Saturday, November 2, 2019
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Production: Logos
The basic design of the show's logo. The logo is intended to appear as a radio tower and a microphone formed using the title's initials (On Air) due to the subject matter of podcasting found in the programme. This is also accentuated by the wireless signals emanating out of the text. The closed circle represents the concept that despite how hard the characters try with their show within the fiction, no one else is listening to them
Variations of the logo for use within the website, one is used for the program itself and the other for the original audio content. The pastel colour scheme reflects the website's aesthetic reinforcing the brand identity.
Production: Website Content
All Text Is Not Final And Subject To Change
A synopsis, menu bar, directions to access the content.
Episode Title and Content Player
Timeslot and content warning. Content warning follows the BBC Guidance Style (adult humour for mild language) found at http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/site/Guidance_labels_final.pdf
Example of cast bio. Hover boxes used to convey further information. The yellow box will include a portrait of the character - switches to pronouns when hovered over with cursor. This helps to strongly establish the two social groups that I seek to represent.
Audio content player
BBC House Style Copyright Information
Production: Website Menu Bar and Footnote
The pages displayed on the menu bar reflect the menu bars on some BBC websites, keeping with the house style.
The footnote containing the copyright information has also been included, complete with a link to the BBC's linking guidelines.
(From my website)
The footnote containing the copyright information has also been included, complete with a link to the BBC's linking guidelines.
(From my website)
Production: Website Aesthetics
The BBC house style for programme websites is largely utilitarian rather than centred around a specific aesthetic. However, since the purpose of my programme is to attract a new audience I have diverged from the house style and instead opted for a more friendly, youthful pastel colour palette with a welcoming sense created by bold and clear text spread across large screen real estate.
Production: Feedback on First Edit
The main takeaway upon the feedback I received from my peers was to reduce the amount of dead time between exchanges and the length of other audio such as sound effects and to create an overall faster pace. I intended for a sense of awkwardness due to the decontructive/parody nature of the program but I realise that it was in excess and came at the expense of the overall quality of the product.
The characters' names and the evidence of two different social groups were also a matter to address. The characters now explicitly refer to each other's names at the start and Alex's preference for they/them pronouns is also shown in the initial back-and-forth. I intend to make this aspect evident in the web pages as well
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Production: Reflections upon the product midway through the first edit
I have as of now created most parts of the initial edit, save sound effects and lines from CRT. I have found as of now that I may not approach the three-minute duration that the brief requires. Without sound effects, transitions and the two lines from CRT, but including the show title, intro jingle and episode title, the edit now approaches two minutes. However, I have more than enough material that was initially planned for the original audio content as I did not realise that it had a 30-second limit. The content initially intended for the original audio content now approaches around the same duration as the main show, so I shall be taking some of the best material from that and adding it to the main show. In the event that I cannot seamlessly edit these jokes within the existing ebb and flow of the main show, I shall have to record more content, but finishing the initial edit is currently my first priority.
Planning: Scripts
The final master scripts of the show and the audio content can be found here. I have used the scriptwriting tool Celtx to create the script. It may be closer to the style of a film or TV script as that is what I am personally familiar with and the Celtx tools are designed for but based on my experience of recording the audio tracks it serves its purpose well
Planning: Character Updates, Show Title, Episode Conceit, Audio Content Idea.
Jeffrey's name and character has been left as is.
Rain's name has been changed to Alex. I wanted to use a more common but still gender-neutral name for them. I planned them as non-binary as they are an under-represented group in the media, even among LGBTQ+ focused media. It also made sense for audio-based representation as aside from having 'male' and 'female' voices which is a very cisnormative view of representation, pronouns are sensible and elegant identity markers. This allows me to focus on the writing rather than think about ham-fisting a reference to class or ethnicity into the script, and is an issue I am personally passionate about.
They met each other at Board Game Society, not Tabletop now as Monopoly makes for a wider point of comedic reference than Dungeons and Dragons, but I still keep an intertextual reference to a D&D based webshow in the final script.
New Character: CRT. A CRT Television, inspired by a recent American news story I encountered.
https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2019/8/13/20804541/human-wearing-tv-head-leaves-tv-porch-virginia
Adds a menacing touch and a sense of magical realism. While Radio 4 comedies are traditionally grounded in reality, I am tasked with courting a new audience and to do that I have to expand the possibilities of genre and tone of the Radio 4 comedy.
