My final task was to textually analyse a programme of my choice and talk about its genre, narrative, messages, target audience and their reception as well as there theories. I chose to analyse Holby City for my ultimate task.

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Holby City
Holby City (styled as HOLBY CI​+​
Y) is a British medical drama television series that
airs weekly on BBC One.
The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the
established BBC medical drama ​Casualty​, and first premiered on 12 January 1999. It
is set in the same hospital as ​Casualty​, in the fictional city of Holby, and features the
occasional crossover of both characters and plots in ​Casualty.
The show follows the the highs and lows of patients, medical and ancillary staff’s
lives at the fictional Holby City Hospital. The show always has a core of around
fifteen main actors employed on the series at any given time. Since the show's initial
development, it has become a weekly fixture in the BBC viewing schedule. ​Holby
City​ airs once a week, all year round, and each series now contains around 52
episodes. To date, 20 series of ​Holby City​ have aired, and the most recent began on
2 January 2018. The show has run for over 800 hour-long episodes and is filmed at
BBC’s Elstree Centre in Hertfordshire. It has also featured special episodes which
have been filmed in locations abroad. In October 2010, ​Holby City​ moved to high
definition broadcasting and has been nominated for over 100 television awards, of
which it has won ten.
Genre
As mentioned, Holby’s genre comes under ‘drama’ under the specific sub section of
‘hospital drama’. There are three main purposes in categorising texts into genres.
These are influencing a production in order to fit into a particular genre, to give
insight into ways audiences consume texts and to help consider texts from an
academic perspective. The series covers a wide range of conventions that make it
suitable to the drama genre, although some may say that ​Holby City​ is a hybrid, this
means that the text mixes genres and is therefore, original. Because there is the use
of personal relationships, the genre may not solely be that of drama. ​Holby City​ may
be viewed as a progressive kind of hybrid; this is when a text is created by melding
aspects of different genres. This is generally an attempt at originality, but, typically,
all the elements used have been used before. Therefore, all that is original is the
blending of them, and this is nothing new in itself.
Focus is a key aspect of the drama genre that ​Holby City​ incorporates. Focus means
the point that demands the audience's attention. It is the central event, character,
theme, issue or problem of a drama or part of a drama. The term "focus" is also used
to refer to a place or moment in time that captures the essence of the dramatic
action. ​Holby City​ season 19, episode 62, it is a two part episode where there is a
gunman in the hospital. The point in the episode where the characters hear the first
gunshot and the lights begin to black out, is the point at which the audience’s is

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gripped and they are completely focused on the scene. The feelings of
the characters portrayed to the audience through their facial expressions and actions
ensure that the audience understand how the the characters are feeling and are
focused on the screen and the unfolding events.
The mood of a media production also influences the genre into which it is
categorised. The mood of a text refers to the atmosphere of the piece. This is the
overriding feeling of a scene or part of a scene. In dramas, the mood tends to seem
low, as there is always some kind of problem, be it small or large. In most episodes
of ​Holby City​, there is an overarching mood of danger. People who are in hospital
are rarely there for positive reasons and so there is always that constant reminder
that hospitals are a negative place to be. Certain words influence the mood of a
production, examples include surgery, resus and emergency.
Tension is the force that drives the drama. It's created by obstacles that those in the
drama have to overcome. The element of tension heightens the dramatic intensity
and creates suspense or unease. In the 2 part special episode where the intruder is
on the loose and an unwanted visitor in Holby City Hospital - he is the obstacle that
the characters have to face and overcome - which they do. Aside from the special, in
regular episodes of the show, daily obstacles that the staff of the hospital must
overcome include medical emergencies, conflicting colleagues as well as other
mishaps, such as resources and theatre slots. The order of priority can enhance the
drama as we come to understand patients conditions and needs and so ethical
factors are considered too and add to the dramatisation of the media text.
Narrative
Narrative is the organisation of events that reveals and translates the storyline or
plot. In film and television programmes, narrative is presented through the
arrangement of the moving image material. How the materials are selected and
pieced together determines the nature of the narrative. It can be applied to all forms
of media, including books, magazine articles, radio shows and video games.
Narrative also shapes the events, characters and the arrangement of time within
these texts. The human mind needs narrative to make sense of things. We connect
events and make interpretations based on those connections. In everything we seek
a beginning, a middle and an end. We understand and construct meaning using our
experience of reality and of previous texts. Each text becomes part of the previous
and the next through its relationship with the audience.
Series 19, episode 61 and 62 took ​Holby City​ to a new level. The use of current
moral panics were incorporated and the storyline took a dramatic twist. Episode 21
ended with Jac Naylor - an expert consultant and trusted member of staff at Holby
City Hospital, giving in her resignation and leaving to pick up her young daughter. On
the way down to the basement, she is greeted by a character who is not seen nor
heard. She simply explains the he is not meant to be there but before she has

