1. Types of
Documentary

2. There are 7 main different types of
Documentaries
These include-
• Docusoaps
• Reality TV
• Fly on the wall
• Mixed
• Self Reflective
• Docudrama
• Fully Narrated

3. DOCUSOAPS

4. Docusoaps were started in the 1990’s and
became hugely popular straight away with
millions of viewers. A docusoap was a long
running documentary series, which meant
that each show was almost like an episodes as
if it were an actual drama series.
Docusoaps are of the observational genre, which
means that they have a central protagonist
and will follow a particular character in detail.
This mean the audience is getting to know the
character/ group of people.

5. As a hybrid, this means that a docusopa is
almost like a mixed drama.
Some example of Docusoaps are-
• The Family
• Big Fat Gypsy Wedding
• Driving School
• Airport
• One Born Every Minute

6. REALITY TV

7. Reality TV emerged in 1989-1999 and became
more used to being described as new factual
TV. It is sometimes known as ‘infotainment’ as
it is a mixture of entertainment and
information all in one.
Reality TV is a mix of authentic material with
serious information with commercial content.
When we watch Reality TV there is an element
of observation and commentaries through the
use of camerawork.

8. Examples of Reality TV genres are-
• News
• Police, camera, action
• 999
Nowadays we have casted reality TV into
programmes such as-
• Big Brother
• Shipwrecked

9. FLY ON THE
WALL

10. The camera is hidden or unseen. The camera
records the events which unfold, and the
audience act like the fly on the wall.
Examples of this are-
• Big Brother
• The Family
• Educating Essex

11. MIXED
DOCUMENTARY

12. A mixed documentary has a combination of
interviews, observation, actual
footage, archive material and
narration, pulling everything together, it
advances both sides of the argument.

13. SELF
REFLECTIVE

14. The camera is following someone, and they
know they are being followed so sometimes
purposely talk to the camera
For example-
• The secret millionaire

15. DOCUDRAMA

16. A Docudrama has reconstruction and re-
enactments. They show the events that
happened at the time in a Docudrama.
For example-
• Who Bombed Birmingham
• CrimeWatch

17. FULLY
NARRATIVE

18. This means that a documentary has narrative all
the way through. A voice over is used to
display the exposition and to make sense of
what the audience can see. The voice over
dominates the experience.
Examples of this are-
• Wildlife Documentaries
• Human Planet

19. DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN
DOCUMENTARIES
AND CURRENT
AFFAIRS

20. Current affairs are things which take place that
affect society. Journalists normally lead
current affairs Documentaries. The aim of
current affairs documentaries is to address the
news and political genders in more depth than
news bulletins do. They explore issues and
important social developments.

21. Current Affairs come across as a journalistic
report but might be arguing a case, trying to
prove something wrong.
Reports in a current affairs documentary
frequently appear in vision, but there may be
a voiceover.
For example-
• The World in Action
• Tonight with Trevor McDonald

22. Current Affairs are midway between
documentaries and news.
For example-
• Newsnight
• Dispatches

23. DIFFERNECES
• Documentaries may take more time to
produce
• Current affairs need to get stories together
more quickly