By Beth, Nathan, Ollie and Sophie.

CONVENTIONS IN TV DRAMAS

INTRODUCTIONGenre: the category of a program which is defined by its characteristics (e.g.- arguments – TV drama)

Sub-genre: What the genre incorporates (e.g.- within a hospital- Medical TV drama)

Convention: A way in which something is usually done.

There are four main sub genres within the genre of TV drama:

• Crime TV Drama

• Medical TV Drama

• Costume TV Drama

• Soap Opera TV Drama

NARRATIVENarrative: the story line.

There are to main narrative theorists, Todorov and Propp’s.

• Todorov: Believes stories begin with an equilibrium, (happiness, normality) then there is a disequilibrium (a change in normality, a problem), then it ends with an equilibrium (the problem is solved and the story goes back to happiness and normality (or new normality)). In a more advanced order he believes it goes like this:

1. Equilibrium

2. Disruption of equilibrium (disequilibrium)

3. Recognition of disruption (disequilibrium)

4. Attempt to repair disruption (disequilibrium)

5. A reinstatement of equilibrium.

NARRATIVEPropp’s: This theory is more of a character theory, believing there is a label for all characters.

• The villain (struggles against the hero)

• The donor (prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object) The (magical) helper (helps the hero in the quest)

• The princess (person the hero marries, often sought for during the narrative)

• The false hero (perceived as good character in beginning but emerges as evil)

• The dispatcher (character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off)

• The hero or victim/seeker hero, reacts to the donor, weds the princess

MEDICAL TV DRAMAConventions of a Medical TV Drama:

• Usually set in a hospital or a doctors which is the point of interaction (where everything happens).

• The characters often witness horrific events, due to it being set in a hospital there is usually a lot of blood and gore.

• Similar to a Soap Opera but a Medical TV Drama is believed to be more educational by using more medical terms and showing what it is like to work in a hospital in a way, but it is more dramatized. (It relates to soap operas in the way that there are usually 2 doctors that fall in love and there are usually tensions and arguments between doctors.)

MEDICAL TV DRAMA• Medical dramas can also be similar to crime

dramas as often doctors get police involved as they realize an accident is always quite an accident or they realize the reason someone is in hospital is because of their own dodgy mistakes.

• Medical TV Dramas always hold emotional or life changing moments to a doctor or patients life e.g. a patient dying.

• Medical TV Dramas tend to follow Todorovs theory as there is normality within the hospital, then there is a medical issue which rocks the hospital but then at the end the issue is solved and normality is back.

COSTUME TV DRAMA• Costume/period dramas are often adaptions of a

famous classic novel or play but can be original works.

• They dramatize different points in history and can be quite different from contemporary dramas.

• This type of drama is normally part of a series.• These drama’s are old fashion/can be set in

tutor times and traditional.• A typical period drama is set in a large country

mansion house.• The costume drama follows Propp’s theory

usually as it is more like a soap and follows a set of characters.

SOAP OPERA TV DRAMA• In most TV soap operas there are certain aspects of

them that are the same, for example, A British soap opera almost always features the following conventions:

• It is a serialized drama that usually runs week-in, week-out, all year round.

• It features continuous storylines dealing with domestic themes and personal or family relationships.

• It generally has a well-known theme tune.• Small cast, allows more screen time for each

character.• The plots are open-ended and usually many storylines

are featured or even interlinked in an episode.• They are often set around a small, central area such

as a square (as in EastEnders).

SOAP OPERA TV DRAMA• Soaps often have special episodes for events in the real

world such as Christmas or the Millennium.

• British soaps most often feature common, ordinary, working class characters, reflecting the preferences of the target audience.

• As a rule, British soaps are realistic or, at least, aim for realism.

• Soap operas usually end on a cliff hanger with a close up reaction shot of someone's face and the next episode will usually begin on this shot too.

• Three, four or even five storylines will be in progress during any one episode, with the action switching between them. As one narrative is resolved, another completely different one with different characters will already be underway.

• Soap operas usually follow Propps theory as it has set characters that follow the suited role and there are often cliff hangers at the end of an episode which means there is no equilibrium at the end.

CRIME TV DRAMAA TV crime drama will be identified and portrayed in a certain way, so that the viewer will immediately recognise the category in which this TV drama falls into (crime). The conventions that are essential in creating a convincing crime drama are: Character types, Setting, Narrative, Style, Themes.

Crime dramas can focus on many different people within or outside of the law. For example Police, lawyers, criminals, a team of detectives, or even a vigilante.

CRIME TV DRAMALong drawn out TV crime drama will likely have many sub-plots, in which characters will from friendships or become enemy’s.

Here are some of the key elements to a crime Drama:

• A mystery/problem that needs to be solved• The resolution to a mystery/problem• Question or morality• Debates about innocence and guilt• Conflict between modes of policing• Different characteristics of villainy • Crime TV Dramas follow Todorovs theory as

there is always an equilibrium reinstated at the end, ready for a new disequilibrium in the next episode.