Target Audience

1. Soap Opera Genre –
Target Audience
Name: Jon Villacci
Candidate Number: 1248
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number: 64135
OCR Media Studies – A2 Level
Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio

2. 1st Trailer – Eastenders
In accordance to Hartley’s seven subjectivities the target
audience is :
• Age- The age range for EastEnders typically ranges from age
13 – 60 as the programme is a nation wide mainstream TV
drama which has been aired for over 30 years. The
programme has a wide variety of target audiences however
this age range is the most specific.
• Gender- The major stereotypical gender for soap opera
genres such as EastEnders is female. Mainly because this
gender stereotype is more relatable to soap opera, as it
features multiple themes such as: The home, the family,
domestic tribulations and strong women. However the
programme equally targets both genders, for example the
programme holds stories that both relate to men and
women whether that be teenage life and troubles along the
way or implements such as one of the male characters
having testicular cancer which will only personally identify
with the specific male audience.
• Class- The majority of the viewers come from a working class/middle class background as the
characters mirror the audience allowing them to ‘personally identify’ (Katz) as they live similar
lives.
• Ethnicity- The programme is set in the heart of East London which is home to a wide variety of
different multi-cultural families. The Drama depicts a very modern day London filled with a
multi cultural community. By having many cultures and religions in the trailer and programme it
allows for the TV drama to gain a wider target audience.
• East enders is viewed on BBC 1 four times a week at prime time hour which is 8pm,
primetime hour allows the working class and category E to view the program without any
foul language as well as being in time for people who have just come home from work. After
9PM (watershed) programs will include more adult related subjects and offensive language.
• Personal identification (Katz) – The program contains
themes which could relate to the viewers daily lives and
some of the actions undertaken by the characters (actors)
could influence good or bad decisions the viewers could
recreate in real life.
• Personal relationship (Katz) – Members of the audience
may feel like they have a personal link between the
characters, for example a character may have fear of
expressing that they are homosexual which may be
relatable to an audience members life.
• Socio-economic needs: East enders viewers are typically
from the C1-E group category. This is because the audience
watching watch this to mirror their own lives and feel of
importance watching the same working class people.

3. 2nd Trailer – Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks is specifically aged at young people between the age of 16-24. The
programme was first broadcasted on the 23rd October 1995.
When watching the episodes there is a large emphasis on school and
university life which is why it appeals more towards the younger generation
in category E of the socio-economic scale.
The programme contains a variety of slang language which is particularly
appealing to the younger audience. Verbal codes and colloquialisms such
as ‘fit’, which is a slang term for attractive are ‘personally identifiable’
(Katz) to the younger generation. The reason why younger audiences are
a main percentage of the viewership is due to the fact that young people
want to be able to ‘survey’ similar lives to their own. Hollyoaks contains
topics which are highly relative to the younger audiences such as sexual
orientations and drug abuse. The soap opera can ‘inform and educate’
young viewers on the negatives and positives of modern topics (Katz).
This scene demonstrates the action packed scenes in
the trailer which give a sneak peak in on the series.
From this screenshot the theme is easily depicted as
action/thriller.
• Socio-economic needs: Hollyoaks viewers are typically from the C1-E
group category. This is because the audience watching watch this to
mirror their own lives and feel of importance watching the same working
class people.
• Psychographics: The program stereotypically attracts a younger
demographic as they feel they relate and are influenced to act similar to
the youth in the program.
• Hollyoaks is shown 5 times a week and scheduled at the
time of 6:30 on channel 4. this may suggest why they
target a younger demographic as students watch TV
when they get back from school, 6:30 is before the
watershed so is the perfect time for young viewers to
watch the program.
• Age- The age range for hollyoaks typically ranges from
age 16 above as the topics are relatable to teenage
issues, as well as the program being played before the
watershed so the younger demographic can view the
soap.
• Gender- The major stereotypical gender for soap opera
genres such as hollyoaks are female. Again this is due to
relatable feminine topics , as it features multiple themes
such as: The home, the family, domestic tribulations and
strong women.

4. Secondary Research
“This television genre is marked as feminine in these days, in spite of the fact that men
watch it (but they are as a rule ashamed to admit it in the public). Soap operas are, in
the same way as romance in literature, considered as a lower form of popular culture
(which is why, not only men, but women too do not like to admit watching these
declined genres).”
https://www.muni.cz/vyzkum/publikace/75998
6
Iva Baslarova
• This research suggests to me that both men and women identity's are almost ashamed
to view soap operas on television as it is seen as a ‘low’ form of popular culture. ‘low’
referring to lower class members of the public who are viewing the soap to reflect on
their own lives and personal identity with the characters involved (Katz).
• This sense of ‘shamelessness’ could signify (Da Saussure) men are to afraid to reveal
their viewership to the soap opera as it is not seen in society as masculine or
‘machismo’.