Best popular docu soaps

1. • Define the term documentary?
• What are the four types of documentary?
• How are you able to recognise these types?
Write down at least two components of the
types that you have identified.
• Indicate an example for each type.
• You have exactly 8 minutes.
Docu-recap

2. Documentary + Drama
FACTION

3. Definitions
• What is a Docu - Drama?
• What is a Drama Documentary?

4. • Docu-Drama - a real event that is
retold in a documentary style using
actors.
• Drama documentary - is a drama
filmed in a documentary style

5. Popular Documentary

6. Popular Documentary
• Think about what makes a programme
popular. When thinking about popular
documentaries they should have mass appeal.
• Can you name a popular documentary type?
Write down some documentaries that are on
television regularly.

7. Docu-soap
• During the 90s and early 00s docu-soaps
were at the peak of their popularity. Why
do you think they were so popular? (A clue - What makes
the soap format so popular)
• Can you account for their decline? What
has become increasingly popular in it
place? You have 10 minutes.

8. Complete the handout using the following words:
Largest
Week
Encourages
Accepted
Unedited
Interest
Longevity
Intense
12
24
Reality Stock
Identify
Traits
Accessible
Recurring
Live
Cliffhangers
Preview
Passive
Status
Tabloids
Conflict
Conversation

9. Docu-Soap Reality Television
Soaps account for the largest audience
percentage week on week.
Reality television maintains and
encourages a core loyal audience that
tunes in nightly.
The structure is accepted and understood.
Offer a live seemingly unedited version of
events.
Programme makers know that soaps
interest audiences and have longevity.
Reality television offers an intense
viewing experience, 12 weeks of coverage
allowing 24 hours viewing.
Docu soaps add the element of reality for
audiences, that little bit more than soaps.
Offer similar easy to identify stock
characters.
Constructs representations of
personalities that are easy to identify.
Selects traits in contestants before they
go on to the show.
Easily accessible, viewers do not need to
watch every one, if a recurring story is
covered the show will revert back to it.
Viewers are offered ample opportunity to
keep up with events, live shows, internet
streaming, nightly installments.
Cliffhangers are used within episodes to
maintain interest and viewers.
A preview of the events of the 24 hours to
be shown is offered to grip audiences.
Escapist documentary - encourages a
passive audience, not challenging
reinforcing and upholding the staus quo.
Reality television causes an audience
‘buzz’. Programmes are analysed in the
tabloids and become topical in general
conversation
Select jobs and locations that contain
interest, or areas of conflict or humour.
Includes tasks and topics of conversation
to instigate discussions/tensions/rivalries.

10. Docu-Soap Reality Television
Soaps account for the largest audience
percentage week on week.
Reality television maintains and
encourages a core loyal audience that
tunes in nightly.
The structure is accepted and
understood.
Offer a live seemingly unedited version
of events.
Programme makers know that soaps
interest audiences and have longevity.
Reality television offers an intense
viewing experience, 12 weeks of
coverage allowing 24 hours viewing.
Docu soaps add the element of reality for
audiences, that little bit more than soaps.
Offer similar easy to identify stock
characters.
Constructs representations of
personalities that are easy to identify.
Selects traits in contestants before they
go on to the show.
Easily accessible, viewers do not need to
watch every one, if a recurring story is
covered the show will revert back to it.
Viewers are offered ample opportunity to
keep up with events, live shows, internet
streaming, nightly installments.
Cliffhangers are used within episodes to
maintain interest and viewers.
A preview of the events of the 24 hours
to be shown is offered to grip audiences.
Escapist documentary - encourages a
passive audience, not challenging
reinforcing and upholding the status quo.
Reality television causes an audience
‘buzz’. Programmes are analysed in the
tabloids and become topical in general
conversation
Select jobs and locations that contain
interest, or areas of conflict or humour.
Includes tasks and topics of conversation
to instigate discussions/tensions/rivalries.

11. • Reality television shows actively pursue
audience interaction. Audiences vote
contestants out of the programme and can
influence tasks. Without their input the
competition could not work

12. Reality Television
★ The Good
✤ The Bad
And the Ugly
• Create a list highlighting what you believe are the
positive and negative aspects of docu soap and reality
television.

13. • Does offer real people, and in docu-soap in real locations.
• Majority of situations shown are occurring at that moment.
• Clearly outlines its ficticious element within its title, it doesn’t
hide the construction of reality.
• Are clear that they are not trying to change anything - pure
entertainment.
• Uses cliffhangers and elements of soap to good effect to grip
audiences.
The Good

14. • The programme makers can control what is occurring, they
have an influence over events.
• It is a contest, competitors know they must gain audience
popularity to win.
• Cameras are in the right place at the right time - suggests
that some reinactment could be apparent.
• The contestants or characters involved are often catapulted
into celebrity status effecting their behaviour or that of others.
• Stock characteristics are selected. Programme makers have
an idea of what they require to maintain audiences.
• Filler shots and inserts are included to maintain interest and
aid understanding, these shots though are not filmed in
‘reality’. Use of what appears to be POV shots for example.
The Bad

15. The Ugly

16. BIG BROTHER
• Is Big Brother still a social experiment?
• A microcosm of society.
• Creates a social discourse?
• Can it be an agent of social change?
• Can it create a moral panic?

17. Institution and BB
• Why is BB so important to channel 4?
• How many shows on BB do Endemol make for
channel 4?
• Reality TV is cheap to make.
• Related internet sites.
• Newspaper and Magazine intertextuality. (The
summer is a very slow news period)
• Interest from all media- good advertising for
channel 4.

18. Who is making money?
• Sponsorship and Product Placement. For
example BB is sponsored by ….? And Ikea
provides the furniture in the house.
• Money from your calls goes where…?
• Merchandise.

19. CBB: Shilpa Vs Jade
• Are our social dilemmas seen as the fault of
individuals?
• Or does it personalise the social issues?
• How are they represented/manipulated?