11.4 Genre studies

Genre studies in TV examines how shows are categorized based on shared traits and conventions. It's crucial for understanding audience expectations, industry practices, and cultural significance. This framework helps analyze patterns and themes across television programming.

Genres shape viewer expectations, guide industry decisions, and provide a common language for critics. They evolve over time, influenced by technology, social changes, and economic factors. Major genres include drama, comedy, reality TV, and news, with hybrid forms emerging.

Definition of genre

• Genre is a classification system that groups TV programs based on shared characteristics, conventions, and viewer expectations
• Categorizing content by genre helps audiences find shows that align with their interests and helps the industry market and target specific demographics
• Understanding genre is crucial in Critical TV Studies as it provides a framework for analyzing the patterns, themes, and cultural significance of television programming

Key elements of genre

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• Genres are defined by recurring elements such as setting (crime dramas often set in gritty urban environments), character types (sitcoms feature exaggerated "stock" characters), and plot structure (mysteries involve a disruption of order followed by a investigation and resolution)
• Visual and auditory codes like lighting, costuming, editing style, and sound design also contribute to genre identity (sci-fi often has futuristic production design and special effects)
• Genres have their own unique storytelling conventions and tropes (romantic comedies often have a "meet-cute" and end with the couple united)

Importance of genre in TV

• Genre shapes viewer expectations by establishing a "contract" between the program and the audience about what kind of content and tone to anticipate
• TV executives and creators use genre to guide development, "greenlighting" shows that fit the network's brand identity and target demographic
• Genre provides a common language and frame of reference for critics and scholars to discuss and interpret television's cultural meanings and impact

History of TV genres

Evolution of genres over time

• Early television borrowed heavily from pre-existing genres in theater, radio, and cinema (vaudeville-inspired variety shows, radio news formats)
• As the television medium matured, genres evolved to take advantage of the unique strengths and limitations of TV (multi-cam sitcoms, serialized dramas)
• Genres continuously evolve and subdivide in response to changing social norms, cultural trends, and industry disruption (the "rural purge" of the 1970s, the rise of reality TV in the 2000s)

Factors influencing genre development

• Technological advancements like color broadcasting, cable transmission, and streaming alter the creative possibilities and economic incentives of genre production
• Sociopolitical movements and cultural shifts open up new genre spaces and recontextualize old ones (social realist sitcoms like All in the Family in the 1970s, Black-cast dramas like Empire in the 2010s)
• Economic factors like budget constraints, advertiser demands, and audience metrics shape which genres get produced and which fall out of favor (the "least objectionable programming" theory, the pivot to prestige genres in the streaming era)

Major TV genres

Drama vs comedy

• Dramas deal with serious subject matter, have continuous serialized storylines, and aim to provoke strong emotions (Breaking Bad, Grey's Anatomy)
• Comedies deal with light-hearted subject matter, have episodic storylines often resetting at the end, and aim to provoke laughter (Friends, The Office)
• Some shows blend genres by incorporating dramatic and comedic elements (Desperate Housewives, Orange Is the New Black)

Reality TV vs scripted content

• Scripted content is fictional programming where the action and dialogue is pre-written and performed by actors (Game of Thrones, The Big Bang Theory)
• Reality TV is non-fiction programming that documenting real people and unscripted situations, though editing creates narrative arcs (Survivor, Keeping Up with the Kardashians)
• Some scripted shows incorporate elements of reality TV like documentary-style camerawork, improvisation, and casting non-actors (Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Hills)

News vs entertainment

• News programming provides factual information and analysis about current events and issues (NBC Nightly News, 60 Minutes)
• Entertainment programming aims to amuse, distract, and provoke emotional responses from the audience (America's Got Talent, Stranger Things)
• Some shows blur the line between news and entertainment by incorporating elements of both (The Daily Show, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver)

Hybrid genres

• Hybrid genres combine elements from multiple genres to create unique viewing experiences that defy easy categorization
• Examples include dramedies that balance humor and pathos (Atlanta, Fleabag), horror-comedies that provoke both laughs and screams (Scream Queens, Santa Clarita Diet)
• Anthology series that change genre, characters and/or storyline each season or episode are another example of genre hybridity (American Horror Story, Black Mirror)

