TV Drama: Introduction

Factsheet: Television Serial Drama

What is serial television drama?

•  A dramatic narrative that provides a narrative resolution for an arc for a specific number of parts over a specified time period. 

List 5 of the dramas discussed on page 1 of the factsheet.  How has the genre evolved over time?

•  Doctor Who, The Avengers, Danger Man, The Sweeney and Starsky and Hutch. TV dramas have shifted their focus from a story-a-week narrative structure that fit the audiences of the 80s to a much more rounded overarching narrative to fit the viewing habits of an audience within the digital age. 

List the sub-genres included in the factsheet and an example of each.

•  Police Procedural (crime) E.g Luther [2010, Written by Neil Cross]
•  Medical E.g Grey's Anatomy [2005, Written by Shonda Rhimes]
•  Period (costume) E.g Mad Men [2007, Created by Matthew Weiner]
•  Science fiction/fantasy E.g Doctor Who [1963, Created by Terry Nation]
•  Family E.g The Fosters [2013, Created by Peter Paige, Brad Bredeweg]
•  Teen E.g Runaways [2017, Created by Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage]

Why is setting so important in TV dramas?

•  Setting is important for tv dramas since a recognisable setting or utilisation of iconography allows the audience to pick up key ques about the characters and narrative and also the sub-genre of the drama. Since TV Dramas have a large ensemble cast, they tend to focus on setting as a plot device rather than a leading character.

How do TV dramas usually use characters? What are the audience pleasures that can be linked to character in TV dramas?

•  TV Dramas usually use a large ensemble cast to appeal to a diverse audience and create realism within long-running dramas. This links to Blumler and Katz theory on Uses and Gratifications as people can form personal relationships due to personal identity - seeing themselves depicted on screen

What is a multi-strand narrative? Give an example.

•  A composition of different narratives that link in the end to a final conclusion. e.g Love Actually [2003, Dir. Richard Curtis]

What is a cold opening?

•  A cold opening is when a tv show jumps straight into action or the narrative before the opening credits. 

How can Todorov's theory of equilibrium be applied to tv serial dramas?

•  TV serial dramas have both episodic disequilibrium and resolution as well as an overarching narrative that returns to a new equilibrium at the climax of a season. This plot structure allows a chance to capitalise off of both specific subplots as well as the plot as a whole. 

What is the typical form of TV dramas and how are they usually distributed to an audience?

•  TV dramas are usually episodic, with multiple seasons communicating different but interlinked overarching narratives. They usually are distributed seasonally with an annual 'hiatus' between seasons, compared to serial dramas which take place over a set number of weeks and rarely infiltrate the multiple season approach.

How have subscription channels and streaming services changed the form and content of TV dramas?

• Subscription channels and streaming services allow people to 'binge-watch' TV dramas, channels play reruns of popular TV dramas and streaming services distribute entire seasons at one time, eliminating the need for episodic cliffhangers but increasing demand for a continuous and consistently intriguing and relevant narrative throughout episodes. This allows TV dramas to have more relevant and socially relevant content due to the wider audiences but also allows them to adhere to traditional form techniques such as an overarching narrative since audiences will be invested in the conclusion.

How might the tv drama genre evolve in the future?

•  The increased density of morally ambiguous, complex characters will begin to appeal to a much more diverse audience as films begin to adhere and conform to archetypal but profitable cliches. The diversity of narrative and character in TV dramas will fill the market gap left by 'mid-budget' movies and gain a dominance on streaming services due to their attractiveness to binge-watchers and varying demographics due to their sub-genres.

Killing Eve ( 2018, Written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge)

FORM

•  Distributed by: IMG
•  Running Time: 42 minutes

NARRATIVE

•  Multi-strand structure; interlinked between characters and varying perspectives. 
•  Links to an over-arching climax in season finale

SETTING

•  Killing Eve is set primarily within London
•  Follows other culturally famous European places
•  Uses iconography to communicate recognisable settings
•  MI5 offices

CHARACTERS

•  Follows the professional and private lives of spies'private investigators as they attempt to ind and persecute an infamous serial killer, who's committed a string of murders throughout Europe and the changing dynamics and relationships between Criminal/Persecutor