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finished speaking, we see a shadow of a gun, followed by a gunshot. Jac
falls to the ground in pain, struggles to gain strength and the episode concludes with
her wounded, trying to crawl away from the danger, finally collapsing unconscious.
The cliff hanger caused mass excitement and so the next episode was released just
two days later. As the second part of the storyline is released, we see each
department react to the events. Lights shut down, lifts are turned off and patients are
moved into rooms considered safer and less visible to the intruder. Panic spreads as
staff and patients try to second-guess whether there is more than one gunman
rampaging through the hospital.
We continue to follow the doctors, nurses and professors treating Jac, whilst we are
introduced to new situations such as an operation on one of the leading professors
husbands, outside events and department situations. Although we are unable to
track the intruder, we follow departments and areas of the hospital hearing and
acting upon anticipating him.
Three-quarters of the way through the 55 minute
episode, the police unit that is dealing with the incident
receive intelligence as to who the ‘white male, wearing a
black hoodie’ might be. The audience are not introduced
to the intruder until we see him in person for the first time
and so until then, we are left out of the loop, wondering
and trying to hypothesise who he might be. When other
members recognise who the gunman is, the look on their faces, the realization and
the shock furthers the audience's interest and adds to the drama.
We finally come face to face with the murderer - the CEO of the hospital’s son, a
colleague and former surgeon. There is a tense few moments where Henrik
Hanssen tries to talk down his son Fredrik who is holding
a deadly weapon. The police enforcement unit approach
the perpetrator and are told to lower their guns to ease
the tension, yet as Fredrik locks the gun, one member of
the police force shoot the younger man in the chest, he
rapidly loses consciousness and finally passes away
after his father's pathetic and unsuccessful attempt to
resuscitate him.
As always, ​Holby City​ is a linear production. The word linear refers to a media text
being shown in chronological order - going forward in time, rather than back. This
allows the audience to follow the storyline and deal with situations in the same time
scale as the characters. ​Holby City​ is also a multi-strand production. Multi strand
refers to a media text having several parts of a storyline. It uses a number of
characters and individual storylines which can be shown using parallel editing or

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cross cuts. As a whole, these storylines and characters all relate in one
way or another to form the baseline of how the hospital and its staff works.
Finally, the series as a whole is open ended. Although each episode ends, another
always follows. In addition, each end of a series, is left on a cliff hanger. This means
that the storyline is continual and fails to end. As long as the storyline/s are
interesting, which they are, audiences are sure to stay faithful and loyal to the
programme. The BBC are always incorporating new storylines and changing up
Holby’s characters to ensure that audiences do not get bored and are able to view
new content.
Theories
Tzvetan Todorov's (1969) introduced the media industry to his ‘Theory of Equilibrium’
which suggests that all narratives follow a three part structure. They begin with
equilibrium, where everything is balanced and positive, yet the
storyline progresses to the point that something comes along to
disrupt that equilibrium. The characters in the production then
realise the discontent and so try to reach a resolution. At the
point that the resolution works, the equilibrium is restored. This
theory can be applied to ​Holby City​. Part one of the two-part
episode suggests that the hospital and its patients are okay - in
relation to the storyline being based in a negatively connotated
area. Once the gunshots are heard, equilibrium is disrupted and
the characters do all that they can to restore it. Not until Fredrik
is shot can the equilibrium be restored as the threat is then no
longer.
Vladimir Propp’s ‘Character Theory’ came about in 1928. Propp
suggested that every narrative has eight different character
types, these character types are: The villain, who fights the hero
in some way. The dispatcher who makes the villain’s evil known.
The helper, who helps the hero in the quest. The prize - the end
goal which is usually jerporadised by the villain. The father who
gives the task to the hero and may recognise problems that
others do not see. The donor who prepares the hero or helps by
giving them objects that are useful to the situation. The hero or
who reacts to the donor and the false hero who takes credit for
the hero’s actions. The false hero, a character who tries to benefit his or herself by
using people and acting for their own good.
This theory is somewhat relatable to ​Holby City​ as some of the characters match the
identity of the characters mentioned in Propp's theory. The villain is Fredrik, the
gunman who seeks to attack hospital staff out of revenge. The helper, both the
doctors and nurses who help to save lives and keep the medically unwell safe, as

