His Dark Materials Season 1 recap
His Dark Materials Comic-Con panel:
Bad Wolf: outstanding TV drama production company based in Wales
Bad Wolf was founded in 2015 to create ambitious, imaginative and relevant drama for the global TV marketplace. From its headquarters in South Wales the company has built up an international reputation as one of the foremost independent production companies in the UK, producing over 50 hours of high-end drama for broadcasters and networks including HBO, BBC, AMC and Sky.
HBO is an American pay-TV company that is known for producing some of the greatest TV shows of all time from The Sopranos to The Wire to Succession. As a co-commission with the BBC, His Dark Materials had two hugely respected media giants behind it - and in HBO's case a huge amount of money. HBO has over 40 million subscribers and brings in around $7 BILLION in subscription revenue each year. To put this into perspective, the whole BBC budget (for everything - TV, radio, website, iPlayer etc.) is around £5 billion of which around £3.5 billion comes from the licence fee).
HBO - Changing an industry:
Audience
His Dark Materials was pitched by the BBC as a family drama. Target audience
Aimed at a contemporary family audience for the BBC Sunday night broadcast slot (8.10pm)
Targeted at fans of the fantasy genre along with fans of the original books by Philip Pullman.
Diverse representations of gender and race may appeal to a younger audience.
Rated for 14+ by HBO due to some scenes that may be frightening to younger children.
The UK DVD release of His Dark Materials season 2 is rated 12 by the BBFC.
The way audiences watch TV has changed
His Dark Materials provides an opportunity to study the contemporary television industry and audiences. The series was created at a time when the BBC’s role and finances were under question, and when on-demand streaming through sources such as Netflix and Amazon Prime had become normalised. These latter companies were creating big-budget series to attract and satisfy more subscribers. His Dark Materials was rumoured to be the BBC’s most expensive series to date, with HBO sharing the costs and guaranteeing an international audience. This helps the BBC to compete with their streaming rivals like Netflix.
Fans - the fandom reaction Watch this fan reaction video to His Dark Materials Season 2 trailer from TV fan YouTube channel Sesskasays:
His Dark Materials: Audience and Industries blog tasks
Create a new blogpost called 'His Dark Materials: Audience and Industries blog tasks' and answer the following questions:
Audience
1) What audience do you think His Dark Materials is aimed at and why? Think about demographic and psychographic groups. You can revise Pyschographics here. 2) What audience pleasures are offered by His Dark Materials - The City of Magpies? Apply Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory to the episode. Make sure you provide specific examples from the episode to support your ideas.
Personal Identity:
Personal Relationships:
Diversion (Escapism):
3) Thinking of the 3 Vs audience pleasures (Visceral, Vicarious and Voyeuristic pleasures), which of these can be applied to His Dark Materials? Refer to specific scenes or moments in the episode to explain your answer.
4) How did fans react to Season 2 of His Dark Materials? What about critic reviews? You can find some possible answers for this in this BBC website article on the critical reception for His Dark Materials and watch the fan reaction video above. 5) What might be some of the preferred and oppositional readings for His Dark Materials? Why did some fans love it? Why have other people criticised it?
Industries
1) Which companies produced this His Dark Materials series?
2) What were the UK viewing figures for A City of Magpies? How did this compare to season 1 of His Dark Materials?
3) What was American network HBO's role in making His Dark Materials and why is this important? Look at the notes above for more on this.
4) What famous stars are in His Dark Materials and why do you think they were selected for the show? Watch the Comic Con panel video in the notes above to see the stars talking about the show.
5) Who are Bad Wolf and what do they produce?
Comparison: Doctor Who - An Unearthly Child and His Dark Materials - The City of Magpies
1) How are the technical conventions different between 1963 Doctor Who and 2020 His Dark Materials (e.g. camerawork, editing, sound and mise-en-scene)? 2) What similarities and differences are there between Doctor Who and His Dark Materials in terms of genre and narrative? 3) How are representations of people, places and groups similar or different in the two shows? Grade 8/9 extension tasks and reading
Your End of Year 10 Media exam is a great opportunity to practice exam skills and work out what progress you need to make next year to reach your targets.