Genre conventions

Visual style of genres

• Genres tend to have distinctive cinematography, editing, lighting, and production design that create a cohesive visual aesthetic
• Sitcoms are typically shot in a three-camera setup on a studio soundstage with bright high-key lighting and a laugh track
• Police procedurals frequently use handheld cameras, dark low-key lighting, and desaturated color grading to create a gritty, immersive feel

Narrative structure in genres

• Genres have characteristic story beats, plot devices, and act breaks that recur across multiple programs
• Mysteries start with a crime, proceed through an investigation full of red herrings and twists, and end with the revelation of the culprit
• Soap operas have sprawling storylines that never fully resolve, rely heavily on cliffhangers and melodramatic plot twists, and avoid definitive happy endings

Character archetypes by genre

• Genres have their own canon of stock characters that fulfill similar narrative functions across multiple programs
• Medical dramas have brilliant but arrogant surgeons, plucky young interns, and "angel of death" patients who impart life lessons
• Teen shows feature sensitive outsiders, mean girl cheerleaders, and brooding bad boys with hearts of gold

Genre and audience

Target demographics for genres

• TV executives use genre to segment their audience by age, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status
• Advertisers covet the 18-49 demographic, so many genres are designed to appeal to this age range (adult animation, music competition reality shows)
• Other genres are designed to target underserved "niche" demographics (BET's Black sitcoms, Telemundo's Spanish-language telenovelas)

Viewer expectations of genres

• Genres constitute an unspoken agreement between creators and viewers about what a show will deliver
• Sitcom viewers expect a series of humorous misunderstandings and verbal sparring matches leading to an inevitable resolution and return to the status quo
• Soap opera viewers expect plot to take precedence over character development or realism, with frequent twists, cliffhangers, and "retconning" of past events

Genre preferences by age and gender

• Different demographic groups display varying affinities for particular genres based on their lived experiences, cultural contexts, and social identities
• Women tend to prefer genres centered on close relationships and emotional storylines (daytime soaps, medical dramas), while men tend to prefer genres involving competition, action, and suspense (Westerns, police procedurals)
• Younger viewers flock to genres featuring characters close to their own age navigating the transition to adulthood (teen dramas, campus comedies), while older viewers prefer genres that take an elegiac or satirical look at aging (The Golden Girls, Grace and Frankie)

Genre and industry

Genre and network branding

• Networks and streaming platforms use genre to create a cohesive brand identity and attract a specific viewership
• HBO built its prestige brand on edgy, award-winning genres like the crime drama (The Sopranos, The Wire) and fantasy epic (Game of Thrones)
• The CW crafts its youth-oriented brand through a mix of supernatural teen dramas (Riverdale, The Vampire Diaries), female-led action shows (Supergirl, Batwoman), and quirky comedies (Jane the Virgin, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend)

Genre trends and cycles

• Genres go through cycles of popularity and decline based on industry trends, audience tastes, and cultural events
• The Western was a dominant genre in the 1950s and 60s but faded in the 70s, while the soap opera reigned in the 80s before giving way to the reality TV boom of the 2000s
• After 9/11, there was a rise in espionage thrillers (24, Alias) and sci-fi allegories for the War on Terror (Battlestar Galactica), while the 2008 financial crisis ushered in a wave of critiques of capitalism (Mr. Robot, Succession)

Economic factors in genre production

• Genres perceived as low-risk and high-reward tend to proliferate as networks attempt to replicate past successes (CSI and Law & Order's many spinoffs, ABC's glut of Shondaland dramas)
• Rising production costs have made certain budget-intensive genres economically unfeasible in today's market (historical epics, space operas), while cheaper-to-produce genres have thrived (game shows, dating competitions)
• Prestige genres like auteur comedies (Atlanta, Master of None) and puzzle-box mysteries (Westworld, Russian Doll) have flourished in the streaming era as platforms compete for buzz and subscriber growth

