Genre & TV Narratives

Question 1

What is genre?

Answer 1

Patterns and relations existing across texts and media platforms. It is necessary to have genres in order to categorise TV programmes to identify what content the audience can expect.

Question 2

What does Lacey (2000) say about genre?

Answer 2

Lacey developed a ‘repertoire of elements’ that genres follow in order to categorise themselves.

1. Setting
2. Character
3. Narrative
4. Iconography
5. Style

All 5 aspects work in combination to identify genre.

Question 3

Provide an argument and example for when genre can be stable and ‘pure’.

Answer 3

If we apply Lacey’s ‘repertoire of elements’ to our definition of genre, when these elements remain the same throughout a TV narrative, the genre remains pure as the patterns repeat themselves continuously. Pure genres have clear, stable identities and borders.

An example of a TV narrative that follows a ‘pure’ genre is Jamie’s 15 minute meals, a form of Lifestyle Reality TV. This programmes follows the exact same genre pattern each episode.

Setting: Kitchen
Character: Jamie
Narrative: Making food
Iconography: Kitchen setting, Apron, studio lighting
Style: Homely, Lifestyle TV

This lack of change shows that factual and lifestyle TV often sticks to its set genre, whereas through fictional entertainment based shows genre boundaries are often blurred.

Question 4

What does Buckingham (1993) say?

Answer 4

“Genre is not simply given by culture: rather it is in a constant process of negotiation and change”

Social change influence genre change, there are alterations made to fit modern values.

Question 5

Neale (1980) agrees with Buckingham (1993) by saying that…

Answer 5

“Repetition and difference” are important for a genre to keep an audience interested.

The repetition of key themes and genre conventions are important, for example, a horror film lover still wants to be scared. However it is the differences that pleasure is derived from. It is essential for genres to deviate occasionally in order to attract and engage an audience.

The length of a show with multiple seasons must invite multiple genres. We can see examples of this in TV series such as Prison Break in which the usual drama and thrill of the show becomes laced with elements of the romantic genre in order to reach a larger demographic..

Question 6

What term does Collins (1990) introduce?

Answer 6

The “hybridisation” of genres.