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well as the police unit who try to de-escalate the situation and try to find
the perpetrator. The father - Henrik, is not only the father but the hero too. He seeks
to liaise with his son to stop the violence and shootings in the hospital. Fletch is one
of the senior members of staff at the hospital and highly ranked consultant. In this
episode, Fletch can be seen as the donor character, as he gives the policeman in
charge of the unit dealing with the situation a picture of who the gunman could
possible be - and he was. In terms of the princess role, I would say the it is Fredrik.
Although he is also the villain, he is clearly in need of some kind of mental health
help. Due to past experiences, and his actions in hospital, it is evident to see that
Fredrik is crying out for help - from anyone, he wants to be seen and wants to be
noticed.
As mentioned, not all character roles are filled, but some are, ensuring that the
theory can still be applied. An example of a role which is not used in the false hero,
as it was not needed and would not have fit.
The Enigma Code by Roland Barthes (1968) refers to
any element of the story that is not fully explained and
hence becomes a mystery to the reader. This theory is
extremely relevant in episode 62 of series 19. When the
gunman's identity is revealed, it is spread amongst the
characters and staff of the hospital, and with every
revelation to various doctors, nurses and consultants, the
audience are more and more intrigued to find out who
the perpetrator is. Releasing little bits of information at a
time increases the tension of the production - perfect for
a drama series. Examples of clues released during the
programme that help put the puzzle pieces together include Dominic's reaction to
finding out the perpetrator. Dominic - one of the doctors on ‘Darwin’ (a ward in the
hospital) explains to ‘Lofty’ that the gunman is a former partner of his. We know from
past episodes, that Dominic is gay and so a part of the puzzle is revealed - that the
attacker must be a male.
Considering the staff clearly knew the attacker, shown by their reactions to the
picture, the mystery mans identity continues to be revealed. We audience are able to
configure the idea that he may be a former member of staff. When Henrik Hansen -
the CEO of the hospital and dad to Fredrik (the perportator) discovers that his son is
in fact the one causing deaths and disruption, he is not surprised but simply
disappointed, and at the same time, he almost relaxes. Although at this point we still
do not know who is causing the kerfuffle, Hansen's reaction implies that the attacker
is known to him and it is somebody that he is comfortable with. Who would be most
comfortable with someone holding and threatening to shoot a gun? A family
member. When see Hansen go out of his way - around the hospital to find the

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gunman, we are assured that it must be a family member of his; another
puzzle piece fits.
Levi Strauss, (1978) a French anthropologist born in the 1900s,
proposed a theory of 'Binary Opposites' which entails that the
majority of narratives in media forms such as books and film
contain opposing main characters.These binary opposites help to
thicken the plot and further the narrative; and introduce contrast.
In ​Holby City​, there are two main contrasting characters. In all
episodes, the patients and the staff. The patients are weak and
vulnerable and in need of medical care, in comparison to the
doctors, nurses and senior staff who are intelligent professionals
who are strong minded and willed and determined to help those in
need. The patients are likely to be in a more negative mood due to their current
situation, whereas the staff may be confident and optimistic about helping those in
need. The second contrast is specific to the gunman episode whereby there is a
contrast of power. Evidently Fredrik has the power considering he has a deadly
weapon, and so he has all control or power, no matter what his father, Henrik, or the
police force say or do. In comparison, everybody else, has little to no power. Staff
and patients must work around what Fredrik wants and where he is - because his
power is so dominating. In Holby, there always seems to be a conflict of status,
between senior staff and doctors and the choices they make, as well as doctors and
nurses and the choices they make. Sometimes people in the workplace think that
they are better than others when this is simply not the case. Like any job, there is
conflict of status, just like conflict in society and this is an example of Levi Strauss’
‘Theory of binary opposites’ (1978).
Finally, life and death is the final binary opposite shown in the production, those who
are well and those who are not. The gunman attacks around 3 people, one of which
who is killed, later on, the gunman himself is shot by one of the members of the
police unit as he was still a threat to himself and others. In places such as hospitals
as well as in society, those who are able to feel the need and want to help those who
are in need - a significant opposite.
Messages
The definition of media is any form of text that has a meaning or message the
audience can take from it. In my opinion, there are many messages that can be
taken from the gunman episode specifically, as well as the show in general. The first
is that hospitals are safe place. Hospitals do have negative connotations attached to
them, yet they are there to save lives and help people in medical need. They are a
place where the public can trust the staff to take care of them and protect them from
harm. Although in the episode previously spoken about, the area was obviously not
safe, we still saw doctors, nurses, members of high authority as well as ancillaries