The show is now called 'On Air!'
Episode Conceit: The episode title is now "You've got to have a featured guest!". The opening will focus on the state and continuity of the podcast as of now, what exactly the duo want to do with it and them stumbling upon a featured guest, who is of course, neither featured nor a guest - CRT.
For the original audio content I plan a Q&A segment, which will largely just be more jokes with a plug at the end of asking for questions from the audience. I plan for this to be the point of cross-media convergence as the website will have a form to submit questions as well as links to social media to submit questions as well.
Rain's name has been changed to Alex. I wanted to use a more common but still gender-neutral name for them. I planned them as non-binary as they are an under-represented group in the media, even among LGBTQ+ focused media. It also made sense for audio-based representation as aside from having 'male' and 'female' voices which is a very cisnormative view of representation, pronouns are sensible and elegant identity markers. This allows me to focus on the writing rather than think about ham-fisting a reference to class or ethnicity into the script, and is an issue I am personally passionate about.
They met each other at Board Game Society, not Tabletop now as Monopoly makes for a wider point of comedic reference than Dungeons and Dragons, but I still keep an intertextual reference to a D&D based webshow in the final script.
New Character: CRT. A CRT Television, inspired by a recent American news story I encountered.
https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2019/8/13/20804541/human-wearing-tv-head-leaves-tv-porch-virginia
Adds a menacing touch and a sense of magical realism. While Radio 4 comedies are traditionally grounded in reality, I am tasked with courting a new audience and to do that I have to expand the possibilities of genre and tone of the Radio 4 comedy.
The show is now called 'On Air!'
Episode Conceit: The episode title is now "You've got to have a featured guest!". The opening will focus on the state and continuity of the podcast as of now, what exactly the duo want to do with it and them stumbling upon a featured guest, who is of course, neither featured nor a guest - CRT.
For the original audio content I plan a Q&A segment, which will largely just be more jokes with a plug at the end of asking for questions from the audience. I plan for this to be the point of cross-media convergence as the website will have a form to submit questions as well as links to social media to submit questions as well.
Planning: Reflections Upon Generic Research
Based on the research I have conducted on other Radio 4 comedies, I have informed my production in the following ways:
The characters are young adults, which fits in with the 16-25 year old age range the brief requires as the prospective audience.
Humour is derived from a sense of fragility. The amateur nature of the young people's endeavours is what leads to the humour.
A sense of backstory and camaraderie between the cast that's organically delivered.
The house style for the intro sequence is followed.
There is a recurring joke that is made multiple references to, either explicitly in dialogue or through environmental storytelling.
Ultimately however I want to be sympathetic to the young people being portrayed. That could actually work in attracting that age range to the station as opposed to simply making them the punchline to a cruel joke.
The characters are young adults, which fits in with the 16-25 year old age range the brief requires as the prospective audience.
Humour is derived from a sense of fragility. The amateur nature of the young people's endeavours is what leads to the humour.
A sense of backstory and camaraderie between the cast that's organically delivered.
The house style for the intro sequence is followed.
There is a recurring joke that is made multiple references to, either explicitly in dialogue or through environmental storytelling.
Ultimately however I want to be sympathetic to the young people being portrayed. That could actually work in attracting that age range to the station as opposed to simply making them the punchline to a cruel joke.
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Generic Research: Two Episodes of Mash
Two Episodes of Mash
Two Episodes of Mash is a sketch comedy series created and performed by Diane Morgan and Joe Wilkinson who are the members of the stage comedy duo of the same name. It began life on Radio 2 but was then moved to Radio 4 in its second series.
It is a self-aware, metafictional work as the ongoing narrative of the show, that being two characters who supposedly have their own radio show bumbling through BBC Studios, is interspersed with the sketches the duo are known for. Presenters of other shows on Radio 2 and Radio 4 often make cameo appearances as the characters move from set to set, as well as BBC technical staff who also make appearances in order to set up the show and make its conceit work.
