This document outlines the expectations for pre-production planning of a new soap opera titled "Park Rise" or "Highfields". It discusses the protagonists and antagonists, social issues that will be represented, locations that will be featured, how the show differs from but is similar to other soap operas in its genre. It also addresses the target channel, scheduling, target audience which aims to appeal to both men and women across a wide variety of ages, and how it will avoid competition by airing at 7:30-8:00pm.

1. We will now go through the expectations of the Pre-Production Planning

2. Name of the show
(Connotations)
Park Rise – ‘Rise’ connotes the
hierarchy within the soap and the rise
of certain characters over others.
Highfields – ‘High’ could suggest a high
status within the characters in the
soap.
Protagonists & Antagonists
(Names, appeal to the audience,
Gender)
Phoebe Regnault
Lucas Kirkland
Zoe Hickson
Imani Ayimba-Golding
Jess Blundell
TJ Salango
Mr Coll
Social Issues
represented (Relevance
to the Zeitgeist, why
they will be shown –
Pregnancy
Break-ups & relationships and
secret relationships
Cheating
Living at school
Teacher & student getting it on
Domestic - abuse
Bullying
Joining a new school
Locations
In school
Park
Pub
Alley Way
House
Local Shop
Streets

3. Steve Neale – “Genre’s are instances of repetition
and difference” –
• How is your text similar/different to other(s) in
the Soap Opera Genre?
• It is similar because we want to incorporate a strong female
character, much like other soap operas.
• However, we aim to make it different and unique by basing it in a
school, as well as targeting it towards a younger audience as well
as a male audience, whereas the typical soap opera targets its
audience towards females aged 30-60.
Channel (BBC Two) and Scheduling (8pm –
Weekdays) –
7:30-8:00pm
• Why is this important?
• Who normally watches TV at this time and what are
the most popular programs?
• This is important because it avoids competition with other
soaps that are usually on after 8pm.
• At this time, the range of audience members is wide as it is
before the watershed times, so as well as adults, there can be a
younger audience too.
Competition in the Genre?
There aren’t very many soap operas that
are filmed within a school, that could
relate to such a wide audience such as
the one we are targeting.
We are also covering a wide range of
issues, such as bullying and joining a
new school, which are not typical of the
soap opera genre.
Target audience (Katz, Maslow,
Hartley) –
• Our soap opera target audience features a
wide variety of ages. We aim to appeal to
this audience by using characters that can
relate to a lot of different people facing
different issues.
• The soap opera will appeal to both men and
women. As well as appealing to women
through creating a strong female character,
much like Rebecca Feasey’s (2007) ideology
states: ‘The home, the family, domestic
tribulations and the strong women and as
such, it has long been said to appeal to the
female viewer.’
• Our soap opera will also appeal to a male
audience through scenes of action
reoccurring within the soap.