The document discusses various types and conventions of television dramas. It begins by asking readers to list examples of television dramas and analyze how they recognize the genre based on codes and conventions. It then discusses how television dramas tell stories through narrative construction and common themes. The document explores distinguishing more specific drama genres and compares dramas, soaps, and sitcoms in terms of narrative, characters, location, and representation. It considers arguments that soap operas have negatively influenced dramas and questions whether dramas still focus on political/social issues or more personal topics. The document also analyzes how dramas incorporating fantasy elements address themes. It provides traditional and revised definitions of drama subgenres and their

1. Television Drama

2. • In small groups list as many television dramas as you can.

4. • Utilising the examples that you have listed, ask yourselves, how do
you recognise these as television dramas? List any codes and
conventions that you think apply.
• How do the dramas tell their stories, what is the narrative
construction?
• Can you identify any common themes or issues? Do these offer
clues to genres within television drama?
• Do the types of television drama differ, can you place any within
more specific genres?

5. • Compare and contrast television dramas, soaps and sitcoms. How
are they similar? How do they differ? Think in terms of narrative
construction, use of characters, use of location, representation,
etc.
• It has been argued that the soap structure has ruined the
television drama, that dramas are including techniques such as
cliffhangers to make its narratives more appealing. They argue
that the pleasures of the traditional forms have been lost. Do you
agree with this statement?

6. • Television drama has had a
‘realist’ label attached to it,
traditionally it was concerned with
the political and the social. It is
believed that it is now reflecting
the personal and the private. Do
you agree with this statement?
• Think about shows such as Buffy
or Angel, and Six feet Under,
programmes that choose to
include fantasy elements within
their narratives. Do these
programmes address the same
themes and issues as other TV
dramas? Compare for example
Buffy and the O.C. What effect do
the fantasy element have?

7. Traditional definitions• Single play: ‘One off’ drama that begins and ends within a single
episode.
• Made for TV movie: Structurally the same as the single play, but
were generally regarded as ‘filmic’ than ‘theatrical’. They
sometimes acted as the pilot for a series. This type of drama is
now rarely utilised.
• Soap Opera: A continuous, never ending drama series usually set
around the domestic and intimate lives of a small community that
explicitly resists narrative closure.
• Series: Continuous stories, (usually involving the same characters
and settings), which consist of self contained episodes possessing
their own individual conclusion. As such, the episodes in a
traditional drama series can be broadcast in any order without

8. • Anthology series: A number of single
stories that are connected by a related
theme, setting or set of characters.
Examples include Boys from the
Blackstuff, The Twilight Zone, and
Clocking Off.
• Serial: A continuous story set over a
number of episodes that usually comes
to a conclusion in the final installment
(even if a sequel follows). Examples
include The Singing Detective, and
Prime Suspect.
• Miniseries: Structurally the same as
the serial but usually associated with
epic dramas (sometimes run over
consecutive evenings). Examples
include Roots and Holocaust.

9. Revised Definitions
• Series: while the series is still continuous and never ending,
storylines now often develop from one episode to another (even
introducing cliffhangers). This produces a cumulative narrative of
sorts that does not exactly prevent viewers watching episodes in any
order but which can be (and often are) watched in sequence.
Examples include Friends, NYPD Blue, and The Bill.

10. • Serial: While the serial (and miniseries) still generally moves
towards a narrative conclusion over a number of limited episodes,
continuity between separate episodes is not as foregrounded as it
may have once been, allowing greater entry points for viewers who
have not followed the entire story. Final resolutions are also
discouraged, leaving the opportunity for another series an option.
Examples include the Sopranos, The West Wing and Six Feet Under.

11. • The serial format perpetuates within film. The Lord of the Rings,
Harry Potter and Kill Bill are all serialized narratives spread over
feature length formats.
• George Lucas with the original Star Wars wished to emulate the
1950’s serials that occurred on radio and television. He wanted to
create a space opera in the vein of Flash Gordon.

12. • Can you account for the ‘death’ of the one off TV drama. Why have
they become less popular with producers and audiences? Think
about narratives and characters, what pleasures do they deny their
audiences that other TV dramas exploit?
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