C1 TV

Tuesday 7th January 2025

Do now

1. 2

2. 1 hour 30 mins

3. categories of media

4. middle class british women

5. Educate, entertain and inform.

TV Drama

Crime drama

genre is a term used to categorise different types of media texts, such as movies, music, TV shows, or games.

subgenre is a category that is a subdivision of a larger genre in media.

Hybrid drama is a media product that combines the conventions of more than one genre.

The responder

Narrative: the main character is trying to be a better police man

Setting: a city in Liverpool

Characters: The policeman, his daughter, his wife, his possible therapist

Mise-en scene: 

Happy valley

Narrative: Katherine is divorced who lives with her sister, she has two sons where one is deceased and the other doesn't talk to her

Setting: UK city

Characters: a man threatening to burn himself alive, katherine, her colleague

Mise-en scene: a park, officer, playgrounds 

Line of duty

Narrative:

Setting: officers are storming an apartment

Characters: officers

Mise-en scene: storming an apartment

Conventions:

Similarities

Low-key lighting

Serious nature

all based in uk

melodramatic

starts with crime that has been committed/ stopped

main character is intelligent and determined

handheld suspects

lots of clues and red herrings

narrative arc

Typical character types

representation

The impact of these conventions are to create a sense of tension and leaves the viewer at the edge of their seat and makes them want to engage with the series more.

Friday 10th January 2025

Do now

1. Hybrid drama is a media product that combines the conventions of more than one genre

2. Luther, The Sweeney

3. Low-key lighting

4. serious nature

5. Tension, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats.

Tv industry

Digital technology has changed how we produce and circulate tv programmes, as well as how we consume them.

The wide variety means audiences are spread more thinly than in the past.

Audience loyalty to a particular channel has decreased.

Watershed: the time when TV programmes which might be unsuitable for children can be broadcast.

Peak time: the time at which the highest numbers of viewers are watching

Prime time: the time period when the television or radio audience is the largest.

According to OFCOM, it is "High quality content, made for as wide a range of audiences as possible, and for public benefit rather than purely commercial ends."

BBC is a public service broadcaster founded in 1922 that is funded by a license fee, paid by all UK households with a TV. The BBC/ Gov earn £3.8bn from the license fee.

The BBC mission is to act in the public interest, serving all audiences by providing impartial, high quality programs which inform, educate and entertain.

BBC has nine service channels, regional TV programmes, an internet TV service - BBC three - 10 national radio stations, 40 local radio stations and an extensive website.

Tuesday 14th January 2025

Do now 

1. Crime 

2. Luther, the Sweeney

3. low key lighting

4. serious nature

5. Tension/ suspense

The Sweeney

All women are unemployed and are either mothers, girlfriends etc

men are the more dominant gender

women are shown as weak

only working female is a police officer and presented as low ranking and uncapable

police are presented as corrupt which is new for crime drama

Friday 17th January 2025

Do now

1. London

2. 9pm

3. 9pm

4. The police were corrupt

5. Jack regan, George carter

Luther was produced by BBC and written by Neil Cross known for stuff like Spooks

First series was aired at BBC 1 at 9pm on a Tuesday night 4th May 2010

It was also available on BBC Iplayer

There have been 5 series and a Netflix film to date

it is one of many crime dramas that takes its title from the main protagonist, implying that the main detective will be strong, independent and central to the narative

The writer drew on different sub genres: mystery detectives.

Homework:

Scheduling and its impact on TV crime drama and audiences:

Scheduling plays a significant role in TV crime dramas and how the audiences receives the certain TV crime drama they are aiming to watch. The watershed is a very crucial concept, as it refers to a time at which adult (18+) content can be aired on TV without a restriction set. This allows crime dramas to explore a darker and deeper theme, with more complex narrative, appealing more to mature audiences rather than immature audiences. Peak time and prime time are also quite significant in the fact that these periods is when the peak attraction of the largest viewer ship. Networks often schedule crime dramas during these specific times in order to maximize their audience reach. Also, the rise of binge watching and VoD has changed how viewers consume these shows, allowing them to watch entire series' or multiple episodes  in one sitting.

Changing audience responses over time :

Audiences responses to crime dramas can change because of many different things. As norms evolve, what was once considered acceptable or entertaining may become outdated. For example, how certain stereotypes are portrayed or criminal behaviours.

