UNIT 27 - Sub genres of factual television

Docudrama

Docudramas can appear as full films or re-enactments within factual TV shows, they are reconstruction of real time events, they also focus on the creation point of view. Within a docudrama there would be no commmentary, however docudramas are not always the most accurate as some events are over exaggerated. An example of this would be in the film 'Captain Phillips'. This film was based off of true events about a bunch of Somali Pirates who hijacked a ship. The evnts which followed within the film were more or less true however most scenes would have been over exaggerated to give the audience some entertainment and thrill. This type of factual television can appeal to the audience as it is mainly based on true events however it also can add to those events to add to the entertainment. It can also be educational in a way so audiences can get a clearer picture of certain events which they may have not known about in the past.

Docusoap

This format is a true representation of real lives, in real locations and work related situations. It is an "access all areas" style where the main characters don't interact with the camera however they know they are there and carry on with their day to day life. Some docusoaps have interviews in place so the audience get some extra information on what is going on. An example of this format would be 'Educating Cardiff'. In this docusoap there are various seasons to watch where a school is set up with cameras everywhere and the children and teachers within the school are monitored on their behaviour as they deal with day to day issues at the school. This appeals to the audience as it gives them an access all areas point of view where they can see everything that is going on. It also enables the viewers to get to know how that area works in society or how certain people behave within an area.

Reality

Reality television depicts the lives of real people (most commonly celebrities), the camera follows their day to day lifestyle and usually has some scenes which are staged to add the entertainment factor so the audience get something interesting to watch, but in general it is filmed in real life. The reality format of television is one of the most successful as it brings many factors from other formats into itself as it can carry facts, drama and even interviews with the personnel involved in the actual programme. A majorly well known example of this would be 'Keeping up with the Kardashians'. In this reality TV show the cameras follow the famous Kardashian family on their daily lifestyles and capture many things from their clothing business to problems with the papparazzi and the usual disputes between one and other at home. This appeals to the audience as some people are interested in how these people live their life of luxury and how they deal with their problems.


Infotainment

This format is a combination 'information' and 'entertainment'. It has the factual aspect for an informative television and adds in the entertainment so it can appeal to a larger audience. This type of format can be seen in the example of 'An idiot abroad'. Carl Pilkington gets sent around the world to different countries with various challenges set by his friends Steven Merchant and Ricky Jervais. This gives the audience some information about each different country/city he is sent to and also gives some entertainment as the main character in this has a very ignorant and dull view on things and doesn't seem to enjoy himself as he ventures into parts of the unknown world. Because he is so naive this gives the entertainment factor as well as informing audiences hence why it appeals to most people.




Wildlife

This type of format is typically 100% nature footage which consists of a voice over (voice of god) where they narrate over what goes on in different scenes. The voice over can add their own opinion and talk about various things relating to the topic. This engages the audience as it is showcasing opinions and showing different forms of wildlife in their natural habitat. A very well known example of this would be narrated by David Attenborough on BBC where he narrates over the animals on show as well as including his own interesting opinions. This appeals to the audience as he is informing them and giving his own view so that could possibly influence the viewers to develop their own personal opinion based on his views.



Special Interest

This type of format targets a "niche" audience rather than trying to appal to a wider range of viewer. Although the target audience wont be as big compared to other formats it is effective to the interested parties. It focuses on certain topics and can be in the form of a documentary to add a more informative feature to it. An example of this would be the film 'Ronaldo'. This film is based off of the sports icon and football star/hero Cristiano Ronaldo. In this film the camera follows Ronaldo and explores his daily lifestyle with featured interviews with various people, from sport experts to close team mates and family members the film covers different areas all linking to the main idol that is Ronaldo. This appeals to certain audiences as they may be interested in his lifestyle and how he got to be so successful. This only applies to certain groups of people who want to know more or are interested in this topic so it does limit other audiences.


Make Over

This type of format allows the audience to see drastic transformation to peoples lifestyles. This has the conventions of a before and after whilst involving a production look-in so the audience Image result for pimp my ridecan see the process of how 'drastic' the change is and how it will effect the person. An example of this would be the American show 'Pimp my ride', this show takes in scrappy old cars from random people who want to 'pimp their ride' and it gets taken in by the team of pimpers so they can fix it out and basically make it feel and look ten times better. This appeals to the audience as it offers a feel good factor ad a from of satisfaction after seeing the end result.


Discussion

Discussion shows are shows which usually have a host to act as an impartial referee. The host would spark debate between the two parties or a group of people by asking questions. It is important that the host shows no sign of unfairness as being biass would give a negative response from the viewers. This can appeal to the audience as they can either learn from different points of view from a certain topic or strengthen their belief in their current opinion. Or they can hear the two parties debate and choose an opinion themselves. Either way this format engages audiences as they can see different views being shown on camera with various different topics. An example of this format would be Question Time shown on BBC 1, on this show there are two parties with a host who brings up conversation about certain topics and two parties show their opinion/belief. There is no overal "winner" to this it's only a balance of beliefs. The impartial host does not pick on both opinions on what he believes is right he just brings up the topics.



Review

This type of format consists of (usually) a panel of experts in a certain field who debate about products or services etc. They can talk about anything within a specific area and bring up opinions and facts. This format can be seen as opinionated however it allows the audience to make up an opinion for themselves. It gives the audience a clear insight into the debate and forming their own opinion. An example of this would be the show 'Have I Got News For You'. On this show a panel of people talk about the weekly news and give opinions and their own view on things. Some of the things said can be very humorous and is seen in many ways by the audience. This can be a reason as to why it might appeal to the audience as it adds to the informative part as well as allowing the audience to make up their own opinion/decision.



Chat Show

A chat show will always have a host who is famous who interviews people on different things. The people that get interviewed are usually and mostly celebrities. Chat shows will get certain celebrities on the show if they are the star of attention at that given time. They usually have them on before a film/album release for example. That way the celebrity can promote their work and get more people to know about it. Of the person getting interviews is not famous they have usually done something extraordinary in order to get on a show like that. An example of this type of format would be 'Ellen'. The host Ellen Degenerous interviews different celebrators where they do quizzes, interviews, talk even challenges. This enables the audience to get some entertainment as some of the people watching may want to know more about the celebrities on show. If the person is not a celebrity idol there is usually a prize given out for their achievement of some sort. This appeals to the audience as they'd want to see all of these conventions of a chat show linked with their idols.

Magazine

This type of format is usually seen in the day as it is a part of daytime television however can be seen at any other time. This format can cover a wide range of topics from local news to celebrity gossip etc. It is very flexible in terms of topics and can apply to anyone. Hence why it could gather a wider audience compared to other formats. This is because people would want to know what is going on near them or where they live. This adds to the entertainment and also adds a bit information for the viewed to receive. An example of this would be seen on the BBC show 'The One Show'. This show has two hosts who talk about different events and topics which gather up some experts of a certain area usually and they can talk more into detail with those people. This may encourage the audiences to watch it more and it speaks to them because there is a wide range of topics.