Fictions and Entertainments

Module and Learning Outcomes

With a large selection of programming options for audiences of all ages and interests, television has emerged as a popular medium for fiction and entertainment. TV offers a range of entertainment to satisfy everyone’s tastes, including comedies, dramas, reality shows, and game shows.

Drama series, which can include everything from historical epics and medical dramas to crime thrillers and otherworldly tales, are one of the most popular TV fiction subgenres. These series generally involve ongoing stories and character development, keeping viewers engaged and immersed in the lives of the characters.

Also a mainstay of television entertainment, comedies offer entertaining material that is suitable for viewers of all ages. This category includes humorous dramas, sketch comedy programs, and sitcoms.

Actual people are featured in spontaneous settings in reality shows, which have grown in popularity in recent years. They can include reality television series like Keeping Up with the Kardashians and The Real Housewives to game shows like Survivor and The Amazing Race.

Moreover, game shows have been a popular kind of TV entertainment for a long time, providing both intellectual challenges and chances for competitors to win significant rewards. Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, and The Price is Right are a few popular game programs.

TV provides a wide range of additional entertainment options in addition to these categories, including sports coverage, music and dance competitions, and seasonal specials. Since streaming services and on-demand content have grown in popularity, viewers now have a wider range of alternatives and the freedom to watch their favorite programs when it suits them.

Weekly Topics

Week 1: Introduction This week is likely to cover an introduction to the course, the topics to be studied, and what students can expect to learn.

Week 2: Methods: Textual Analysis In this week, students will learn about the different methods of textual analysis, including close reading, semiotics, discourse analysis, and cultural studies. They will also learn how to apply these methods to analyze TV shows.

Week 3: Soap Operas This week focuses on the genre of soap operas, including their history, conventions, and themes. Students will likely study the production and reception of soap operas and analyze specific examples.

Week 4: Crime Fictions In this week, students will learn about the genre of crime fictions, including detective shows, police procedurals, and legal dramas. They will examine how these shows construct crime, justice, and social order.

Week 5: Comedy This week focuses on the genre of comedy, including sitcoms, sketch shows, and stand-up comedy. Students will learn about the different forms and styles of comedy and analyze how comedy functions in popular culture.

Week 6: Telefantasy This week covers the genre of telefantasy, including science fiction, fantasy, and supernatural shows. Students will learn about the conventions and themes of these shows and how they relate to broader cultural and social issues.

Week 7: Reality TV In this week, students will study the genre of reality TV, including competition shows, docuseries, and reality dramas. They will examine how reality TV constructs notions of reality, authenticity, and identity.

Week 8: Lifestyle TV This week focuses on the genre of lifestyle TV, including home renovation, cooking, and travel shows. Students will examine the themes and conventions of these shows and how they intersect with social and cultural issues.

Week 9: Game Shows This week covers the genre of game shows, including quiz shows, reality game shows, and talent shows. Students will analyze the conventions and strategies of game shows and their cultural significance.

Overall, this course appears to provide a comprehensive overview of different genres of TV fictions and entertainments, as well as methods for analyzing them.

Assignment and Guidance

You should write a 2000 word essay which responds to the following question:

“With reference to one television programme, discuss the relationship between [ choose one from list A ] and [ choose one from list B ]”

List A	List B
Soap Opera Crime Fiction Comedy Telefantasy Reality TV Lifestyle TV Game Shows	Surveillance Ethnicity and Race Gender Neurodiversity and/or Disability National Identity Otherness and Difference Emotion Nostalgia Knowledge and Expertise class

 

Your essay should present a clear and coherent argument, with reference to relevant academic literature, and be evidenced with close textual analysis.

If you would prefer to write your own question, or choose a different theme than those mentioned in List B, it is essential that you discuss this with your module tutor. Failure to do so will result in the deduction of marks.

Your essay should do the following:

• Identify and carefully introduce an example (or examples, see below) relevant to an area of ​​the module content
• Contextualise the example in terms of genre, nationality, scheduling and historical period
• Use close textual analysis to make a critical argument
• Draw on essential and further reading to support your argument

Guidance and tips:

• Think carefully about the scale and number of your examples. 2000 words does not give you room to cover the entirety of a long running drama or sitcom of 100+ episodes, or to compare a large number of different examples. Consider limiting your analysis to one representative episode, or to comparing two or three episodes, if you have a good rationale for doing so.
• The emphasis here is on attention to detail, so make sure you’re analyzing rather than generalizing. Avoid broad statements and aim for precision and specificity. It will not be possible to explore all your ideas in one essay, so make sure your argument has a clear focus, and that you prioritize your best, most relevant ideas.
• Although the themes in List B are very broad, you should still aim for a narrow focus by picking one specific aspect of that theme to discuss, rather than trying to include all your ideas about that huge topic in 2000 words
• You are strongly encouraged to use images to illustrate your arguments. Doing so can enable you to draw attention to specific details in your example