In this article I will be critically comparing two different radio dramas, A postmodern one,

Torchwood, and a traditional radio drama, The Archers. I will be researching their relevance to their
target audience, The codes and conventions surrounding them and their individual styles to suit
their audience.
What is post modern drama?
Postmodernism is a style popularly used following the 21st century, focusing on the deconstruction
of the modern through the eyes of a post-modern audience, ergo postmodernism.

Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction radio drama, and a spinoff of novels based on the original TV
programme. It has crossed over with the Doctor Who universe on several occasions and the fan base
of torchwood are also affiliated with Doctor Who, and vice versa. The prominent target audience for
this programme are males of most ages because men are commonly known to enjoy Sci-Fi
adventure. Another good example of this is seen in the star wars community.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhaTIHzBimQ
Codes
The episode starts with very sci-fi based noises. Such as static, alien tones and a distorted, demonic
voice is introduced. The target audience are able to picture the conflict between the characters and
the enemy. When the characters are in the cave, you can hear a light echoing in their voice, which
helps the target audience imagine where they are and their environment. The music used is very
electronic this is used to set a mood, and a futuristic tone of the story. You can hear this especially
in the introduction music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eqnml1VO7s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gD1uDz2XpI

The main character of jack has an American accent. This makes him stand out as a character because
his voice has a different pronunciation and sound than the other more British characters or
monsters/aliens. This makes him memorable within the story, and the listeners will be more likely to
remember it easier because of this distinctive feature within the cast.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhaTIHzBimQ

Conventions Aural signposting is used when characters arrive at certain locations or when they are
describing a certain situation. It is a way of describing an establishing shot. At one point in the
drama, the characters are faced with someones skin turning transparent. And although you cant
see it, it is made evident to the audience because of the way its described. The writers have done
this so that the target audience can really picture clearly what is going on, and they can imagine the
bizarre situation with more detail in their minds. Styles The style of this drama is a sci-fi action
adventure. This is because of our target audience being males, they naturally prefer storylines with
faster paced action and get to the point of the story quickly. Movies like Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor

Who and Transformers have been known to sound better with this audience, so that is why
Torchwood co-insides with doctor who so well, they hit the same markers in terms of audience
requirements and what they would want to listen to.
The peak of the story is faced with the audience fairly quickly, as sci-fi action adventure is about the
action sequences and the environment, rather than character growth you can see this when
personal problems of the characters are fixed quite fast in comparison to the archers.
Structures
The narrative is short lived, because conflicts within the story are dealt with within the episode.
It also allows follow up stories ( later on in the series) to be reached faster, so that the Target
audience can complete the series and not lose interest in the core plot or the characters. The
archers tends to have developed their characters over the course of the series, Torchwood is about
solving a mystery with already pre-established characters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhaTIHzBimQ
What is traditional drama
Traditional drama mainly focuses on A more realistic narrative and is more comparable to every day
life. Unlike post modern, Traditional drama is more based on personal conflicts between characters.
This doesnt rule out fantasy or science fiction as the realism extends more to story and the lack of
4th wall breaking .

Words
Words used in Torchwood vary from the Archers in both tone and dialect. For example, torchwood
use very scientific and dramatic explanations within the dialogue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhaTIHzBimQ
The characters are constantly explaining their knowledge through what they have learned on the
show. They have a use of science. The characters are talking about securing a valve, and the use of a
magnet straight away in the story, the audience doesnt know what the purpose of these two items
are yet but it is left a mystery at the start to keep you engaged and listening for longer.

In the Archers, they use simpler words and a simpler way of saying them. Farmers arent about
science like Torchwood, and talk simply about the loss of an animal. Using simpler terminology
often used by farmers, when talking about animals, like, premature and rub down
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqFrgcIuR1k The characters suggest they live in the countryside
because of the way they speak. Their English is different from the English is used in Torchwood. And
there is a thicker accent to imply that they are country folk. They use words such as she has sold
her barley and now she must bake her bread also suggests so.

Flashbacks
The archers dont use a lot flashbacks as the show is mainly based in present time and are only
moving forward. If they were to reference the past tense, they will speak so only to each other. And
the audience is reminded via their own words rather than a direct reference any past events that
have transpired. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7107-Eex2BY
Torchwood also avoid using flashback for the same reason, they are just simply adequate with
referencing the past rather than directly flashing back to it. Torchwood is a fast passed radio drama
that aims to finish the story in the present. And wont need to look back into the past, the audience
doesnt need to be reminded of any information because there is li9ttle plot to be referenced.
Use of fades
Use of fades in The Archers is essential to the tone of the story. The plot points of the archers are
more calm, soothing and slice-of life. And a gentle fading transition onto the next scene. Transitions
help keep up with the gentle nature of the story, an example would be where a man and a woman
talking about a light hearted subject, followed by a fade.