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take charge to protect those who they serve. In desperate times of need,
they risked their own lives to save others, and the work they do is lauded as
invaluable and outstanding.
The second message portrayed in ​Holby City​ regards terrorism. In contemporary
society, there is a sadly increasing amount of terrorism and hatred. But I believe that
what this episode and every episode portrays, is that when people unite as one force
and work together for the benefit of everyone, we are the stronger force. I believe
that showing something so horrifying yet realistic, something that could, but is
unlikely to happen, in the show means that as society, we are aware that such
events could happen. It can teach us how to prevent it, and precautions that we can
put in place as well as educate us about if such events were to occur, what we could
do.
Mental health awareness is also a message that is portrayed in the production.
Recently, there has been an increase in the awareness of mental health among
society and in the workplace. To be able to recognise, identify and help those who
are in need. In recent years, there has been an increased focus on mental health
awareness and one of the largest promoters is a hospital drama, which is able to
show and educate the public on this issue. This type of drama is at the forefront of
promoting such messages.
A final message that is also relevant in society and is portrayed in the specific
episode of the drama as well as others too, is that sometimes you don’t truly know
people. Through seeing the facial expressions that former colleagues of Fredrik
made and seeing their reaction to the police photograph of him, when it became
evident that he was the perpetrator of these events, expressed to the audience that
they were evidently shocked. Fredrik’s own father, Mr. Hansen, was also stunned to
find out that his own son had caused such calamity and terror amongst patients, the
public, former colleagues as well as his own family.
Stuart Hall's Encoding and Decoding (1973) theory that can be seen to create issues
in the media industry. This theory regards embedding one or multiple messages into
a media text. The theory suggests that there are three main interpretations that an
audiences could take a message from a media text; these three types include
preferred, negotiated, and oppositional. ‘Preferred’ regards an audience who not
only understand the message embedded into a media production but also firmly
agrees with it. ‘Negotiated’ refers to an audience who are on the fence about a
message embedded into a media text. Finally, ‘oppositional’ audience’s are those
who completely disagree with a message embedded into a text. Each individual can
be any of the three types of audience member. A person's choice regarding how
they choose to receive the message is dependent upon their culture, class, life
experiences, upbringing and many other factors. Personally I have a preferred
reading because I agree with the messages in the text and as mentioned, I feel as

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though they are relevant in today’s society, especially since the
messages of the episode (mental health) have been a major focus of the
government and the media in recent times, and more needs to be done to tackle this
subject, or to raise awareness of it.
Other members of the audience may read the text in a different way. They may take
a negotiated reading of the text and explain how they agree with some of the
messages, but not others or that the NHS work hard, but not as hard are the show
portrays. The may also be oppositional to the text. Audiences may disagree with the
messages embedded into a text because they may feel as though the media has
been exaggerated. Events such as those shown in series 19, episode 62 are sadly
more likely to happen in America, rather than over here. Although some audiences
may disagree with a programmes messages due to exaggeration, they must
understand that Holby is a drama so events are blown out of proportion to make it
appealing and draw in viewers.
Target Audience
BBC 1 is one of the only channels that the BBC produce that doesn’t have a sole
target audience or speciality. They do in fact produce media that is suitable for all
age groups and types of audiences across the country and so ​Holby City​, is no
exception. I came to the conclusion that in terms of gender, there may be an
audience preference. Holby attracts a primarily female
audience. The reason for this is that the whole
programme focuses on various patients’ health which is
something that women in contemporary society may be
more interested in, compared with men. The staged
storylines and personal relationships also help to attract
a largely female audience as they may enjoy the sense
of drama and added texture that it brings - it makes a
production much more interesting.
People with more time on their hands, those such as housewives or possibly
pensioners are likely to be the main consumers of the drama. They also obviously
have the time to invest in it, building on their own sense of identity to it. This may
also be because they enjoy the fantasy part of it, the sense that it uses real people,
yet is is not the viewers own situation - yet it could be due to the shows
verisimilitude. Dramas are an intriguing and interesting genre of television which may
be why such people are attracted to it.
In terms of age, Holby’s target audience ranges between mid teenagers and
middle-aged adults. All in between are likely to appreciate, enjoy and bond over such
an interesting and layered production. It gives all who watch it, something to talk

