Sitcoms and Soaps Are they real?

Critical Approaches
Content Analysis
For this assignment, I will be looking at the TV Sitcom Absolutely Fabulous. Absolutely
Fabulous, also known as Ab Fab, is a BBC television sitcom created by, written by and
starring Jennifer Saunders. It is based on a 1990 French & Saunders sketch created by
Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French.

The series features Saunders as Edina Monsoon, a

heavy-drinking, drug-abusing PR agent who
spends her time chasing bizarre fads in a
desperate attempt to stay young and "hip". Edina
is joined in her quest by magazine editor Patsy
Stone (played by Joanna Lumley), her best friend
and enabler, whose drug abuse, alcohol
consumption, and promiscuity far eclipse Edina's comparatively mild self-destructive
behaviour.

In this report I will cover the genre, narrative structure and representation of the
characters.

Genre 1
Production Technology
Media products can be made using many different forms, some of these include;

Video
A television programme is a segment of content intended for broadcast on over-the-air, cable
television, or Internet television, other than a commercial, trailer, or any other segment of
content not serving as attraction for viewership. It may be a single production, or more
commonly, a series of related productions (also called a television show).
 The BBC first released Absolutely Fabulous as
a television show. The show has had an
extended and sporadic run. The first three
series were broadcast on the BBC from 1992
to 1995, followed by a series finale in the form of a two-part television film entitled The Last
Shout in 1996. Creator Jennifer Saunders revived the show for a fourth series in 2001.
From 2001 to 2004, two full series were produced.

Film
A film, also called a movie, motion picture, theatrical film or photoplay,
is a series of still images which, when shown on a screen, creates the
illusion of moving images due to the phi phenomenon. This optical
illusion causes the audience to perceive continuous motion between
separate objects viewed rapidly in succession.

In 2016 after the final release of the specials in 2004, Saunders wrote
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie. The ever-glamorous and self-
indulgent Edina and Patsy are now in their 60s; Edina is still running
her PR agency, which is quickly running out of money and interest. The
duo realise that Edina needs a miracle to save her PR company and
renew her reputation.

Audio
N/A

Print
N/A

Digital
There are many different digital platforms that allow a user to stream/download e.g. Netflix
and Now TV. As Absolutely Fabulous is no longer shown on the TV Netflix has put all of the
series up on their website for people to subscribe and watch it. Netflix is an American
entertainment company founded by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph on August 29, 1997,
in Scotts Valley, California. It specializes in and provides streaming media and video-on-
 demand online and DVD by
mail. In 2013, Netflix
expanded into film and
television production, as well
as online distribution.

Distribution Method
Media can be distributed in many different ways such as television, cinema and radio.

Television
Most TV shows are distributed through television
itself. A television programme is a segment of
content intended for broadcast on over-the-air, cable
television, or Internet television, other than a
commercial, trailer, or any other segment of content
not serving as attraction for viewership. It may be a
single production, or more commonly, a series of
related productions (also called a television show).

Absolutely Fabulous was originally a TV show on the BBC.

Cinema
A movie theater or movie theatre (also called a cinema)
is a building that contains an auditorium for viewing
films (also called movies or cinemas), for entertainment.
A film is a series of still images which, when shown on a
screen, creates the illusion of moving images due to the
phi phenomenon. This optical illusion causes the
audience to perceive continuous motion between separate objects viewed rapidly in
succession.

Absolutely Fabulous was written into a movie in 2016 and was released in June. The ever-
glamorous and self-indulgent Edina and Patsy are now in their 60s; Edina is still running
her PR agency, which is quickly running out of money and interest. The duo realise that
Edina needs a miracle to save her PR company and renew her reputation.
Radio
N/A

Internet
N/A

CD
N/A

iPod
N/A Except if considered with any video streaming app like Netflix or Now TV, where the
user may be able to watch Absolutely Fabulous if its on there.

Mobile
N/A Only applicable if talking about streaming apps.

Phone/Devices
N/A Only applicable if talking about streaming apps.

Home Computer
Computers can access a lot of different video streaming websites. Websites like Netflix that
people can watch Absolutely Fabulous on.

Hand-held Consoles
N/A
Genre 2
Generic Codes and Conventions
These are the accepted or standard ways of producing products within a certain genre.
Codes and conventions are concerned with things such as content and style, what certain
things mean to different people from different backgrounds and technical codes such as the
use of lighting and camera angles.

Content
The content of a product is based on
its narrative structure, which is the
story being told or the point being
made. This has a huge effect on the
content as it has to convey what you
are trying to represent. If you choose
arbitrary content that does not fully
relate to the narrative, you are likely
to confuse and lose your audience.

As this show is a sitcom it has lots of jokes and funny moments. Absolutely Fabulous has
sometimes been criticized for being too harsh with some of their jokes and puns as they may
offend their audience.

Style
The style of a sitcom is how it has been designed, what
kind of theme it goes for and how the costumes look.

As the characters within this show work in the fashion

industry there clothes are very fashion forward and
quirky as you can see in the example. The opening
theme to this show has many different colours coming
on and off the screen.
Symbolic
Symbolic codes are codes that can be decoded on a mainly connotational level - all the
things which draw upon our experience and understanding of other media texts, our
cultural frame of reference.

Cultural
Cultural codes are codes that are used by, and understood by, members of a particular
culture e.g. Scottish people, Punk Rockers, Christians, the Police, criminals. Cultural codes
can be found in what people
wear, how they speak, their
mannerisms, vehicles, buildings,
colours, background sounds,
music, flags, symbols and many
other things.

