How are TBBT and HIGNFY

different?
AIM
To consider the differences between
The Big Bang Theory and Have I got
News for you
To have a set of revision notes
To test how quickly you can absorb
knowledge

Easter Revision and

Homework
Work though this PowerPoint rewriting with direct
examples! This means watching the shows and doing
research!
Revision of AA section A of the exam
- Using handbook
- Handouts
- Text book
The best thing is to practice the questions using real
examples Youtube, TV, Netflix, Sky movies, Online
search Action adventure. If you are unsure if it is
an AA film use your codes and conventions
knowledge!!!!

Describe the shows

The Big Bang Theory is
an
American
.. set in a
..
that
follows
the
..
The comedy comes
mostly
from

..
Complete!

Have I Got News For

You is a games show
where
two
regular
panellists and two guest
compete
to
answer
questions about events in
the news. Their aim is to
be as funny as possible
while doing so. The two
regular
panellists
are
comedian Paul Merton
and the satirical journalist
Ian Hislop.

HIGNFY
Comedy
game
Two different sorts
of Panel
comedy?

The Big Bang Theory

SUB Situation Comedy
GENRE?
The Big Bang Theory is a
drama. The actors play
characters delivering a
script.
The Big Bang Theory has a
narrative that is resolved in
some way at the end of the
episode.
The humour in The Big Bang
Theory comes from everyday
situations
What else?

HIGNFY is a performance.
The
panellists
play
themselves
and
it
is
SUBsupposed to be unscripted.
GENRE?
HIGNFY
has
a
loose
narrative in which players
compete for points and the
teams win or lose at the
end, but this is far less
important than the laughs
generated along the way.
the humour in HIGNFY
comes, for example, from
attacking the stupidity of
people and events in the
news. What else?

How are they aimed at different

audiences?
HOW ARE THEIR
AUDIENCES TARGETED?

The Big Bang Theory

Young adult audience

It has a fast pace
example?
Young adult main
characters example?
Often incorporates rock,
pop and indie music
example?
Similar visual style to
other sitcoms aimed at
young audiences, such as
Everybody Hates Chris

HIGNFY

Older
audience
example?
Aimed
at
those
interested in the news
as
it
often
asks
questions about political
events example?
Therefore it addresses
an audience who would
be more likely to read
newspapers

Two different
sorts
of channel
mass
audience
that aims to attract the full
channels?
range
of
the
British

a niche audience channel

that aims to appeal to the
young audience that is very
attractive to advertisers
E4 is part of a public institution
- Channel 4 is owned by the
British public and is not
designed to make a profit.
However, E4 is a commercial
channel and a non-PSB digital
channel.
This means that E4 can show
any programmes that it thinks
will attract an audience, in any
order.

audience.
The BBC is not funded by
advertising but by the
licence fee.
Therefore it is a PSB and
has a duty to educate,
inform and entertain
the whole British public.
What else?
This
means
BBC1
programmes have to be
popular, but have to have
an extra quality - being
very well made, having
educational
value
or
representing
all
the
different parts of Britain,

Two different sorts of

channels?

E4 can import lots of cheap

American programmes like
Scrubs and BBT.
E4 can show the same
programme twice in a
stripped schedule (e.g. at
12.15 pm and 12.45 pm
every day).
E4 are competing with lots
of different digital channels,
so it needs to have a
schedule that is easy for the
casual viewer to understand
- so it strips programmes
across the week.

PSB channels have to show

a lot of original material
PSB channels have to
have a mixed schedule
with different genres of
programmes

What other scheduling tricks

Do the shows meet

the
HIGNFY
- proved itself
popular when it was shown
channels remit?
on BBC2, so this justified
E4 is a young channel that,
like Channel 4, aims to be
more daring and exciting
than its competitors.
It needs a programme that
is popular, entertaining, but
not too mainstream to fit
this brand image.
The big bang theory attracts
the right target audience
and is fresh and different
enough to fit E4's brand
image.
Example?

moving it to BBC1
It
is
an
entertaining
programme for a fairly
wide target audience.
It was set up to be more
than funny, however. Ian
Hislop was chosen as he is
a moralistic
journalist
who has serious opinions
about news. It was originally
expected that Paul Merton
would provide the jokes
and Ian Hislop would provide
the opinion. This gives the
programme
the
opportunity to inform, as
well
as
entertain.

