My Favourite TV Dramas

 CSI


One of my favourite TV dramas is CSI: Crime Scene Investigation which started in 2000, it is based around the lives of forensic scientists who solve criminal cases that are tagged unsolvable. It mixes drama with it's characters with the mystery of the cases as they unravel the truth. Rather than using the "whodunit" formula they explore how the crimes were committed using cutting edge new technology. It has been the number one scripted series in the Nielsen ratings (the audience measuring system used in the United States) it has also been the world's most watched show since 2007. The show has also been so successful it has spawned two spinoff shows: CSI: Miami which started in 2002 and CSI: New York which started in 2004.
    
 The characters are the audiences way of viewing the solving of the cases the characters are:

• Grissom- the head of the crime lab, to many of the characters he is seen as a mentor rather than a boss, he teaches them techniques they can use in their investigations, he is romantically involved with Sara but it is not revealed until the season 7 finale. The character of Grissom is often compared to Sherlock Holmes as he is more concerned with the matter of logic rather than action and he also has a "Moriarty" type of nemisis.

•  Catherine Willows- the supervisor to Grissom, she is portrayed as a strong independent woman as she is recently divorced and loves her career and wants to make a name for herself. The character actually breaks many conventions which is true of all the characters in CSI, as she is not helpless, she is very intellegent also.

• Warrick Brown- an audio/video analyst, warrick is seen as Grissom's favourite as he is always looking out for him and teaching him many life lessons as he has a past as a gambler.

• Nick Stokes- level 3 CSI, nick is also looked after by Grissom, in season 5 he is taken hostage and buried alive, he is a intellegent ladies man, he is often known for his many relationships but his loyalty lies with the team. Nick fits the sterotype of the tough guy who is also first into dangerous situations.

• Sara Sidle- a material and element analyst, Sara was transfered over to the team in the second episode of the first season when a fellow CSI was killed while working, Sara became a perminent member since. Sara fits into the sterotype of the romantic interest as she is portrayed as quite flirtatious but caring

• Captain Jim Brass- a police officer who assists by gaining warrants, he was once in charge of the CSI unit but lost the job and it went to Grissom. The character is portrayed as being stern, serious and ambitious to catch the criminals, he fits the conventions of the boss figure as he commands the team and helps them with the invesigations.

I like this show as i like the element of mystery as the case is solved and you are able to keep guessing who the culprit is i also like how the show deals with personal issues with the characters.



 The Walking Dead

 The walking dead is an American drama TV series based on the comic book series of the same name. It tells the story of a group of survivors of a zombie apocalypse. It shows the post - apocalyptic world as the survivors try to find shelter and cure the population. The show stars Andrew Lincoln as the show's main character sheriff Rick Grimes who awakens from a coma into the zombie ridden world. He returns to his family and swears to keep them and a band of survivors safe as he is elected leader of the pact. The show has been well received by critics and audiences. It is filmed in the style of a horror and adds drama and suspence aswell as action.
I like this show as it creates an apocalyptic world and deals with a topic that is very overused but actually makes it feel fresh.
                                            Characters and representations:

Rick Grimes- he is the leader of the group, he is sterotypically a tough guy who can lead the survivours out of any situation with ease and confidence. He meets the main conventions of the hero/survivor in the horror genre as he is the only one willing to lead everyone and has experience with action/conflict.






 T-Dog- he is one of the survivors in the group led by Rick, the character fits many sterotypes and conventions but later contrasts many of them. He is sterotype as enjoying rap and dressing as a "gangster", his dialogue is also sterotyped as he speaks using slang. In the first season he is represented as not being very heroic but more of a coward and seen as a coward. But during season 2&3 he breaks the conventions as he becomes a major character and seen as a leader figure even questioning Rick's abilities one major convention he had broken in the horror genre was that he survived longer than most characters who are white, as in the horror genre the black character usually dies very early on.

 This Is England 86/88

This is Englad tv series is a spin off from the original TIE movie, it is set three years after the movie and the story is takes place during the 1986 fifa world cup. The show revolves around a group of teenagers and shows their lives as they are grwoing up and their relationships. The
shows main character is : 

• Shaun- he is completing his last exam of his time in high school and his friends who are around 3 years older than him are Woody, Lol, Smell, Gadget and Meggy. All these characters feature in the movie which revolves around the skinhead culture and deals with topics such as racism. 

The show had caused some controversy as it showed one of the shows characters being raped it provoked stron reactions from audiences who found the scene hard to watch.
I like this show as it blends drama (sometimes in extreme cases) with the political and real issues. I also like it because i like the characters as they seem like a normal group of friends but with issues.