Your exam will be a mini-version of the real Paper 2 exam you'll do next summer. Your exact date will depend on the timetable and when you have your Media lessons in the week of options exams - your teacher will be able to tell you when the exam will run.
Below is a full guide to what you need to revise for Paper 2:
Paper 2
Paper 2 Section A is Television - our first in-depth topic.
Section A: Television
Short extract from either Doctor Who – An Unearthly Child (1963) or His Dark Materials – The City of Magpies (2020). Google Drive folder with CSP videos here for revision or you can watch on iPlayer.
The extract will be shown twice and you can make notes. There will then be three questions on the extract (2 marks, 8 marks, 12 marks).
The final question is a 20-mark essay on BOTH of your TV Close-Study Products.
Your real Paper 2 will also have a Section B with two 20-mark essays on either Newspapers, Videogames or Online, Social and Participatory Media. However, these will not appear in your end of year exam as we have not studied them yet.
Paper 1 assessment?
You will have a half-sized version of Paper 1 as your September assessment in Year 11. More details on that nearer the time!
How to revise
Revision is a very personal thing and everyone has different techniques. Personally, I strongly recommend using flash cards (they are often called record cards if you are trying to buy them online or in WHSmiths). The simple act of distilling topics into a few key words or phrases to put on the card will seriously help in remembering the key information in the final exams. I always have flash cards in DF07 if you'd like some - just pop in and ask! Aim to create flash cards in three key areas:
Media terminology
Media theories
CSPs
Good luck with your revision and give the exam your best shot!
Our second television Close-Study Product is BBC and HBO co-production His Dark Materials from 2020. The CSP episode is Season 2, Episode 1 but don't worry if you haven't seen the first series - there are plenty of clips online to learn the background to the storyline.
Remember, TV is an in-depth study which means we need to analyse the products in terms of media language, industries, audience and representation. Television will be examined in Paper 2 with a short clip to analyse - either from Doctor Who - An Unearthly Child or His Dark Materials. Notes from the lessons: His Dark Materials
Language
Reminder - TV drama conventions:
Dramatic narrative, usually linear (with continuity across episodes.) This is called narrative arc.
Ensemble cast (a range of characters with own storylines). Sometimes an episode will focus more on one character than another.
Specific technical codes e.g. realistic lighting and editing for dramas set in the present day to keep it gritty.
Use of stereotypical characters to get messages across quickly.
Common use of flashback, point of view shots, dialogue and voice over, enigma and action codes throughout.
Hybridity: Two genres or media types combined e.g. Stranger Things is a science fiction / horror television drama.
Multi-strand: when a narrative is made up of lots of different storylines.
Fantasy TV genre codes and conventions
Emotive, often quest-based narratives
Political narrative themes or social commentary
Iconography including magic, mystical creatures or similar
Often set in imagined worlds or time periods
In addition, the following often apply to fantasy TV series:
Younger target audience or family audience
Dedicated fanbase; fandom groups and online communities
His Dark Materials is a fantasy drama television series based on the novel series of the same name by Philip Pullman. It is produced by Bad Wolf and New Line Productions for BBC One and HBO, with HBO handling international distribution.
Plot summary
His Dark Materials is set in a multi-world reality, with the action moving from one world to another. The series is based on Philip Pullman's trilogy of the same name. It begins in an alternative world where all humans' souls manifest as animal companions called daemons. The series follows the life of a young girl named Lyra who is an orphan living with the scholars at Jordan College, Oxford, in a world governed by the Magisterium, a religious and political body. Lyra discovers a dangerous secret that involves Lord Asriel and Marisa Coulter, and is the subject of a witches prophecy that she will change the world. In her search for a missing friend, Lyra also uncovers a series of kidnappings and its link to a mysterious substance called Dust, which leads her on a journey of epic proportions and ultimately to other worlds. The witches' prophecy also links Lyra's destiny to Will, a teenager from our world, who is himself being pursued by mysterious figures connected to his vanished father.
