This document discusses different genres of TV dramas, including their conventions and examples. It covers soap operas, crime dramas, medical dramas, and period/costume dramas. For each genre, it lists the main conventions such as common storylines, settings, characters, and plot devices. It also provides 1-3 examples of popular shows that exemplify each genre.

1. TV Drama
Emma, Josh & Genit

2. Genres are the category that different productions are divided into.
The Genres are slit again into a sub genre’s
For e.g:
Soaps
Crime
Medical
Costume
What is a convention?
A convention is simply a 'usual thing' - eg it's a convention that when they
have a big fight in an action movie no-one really gets hurt.
Genre

3. Tzvetan Todorov
Todorov proposed that all narratives (whether that be plays
book, files ect) contain these five fundamental stages in this order:
1. A state of equilibrium (as it should be)
2. A disruption of that order by an event
3. A recognition that the disorder has occurred
4. An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption
5. A return or restoration of a new equilibrium (it doesn’t have to be
the same as the first equilibrium)
Narrative Theories

4. Vladimir Propp
Propp believed that is most stories the characters and there roles
are quite similar and unchanged, with a set of characters
performing the following roles:
1. Hero (Leads narrative, solves the disruption)
2. Villain (Conflicts the hero, typically causes the disruption)
3. Heroine (Prize for Hero, e.g. male hero female prize)
4. Father (Authority figure, Rewards the hero)
5. Helper (Helps hero often acts like a sidekick)
6. Donor (Gives the hero some type of clue to help him solve the
disruption)
7. Mentor (Teaches and guides the hero)
Narrative Theories

5. A Soap Opera is drama, typically performed as a serial on daytime television or
radio, characterised by stock characters and situations, sentimentality, and
melodrama.
The main conventions of a soap opera:
1. Point of interaction
2. Gossip/Arguments
3. Cliff Hangers
4. Dramatic irony & Red herrings
5. Known theme tunes
6. Different accents
Examples are:
1. Eastenders
2. Emmerdale
3. Coronation Street
Soap Opera

6. Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. Criminal acts are almost
always glorified in these movies.
The main conventions of a crime drama;
1. Usually “Good guy vs Bad buy”
2. Multiple Story lines
3. Typically based in a police station. (Point of interaction)
4. Chase scene & Arrest
5. Mystery & Evidence gathering.
6. Props
Examples are:
1. CSI
2. The Mentalist
3. NCIS
Crime

7. A medical drama is a television program, in which events center upon a hospital, an
ambulance staff, or any medical environment.
The main conventions of a medical drama:
1. Idealistic
2. Based around a hospital (point of interaction)
3. Technical Language (Medical Jargon)
4. Possible romance
5. Medical Props
Examples are:
1. Holby City
2. Casualty
3. ER
Medical

8. A costume drama or period drama is a period piece in which elaborate costumes, sets
and properties are featured in order to capture the ambience of a particular era.
The main conventions in Costume Drams are:
1. Romance
2. Technical language
3. Based around a certain time/Period
4. Point of interaction
5. Tragedy’s
Examples are:
1. Gladiator
2. Spartacus
3. Tudors
Period/Costume