Understanding the Quality of an Answer
Learning Objective - To be able to identify a good answer from a bad answer and to be able to write an answer that meets the highest mark band.
Now we will look at example answers for both a question on scheduling and one on audience pleasure. Make sure to take note of what points need to be covered to reach the higher marks.
Scheduling Answers:
Explain how one comedy programme is scheduled on one or more channels.
Level 1: Grade U, G, F
The Simpsons is shown on Sky 1. This is a mass audience channel. It is shown at 4.30 and 5pm every week day. It is a funny programme so Sky 1 hope to attract a lot of viewers by putting it on at this time. The Simpsons is very popular so they put two episodes on to try and get more viewers. The Simpsons is an American animated programme about a family who get up to lots of funny things. Lots of people like this show, that’s why it’s on at this time.
Level 2: Grade E, D
The Simpsons is shown every weekday on Sky 1 at 4.30 and 5pm. The programme is suitable for younger viewers (for example teenagers) so it is put on at this time as most teenagers will be home from school at that time. The channel uses paired episodes to try and keep the audience from turning over. The programme is not offensive to younger viewers so it can be on at an earlier time. Sky 1 shows a ix of British and America entertainment shows, such as Modern Family and Stella, so it suits the brand identity of the channel.
Level 3: Grade C, B
The Simpsons is shown on a stripped scheduled, every weekday at 4.30 and 5pm on Sky 1. By stripping the schedule in this way, Sky 1 is hoping that the same audience will return to the channel at the same time each day to catch the show. Its time reflects the teenage target audience because that is the time most teenagers will be arriving home from school. The Simpsons suits Sky 1’s brand identity because Sky 1 features a good range of comedy shows such as Modern Family and Stella, so it fits in with them. Sky 1 also appeals to a mass audience and The Simpsons is a popular show.
Level 4: Grade A, A*
Sky 1 broadcasts The Simpsons on a weekday stripped schedule of 430-5.30, showing episodes in pairs. Stripping the schedule this way encourages the target audience to return to the same channel at the same time each day because they know The Simpsons will be on. It’s late afternoon/early evening slot indicated it is aimed primarily at a teenage audience, hoping to catch them as they return from school. At this time, Comedy Central usually broadcasts Friends, so a similar strong programme is needed by Sky 1 to fight for the market share of the target audience. Sky 1 shows a range of other American comedy shows including Futurama (also animated) and Modern Family around the episodes of The Simpsons, showing the channel is not ruled by PSB. This allows the channel to use comedy shows to hook the viewer onto this channel and keep them away from other channels.
Audience Pleasures Answers:
Describe the audience pleasures offered by one comedy programme you have studied.
Level 1: Grade U, G, F
Friends is an American sitcom shown on Comedy Central. It was first broadcast in 1994 and ran for 10 years. The repeats are now shown on Comedy Central. The programme has been very popular because of the audience pleasures it offers. For example, it is a very funny show and makes a lot of people laugh. It has a range of humorous jokes in it and the characters are very funny. The audience like to watch Friends because it is a good show with lots of funny and interesting things going on.
Level 2: Grade E, D
Friends has been running since 1994 and even 10 years after its final episode, is still being broadcast on Comedy Central. It is a very popular show because of the many audience pleasures it offers. For has a small number of main characters, such as Monica, Chandler, Ross, Rachel, Pheobe and Joey. The audience like a small number of main characters because it doesn’t get too complicated to watch and the same characters are in it over and over again so it doesn’t get too complicated and the story-lines never change. Also, it uses motifs, such as Joey’s “How you doing?” phrase. This has become a motif of the show and it is and audience pleasure. It is very funny whenever he says it.
Level 3: Grade C, B
Friends offers a wide range of audience pleasures, which could explain why it is still running on Comedy Central, 10 years after its final episode has been aired. Firstly, the show centres around six main characters - a small number for the audience to familiarise themselves with. By using a small number of characters - Monica, Chandler, Ross, Rachel, Pheobe and Joey - the audience quickly get to know each of them well and start to feel that they care about them, This makes it more likely for the audience to keep watching to find out what happens to them. Also, the show features a range of motifs, from Joey’s “How you doing?” to Monica’s “I KNOW!”. These motifs are repeated in a vast number of episodes, and by doing this it gives the audience something recogniseable to look for in the episodes. Furthermore, the show deals with real life issues, such as love (Ross and Rachel, Chandler and Monica etc), death (Ross and Monica’s grandma, Phoebe’s grandma and Joey’s agent to name a few examples) and issues such as parenthood and divorce. The audience like that the show is about things they might be experiencing themselves.
Level 4: Grade A, A*
Friends offers a wide range of audience pleasures. Firstly, the show is about six main characters - a small number for the audience to familiarise themselves with. By using a small number of characters - Monica, Chandler, Ross, Rachel, Pheobe and Joey - the audience get to ‘know’ the characters, become attached to them and start to care about what happens to them over the series. This encourages a connection with the show to increase its popularity. The Ross and Rachel ‘on again off again’ storyline was a good example of this - the audience were desperate to know how things worked out between them. Also, the show features a range of motifs, from Joey’s “How you doing?” to Monica’s“I KNOW!”. These motifs are repeated in a vast number of episodes - Joey even tries his flirty line on Rachel’s sister in one episode, and by doing this it gives the audience something recognisable to look for in the episodes and they like when they predict it will happen and then it does. It makes them feel intelligent. Furthermore, the show deals with real life issues, such as love (Ross and Rachel, Chandler and Monica etc), death (Ross and Monica’s grandma, Phoebe’s grandma and Joey’s agent to name a few examples) and issues such as parenthood and divorce. The audience like that the show is about things they might be experiencing themselves. By displaying them in a light-hearted and humorous way, it allows the audience to laugh at their own lives and feel better about them.
TASKS FOR LEARNING
Exercise One: Identify five places where these level 1 answers needed to be better and explain what you would do to improve them.
- Modern Family is a programme shown on Sky 1. It is a very popular American show and Sky 1 like to show American programmes. It appeals to family audiences because it has a range of different character ages in it, so it is suitable for family viewing. It is shown before the watershed so it is clearly suitable for younger viewers.
- Modern Family has a lot of audience pleasures. For example, it is about a family. Audiences will like to watch a programme about family life. It also has exaggerated situations in it, which makes the show very funny. The programme is very short, as well, it is only 30 minutes long.
Exercise Two: Write your own answer now about a comedy programme of your choice and label your answer with the comments, involving these points will help you gain top marks.
An example has already been done for you, try and match up the point with where it appears in the answer.
Now write your own answer about a comedy program of your choice that you have studied throughout your own research.
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