Misfits (2009-2013)

Misfits is a British science fiction comedy-drama television show about a group of young offenders sentenced to work in a community service program, where they obtain supernatural powers after a strange electrical storm.

The cast of the show have changed a lot over the course of its five-season run, to the point where the original five actors were completely replaced by the beginning of season 4. Originally starring Antonia Thomas, Iwan Rheon, Lauren Socha, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, and Robert Sheehan as Alisha Daniels, Simon Bellamy, Kelly Bailey, Curtis Donovan, and Nathan Young respectively, fans of the show grew to love these characters, so as you can imagine Robert Sheehan’s departure at the end of season two left fans distraught at the idea of Joseph Gilgun replacing beloved character ‘Nathan Young’ with ‘Rudy Wade’. However, fans of the show came to love Rudy, and new members of the group slowly began to replace the original five. By the beginning of the fourth season, the cast consisted of Karla Crome, Nathan McMullen and Matt Stokoe, as Jess, Finn, and Alex respectively. Midway through the fourth series, Stewart-Jarrett left while Natasha O'Keeffe joined the cast as Abbey Smith.

Misfits' cast from Season 4
Alex, Jess, Rudy, Finn and Abby

Misfits' original cast
Simon, Kelly, Nathan, Curtis and Alisha

Reviews of the show are overwhelmingly positive: The Times gave it four out of five stars, calling it "a new union – salty British street humour with whizz-bang special effects" which should "keep E4's core audience happy". The Guardian's Richard Vine said that it was "confident enough to operate in its own universe and set up something new" and that it was aimed at slowly presenting us the "real people" behind a seemingly "tabloid stereotype" of the "ASBO teenager", while also noting that the series Skins have also used that kind of technique for their show. The Guardian's print reviewer Tim Dowling was also enthusiastic, saying: "Misfits is indeed silly – sillier, even, than it sounds – but it's also brilliant: sharp, funny, dark and, in places, quite chilling. Both the writing and the performances ensure that everything but the preposterous central premise remains entirely believable."

Misfits is memorable and brilliantly written, fitting in perfectly with E4’s demographic, attaining millions of views per episode. The premise of the show, at the time, was different for E4: different was exactly what they needed, as E4 was strictly sit-coms at the time of Misftis’ first season. They created a devoted fanbase which was dedicated to the show and its success while keeping their existing viewers content. The show was cutting-edge and introduced the idea of the supernatural in a show about five seemingly-ordinary youths, giving the show a sense of verisimilitude: the characters were relatable and as iconic as their orange jumpsuits.

Sherlock (2010- )

Sherlock is a British crime drama television series that presents a contemporary adaptation Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes detective stories. Created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, it stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Doctor John Watson. Critical reception has been greatly encouraging, with many reviews praising the quality of the writing, performances, and direction. Sherlock has also been nominated for numerous awards including: BAFTAs, Emmys and Golden Globe, winning several awards across a variety of categories.

In this modern take on a cult classic, Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) is presented as a misunderstood genius with a detective mind like no other: occasionally, he lets his ego get the better of him, often unintentionally treating his peers as unimportant but is nonetheless undoubtedly the greatest detective in London. Holmes is assisted by his flatmate and friend, Dr John Watson (Martin Freeman), who has returned from military service in Afghanistan with the Royal Army Medical Corps. Though the Metropolitan Police Service are sceptical at first, over time his remarkable intellect and powers of observation persuade them of his value.

Presenting Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classics in this modern adaptation, rather than a periodical piece was unarguably a great idea for a number of reasons. Initially, those who are familiar with Conan Doyle’s work would come to expect something set in Victorian England, which I feel would limit the amount you could do in terms of story and characterisation. Basing the show in a more modern setting with a younger lead actor adds a distinctive variation from anything based on the same novels. Mark Gatiss has criticized recent television adaptations of the Conan Doyle stories as "too reverential and too slow", aiming instead to be as irreverent to the canon as the 1930s and 1940s films starring Basil Rathbone, which were mostly set in the then-modern interwar era. Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock uses modern technology, such as texting, the internet, and GPS, to solve crimes which in turn attracts a new generation to Sherlock Holmes while keeping older fans satisfied. Moffat and Gatiss do the work of Conan Doyle justice with their contemporary take on a cult classic.