In Ab Fab, the clothes worn are

very posh and fashionable
therefore it appeals to most
people.

Technical
Technical codes are codes that are created
by the technology of the medium. In film,
there are technical codes in the use of
camera, lighting, editing and sound.

Ab Fab is mainly set inside the main

characters house, but the cast do travel all
over London and the world throughout the
series.

Changes over Time

As time goes by, audiences change. For example, there could be ideological shifts as a result
of cultural and economic change which will result in a change in what is acceptable or
thought of as interesting, relevant or funny.
Absolutely Fabulous didnt really change over the years it was released as it always had
great reviews.

In Audience
Over time audiences can change depending on the situation.

In Ab Fabs case, the audience have grown up watching it and they have now realesed a film
where the characters
are all grown up. For
example the
granddaughter
within the show was
a baby in the last
series of the show
but in the film
released in 2016
shes a teenager.

Ideological Shifts
An ideological shifts is a shift as a result of cultural and economic change which will result
in a change in what is acceptable or thought of as interesting, relevant or funny.

This happened between the last series of Ab Fab and the 2016 movie as people had become
too uptight with their humour so some of the jokes had a different style then the original
show.

Re-Definition
N/A Re-definition is the action or process of defining something again or differently.

Obsolescence
N/A - Obsolescence is the state of being which occurs when an object, service, or practice is
no longer wanted even though it may still be in good working order. Obsolescence frequently
occurs because a replacement has become available that has, in sum, more advantages
compared to the disadvantages incurred by maintaining or repairing the original.
Spoof / Parody
N/A - A parody film is a subgenre of the comedy film that parodies
other film genres or films as pastiches, works created by imitation of
the style of many different films reassembled together. Although
critics often overlook the subgenre, parody films are commonly
profitable at the box office.

Pastiche
N/A - A pastiche is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, or music that imitates the style
or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche celebrates,
rather than mocks, the work it imitates.

Narrative Structure
Single Strand
N/A - A single strand is a story that has one central character or hero acting in a single plot
while surrounded by a group of minor characters; you're encountering a narrative that has
a single strand.

Multi-strand
N/A - A multi-strand narrative is a story
that tells two or more stories alongside
each other. These stories can often cross
over each other or offer an alternative
reality.
Closed
A closed narrative is a story that has a clear start and end. The story will not carry on once
it reaches the end.

This applies to Ab Fab as each episode has a different story that has a start and end.

Open
N/A - Open narratives usually have many characters and no foreseeable ending. a good
example of Open narrative is Soap Operas, such as EastEnders and Holly Oaks. They're
usually multi-stranded and in Chronological order or 'Real-Time'.

Linear and Non-Linear

A linear narrative is a storyline that
has a beginning, middle and end. Very
simple.

Ab Fab has a linear narrative

throughout each of its episodes.

Non-Linear is the opposite to linear,

uses Flashbacks, Rewinds, Re-Plays, non-chronological ordering and can also have no
ending to it, perhaps left on a cliff hanger.

Alternative Narrative
Films with Realistic Narratives generally favour episodic stories, which means stories that
move along from one episode to the next, in no particular order, almost like a slice of life.
As audiences, we only get to see a part of a main characters experiences, but we generally
learn enough about the character to identify and sympathize with him or her.

Audiences who are most familiar with action lms or lms that move along at a quick pace
are often disappointed by Realistic Narratives. Generally, this is because it takes time for
the main storyline to emerge. As well, these movies avoid clichs, stock characters and
situations, simple melodrama, romantic ideas of Destiny and Fate, and happy, expected
endings. Because of this, audiences often have to work harder to enjoy Realistic Narratives,
and many movie-goers simply arent prepared for this when they head out to the theatre.
Unlike Realistic
Narrative,
Formalist
Narratives
generally make it
very clear to
audiences that we
are watching a
made-up story,
which the director
can play with in
any way he or she likes. They tend to use the narrative structure to highlight themes the
director feels are important by stylizing, exaggerating, or distorting particular elements in
ways that convey the articiality of the lm experience.

Enigma
These are codes that limit the audience to
information, it lets them have to figure what is
going off in the story. They have to figure out the
puzzle, things the audience should think about
are who, what, when, where, how?

Climax
The climax or turning point of a narrative work is its point of highest tension and drama, or
it is the time when the action starts during which the solution is given.

Equilibrium
An Equilibrium narrative is where the story will start of normal, then during the middle
something will change or go wrong, then by the end of the story everything has gone back to
normal.
Representation
Positive and Negative
Representations can be both positive and negative. A
positive representation shows things in a way that make
the audience feel inclined towards them, whereas a
negative representation can depict an individual, social
group or even social issues in a bad light. How these
representations are used will depend on the viewpoint of
the person producing the text and what they want the
audience to believe.

Stereotyping
Stereotyping is an effective means of representing characters as it is linked to the way a
society tends to see groups or individuals and allows us to catagorise people according to
their tastes, consumption, age, gender, and way of dressing and so on, as previously
outlined.

Presence and Absence

Presence and absence relates to the
characters and how they actually fit into the
story. For example a character may be in the
first 2 episodes but then not be seen again
until 4 episodes later.

In Ab Fab this only really relates to

the minor characters within the story as
the show focuses around the main
characters.