Benefits of commercial Broadcasting:

Commercial broadcasting can offer a lot of benefits that contribute to the production and distribution of crime dramas. A rather huge change is to be able to fund high quality productions through the advertisement revenue.

Influence of production processes on crime dramas:

The production processes behind crime dramas significantly influence their quality. From the effort of scriptwriting to casting and filming, each stage plays a crucial role in aiding the final product and how well it will perform. 

Targeting a range of audiences:

Crime dramas are designed to appeal to a large range of audiences, often incorporating varied themes and styles to attract different demographics.

Tuesday 21st January 2025 

Luther characters

Do now

1. John

2. BBC

3. Tuesday at 9pm

4. Psychological thriller

5. Troubled mc.

Propp's character functions

• Propp was a folklorist researcher
• He looked at old folk tales
• He found out all stories have the same type of character
• The hero - leads the narrative
• The villain - conflict with hero
• The donor - Gives the hero something
• The princess - Usually a prize or reward for hero
• The helper - helps hero complete the quest
• The princess' father - An authority figure who offers a reward to the hero for completing the quest.
• The false hero - False hero takes credit for the hero's actions.
• The dispatcher - Early role who sets the story/ quest in motion.

I think that Luther fits the role of the hero very well, as he is very immersed into the story and everything that happens often relates to him throughout the series.

I think that Zoe Luther fits the role of princess very well, as the main character, Luther tries all he can to protect Zoe, especially against certain characters that wish harm upon her.

I think that Alice Morgan as the villain plays the role very well, she plays it quite similar to Joker in Batman, as how she kills people to get what she wants and harms anyone - physically or mentally - that gets in her way, and will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

List of characters:

Friday 24th January 2025

Luther: Genre and narrative

Do now

1. 8

2. False hero, Princess, Princess' father

3. Because he has some flaws and hurt someone on purpose.

4. The donor - Gives the hero something to help them on their journey.
5. Justin Ripley.

Genre:C

Sub genre:A

Hybrid genre:D

Codes and conventions:B

Theory: Steve Neale

Genre: Repetition and difference

1. Genres are dominated by the repetition of codes and conventions - they have a system of expectations (the things audiences expect to be included

2. Genres change, develop and vary over time

3. Genres borrow from and overlap with other genres - this creates a hybrid (i.e thriller = crime)

 Luther: Genre

Luther contains many familiar elements of crime drama, but it also shows developments in the genre when compared to The Sweeney.

There are may elements hybridised from other genres:

Conventions from thriller genre in visual and audio codes - lowkey lighting, intense con diegetic, music and dramatic cross-cutting.

References to the horror genre - graphic shots, jump scares

Elements of police procedural, but with an increased focus on psychology.

Real life developments in forensics are shown in the show.

Filming styles are MASSIVELY different.

Luther is a maverick detective, which means he is a brilliant detective, able to solve crimes and understand clues no one else can. They are not afraid to break rules if it means catching the criminal. They are often 'damaged' individuals who struggle to hold their personal lives.

One example of him being a maverick detective was when he figured out the main villain had hidden parts of the gun used to kill her family was inside of the dog she had killed in a specific way.

Another example is when he break and entered into the main villains house to steal the ashes of her dead dog to end up finding the parts of the gun.

One final example is when every time he is with his wife he is unable to control his emotions where as elsewhere he is fine.

Alice Morgan is a Psychopathic killer throughout Luther. As she is a very deceitful character who pretends to be normal. She is capable of horrific crimes. She also enjoys playing mind games with the detective.

One example is when she calls 999 after she had killed her family.

Another example is when she brutally kills her own family.

One final example is taunting Luther with hurting his wife.

The femme fatale is a mysterious character and also is dangerous. She also uses her sexuality to exert her powers over male characters. She is also a character seen in a noir film.

Narrative:

Backstory: Summaries previous crime case explains why Luther is on leave.

Inverted narrative: we know who the murderer is and so does Luther, we assume Luther will catch her but we just dont know how.

Crime: We see her with blood on her hands.

Narrative strands: The crime or Luthers personal life isnt solved

Tuesday 28th January 2025

Representation

Do now

1. Codes and conventions

2. Unique selling point.

3. Maverick detective.

4. A character expect to find in a certain genre.

5. Psychopathic killer and femme fatale

Representation is the way in which people, places, issues and events are portrayed in the media.

