TV DRAMAS

The reason why tv dramas are so popular is because its a type of genre that many people can relate to because the story plots are very realistic and represent normal aspects and problems of day to day life. It is done in a multilayered format so the plot is ever changing and this is what makes them very addictive to watch. Examples of popular British tv dramas are Eastenders, Skins, Coronation Street, The Bill and Casualty.

I believe that the most common theme that is represented through British tv drama is relationships between people. It emphesises the fact that Britain has a very poor standard of couples trying to keep a relationship going for a long period of time. There is constant cheating, mainly with young characters, and couples mearly last a few episodes until they break up or cheat on eachother. Only the older generation with people over the age of 50 have managed to keep their relationships and marages going possibly due to the fact that in their time the culture was very different compared to the younger generation of today. The topic about sex and relationships keeps viewers very intruiged and wanting to know what happens next, even thought no sexual scenes are shown, otherwise the shows wont be allowed during prime time. However, because dramas are aimed people aged 16 and over who are fully aware of these topics, they would understand what would be happening even if they didnt know the exact details. Especially in programs such as Hollyoaks where the symbol of sexual nature is displayed in the logo with an arrow and a cross in the two O's.

But the main reasons why British television drama is so entertaining and watched by so many people is due to the fact that it represents the problems of day to day life. It specifically shows mainly the lives of lower to middle class people because thats what the majority of Britain is, and this would mean the media institution who creates the Drama would have a larger target audience. But also, the extremely high, professional level of acting must be considered when looking at the entertaining experience of British drama. Many emotions can be displayed through the actors body language and facial expressions alone, triggering emotions from joy to sadness within the viewer.