GCSE Section B revision tips -

Scheduling ideas

• Prime time hours (7pm – 11pm) – The show is exhibited around 9pm, which is usually considered the commencing time of more adult themed programming due to the watershed dictating “the times when television programmes should not be broadcast that might be unsuitable for children”. (http://ask.ofcom.org.uk/help/television/watershed)

• The show is scheduled at this time to avoid competing with other popular programming that is shown on other commercial television channels such as The Simpsons (6pm – Channel 4), Two and a Half Men (6:30pm – Comedy Central) and repeat programming such as Gavin & Stacey (8:30pm – Gold).

• The BBC is a globally recognised institution that endeavours to follow John Reith’s (1927) values of distributing programming that would “inform, educate and entertain”. This gatekeeper has earned a reputation for producing impartial programming that would appeal to a mass audience – Outnumbered is a programme that focuses on a nuclear family and provides some moments of humour that a family audience can equally enjoy, however the text does deal with some adult themed issues that justify it’s initial post-10pm slot on BBC, with later series shown earlier and earlier as it became more popular.

• The BBC has a rich history of producing and exhibiting sitcom classics such as Only Fools and Horses, Fawlty Towers, One Foot in the Grave and more recent hits such as Gavin & Stacey.

Situation Comedy - Outnumbered

• Slightly unconventional in terms of the semi-improvised (scripted but mainly on the spot, improvised humour) comedy that is presented to the audience through the Brockman family, in particular with the humour revolving around the younger members of the family.
• The feel of the programme – for example the fast paced cuts and shaky cam in moments of chaos – make it seem more like a documentary “fly on the wall” style of programme.
• Does NOT contain any canned laughter, but does present some familiar conventions such as a 30-minute format within a 6 episode series, the comedy being set in a familiar and domestic setting and on a repeated set of stock characters.
• The comedy centers around familiar family values being exaggerated and the battle between the “outnumbered” parents and their 3 children (See Character Guide link above for more details on WHO the characters are). In the process, some stereotypes surrounding British middle class culture is represented to the audience.
• TV Comedy’s (Outnumbered) appeal, which is what YOU MUST be able to address in the exam for ONE of the TWO Case Study TV Comedies. For example – in it’s basic denotative form – Outnumbered has mass appeal amongst a variety of demographics, in particular working – middle class families who can ‘personally identify’ (Katz) with the family dynamic and the variety of characters on the show. Below will outline the appeal of the show in more detail and encourage you to consider each TV Comedies appeal from your own perspective.

Target Audience

EXEMPLAR – 4 a) and 4 b) for 'Outnumbered' on BBC and 'A League of their own' on Sky.

4 a) – Scheduling

The 2 TV Comedy Case studies of focus in determining how and why they are scheduled on 2 different channels are ‘Outnumbered’ (Hat trick Productions – BBC) and ‘A League Of Their Own’ (CPL – Sky).

‘Outnumbered’ is a well established BBC sitcom that follows a long line of successful and “classic” sitcoms from the institution, such as ‘Only Fools and Horses’ and more recently ‘Gavin & Stacey’. The BBC since it’s inception in the 1920’s as a Broadcast media institution has endeavoured to follow John Reith’s “Inform, educate and entertain” values of providing programming of mass appeal to a variety of demographics, which resonates today as in order to access BBC programming you need to pay a TV license fee.

These values are reflected in the the sitcom (Series 1 -4 – Series 5 has been commissioned and is due to air sometime in 2014) scheduling during “Prime time” (7pm – 11pm) hours in order to capture a mass audience, however despite the show focussing on the family and containing characters of a younger age, the show was exhibited after the Watershed (9pm) because the text dealt with quite adult themed issues, such as the chaos surrounding teenage curiosity and sex. However, as the show became more and more popular (for example Series 2 averaged 3-4 million viewers for it’s 6 episode, 30 minute sitcom format, whereas the recent Series 4 peaked at over 6 million viewers) it was scheduled before the watershed as the BBC trusted the show to capitalise on it’s growing fan base. This resulted in the BBC providing Christmas specials and DVD box set’s for each series.

