OCR GCSE Media Studies B322 TV Comedy Question 4b

1. What 4 basic things must
you include in your answer
to get above a Level 2?

2. What else can we discuss?
Discuss why they were scheduled:
• On the channels that chose them
• On the days and times they were transmitted (15
marks)

3. Channel
Channel Funding Ethos
Audience
size

4. Time
Time
Scheduling
techniques
Target
audience
Demographics
& Socio-
economics

5. Day
Day Consider audience
Consider start of
week vs mid-
week vs end of
week vs weekend

6. Level 4 = 12- 15 Marks
Discusses the scheduling of two
comedies
Precise and accurate use of scheduling
terminology
Detailed understanding of industry
context/ethos/branding
Evaluates audience categories and uses
accurate audience terminology
Good SPaG
Level 3 = 9 – 11 Marks
Accurately describes the scheduling of
two comedies
Some use of scheduling terminology
Sound understanding of industry
context/ethos/branding
Identifies audience and uses audience
terminology
Generally good SPaG – clear to read
Level 2 = 4 – 8 Marks
Describes the scheduling of two
comedies
Limited use of scheduling terminology
Some understanding of industry
context/ethos/branding
States one audience category and uses
some audience terminology
Some errors with SPaG
Level 1 = 0 – 3 Marks
Partially describes the scheduling of two
comedies
Minimal use of scheduling terminology
Minimal understanding of industry
context/ethos/branding
Limited reference to audience
categories – no use of audience
terminology
Simple ideas - Some errors with SPaG
0 marks = Nothing worthy of credit

7. Mini mock
• You have 15 minutes to write a response to the
following question:
4(a) Pick two TV comedies. Discuss why they were
scheduled:
• On the channels that chose them
• On the days and times they were transmitted
(15 marks)

9. Annotation instructions:
• Double tick a pleasure established with
exemplification – tick the pleasure when first
stated, then add the second tick in the same
place when satisfied with the exemplification
• Single tick a pleasure with no exemplification
• Do not reward the same pleasure more than
once per programme
• Use P if no pleasures established for a text

10. Q4b - The Mark SchemeLevel 4 (12–15 marks)
• Shows detailed knowledge of audience pleasures
• Thorough understanding of how programmes offer audience pleasures
• Detailed and appropriate exemplification
• Ideas expressed clearly and fluently in well– structured sentences with few, if any, errors of spelling, punctuation and
grammar.
Level 3 (9-11 marks)
• Shows sound knowledge of different audience pleasures
• Sound understanding of how programmes offer audience pleasures
• Relevant textual exemplification (with some detail at the top of the band)
• Ideas expressed with some clarity and fluency; errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar do not obscure meaning.
Level 2 (4-8 marks)
• Shows knowledge of one or two audience pleasures
• Basic understanding of how at least one programme offers audience pleasures
• Some textual exemplification (at the top of the band)
• Some ideas expressed appropriately but possibly with some errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar that obscure
meaning
Level 1 (0–3 marks)
• Describes one or two texts
• Some simple ideas expressed with errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar that obscure meaning.
• Writing may also lack legibility.

11. Q4b - The Requirements
• Knowledge of audience pleasures
• Knowledge of how programmes offer
audience pleasures
• Links to specific examples (inc. events and
episode name or series series and episode number)
• SPaG
Limited Basic/Some Sound Detailed

12. Q4b - Guidance
Level 4 (12–15 marks)
• 14–15 As below, plus a focused discussion of the similarities and/or differences between the pleasures offered by
two programmes
• 12–13 Double ticks predominate for analysis of two or more audience pleasures with detailed textual
exemplification.
Level 3 (9-11 marks)
• Level 3 answers must cover two pleasures and two texts:
• 10 – 11 marks Some double ticks
• 9 marks Series of single ticks for:
• Answers that fail to give specific textual detail but with a sound knowledge of pleasures
• OR
• Lack of specific detail (such as character description or vague outlines of the texts as a whole).
• Discussion of different types of comedy (e.g. visual comedy, slapstick comedy, verbal comedy, black comedy,
satire) counts as one pleasure, unless the answer touches upon other pleasures in the course of this discussion.
Level 2 (4-8 marks)
• Level 2 answers may only cover one pleasure or one text:
• 7 – 8 marks Some limited exemplification of at least one pleasure.
• 5 – 6 marks Some understanding of pleasure(s) with no exemplification
• 4 marks One pleasure poorly stated, e.g. ‘being funny’.
• Answers using a text or texts that are clearly not comedy programmes (e.g. soap operas) can reach level 2, but
they must discuss pleasures that are offered by comedy programmes.
Level 1 (0–3 marks)
• Level 1 answers will typically describe the text(s).