The show is a fantasy television series based on fantasy novels. It was produced by BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation - same company who made Doctor Who) and HBO (American company). It is set in a multi-world reality with action moving between worlds. Lyra, the main character, has grown up an orphan who discovers that there is a prophecy that foretells that she will change the world. Will is a fugitive (runaway) from ‘our world’ where he killed someone in self-defence. They meet in a third world called Cittagazze which is run down and neglected. They learn from some kids there that all the adults (and kids when they come of age) are hunted and drained of their energy and basically changed into zombies by evil black clouds called ‘Spectres’. Meanwhile, an evil villain called Mrs Coulter is on board a ship with the Magisterium (male Priests in authority roles - like politicians.) She tortures a witch for information regarding Lyra and mysterious ‘dust’ but the witch is put out of her misery by her fellow witch Ruta Skardi who sets her free by killing her to stop the pain. Skardi also seriously injures the head of the Magisterium and Mrs Coulter offers a deal to his deputy: in exchange for more power and freedom, she will kill the head priest and say he died of his injuries from the witch.
Magisterium: the authority group of male priests (religious men) from Lyra’s world. It is a patriarchal society (ruled by men).
Daemon: the name given to the shape-shifting animal that is part of your soul (in Lyra’s world). Everyone has one in her world.
Lyra Silvertongue: protagonist (main character, hero) who is on the run from her world due to being hunted. She is the subject of a prophecy (fortune) that says she will change the world.
Dust: magic particles that open portals to other worlds. Some people believe they represent sin.
Will Parry: a human child from ‘our world’ who has never seen a daemon before.
Mrs Coulter: an evil villain who wants to find Lyra and control the world. She tortures a witch nearly to death and then she prepares to kill the head of the Magisterium so she can gain more control.
Ruta Skardi: the witch who, when her fellow witches did not take action, saved the prisoner witch by killing her and attacked the members of the magisterium on her own, escaping afterwards.
Città gazze: the name of the city in the third world where Will and Lyra meet.
Alethiometer: the gadget that looks like a clock which Lyra consults and it gives her ‘truth’ - answers to her questions.
Narrative: multi-strand narrative
There are a number of narrative strands running through this episode. They include:
Lyra and Will explore a new world and the city of Città gazze.
Mrs Coulter tries to find answers for the Magisterium then offers power to Father MacPhail by letting the head of the Magisterium die.
Lyra and Will meet abandoned children in the city of Città gazze and find that the adults have all left due to the Spectres stealing their souls.
Lee Scoresby goes on a mission for an object that can protect Lyra. The council of witches supports his plan.
Representations
His Dark Materials - Subverting stereotypes Men and women
Many characters in this episode of His Dark Materials subvert stereotypes. Lyra is a strong, independent female character who doesn't need or want help from anyone on her dangerous quest across different worlds. She can't cook, isn't bothered by her appearance and takes what she wants. Mrs Coulter also subverts female stereotypes as a cold hearted villain. She is actually Lyra's mother but displays none of the maternal stereotypes the media usually presents as typically female.
Meanwhile, Will subverts male or masculine stereotypes. He is kind, welcoming and wants to help Lyra. He cooks her food and makes up beds for them to sleep in. Not all characters subvert stereotypes though - Lee Scoresby is in many ways a classic masculine man on a mission to help Lyra.
Race, ethnicity and social class
The actors in His Dark Materials are from a range of ethnic and social class backgrounds and the character of Will subverts stereotypes of race and ethnicity as well as gender. However, some stereotypes are reinforced - the abandoned children in Città gazze are presented as working class in a very stereotypical way.
Age
Most of the main characters in this series and episode are children and they are shown not to need adults or help from older people. The abandoned children of Città gazze also demonstrate they can live without adults - which subverts typical stereotypes. Mrs Coulter also shows how stereotypes are subverted as a parent who does not care for her child.
