Bazinga
Sunday, 7 April 2013 at 17:30
If I’ve learnt one thing this week, it’s
that you shouldn’t waste your time on people who think they’re above commercial
television.
Whilst I’m not necessarily a big fan of
this form of programming, I’ve got to hand it to the creators, they know what
the people want to see, and therefore how to make a buttload of money. Think
about sitcoms like ‘The Big Bang Theory’ or ‘Friends’, every episode follows
basically the same structure, and presents the audience with a handful of
stereotyped characters, and yet, they continue to come back for more. Why? Good
question. Perhaps it’s because the audience knows what to expect, it’s material
that the majority of the public is comfortable it, it’s not complex and so easy
for all to enjoy. This sort of programming also seems to implement a rather
classical narrative structure, as the audience is always presented with a
resolution at the end and, alas, everything is as it was in the beginning,
ready for the next series of wanton dramas.
Commercial television is structured around
both micro and macro narratives. Each episode contains a micro narrative, which
is resolved by the episodes ending (as mentioned above), and the series in
itself will usually have a narrative on a larger scale, or, the macro
narrative. Dedicated viewers will be able to tune into this overarching plot,
whilst the series can still be picked up and enjoyed by anyone, thanks to the
micro narrative.
One thing the class did have me thinking
about though is exactly what qualifies as commercial television. I mean, I’m
assuming programming on, like, the BBC or ABC are non-commercial, but what
about my cable? I thought of my favourite programs and realized that a couple
of them premiere on cable, so does that render them commercial, or not? For
example, my favourite series, American Horror Story, doesn’t adhere to my
aforementioned trademarks of commercial television, and yet I wonder if it
might fit the bill?
Life is full of difficult questions.
Don't try and tell me that this isn't the best show.