Example of researching for Critical Research Unit

1. TV Drama!
Critical Research Project!

2. Key Concepts!
audiences for TV Drama!
conventions of TV Drama!
importance of TV drama to institutions!
how TV Drama represents particular groups/issues!

3. Sample Project!
hospital dramas and their audience!

4. Institutions!
who shows them ?!
when are they scheduled ?!
how are they marketed?!

5. Example from Magazine !
Tv listings magazine to analyse scheduling!

6. Representations!
what issues are represented ?!
what themes are covered in stories !
how are the programmes populated by types of character ?!

7. Audiences!
how many people watch particular programmes?!
what do audiences get from the programme?!

8. Example from Primary!
data from BARB site!

9. Forms and Conventions!
what conventions do episodes use?!

10. Example from Book!
book analysing hospital dramas!

11. Wider Context!
are hospital dramas typical of TV drama?!

12. Example from Web!
quotes from website reviewing ‘Grey’s Anatomy’:!
“They are a prime-time perennial: like crime shows, hospital dramas are one of the few plausible
backdrops for life-and-death crises, adrenaline-driven action and lots of gore”.!
“Television doctors also hold a special appeal in these days of insurance-driven treatment: they
indulge the fantasy that physicians are brilliant risk-takers who defy the system and pay attention to
the patient.”!

13. TV Drama!
Critical Research Project!