Close Reading #1

The Anatomy of a Television Show

Television shows begin and end in a variety of ways depending on the program. Many shows begin and end in predictable ways, like news and sports events and often dramas and series. Though dramas, series and sitcoms can begin and end predictably, the great shows find ways to branch out from the norm of the program structure.

I determined when a show began by the time it was supposed to begin, according to the TV guide. Though there is often just an introduction in the beginning of the show, before or during the credits, I still feel as though this is included as part of the program. For any show, a key factor of the end of a show is when the credits start rolling. In a sitcom or drama, the way I know a show is ending is when the story that has been elaborated throughout the episode has wrapped up and provided the viewer with some sort of conclusion, or cliffhanger.

I typed up notes on my laptop, and mostly commented on the difference and similarities in content on the News shows (ABC Good Morning America and ABC World News With Diane Sawyer), on how different game shows began and ended and differences within sitcoms. I didn’t type up every single aspect of the show, or the completely obvious that I knew from learning previously. While watching TV, I took notes, browsed the internet and used my Blackberry. Though I was using several technologies, it wasn’t hard for me to focus on the task because I am used to multi-tasking.

I watched two game shows, two news shows and two reality shows. The two game shows I watched: Minute to Win It and Wipeout; the news shows I watched: ABC Good Morning America and ABC World News with Diane Sawyer; the two reality shows I watched: America’s Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance.

The game shows both began with introducing the participants on the show and briefly describing what the person (or people) would be doing. On Minute to Win It, there is an introduction of the show and contestants who have entered online to be the next competitor or winner of certain games. The contestants are introduced, rules are established and then the game show begins. On Wipeout, there is an introduction of the current episode and previous episodes, the contestants and the obstacle course as well as a brief commentary on what the participants will be doing. The hosts then introduce themselves and the show begins.

The news shows I watched began the same way. In Good Morning America, the anchor announced which stories would be discussed and then anchor introduced herself and began talking about the first story and interviewed an expert, and the stories unfold from there. On ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, she introduced the stories, NBC had a computer-animated introduction and then Sawyer delves into the stories. News shows are often very similar; they introduce what stories will be on the show – in order to entice the viewer, the weather is also included and the best story is shown last, to keep the viewer watching as long as possible.

So You Think You Can Dance began with a computer-produced introduction, then introduced the dancers, the host is then introduced. The live audience is screaming, and the music is loud and has a good beat, which makes the viewer at home more anxious and excited for the show to begin. There are a few clips from the previous week to refresh the viewer’s memory, a behind-the-scenes look at this weeks performance and then the dancers begin dancing. America’s Got Talent is introduced by Nick Cannon commenting on the previous week’s auditions and then the show is introduced by a computer-animated introduction. Then we saw a brief introduction to the place the auditions are taking place (Portland) and the people auditioning. The viewer gets to see a behind-the-scenes look, with the judges (Howie Mandel, Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan) and the participants. The act is then presented and the people introduce their act. There are many similarities, and the differences mainly depend on the content of the show. Though game shows can be similar in structure, the details of the show completely depend upon the content and type of show. There is typically an introduction of previous episodes and then a recap of the previous week and then the current episode commences.

I think that the predictability of the structure of television these days is a positive thing for the viewer, because it allows them to understand and follow along with the program and gives a degree of comfortableness. In the technologically-driven, fast-paced world we live in today, I think it is important to be able to multi-task, and often becoming too involved in a complex show can turn viewers away. If the viewer is able to comprehend the characters and the plot, the show is, of course, more enticing.

When examining how television shows begin, I would first tell an individual to look at who is introducing the show, how it is being introduced and the audience it is directed at. Use of language and even clothing style can defer or attract viewers. Even the time of day the show is on TV depends on what type of viewers will watch. Most importantly, how the show engages the viewers can be what makes or breaks the amount of people who will watch a program. The host is also a key aspect to the program. A program needs to be warm and inviting, comfortable and familiar, yet exciting and edgy. With those characteristics, a television show can be extremely successful.