I am less interested in the sketches and more interested in the larger metafictional and intertextual conceit the sketches are framed around. Jokes largely revolve around how dysfunctional the production is, such as a character's excitement of receiving a theme tune for the show - one week later than it was supposed to be received.
The audio design is also played around for laughs at times, as mic taps, test audio and other imperfections are left as is to create the sense of a dysfunctional production. Other traditional sound effects and voices are used in the sketches, such as dog barks at a veterinary clinic.
In terms of representation, Morgan and Wilkinson are of course of different genders but the other characters are usually white men. Of course, this has to do with the intertextual nature of the show with other BBC Radio 2 and 4 programmes, most of them having white male presenters. I am less limited by the auxiliary characters in my production due to emulating, and being, a production of a smaller scope than a studio-wide BBC crossover.
It is a self-aware, metafictional work as the ongoing narrative of the show, that being two characters who supposedly have their own radio show bumbling through BBC Studios, is interspersed with the sketches the duo are known for. Presenters of other shows on Radio 2 and Radio 4 often make cameo appearances as the characters move from set to set, as well as BBC technical staff who also make appearances in order to set up the show and make its conceit work.
I am less interested in the sketches and more interested in the larger metafictional and intertextual conceit the sketches are framed around. Jokes largely revolve around how dysfunctional the production is, such as a character's excitement of receiving a theme tune for the show - one week later than it was supposed to be received.
The audio design is also played around for laughs at times, as mic taps, test audio and other imperfections are left as is to create the sense of a dysfunctional production. Other traditional sound effects and voices are used in the sketches, such as dog barks at a veterinary clinic.
In terms of representation, Morgan and Wilkinson are of course of different genders but the other characters are usually white men. Of course, this has to do with the intertextual nature of the show with other BBC Radio 2 and 4 programmes, most of them having white male presenters. I am less limited by the auxiliary characters in my production due to emulating, and being, a production of a smaller scope than a studio-wide BBC crossover.
Generic Research: Hazel Tours
Hazel Tours: Episode 1
Hazel Tours is a sitcom based around an amateur tour guide in a Scottish border town. As a sitcom, it features the BBC house style of sitcom intro sequences: the show title, the names of the creators and then either applause or a jingle follows.
The show begins in media res as the audience is introduced to Hazel as she is promoting her tours. Her character's history is established quickly as a troublemaker through the first joke with the librarian who sees her as a nuisance. The audience is also introduced to her ex-boyfriend who is portrayed as being more pathetic than her. The portrayal of gender dynamics creates humour through emasculation. However, we also see a tragic side to her character as her rocky relationship with her father is alluded to. This may be later played for laughs as the subversion of dramatic expectations is frequently used in sitcoms to create humourous situations. Another point of humour is the general amateur nature of her endeavour. The BBC Sounds website has childish art as the thumbnail for the program, referenced in the show itself as having been created by her little sister.
There are no specific audio-based gags in the show but a laugh track is used as per sitcom convention. Most humour comes from the dialogue.
The representation of social groups within the show is interesting as a young woman being the singular title character is fairly uncommon. The setting of a rural town in the Scottish-English border is also representation of a frequently under-represented social group within British comedy as they either focus on a tightly knit group or function as critique of a bigger society. This setting meets somewhere in the middle. Radio 4 is also most popular in the south of England so the setting is unconventional and perhaps not relatable to the average Radio 4 listener, but it may also work in attracting more listeners from the north and Scotland to Radio 4.
It is therefore overall a very unconventional production for Radio 4 standards but perhaps a strategy in attracting a different audience to Radio 4. It thus holds a lot of value in understanding the type of new audience that Radio 4 may be interested in attracting
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Audience Research: Audience Profile
The brief requires for the product to have a 16-25-year-old fun-loving mass-market audience. Given the broadcast station being Radio 4, it is an unconventional audience as the target audience of Radio 4 is 35-54-year-olds in the ABC1 demographic. This target audience is reflected in the programming as evidenced by 75% of all Radio 4 listeners belongs to the ABC1 group. 16-25-year-olds are difficult to assign to a class-based demographic group such as the A - E scale as many will still be in education and will not have set into a social class of their own, and due to the need for my product to be "mass-market", it needs to appeal to a young adult regardless of their economic background. Considering this, young adults are moving away from traditional radio and moving into internet-based podcasting, and therefore my audience will be one familiar with the codes, conventions and culture of online podcasting which will make a traditional radio sitcom, sticking with the Radio 4 brand, about online podcasting culture appealing to this mass-market young adult demographic.