His Dark Materials: Language and Representation blog tasks Create a new blogpost called 'His Dark Materials: Language and Representation blog tasks' and work through the following tasks: Language and close-textual analysis 1) Write an analysis of the episode - using your notes from the screening in class. Make specific, detailed reference to moments in the text using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots and movement, editing, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.)
2) How does His Dark Materials fit the conventions of the fantasy TV genre?
3) Applying Propp's character theory, what character roles do some of the main characters in His Dark Materials fit into? 4) What enigma and action codes (Barthes) can you find in His Dark Materials? Make specific, detailed reference to the text using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.) 5) What examples of binary opposition (Levi-Strauss) can you find in His Dark Materials? How do these create narrative or drama for the audience? You can find reminder notes on all these narrative theories here - just scroll down to narrative. Representations 1) How are women represented in His Dark Materials? Are gender stereotypes reinforced or subverted? Think about Lyra and Mrs Coulter here. 2) How are men and masculinity represented in His Dark Materials? Think about Will and Lee Scoresby here.
3) How is age (e.g. teenagers; adults) represented in His Dark Materials? Does the show reinforce or challenge stereotypes about young people? Think about Lyra and Will plus the abandoned children they meet. Also think about Mrs Coulter and other adults. 4) How is race and ethnicity represented in His Dark Materials? Are stereotypes reinforced or subverted?
5) What representations of the world can you find in the episode - is it like real life? A fantasy world? Something from the past or future? Give examples from the episode.
Think about how politicians, religion and people with power are represented in the episode. For example, how are the Magisterium shown in this episode? This is a higher-level reading of His Dark Materials.
Well done on completing the latest Media assessment - it's another great opportunity to revise the CSPs and develop your exam technique. The first part of your learner response is to look carefully at your mark, grade and comments from your teacher. If anything doesn't make sense, ask your teacher - that's why we're here!
Magazines and Music Video assessment learner response: blog tasks Create a new blog post called 'Magazines and Music Video assessment learner response' and complete the following tasks: 1) Type up your WWW/EBI feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential). 2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Write down the mark you achieved for each question: Q1: Q2: Q3:
Q4:
Q5:
3) Look specifically at question 2. Use the indicative content in the mark scheme for question 2 to write three connotations of the design and layout of Tatler. 4) Now look at question 3 - Heat magazine. Use the indicative content in the mark scheme to write three ways celebrities are represented in Heat magazine.
5) Look at question 5 - Arctic Monkeys and audience identity. This is a real AQA past question with lots of potential answers given in the mark scheme. Choose three answers that specifically refer to the Arctic Monkeys CSP and write them here.
6) BLACKPINK - How You Like That didn't come up in this assessment. If this CSP comes up in your end of Year 1 exam, what three things about BLACKPINK and How You Like That could you try to include in your answer?
Complete for homework - due date on Google Classroom
The second half of our Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child case study focuses on the key concepts of Industry and Audience.
You'll find all the answers you need in the notes and clips below. You can then complete the blog tasks at the bottom of this blogpost.
Notes from the lessons
Audience
Reminder: demographics and psychographics
Demographics: The audience classified through ‘fixed’ characteristics such as: age, gender, race/ethnicity, where you live, job.
Psychographics: The audience classified through beliefs, values, hobbies and interests such as: Strugglers, Reformers, Aspirers and Mainstreamers.
General audience notes:
Mainstream family audience – broad appeal as millions of people watch the BBC.
Long-running which shows it appeals to mainstream audience (age 10-40+).
An Unearthly Child given PG certificate – parental guidance.
Demographics: A-E class as some complex plot points but also action that is easy to understand.
Gender: split down middle (although traditional science fiction fans were male, this has changed over time. From 1970-2010 the female sci-fi audience grew by 22%).