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about. Some of the older generation too are likely to enjoy the production
as it may be relatable, or simply intriguing for them.
When it comes to locations - rural and urban, ​Holby City​ doesn’t target any specific
audience as audiences from across the country are likely to enjoy it and so it is very
general in terms of where audiences come from and live who watch the programme.
Unlike romance - where people in relationships are more likely to watch it, because
they may be able to relate to the programmes theme, hospital dramas might have a
more negative connotation. Consequently if a member of the audience encountered
a situation similar to one shown in ​Holby City​, they may be less likely to continue to
watch the series due to the sense of realism and verisimilitude that the show
produces. In this sense, audience members may be able to relate to the theme of the
production, yet for antipathetic implications.
Holby City​ accumulates large audiences because the characters in the shows are
often depicted as everyday citizens who have extraordinary careers, which promotes
a sense of relatability among viewers.
Audience Impact
The impact that a programme has on an audience is extremely important in terms of
how well a show does. In episode 62 of season 19, the audience impact seems to
centre around a fear terrorism. As known, the idea or fear of terrorism is present in
society and this episode was a way of informing the audience about it and how to
deal with it. It may have caused the audience fear as to what the future of terrorism
holds and how little you may know someone - as much as you think you do. The
media may have caused audiences to question themselves about how well they
know both their family, friends or colleagues and ensure that they look out for signs
that they may be being radicalised or in need of help - even if they’re not asking for
it.
Another impact that ​Holby City​ as a whole has on its audiences as a whole includes
increasing the appreciation from the public for the work that the NHS do. Watching a
virtual yet realistic form of what the National Health Service do, and seeing how hard
they work will hopefully increase the gratitude that the public have for the men and
women who work tirelessly to produce a free, helpful, and lifesaving service to all
members of the public. It is hoped that the public begin to understand how hard the
doctors, nurses and senior staff work to create the safe and hygienic environment
that we are fortunate enough to call our health service, whilst those in other countries
may not be so fortunate.
Audience Effect
The idea and theory of ‘moral panics’ was created by Stanley
Cohen in 1972. The theory stated that a production focused on
the negative aspects of a subject or story and exaggerated

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upon it to create, what audiences thought felt like a worldwide issue. A
key issue in the industry involves moral panics going too far. If the media portray
issues that are occurring as horrific, then it will be being used in the wrong way. The
media is used to enforce a message, not scare its audience. Moral panics occur
quite often thanks, in large, to exaggerated reporting and responses to certain
groups in society.
Holby City​ does indeed create moral panics from the carefully written storylines. In
the double episode spoken about, the idea or possibility of a man (or woman) with a
gun being allowed into a hospital and creating havok induces such panics across its
audiences. Seeing the aftermath of such events further enhances the panic that this
can cause as the effects are so detrimental. In general, since ​Holby City​ began,
seeing people who seek medical help can cause panic among anyone if they are
able to relate to symptoms mentioned or have been the position of one of the
characters. Watching those who clearly need emergency attention can be distressing
to any viewer/s.
Blumler and Katz’s Uses and
Gratifications theory (1974) is one
that can be applied to any media
production. ​This theory suggests that
media is used to satisfy the needs of
the audience. According to Blumler
and Katz, there are four main needs
to satisfy and each media text could
cover at least one. The four categories are diversion, personal relationships,
personal identity and surveillance. Diversion, means that a production is a form of
entertainment to distract people from the reality of society - a form of escapism into
the surreal, or another world reflecting one’s own. The second aspect is surveillance.
Audiences want to feel safe or see what not to do to jeopardize their safety. The third
aspect is the use of personal relationships, and they are used to show how other
people or characters interact with each other. Finally, personal identity is used to
ensure that films to be effective in capturing one’s attention. Audiences should be
able to identify with the characters and almost see themselves reflected within one of
the on-screen characters. In media productions, audience members should be able
to connect with and identify with a / or a few of the characters, as it can enhance the
realism of the storyline and make it that much more thrilling and believable. Each
member of a production has a characteristic and personal trait that audiences should
be able to relate to.
Holby City​ is most commonly watched as a form of diversion. The fictional show is
used to distract people and take people away from their own lives - to get out of their
own head, as it allows you to be in others situation. Personal relationships is less

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focused upon in the series yet personal identity is. People may be able
to identify themselves within a character, whether that be due to a medical
experience or a passion for the medical industry. They may find a character to have
some traits that they have themselves. This in turn may help them relate and/ or form
a bond with the series or individual characters. Audience may begin to watch Holby
as a form of diversion, yet as they form relationships with characters or can identify
with them in terms of their relationships with other people, the use of the text will
evolve from diversion into personal identity and relationships. These aspects will
them become the main aspect and reason for watching the programme. In the
episode with the gunman, surveillance may be an aspect picked up on, to educate
the audience on how to stay safe, yet this is most likely, not the reason for a member
of the public to watch the programme in the first place.