In terms of psychographics, it might be easy to assume that due to the "mass-market" nature of the audience, the largest proportion will be mainstreamers. However, it is important to consider that the internet has essentially made "the mainstream" non-existent among young people. Everyone now belongs to fragmented subcultures and what was once the mainstream, considered the most popular, is now simply another subculture. I believe it is therefore more important to capitalise on other psychographic groups such as the Aspirer or the Explorer, which most young people may fall into due to being in a stage of their life where they begin to set their sights on goals and explore their opportunities. My product's characters will have to reflect these values in order to successfully court these psychographic groups.
In terms of psychographics, it might be easy to assume that due to the "mass-market" nature of the audience, the largest proportion will be mainstreamers. However, it is important to consider that the internet has essentially made "the mainstream" non-existent among young people. Everyone now belongs to fragmented subcultures and what was once the mainstream, considered the most popular, is now simply another subculture. I believe it is therefore more important to capitalise on other psychographic groups such as the Aspirer or the Explorer, which most young people may fall into due to being in a stage of their life where they begin to set their sights on goals and explore their opportunities. My product's characters will have to reflect these values in order to successfully court these psychographic groups.
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Audience Research: Focus Group
The result of the focus group survey can be found here. Based on this, it is possible to conclude that in terms of audio content that young people engage with, web-based podcasts are the most popular while sitcoms remain consistently popular across multiple age groups and across mediums. I must tune my product to fall in line with these findings.
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Planning: Characters, Synopsis and the Soundscape
Characters
Jeffrey (Name not final), Male, 21 - A recent university graduate struggling to find employment, convinced that he can become the next big thing on the internet if he just manages to get a podcast up and running, unaware that literally everyone else has tried and mostly failed at it. Basically has no redeeming qualities save for his charisma which is also at times betrayed by his sheer stupidity.
Rain (Name not final), Non-Binary (they/them pronouns), 20 - Student, met Jeffrey at the Tabletop Game Society at university. Despite having their life in order, Jeff manages to convince them to help him with his podcast endeavour. They also want to prevent Jeff from doing anything too stupid while they're at it.
Synopsis
The podcast (yet to be named within the canon of the show itself) is in its fifth episode and has racked up a whopping ten regular listeners - listeners that they partially lose immediately at the start of the episode due to Jeff making a grave error of judgement. Those that remain stay to chastise and mock him, at which point the two hosts decide to harvest the negative energy of the internet by making more and more consciously stupid mistakes that continue to escalate in order to gain more 'hate listeners'. Ideally the episode would end with this tactic being another failed experiment in their attempts at fame but due to the three-minute limit, the escalation will stop with a single segment.
Jeffrey (Name not final), Male, 21 - A recent university graduate struggling to find employment, convinced that he can become the next big thing on the internet if he just manages to get a podcast up and running, unaware that literally everyone else has tried and mostly failed at it. Basically has no redeeming qualities save for his charisma which is also at times betrayed by his sheer stupidity.
Rain (Name not final), Non-Binary (they/them pronouns), 20 - Student, met Jeffrey at the Tabletop Game Society at university. Despite having their life in order, Jeff manages to convince them to help him with his podcast endeavour. They also want to prevent Jeff from doing anything too stupid while they're at it.
Synopsis
The podcast (yet to be named within the canon of the show itself) is in its fifth episode and has racked up a whopping ten regular listeners - listeners that they partially lose immediately at the start of the episode due to Jeff making a grave error of judgement. Those that remain stay to chastise and mock him, at which point the two hosts decide to harvest the negative energy of the internet by making more and more consciously stupid mistakes that continue to escalate in order to gain more 'hate listeners'. Ideally the episode would end with this tactic being another failed experiment in their attempts at fame but due to the three-minute limit, the escalation will stop with a single segment.
