Textual analysis
Currently, I am considering doing a talk show or a documentary programme. A talk show would be more suited to ITV, whereas a documentary would be more suited to Channel 5 but ITV do show some documentaries, it is just that Channel 5 are looking for documentaries more. Therefore, I need to analyse these shows and their marketing. One of ITV's most popular talk shows is the Jeremy Kyle show. This show is very much based around the host and the charisma of Jeremy Kyle himself. He has the authority over his guests and is seen as the person who has the final say. There is also the added mystery of things in the show such as lie detector tests and DNA tests. The show has a consistent audience of around 1.5 million people. There are always points of conflict in the show, as people on it have disputes that they are arguing over, and often this leads to very heated situations and sometimes it becomes violent, but mostly it just ends up as extremely heated arguments. There is a clear narrative on each episode, where the host introduces the topic and the people involved, then they come out at different stages to sit with the host and explain their side of the story. The dispute is often solved through a lie detector test or a DNA test. There are usually more than one case in each individual show, and the show is in front of a live studio audience that often have some form of interaction and participation in the show.
Channel 5 air a huge range of documentaries. Lots are based around people who live in the UK and their lives and if there is anything out of the ordinary or exciting about them to make a documentary out of. Also, there are celebrity documentaries either hosted by famous people or about famous people, for example: 'Katie Price, in therapy' and 'Eamonn & Ruth's 7 year itch'. Furthermore, there are historical documentaries and also travel documentaries. A lot of the documentaries have shock value and are more 'shockumentaries', for example: 'Dangerous dog owners' and 'America's toughest prisons.' This type of documentary is likely to include moments of conflict at some point. They also show both one off documentaries and documentary series. Another 2 types of documentaries typically shown a lot on Channel 5 are crime documentaries and animal/nature documentaries. The crime ones are usually either from the perspective of the police such as 'police interceptors' or from the perspective of the people involved such as 'murdered by my fiancé.' The animal documentaries tend to focus on animals that are out of the ordinary such as 'Biggest dog in the world' and '90 cats and counting'. These also fit into the 'shockumentary' category. '90 cats and counting' has light hearted happy music playing, which creates a playful atmosphere. There are many shots where a person talks directly to a camera explaining about themselves which is typical of a documentary. There are segments where people give tours of their homes and talk about their lives which are also very typical of a documentary. There are also medium and long shots of the protagonist going about her daily life and doing normal things which are typical of a documentary because they are used to make it feel like real life and that this is a normal everyday person who also has a shocking side to them. The voiceover emphasises this referring to the protagonist as a 'crazy cat lady'. Sound effects are also used to emphasise the shock value such as record scratch and pause when the protagonist says something shocking.
ITV focus much more on documentaries that are from a series rather than one off documentaries. For example, 'Broadmoor- Inside Britain's highest security psychiatric hospital'. It begins with lots of medium and long shots of the complex, and also tracking shots with an eerie voiceover explaining what is happening. There is then a sequence of staff breaking up a conflict to set the scene of what it is like in this environment. This documentary uses shock tactics and is a 'shockumentary'. The music builds tension and suspense early on. The voiceover is also designed to be shocking and make the documentary sound unique as it says things like the show has 'unprecedented access' and frequently reminds viewers that this documentary is exclusive and unique. It builds on the shock tactics by claiming it will 'reveal the secrets of Britain's most notorious institution.' There are many birds eye shots and long tracking shots that are used to emphasise the size and scope of the complex. Many people have their faces blurred out and use fake names. This also emphasises the shock factor as it creates more feelings of danger, and that people need to be protected. There are many shots of people talking to a camera which is typical of a documentary.
Channel 5 air a huge range of documentaries. Lots are based around people who live in the UK and their lives and if there is anything out of the ordinary or exciting about them to make a documentary out of. Also, there are celebrity documentaries either hosted by famous people or about famous people, for example: 'Katie Price, in therapy' and 'Eamonn & Ruth's 7 year itch'. Furthermore, there are historical documentaries and also travel documentaries. A lot of the documentaries have shock value and are more 'shockumentaries', for example: 'Dangerous dog owners' and 'America's toughest prisons.' This type of documentary is likely to include moments of conflict at some point. They also show both one off documentaries and documentary series. Another 2 types of documentaries typically shown a lot on Channel 5 are crime documentaries and animal/nature documentaries. The crime ones are usually either from the perspective of the police such as 'police interceptors' or from the perspective of the people involved such as 'murdered by my fiancé.' The animal documentaries tend to focus on animals that are out of the ordinary such as 'Biggest dog in the world' and '90 cats and counting'. These also fit into the 'shockumentary' category. '90 cats and counting' has light hearted happy music playing, which creates a playful atmosphere. There are many shots where a person talks directly to a camera explaining about themselves which is typical of a documentary. There are segments where people give tours of their homes and talk about their lives which are also very typical of a documentary. There are also medium and long shots of the protagonist going about her daily life and doing normal things which are typical of a documentary because they are used to make it feel like real life and that this is a normal everyday person who also has a shocking side to them. The voiceover emphasises this referring to the protagonist as a 'crazy cat lady'. Sound effects are also used to emphasise the shock value such as record scratch and pause when the protagonist says something shocking.
ITV focus much more on documentaries that are from a series rather than one off documentaries. For example, 'Broadmoor- Inside Britain's highest security psychiatric hospital'. It begins with lots of medium and long shots of the complex, and also tracking shots with an eerie voiceover explaining what is happening. There is then a sequence of staff breaking up a conflict to set the scene of what it is like in this environment. This documentary uses shock tactics and is a 'shockumentary'. The music builds tension and suspense early on. The voiceover is also designed to be shocking and make the documentary sound unique as it says things like the show has 'unprecedented access' and frequently reminds viewers that this documentary is exclusive and unique. It builds on the shock tactics by claiming it will 'reveal the secrets of Britain's most notorious institution.' There are many birds eye shots and long tracking shots that are used to emphasise the size and scope of the complex. Many people have their faces blurred out and use fake names. This also emphasises the shock factor as it creates more feelings of danger, and that people need to be protected. There are many shots of people talking to a camera which is typical of a documentary.
A good overview. You will now need to select some specific examples to look at in detail.
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