The latest series – series 5 – achieved just over 4 million viewers on BBC 1 and over 1 million requests on the catch-up iPlayer service.

In order for the show to further broaden it’s mass appeal, the BBC and it’s Producers (Hat trick Productions – ‘Father Ted’) decided to syndicate the show out to commercial TV channels that specialise in repeat programming such as Dave and Gold (currently shown on Thursdays at 9pm). The show also capitalised on the BBC’s emerging iPlayer service, whereby existing and new fans of the show could “catch-up” on missed episodes at their own convenience through tablet/laptop/smart phone devices.

‘ALOTO’ is a game-show/quiz/panel TV comedy that is scheduled on the Commercial Satellite TV channels Sky 1 (Series 7 as of August 2013) during the primetime slot of 9pm, as well as on it’s“sister” channel Sky 2 as part of the “Comedy Fridays” allocation. Much like ‘Outnumbered’,‘ALOTO’ was originally and is now back to being aired after the watershed, however the show was also moved to a pre-watershed time of 8pm to allow for more viewers to access the show on Sky 2, resulting in the shows adult humour being censored.

In order for the show to meet OFCOM guidelines though, expletives and censorship of some of the show’s crude humour and adult language does take place in order for it to be deemed “family friendly”. This follows a long line of recent success stories for Sky 1 and 2 as they have been critically praised for shows and sitcoms like ‘The Simpsons’ and ‘Modern Family’, as ‘ALOTO’ ishammocked between on Friday evenings as the show is still deemed to be less appealing than established shows like The Simpsons (7pm – 8pm).

Sky – an institution that “believe in better” – is a subsidiary institution within the News Corporation multi-media conglomerate, meaning it’s programming has huge financial backing and this is evident in the show’s high production value. Each episode is also 30 minutes in length, however does feature an advertising break in between in order to recoup the heavy investment into the show, in particular for it’s production company ‘CPL’, which is much smaller in scale compared to ‘Hat trick’.

Sky’s array of channels does mean though that it can provide more choice and options for it’s audience, for example you can now series link and record shows like ‘ALOTO’ through the remote control provided, as well as capitalise on the +1 channels available. Sky have also introduced the ‘Go’ service on line, which again means audience’s are able to access shows like ‘ALOTO’ whenever and wherever they like through a variety of e-media products (laptop, phone, tablet). This show has also capitalised on the ‘Remote Record’ service offered by Sky which immediately puts the consumer in control of their own Television consumption online and away from the traditional analogue method of TV consumption, much like BBC’s iPlayer service which has often exhibited episodes of ‘Outnumbered’.

In conclusion, both TV Comedies have adapted it’s scheduling in order to maintain it’s popularity amongst TV audiences across a variety of channels and platforms.

4 b) – Audience Appeal – 

This answer will focus on the audience appeal of the semi-improvised BBC sitcom ‘Outnumbered’, which in line with Reith’s “Inform, educate and entertain” values provides humour through ‘informing and educating’ (also in accordance with Katz’ Uses & Gratifications theory) the audience of the trials and tribulations of a stereotypical middle class family called The Brockmans’ (Dad – Pete; Mum – Sue and their 3 children), with the ‘entertainment’ deriving from the humiliation the parents from being “outnumbered” by their at times unruly children. A prime example from the show would be when the Brockman family take a day out and Karen embarrasses her Mother in public by opening the toilet door for the rest of the public to see – much to the dismay of her husband who walks off in state of despair.

