TV Drama case studies

For this task I'll be comparing one TV drama I have previously watched and one that I haven't. This means watching a couple of episodes from a drama new to me. I'll be comparing Breaking bad (previously seen) and Killing eve (BBC 3) - looking at similarities, differences and how well they conform to genre conventions.  

What are the typical conventions of TV dramas?

As stated in my BBC research post - Television dramas work in a serialised format meaning it works in an episode to episode way with the the plot in each episode following on from the previous episode. They typically run for between 45 and 60 minutes and have opening branding/ credits which symbolically introduce the show. They are based on a fictional narrative which typically relies on the audience believing that the events could happen in real life - this makes the plot and characters gripping as viewers are able to apply the information. They are heavily character driven, providing audiences with emotional relation and pleasure. TV dramas feature a plethora of character types including: The Villain, The Donor, The helper, The princess, The false hero, The dispatcher and The Hero (Propp's theory.) As stated by Levi Strauss' opposition theory all of these characters are opposed by different characters. TV dramas have an ongoing structure, where normality is disturbed and then this disturbance is overcome which leads to a new normal, only for the cycle to continue. Audiences tend to have different expectations based on genres for example different types of criminals caught every episode in a crime drama. The audience get pleasure by learning more about the characters as the programme progresses, seeing how they interact and gaining an insight into their personal life which may not be seen by characters in the plot. 

How do my chosen dramas adhere to these conventions? 

Both programmes work in a serialised format with Breaking bad having 5 seasons (62 episodes) and Killing Eve has 3 seasons (24 episodes.) Episodes in both of these programmes are around 45 minutes long which is also adherent to the typical length of a television drama and gives them sufficient amounts of time to develop character narratives whilst retaining attention and giving deep detail. Both are also based on a fictional narrative which viewers can believe happens in real life - Breaking bad revolves around a high school teacher who cooks meth to pay for his caner treatment whilst Killing eve looks at a Mi6 agent who becomes obsessed with a female assassin. In both of these series the Villain and Hero are unclear and the audience feels aligned with both sides of the spectrum, the line between good and bad fades. In breaking bad the viewer switches frequently between understanding and sympathising with Walter (main character) as we can see the justification of him committing crimes. Similar to this, the audience can often feel annoyed at Eve (main character in Killing Eve) when she gest too engulfed in catching the assassin and her moral compass fades. I feel like this is narrative is effective is retaining the attention of the viewer because their opinion and how they relate to the characters constantly changes as more information is shared. Whilst the donor, the helper, the princess and the false hero often change in these dramas, they both have very clear dispatchers. In Breaking Bad the dispatcher is called 'Gus' and he is the cartel kingpin who controls Walter and how much he has to produce. In Killing Eve both sides have a clear dispatcher, Eve's dispatcher is called Carolyn and she assigns her places to visit and tasks to complete whilst Villainelle's dispatcher 'Konstantin' tells her who she has to kill. 

Audience pleasures

This theory was a popular approach to understanding the mass media consumer and states that there are 4 reasons why people consume different pieces of media. The first states that people consume media for the purpose of escapism/diversion and I think this is extremely relevant in TV dramas because they tend to be tailored very heavily towards entertainment and thrill seeking which is why the majority of them are aimed towards younger demographics. This is often supported through the use of fast paced visuals and music with lots of violence and conflict between good and bad. In Breaking Bad thrilling situations are often created by Walter narrowly escaping capture and in Killing Eve it is created through the conflict seen in Eve's relationships. Another reason people consume media is for the purpose of surveillance, gaining an insight into how others live and educating yourself. I think this is a valid gratification for Killing Eve and Breaking Bad because we are given a lot of insight into the characters personal relationships and the viewer is able to understand how and why different characters interact how they do. In Killing Eve we see Eve's relationship with her husband deteriorate as they plot progresses, showing the audience personal moments and interactions which no other character in the plot sees. Similarly, in Breaking Bad the audience sees lots of very intimate moments not seen by other characters such as his relationships, partners and plans. This all serves to add excitement and grips the viewer as they feel like they are gaining from consuming the episodes. Another key reason as to why people consume media is to try identify with the producer and aspects within a piece of media as well as to help form and develop their own personal identity. Killing Eve satisfies this audience pleasure by showing many different character archetypes and not really using any devices to portray these characters as good or bad - this means the viewers are able to form their own opinions and decide which characters they best identify with. Breaking Bad satisfies this audience pleasure by leaning way more towards Walter, making the audience like and feel for him despite him committing very illegal crimes - to remind us that what Walter does is illegal he is opposed by many different characters and this constantly flips the spectrum, changing the viewers' opinions on whether or not they want to identify with the protagonist. This adds interest as it distorts the audiences' moral compass which forces them to think deeper and evaluate. The final reason people view different forms of media relates to personal relationships. There are two strands involved, one is for the purpose of seeing how people in media form and maintain their own personal relationships then comparing to our own, and the other is so that we can form our own relationships with other viewers (being able to talk to someone about a piece of media.) Breaking bad had a record breaking 10.3 million viewers and Killing Eve had 8.3 million viewers. This insanely high viewership means that many people will have been able to talk about the programmes and likely formed relationships or found out about the programmes by talking - all showing that this is a prevalent audience pleasure of popular TV dramas. In addition both of these productions give insight into how different characters manage their relationships whilst hiding deep secrets such as stabbing a lady or being a drug dealer. Often showing the consequences of hiding things from your partner and the toll it can take on everyone involved which cold be applied to viewers' own relationships.