Factual TV and Genre

 Warm-up task:

Have a look at the Radio Times and try to decide which programmes you think can be classed as factual TV.  Look what is on at different times of the day and see how factual programming changes. 

What is factual TV and why is there so much of it?

Factual TV programming is a broad category that covers everything from news, documentary, educational, magazine shows, discussion, review, chat show, sports programming, reality TV, and even many 'shiny floor' formats.  They provide many attractive formats for TV companies because they can cater to a wide range of audiences, are often significantly cheaper to produce than original drama, and work on easily repeatable formulas that can run for numerous series!  

Examples of factual TV:

1) Escape to the Country (BBC, 3pm Weekdays) , Genre: Homes & Gardens.  

2) Love Island (ITV, daily 10pm or later), Genre: Dating/Reality TV

3) Blue Peter (BBC, 5.30pm ), Genre, Magazine Show

4) Bondi Rescue  (CBS reality UK 5.50am/9 Network Aus 3pm), Genre:  Health & Welbeing?/ Docu-drama

What are the conventions of Factual TV?

Factual TV comes in all shapes and sizes and employs a wide variety of film and TV techniques.  There are however a number of technical codes that reoccur including: 

• Piece to camera
• Interviews 
• Actuality footage
• Fly on the wall
• B Reel
• Studio setups and links 
• Product shots 
• Graphics and animations

TASK: 

Identify your own examples of factual TV shows. Post your examples to your blog on a page entitled Factual TV Genres.  Try to answer the following questions for each of your examples - you can use the grid to help you if you like:

What factual TV characteristics & technical conventions can you spot?

What are the genre-specific characteristics and conventions?

What does the scheduling tell you about target audience?

HOMEWORK:

Complete notes on at least three other examples (You can use the grid)