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Television Genre

Television Genre. Traditionally: 2 genre. Traditional Genres. Melodrama Comedy Workplace Domestic Crime Police Detective Action – Adventure Workplace. Melodrama. Series Typically serial (large story and usual characters, carries from episode to episode)

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Television Genre

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  1. Television Genre

  2. Traditionally: 2 genre

  3. Traditional Genres • Melodrama • Comedy • Workplace • Domestic • Crime • Police • Detective • Action – Adventure • Workplace

  4. Melodrama • Series • Typically serial (large story and usual characters, carries from episode to episode) • Can be anthology (idea and format carry from episode to episode in a series) • RARE: repertory (same characters, new stories) • FORMULAIC -Episode contains dramatic structure (exposition – rising action – climax – falling action – resolution and denouement)

  5. Melodrama continued • Heroes • Social norms • and villains and fools • Social deviant/absurd • Can use almost anything as a source • Example: Law and Order takes plot lines from headlines • Demands justice (usually good is rewarded or deemed better) • Emotionally intense

  6. Sample Melodramas

  7. Workplace Programs • Traditional prime time • Emphasizes American work ethic • Depicts: • Working conditions • Professional ethics • Workplace camaraderie • Mostly: male-based, heroics

  8. History: • Cops and docs • Workcom • Work and home com/drama • Almost disappears (domcom winning) • 1980s – Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere • Serial story • Documentary style (focus on realism)

  9. Comedy • Situational Comedy – • Continuous cast • Cast is usually randomized, mix of types of people • Often have shared place (work, school, home) • ½ hour • Resolved within episode • Verbal sparring • Sometimes divided into actcom (action comedy), domcom (domestic comedy) and dramedy

  10. Domestic Comedy… • Character based humor • We care about them • Warmth, family, morals • Character learns • Originally – only in house, very melodramatic, nuclear family • Modern – hybrid, nontraditional and nonliteral families • 90’s more satirical than funny haha

  11. SAMPLE DOMCOM

  12. Workplace Comedy • Characters and situations are work-based • Usually involves characters of different backgrounds • Humor comes from: • Personality of characters • Interactions of characters • Situations encountered • Comedy OFTEN related to social concern • fool • Problem: youth didn’t care

  13. Workplace Comedy Examples

  14. Action Adventure • Can include: • Crime (cop and detective) • Western • Scifi • Spy • War • Other adventure

  15. AA • Style contains: • Jolty camera movements • Conflict • Movement • Including exotic situations • *Critics: stupid show, just escapism • Jeopardy • Thrill • Violence: Strike first, think later • Sex (women = objects or exotics) • Rise of nudity

  16. Problems with AA • “pornography of violence” • Began violent • Example: The Untouchables • Then regulated • Late 1970’s – all violence is after 9pm • Repeat

  17. Cops • Combination of social values and action/violence • Car chases, gun battles, fistfights • Justice, social order, law • INITIALLY Presentation of Status Quo (1 correct social order)

  18. Cop History • Prior: Radio • 40’s: all good cops • 50’s renegade good cops • Intro good cop and bad cop • 70’s wacky cop • Example: cop and dog sidekick • 1980’s beginning realism • Except Miami Vice

  19. Detective • 3 types • Private eye (tough guy, rebel, loner) • Puzzle solver (Sherlock Holmes-esque) • Hybrid: screwball comedy + mystery • Often married people • Ex. Mr. and Mrs. Smith

  20. Other Major Genres • Game/Quiz • “Reality” • Mockumentary • Documentary • News-style (soft) • Soap Opera (melodrama) • Science Fiction (aa)

  21. Game and Quiz Shows • Late 1950’s • Scandals (cheating people out of prizes, family members receive prizes) – regulated by Supreme Court • Early were physical, then focus began on trivial and factual knowledge • Cultural imperialism: competition, success

  22. Reality • Early: news, magazine-style news shows, tabloid and entertainment shows • Then: amateur shows • Now: mix of “documentary” style footage, interviews, and editing • Often promotional

  23. Soap Opera • Originally a serial radio program, sponsored by…SOAP. • Long-running serial (storyline rolls from episode to episode) • Focus: “everyday” life • Strong emotion • Female demographic • Excess and extremes • Gossip • Relationships

  24. SciFi • Futuristic or fantastic settings • Speculative storylines • Technology • Science • Sometimes “magical” or alien • Typically serial • Traditional: low budget (sorry, Star Trek) • Modern: epic budget (thanks, Lost!)

  25. Behold the HYBRID • Modern audiences get bored… • So we COMBINE genres • Dramedy • Supernatural Sci-Fi/Romcom

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