Long Form Tv Drama:
- Novelistic - Multiple storylines and characters that stretch over a number of episodes and seasons; range of complex characters and situations.
- Cinematic - high quality writing, direction, acting, production design etc.
- Ambitious themes that explore social issues - 'state of the nation' stories
- 'High concept' - unique central idea
- Narratives often based around 'systemic change' not focused on one individual - communities facing challenges, and dealing with them by embracing (or rejecting) their own diversity.
- 'Flow' - One 'chapter' flows into the next... easy to 'binge watch' (encouraged by 'dumping' and 'box set' distribution)
Favourite long form Tv dramas - Stranger Things, Orange is the new black, Santa Clarita diet
- All on Netflix (American)
- popular culture - highly discussed - conversations about characters, plot, twists etc.
Why is LFTVD beneficial for creatives?
- Creative Freedom (E.g. Netflix has very little editorial input once a show is commissioned)
- Commitment to story (Let writers be writers... "AMC: The home of story") - long running narrative, slow build, long-term consequences.
- No censorship - explicit sex, violence, language, adult themes.
- Complexity encouraged - intelligent audiences, topical issues, controversy
- Commercial Tv (Profits from adverts) avoid anything that might offend a wide audience - especially in USA.
Why do institutions invest in LFTVD?
- Audience commitment - highly engaged
- Prestige programming - award winning; very important for subscription channels
- Controversial plots and issues make them 'water-cooler' topics - marketing spread by word of mouth
- Subscription Tv - guaranteed income, so able to take risks, invest in new projects.
Case Study: Stranger Things
Genre and audience pleasures:
- Deborah Knight: Satisfaction of having expectations fulfilled
- Steve Neale: "repetition and difference", enjoyment from the subtle deviations and innovations of what is expected.
- David Chandler: 'Interpretive community' - using tastes to create collective identity
- Stranger Things genres; Sci Fi, Thriller, Teen, Supernatural, Horror, Drama, Action
- Why would audiences like this - range of genres means more direction and depth in storyline so audience is more engaged as there could be more twists and turns.
- Why is this good for institutions - Large range of audiences who are into different genres in one programme means more interest so more need for larger series and higher amount of episodes leading to more subscriptions.
Ideology: representation of gender
- 'Avoid the binary'
- Drama is generated by subverting expectations (Connie Fraser, Social services - Stranger Things)
- In the scene where the social worker is introduced, she is initially presented as sweet and innocent which gets her into the building as the guy trusts her but this actually turns out that she shoots him in the back of the head when he turns. This creates emotional engagement with the audience as it avoids stereotyping.
Nostalgia: Sentimental or glamorised version of the past - Major attraction for many viewers.
Fears/worries/pressures that don't exist in Stranger Things: Parents, School stress, Technology
- Deborah Knight: Satisfaction of having expectations fulfilled
- Steve Neale: "repetition and difference", enjoyment from the subtle deviations and innovations of what is expected.
- David Chandler: 'Interpretive community' - using tastes to create collective identity
- Stranger Things genres; Sci Fi, Thriller, Teen, Supernatural, Horror, Drama, Action
- Why would audiences like this - range of genres means more direction and depth in storyline so audience is more engaged as there could be more twists and turns.
- Why is this good for institutions - Large range of audiences who are into different genres in one programme means more interest so more need for larger series and higher amount of episodes leading to more subscriptions.
Ideology: representation of gender
- 'Avoid the binary'
- Drama is generated by subverting expectations (Connie Fraser, Social services - Stranger Things)
- In the scene where the social worker is introduced, she is initially presented as sweet and innocent which gets her into the building as the guy trusts her but this actually turns out that she shoots him in the back of the head when he turns. This creates emotional engagement with the audience as it avoids stereotyping.
Nostalgia: Sentimental or glamorised version of the past - Major attraction for many viewers.
Fears/worries/pressures that don't exist in Stranger Things: Parents, School stress, Technology