Representation questions:

1. is the representation positive or negative

2. Are there aspects which conform to traditional stereotypes in that area?

3. Are there aspects which challenge to traditional stereotypes in that area?

4. What evidence can I use to support my case?

Luther has been represented as powerful, smart, obsessive, assertive, emotionally unstable, hyper intelligent in episode one.

John Luther is an interesting representation of a black male in 21st century britain, he is a successful senior police detective with a brilliant mind for solving crime. He also uses questionable methods to get results. He is highly committed to his job - almost obsessive. Highly regarded by his fellow officers. He is a complicated character who experiences anguish and passion who reacts with anger and violence but he also has that pain and sadness. He reflects contemporary nations of masculinity shown: physical force, lack of emotion with other men etc.

Hegemonic masculinity: In western society, the dominant form of masculinity or the cultural ideal of manhood was primarily seen as white, heterosexual, largely middle-class males.

The ideals of manhood adopted by the dominant masculinity suggested a number of characteristics that men are encouraged to be or use.

These characteristics include, violence/ aggression, stoicism (emotional restraint), courage, toughness, physical strength, athleticism, risk-taking, adventure and thrill-seeking, competitiveness, and achievement and success.

In the opening scene, Luther is represented as ambitious and assertive, as well as powerful, as he doesn't want to let the person he is chasing get away and causes the person he his chasing to practically be forced to tell him as he is hanging onto something whilst being interrogated.

This representation is further developed during the climax of the episode where Luther 

In this scene he is shown as hegemonically masculine as he uses his physical strength to overpower Alice Morgan and he also uses violence and aggression to get Alice Morgan to stay away from his wife.

Friday 31st January 2025

Luther: Representation

Do now

1. Hegemonic masculinity.

2. Violence/ aggression, stoicism, courage

3. Representation is the way in which people, places, issues and events are portrayed in the media.

4. Framed/ surrounded by a lot of empty space.

5. He was the first black detective.

Explain how Luther is a representation of hegemonic masculinity

In the first episode of Luther, John Luther shows the traits of "hegemonic masculinity" by being tough and emotionally closed off. As a detective, he uses his strength and confidence to intimidate people and solve crimes, often ignoring rules or putting himself at risk for example, when Luther was hanging Henry Madsen off of that pipe investigating him asking where the girl is. Even though he’s hurting from his wife leaving him for example, when he takes his anger out on a nearby door instead of Zoe when he finds out his wife been cheating on him, he doesn’t show any weakness or ask for help. Instead, he throws himself into his work, trying to prove he can handle everything on his own. This reflects a traditional view of masculinity, where men are expected to be strong, independent, and in control, even at the cost of their own well-being.

Homework:

Neale's genre theory proves that certain genres are not static but slowly evolve through a combination of audience expectations and innovation. 'Luther' perfectly shows this. The show clearly satisfies viewers' typical crime drama expectations with its troubled maverick detective protagonist, John Luther, dark and suspenseful visuals, and intriguing cases. However, 'Luther' further Extends above these conventions by exploring the psychological depths of its characters, developing intricate storylines that unfold over multiple episodes (Which we will see later on) rather than resolving within a single episode, therefore making it boring for the audience and far less suspenseful than the average enjoyer of crime drama series would expect from a series like 'Luther', the creators also borrow certain elements from psychological thrillers and dramas. This genre bending and character-driven approach demonstrates the dynamic and adaptable nature of genre, supporting Neale's theory of genre evolution.

Tuesday 4th February 2025

Industry and audience

Do now

1. Alice Morgan

2. courage, toughness, physical strength

3. Stoicism

4. Alice Morgan

5. A series or movie named after the main character.

Luther: Production:

• Produced by BBC
• Shown on BBC 1; corporations primary channel.
• BBC 1's remit: to create a high proportion of original programmes and to reflect the diversity of the uk
• 2016-2017, BBC 1 aimed to 'exhibit some or all of the following: high-quality, original, challenging, innovative and engaging, and it should nurture UK talent.
• Important features of BBC 1 drama
• Talk ability, topicality and relevance to audiences, Britishness and reflecting the diversity of life in Britain.
• There is the first black detective. Very diverse ethnically in the cast. Popular genre, so therefore will be engaging.

