12 March 2016

Not a Happy Teacher (HOO)

Here are the test results from the audience pleasures test.


In a test where you knew you were having it, you knew what the questions would be and you had been given the model answers beforehand, this is unforgivable. Very few folk performed anywhere near as well as I would expect (Ellis, Joel & Tom are exceptions). Therefore, we will be having a retest and students who fail to achieve a row of greens this time will retake the exam again and again (in their own time). You can't expect to pass any exam without revising and this is one of the most straightforward exams ever...we know the questions beforehand! Remember, I recommend reading one of the model answers every night or all of the model answers every other night (will take less than 10 minutes). You must also be careful about what you write; "like a fly on the wall" is not a correct answer! Spiderman is like a fly on a wall! Outnumbered is "like a fly-on-the-wall documentary". Also, you must give narrative examples from the series and episodes you identify. You can't just say "series 1, episode 1". What about it? Talk about what happens in that episode; how the content of that episode supports your point.

In an attempt to support you further, here are the answers to this test...again;

Audience Pleasure 1

Q1 Identify : Outnumbered is like a fly-on-the-wall documentary (shares documentary production values) which will appeal to the middle class target audience.

Q2 Explain : It's like a documentary because it uses hand-held camerawork and doesn't follow normal sitcom conventions such as the use of a lighthearted theme tune, the use of canned laughter or the use of catchphrases. The script is also semi-improvised adding to the sense of reality. All of these things provide the audience with a sense of verisimilitude.

Q3 Example : In series 1, episode 1 "The School Run", during an argument between Pete and Ben (father and son) over Ben wanting to take a drill to school, the shaky hand-held camerawork is used to represent the chaos and tension of the real-life situation. 

Audience Pleasure 2

Q4 Identify : Feelings of schadenfreude is another audience pleasure (you must spell this correctly).

Q5 Explain : This is where the audience takes pleasure from the misfortunes of the characters, making the audience feel like better parents or having a less dysfunctional family.

Q6 Example : In series 2, episode 3 "The Old-Fashioned Sunday" the parents attempt to have a family day without watching any television. However, after arguments whilst playing games, the parents give in and they all end up watching television.

Audience Pleasure 3

Q7 Identify : Narrative resolution is another audience pleasure.

Q8 Explain : Every episode can be watched in isolation from the rest of the series as all of the issues raised at the beginning of each episode (disruptions) are resolved by the end of the episode (new equilibrium). There are no cliffhangers, as there are in soap operas, and few ongoing storylines (Sue's Dad's health being an exception).

Q9 Example : In series 5, episode 6, all of the issues are resolved; Karen finds her missing hamster, Sue's argumentative sister leaves and Ben, after suffering from stage fright throughout the episode, eventually performs in public in his school play.

We have also made a video to help you remember the headline scheduling and audience pleasure information for this case study (see post below). However, they are only the headlines and you will need to add more detail.