The Soundscape
Voices – Dialogue
Intro Jingle – transition into the programme naturally to connect the meta-programme to the real programme. Perhaps use diegetic instruments, for example one of the characters plays the jingle on a guitar.
Laugh tracks (I have not really decided whether to use laugh tracks or not. It depends on whether I stick to sitcom conventions for humour or subverting podcast conventions for humour)
Foley sounds – door knocks, doors slinging open.
Microphone imperfections – to sell the amateur podcasting vibe – voices peaking due to a lack of equalisation. Equalisation can be played with in different ways, voices being too close or far away.
Atmospheric background noises such as disruptions by aircraft or cars outside.
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Planning: Test Script
A test script I wrote as part of the pitch can be found in the link here.
None of it is final but it is a proof of concept for my concept of a sitcom delivered through a podcast.
None of it is final but it is a proof of concept for my concept of a sitcom delivered through a podcast.
Planning: Pitch Feedback
Planning: Pitch Powerpoint
This is a revised powerpoint that better conveys my plans for the programme at this stage.
Wednesday, July 3, 2019
Audience research: Survey
In order to conduct some general audience research, I used a survey. The questions are hinting towards an initial idea that I have now discarded, but it still provides valuable information regarding the viability of the idea at large. The results can be accessed using the link below.
Survey Results
Through the use of the survey, I found out that podcasts are the most popular form of audio-based content among 16-25-year-olds and that they would prefer talk shows over scripted programming.
This means that young people will be largely aware of the codes and conventions of podcasts, and my subversion of those codes and conventions can prove to be humourous.
I still intend to write a sitcom about a podcast, so I will need to appropriate sitcom conventions while subverting podcast conventions, so I will have to conduct further research into audiences and their cultural competency on sitcoms.
Survey Results
Through the use of the survey, I found out that podcasts are the most popular form of audio-based content among 16-25-year-olds and that they would prefer talk shows over scripted programming.
This means that young people will be largely aware of the codes and conventions of podcasts, and my subversion of those codes and conventions can prove to be humourous.
I still intend to write a sitcom about a podcast, so I will need to appropriate sitcom conventions while subverting podcast conventions, so I will have to conduct further research into audiences and their cultural competency on sitcoms.
Industrial Context: The History of Radio
Guglielmo Marconi is widely considered to be the father of radio, and his 1885 broadcast is considered to be the first radio transmission in history. The broadcast of music and talk-shows was experimented with in 1905-06, and commercial broadcasts started in 1920. However, the modern format of radio had been experimented with in the 1890s in the UK, France and Hungary with a system called the Electrophone.
In 1922, the British Broadcasting Company was formed which at the time ran sponsored programmes. In 1927, this company would be dissolved to form the British Broadcasting Corporation, the non-profit public service broadcaster. Commercial stations such as Radio Luxembourg were also in the early days at this time, however, they were being broadcast from mainland Europe and not from within the UK.
Commercial radio such as Radio Luxembourg declined in popularity during the 1950s due to commercial television and pirate radio - illegal broadcasts from international waters - such as Radio Caroline. The UK still had no domestic commercial radio so the BBC retained its ubiquitous popularity in the medium.
The UK legalised commercial radio in 1973 with the Independent Local Radio programme which was spearheaded by London's LBC and Capital Radio. The Radio Authority was established as part of the Broadcasting Act 1990 to serve the licencing of commercial broadcasts, especially short term broadcasts. In 1998, digital radios began to be sold in the UK.
The shift to 'on demand' services has also affected radio broadcasting, with the BBC, for example, adopting the model in order to unify their radio and iPlayer catalogue in 2018 with the launch of the BBC Sounds service.
Commercial radio such as Radio Luxembourg declined in popularity during the 1950s due to commercial television and pirate radio - illegal broadcasts from international waters - such as Radio Caroline. The UK still had no domestic commercial radio so the BBC retained its ubiquitous popularity in the medium.
The UK legalised commercial radio in 1973 with the Independent Local Radio programme which was spearheaded by London's LBC and Capital Radio. The Radio Authority was established as part of the Broadcasting Act 1990 to serve the licencing of commercial broadcasts, especially short term broadcasts. In 1998, digital radios began to be sold in the UK.
