UNIT 22
Series / Seasons
A series or a Season (as part of a series) is a collection of several separate but connected episodes within a ‘series’. A TV show will often have more than one series/season and each series can contain a various number of episodes, ranging from 6 – 8 episodes (for British programs) and 20 – 22 episodes. The average length per episode can also differ but primarily ranges from around 20 – 40 minutes. Depending on the country of release, TV shows can differ quite drastically. Genre and the target audience can also play a part in these differences.
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Specials
Specials are quite unusual and the conventions and definition behind a special can differ significantly. Generally, specials would be approximately 45 minutes to an hour long, interrupt episodic programming and are usually scheduled for given time slots.
Often, television shows will make specials separate from its main series. Holiday specials like ‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’ and ‘Trolls Holiday’ are both specials based on their respective television shows.
Certain specials can also sometimes be referred to as TV Movies; films that aren’t long enough to be classified as ‘Movies’ but exist on their own without any following episodes. A good example would be TV Movie ‘Murdered For Being Different’ which was released on the BBC network.
Serials
Genres
Genres are the different categories in which we group film or television depending on the codes and conventions. Genres allow for film and television to attract specific audiences, so that those who are looking for something specific for example a fight scene, would know to look for films under the Action and Adventure genre. The codes and conventions under these genres can also work as guidelines for filmmakers if they want to provoke certain emotions like ‘Horror’ for fear and ‘Comedy’ for joy. These conventions don’t need to be followed to the T - in fact they shouldn’t be - but they’re a good place to start.
The Main Film Genres (Classified by AMC film site) …
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Comedy
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Plots designed to provoke laughter by exaggerating the situation, language, action, relationships and characters.
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Examples: Crazy Rich Asians, Superbad, 21 Jump Street
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Science Fiction
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Sci-fi films will often deal with quasi-scientific concepts such as advanced science, technology, spaceflight, time-travel etc.
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Examples: Star Wars, Star Trek, Avengers
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Drama
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Dramas are often plot driven and portray realistic characters, life situations with an emphasis on character development and interaction.
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Examples: Blue Valentine, Manchester by the Sea, Moonlight
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Action
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Action films will usually include violence and a protagonist involved in fights, chases and physical feats. Action and adventure often go hand in hand.
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Examples: Mission Impossible, John Wick, Taken
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Adventure
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Adventure will usually consist of a protagonist thrown into a series of events atypical to their normal lives.
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Examples: Jurassic Park, Ready Player One, Indiana Jones
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Horror
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Horror films are designed to frighten and invoke our fears often through tension and violence.
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Examples: Halloween, A Quiet Place, Get Out
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One film or show can fall under numerous genres and sub genres. In fact, its almost impossible to find a film that only adheres to one genre. For example, Star Wars is a science fiction film with its themes of space-travel and it’s light-sabers, but also an action/adventure as the protagonists combat the enemy and explore new planets. It could even be classified as a romantic drama with all it’s kissing and the reoccurring romance between Han Solo and Princess Leia.
Subgenres
Subgenres are more specific categories in which we group film and television. Often, subgenre’s are branches of genres and like genres, consist of their very own codes and conventions. A film or series can’t just fall under a subgenre, it must be paired with a genre. For example: You can’t just have a “Fantasy film’, because what is fantasy without adventure? They are an extra layer of detail added onto film and used as a means to categorize even further.
Subgenres include…
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Romance
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Fantasy
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Disaster
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Crime
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Film Noir
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Chick Flicks
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Parodies
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Etc.
Sometimes Subgenres can also be more style, mood and tone based like Film Noirs. Film Noirs specifically refers to the visuals of a film and because of its use in the past, is associated with crime-dramas and gangster flicks.
Luther - Luther is a British crime-drama. The number of episodes per series (season) actually differs between each season which is not usual for television shows. Nonetheless, its episodes stay within they 6-episode range most common in British Television. Each episode ranges from 40 minutes to an hour in length which is expected for a crime-drama like itself. This is most likely due to the complex subjects that such dramas include.
Brooklyn Nine Nine - Brooklyn Nine Nine is an American Sitcom based in a police precinct in Brooklyn and follows a large range of characters. Each season has 22 episodes which is the case for most American television shows. Like most comedies, Brooklyn Nine Nine is also quite short in episode length with only approximately 20 minute episodes.
When a television show is a serial, it refers to the fact that there is continuing plot that develops across a string of episodes within a series. Often, two narratives will exist simultaneously within an episode; having one that stretches out across the series and the other that is specific and exclusive to the episode. Most television shows do this; however, the concept of a serial narrative can be more prominent in some.
‘Game of Thrones’ is a good example of this. The shows episodes are all part of one large narrative that spans across the entire show, and every episode leads to straight into the next often with a cliff hanger.
