Channel/Platform research
BBC Three
"The BBC Three audience responds to shows with a bold premise, real energy and plenty of humour. Successful comedies present the world from a distinctive but relatable point of view."
(BBC Three, s.d).
As an online platform, BBC Three is focused on making comedy which is relatable to young people's lives and their ambitions, with stories told from a youthful point of view (BBC Three, s.d). These stories deal with experiences and characters which are recognisable to young people, but are handled by the writer(s) in a new, experimental way (BBC Three, s.d).
Existing content:
Siblings
The target audience is young people 20-30, since storylines deal with issues which they can relate to. For example, in the pilot episode, Hannah is shown as a working woman who has to deal with getting a new boss, while her brother, Dan, is jobless and bored. Hannah has to prove herself to the new boss, while Dan has to try and find something worthwhile to do whilst searching for another job. These stories could be relatable to young people of 20-30, because at this age, young people are entering the world of work after school or university, and could struggle proving themselves to employers due to lack of experience, similar to Dan and Hannah.
These storylines merge in the middle of the episode, when Hannah lies to her boss about Dan being in a wheelchair in order to relate to her since she has heard her son is in a wheelchair. In this way, Hannah tries to prove herself to her boss, by using the lie about Dan to try and connect with her. However, this gets out of hand when Dan makes good friends with Hannah's boss' son, and ends up playing a wheelchair basketball match where he jumps out of his wheelchair when the team wins.
Neither Hannah nor Dan really change during the course of the episode, but it shows how co-dependant they are and how this can often be their downfall.
Can't Cope, Won't Cope
Fig. 1 Can't Cope, Won't Cope (2016)
This is seen to be the target audience of the show, since stories deal specifically with relationships in adulthood, primarily the women's relationships with men, but also how adulthood is destroying their relationship as friends, since to cope with their relationship problems, the two women are seen encouraging each other to drink alcohol.To show Dublin the series is filmed on location so it is pre-recorded. Therefore, the show is more like a drama than a sitcom. This affects the storylines in that the characters do change, especially since they move locations.
For example, in one episode, one of the women decides to leave Dublin and is seen pulling away from the station in a train. She is joined by the other woman and they decide to leave together, providing a cliffhanger since viewers are left unsure where they will end up, and what will happen to them next in consequence.
Netflix
Netflix's guidelines mainly consist of information regarding subtitles and dubbing since many of their original programmes are distributed worldwide - yet Netflix requires all programmes have no commercial breaks since they are not part of a channel, therefore there are also no bars and tones or branding logos during any of the shows (Netflix, 2018).
Existing content:
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
"Life beats you up. You can either curl up in a ball and die, or you can stand up and say we’re different. And you can’t break us!”
(Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, 2015 ).
A cult makes Kimmy believe the world has been destroyed by an apocalypse until she is saved and has to learn how to navigate 21st century New York. Therefore, storylines focus on Kimmy, and her positivity and determination. Thus, the humour is quirky, and stories can often deal with 21st century issues, such as feminism.
The series is targeted towards young women 16-30, who can relate to Kimmy as she goes out into the world on her own for the first time and learns to survive. There are typically several storylines per episode, focusing on multiple characters, since the series has an ensemble cast, despite Kimmy being the main character.
Since the show's main location is New York, it is filmed on location, and episodes often take place in many locations, for example in the pilot episode there is a montage when Kimmy first arrives in New York to show her excitement. Music over the scene also helps to show this, making the series more like a film than a play, even though it is filmed with multiple cameras, similar to studio sitcoms (see fig. 2). However, there is no laughter as there is no studio audience.
Fig. 2 IMDb: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2018)
Alexa & Katie
“There are certain times in your life when you really need a friend. But I got something even better. I got a Katie.”
(Alexa & Katie, 2018).
Alexa is helped by her best friend, Katie, as she battles, and beats, cancer. Although this can mean the show has serious moments, it is aimed at young girls 5-12, therefore the storylines are always light-hearted. The two main characters deal with problems which are relatable to this audience, such as starting a new school, and dealing with a mean girl.
Even though the show is filmed in a studio - it is filmed with multiple cameras, the studio audience can be heard laughing and reacting, and the scenes are short - it does incorporate elements from drama. For example, at the beginning and ending of each episode, Alexa speaks directly to the audience through voice-over, as she looks back on this time in her life, giving the audience a guide, and someone to connect to. Music is also used during and between scenes, especially when building establishers are shown.
Although there are often over ten characters in one episode, storylines focus on the challenges Alexa and Katie are facing together. For example, during the pilot episode, Alexa starts losing her hair, just as her and Katie are about to start high school. Therefore, at the end of the episode, both girls decide to shave their hair, creating a funny moment which sets up the premise for the rest of the series.
Thus, it can be seen that Alexa and Katie support and help each other as best friends, meaning moments at the ends of episodes are typically heartfelt and sentimental. These emotions are heightened by the music during scenes, further showing that Alexa is looking back.
Even though the show is filmed in a studio - it is filmed with multiple cameras, the studio audience can be heard laughing and reacting, and the scenes are short - it does incorporate elements from drama. For example, at the beginning and ending of each episode, Alexa speaks directly to the audience through voice-over, as she looks back on this time in her life, giving the audience a guide, and someone to connect to. Music is also used during and between scenes, especially when building establishers are shown.
Although there are often over ten characters in one episode, storylines focus on the challenges Alexa and Katie are facing together. For example, during the pilot episode, Alexa starts losing her hair, just as her and Katie are about to start high school. Therefore, at the end of the episode, both girls decide to shave their hair, creating a funny moment which sets up the premise for the rest of the series.
