2. The TV industry
• John Logie Baird’s first demonstrated the
ability to transmit moving silhouette images in
1925
• We now have fully integrated internet and
Web 2.0 features on gigantic plasma screens
the size of a whole wall
• Connected TV seems to be the future,
• HD and 3D is already established.
3. • The TV has always held pride of place in our
living rooms with furniture arranged to
accommodate its importance.
• B4 TV this was the same for the wireless.
4. • On November 2nd, 1936 the BBC began
broadcasting from Alexandra Palace and lays
claim to be the ‘birthplace of television’ while the
technology became popularised with audiences
in the United States at the 1939
• America at the forefront of the technology and
TV became more popular in American homes in
the 1950s than in UK homes as we saw cinema as
the primary audio visual culture.
• Television was and remains attractive for
advertisers who see the medium as an
exciting, lucrative and high production way of
reaching audiences.
5. TV in the UK
• BBC is a non commercial television channel and
was the first UK broadcaster in 1936, closing
during the war years but reopening in 1946
• Public Service Broadcasting - funded by the
licence fee
• 1955 - ITV the first commercial broadcaster
launched
• BBC2 launched in 1964
• Channel 4 in 1982 and Channel 5 as the final
analogue broadcaster launched in 1997 before
channel digitisation.
6. Ideology
• TV has provided clear divisions of social class
• the BBC more associated with middle class viewers
• ITV known for its popular culture, entertainment
output consumed by primarily working class audiences
• BBC2 offers more ‘high brow’ cultural output
• Channel 4’s original aim was to broadcast
challenging, minority interest programming
• Channel 4 today has become more mainstream after
broadcasting the first Big Brother in 2001 and
acquiring This Morning from ITV in 2001, rebranding
the programme as Richard and Judy.
7. • Channel 4 still offers a range of programming
and has extended channels: Film4, E4, More4
and 4Music
• As well as some innovative programming
appealing to 18-35, ABC1 target audiences it
also includes Shipwrecked, Embarrassing
Bodies and The Undateables which illustrates
Channel 4 embracing the
voyeuristic, exploitative explosion of Reality
TV programmes over the last 10-15 years.
8. Section B
• Explore the impact of digital technologies on
your selected industry.
9. TV and new technology
• TV dominates our culture
• It’s a source of information, entertainment, a social
activity, an asset and even a danger
• Marshall McLuhan looked at the ways in which
communication technologies developed in relation to
one another and our needs – The Tetrad (4 Q’s)
• What will it enhance?
• What will it impair?
• What will it recover/rejuvenate?
• What will it make obsolete?
10. Is TV obsolete?
• TV should have become obsolete because the
following have become affordable:
• Home PC’s
• Films and TV on demand
• Games machines
• Mobile phones
• Personal recording devices – Sky+
• The internet
11. Convergence
• In order to maximise profits media companies
will work together
• The ultimate ideal would be for the consumer
to use one technology for all their media
needs
• What we watch on TV is not always what is
aired – Sky+, computer games, DVD’s, internet
etc.
12. The future of TV
• How do we use TV?
• Structural users: to satisfy needs – Uses and
Gratifications theory. Audiences have a direct
relationship with programs
• Rational users: use TV as a regular social
ritual, how it fits into the home routine. The
relationship between viewer and programme is
indirect
• It is the rational user who has become significant
in broadcasting schedules and innovations like
the Wii.