Use of fades in Torchwood is not used, in the introduction 0f the lost souls episode, the victims
screams is cut by a silence before the introducing theme. The plot points of Torchwood are one
after the other, and dont change the subject as much as they do in The Archers, and the first official
scene is a mixed cut straight into a night club scene. This suits the fast paced nature of Torchwood,
and gets straight to the point. Towards the middle of the radio drama however, at about 7:30, a
made can be heard. This was when the action had died down and it as just the characters tailing,
which was interesting because you can tell they had used this because of the shift in interactions.

Chronological development
The Archers use chronological development a lot slower than Torchwood. The Archers is a longoutstretched story that happens continuously along the series. The characters take longer to
develop conflict, as theres no action or science to provoke problems. The characters find conflict
within their day-to-day lives, such as marriage, friendships and their farm life, such as animals, e.c.t
an example of this would take the entire episode. The characters start with pre-existing problems
referenced back from previous episodes, and continue to future episodes.

Torchwood has mini-conflicts that take up the course of an episode. When the problems arrive, they
are usually caused by aliens, monsters, or mishaps within science. These conflicts are solved by the
specific hero, whos job within the story is to solve the problems. There are minimal emotional
problems, and again, most are usually solved within the episode time quota. The storys mystery is
discovered quote quickly. After the initial problem is discovered. 16 minutes after that, they
discover the root of the issue, and it is located in the tunnel.

Narration
Narration only takes place in Torchwood during the introduction. When describing the point of the
Torchwood team and what their goals are. Other than that, the only time narration is sued within
the characters is conversation for exposition. When characters describe the story along, and can be
used as a sort of narration Narration does not take place in the Archers either because the drama
is a story-telling performance, and doesnt need any extra description or narration .
Direct speech
Direct speech is used prominently for The archers. It is a radio drama based on the day to day lives
of the citizens of the town. They are very social characters, and talk about their feelings a lot. Their
stories are about their relationships, so the town is very much based of gossip and farm life.
Torchwood uses direct speech for exposition, often explaining science by talking to each other. A
good example is where they are using a neutron collider to neutralise some protons, they talk
openly each other in a panicked situation how and what they are going to do, this provides good
exposition to the audience, disguised as a conversation between two intelligent characters.
35:00 into the radio drama you can hear this.
Titles
The title Sequences for The Archers are a simple instrumental, that is highly recognisable along the
country because of how long the show has been running for. The title is used straight away, and
there is no opening or introductory scene. The instruments in the opening title represent the
calmness and the gentle nature of the town on the country side and is very reminiscent of the calm
country life. It makes the listener think of a small town and the people that live there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNEawM6vZf4

however torchwoods theme is much more daunting, and is a mix of rock and electronic, all things
associated with action packed adventure and mystery.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eqnml1VO7s Every episode is a new adventure and a
different themed alien or crisis. The theme is very similar to the music used in Hollywood action
movies and evokes a sense of danger for the story. The title is used straight away, and there is no
opening or introductory scene.

Credits
The archers and Torchwood credit their drama similar to how they use the credits. they play their
respective theme tunes, that fade in slowly towards the end. I think they play their theme tunes to
remind their audience briefly as to what they are listening to, similarly to the archers.