The semi-improvised nature of the sitcom is one of the many appealing factors of the show, especially as this improvised humour tends to come from the stars of the show: the children. This is slightly unconventional of the typical sitcom format, along with the fact the show is filmed quite often on location and without the presence of a studio audience (for example ‘ALOTO’has this) and the canned laughter so accustomed to this genre. The sitcom also appeals to the audience as the exaggerated nature of the genre is reflected in each episode, for example Karen (arguably the star of the show in terms of humour presented on a regular basis) aggravating a well known footballer (Frank Lampard) before they step out onto the pitch during her role as mascot through verbal codes such as “you missed a goal my Granny could have scored!” – Make sure you have AT LEAST x1 Example for the exam!. Other unconventional themes of the show which the audience will appreciate are the “fly on the wall” style of documenting the lives of the family, which is something many viewers of all ages can ‘personally identify’ (Katz) with and find amusing.

The target audience of the show can be denoted as being from the B – C2 socio-economic groups because this demographic can relate to the characters roles in society, for example Pete is a teacher and Sue is a part time worker who is overwhelmed by looking after their children as well. In accordance with Stuart Hall’s ‘Audience reception theory’, the audience take on a‘dominant position’ as they accept the representation of the chaos often presented in the Brockman household as it is often presented in other texts from the genre and is often realistic enough to be accepted by the viewers.

Finally, another factor that would appeal to the audience is the ‘star appeal’ (Richard Dyer) of Hugh Dennis (Mock the Week), a well known stand up comedian and actor taking on the role of the often emasculated and humiliated Father and husband Pete, which a common theme repeated in this sitcom and other sitcoms as well.

In conclusion, ‘Outnumbered’ provides many audience pleasures that have made the show over the 5 series produced successful and popular in a competitive genre.

4 b) – Audience Appeal – 

This answer will focus on the audience appeal of the Comedy Panel/Quiz show ‘A League of Their Own’, which conforms to the Institutions (Sky) vales of providing “better“ programming ofHigh Production Value.

The show consists of 2 teams “competing” (although this tends to disappear after a while) against one another – Red v Blue – Who are the Captains of each team? – where they are often joined by other ‘stars’ (Richard Dyer) of the sporting and celebrity World such as Give examples. The humour tends to be very slapstick comedy, for example Give example and provides the audience with “LAD” culture banter as many of the panelists are male, with a select few of women who often encourage a ‘male gaze’ (Laura Mulvey) such as Give example. Therefore the audience can be denoted as:

• Age
• Gender
• Socio-Economic Class

YOU MUST explain why for each and give example(s) from the show to support your understanding. E.g Male audience (Gender) tuning into to “kick off” the weekend with an introduction to 2 favourite things: Sport and Banter

In accordance with Stuart Hall’s ‘Audience reception theory’, the audience take on a ‘dominant position’ as they accept the representation of the chaos often established in each30 minute episode and the laughter generated often comes from crude one liners, the banterbetween the panelists and some of the more chaotic events that take place in the show. This often extends to the Audience in the Studio watching live as they laugh at moments such as –Give 1-2 examples from the show – verbal, non-verbal and/or technical.

Another appealing factor of ALOTO is it’s clear and apparent pastiche of the successful ‘A Question of Sport’ (BBC), however many would argue because of the “LAD” banter on the show that it doesn’t have the same dedication due to smutty jokes such as GIve an example and from which series/episode.

Finally, the presence of James Corden as the show’s host is described as one of the more appealing factors for why hundreds of thousands (around 600,000 for Series 7 – August 2013) tune into watch as The British Comedy Guide declares that “Corden makes for a likeable and up-beat host”. This connotes how the audience can build a raport and ‘personal relationship’ (Katz) with this everyday man as he embodies the character of “Smithy” made so famous in the hit BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey. 

In conclusion, ‘ALOTO’ provides many audience pleasures that have made the show over the 7 series produced successful and popular in a competitive genre.

Sample Essay

Unit B322 - Section B Answer to specimen exam question
4a) Pick two TV or radio comedies you have studied. Discuss why they were scheduled:
- on the channels that chose them
- on the days and times they were transmitted. (15)

My two comedies are Have I Got News For You and Scrubs.

