Representation: Class

Class



Do you believe these characters are real? A writer's job is tricky, especially with science fiction genre TV Drama programmes. They must engage the audience and make them invest in the characters in order to deliver a satisfying narrative resolution. 

Class is made for BBC3, a channel that caters for young people. So you can expect the characters to seem realistic because the target audience need to believe they are seeing themselves presented as real people.

Task: Watch the trailer again and jot down any elements of the characters that make them seem like realistic teenage characters.
In media lessons, you will be finding out how teenagers are represented in TV Drama and thinking about whether they are fairly and accurately portrayed by writers or whether they are heavily stereotyped. Do you think teenagers are presented using traditional stereotypes or do they seem more realistic in the programmes that you enjoy watching? It is usual for teen characters to be oversimplified if they appear in a programme made to appeal to an older target audience. Programmes created for young adults tend to have more convincing, realistic interpretations of how teenagers behave.

Task: Working in pairs, you need to create a powerpoint presentation looking at how teenagers are represented in TV Drama. You can choose the TV Dramas that you know to outline how some programmes are more convincing and successful than others.


You will need to produce a PowerPoint looking at how teenagers are represented in at least FIVE different TV Series/Programmes. For each you need to complete the following:
- Name of program
- Channel/Platform of Broadcast
- Who is the target audience for the TV Programme? (Be specific e.g.: 12-16 year olds etc.)
- How are the teenagers portrayed on screen (refer to evidence from a clip)
- Is this a fair and accurate representation or a simplified stereotype? (Evaluate)


EXTENSION TASK: In your books under the title My TV Drama, mind map an idea for a new TV Drama aimed at teenagers. You will need to come up with the idea for the first episode. You will need to establish the following and explain how it will appeal to teenagers: setting, characters (at least three) and you will need to outline the plot for the first TV episode.

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