How are TBBT and HIGNFY different?

AIM
To consider the differences between The Big
Bang Theory and Have I got News for you
To have a set of revision notes
To test how quickly you can absorb knowledge

Easter Revision and Homework

Work though this PowerPoint rewriting with direct
examples! This means watching the shows and doing
research!
Revision of AA section A of the exam
- Using handbook
- Handouts
- Text book
The best thing is to practice the questions using real
examples Youtube, TV, Netflix, Sky movies, Online
search Action adventure. If you are unsure if it is an AA
film use your codes and conventions knowledge!!!!

Describe the shows

The Big Bang Theory is an
American .. set
in a .. that
follows
the
..
The
comedy comes mostly
from

..
Complete!

Have I Got News For You

is a games show where
two regular panellists and
two guest compete to
answer questions about
events in the news. Their
aim is to be as funny as
possible while doing so.
The two regular panellists
are
comedian
Paul
Merton and the satirical
journalist Ian Hislop.

Two different sorts of comedy?

The Big Bang Theory
Situation Comedy
SUB-GENRE?
The Big Bang Theory is a
drama. The actors play
characters delivering a script.
The Big Bang Theory has a
narrative that is resolved in
some way at the end of the
episode.
The humour in The Big Bang
Theory comes from everyday
situations
What else?

HIGNFY
Comedy Panel game SUB-GENRE?
HIGNFY is a performance. The
panellists play themselves and it
is supposed to be unscripted.
HIGNFY has a loose narrative in
which players compete for points
and the teams win or lose at the
end, but this is far less important
than the laughs generated along
the way.
the humour in HIGNFY comes, for
example, from attacking the
stupidity of people and events in
the news. What else?

How are they aimed at different

audiences?
HOW ARE THEIR AUDIENCES
TARGETED?

The Big Bang Theory

Young adult audience

It has a fast pace example?
Young adult main characters
example?
Often incorporates rock, pop
and indie music example?
Similar visual style to other
sitcoms aimed at young
audiences, such as Everybody
Hates Chris

HIGNFY

Older audience example?

Aimed at those interested in
the news as it often asks
questions about political
events example?
Therefore it addresses an
audience who would be
more
likely
to
read
newspapers

Two different sorts of

channels?
a niche audience channel that
aims to appeal to the young
audience that is very attractive to
advertisers
E4 is part of a public institution Channel 4 is owned by the British
public and is not designed to
make a profit.
However, E4 is a commercial
channel and a non-PSB digital
channel.
This means that E4 can show any
programmes that it thinks will
attract an audience, in any order.

mass audience channel that aims

to attract the full range of the
British audience.
The BBC is not funded by
advertising but by the licence fee.
Therefore it is a PSB and has a
duty to educate, inform and
entertain the whole British
public. What else?
This means BBC1 programmes
have to be popular, but have to
have an extra quality - being very
well made, having educational
value or representing all the
different parts of Britain, for
example.

Two different sorts of

channels?
E4 can import lots of cheap
American programmes like Scrubs
and BBT.
E4 can show the same
programme twice in a stripped
schedule (e.g. at 12.15 pm and
12.45 pm every day).
E4 are competing with lots of
different digital channels, so it
needs to have a schedule that is
easy for the casual viewer to
understand - so it strips
programmes across the week.

PSB channels have to show a lot

of original material
PSB channels have to have a
mixed schedule with different
genres of programmes

What other scheduling tricks to they use?

Do the shows meet the

channels remit?
E4 is a young channel that,
like Channel 4, aims to be
more daring and exciting
than its competitors.
It needs a programme that
is popular, entertaining, but
not too mainstream to fit
this brand image.
The big bang theory attracts
the right target audience
and is fresh and different
enough to fit E4's brand
image.
Example?

HIGNFY - proved itself popular

when it was shown on BBC2, so this
justified moving it to BBC1
It is an entertaining programme for
a fairly wide target audience.
It was set up to be more than
funny, however. Ian Hislop was
chosen as he is a moralistic
journalist who has serious opinions
about news. It was originally
expected that Paul Merton would
provide the jokes and Ian Hislop
would provide the opinion. This
gives
the
programme
the
opportunity to inform, as well as
entertain. Example?

Names?

What about supporting cast? Example?

Pleasures?

Names?

Different audience pleasures?