The shift to 'on demand' services has also affected radio broadcasting, with the BBC, for example, adopting the model in order to unify their radio and iPlayer catalogue in 2018 with the launch of the BBC Sounds service.
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
Brief
The brief I have chosen is Brief 2: Radio and Online. I am tasked with producing a three-minute opening sequence for a comedy programme pilot to be aired on BBC Radio 4 in order to court a broader audience, as well as a website for the show. The sequence must introduce the concept and provide an audience hook. The web pages must promote the new comedy programme to its target audience and enable fan interaction.
Requirements: Statement of intent (approximately 500 words).
Opening sequence for the pilot (three minutes).
Content suitable for Radio 4 in the late evening comedy slot (weekdays 11pm - 11:30pm)
One homepage and one linked page for the website
A target audience of fun-loving 16-25-year-old mass market demographic
The production must have a clear sense of branding across the cross-media production.
The production of the opening sequence should include a soundtrack - a range of voice, sound effects and music, editing of the opening sequence that is appropriate to the conventions of a radio comedy programme, the name of the comedy programme and its presenters or characters and at least two characters representing at least two different social groups.
The webpage must include: original audio or audio-visual content appropriate to the programme. A minimum of two original images (one different image per web page) that promotes and reinforces the brand identity of the programme. Appropriate conventions of website design, including an original title and logo for the comedy programme and a menu bar. The design may follow or diverge from the BBC corporate style. Text introducing the main features of the programme. Working links from the homepage to other pages. A range of appropriate media language techniques (typography, images, fonts, backgrounds, logos etc.) as appropriate to the purpose of the website.
Requirements: Statement of intent (approximately 500 words).
Opening sequence for the pilot (three minutes).
Content suitable for Radio 4 in the late evening comedy slot (weekdays 11pm - 11:30pm)
One homepage and one linked page for the website
A target audience of fun-loving 16-25-year-old mass market demographic
The production must have a clear sense of branding across the cross-media production.
The production of the opening sequence should include a soundtrack - a range of voice, sound effects and music, editing of the opening sequence that is appropriate to the conventions of a radio comedy programme, the name of the comedy programme and its presenters or characters and at least two characters representing at least two different social groups.
The webpage must include: original audio or audio-visual content appropriate to the programme. A minimum of two original images (one different image per web page) that promotes and reinforces the brand identity of the programme. Appropriate conventions of website design, including an original title and logo for the comedy programme and a menu bar. The design may follow or diverge from the BBC corporate style. Text introducing the main features of the programme. Working links from the homepage to other pages. A range of appropriate media language techniques (typography, images, fonts, backgrounds, logos etc.) as appropriate to the purpose of the website.
Monday, April 1, 2019
Generic Research: 'Party' - Pilot Episode
Party Series 1 Episode 1
Web Page: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b00r7l7j
'Party' begins in the middle of a conversation that has multiple references to events that have happened prior such as the character 'Elaine' leaving the group. The audience not knowing such details is used for humour as the extent of any damage caused is left up to interpretation. This use of in media res serves to naturally develop character dynamics and allows the audience to develop their understanding of their relationships independently rather than outright state them through stilted introductions which perhaps would be a more obvious technique to use in a pilot episode.
The cast features three men and two women - the women are played straight while the men are serving comic relief functions. Their backgrounds are not explicitly stated in the show but the cast are all white and it is implied that they are all from the same socio-economic background - students from working class/lower middle class backgrounds. They are all socially progressive and left-leaning but their political leanings are used in humorous manners for obvious reasons considering the basis of the show.
The show opens with a music track that lasts around 15 seconds which gets softer as more audio elements are added in. At 5 seconds, one of the cast members says the name of the show at which point the audience applause and cheer until the track ends. There is a transition to dialogue with a soft sound effect.
The show uses laugh-tracks at regular intervals and is entirely designed around setups and punchlines leading into a laugh-track. This is a typical convention of sitcoms.
The early minutes of the show largely use a single extended metaphor for comedy. The metaphor used is one of a plane as the party they have created is "left-centre-right" wing and so they are "inside the plane". The misunderstandings that arise from this metaphor is largely the source of the humour in the initial scenes.
Sound effects are rarely used as the characters are static and in an empty room. They are only used when characters physically move around.
