OCR GCSE Section B - TV Comedy Lesson 2: Channelling

Lesson 2: Channelling

Learning Objective - To understand how channels create an image or ‘identity’ of themselves and how programmes help to support the channel identity.

Exercise One: What does the term channel idents mean?

Research and find some examples

Exercise Two: Public Service Broadcasting

This term means that certain channels have an obligation and a responsibility to prove viewers and audiences with a wide variety of programmes. In any given time frame, channels governed by PSB must show programmes that will inform, educate or entertain their audiences.

Some channels are goverened by PSB and some aren’t. Look through an online TV guide for one day’s viewing and have a look at a couple of different channels - for example BBC One, Sky 1 and E4. Which programmes are there to inform, educate or entertain? Draw a table like the one shown below.

Exercise three: How do programmes help to support the brand identity of certain channels? Complete these questions by researching the programme and the channel it is shown on.

• Celebrity Juice What kinds of audiences watch Celebrity Juice? What is the programme about? What other programmes are on ITV2? How does Celebrity Juice fit in with these shows?
• Friends What kinds of audiences watch Friends? What is the programme about? What other programmes are on Comedy Central? How does Friends fit in with these shows?
• The Big Bang Theory What kinds of audiences watch The Big Bang Theory? What is the programme about? What other programmes are on E4? How does The Big Bang Theory fit in with these shows?

Review: Choose a comedy programme of your choice and use it and your learning so far to answer this extended question.

Extended question - How is your chosen comedy programme typical of its comedy type and how does it help to show the brand identity of the channel it is shown on?