Class: Industry and Audience blog tasks

 Industries

1) What was the objective of BBC3 when it was launched? 

BBC Three launched as a TV channel in 2003 and its remit was to provide "innovative" programming to a target audience of viewers between 16 and 34 years old.

2) Why did BBC3 go online-only in February 2016? 

BBC Three aired as a freeview TV channel. However, as a result of planned £100 million budget cut across the BBC, it was proposed that BBC Three be discontinued as a television service, and be converted to online only.

3) How does Class meet the BBC's mission statement to 'inform, educate and entertain'?

To produce creative output.                                                                                                                            To have diverse content (such as with its representations).                                                                           To reflect the United Kingdom, its culture and values to the world

4) How did the distribution of Class contribute to the failure of the show with audiences?

 In the case of Class it was originally distributed (shown) online only on BBC Three. It was then shown weeks later in a late night slot “the graveyard slot” on BBC One.                                                                 It was also shown on BBC America where it was slightly more popular. In America, the episodes were paired with Doctor Who episodes to create a ‘Whoinverse’ double bill.

5) What advertising and marketing was used to try and promote Class to an audience? Why do you think this wasn't very successful?

As Class was aimed at an older audience, there was a clear shift in the way it was marketed from traditional Doctor Who episodes (on a Saturday early evening slot).it was a watershed show and it wasn't for family it has sexual , violence, swearing etc. it was the opposite of doctor who had had non of this. it might also have been posted on the wrong channel or media and not the correct timing. 

Audience

1) What were the viewing figures for Class and why do you think it did so badly? 

Unlike Doctor Who and more in line with Torchwood before it (which also debuted on BBC3), Class is aimed specifically at a young adult audience and contains sexual content, violence and language above the level allowed in Doctor Who. also it was posted on very late at night and not good timing.It was broadcast initially on BBC Three (online only) to poor audience figures and later broadcast on BBC One between 10.45pm and 11.15pm slots.

2) What audience psychographic groups might particularly enjoy Class? You can revise Pyschographics here.

Some mainstream appeal as it is linked to the ‘Whoniverse’ (Doctor Who universe) but too niche perhaps for a mass audience. i think its for teenagers and from the age of 15+ . More diverse representation regarding gender, race and sexuality.

3) What audience pleasures are offered by Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? Apply Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory to the episode. Make sure you provide specific examples from the episode to support your ideas.

Personal Relationships: it is similar and teenagers and people went to collage or university might recognise and relate. it also shows about some characters sexuality. 

Diversion (Escapism): it is an entertaining show mostly and is for fun and teenagers that is 15+ as they will enjoy the action and get in to the story. 

 personal identity :Audience will be able to relate to April or even Tanya as they would have been able to experience what its like to have strict and overprotective.

4) Thinking of the 3 Vs audience pleasures (Visceral, Vicarious and Voyeuristic pleasures), which of these can be applied to Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart?

Visceral  pleasures because of the horror and jump scares and living a different life and science fiction that is unique and wont experience that in real life.  Voyeuristic pleasures this is because we and the audience wouldn't be able to experience this in real life. 

5) How did fans in the 'Whoniverse' (also known as 'Whovians') react to Class? Watch the fan reaction video (and read the YouTube comments) embedded above or check the comments in the extension articles below to help with this.

Whovians thought its the same concept as doctor who and same story line. they also thought that April the main character is more powerful and different than Susan. however they liked the plot and with the shocking events that got whovians fans surprised. 

Comparison: An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart

1) How are the technical conventions different between 1963 Doctor Who and 2016 Class (e.g. camerawork, editing, sound and mise-en-scene)?

It was very old and bad quality but in class it was much better and clearer . also it was black and white but not its colours and lots of editing and Photoshop all over the series.  sound and make up also developed in 2016. Everything is way more developed and changed since then also as there were only 2 TV channels and you can only watch it once a week if u miss the episode maybe then you watch it the next year when it might be posted but now you can pay for many apps and watch it wherever and whenever you want. 

2) What similarities and differences are there between An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart in terms of the science-fiction genre?

In co-owner of a lonely heart, their are aliens, crime scene , killing and blood, in 2016 there are shadows and a different shadow world. However in unearthly child is more about travelling in time and places and moving from planets. 

 

3) What similarities and differences are there between An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart in terms of how they meet the BBC's remit to inform, educate and entertain?

In unearthly child it was for families and everyone watches it and wasn't a watershed show where it can entertain and educate families about different thing and science. However Co-owner of a Lonely Heart  is all about teenagers and its targeted for at least people from 15+ years old . 

4) How are representations of people, places and groups similar or different in the two shows?

 

In Doctor who it was still sexist and offensive against women , that they do not matter and so as their opinion and doesn't matter what they say or speak and also weak and frightened where men was strong and not scared of anything and had the power and listened to by women. it was for British culture for both shows and pretending to be related to the UK.  

5) What similarities and differences can you find in terms of the audience pleasures for An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart?

Audience would get entertained and interested into seeing things they do not get to see often and experience in their real life. some might be interested and getting educated about the science.  An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart audience enjoy experiencing escapism and diversion, entertainment.