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Industrial Context: Types of Comedy Programming on Radio 4
Radio 4 broadcasts a wide range of comedy programming.
Panel Games/Shows
Just a Minute: Now on its 83rd series, this panel game challenges its contestants to speak without hesitation for a full minute on whatever topic that comes up on the cards. Presented by Nicholas Parsons. Web page: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006s5dp
Where's the F in News: A comedic news magazine programme with an all female panel hosted by Jo Bunting. Web page: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0003cpg
Sitcoms
Party: Sitcom about a group of idealist youth setting up their own political party, written by Tom Basden. Web Page: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00r7l7j
Life on Egg: A prison based sitcom starring Harry Hill set in a prison called "The Egg". Web Page: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09kr1pf
Sketch
What the Future: A sketch comedy mockumentary series that is presented as a series of documentaries from the future by Kirsty Wark. Web page:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0001vtp
28 Acts in 28 Minutes: A show hosted by John Humphrys in which 28 performers are given 60 seconds to improvise a sketch. Web page: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b009ly1p
Radio 4 also broadcasts one-off comedy specials, stand up shows as well as radio plays and mockumentaries. Based on the available options, there is a lot for me to experiment with as well as having multiple genres, codes and conventions to learn before I write, record and edit. I am currently leaning towards a sitcom but that may change as I conduct further research.
Panel Games/Shows
Just a Minute: Now on its 83rd series, this panel game challenges its contestants to speak without hesitation for a full minute on whatever topic that comes up on the cards. Presented by Nicholas Parsons. Web page: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006s5dp
Where's the F in News: A comedic news magazine programme with an all female panel hosted by Jo Bunting. Web page: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0003cpg
Sitcoms
Party: Sitcom about a group of idealist youth setting up their own political party, written by Tom Basden. Web Page: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00r7l7j
Life on Egg: A prison based sitcom starring Harry Hill set in a prison called "The Egg". Web Page: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09kr1pf
Sketch
What the Future: A sketch comedy mockumentary series that is presented as a series of documentaries from the future by Kirsty Wark. Web page:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0001vtp
28 Acts in 28 Minutes: A show hosted by John Humphrys in which 28 performers are given 60 seconds to improvise a sketch. Web page: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b009ly1p
Radio 4 also broadcasts one-off comedy specials, stand up shows as well as radio plays and mockumentaries. Based on the available options, there is a lot for me to experiment with as well as having multiple genres, codes and conventions to learn before I write, record and edit. I am currently leaning towards a sitcom but that may change as I conduct further research.
Industrial Context: BBC Radio 4
Radio 4 is the second most popular radio station in the UK after Radio 2 and it is most popular in the South of England and London. It is considered by many to be the flagship radio service of the BBC and it is also the most expensive. It has no commercial competition as a speech-based radio station. The remit of Radio 4 is to be mixed speech service offering news, talk shows, drama and comedy. It is famous for recurrently featuring alternative comedy and has served as a platform for many new comedians to launch their careers.
Radio 4 has been criticised by the right wing press of taking a left wing approach on topics such as the Iraq War. However they have also been accused of being too middle class and have been criticised of not being appealing to the youth, women and non-white listeners. Since the purpose of my brief is to create a programme that would increase the audience range of the station, I would have to take these criticisms into account during production.
Radio 4 has a sister channel Radio 4 Extra which is the BBC's primary spoken programme archive. It broadcasts both archived programming as well as extended and companion pieces to Radio 4. It would be of interest to look at the scheduled programming of Radio 4 Extra as well in order to fully understand the range of shows offered on Radio 4.
Radio 4 has been criticised by the right wing press of taking a left wing approach on topics such as the Iraq War. However they have also been accused of being too middle class and have been criticised of not being appealing to the youth, women and non-white listeners. Since the purpose of my brief is to create a programme that would increase the audience range of the station, I would have to take these criticisms into account during production.
Radio 4 has a sister channel Radio 4 Extra which is the BBC's primary spoken programme archive. It broadcasts both archived programming as well as extended and companion pieces to Radio 4. It would be of interest to look at the scheduled programming of Radio 4 Extra as well in order to fully understand the range of shows offered on Radio 4.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)