Initial Task:
Carry out extensive research, select a range of programmes as case studies and construct a dedicated webpage, linked to Task 1 & 2, which critically evaluates television products through the application of textual analysis techniques with supporting arguments and elucidated examples and consistently using subject terminology correctly
Case Studies:
Main Case study- 4 O’Clock Club
Context:
4 O’Clock club is a British comedy drama and musical children’s television series, reviewed as a “Great comedic show for all ages”; set in a secondary school, which premiered on 13 January 2012 on CBBC and CBBC HD. A second series began airing on 4 January 2013, and the third series premiered on 20 December 2013. Series 4 began airing on 28 January 2015, and Series 5 was aired on CBBC and CBBC HD from February to May 2016.The show's seventh series started airing from 24 January 2018, and ended on 18 April 2018. Series 8 began on CBBC with a Christmas special on 19 December 2018, and continued airing on CBBC from 6 February 2019, and ended on 17 April 2019. Series 9 began airing on 4 February 2020.
In terms of Public Service Broadcasting, this show, as mentioned before, is aired on the CBBC channel, which is channel made for older children. The BBFC has stated that the 4 O'Clock Club is a show aimed for children between the ages of 12-15, due to the mannerisms ans messages embedded in the series.
Storyline:
The show is based on the general storyline of 2 brothers who go to the same school, however one as a student and the other as a teacher. Josh, the student of the 2, has dreams of eventually becoming a rapper but Nathan, the older brother and teacher, who has already struggled to succeed in the industry, wants to prevent his younger brother from pursuing the career path and making the same mistakes he did. These opposite goals result in the brothers being set on a collision course that often takes place in the school's detention room, which is nicknamed The 4 O'Clock Club. The 9 series TV show takes the audience on a journey through Elmsbury High, and into their lives at the school together, along with Nathan's frequent mischieves.
Production
Constructed raps are featured in every episode, usually relating to the current situation. As such, the series takes a musical style.One of the main actors, Doc Brown, who plays Nathan the teacher, is infact a rapper, and constructs the raps on the show. Since the show began, all series have been filmed on location in Greater Manchester. For the first series, filmed in 2011, 4 O'Clock Club was filmed in a secondary school that is still in use: Smithills School, Bolton
The second series was filmed at Offerton High School (now Fairway Primary School) in Stockport in 2012, which was also used briefly in 2013 for the third series. From 2013 to 2016, the series was filmed at the former site of St Ambrose Barlow High in Swinton. As of the seventh series, the show is filmed in the former site of St George's Roman Catholic High School in Walkden.
Representation:
As shown in the official poster for the Television Series, the main characters, Nathan and Josh, are of colour and part of the Black British community. To have such significant roles to be men of colour, specifically in 2012 when the show first aired, is of great importance. Numerous research has shown evidence that coloured and black actors/actresses have significantly less screen time than their white colleagues. Not only does this show help to break that cycle, but it is also important to display diversity, as the target audience for this show is mainly working class teenagers in the UK, mostly in more urban areas in which school life would be somewhat similar to that shown in the show. In order for the show to appeal to its target audience, preferably actors and actresses from a variety of ethnicities and races should be shown, to accurately represent the target audiences’ environment. 4 O’Clock club has successfully done this, with a clear variety of white, black, mixed and south asian actors.
4 O’Clock club is a British comedy drama and musical children’s television series, reviewed as a “Great comedic show for all ages”; set in a secondary school, which premiered on 13 January 2012 on CBBC and CBBC HD. A second series began airing on 4 January 2013, and the third series premiered on 20 December 2013. Series 4 began airing on 28 January 2015, and Series 5 was aired on CBBC and CBBC HD from February to May 2016.The show's seventh series started airing from 24 January 2018, and ended on 18 April 2018. Series 8 began on CBBC with a Christmas special on 19 December 2018, and continued airing on CBBC from 6 February 2019, and ended on 17 April 2019. Series 9 began airing on 4 February 2020.
In terms of Public Service Broadcasting, this show, as mentioned before, is aired on the CBBC channel, which is channel made for older children. The BBFC has stated that the 4 O'Clock Club is a show aimed for children between the ages of 12-15, due to the mannerisms ans messages embedded in the series.
Storyline:
The show is based on the general storyline of 2 brothers who go to the same school, however one as a student and the other as a teacher. Josh, the student of the 2, has dreams of eventually becoming a rapper but Nathan, the older brother and teacher, who has already struggled to succeed in the industry, wants to prevent his younger brother from pursuing the career path and making the same mistakes he did. These opposite goals result in the brothers being set on a collision course that often takes place in the school's detention room, which is nicknamed The 4 O'Clock Club. The 9 series TV show takes the audience on a journey through Elmsbury High, and into their lives at the school together, along with Nathan's frequent mischieves.