Example?

Names?

What about supporting cast?

Example? Pleasures?

Names?

Different audience
pleasures?
THIS
MEANS
The situation comedy
offers
narrative
pleasures
we can follow a story as
it unfolds throughout an
episode and, in the case
of BBT, from one episode
to the next. Example?

We identify with one

or
more
of
the
characters - we feel for
them and want the best
for them
Example?
We are rewarded as
loyal
viewers
by
understanding
events
that are only explained
by what happened in
previous
episodes.
Example?

Different audience
pleasures?

We get the
pleasure of
narrative
resolution. A
sitcom will have
one or a few
storylines that
come to some

BBT offers a mix of

serious and comic
storylines.
We might
sympathise with
characters as
well as laugh at
them.
Example?

Different audience
pleasures?

Have I Got News

For You also has a
narrative, but who
wins the game is
much
less
important to the
Need direct examples
audience
than
the
(give
the episode
as
well)!!!
Remember
laughs
theythe get
opening sequence too!

One pleasure that Have I Got News

For You offers that BBT doesn't is
that it gives a viewpoint on
events in the news.
This can add to the audience's
sense of security brought about
by the feeling that you know what
is going on in the world and
listening to other people's opinions
about these events
Have I Got News For You also has a
track record in attacking the rich
and
powerful,
such
as
top
politicians and business people.
This satire, apart from being
entertaining, may also help the
poor and less powerful feel
better about themselves.

TV Scheduling Strategies Research!

Schedulers need to attract an audience at the beginning of the day, and

keep then watching right up to the end. This is achieved through a variety
of different techniques.
airingtrailersandteasersfor shows later in the day, creating
anticipation.
Counter programming deliberately scheduling a different type of
show to competing channels e.g programming sport against a cookery
show on a rival network.
Pre-echo putting a new, or less popular show on before a popular one
in order to catch the viewers that may tune in early.
Hammocking putting a new, or less popular show on between two
popular shows so that viewers do not bother to turn off or over and watch
the new show.
Inheritance putting a new, or less popular show on after a popular
show, in the hope that viewers will remain transfixed by their TV set.
Hotswitching going straight from the end of one show into the
beginning of another, without giving the viewer the opportunity to change
the channel.
Stripping airing episodes of the same show at the same time each day.
This means that the viewer knows when the show is on without having to
look at a TV guide. This is common practice with news and talk shows. It's
also used for syndicated drama and comedy shows, especially once they've

Different
schedules?
SCRUBS
Scrubs is scheduled..Find out?
The afternoon slots are part of the
rolling programme of repeats with
which E4 fills its daytime schedules
BBT
is
scheduled
before
the
watershed, so has to be a programme
that is suitable for children. It fits this
requirement because, though it does
contain some sexual content, it is not
sexually explicit, or violent, and it does
not contain excessive bad language. It
is, however, a slick and reasonably adult
comedy that would appeal to a teenage
audience.

What is the watershed?

The slots before Have I Got

News For You from 8 pm to
9 pm on BBC1 are filled with
very ,
such as at 8
pm, and the slot after Have
I Got News For You is filled
with a comedy Example? making the 9 till 10 slot on
Friday nights a regular
comedy slot. This suggests
that Have I Got News For
You is being aimed at a
large, mainstream audience
that likes to wind down to
comedy at the end of the
week.
Have I Got News For You is
scheduled
just
after
the
watershed. This means it is
allowed
to
feature
adult
content, which is important for
a topical news show.

Similar audience
pleasures?

Both
programmes
use verbal
comedy.

Both
programmes
deal with reallife issues.

Both programmes have

regular characters that
become familiar
to regular viewers.

Easter Revision and

Homework
Work though this PowerPoint rewriting with direct
examples! This means watching the shows and doing
research!
Revision of AA section A of the exam
- Using handbook
- Handouts
- Text book
The best thing is to practice the questions using real
examples Youtube, TV, Netflix, Sky movies, Online
search Action adventure. If you are unsure if it is
an AA film use your codes and conventions
knowledge!!!!