13. Level 4 = 12- 15 Marks
Analysis of two (in depth) or more
audience pleasures with detailed textual
exemplification.
Level 3 = 9 – 11 Marks
Level 3 answers must cover at least two
pleasures and two texts
Lower level 3 may be quite vague but
shows understanding of a range of
pleasures
Level 2 = 4 – 8 Marks
Level 2 answers may only cover one
pleasure or one text
Lower level 2 may simply provide
example ‘being funny’
Level 1 = 0 – 3 Marks
Description of the text

14. The Examiners Comments
• How do your responses compare to the
‘experts’?

15. Reason for selection:
• This answer shows understanding of audience pleasures by citing
various pleasures, such as ‘building a relationship with the
characters’, feeling superior to stereotyped characters, and humour.
However, the answer suffers from the common fault of lacking
detailed examples. This limits its mark to level 3 at best.
• There is a reference to the nature of the family, but the section on
stereotypes solely refers to characters and does not give examples
of narrative events that express their characterisation. This reliance
on characters is very typical of answers in this band. There is one
more promising reference to one episode that featured a snobby
incident, but this is too vague to count as detailed.
Example 1
Marks awarded and rationale: 10 marks

16. Reason for selection:
• The answer works through several pleasures.
• ‘Familiarity’ is exemplified quite well, which is unusual for this
pleasure.
• ‘Identifying’ with ‘the issues’ is perhaps not the best formulation
possible, but the example is relevant and detailed, and there are
further examples, though not very detailed ones, later.
• The paragraph on narrative fails to establish any pleasures, but the
answer is not penalised for this as examiners are instructed to mark
positively and this is not a glaring error. ‘Jokes and sarcasm’ implies a
third pleasure, but this is not exemplified.
• This answer meets the level 4 criteria but only just, so gains 12 marks
as it just reaches the bottom of the level 4 mark band.
Example 2
Marks awarded and rationale: 12 marks

17. Q4b - Guidance
Level 4 (12–15 marks)
• 14–15 As below, plus a focused discussion of the similarities and/or differences between the pleasures offered by
two programmes
• 12–13 Double ticks predominate for analysis of two or more audience pleasures with detailed textual
exemplification.
Level 3 (9-11 marks)
• Level 3 answers must cover two pleasures and two texts:
• 10 – 11 marks Some double ticks
• 9 marks Series of single ticks for:
• Answers that fail to give specific textual detail but with a sound knowledge of pleasures
• OR
• Lack of specific detail (such as character description or vague outlines of the texts as a whole).
• Discussion of different types of comedy (e.g. visual comedy, slapstick comedy, verbal comedy, black comedy,
satire) counts as one pleasure, unless the answer touches upon other pleasures in the course of this discussion.
Level 2 (4-8 marks)
• Level 2 answers may only cover one pleasure or one text:
• 7 – 8 marks Some limited exemplification of at least one pleasure.
• 5 – 6 marks Some understanding of pleasure(s) with no exemplification
• 4 marks One pleasure poorly stated, e.g. ‘being funny’.
• Answers using a text or texts that are clearly not comedy programmes (e.g. soap operas) can reach level 2, but
they must discuss pleasures that are offered by comedy programmes.
Level 1 (0–3 marks)
• Level 1 answers will typically describe the text(s).

18. Mini mock
• You have 15 minutes to write a response to the
following question:
4b. Discuss how two programmes offer different
audience pleasures.
Give at least one example from each programme.
• Programme 1: Programme 2:
(15 marks)