Narrative Construction in TV

Start of a simple Narrative: A couple wake up, go downstairs to breakfast, and do not realise that they are being watched.

Continued...: A Muslim terrorist catches the lady of the couple and keep her in a room with one of her colleagues threatening to kill her: we assume this is the main issue. But then we realise that the male side of the couple has lead one of the terrorists straight to the prime minister, and she has a bomb. He manages to get on the good side of her and rescue his wife, but her is shot and killed.

Which 'standard narrative conventions' does this use?

1) Levi-Strauss: This narrative structure focuses on binary opposites, such as the obvious contrast between the evil act of terrorism and the loving good-nature of the couple making breakfast, going about everyday life. There is also the binary opposite of normal everyday actions and extreme, extra-ordinary action.
2) Todorov theory: We begin with equillibrium - the couple making coffee - move to disruption - the wife is captured and held ransom, and the prime minister put under threat - then end with equillibrium - the terrorists are captured, the wife returned to safety with the husband and the prime minister safe.
3) Props characters: The captured wife is the damsel in distress, the terrorists are the villains and the husband is the hero.

Why do most stories end happily?

The producers of a TV series will want its audience to go away with a positive overall feel about the programme - if this is to be acheived, the main characters that they see again and again and have grown to know and like have to survive. If it ends with distruction and death, the audience will go away feeling sad, and may not return to the programme. They must be scared/excited during, but not at the end. There must be a feeling of resolve and content.

The Beginning of a Narrative

The beginning of Spooks is classic way to begin a TV drama: 'this feels like the beginning of a narrative'. The equillibrium of the beginning scene, of making coffee in the neutral setting, gives the audience a sense of security and sets them up for what is about to come. By getting an idea of happiness and order, once it is disrupted, the audience can empathise and feel more with the characters, wanting it to get back to how it was to begin with.

Exploring Narrative Structures

Single Drama/Film: Margaret

-Todorov's narrative structure - equilibrium, disruption, equilibrium - usually with classic Levi-Strauss binary opposites such as good and evil characters.

Two-Nighter: Trial & Retribution

-Again, Todorov's equilibrium, disruption, equilibrium - but spread out over the two episodes, ending the first with the peak of the disruption to be resolved at the end of the second half. This would still, like with single dramas, include binary opposites that are established in the first half of the drama.

Soap (continuing drama): EastEnders

-As the soap is ongoing, we are constantly presented with the equillibrium, or norm, of the setting, so there is constant disruption that does not need to be solved for weeks. Not so much emphasis on binary opposites, but often stereotype/archetype character roles such as hero, wimp, damsel in distress...

Serial: Bleak House

-equillibrium, disruption, equillibrium - but within this there will be sub-disruptions culminating in the return to order at the end of the series; like a short soap.

Anthology series (based on diff. characters): Skins

-The characters each go through their own disruptions and are resolved into equillibrium at different times, ALTHOUGH as there are enough characters to do so, some characters never reach equillibrium and remain in disruption until (if at all) the last episode - can carry on to next season.

Long-form serial drama: Lost

-Usually an underlying narrative which carries on throughout the series, with different narratives in single episodes which can take about two or three episodes to resolve, much like the 'serial' (Bleak House) over a longer period of time.

Long-form serial drama with narrative experimentation: 24

-As before, with extreme binary opposites in some cases and an individul take on the normal drama - ie. a monatge of storylines coming together gradually.

Hovis Advert

1. In the bread shop

-The boy is wearing a traditional Victorian brown flat cap, complete with a little boy's small-collar brown shirt and shorts. The outfit is working class, and who look around 10-12 years old.

-The baker is wearing an old, traditional white baker's hat and apron. As he hands over bread, he says “Here yer go lad” – in a Northern England accent.

-The bread in the bakery is stacked on wooden shelves behid the counter, another indication of the Victorian period, and wrapped in brown paper to be handed over. The pakaging of the bread is key because it changes by the end to the modern, recognizeable plastic wrapping.

-We track backwards out of the shop so we see the boy's face clearly, as well as the setting (bakery) and action behind him.

2. Cart

-The boy nearly runs straight into a horse-drawn cart in eagerness and we see a CU look of shock on his face - the horse neighs in a sound bridge, as we hear the neighing before we see the horse.

-The boy is chased through the gate with a shout from the men, and looses his hat in the door -this is a clever way to change his outfit easily in the next eras. The camera stays close so we are involved in the action. We open onto a Victorian streets, full of people, and he runs past two Titanic adverts showing the year: 1912.