Have I Got News For You is scheduled on BBC 1 at 9pm on Thursday nights and is repeated with extra bits on Saturdays on BBC2. It fits BBC 1 as it is a mainstream programme that will appeal to a wide audience because it is funny. It is alsoeducational as it covers serious subjects like politics, so this makes it fit public service broadcasting. It is essential the BBC fits public service broadcasting because it is funded by the licence fee and so has to have some reason for charging everyone to watch it.

Thursday night is good for comedy as it is a wind-down time of the week, so BBC 1 always shows comedy at this time. The BBC runs its comedy zone on Thursday nights. After 9pm is good as it is after the watershed and therefore the programme can contain swearing and adult content. The programme that follows (Reggie Perrin) is a comedy as well, this is so it can inherit Have I Got News For You’s audience. The programme can also be watched on the BBC iPlayer.

Scrubs is shown on E4. It shows six episodes a day at 13:05, 13:35, 6:00, 6:30, 00:40, and 01:10 on every weekday, but not at weekends. Scrubs fits E4 because it is a channelaimed at young people – the same target audience as the programme. It is fits because E4 shows a lot of comedy shows, ‘cool’ shows from America. E4 can do this as it is a niche channel that is not covered by PSB regulations as it is not a terrestrial channel. This means that it can have stripped schedules and repeat programmes over and over again that are aimed at young people. This makes it easier for young people to know what is going to be on E4.

Scrubs is shown at the moment at lunchtimes, early evenings and late at night because these are repeated episodes and not considered important enough for prime time. It can also be watched on 4oD.

The BBC does not show lots of imported programmes such as Scrubs because it is supposed to make its own programmes. E4 would not show Have I Got News For You because most of its audience will be older than the E4 audience. 


Examiner’s comments

- Covers the BBC 1 audience

- Covers the BBC as an institution

- Explains why Thursday night and explains why after 9pm, but not in much detail

- Covers E4 as an institution and how it targets its audience
Explains times, but not in much detail

- Explains how programmes fit their channels

This answer does what the mark scheme asks for, so it just needs more detail for a higher mark 


4b) Show how these two programmes offer their audiences different pleasures. (15 Marks)

Have I Got News For You is very different to Scrubs as it is almost live comedy about recent events in the world, whereas Scrubs is a sitcom where the comedy is based on characters and everyday situations.

Have I Got News For You is ‘infotainment’ as it offers some education on the events of that week, whereas Scrubs episodes are simply for entertainment.
Have I Got News For You has regular stars – Paul Merton and Ian Hislop – that the audience can tune in to see sparing with each other every week. This is similar to the regular characters in Scrubs, such as JD and Turk, who are in some ways like a family that the audience can drop in on regularly. One big difference is that Have I Got News For You is presented by different people every week and has different guests, and the audience can tune in to see who is presenting this week and how well they will do.Scrubs, on the other hand, usually has more or less the same cast in every episode, but different storylines for the audience to follow.

Scrubs is a drama, so it has episodes with narratives that are resolved at the end of the episode. This gives the audience the pleasure of a story being told. Have I Got News For You follows a similar pattern every week, but there is little sense of narrative resolution – one team will win the competition, but this is really a throwaway ending. The quiz is an excuse for people to be funny.

Scrubs will have situations where we can sympathise with characters as well as laugh at them or with them. For example, when JD is unlucky in love. Have I Got News For You is more about people performing for TV as themselves, so we tend to judge them on how well they have performed instead of feeling for them.

Examiner’s comments

- Understands the differences between the programmes

- Shows understanding of how the programmes offer different pleasures, but where are examples?

- Develops this understanding further, but still no detailed examples from the programmes

- This answer does what the top level mark brand asks for, except for detailed and appropriate exemplification. The student needs to study some episodes in detail


- This students has done pretty well. They only had just under half an hour to write these answers. However, they must learn to give more examples from the programmes. They could have used examples of panelists in Have I Got News For You being funny, an example of a storyline in Scrubs that is resolved, and perhaps an example of an everyday situation that is explored in one episode of Scrubs.