Conventions of TV Drama

Basic Conventions:

• Characters
• Narrative
• Sets and Setting
• Camerawork
• Dialogue, Sound, Music

When looking closely at TV drama, some ideas and theoretical perspectives will emerge

These ideas and perspective should increase your understanding of the way these dramas are produced and constructed.

Theoretical perspectives of TV drama:

• Character Roles (some basic reference to Propp’s character theory)
• Seven Basic Character Types
• Villain
• Donor, Friend of hero who gives something that encourages hero.
• Helper, sometimes teamed up with donor.
• Princess, or reward for hero
• Her father, Authority
• Dispatcher, Someone who sends hero off on quest.
• Hero  

Levi-Strauss and Binary Opposites

• Character opposition.

Representational Issues:

• Gender
• Race
• Place
• Ethnicity
• Class
• Sexuality
• Disability
• Age

TV Dramas are constructed, they are made to be believable through a combination of;

• Casting
• Performance
• Screenplay
• Direction