{TV Drama

By Emma, Josh, Lauren and Genit

Genre

A category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.

Sub genre

A subcategory within a particular genre

Conventions

A way in which something is usually done

Narrative Theory

Russian theorist, Tzvetan Todorov, suggests 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 equilibrium is restored.Propp theory suggest that there are set characters in every TV Drama. For Example: the hero, the villain, the helper and a mentor.

Tzvetan Todorov examples are Crime drama, medical drama and costume drama.Propp is a soap opera

Crime

Main Convention:• Multiple storylines (crimes) • Point of interaction (mainly a police

station)• Law always wins• Recognizable Characters (mainly

police officers )• Mise-en-scène (police clothing and

policing equipment

Crime

The main conventions of a crime drama:• The main characteristics of a crime drama are

officers of the law, victims, suspects and criminals.• Most crime drama’s deal with one or two main

crimes per episode, sometimes more. New victims are created every time, whilst the cops remain the same.

• Crime dramas are usually set in rooms, such as the interview room, or the court room, the autopsy room or the squad room at the police station and mainly set in the city.

•

Medical

Main conventions:• Multiple accidences• Point of interaction (mainly hospital)• Recognizable Characters (mainly medical

staff)• Technical language• Idealistic • Romance • Death• Mise-en-scène (Medical props and Medical

clothing)

Medical

The main conventions of a medical drama:• A medical drama is a television program, in

which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment.

• Most medical drama’s deal with one or two main accidence per episode, sometimes more. New victims are created every time, whilst the medical staff remain the same.

Soap opera

Main Conventions:• Multiple story lines• Use of Cliffhangers • Point of interaction• Recognizable Characters • Recognizable theme tune

Soap opera

The main conventions of a soap opera:• A television or radio drama series dealing typically with

daily events in the lives of the same group of characters.

• Most parts of the drama include relationships within different family's within the area. There are usually several different story's going on at the same time.

• There is nearly always a central meeting place. • The soap opera never really ends to keep the veiwer

intested

Costume

Main conventions:• Recognizable Characters • Romance• Use of Mise-en-scène

because of the props, costumes and old locations.

• Point of interaction (stately house)

Costume Drama

The main conventions of a Costume drama: • A television or cinema production set in a particular

historical period, in which the actors wear costumes typical of that period.