THIS MEANS
The situation comedy
offers narrative pleasures
we can follow a story as it
unfolds throughout an
episode and, in the case
of BBT, from one episode
to the next. Example?

We identify with one or

more of the characters we feel for them and
want the best for them
Example?
We are rewarded as loyal
viewers by understanding
events that are only
explained
by
what
happened in previous
episodes. Example?

Different audience pleasures?

We get the pleasure of

narrative resolution. A
sitcom will have one or
a few storylines that
come to some
conclusion at the end of
the episode.

BBT offers a mix of

serious and comic
storylines.
We might sympathise
with characters as well
as laugh at them.
Example?

Different audience pleasures?

Have I Got News For

You also has a narrative,
but who wins the game
is much less important
to the audience than
the laughs they get
along the way.
Need direct examples (give the
episode as well)!!! Remember the
opening sequence too!

One pleasure that Have I Got

News For You offers that BBT
doesn't is that it gives a
viewpoint on events in the news.
This can add to the audience's
sense of security brought about
by the feeling that you know
what is going on in the world and
listening to other people's
opinions about these events
Have I Got News For You also has
a track record in attacking the
rich and powerful, such as top
politicians and business people.
This satire, apart from being
entertaining, may also help the
poor and less powerful feel
better about themselves.

TV Scheduling Strategies Research!

Schedulers need to attract an audience at the beginning of the day, and keep then watching
right up to the end. This is achieved through a variety of different techniques.
airing trailers and teasers for shows later in the day, creating anticipation.
Counter programming deliberately scheduling a different type of show to competing
channels e.g programming sport against a cookery show on a rival network.
Pre-echo putting a new, or less popular show on before a popular one in order to catch
the viewers that may tune in early.
Hammocking putting a new, or less popular show on between two popular shows so that
viewers do not bother to turn off or over and watch the new show.
Inheritance putting a new, or less popular show on after a popular show, in the hope that
viewers will remain transfixed by their TV set.
Hotswitching going straight from the end of one show into the beginning of another,
without giving the viewer the opportunity to change the channel.
Stripping airing episodes of the same show at the same time each day. This means that the
viewer knows when the show is on without having to look at a TV guide. This is common
practice with news and talk shows. It's also used for syndicated drama and comedy shows,
especially once they've passed the 100 episode mark. It's very profitable for the production
company to sell older shows (e.g. Friends, The X-Files, Star Trek) or older seasons of current
shows (e.g. CSI, Law & Order) to be used in this manner. It can often bring a new audience to
the show, and is one way of creating a cult hit out of a show that might not have been wildly
popular first time round.

Different
schedules?

SCRUBS
Scrubs is scheduled..Find out?
The afternoon slots are part of the
rolling programme of repeats with
which E4 fills its daytime schedules
BBT is scheduled before the
watershed, so has to be a
programme that is suitable for
children. It fits this requirement
because, though it does contain
some sexual content, it is not sexually
explicit, or violent, and it does not
contain excessive bad language. It is,
however, a slick and reasonably adult
comedy that would appeal to a
teenage audience.

What is the watershed?

HIGNFY
scheduled at Find out?
9 pm is when BBC1 schedules its
showcase. Find out?
This suggests that 9 pm is the premier
slot on weekdays on BBC1.
The slots before Have I Got News For
You from 8 pm to 9 pm on BBC1 are
filled with very ,
such as at 8 pm, and
the slot after Have I Got News For You
is filled with a comedy Example? making the 9 till 10 slot on Friday
nights a regular comedy slot. This
suggests that Have I Got News For You
is being aimed at a large, mainstream
audience that likes to wind down to
comedy at the end of the week.
Have I Got News For You is scheduled
just after the watershed. This means it
is allowed to feature adult content,
which is important for a topical news
show.

Similar audience pleasures?

Both
programmes use
verbal comedy.

Both programmes
deal with real-life
issues.

Both programmes have regular

characters that become familiar
to regular viewers.

Easter Revision and Homework

Work though this PowerPoint rewriting with direct
examples! This means watching the shows and doing
research!
Revision of AA section A of the exam
- Using handbook
- Handouts
- Text book
The best thing is to practice the questions using real
examples Youtube, TV, Netflix, Sky movies, Online
search Action adventure. If you are unsure if it is an AA
film use your codes and conventions knowledge!!!!