British TV Drama
For the topic of Television, you will study the evolution of British TV drama from the 1960s to our days. Your cases of study will be the 1960s ITV drama The Avengers, and the 2015 BBC TV drama Cuffs (examination on 2024) or Vigil (examination on 2025).
Exam paper example
- You can find an example of Paper 1_Television and promoting media in the link below.
- Read questions 1 to 5 (Section A: Television). This will help you to identify the type of questions you may be asked, and how many marks are each one of them worth.
- Included in this document you can also find the mark scheme for this paper. This will help you to self-assess this practice paper once you attempt to answer its questions as well as help you to understand what content you may include in your answers.
- The last document is an example of different answers for this paper marked by the examiner, so you can see how a top marks answer looks like.
December 2018 exam example
In the documents attached below you can find the December 2018 exam with its marking scheme, so you can see what the examiner will be looking for in your answers. Please read the questions and the marking scheme and use this example paper when working on your exam preparation.
June 2019 exam and example answers
In the documents attached below you can find the June 2019 exam with example answers which have been marked by the examiner, so you can see how a top marks answer looks like, as well as the examiner’s comments and report, so you can see what the examiner will be looking for in your answers. Please read the questions and the answers and refer to these examples when working on your exam preparation tasks.
November 2020 exam example
November 2021 exam example
June 2022 exam example
British TV Drama fact sheet
Task:
- Read the fact sheet attached below.
- Highlight the main facts and relevant information about the topic (TV industry and audience).
- Take notes on the highlighted facts and relevant information.
- Answer the exam style questions in the presentation below.
British TV Drama: Cuffs_Luck of the Draw (Season 1. Episode 1. 2015)
British TV Drama: Vigil_(Season 1. Episode 1. 2021)
Watch the episode here
From the creators of the acclaimed Line of Duty, Vigil investigates the mysterious disappearance of a Scottish fishing trawler and a death on-board the submarine HMS Vigil, which bring the police into conflict with the Navy and British security services. Emmy nominee Stephen Dillane (Stannis in Game of Thrones) leads a stellar cast.
When a crew member is found dead onboard the Trident nuclear submarine HMS Vigil, the Scottish Police are called on to investigate. The catch? The UK’s nuclear deterrent must remain effective, so the submarine stays on patrol and Detective Chief Inspector Amy Silva must go aboard to investigate.
Although the death has been written off as an accidental overdose, Amy suspects foul play. But the crew close ranks in the face of Amy’s questioning, and a new threat overshadows her inquiry.
Question 1:
L.O.: To understand the use of audio-visual media language in British TV drama.
- Watch the opening sequence of Cuffs/Vigil episode 1 (from min. 0:00 to min. 3:30) in the video above.
- Answer these questions on a Word document and save it in your student work folder:
- Task 1: Analyse how camerawork is used to create meaning (How are camera shots, camera angles, and camera movements used to tell the story in this sequence?). Refer to at least two examples from the extract in your answer.
- Task 2: Analyse how sound is used to create meaning (How is diegetic and non-diegetic sound used to tell the story in this sequence?). Refer to at least two examples from the extract in your answer.
- Task 3: Analyse how mise-en-scene is used to create meaning (How are the different elements of mise-en-scene used to tell the story in this sequence?). Refer to at least two examples from the extract in your answer. You can use these questions as examples of use of mise-en-scene:
- How is location used to introduce the time and place of the narrative? What is the location of the narrative? What camera shot, camera angle and camera movements are used to present the location?
- How is lighting used to create a mood in the different scenes in the opening sequence? What is the correlation between the location and the light used in the scene?
- What props are used in the opening sequence?
- How are costumes used to introduce the characters? What different characters are presented in the opening sequence?
- How is voice, tone, and body language used by the actors to create a psychological portrait of their characters?
Question 2:
L.O.: To explain how the use of audiovisual media language helps to create a narrative.
- Watch the opening sequence of Cuffs/Vigil episode 1.
- Answer these questions:
Task 1: Analyse how far the extract from Cuffs depicts the police’s point of view rather than the criminals’ point of view. In your answer you must:
- analyse aspects of the extract using examples to support your analysis
- judge how far these aspects depict the police’s point of view.
Some of the examples that you can use and MUST explain in your answer are:
- Who is/are the hero/heroes?
- Who is/are the villain/villains?
- According to Vladimir Propp’s narrative theory, who are the archetypal characters in this story?
- What are the binary opposites in this story?
- How is audio-visual media language used to tell all this? Provide as many examples as you can (camera work, sound, mise-en-scene, editing)
- Who is/are the protagonist/sin this story?
- Therefore, from whose point of view is the story being told?
Task 2: Analyse how far the extract creates a humorous view of policing. In your answer you must:
- analyse aspects of the extract using examples to support your analysis.
- make judgements and draw conclusions about how far these aspects create a humorous view of policing.
Task 3: Analyse how far the extract above creates suspense. In your answer you must:
- analyse aspects of the extract using examples to support your analysis.