Thus, it can be seen that Alexa and Katie support and help each other as best friends, meaning moments at the ends of episodes are typically heartfelt and sentimental. These emotions are heightened by the music during scenes, further showing that Alexa is looking back.
Grace and Frankie
"I don't want to face my remaining years alone. I'm just like you. But with a better personality"
(Grace and Frankie, 2015).
Grace and Frankie's plans for retirement are interrupted when their husbands leave them - for each other. Therefore, storylines focus on the two main characters as they discover that they are better together, and in fact, need a friend to lean on as they go through divorce, despite there being an ensemble cast, including Grace and Frankie's adult children and their friends.
The humour is mostly ironic and works to create conflict between the two women, mainly because they are opposites. This type of humour fits the show since it is filmed more like a drama, on location with a single camera and no laugh track.
However, the characters don't change much. Grace and Frankie do become closer, yet they still annoy each other because they remain opposites. But, the show focuses on how they support each other, as they try and adjust to being stuck with one another, creating a sense of community overall.
The humour is mostly ironic and works to create conflict between the two women, mainly because they are opposites. This type of humour fits the show since it is filmed more like a drama, on location with a single camera and no laugh track.
However, the characters don't change much. Grace and Frankie do become closer, yet they still annoy each other because they remain opposites. But, the show focuses on how they support each other, as they try and adjust to being stuck with one another, creating a sense of community overall.
Target audience
I decided that the best platform for Jackie & Adelaide would be Netflix. This is because, although BBC Three has sitcoms which focus on duos, both co-dependent and women, they are not as focused as telling stories which focus on women and their relationship as friends when compared to Netflix and their sitcoms with female duos (Griffiths, 2016).
Netflix also has a gap in the market. Alexa & Katie is aimed at girls 5-12, as the two main characters deal with growing up and starting high school, and Grace and Frankie is aimed at women 45+, with the two main characters dealing with retirement and growing older. However, although there is Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt aimed at this audience, there isn't a Netflix sitcom with a female duo aimed at women 16-35.
Therefore, Jackie & Adelaide could fill this gap, since they deal with issues which are relatable to this audience, such as being fresh out of university and starting their dream career, or struggling to get to their dream and having to compromise, which are different from the issues faced by Netflix's other sitcom female duos.
More young people of this age are watching Netflix per week than broadcasters such as the BBC, including platforms such as BBC iPlayer (Sweney, 2018). Research has also shown that audience members from age 16-34 watch more non-broadcast content than broadcast content (Ofcom, 2018). Therefore, Netflix would also be the best platform to ensure the show reaches its target audience.
Netflix also has a gap in the market. Alexa & Katie is aimed at girls 5-12, as the two main characters deal with growing up and starting high school, and Grace and Frankie is aimed at women 45+, with the two main characters dealing with retirement and growing older. However, although there is Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt aimed at this audience, there isn't a Netflix sitcom with a female duo aimed at women 16-35.
Therefore, Jackie & Adelaide could fill this gap, since they deal with issues which are relatable to this audience, such as being fresh out of university and starting their dream career, or struggling to get to their dream and having to compromise, which are different from the issues faced by Netflix's other sitcom female duos.
More young people of this age are watching Netflix per week than broadcasters such as the BBC, including platforms such as BBC iPlayer (Sweney, 2018). Research has also shown that audience members from age 16-34 watch more non-broadcast content than broadcast content (Ofcom, 2018). Therefore, Netflix would also be the best platform to ensure the show reaches its target audience.
List of illustrations
Figure 1. Can't Cope, Won't Cope (2016) [television programme online] BBC iPlayer. At: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p050mrr1 (Accessed on 2 February 2019).
Figure 2. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2018) [IMDb webpage] At: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3339966/mediaviewer/rm3696783616 (Accessed on 2 February 2019).
References
Alexa & Katie (2018) [television programme online] Netflix. At: https://www.netflix.com/browse?jbv=80174285&jbp=6&jbr=3 (Accessed on 2 February 2019).
BBC Three (s.d) Comedy commissioning on BBC Three. At: https://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/tv/articles/comedy-bbc-three (Accessed on 2 February 2019).
Grace and Frankie (2015) [television programme online] Netflix. At: https://www.netflix.com/title/80017537 (Accessed on 2 February 2019).
Grace and Frankie (2015) [television programme online] Netflix. At: https://www.netflix.com/title/80017537 (Accessed on 2 February 2019).
Griffiths, E. (2016) ‘How Netflix is leading the way with feminist TV.’ In: the f word. [online] At: https://thefword.org.uk/2016/06/netflix/ (Accessed on 2 February 2019)
Netflix (2018) Netflix Originals Delivery Specifications version OC-3-1. At: https://partnerhelp.netflixstudios.com/hc/en-us/articles/214806618-Netflix-Originals-Delivery-Specifications-v3-1 (Accessed on 2 February 2019)
Netflix (2018) Netflix Originals Delivery Specifications version OC-3-1. At: https://partnerhelp.netflixstudios.com/hc/en-us/articles/214806618-Netflix-Originals-Delivery-Specifications-v3-1 (Accessed on 2 February 2019)
Ofcom (2018) TV streaming services overtake pay TV for first time At: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2018/streaming-overtakes-pay-tv (Accessed on 2 February 2019)
Sweney, M. (2018) ‘Younger viewers now watch Netflix more than the BBC, says corporation.’ In: The Guardian [online] At: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/mar/28/bbc-younger-viewers-now-watch-netflix-more-on-demand (Accessed on 2 February 2019)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015) [television programme online] Netflix. At: https://www.netflix.com/browse?jbv=80025384&jbp=1&jbr=3 (Accessed on 2 February 2019)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015) [television programme online] Netflix. At: https://www.netflix.com/browse?jbv=80025384&jbp=1&jbr=3 (Accessed on 2 February 2019)
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