Audience pleasures
We can apply Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory when analysing the audience pleasures offered by Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child. Remember, we must consider it from the perspective of a viewer in the 1960s who would have reacted in quite a different way to an audience in 2020. Remember, the four key categories for Uses and Gratifications theory:
INFORMATION/SURVEILLANCE: learning information that you did not already know. Doctor Who offers its audience an education about space travel, science and history.
PERSONAL IDENTITY: personally relating to something - seeing your lifestyle on screen. Think about how different audiences may identify with Susan, her teachers or the Doctor.
DIVERSION/ENTERTAINMENT: escapism and being entertained away from your normal life. Science Fiction is a classic genre for escapism - what examples of this could be found in the episode?
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS: caring about characters and wanting to find out what happens to them. This is the first episode of four - which characters do you think the audience will want to follow on their journey?
The 3 Vs
VISCERAL PLEASURE: Physical thrill of watching something e.g hairs on the back of your neck in a horror film, sport, big explosions.
VICARIOUS PLEASURE: Experiencing something through the characters (e.g. time/space travel).
VOYEURISTIC PLEASURE: Watching something you wouldn't normally get a chance to see (e.g. inside TARDIS).
Doctor Who fan culture: Whovians
Doctor Who now has an international online fan culture of events, fan fiction, fan-edited trailers and more. The BBC also produces merchandise to sell to this audience.
The 'Whoniverse'
The ‘Whoniverse’ is made up of podcasts, spin-offs (other shows that derive from the main Doctor Who and have settings, ideas, characters in common e.g. K-9 which is a kid’s show about Doctor Who’s robot dog) and documentaries, behind-the-scenes, sneak peaks and so on.
In the most recent series of Doctor Who, this fan culture actually appeared in an episode:
You can read more about Doctor Who's fans and its cultural impact in the extension articles at the bottom of this post.
Industries
TV industry in 1963
There were only two TV channels in the UK in 1963: BBC and ITV.
In terms of technology, videotape had only been in use for seven years when An Unearthly Child was made. It allowed the BBC to create the space and time travel effects we can see in the episode which were considered amazing at the time.
In 1967, BBC2 launched as the first colour TV channel. BBC1 and ITV then switched to colour in 1969 as more people bought colour TVs.
Compared to the digital and streaming TV landscape of today, 1960s television was a different world.
Importance of Doctor Who to BBC
Doctor Who is one of the most iconic franchises that the BBC has. It has been shown all over the world through BBC Worldwide and generates huge income for the BBC.
In 2014, a BBC Worldwide Report stated Sherlock and Doctor Who as the BBC’s biggest exports of the past year. The worldwide simulcast (simultaneous transmission) of “The Day of the Doctor” in 2013 saw this episode air at the same time in 98 countries on six continents.
Doctor Who franchise: spin-offs
The BBC has maximised the popularity of the Doctor Who franchise by creating a series of spin-offs that build on the same universe or characters as the original show. These include:
K9
Sarah Jane Adventures
Torchwood
Class
These spin-offs allow the BBC to target slightly different audiences while still taking advantage of the huge Doctor Who fanbase.
Spin-offs - opening titles:
Audience and Industry: blog tasks
Create a new blogpost called 'Doctor Who: Audience and Industry blog tasks' and answer the following questions:
Audience 1) Who is the target audience for Doctor Who? Do you think it has changed since 1963? 2) What audience pleasures are offered by Doctor Who - An Unearthly Child? Apply Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory to the episode. Make sure you provide specific examples from the episode to support your ideas.
Personal Identity:
Personal Relationships:
Diversion (Escapism):
Surveillance (Information / Facts):
3) What additional Uses and Gratifications would this episode provide to a modern 2020s audience? 4) Thinking of the 3 Vs audience pleasures (Visceral, Vicarious and Voyeuristic pleasures), which of these can be applied to An Unearthly Child? 5) What kind of online fan culture does Doctor Who have? Give examples. Industries 1) What was the television industry like in 1963? How many channels were there? 2) How does An Unearthly Child reflect the level of technology in the TV industry in 1963?
3) Why is Doctor Who such an important franchise for the BBC?
