intro to sitcom characters

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Coursework Unit 1: Sitcom DVD Covers


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Key Concepts: Audiences and Representations

Unit Aims:1. Understand the appeal of sitcoms and how they are

constructed

2. Study a range of different kinds of sitcoms considering the way they appeal to different audiences

3. Understand the purpose of DVD covers as marketing

4. Design and construct a DVD cover for a new sitcom

Lesson Aims:Lesson Aims:

1. Understand what a sitcom is

2. Learn the basic conventions of a sitcom

3. Identify common character archetypes used in sitcoms.





Four Important Things to Four Important Things to Know About SitcomsKnow About Sitcoms

• Situation Comedy is defined as: A humorous radio or television series featuring the reactions of a regular cast of characters to unusual situations, such as misunderstandings or embarrassing coincidences.

• Sitcom’s style of storytelling is very old, examples of it can be seen in parts of Ancient Greek Theatre, Italian Commedia Dell’ Arte and Shakespeare as well as being a successful genre in the radio era.

• Sitcom with conventions as we know it came into existence with the rise of television in the 1940s.

• Modern sitcoms often combine sitcom with other TV Genres such as Drama (Scrubs) and Reality (The Office). For the purposes of this unit we will be mainly studying sitcom in its most conventional form.

The Basic The Basic Conventions Conventions of of Situation Situation ComedyComedy

1. A regular set of characters • family, group of friends, co-workers

2. A regular simple setting • Homes, schools, workplaces

3. A Situation• A reason for all the characters to be

“stuck” together - eg. Stuck in a…• Family - My Wife and Kids• Workplace - Scrubs• Apartment Block - Friends• Prison - Porridge• Island - Gilligan’s Island• Spaceship - Red Dwarf





The Basic The Basic Conventions Conventions of of Situation Situation ComedyComedy4. Storylines

• Reflect the concerns and values of their target audience

• Simple and usually resolved in a single episode

• Doesn’t affect the overall situation. In sitcom “nothing ever changes”

5. Comedy • Mostly dialogue/character driven• Misunderstandings and confusion very

common• Some Slapstick/physical comedy

6. Actors• Have to be reliable and respected comic

performers• Don’t always have to be famous but this

often helps sell a sitcom





Stereotypes and ArchetypesStereotypes and Archetypes• A Stereotype is simplified view or opinion

about a group of people. EXAMPLES:

All Australians wrestle crocodilesAll English people drink teaAll Evil people wear blackAll Good people wear whiteAll Teenagers carry knives

• An Archetype is the fictional perfect example of a stereotype.

• Media texts such as sitcoms both:– USE stereotypes/archetypes to help us

understand characters– SUPPORT stereotypes/archetypes by using

them again and again.



Mr Men and Little Miss characters rely on simple archetypes to tell their stories.

What Archetypes could be connoted here?







Sitcom Archetypes

• The Square – Often protagonist– Most “Normal” Character– May still be funny but keeps the

story realistic

• The Wisecracker – Always has something to say– Makes a joke out of anything

– May annoy or irritate some other characters

Sitcom Archetypes

• The Bully – Not usually mean but very rude– Will pick on weaker characters – Often wound up by the wisecracker

• The Precocious – – “The Cute Kid” – Always friendly – Designed to make the audience

go “Awwwww”

Sitcom Archetypes

• The Dork – A Hollywood Nerd/Geek. – May not look geeky but is much

more so than the other characters

• The Goofball – Wild and crazy – Does the unexpected– Social misfit – Usually has a “heart of gold”

Sitcom Archetypes

• The Stick – Uptight and loves rules– Spends most of their time

getting angry when rules are broken

• The Sage– Older character– Provides advice to others– Usually not part of main plots

Task 1:

• Watch the start of the first episode of Fresh Prince of Bel Air and identify each characters Archetype.

• Give at least TWO

examples of how this character is represented as their archetype.

Homework:• Use the internet to find an example of

a sitcom character who you can identify the archetype of.

• Give information on one PowerPoint slide including their: – Picture– Name– Sitcom they are on– Archetype– Important representations that let us know

what kind of person they are.

• Email to your class teacher by 7pm Tuesday night.

Homework Example:

Sitcom Archetype Case Study: Name: BenderSitcom: FuturamaArchetype: Bully/WisecrackerRepresentations: • Always makes a joke out of every

situation• Is very selfish and only ever looks after his

own needs• Destroys things and offends other

characters• In this picture he is scowling and is often

angry

intro to sitcom characters

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