Genre analysis

Identifying genre elements

• Genre analysis involves breaking down the component parts of a TV program to understand how it fits into a larger genre tradition
• This includes examining the premise and setting, narrative structure and plot devices, visual and auditory style, character types and relationships, and themes and messages
• By identifying the generic "building blocks" of a show, we can see how it adheres to or departs from established genre conventions and why

Comparing genres

• Comparing multiple programs within the same genre allows us to identify the core tropes and conventions that define that genre
• We can track how a genre evolves over time by comparing "touchstone" programs from different eras (I Love Lucy vs All in the Family vs Seinfeld vs 30 Rock)
• Comparing "twin texts" in different genres illuminates how generic elements shape a show's form and meaning (Buffy the Vampire Slayer vs Veronica Mars, The X-Files vs Fringe)

Subverting genre conventions

• Some of the most innovative and memorable TV programs are the ones that subvert or deconstruct established genre tropes
• The Sopranos used its mafia premise to offer a deeper psychological study of American masculinity and suburban ennui, upending the gangster genre
• Stranger Things puts a nostalgic spin on 80s horror tropes, while Black Mirror uses the conventions of dystopian sci-fi to comment on the dark side of modern technology

Genre and cultural meaning

Genres reflecting social issues

• Genres can serve as a barometer for the social and political concerns of their time, with the most popular genres reflecting the anxieties and aspirations of the culture
• The "rural purge" of the 1970s saw socially-conscious sitcoms like All in the Family and The Mary Tyler Moore Show replace "hayseed" comedies like Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies, reflecting a broader cultural shift away from conservatism and toward feminism and social justice
• In the 2010s, the boom in dystopian dramas and superhero shows reflected a sense of helplessness and a desire for saviors in an era of economic strife, political polarization, and ecological catastrophe

Genres shaping cultural perceptions

• Popular genres have the power to shape cultural attitudes and perceptions, normalizing certain ideas and behaviors while rendering others invisible
• The proliferation of forensic crime dramas in the 2000s (CSI, Bones) created the "CSI effect," giving the public an inflated sense of the speed and accuracy of forensic science which had real impacts on jury deliberations
• The superhero genre's focus on larger-than-life saviors with unimpeachable moral authority has been criticized for promoting authoritarian and fascistic ideas

Representation in genres

• Genres are one of the primary lenses through which audiences encounter onscreen representations of gender, race, sexuality, and other facets of identity
• Historically, certain genres were more inclusive than others, with sitcoms and soap operas providing rare opportunities for women and people of color on both sides of the camera
• However, many genres have perpetuated harmful stereotypes and erasures, with women often relegated to passive love interests, queer characters serving as punchlines or villains, and characters of color flattened into tokenistic sidekicks or thugs

Future of TV genres

Emerging genres and subgenres

• As the TV landscape changes, new genres and subgenres are constantly emerging to meet the shifting interests of audiences
• "Sadcoms" like BoJack Horseman and Fleabag blend gallows humor with existential angst to capture a generational mood of despair and detachment
• Interactive genres like Bandersnatch and You vs. Wild use choose-your-own-adventure storytelling to gamify the viewing experience

Impact of streaming on genres

• The rise of streaming has disrupted traditional models of TV genre by severing the link between genre and time slot, allowing for more creative experimentation and niche appeal
• The binge-watching model incentivizes long-form serialized storytelling over episodic narratives, leading to a boom in epic genres like fantasy and prestige drama
• Algorithm-driven recommendations have created new genre categories like "Netflix Original" that unite disparate programs under a single streaming brand

Global influences on genres

• The increasingly globalized nature of the TV industry has led to a cross-pollination of genre influences from around the world
• Non-English language genres like Nordic noir (The Killing), Korean drama (Squid Game), and Japanese anime (Attack on Titan) have broken through to the US mainstream
• American genres are being reinvented through global remakes and co-productions that fuse multiple national traditions (House of Cards, Ugly Betty)