Distribution and scheduling:

• Series one was broadcasted in May 2010 (BBC 1 Tuesdays 9pm.)
• Also available on I-player.
• It was re - commissioned following the first series
• In 2012, following the success of the first two series, BBC America started broadcasting it.
• BBC America: broadcasts a mixture of UK and US programmes.
• BBC America is a commercial arm to BBC. not funded by the UK license fee.
• Crime drama is a massive part of their revenue.

Audience appeal:

• The marketing of series 1 is important
• A trailer was released on the 16th April 2010
• A longer preview was shown at the end of April where Luther and Ripley meet.
• Additional footage and behind the scenes footage for each episode were released on the website
• An inside look video was produced for BBC America.

Programme appeal:

• Genre: Luther being a hybrid of different genres.
• Star appeal: Using Idris Elba as he is well known and popular.
• Narrative: The Morgan murders and the ongoing Madsen case.
• Representations: The range of complex male and female characters.

The Sweeney

• Characters from the series one were appealing audiences could relate to many of them.
• Modern audiences respond positively to the 'retro' feel.
• Some might respond negatively to the violence etc.
• The Sweeney was extremely successful.
• DVD box set was released
• All episodes released in 2004
• Re-runs were broadcasted several times, for example ITV 4 broadcasted all the episodes in Nov 2017.
• Can be seen to influence many other police dramas.

Friday 7th February 2025

Context

Do now

1. High quality, original

2. BBC America

3. They had an interview with Idris Elba, trailers, previews, behind the scene footage.

4. Genre, star appeal

5. the violence throughout the series

Changing viewing conditions

• One of the biggest changes in how we watch television has been the introduction of streaming.
• When the Sweeney was on television, there was no way to pause or re-watch television - you had to be there when it was on.
• Programmes would be shown once a week, at the same time.
• Because of the long gap in between episodes, they contained closed narratives, where all elements of the story were wrapped up by the end of the episodes.
• This meant audiences did not have to remember week to week what had happened, and if they missed and episode they could still watch it the next week and the programme would make sense.

Contemporary viewing conditions

• Modern services, such as BBC iPlayer, where Luther is shown, allow audiences to watch on demand.
• This has changed how we watch television, with viewers now able to binge-watch whole series at a time.
• Smart phones, laptops and tablets have further enabled this, as we no longer need to be at home, in the living room, to watch television.
• This has led to far more open narratives in crime dramas, where parts of the story will unfold over several episodes.
• This allows for far more complex storylines and character development.
• Contemporary audiences can also be relied upon to have a greater knowledge of a programme and are more adept at understanding multi-strand narratives.

Historical context 1970''s (The Sweeney)

• Less gender equality
• More racially diverse and multicultural
• Based on a highly publicised corruption scandal
• 1970 was a period of upheaval: strikes, shortages and economic problems

Representations of gender

• The Sweeney reflects 1970's values in relation to gender, especially gender roles in the workplace.
• This reflects gender roles within society at the time, particularly within the police force.

Explain how crime dramas reflect the time of which they are made?

The key differences in Britain between the 1970's and now. are that in the 1970's, there was less gender equality then compared to today, today gender equality is a much more massive thing, whereas back then it wasn't seen as much of a relevant subject, whereas compared to today is a much more serious matter and society care more about gender equality.

One of the key differences between the Sweeney and Luther is in the representation of gender, this is evident as in The Sweeney, women were seen as not very important and wasn't
shown much throughout the series.

Homework:

Genres change over time because audiences expect new and fresh ideas while still recognising familiar patterns. In the case of Luther, John Luther is a typical character for a crime drama because he is a troubled detective with a strong sense of justice, but he is also flawed and often breaks the rules, which adds tension and complexity. Alice Morgan, on the other hand, is a typical crime drama character as she is the brilliant, yet dangerous, antagonist who challenges Luther's morals, which is common in crime stories. Zoe is less conventional because, unlike other crime drama characters who are usually either victims or involved in the action, she is more of a supportive role, showing vulnerability and emotional depth rather than being involved in crime-solving or villainy. Overall, the characters in Luther are mostly typical for the crime drama genre, with Luther and Alice fitting the traditional roles, while Zoe's character brings a twist.