4) What other programmes/spin-offs are part of the wider Doctor Who franchise?
5) Why does the Doctor Who franchise have so much merchandise available? Give examples.
Grade 8/9 extension tasks and reading Read this Guardian feature 'Is Doctor Who doomed?' which contains lots of industry and audience context that will help us reach the top levels in exams.
Our first television Close-Study Product is Doctor Who - An Unearthly Child from 1963. This is an in-depth study which means we need to analyse the product in terms of media language, industries, audience and representation. In addition, this CSP will be examined in Paper 2 with a short clip to analyse. This means we need to put in extra work on this media topic to ensure we are confident analysing clips in detail. Notes from the lessons
Narrative theories
Todorov: equilibrium Todorov suggested that all narratives follow a three part structure. They begin with equilibrium, where everything is balanced, progress as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution, when a new equilibrium is restored. Equilibrium > Disequilibrium > New equilibrium
This can be applied to most media narratives. Propp: character types
Vladimir Propp stated that there were seven basic character roles when he analysed classic fairy tales and that these were present in most narratives. Media products still use these recognisable character types today: Hero, Villain, Heroine/Princess, Father, Donor, Helper/Sidekick, False Hero
Roland Barthes: Enigma and Action Codes
Action Codes: anything that suggests something dramatic is about to happen. E.g. when the TARDIS begins to take off or when the shadow appears in the final shot of the episode.
Enigma Codes: a narrative code that creates mystery and gives the audience questions to keep them watching e.g. who is the Doctor and where is he taking them? Will the teachers get home? What is the mysterious shadow in the final scene?
Levi-Strauss: Binary opposition
Binary opposition is a theory that all narratives are driven by conflict of a series of opposing forces. There are many examples that can be found in this Doctor Who episode e.g. good v evil; young v old; human v alien; dark v light etc.
Doctor Who: An introduction
Listed in Guinness World Records as the longest-running science fiction television show in the world with over 800 episodes.
The Doctor explores the universe in a time-travelling space ship called the TARDIS [Time And Relative Dimension In Space]. The TARDIS has a vast interior but appears smaller on the outside.
The Doctor travels through space and time preventing evil aliens or people from harming innocent people or changing history.
The Doctor has gained numerous reoccurring enemies during his travels, including the Daleks and the Cybermen.
Twelve male actors have headlined the series as the Doctor. The transition from one actor to another is written into the plot of the show with the concept of regeneration into a new incarnation. In 2018 the BBC had their first female incarnation for the thirteenth Doctor.
Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child
Social and historical context
First episode: Saturday, November 23rd, 1963 on the BBC. The plot was a narrative arc (a story over several episodes) involving the Doctor and his companions voyaging 100,000 years into Earth’s past to help some cavemen discover fire.
William Hartnell was the first Doctor, as an anti-hero who frequently put his companions in jeopardy for his own curiosity. Daleks made an appearance in the first series, as the arch enemies of the Doctor.
Jodie Whittaker took over the role as the Thirteenth Doctor in 2018 and is the first woman to be cast as the character.
1960s Britain
1961: First man in space – Russian Yuri Gagarin.
1962: The Beatles spark a British music revolution.
1964: BBC2 TV channel launched (third UK TV channel).
1965: The introduction of the mini skirt in a fashion show.
1967: BBC Radio 1 pop music station launched.
1969: First Man on the Moon – American Neil Armstrong.
1969: Concorde is flown for the first time.
1970: Mass media – 90% of households in UK have a TV, many now in colour.
The 1960s saw a shift in British culture. There was more freedom for young people and a breakaway from traditions.
Episode analysis: An Unearthly Child
An Unearthly Child (sometimes referred to as 100,000 BC) is the first narrative arc in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC TV in four weekly parts from 23 November to 14 December 1963. Scripted by the Australian writer Anthony Coburn, it introduces William Hartnell as the First Doctor and original companions; Carole Ann Ford as the Doctor's granddaughter Susan Foreman, with Jacqueline Hill and William Russell as school teachers Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton. The first episode deals with Ian and Barbara's discovery of the Doctor and his time-space ship TARDIS in a junkyard in contemporary London.
