codes and conventions in sitcoms Flashcards
characters-regular/main
regular/ main: audiences identify, sympathise and empathise with the cultural stereotype represented.- characters are normally hegemonic and traditional if mainstream in forma e.g.if scheduled on the BBC during prime time. pluralistic or more diverse characters are normally sill shown in sitcoms like black books but are representation that target more nice audiences
supporting
these characters are comedy foils to main characters e.g. beyonce and trigger in only fools and horses. they are relevant in narrative development and have their own back story. supporting characters appear and re-appear throughout a series but are not i every episode.
transient characters
often one-off e.g. guest star or walk on. transient characters are agents for plot problems in the narrative chain of cause an effect ad are very common in american sitcom where guests are greeted by studio applause- friends has used a number of stars over the years including bruce willis and time selleck
production context
sitcoms tend to have lower production values than most genre television e.g. TV dramas but have higher production values than soap opera.
regular scheduled time slot, often pre-watershed duein prime time and commonly during weekdays. the familiar time slot is a way of maintaining the audience interest.
often studio based with studio audience laughter punctuating the comedy particularly american situation comedy. niche and more challenging sitcoms tend to move away from studio or audience laughter which acts as a guide and a preferred reading for the audience.
regular settings and built sets are for purposes of audience identification.
types of sitcom
dramatic comedy, domestic comedy, action comedy,
action comedy
action based narrative chain of cause and effect with often superficial crises, non-complex, one dimensional characters and no specific serious narrative themes e.g. men behaving badly ad he fresh prince of bel-air and my names earl. action comedies tend to have higher production values.
dramatic comedy
standard sitcom conventions but with thought provoking narrative themes e.g. mash, blackadder, the royal family and yes minister. although dramatic comedies are also encoded with entertainment values and humour the situation would ensure some reflection and discussion by the target audience as often the protagonist exist in a very dysfunctional environment.
domestic comedy
emphasis on character relationships and moral dilemmas, often involving relationships e.g. friends, Malcom i the middle, ow i met your mother, roger and val, ad outnumbered (relationship between parents and children)
narrative
narrative arcs often underpin a whole series with black stories and situations that regular viewers are familiar with. sitcoms are usually set in a dysfunctional environment- pleasure for audience in how the characters exist and survive under the conditions in which they live e.g. springfield would not be seen as an idealised american urban environment to live in.
sitcoms narrative 3 act structure
equilibrium, disruption and resolution
NARRATIVE- Bulmer and katz 1974 uses and gratifications.
narrative themes can be decoded ensuring some form of surveillance according to Bulmer and katz . U+G model of audience reception but the primary objective of most sitcoms is humour. any analytical appraisal of the situation would be added value or the producers although the 1970s american sitcom mash offered at time rim representations of conflict and loss of life during the korean war and was lauded by anti-war pacifists
limited use of narrative enigmas
as a result of notions of narrative predictability-audiences rarely ask who/what/why/when and ow because they already know the answer. the pleasure is in how the characters deal with the now
representations
one of the key appeals if british situation comedies is that it represents a british way of life that for many is hyper real and mythical. british comedies have been criticised for constructed reality a representations rather than reflecting reality although a key defence to these accusations have been this is one o the key appeals- voyeurism of looking at characters in extreme situations.
hegemonic representations
predominate because this is what the audiences are more familiar with- culture stereotypes are frequently used in situation comedy because they are entertaining audiences.
minority groups in sitcoms
are often stereotypes and marginalised-mainstream representations is key with the concept of difference used in binary opposites against normality to entertain he tare audience even very recent sitcoms like dawn french roger and val rarely subvert mainstream culture
technical and symbolic codes lighting
high key lighting in both american and british sitcoms is associated with high key lighting. an expectation to this is the royal family that uses low key lighting for social realism. vivid, saturated and primary colours especially seen in american sitcoms.