- make judgements and draw conclusions about how far these aspects create suspense.
Task 4: Watch the extract above and answer this question:
Analyse the representations of race, gender and sexuality in Cuffs. In your answer you must:
- analyse aspects of the extract using examples to support your analysis.
- make judgements and draw conclusions about how far these aspects create a representation of diversity in the British police force.
British TV Drama: The Avengers_The Town of No Return (Season 4. Episode 1. 1965) Year 11
Watch The Avengers_The Town of No Return online
(Other episodes also available here)
British TV Drama: The Avengers_The Gravediggers (Season 4. Episode 8. 1965) Year 10
Task 1: This task looks at aspects of representation of gender roles in the 1960s TV series The Avengers. You will be expected to explain how audio-visual media language is used to represent people (in this case, how audio-visual media language is used to represent different genders) and atract a specific audience.
In order to help you to identify traditional female gender stereotypes, you can look at your task for Lesson 3 Stereotypes, or visit Lesson 3 Stereotypes (Slide 11) in the subject’s website: https://gcsemediastudieswlp.wordpress.com/representation/
- Watch the clip (for your case of study) above.
- Make your own list of female gender stereotypes and a list of ideas on how the extract challenges those stereotypes using the attached grid below:
Now, using your notes, answer this question in a Word document: Explain in a word document how far does the extract challenge traditional representations of gender in order to reach a 1960s television audience?
In your answer you must:
- analyse the extract’s use of gender representations.
- make judgements and draw conclusions about how far the extract challenges or conforms to traditional representations of gender including stereotypes.
Task 2: This task is very similar to the previous lesson one, but this time you will have to look at how male gender stereotypes are challenged in the extract of The Avengers above (different scene/sequence).
In your answer, you will have to talk about how audio-visual media language (camera work, editing, sound and mise-en-scene) is used to construct a counter typical representation of both male and female genders. You can use the notes on stereotypes on female gender from your previous task and you will have to make a new list of stereotypes and countertypes on male gender representation using the video above as an example (use the attached grid)
In order to help you to identify traditional male gender stereotypes, you can look at your task for Lesson 3 Stereotypes, or visit Lesson 3 Stereotypes (Slide 11) in the subject’s website:https://gcsemediastudieswlp.wordpress.com/representation/
In this question you will be expected to explain how audio-visual media language is used to represent people, in this case, how audio-visual media language is used to represent different genders (both male and female).
This task looks at aspects of representation of gender roles in the 1960s TV series The Avengers.
- Watch the clip above: The Avengers. Season 4, Episode 01. The Town of No Return (Scene 2) ITV2 October 1965
- Make your own list of male gender stereotypes and a list of ideas on how the extract challenges those male stereotypes in the attached grid below:
Now, using your notes, answer this question in a Word document: Explain how far does the extract challenge traditional representations of gender in order to reach a 1960s television audience?
In your answer you must:
- analyse the extract’s use of gender representations (both male and female).
- make judgements and draw conclusions about how far the extract challenges or conforms to traditional representations of gender including stereotypes.
(As an example, you can use the following dialogue taking place in this scene:
John Steed: [during the friendly bout of fencing] We ought to get away… Down to the coast for a while.
Emma Peel: We? [she turns round and Steeds slaps her on the behind with his sword]
John Steed: [they resume their swordfight] Why not? We can build sandcastles together.
Emma Peel: I refuse to carry your bucket and spade.)
Q.: What do you think that Emma Peel means with this sentence?
Using as case of study the episode of the 1960s TV series The Avengers The Town of No Return, and the pilot episode of the 2015 TV series Cuffs, complete the following tasks:
Task 1: How far do Cuffs and The Avengers try to create a sense that it is portraying ‘real life’? In your answer you must:
- analyse aspects of the episodes you have watched, giving detailed examples.
- judge how far these aspects create a sense of watching ‘real life’.
Task 2: How far do Cuffs and The Avengers adapt police drama genre conventions to fit its family target audience? In your answer you must:
- analyse and compare the use of genre conventions.
- make judgements and draw conclusions about how far the series adapt the conventions of police drama to fit audience.
Tips to answer this question:
- Think about the target audience for Cuffs and The Avengers and how the narrative and content of these two series is appropriate for that target audience.
- Make a list of similarities and differences in the way these two series use conventions of the police drama genre.
- Explain how they are similar and how they are different at the same time, but both are aimed at the same target audience.
British TV Drama. Exam style questions
The links in the PowerPoint presentations below are the same as the videos above. Just watch the videos embedded in this website and answer the questions in the presentation.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
In combination with the resources published by the exam board (fact sheets), we will be using the following textbook, published by Hodder. Copies are available at the Learning Resources Centre and classroom, but you are recommended to buy your own one for your personal use:
Aaron French, Eileen Lewis, Michael Rodgers, Rebecca Morris. My Revision Notes: OCR GCSE (9–1) Media Studies. Hodder education. 2018.
GCSE OCR Media Studies (specification code: J200) 