3. Women’s March

-The boy watches a march of the suffragettes (women's rights movement) in the cobbled victorian street. Women hold of signs saying "Women's votes" - there is screaming and shouting and a chaotic atmosphere.

-The camera hovers on the boy watching so we have time to notice the slight change in his outfit: his jacket has lapels, indicating time have moved on somewhat.

-The people in the street are wearing clearly old-fashioned clothes, with the women wearing long dresses and boater hats, and the men tailed coats and old leather breifcases. We see a quick shot of a man with a top hat and moustache, indicating the time period. As the screaming woman is carried away by the man, and the boy runs through the crowd, the camera opens up onto a birds-eye shot of the protest. We get the first really strong sense of English history and can't wait to see where the boy takes us next.

-The fast cuts create excitement.

4. Soldiers

-The soldiers (WWI) march along in unison, and the boy walks alongside in respect. A crowd watches on and there is a morose atmosphere - the music drops and becomes sadder, with violins playing.

-The soldiers are noticeably young (17-22?) and we can assume that some of them are walking to their death. As the boy walks with one of the soldiers, they exchange and friendly nod. Although it is sad, there is a sense of pride and mutual appreciation.

-The boy salutes the army as he sits up on the wall and, again, this creates a sense of English pride.

5. Street with car

- The boy is now wearing a blue waistcoat under his jacket...a move of time.

-As he runs past the car, which shows the change in time as previously we saw a horse-drawn cart, the three people look up and a dog chases him.

-He runs down an alley and kicks a can, which roles into another era. This is a good way to create continuity between the eras.

6. War – bombs, people passing and plane

-There is a big pause, with the camera wide on a big establishing shot of the wrecked, smoking street. The boy is almost stopped in his tracks. The music dims down to a crackly radio voice talking about the bombings of London. This is a sound bridge until we see a 1940's radio through a window the boy walks past. The mood is again brought down, and the boy is silent and walks slowly in awe.

-We see a family walking past with their possessions, and the boy looks at them as they pass. Their house has clearly just been bombed. An old lady holds an old photo in a frame, with her head bent.

-The boy runs over the rubble, and stops to look back round (where the camera is) to see a plane fly over. He is on top of a hill. He is looking back at destruction, but they smiles and looks forward - we are built up to something good to come, and feel excited.

7. Street Party

-We see the boy is now wearing a blue jumper - the war is over and there is a party in the street, the Queen's corronation. We are in the 1950's.

-The music becomes lively and upbeat again - there is laughter and chatting in the background, and a young boy dressed as a pirate smiles. There are flags, symbolising national community, and food everywhere to signify the end of rationing.

-The boy drinks lemonade and then runs under the table, having fun and being cheeky.

8. Girls/Football players

-1966 (the year England won the world cup in football). We can tell from the 60's car that drives past, hooting and yelling in delight with flags on the car. The boy cheers with them as it drives past.

-The music has become more fast-paced and with a clearer beat, reflecting how music changed in this era.

-The boy passes two women on the corner in very 60's working-class outfitts - miniskirts, bobs and boots. His outfitt has changed, too: he wears a blue jumper and brown jacket. He smiles cheekily at the women and the whole atmosphere is upbeat and exciting.

9. Street with Asians and TV Shop

-Boy is now wearing a 70's shirt and stripy jumper.

-Shows England's change in ideas - we have become more liberal and diverse. The T.v shop represents new technology and things moving forward.

-Rock music of the age.

10. Coal not Dole strike/protest

-Boy is now wearing plain blue T shirt underneath brown bomber jacket.

-Music stops allowing us to hear the miners chant of ‘coal no doal’, representing the miner's strike in the 1980's. Placards show us a flash of 'miners'.

-We have run into the middle of a strike, with police in uniform barring the miner's way.

-Line reads ‘Ay lad isn’t it past your bedtime’ – this lightens the mood and everyone laughs, and allows the boy to run off again.

11. Fireworks

- Lots of fireworks: millennium.

-Music becomes pop-like, reflecting the 00's pop culture.

-A pan follows the boy as he runs. There is a look of awe on his face as he looks up at the sky, and it's nightime. He leaps over a bench in eagerness and it is almost a Disney-like moment.

12. Home

-The boy is now wearing a brown hoodie representing fashion in the 00's.

-Bread is now in a blue plastic bag saying Hovis on the side, contrasting to the first paper bag with string in the first clip.

-Mum: 'Is that you home, love?' Boy: 'Yeah..' the boy smiles, sharing the secret with the audience of his journey.

-The kitchen is very modern but very homely and wholesome, reflecting the brand. The table is wooden.

13. Sound throughout the sequence

14. Narrative/Story development through whole advert