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TV DRAMA
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LearningObjectives
To present a convincing proposalfor a new cop drama show
demonstrating understanding ofissues such as:
Production and industrymatters
Representation To peer-assess essays and grasp the
Assessment Objectives
To deconstruct an extract from
Ashes to Ashes, focusing onrepresentations of the law and
gender.Special focus oncamerawork and editing.
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Representation
A culturalforce as it relates to tastes, identity
and interests that are shaped by the culture weinhabit.
Related to regulation. People have legal means
to respond to representations they considerinaccurate, offensive
or harmful OFCOM
Also linked to economicforces. Big budgetdramas made in relation
to likely audience andfuture DVD sales.
Increasingly shaped by technology. (players oninternet, DVDs
etc) Watched in staggered
fashion or at onceFragmented audience
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Police / Crime Dramas
What are the main elements ofthis genre that you might
expect
to occur in any programme withthis label?
What are the main ingredients
that produce various forms ofpleasure for the
viewingaudience?
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Deconstructing the text
Remember your TV Mats
From Micro to MacroAnalyse micro elements of the
text
Conclude from the micro
elements a range of macrorepresentations
Consider how different peoplemight respond differently tothese
representations
Are the representations on thewhole positive,
negative,challenging conventions,controversial, etc?
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Ashes to Ashes
shes to shesis a British science fiction/police
proceduraldramatelevisionseries, serving as the sequelto Life on
Mars.http://www.bbc.co.uk/lifeonmars/
The series began transmission on BBC Onein February 2008. A
secondseries began broadcasting in April 2009.A third and final
series is beingbroadcast from 2 April 2010 on BBC Oneand BBC
HD.
The series tells the fictional story ofAlex Drake, a female
police officerinservice with London's Metropolitan Policewho is
shot in 2008, andinexplicably regains consciousness in 1981.
The series' first episodereveals that inthe present day, Drake
has beenstudying records of the events seen in Life on Mars. Upon
waking in the
past, she is shocked to meet returning character Gene Hunt, of
whomshe has learned from her research. Throughout the series, it
isambiguous to both Drake and the audience whether the character
isdead or alive in the present day.
BBC WEBSITE: trailers and characters:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ashestoashes/characters/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_in_the_United_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fictionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fictionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Mars_(TV_series)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Mars_(TV_series)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_proceduralhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramatic_programminghttp://www.bbc.co.uk/lifeonmars/http://www.bbc.co.uk/lifeonmars/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Mars_(TV_series)http://www.bbc.co.uk/lifeonmars/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Onehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Onehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_HDhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Onehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_HDhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Police_Servicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Police_Servicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Drakehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_officerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Police_Servicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ashes_to_Ashes_episodeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Mars_(TV_series)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Mars_(TV_series)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Hunthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Hunthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Hunthttp://www.bbc.co.uk/ashestoashes/characters/http://www.bbc.co.uk/ashestoashes/characters/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Hunthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Mars_(TV_series)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ashes_to_Ashes_episodeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Police_Servicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_officerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Drakehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_HDhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Onehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Onehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/lifeonmars/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Mars_(TV_series)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_in_the_United_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramatic_programminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_proceduralhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fiction
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Reception (Source: Wikipedia) Based on overnight returns, The
Guardianreported that audience figures for the
7 February 2008 broadcast of the first episode, in a 9:00 pm
slot on the flagshipchannel, BBC One, were 7 million: about 29% of
viewers. The figure was "in line
with the final episode of Life on Mars in April last year,
though well up on theearlier show's second series debut of 5.7
million two months earlier," but TheGuardian noted "the heavy
publicity blitz this week for Ashes to Ashes" as afactor in its
success against the opposition.
Critical reception to the first episode of the series was mixed;
The Observercriticised the episode's direction, structure and tone
(although it did praise thecostumes and art direction). The
national free sheet, Metro, gave the episode
four stars as "a vote of faith" on what it described as "a dodgy
start". The Guardian reported on 15 February 2008 that, with 6.1
million viewers and a
25% audience share, the ratings for the second episode, shown on
14 February,were down by almost one million on the first, comparing
overnight returns. Thefifth episode, broadcast 6 March 2008,
attracted 6.6 million viewers according toovernight returns. With
this episode, The Daily Telegraphstated that "Ashes to
Ashes stepped out of the shadow of Life on Mars."
Entertainment news website Digital Spy praised the show's return
with cult editorBen Rawson-Jones describing the opening episode of
the second series as"greatly promising". It was watched by 7.01
million viewers.
The second series has been nominated for The TV Dagger at the
2009 CrimeThriller Awards. Keeley Hawes and Philip Glenister have
received nominations inthe Best Actress and Best Actor categories
respectively.
The finale of Ashes To Ashes, which finishes in 2010, has been
described by
Dean Andrews as, 'Genius. He explained on GMTV: "Everything is
tied up. Youget all of the answers from Life On Mars and Ashes To
Ashes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guardianhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Onehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Observerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_(Associated_Metro_Limited)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Daily_Telegraphhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Mars_(TV_series)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_Thriller_Awardshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_Thriller_Awardshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_Thriller_Awardshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_Thriller_Awardshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_Thriller_Awardshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Mars_(TV_series)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Daily_Telegraphhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_(Associated_Metro_Limited)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Observerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Onehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guardian
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Gene Hunt
Police Notes:
Transferred from GMP February 1980 after a prolific 12 year
period at A-DivisionManchester. Reasons for transfer remain
personal but I suspect DCI Hunt felt that
after the break-up of his marriage and the untimely death of his
long-servingDetective Inspector, Sam Tyler, that his tenure in the
North had reached itsnatural conclusion. Relocated to the Met
bringing with him two of the officers fromhis division.
I welcome this in the spirit of a cross-pollination of
experiences and ideasbetween forces that is so encouraged by our
incumbent Chief Commissioner. DCIHunt is a shining example of the
"doer". A proactive officer who instils a strongsense of loyalty
from his subordinates even if at times he fails to show
duedeference to his seniors. To be blunt, DCI Hunt can be a cheeky
bastard with adefiant stare that I once noticed in a Labrador of my
wife's. Said Labrador (Suki)was eventually destroyed when she bit
me on the hand.
I am glad to say that no such fate will befall DCI Hunt provided
he realizes that heis not a lone maverick but part of a team. A
club if you will. Or indeed a fraternity.
The sooner he accepts this, the better. A tendency to apprehend
with violentprejudice. Provided his charge sheet remains healthy, I
am prepared merely toobserve such activity at this time. But DCI
Hunt must understand that theMetropolitan Police Force is under
public and federal scrutiny as never before.
Hobbies appear to be drinking and darts, neither of which
interferes with his workas a senior CID officer.
Report compiled by Chief Superintendent Mackintosh.
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Episode 1
series 1
List examples of:
typical characters typical narratives
typical themes
Iconography (setting, costumes,
props)
Practical: Re-creating and editing anextract introduction of
Gene Hunt
Character Reflect: How could the presentation of
Gene Hunt be different or toned down
through different camerawork / editing?
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Analysis
Read Life on Marsmodel first. In pairs, come up
with success criteria, looking at how all 4 micro-elements are
dealt with together.
Write up your analysis of the short extract you re-
created up to when the villain is arrested (and hisface is
smashed against the car).
You can work in pairs but everyone must post theirwork on their
TV drama Blog.