Plot of episode 1
Schoolteachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright are concerned about one of their pupils, Susan Foreman, who seems to have a very ‘alien’ outlook on England. They have come to her listed address to investigate. They arrive in a junkyard and find a police box, which proves to be no ordinary police box. When Ian and Barbara enter, they discover it to be much bigger on the inside than the outside. In the TARDIS is Susan and her grandfather, the Doctor. Fearing that Barbara and Ian will give away the secret of the TARDIS, he kidnaps them and takes the machine to the Stone Age, where they will have to fight for their lives.
The First Doctor was played as less mischievous and more cruel than later incarnations. He also seems less concerned about saving the human race.
His companion was made his ‘granddaughter’ because it was thought inappropriate for an old man to be accompanied by a young girl if she were unrelated to him.
Representations Daniel Chandler's representation theory: CAGE This is a theory about how the media constructs or represents individuals or groups of people through the media. Key markers of identity can be remembered through the acronym CAGE: C- Class A- Age G- Gender E- Ethnicity
Characters and representation in An Unearthly Child Susan Foreman Susan Foreman is the first of a long-standing tradition of Doctor Who companions. It was felt improper in 1963 for an older man, such as the Doctor, to be travelling through space with a young 15 year old girl; so she was written as his Granddaughter. She is a strong link to the young target audience and will often react in ways that the audience might in future episodes [e.g. screaming at aliens]. Classically relatable. She also provides a link between the chaotic alien madness of the Doctor and the human confusion embodied by Barbara and Ian (and the audience). She is therefore a translator of the more Sci-Fi elements of the story to a naïve 1960s audience. She can often be seen explaining some of the Doctor’s stranger outbursts to the humans Barbara and Ian. Another example of exposition.
The Doctor The Doctor represents the new age of technology and science that was emerging in the 1960s. The ‘space race’ was underway and the world was fascinated with all things space travel and linked to other planets. He represents this new world of discovery.
He is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey and he explores the universe with usually human companions who serve as audience surrogate characters to ask questions which allow the Doctor to provide relevant exposition. He is often eccentric, distracted and dark in mood. Some commentators have said he symbolises the struggle between good and evil, some have said he is a symbol of a God-like presence who wanders through time and space trying to change history for the better.
Teachers Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton
Barbara and Ian represent traditional human values and are classically middle class. They are the people the Doctor explains everything to, so that the audience understands as well. This is known as exposition.
They are also Science and History teachers so often offer advice and opinions to the Doctor on matters of space and time. They also have very clearly defined gender roles in the series.
Barbara and Ian also play the narrative role of mother and father to Susan who is very naive and who has not had that paternal guidance from the Doctor. They are very traditional in their gender roles. Ian is very physical when there is fighting or physical work to be done. Barbara is represented in a more homely, caring role in the series. These were stereotypical gender roles in the early 60s – but times were changing. Ian and Barbara are bonded by their human characteristics in their Space adventures. They represent the caring, empathetic part of the human condition in how they look after Susan and, in later episodes, the Doctor himself.
Language and Representation: blog tasks
Create a new blogpost called Doctor Who: Language and Representation blog tasks and complete the following questions on your blog:
Language and contexts
1) Write a summary of the notes from our in-class analysis of the episode. You can use your own notes from the screening in class or this Google document of class notes (you'll need your GHS Google login).
Camerawork and sound:
Mise-en-scene:
Narrative and genre:
2) How can we apply narrative theories to this episode of Doctor Who?
Todorov's Equilibrium:
Propp's character theory:
Barthes's enigma and action codes:
Levi-Strauss's binary opposition:
3) In your opinion, what is the most important scene in the episode and why?
4) What genre is An Unearthly Child and how can you tell? Make specific reference to aspects of the episode.
