Charlotte Chase

Stereotypes in TV Dramas
TV dramas are known to follow the typical characters that come across as
stereotypical. Certain social groups have been represented in these television
dramas and some of them have been represented stereotypically, perhaps to
conform to ideas that are most recognisable to an audience.

Gender
Both male and female characters are present in TV dramas and there are
instances in which they are represented as stereotypes, most notably the male
being the brave, lead hero and the female as the damsel in distress who relies
on the male character. There are some
television dramas that do follow this
stereotype. For example, in Sherlock, the
lead character Sherlock Holmes is often
represented as being the hero of the show,
often showing a knack for reading people
and a physical prowess. As seen here,
these characteristics are shown through
mise en scene the gun being a constant
prop used by Sherlock Holmes throughout
the course of the show. The gun connotes a sense of power and control over
other peoples lives which suggests that males are the most impactful individuals
on television dramas and perhaps indicating their overall importance to the
narrative. This notion is also supported by characters such
as Jim Gordon in Gotham, who is the lead character and
takes on the role of the heroic detective who fights for
justice as he solves cases in every episode.
Females on the other hand are most commonly
represented as the stereotypical weak and delicate
prizes to the men. This mostly occurs in historical/period
television dramas such as Downtown Abbey whereby
female characters like Mary Crawley and Lady Grantham
wear aristocratic dresses, have their done up formally and
appear to be weaker, despite their rank in the family. In
the narrative, Mary Crawley in particular has been
represented as having to somewhat rely on a man due to
her fathers estate having to be passed down to a male
heir rather than her. This idea about the stereotypes of
females in not only apparent in period dramas, but also in shows set in a modern
era, like in Doc Martin where the character Louisa Ellingham is a school teacher
which connotes a sensitive and more feminine nature rather than that of her
counterpart, the titular character of Dr. Martin Ellingham who is the doctor of the
coastal town and shows characteristics of being a hero due to the way he saves
lives with his medical expertise.

Charlotte Chase

Age
The youth and the elderly are also represented often in TV dramas. The youth
are typically the trouble-making, irresponsible characters as demonstrated
throughout the drama, Waterloo Road. Lewis Seddon is an example of such a
character as certain sub-plots involve him harassing and threatening people
through dialogue, "If Maxine had slept with someone else I would proper kill her"
as well as Michaela White who gets into numerous fights and becomes one of the
schools biggest bullies.
The elderly are represented as being cheery individuals as shown by characters
such as Mrs. Hudson in Sherlock who always comes across as being a warm and
inviting woman, often greeting guests at the door and bringing tea up for her
tenants.

Ethnicity
Ethnicity can define a character in television dramas stereotypically. Black
people, most notably, are represented as being negative, criminal-like characters
compared to the nerdy and smart Asian characters. Tony Stewart from
Coronation Street is an example of a black character stereotype as he sells
stolen second hand goods and has been involved in storylines where he has
broken in and stolen things in order to reach his own personal goals. An example
of a stereotypical Asian character is Rose Gupta from the childrens spy-drama
M.I. High. Notable motifs of the character include big glasses, always seen
carrying several books and having a high IQ these are all stereotypical
characteristics of the smart Asian stereotype.