Production
Constructed raps are featured in every episode, usually relating to the current situation. As such, the series takes a musical style.One of the main actors, Doc Brown, who plays Nathan the teacher, is infact a rapper, and constructs the raps on the show. Since the show began, all series have been filmed on location in Greater Manchester. For the first series, filmed in 2011, 4 O'Clock Club was filmed in a secondary school that is still in use: Smithills School, Bolton
The second series was filmed at Offerton High School (now Fairway Primary School) in Stockport in 2012, which was also used briefly in 2013 for the third series. From 2013 to 2016, the series was filmed at the former site of St Ambrose Barlow High in Swinton. As of the seventh series, the show is filmed in the former site of St George's Roman Catholic High School in Walkden.
Representation:
As shown in the official poster for the Television Series, the main characters, Nathan and Josh, are of colour and part of the Black British community. To have such significant roles to be men of colour, specifically in 2012 when the show first aired, is of great importance. Numerous research has shown evidence that coloured and black actors/actresses have significantly less screen time than their white colleagues. Not only does this show help to break that cycle, but it is also important to display diversity, as the target audience for this show is mainly working class teenagers in the UK, mostly in more urban areas in which school life would be somewhat similar to that shown in the show. In order for the show to appeal to its target audience, preferably actors and actresses from a variety of ethnicities and races should be shown, to accurately represent the target audiences’ environment. 4 O’Clock club has successfully done this, with a clear variety of white, black, mixed and south asian actors.
Sub-Case studies:
Case study 1- Chewing gum
The comedy series ‘Chewing Gum’, which lasted from 2015-2017 was undoubtedly a watershed showing, based on The life of Tracey(main character) and the mishaps of her neighbourhood, friends and family, and of course, her boyfriend. The show has frequent mentions of sex, religion, and some explicit content and language in which the BBFC suggest you must be 16+ to view, evidently linking to the issue of taste and decency, as well as public service broadcasting issues. The E4 show had been nominated for and won numerous awards and was arguably a popular and successful show during its showing, with the help of synergy being used, where famous figures and well known rappers, such as Stormzy, made appearances on the show; allowing for both the show itself and the influencer to gain further recognition.
The comedy series ‘Chewing Gum’, which lasted from 2015-2017 was undoubtedly a watershed showing, based on The life of Tracey(main character) and the mishaps of her neighbourhood, friends and family, and of course, her boyfriend. The show has frequent mentions of sex, religion, and some explicit content and language in which the BBFC suggest you must be 16+ to view, evidently linking to the issue of taste and decency, as well as public service broadcasting issues. The E4 show had been nominated for and won numerous awards and was arguably a popular and successful show during its showing, with the help of synergy being used, where famous figures and well known rappers, such as Stormzy, made appearances on the show; allowing for both the show itself and the influencer to gain further recognition.
Case study 2- Dani’s house
Dani’s house is an example of a more universal show, shown on the kids and youth channel CBBC(Children's British Broadcasting Corporation), BBC and BBC one. The concept of the family comedy is based on two aliens watching a reality show based upon Dani's life in her house with her mischievous brother and eccentric friends, to learn more about earth. The show aired from 2008-2012 and was extremely popular, being one of the UK’s most loved children's shows and has received several awards and nominations from BAFTA Kids; later becoming a spinoff with the show Dani's Castle. The show's main actress, Dani Harmer, was extremely successful at the time of filming, previously making her name known with her famous role as Tracy beaker in her child acting years, recognizably in the shows The Dumping Ground and The Story Of Tracy Beaker. This previous success undoubtedly brought more attention to the newer Dani’s house show, allowing for the young viewers who watched Dani’s roles in the past to ‘grow up with Dani’ in a sense, and see the actress evolve from her child acting roles to her adult roles.
Dani’s house is an example of a more universal show, shown on the kids and youth channel CBBC(Children's British Broadcasting Corporation), BBC and BBC one. The concept of the family comedy is based on two aliens watching a reality show based upon Dani's life in her house with her mischievous brother and eccentric friends, to learn more about earth. The show aired from 2008-2012 and was extremely popular, being one of the UK’s most loved children's shows and has received several awards and nominations from BAFTA Kids; later becoming a spinoff with the show Dani's Castle. The show's main actress, Dani Harmer, was extremely successful at the time of filming, previously making her name known with her famous role as Tracy beaker in her child acting years, recognizably in the shows The Dumping Ground and The Story Of Tracy Beaker. This previous success undoubtedly brought more attention to the newer Dani’s house show, allowing for the young viewers who watched Dani’s roles in the past to ‘grow up with Dani’ in a sense, and see the actress evolve from her child acting roles to her adult roles.