13. The family & TV
• Due to the many different media available it was
thought that the family bond with TV would end
• Fragmentation – theory that multi channel TV
and all the possibilities for personalised viewing
would inevitably undermine the mass audience
• The extinction of PSB & high quality TV
• The end of the mass audience sharing significant
experiences ‘Live’
• The destruction of the family – each member
retreating to their own personal viewing space
14. Exam Question Section B
• Explore the impact of digital technologies on your
selected industry
• Answers:
• Explore the range of different ways of accessing TV
programmes
• TV’s are no longer only used to watch
programmes
• The concept of convergence and theories of
Fragmentation
• The impact on the mass audience and niche
marketing
15. X Factor
• Created to Entertain and amuse the national
demographic (MASS)
• A direct response to the theory of Fragmentation
• A reflection of the active audience and a
democratic society as we have the chance to vote
• Despite it being a search for talent there is always
1 act that is used for comedy to allow for variety
16. X Factor and the mass audience
• In 2009 X factor built an audience following over
12 weeks that peaked to 19 million viewers of the
live final.
• Different responses:
• Some though it had homely charm
• Others thought it was mass manipulation
• Either way it was nothing new – Search for a
Star, New Faces, Opportunity Knocks going back
as far as the 60’s
17. Interactivity
• This is the new key to success
• Not just phoning in but interacting with each
other
• The wii is an example of getting the family to
interact – this myth was presented in their
marketing which created desire/hope/fear
and guilt of this imaginary ideal
18. WWW.
• The X factor uses no end of ways to connect
with the audience:
• Sms
• Blogs
• Phone ins – The extra Factor
• Website
• The web was also a negative for the show
when an internet campaign made Rage
Against the Machine number 1 in 2009
19. X Factor
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What do we know about X Factor
Genre
Narrative
Representation
Audience
Production
Marketing
Regulation
Distribution/Global implications
20. Genre and ideology
• X Factor is a reality TV programme
• It attempts to turn an ordinary person into a pop star through its talent
contest narrative.
• It reflects the ‘American Dream’ ideology in the way that it can turn
people’s lives from ‘rags to riches’.
• Genre conventions :
• ordinary people trying to make their lives better,
• high production values which includes viewing luxuries such as flashy
lights, extravagant camera angles (such as Birdseye), special effects, and
celebrities.
• The X Factor has influenced the typical representation of other talent
shows ever since, so this would include the Two Step Flow theory as the
X Factor has acted as an opinion leader, and has set down the modern
conventions for reality talent shows.
• How does The X Factor compare to BGT?
21. • TV scheduling was all about fixing
programmes around audiences routines
• trying to keep us fixed to a single channel by
offering a variety of genre texts at certain
times
• Now texts are commercially endorsed and
experienced ‘any time, any place, any where’
• Henry Jenkins calls it ‘trans-media storytelling’
22. Dr Who revival
• Perfect example of convergence – becoming a
franchise
• Accessible through genre repetition but now
• through the website
• Sticker books,
• action figures etc. etc. etc.
23. Torchwood
• Torchwood is a Science Fiction TV Drama
created by Dr Who Executive Producer Russell
T Davies.
• Torchwood is a sub genre of TV Drama
because it follows the conventions of many TV
Dramas but has tweaked the representations
to give it a Science Fiction feel.
24. • Davies wanted to develop an Americanised
drama like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and
Angel but with clear linking to Doctor Who
• Captain Jack Harkness appeared several times
in Doctor Who as a time traveller.
• ‘Torchwood’ is an anagram of Doctor Who.
• Both Torchwood and Doctor Who use CGI
special effects, elaborate built sets, on
location shooting, multiple camera
technology, ensemble cast and high
production value sound
25. The cast
• The cast are alien-hunters who are based at the Cardiff
branch of the Torchwood Institute
• the first three series were filmed by BBC Wales in and
around the Cardiff.
• some of the actors have South Wales accents
• they use iconic Cardiff locations like Tiger Bay.
• Initially broadcast on BBC3 but moved to BBC2 and
BBC1 because of the critical and commercial success it
received
• The BBC often use BBC3 to trial programmes because
of its less mainstream target audience and lower
audience figures.
26. Global impact
• The fourth series attracted American investment
through Starz who are a Premium Subscription
Channel.
• This co-production with BBC1 saw even higher
production values and the ability to sell what can
be a fast paced, action based series to American
audiences.