Each episode of Sherlock adds something new, and the character development of not only Sherlock but Dr Watson perseveres far into the show’s continuation. The relationship between the two is somewhat admirable, and in the same sense that Dr Watson is always learning from Sherlock, Sherlock is also learning from Dr Watson. The intricate storylines are gripping, attaching viewers to the series and keeping them hooked, while the powerful performances from Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch help the show prosper.

Not unlike ‘Luther’, Sherlock’s character is extremely intelligent and thinks at a rate unmatched by those around him. Picking up on clues and tiny details which ultimately help him to resolve his cases, both Sherlock and Luther share a sense of great astuteness while remaining somewhat outsiders to society. 

I enjoy British dramas, as they add a gritty sense of realism unparalleled by shows produced in the US and all over the world. The true-to-life colour saturation, the extreme close ups and the realistic, unaltered cast of the show that often look as though you could see them walking around the streets of London and nobody would bat an eyelid; whereas in American crime dramas, the cast look over-‘Hollywood’ in my opinion; what I mean by the term ‘overly-‘Hollywood’’ is that in American television, the show will undergo a large amount of alteration and editing before a single episode is aired, so that it looks perfect. The experience of watching American dramas is not unlike watching a movie, because of how prefect everything looks, however this takes away a large amount of realism from the work, making them less lifelike and more movie-esc: more ‘Hollywood’. The reason so many people all over the world enjoy British crime dramas is because of the gritty, realistic nature of the characters and stories presented to us. Crime dramas like Sherlock and Luther give us a sense of versimilitude as we watch them, as though these things could actually happen in real life.

The audience for Sherlock and Luther are unarguably similar: fans of British crime drama with a strong lead paired with a correspondingly-influential supporting cast. The age range indicates that Sherlock fandom is not just for the young, despite slightly more than half of the fans taking this survey reporting they are under 30. After the roughly one-third (32.6%) in the 20-29 age range, the next highest percentage (21.2%) is 15-19 years old, and from this I can infer that a show fairly similar to Sherlock would be extremely hospitable amongst E4’s demographic.

Breaking Bad (2008-2013)

Breaking Bad is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. The show originally aired on the AMC network for five seasons, from January 2008 to September 2013. 

The main character is Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a struggling high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer at the beginning of the series. He turns to a life of crime, producing and selling crystal meth, in order to secure his family's financial future before he dies, teaming with his former student, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul). 

The show is considerably one of the greatest television series of all time. In 2013, it was also listed as the highest rated show of all time in the Guinness World Records, and by the end of the first season, it was already among the most-watched cable shows on American television, and the show received 116 awards and 192 nominations over the course of 5 years, including;

• 16 Primetime Emmy Awards
• 8 Satellite Awards 
• 2 Golden Globes 
• 2 Peabody Awards
• People’s Choice Award 

Walter White (left) pictured with Jesse Pinkman (right).

Personally, Breaking Bad is one of my favourite shows for a number of reasons. Initially, I began watching the show because of Bryan Cranston: I had been a fan of his work for years, but the idea of seeing him in a more serious role instantly drew me to the show. After watching the first few episodes, I was hooked, as the premise of the show paired with the powerhouse performances from the characters of the show made for an amazing viewing experience.

Not only did Cranston keep me watching, but Aaron Paul's supporting role, Jesse Pinkman, was incredible to watch. Their on-screen chemistry was unlike anything I'd seen, and I knew that the show would prosper shortly after becoming hooked. Initially, the relationship between them was similar to a father-son relationship, both learning from each other, growing as individuals together. Mid-way through the second season, Jesse had become more aware of what they were doing, and how wrong it was but Walter was in far too deep to think about quitting the meth business. Jesse became tormented by the things he had experienced since going into partnership with Walter, and it was from here that the true nature of the characters was revealed to the viewers: both echoes of the men the once were, but so far from themselves that it was beyond redemption. Gilligan's writing of the two characters and exploring their relationship and how it had morphed and changed over the seasons kept the viewers hooked.