Tuesday 11th February 2025

Extract analysis

Do now

1. camerawork, mise en scene, editing, sound

2. Shot type, angle, movement

3. the sound you would hear if you were there.

4. where the editing is cut between two scenes happening simultaneously

5. how a shot is composed.

Notes camera work and editing:

• Shot-reverse-shot between henry maddsen and Luther
• static camera shot when henry is running away
• extreme close up when Luther locks eyes with henry too build tension

Friday 14th February 2025

Media language

Do now

1. Camera work, editing mise en scene, Sound

2. Movement

3. Sounds you won't hear if you were there

4. when it shows what a character is looking at.

5. when the camera angle is on its side.

Friday 28th February 2025

Extract analysis: Exam style question

Do now

1. Race and Gender (stereotypes)

2. Lighting, Blocking, set design

3. twice

4. 2

5. three paragraphs 

Costumes creating meaning: Zoe is in professional style clothing, Alice is in dark clothes to conceal her from anyone around, there is a birds eye view to show what was happening between Alice and Zoe which shows body language between the two, there is a medium close up of the two to emphasise there emotions etc, 

Typical genre locations: there is quite a dark and serious tone, there is some elements of non-diegetic and diegetic tones, there is a scene with an office building which is quite common in this type of genre, 

1a. Costumes create meaning in this extract by having the characters wear highly professional clothing which is a clear indicator that where they are is a strictly professional environment, for example when Zoe is introduced in this extract she is shown wearing professional clothes as she exits her place of work, indicating that she very clearly works in a professional environment, also, when we are introduced to Luther in the extract everyone and him are wearing professional clothing throughout the office. When we are introduced to Alice in the extract she is shown in black clothing and a dark wig, this is to create a sense of mysteriousness for Alice and also to aid in her concealment when she is threatening Zoe.

1b. The locations in the extract for the genre are quite typical, as it shows places such as a law firm, a police office and a slightly derelict part of London, these places are all quite common in Crime dramas as they can be used to create a sense of tension, purpose or seriousness in the scene, for example, when Luther is on the phone with Zoe after her encounter with Alice, Luther is shown flipping his desk in anger, creating a sense of tension for the viewer, and also when they are all speaking about Zoe and Alice they are all serious, no one is seen cracking jokes or laughing they all have little to no emotion in their faces and is shown as professional. With it also being set in a derelict part of London, it can be a clear indicator that something bad will be bound to happen, as most bad people are commonly found in run-down parts of countries/ cities etc.

2. Digital technologies has changed the ways in which audiences consume television drastically, this is by creating demand on viewing, personalised content, cross-device access, binge-watching, and other interactive features that widen varieties of how audiences can watch the series/ movies they want to watch. Another way is by creating box sets, a person can buy a box set and be able to watch it whenever and wherever without having to wait for another episode to come out, or being forbidden to only watch it when it airs, they have more broad opportunities to watch it whenever they want. 

With these different Changes to digital technology it increases viewer time when watching a series or movie and is a lot more beneficial to the creators now then it was in previous years as they are essentially making more revenue now more than ever as people can just buy the things whenever they want and which is a benefit. 

Another way people can buy stuff is through streaming services, these various streaming services such as Netflix, Disney plus etc, buy rights to a certain TV show or a movie and people can pay in either monthly or yearly subscriptions and they would be able to watch what they wanted whenever they wanted as long as they have a subscription for the streaming service. 

Unfinished



Homework:

1a:

John Luther:

John Luther often wears a dark coat and simple clothes, like a shirt, trousers, and boots. The dark colours suggest he is a serious and troubled man, dealing with difficult situations. His sharp, professional look shows he is in control at work, but his messy appearance at times reflects his personal struggles.

Alice Morgan:

Alice Morgan wears neat, stylish clothes, often in dark colours like black or red. These colours give her a mysterious, dangerous vibe. Her unique outfits show she is confident and in control, with a cool, calculating personality. Her appearance contrasts with Luther’s, showing her calmness compared to his emotional breakdowns.

1b:

John Luther fits the typical crime drama detective. He is smart, dedicated to his job, and has a strong sense of justice. However, his personal struggles and willingness to break rules make him different from the usual detective. He is a hero, but with flaws, making him more complex and unpredictable. This mix of traits is common in crime dramas.