The document proposes a new soap opera called Country Bound, set at a boarding school in rural England. It would follow the lives of students, teachers, and staff, exploring modern societal issues. The small cast would create a sense of community and allow various storylines. The target audience is 16-34 year olds on BBC Three. Research found 41% of this demographic wanted a school-based soap opera addressing issues relevant to young people.

1. Unit 4 Soap Opera Presentation Transcript
SLIDE 1 – CONCEPT
Country Bound is an hour long weekly soap opera, set at a boarding school in
a rural village in England and follows the lives of certain students, teachers
and staff members at the school. It will be set in modern day and have a small
yet diverse cast that will enable a variety of storylines that cover important
modern societal issues. The small cast will give the soap opera a community
and united feel that will be attractive and relatable to potential viewers.
SLIDE 2 – TEACHERS
The cast will include five teachers that are a variety of ages (25 – 50 years
old). The teachers will cover a range of subjects, which will allow storylines to
cover a range of topics and issues and will give the writers more creative
freedom when producing storylines. All the teachers featured in the show will
live-in at the boarding school so the storylines will follow their personal and
professional lives.
SLIDE 3 – STAFF
The reception is the heart of the school so the receptionist will have loveable
and humorous qualities that will keep the show light-hearted. The receptionist
will be a young female; this will play on stereotypes and will make way for
potential storylines on the topic as well as a possible romance with a teacher.
The receptionist’s unlikely friend in the show will be a middle-aged woman
who is a live-in cleaner at the school. The cleaner is able to go all over the
school grounds so she can be a tool the scriptwriters can use to develop
storylines.
SLIDE 4 – STUDENTS
The show will have 11 students that range from 14 – 18 years old. The
students will be featured in the television show the most as there are more
storylines that could be executed with them. All the students will board at the
school, some will like the experience and others will feel trapped so it will
accurately represent the opinions real boarders have of boarding school.

2. In addition to the regular students, the cast will have two gap year students
from countries abroad. This will add variety, culture, authenticity and extra
plots to the show. The two gap year students will be 18 years old and will form
friendships with the teachers and students; they will act as a middle ground
and lessen the potential segregation between teachers and students.
The students will represent privately educated children by featuring
stereotypes as well as showing the viewer a more normal, relatable side.
The cast could also be easily expanded at a later date to refresh the show
and as it’s a school, new students and staff members can arrive at any point
through the series, which will give the scriptwriters a lot of freedom with
episode ideas.
SLIDE 5 – THE SCHOOL AND SETTING
The main sets will include the common room which will be a meeting point
and base for the students, a classroom to show that it is a school and this set
will allow certain educational storylines to be shown, a small number of dorm
rooms to show the school after hours and what the students and live-in
teachers get up to, whether it’s a scandal affair or an emotional moment for
the character.
The reception will be one of the most featured locations on the show as the
reception is the heart of the school and has the opportunity to produce a
variety of interesting storylines. On top of the four main locations within the
school, the show will feature external shots of the school, the grounds and it’s
location in the village. Having extra shots that aren’t of standard sets will give
the show a certain sincerity and will allow the viewer to develop a deeper
connection with the school by knowing more about it’s back story which will
ensure loyal viewers.
SLIDE 6 – TARGET AUDIENCE & SUITABILITY
Despite the show being set in a school, the cast and storylines will be diverse
so it will be appropriate for BBC Three’s target audience of 16 – 34 year olds.
I think that the commission of a new project would be beneficial for their
channel. The commission would add variety to their current broadcasts,

3. appeal and attract new viewers and allow BBC Three to explore new genres,
storylines and promote important issues such as gender equality, race,
sexuality and discrimination to a young audience who may seek advice,
guidance and education on these topics.
SLIDE 7 – GENRE AND THEME
The show will be a soap opera and its themes are unity, friendship, trust,
teamwork and overcoming adversity.
The boarding school acts as it’s own community and shows unity by the school
uniform and how the students and staff members don’t leave the premises. As
the students do not leave the school except for holidays, many friendships can
be formed and character can come close to one another. Certain storylines or
personal obstacles will require trust and teamwork from the characters and the
shows storylines will often feature ways in which students overcome adversity
in the hopes to inspire and guide the viewer and impressionable portion of the
target audience of 16-34 years old.
SLIDE 8 – UNIQUE SELLING POINT
If commissioned Country Bound would be the first soap opera not only set in a
boarding school but to be aimed at a younger audience. Also it would be the
first soap opera that won’t be aired on television and will be accessed solely
online. Country Bound’s themes are suitable for the BBC Three target
audience and there is a gap in the market for this style of show.
SLIDE 9 – STRUCTURE
The soap will be a continuous drama so setting it in a school enables the cast
to be updated by new students and teachers when necessary to refresh the
programme and to easily develop new storylines. The show will feature a
multi-strand narrative and cliff-hangers at the end of the season. It will air
once a week for an hour.
SLIDE 10 – COMPETITON
The rural location provides a contrast to current successful soap operas like
Eastenders, Hollyoaks and Coronation Street, which are all set in cities as

4. well as representing those who live in the countryside. Emmerdale sports a
similar location but the target audience for Emmerdale is much higher than
Country Bound so the two shows won’t be in competition.
SLIDE 11 – BBC THREE/ WHY IT’S SUITABLE
BBC Three began broadcasting over 14 years ago. Their content is
innovative, original and covers a wide range of genres. They have stated that
BBC Three are never afraid to try new things to show their target audience of
16 – 34 year olds. Country Bound is a new soap opera that has never been
done before and will cover issues that are important to the BBC Three target
audience.
SLIDE 12 – RESEARCH
I surveyed a variety of people that fit the BBC Three target audience and the
results showed that 41% of those asked wanted to see a soap opera based in
a school. Additionally others surveyed stated they wanted to see something
‘based in a school’ and ‘Based in a school with storylines focusing on issues
effecting the younger generation’. I believe that Country Bound is what the
target audience want to see and that it would be pleasantly received.
There have been many soap operas that air abroad set in schools, which
have been successful. Heartbreak High and Waterloo road are good
examples of what Country Bound could achieve.
SLIDE 13 – SUMMARY
Country Bound is a weekly soap opera set at a boarding school in rural
England. The storylines would follow the teachers, staff and students and
cover relevant, important issues that are appropriate for the target audience of
16-34 year olds. The research suggests that Country Bound could be
successful as it is in demand in addition to the gap in the market and lack of
competitors.