When watching the show through, from start to finish, the character development of not only White and Pinkman, but the supporting characters changed a great amount over the seasons; Walter's decent into criminality and further distancing himself from the man he once. It was only when re-watching the earliest episodes that I saw the true extent to what had happened to his character and for that, I think Vince Gilligan's writing was truly brilliant. In addition to the brilliant characters, the script had to on par to achieve the anticipated success. 

The thing that made Breaking Bad so different from anything I'd previously seen was the story, as there were the events that occurred over the course of a single episode, however they were but a smaller fragment of an even bigger picture, and every episode added something new to the story. There was intense action throughout episodes, and the tension was gripping from start to finish which I feel attracted viewers and hooked them for the duration of the show's run: the action built up rather quickly, and it was fairly easy to get lost in the action of the show.

The true extent of Walter's insanity revealed in
'Fly' (Season 3, Episode 10)

However, there were periods in which the action would go from high-intensity, face-paced action, episode after episode to absolutely nothing: the action would completely die down, leaving the audience in anguish, begging to know the next piece of the puzzle. One notable instance of this would be the episode 'Fly': (Season 3 Episode 10) in the episodes building up to this, the action had just been building up, higher and higher to a point where fans were expecting an intense action and something epic and explosive to just whack them in the faces and change their fundamental ideology forever. Despite their hopes, the episode was slow and tenacious: the complete opposite of what was to be expected. The episode consisted of Walter White, who by now was far from level-headed, wasted an entire day attempting to catch a fly in his meth lab. The episode was brilliantly written and is unarguably some of Cranston's best work; despite the lack of action, the episode did a huge amount in terms of character development, as we witnessed the true extent to Walter's descent into madness. I truly believe that character development and gripping storylines are two fundamental aspects of great television, and in order to prosper you cannot have one without the other.

Breaking Bad isn't exactly limited to a specific demographic in the sense that the series was universally enjoyed by pretty much all that watched the show. Bringing a show similar to this to E4's demographic of 16-35 year olds would be a change from what they're used to but judging from the success of other original dramas (Skins, Misfits, Glue) I firmly believe that a new show like this would fit in rather well with the targeted demographic.

Luther (2010-2013)

Luther is a psychological crime drama television series created by Neil Cross, starring Idris Elba as Detective Chief Inspector John Luther. The show aired from May 2010 to July 2013 on the BBC, winning multiple awards including a Golden Globe.

A dedicated police officer, Luther is possessive, obsessive and often dangerous in the violence of his fixations. Despite his dedication, Luther has never been able to prevent himself from being consumed by the darkness of the crimes with which he deals. For Luther, the job always comes first. His dedication is a curse and a blessing, both for him and those close to him.

Luther is presented as somewhat of an anti-hero, in the sense that he will do bad things with good intentions. On many occasions, he has broken the law to seek justice and prevail in his cases, however all of what he does is for good reason. In the first episode, we see Luther chasing down a paedophile in an attempt to apprehend him and make an arrest, however he is left hanging from a broken walkway and Luther, as a DCI mustn’t let him fall to his death. In an intense first scene, Luther is forced to make a quick decision and I feel that most viewers would’ve expected Luther to pull the man up to safety but Luther let him fall and ultimately left him to die. That very moment set the pace for the entire show, and viewers knew exactly what kind of show they were in for.

John Luther (right) pictured with DS Justin Ripley (left).

Being a British drama, there is a conspicuous difference when comparing it to American dramas. When watching shows like True Detective and Broadwalk Empire, you often notice the highly-glamourized nature of American dramas. The movie-like camera work and the airbrushed actors and actresses make them seem so far from reality, but with British dramas there is a sense of realism, which I believe comes from the raw grittiness of British television. Much unlike anything made in America, British shows see less ‘Hollywood’ and more down to Earth, which decisively establishes a deeper connection with the audience.