5) How does An Unearthly Child reflect the social and historical contexts of the 1960s? Representations 1) What stereotypes of men are reinforced and subverted in Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child? How? 2) What stereotypes of women/girls are reinforced and subverted in Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child? How? 3) How do the representations of young people and old people in An Unearthly Child reflect the social and historical context of the 1960s? 4) What representations of race/ethnicity can be found in Doctor Who: An Earthly Child? Is this surprising or not? Give reasons for your answer and consider historical / cultural context (the 1960s). Has this changed in more recent series of Doctor Who?
5) How is social class represented in An Unearthly Child? Think about how education and knowledge is presented in the episode.
Our next topic is Television - a crucial in-depth topic. These are particularly important CSPs as we know they will definitely come up in Media Paper 2. The first 42 marks of this paper will be based on your knowledge and understanding of the two TV programmes across Media Language, Industries, Audiences and Representations. The CSPs: Doctor Who (1963) and His Dark Materials (2020) We need to study the following episodes as our in-depth CSPs: Episode 1 of Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child (1963) Episode 1 of His Dark Materials (Season 2): The City of Magpies (2020)
Doctor Who - An Unearthly Child opening:
His Dark Materials Season 2 trailer:
Assessment: Paper 2 Section A
Television will be tested using two medium response questions on an extract clip from one of the two episodes we will be studying. One question will be worth 8 marks and one will be worth 12 marks. There will then be one extended 20-mark essay covering the whole of both of the episodes you have studied. Introduction to TV Drama
Television drama is a popular TV genre. ‘Binge-watching’ series in one go is a recent phenomenon while other dramas have built hugely loyal fanbases (e.g. Doctor Who) over many years.
There are many sub-genres and hybrid genres in TV drama from costume drama to fantasy or science-fiction.
Key conventions
TV Drama has certain recognisable conventions or typical features. These include:
Dramatic narrative, usually linear (with continuity across episodes.) This is called a narrative arc where the story goes across the series.
Ensemble cast (characters with own storylines). Sometimes an episode will focus more on one character or another.
Specific technical codes e.g. realistic lighting and editing for social dramas to keep it gritty. Common use of flashback, point of view shots, dialogue and voice over, enigma and action codes throughout.
Use of stereotypical ‘stock’ characters get storylines across quickly.
TV Drama series A TV drama series is a set of connected TV episodes that run under the same title e.g. Stranger Things, Doctor Who or His Dark Materials. They are usually structured in ‘seasons’ or ‘series’ and often end with a ‘season finale’. (‘Season’ is the American term but you will hear the British term 'series'.)
Genre
Genre definition: a style or category of TV, film, music or literature.
Genre is the term to classify any TV or film media product that has a chosen style and follows certain codes and conventions e.g. comedy, action or crime drama.
Genres can change over time and there is increasingly a fashion to combine genres to create hybrid genres. E.g. Science fiction and fantasy.
NCIS
We can use the mnemonic NCIS to remember how to analyse the genre of film or television: Narrative: the storyline and preoccupations / issues e.g an action adventure film usually features a dangerous quest or mission. Todorov’s Equilibrium theory of narrative structure might apply here. Characters: the people who drive the story. Here you may see examples of Propp’s character types e.g. In fantasy there is often a hero, princess, helper, villain etc. Iconography: the mise-en-scene (CLAMPS) to create a particular look e.g. a horror movie may be particularly focused on blood, darkness and set at night. Setting: the locations or time period used e.g. in Western movies, you will often see it located in American or Mexican deserts around 1800s.
Introduction to TV drama: blog tasks
Watch the BBC trailer for season 2 of our CSP - His Dark Materials:
Now answer the following questions: 1) How does this His Dark Materials trailer meet the conventions of a TV drama series? 2) What genre (or genres) are suggested by this His Dark Materials trailer? 3) What kind of characters and narratives are introduced in this trailer?
4) What settings appear in the trailer? 5) Who do you think the target audience for His Dark Materials is? Give reasons for your answer. Grade 8/9 Extension tasks:
