Television: Introduction to Science-fiction TV drama

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 Class (2016)

We need to study the following episodes as our in-depth CSPs:

Episode 1 of Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child (1963)
Episode 4 of Class: Co-owner of a Lonely Heart (2016)

Media Language: how the television shows communicate their message through mise-en-scene and narrative.
Industries: BBC as an institution; regulation; how the shows are produced and marketed.
Representations: How certain groups and individuals and ideas / issues are represented in the shows (e.g. CAGE)
Audiences: Target audience (demographics and psychographics) and audience pleasures.

We also need to consider the historical, cultural and social significance of the television shows.

Exam: 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.

Media Language: Genre

Genre is the term for any TV or film media product that has a chosen style that 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. Romance and Comedy becomes a ‘RomCom’.

NCIS
We use the mnemonic NCIS to remember how to analyse the genre or film or television:

Narrative: the storyline and preoccupations / issues e.g an action film usually features a dangerous quest or mission. Todorov’s Equilibrium theory 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.

TV Drama series

A TV drama series is a set of connected TV episodes that run under the same title e.g. Game of Thrones, Stranger Things, Doctor Who or Class. They usually are structured in ‘seasons’ or ‘series’ and often end with a ‘season finale’. (‘Season’ is the US word but we will use the British term series.)

TV Drama conventions

• Dramatic narrative, usually linear (with continuity across episodes.) This is called narrative arc e.g. 13 Reasons Why and Stranger Things where the mystery spans the series.
• Ensemble cast (characters with own storylines). Sometimes an episode will focus more on one character e.g. in LOST.
• 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 messages across quickly.
• Narrative formula that is always followed e.g. Casualty (3 Strand); Homeland (multi-strand narrative). Helps loyal viewers know what to expect.

Science Fiction conventions

Watch the following montage clip to get an idea of the conventions of the Science Fiction genre:



Now think about the Science Fiction genre using NCIS:

Narrative

• Alien invasion
• Scientific advancement
• Artificial intelligence
• Time travel  
• Mutation
• Post-apocalyptic struggles to survive
• Chemical poisoning
• Advanced technology
• Experimentation
• Disease / Contamination
• Space travel 

Characters

• Doubles / Doppelgangers / Clones
• Aliens who look like humans
• Aliens who look different 
• New species
• Scientists 
• People with advanced / superior intelligence
• Robots and advanced AI e.g. computers who can think

Iconography

• Futuristic hair and clothing
• Military uniforms
• Spaceships
• Space suits and helmets
• Futuristic weapons (light sabers / laser guns)
• Laboratories and experimental props
• Prosthetics / make-up
• Colours- blue, silver, grey, green 
• Time machines / advanced computers/gadgets

Settings

• Futuristic worlds
• Parallel universes / alternate dimensions
• Different time periods
• Space or other planets
• Dystopian or post-apocalyptic environments
• Laboratories
• Contaminated or toxic environments

Introduction to Science-fiction TV drama: blog tasks

Watch the trailer for our CSP Class:



Now answer the following questions:

1) How does Class meet the conventions of a TV drama series?

2) What conventions of the science-fiction genre can you find in the Class trailer? List as many as you can and use NCIS to help you.

3) What other genres are suggested by the trailer (e.g. horror)? Is Class an example of a modern hybrid-genre show?

4) Class is a spin-off from Doctor Who. At what point does the character of the Doctor appear in the trailer?

5) Who do you think the target audience for Class is? Is this a typical target audience for the science-fiction genre? Give reasons for your answer.

Grade 8/9 Extension tasks:

Aside from the appearance of the Doctor, what other references or allusions are made to the Doctor Who universe in the Class trailer?

Read this Guardian TV blog from when Class was first broadcast. Also look at the comments below the article - how did readers respond to Class?

Read this IndieWire feature on the best Science-fiction TV shows of the 21st century. What science-fiction conventions can you find in the feature? Are there any shows that particularly catch your eye for watching in future?

Due date on Google Classroom.