In Luther, not only was the show about John Luther’s story, but the supporting cast had a huge part to play in the story. From the police detectives to Luther’s ex-wife and her new partner. Despite the long line of supporting roles, none made as big an impact as Ruth Wilson as ‘Alice Morgan’. When she was first introduced in the first episode, her parents had been brutally murdered in their own home, leaving Alice completely befuddled. With the loss of her parents, Luther began to question her and slowly began to crack the case. He soon discovered that it was actually Alice who had murdered her parents, but he didn’t have substantial evidence to put her away, which led to Alice and John developing a strange relationship. The way in which her character developed was incredible to watch, seeing as she shifted and became more and more twisted and manipulative with each new episode.

When analysing a specific demographic to which the BBC wanted to broadcast to, one could suggest that fans of crime drama would’ve enjoyed the show; the gritty and ambiguous nature of the show, paired with the powerhouse performance from Idris Elba in the title role made for a unique and unmatched viewing experience. The BBC have presented us with shows similar to this in past years with similar if not greater success with Sherlock, which in itself shares many aspects of what makes Luther so ubiquitous.

Research Introduction

When analysing the demographic which The Little PictureHouse intends to target (15-35 year olds) it is fair to assume that its viewership would be fairly similar to that of E4's. When examining E4's pre-watershed broadcasting, as well as the commercials they air, a large number of them appear to be situation comedies (conventionally referred to as 'sit-coms.') These shows include;

• How I Met Your Mother
• The Big Bang Theory
• 2 Broke Girls
• Melissa & Joey
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Assessing E4's data (available at https://www.channel4sales.com/platforms/e4 ) gives us an idea of whom specifically Silver Lining Productions' advertisements would broadcast to. Considering the fact that 61% of the 8.9 million viewers that E4 procure are female, which leaves 39% of viewers being males aged 15-35. From that, one can assume that broadcasting a show that would entice both females and males would not only boost viewership but also give E4 a reputation as one of the most acclaimed channels on television.

Original programming from E4 such as The Inbetweeners, Misfits and Skins have been highly successful in their aims and critically acclaimed by fans and critics alike. Countless similarities are evident when comparing popular and successful shows like these, and one must capitalise on these in order to be successful amongst E4's demographic. The relatability in the characters of the shows is a key aspect of these shows: being based in England with a predominantly British cast, the characters in the shows often display characteristics and traits of ourselves or our peers.

For example, 'The Inbetweeners' is a BAFTA-winning sit-com about four teenaged social outcasts struggling to fit in and forever attempting to have sex at any given opportunity. The show's main protagonist, Will McKenzie (played by Simon Bird) begins attending a comprehensive school after private school fees became far too expensive following his father leaving his mother. He is initially presented as posh, geeky and far more mature than his peers. With the progression of the show, he meets Simon, Jay and Neil whom are in no way, shape or form gentlemen. Each of these characters has a sense of credibility to them, and I feel that is one of the main reasons they've maintained such a devoted fandom, like many other original shows produced by E4.

The Inbetweeners
Simon Cooper, Jay Cartwright, Neil Sutherland and Will McKenzie

E4's pre-watershed broadcasting reveals a large number of their broadcasting to be situation comedies (conventionally referred to as 'sit-coms.') This leaves a huge gap in the market for a new, cutting-edge crime drama/thriller to air on E4, which is the style of which my work will revolve around. Shows that I will take inspiration from are ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘True Detective’ as well as 'Sherlock' and 'Luther'.

I feel as though a show like this would fit in perfectly with E4’s schedule and demographic. The style of the shows would serve as new ground for the channel; however I feel that it would attract a wider range of viewers while keeping its current viewers satisfied. E4 has delved into this type of broadcasting before with shows like Misfits and Skins, introducing complex storylines and intense drama, paired with a new cast of likeable characters, and have both been highly prosperous (both BAFTA-winning shows).

Audience Research

E4 permit the use of advertisements on their channel in order to provide information to a specific demographic and through extensive research, I have found the following things; 

Advertising on E4 

• E4 and E4 +1's Share of Commercial Impacts holds steady very strong for 16-34s. Furthermore within its competitive set E4 is the top converting channel for Adults 16-34, Women 16-34 and ABC1 16-34s.