The Archers
The archers is a slice of life drama, about a small village in England. It features an older cast than that
of torchwood, the target audience will be middle-aged women, commonly housewives or women
driving in their car. It has a slower pace and focuses more on individual characters. The origin of the
radio drama is British. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06bnq1l
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06bd67z#play Codes The episode starts off with background
noise, that of a restaurant, and there are several women talking to each other. It is a very calm start,
with no background music, Aside from the introduction. This could be to introduce you to the raw
personalities of the characters, a thing that the target audience, would warm up to. Not having
music can let you focus more on the story. There are no sound effects, no distorted voices or
anything. The reasons for this is because its a slice of life. It has to remain as true to real life
attitudes, real world problems and normal physical properties. This drama cant step out of line
when addressing the real world in any way.
Sound effects are used in this drama, however they are more natural sounding. Things such as
chatter in the background of public places, the breeze and birds when characters are outside, cars,
and plates clanking on cutlery. You can hear people walking around when theyre moving, and
opening doors. When the stove is on later in the story, you can hear the bubbling of a food. This all
contributes to helping the audience imagine the setting of the story. Conventions The aural
signposting is made in a similar way to torchwood. The characters describe fully, in detail where the
they are heading in the story, the importance of this is to help the listeners to keep up with the
story, in the secondary link provided, the characters talk about the dishes that are being done, and
particular foods. Characters talk about farmers, it really makes you think that your living amongst
the farming world of the tiny village.
The characters describe for a town so small there are many faces to remember comments like
these and re-occurring characters in the same plot makes the town feel very small and everything is
local, which it is. Styles The duration of the secondary link is over an hour. This is because the radio
writers know that the target audience are women, and generally compared to men, have more time
in the day to be listening to the radio. Structures The narrative are stretched over a few episodes
and takes time to explain characters to their fullest. , because the story is quite short. They keep it
in a shorter runtime to other dramas because men might not be listening as long as women. The
story is structured to suit a shorter runtime. (e.g. if a grown man is driving to work and he wants to
listen to the radio or is on the train with an audiobook,, he may want to hear a story that is
completed and compiled in a way that makes sense AND gets to the point in the amount of time it
takes him to get there, so the story shouldnt really exceed any more than an hour.)
It also allows follow up stories ( later ones in the series) to be reached faster, so that the Target
audience can complete the series and not lose interest in the core plot or the characters.

All can be referenced back to this link http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06nrxbd

The archers is a radio program for housewives of about 45-60. The archers is a slice of life
drama about other housewives of a local village and the struggles within their lives. This is
an easy, relatable subject for the target audience. The speech used in the archers is similar
to that of the target audience, they use bigger words such as formal greetings and polite
conversation throughout the entire performance , as shown in in the link above. this is

important because it allows the target audience to identify with the their way of speaking
easier. The voice actors tend to be the same age as the audience, Speech is clearer. And
slower for target audience, the music is suited to the show because its a classical theme,
and older generations enjoy that music anyway, or are at least perceived/stereotyped to.

the atmosphere of the radio drama is very cheerful and quaint. The radio drama is
set in a farm-town so the atmosphere will be very farm-y. The drama isnt based on
action sequences but rather on family life and that is the main focus of the drama.
This is emphasized through the classical, yet happy-go-lucky soundtrack provided to
the show. sounds are used such as doors and pots and pans because every day
objects being sounded are part of real life and will help visualize the environment
the characters are in. every day objects are important in the soundtrack of this series
because it helps to provide realism and practicality to the characters. Hearing the
roar of a tractor engine helps the idea that the town is based on several farms, and
the every day working life of farmer families. The buzz of the town is provided by
crowd noises, which helps provide company to the audience at home, as it will make
the room or vehicle feel a lot more busy. The characters talking can help with this,
too. Silence when needs to be serious. Extend the idea that Life doesnt come with a
soundtrack.
Silence is also used during conversations where music isnt necessary or would distract

conversations.
Aural signposting is used here to describe where the characters are. Older audiences need to have a
broader description to really lead them into the story and to be able to imagine it, the radio drama is
aimed at adults so the description needs to suit adults. Aural signposting within the archers is used
with the sound of the background. You can easily tell when the characters are in a restaurant, due to
the closer space, and the people talking in a confined area, and also the cutlery clanking on the plates
for example, another example is when they are out on the town and the audience can hear the birds
and the people in the town
Cliff-hangers arent really needed as the audience doesnt rely heavily on plot twists, the archers is
slice of life and conflicts that come up are solved within the story. For example
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06ptny5
Please skip to 12:00 in. and the family resolve a conflict by making a choice at the end.

The style is appropriate to target audience because of its obvious calming nature. The plot is
stretched out slowly over the course of a few episodes because its designed to entice its audience,
they have the time to tune in every week because stereotypically, housewives wont be doing much
else. The style is reflected in the mood and the drama. The peaks of performance arent in the form
of action packed adventure or intense suspense, its about family drama, And again, that is what links

it back to its realism. The duration of these stories Is half an hour in length, during this time, they
carefully stretch out the story. The characters are developed over a longer period of time than
torchwood. The structure is of a linear format. They introduce characters like family members or
friends, so viewers at home have an easy time being led into the story through a format that theyre
used to.