• Torchwood is much more ‘Americanised’ in its
content and attracts an older target audience as
well as existing fans of Doctor Who
27. Genre
• Torchwood also borrows codes and
conventions of Crime Drama and has an
investigative narrative.
• High production values are evident : CGI and
aerial shots
• intertextual references to CSI & Spooks in the
layout of their headquarters but also with the
continuous referencing of new technology.
28. Representation
• Female empowerment is represented
• However there is a male hierarchy
• 2 strong female characters would initially
suggest a more pluralistic (diverse)
representation but both are framed for the male
gaze and are seen to be more in touch with their
emotions.
• Examples? Gwen and The Chinese woman
29. • Men are more physically dominant and logical reflecting the
cultural stereotype
• like many action based TV Dramas the central protagonist is
a dominant male.
• The programme has a young male and female
aspirational, 16-35, urban and city living target audience
• Rather than the younger secondary target audience of
Doctor Who.
• In the opening sequences the team are seen to walk together
in slow motion anchoring their enigmatic status.
30. Audience Appeals
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
narrative predictability - Three act structure
Act One ‘the problem’, settings, location and characters
Act Two narrative chain of cause and effect (development)
Act Three resolution - the problem is always resolved or at least understood
by the team.
Science Fiction, popular with mass audiences who enjoy the idea of the
unknown, futuristic technology and life on other planets.
Narrative enigmas ensure the audience questions: who, what, why and
when
narrative action codes borrowing from the action genre.
multi stranded narrative - each character having their own storyline, helps
audience identification with a character
exaggerated hyper real representations,
familiar running time (60 minutes),
deliberate use of binary oppositions to construct meaning and a reputation
for quality and pedigree like Lost, Lie to Me, and 24.
31. • the BBC ident is foregrounded in the first
frame, offering audiences ‘promises of pleasure’
in terms of production values
• well researched script
• star marketing – John Barrowman
• Torchwood is pure escapist entertainment
• an older target audience will enjoy more graphic
violence than in Doctor Who and will appreciate
the production values.
• Intertextual references to Dr Who
• Cultural Capitol of Cpt. Jack (prior knowledge of
Dancing on Ice etc.)
32. • Captain Jack–is a former con man which
allows audiences to understand him as an anti
hero
• scheduled post watershed gives the
production team some flexibility in developing
challenging narratives.
• John Barrowman appeals to British and
American audiences as a result of his dual
nationality
33. • narrative themes of sexuality - Diversity
• It has its own spin offs including Torchwood
Declassified
• online interactivity - an elaborate interactive
website with links to alternative sites.
• Torchwood Magazine and mini episodes on
mobile phones,
• an alternative reality game show (via the
website),
• podcast commentaries, interactive
adventures, video blogs and other interactive
online games.
• Convergence very much apparent in Torchwood
with particularly younger audiences invited to
interact with the programme on a number of
digital platforms.
34. Torchwood Series 3 Children of Earth
• It was shown on prime time BBC 1 for 5
consecutive nights
• This was attempting the 24 series model
where events occur in real time but going for
5 days
• Usually texts like Silent Witness only go for
two consecutive nights
35. Peep Show
• Is very unique – despite receiving critical
acclaim has always had quite low rating
figures
• By the 6th series ratings rose which could
partly be to do with aiming at an earlier 10pm
slot – DVD sales have always been good
• The stylistic creation of storytelling through
constant POV is both its success and down fall
in finding a wider audience
36. Todorov
• Argued that “a world without a theory of
genre was unthinkable since genre integrates
the reader into the world of the characters
and prepares us for a certain kind of reading’
• In other words genre reduces the complexities
of texts and makes them accessible to us.
• Peep Show hardly has a genre identity but it’s
style and character identities help it to be
received.
37. Q. How do your chosen texts use
genre conventions?
• Or How do your chosen texts use narrative
conventions?
• Consider which texts you would use for either
of these questions – is TV the best industry
here?