• Through research, we know that E4 viewers are predominantly young and upmarket, but they're also fashion conscious, sociable, connected, heavy internet users, they love going out and tend to use advertising as one of their many information sources. They are also likely to be opinion formers and more likely to talk about brands and convince them to try them out. 

E4 have a wide viewership, broadcasting on Freeview, DSAT and cable. (E4 HD is also available on Sky and Virgin Media.) The channel is extremely popular among E4's 'young and upmarket, but they’re also fashion conscious, sociable, connected, heavy internet users, they love going out and tend to use advertising as on of their many information sources.' and has an unwavering audience of 16-35 year olds, not unlike Silver Lining Productions' target audience. 

Statistical Deconstruction 

E4 and E4+1 collectively gather an audience of around 8.9 million viewers per month, with 52% of those viewers aged 16-34; 43% of their viewers being in the class ABC1 (Upper-middle class, middle class and lower-middle class) and a further 61% of the 8.9 million viewers being female. From this, we can infer that well over half of E4's audience is females aged 16-34. 

Information pulled from: https://www.channel4sales.com/platforms/e4 

Production Company Analysis

Paramount – When looking at the Paramount logo, it is clear that they see their work as God-like and grand. The name ‘Paramount’ suggests that they are a production company unlike any other, with ambitious and extravagant ideas. Showing the logo atop of this mountain further suggests that they see themselves as dominant and powerful, as the imagery used is fairly provocative. The clouds surrounding the mountain seem to shroud the company in a heavenly fog, which to me further exaggerates the God-like imagery evident here.

DreamWorks – This logo, similarly to Paramount’s presents this ideology of clouds, shrouding them in a fog above what others seem to be producing. The young boy, appearing to be sat on the edge of the moon, is fishing down below. I feel as though DreamWorks are presenting the idea of fishing for dreams and, despite their movies being heavily aimed at children, suggesting that you’re never too old to enjoy one of their movies. The bold text dominating the mise-en-scene has been done deliberately to draw your attention to the production company’s name, leaving an imprint on the viewer as though they won’t forget. The night sky paired with the moon also creates an enigmatic impression, and the clouds add to this to further shroud the company in mystery.

Legendary – Legendary Pictures: the name essentially tells us what to expect from their movies, and how we will remember them; as Legendary. The simplicity of the logo paired with the provocative message is a clear indication of what kind of Production Company they are. Bold and straight to the point. It’s as though they don’t waste any of the viewer’s time, having them attempt to analyse ever subtle detail to a more intricate logo. Rather than doing that, they simply present this simple, yet powerful message. Their logo above the text is also a fairly simple design and doesn't require much explanation.

Chosen Brief

The Little Picturehouse

Of the given briefs, I have decided to go with Brief 1: The Little PictureHouse. The brief states that I have decided to enter a competition run by my local arts cinema, The Little Picture. The Little PictureHouse is part of a small chain of 12 independant arts cinemas across the country which shows a mixture of independent, foreign language and documentary films. Priding themselves on providing access to non-mainstream cinema and seeks to make independent cinema accessible to a wider audience.

The chain is running a competition, and each entrant is required to submit a short extract from a film they would like to make. The three factors that affect my project are the following; my work must be suitable for a 15 certificate audience (similar to E4’s demographic) and my work must push the boundaries of an already-existing format.

Of the three given task choices; broadcasting, printing and e-media, I have decided to go with printing and broadcasting, as the two of these paired together would give me the opportunity to produce a better project overall. Delving further into broadcasting, I have chosen to create an extract to my short movie, 'Anonymous'. From the list of topics, I must use one as my general inspiration, from which I took 'friendship' to be the pivotal drive for my protagonist's journey. For print, I have decided to create a booklet for my project with information about my production team as well as the project itself. Working on this booklet will give me the opportunity to keep the readers' attention exactly where I want it, as opposed to creating a website. With a double-page spread, I am able to create a level of synergy across both pages, and I feel like I'd best be able to do so in creating a booklet.