TASK 3 – IT CROWD
(BROADCAST CRITIQUE)
1.What are the conventions that make up the genre?
IT Crowd is a British Sitcom that premiered on 2006 contain
four series of six episodes which consists of 3 main characters which is Roy, Jen and Moss.
The convention that make up the genre is the theme that highlighting about IT
(information technology) and computer department. Three of them work at IT
department in Reynholm Industries, a fictional British Corporation in London.
The surrounding of the company is running gag in the whole series. It is hinted
that the Reynholm company is a communication company. Roy and Moss are known as
the IT technician in the company. According to Reynholm they are the group of
standard nerds which being ignored and underestimated by the other staff. The
setting of the story mostly take place in the office located in the basement
which known for the IT members. In addition, the character in the IT Crowd is significance
as a team of computer person. Roy is a nerdy looking guy that seldom being lazy
in doing his job. He is a character that look like a bad guy that seeking for a
right woman. While, for Moss he is a second lead character which bring the
funny vibes in the story. He is a full mannered person and a work-shy person.
The third character in this story is Jen. She is the department
head/relationship manager who had know nothing about IT.
2.If the program appears to be a hybrid genre, what are the conventions
of the genres that have been combined to make it a hybrid?
For my
opinion, IT Crowd obviously we can see that the genre is comedy but if the
program appears to be a hybrid genre, basically there is romance in it. The
conventions of the romantic genre that have been combined to make it hybrid is
we can sense that there is love line between Jen and also with the male
character which is Roy. In one scene at season 1, we can see that actually Roy
is caring toward Jen when he accompanies her to taxi after they were turned
down by their dates.
3.What are audience expectations of that particular genre?
The audience expectation on that particular genre. In my point
of view, the audience expect that the fictional genre brings them to experience
the office work situation that consist of different people behaviours and
social interaction among them. Plus, the comedy genre that IT Crowd
brings give the audience expect that the upcoming episodes will be fill of
laughter and comedy.
4.What is the narrative progression? Describe the events.
The narrative progression in IT Crowd can be see in each of them
which have a mini narrative arc through this episodes. It takes place in the IT
Crowd initiates each of their narrative arcs. The Set-Up that takes place in
Friends, is much slower and the backstories are included very subtly but to
give enough detail for the audience not to get too confused. We must remember
that the very first episode of a new sitcom has a more challenging job to do
when setting up the structure. The IT Crowd has an expectation that the
returning audience is aware of each of their main character’s personalities.
The IT Crowd does not attempt to set-up narratives that will run across series
and tries to make them completely self contained. In the Friends episode ‘The
One where Monica gets a roommate’ we again see a very simple episodic narrative
structure that has a resolution when Monica allows Rachel to move in. The
episode also sets up many narrative arcs that will potentially stretch not only
across multi-episodes, but seasons and eventually years.
5.How is time presented? Are the events successive? Do they go
back and forth in time, or do events occur simultaneously?
They
managed to arrange every each season or episodes with a suitable time
arrangement because for this task we watched it through Netflix and it more
easily to access if we want to watch it. Apart from that, every episodes and
season they bring different types of issues or conflict. In every new episodes
they have a different content.
6.What is the lack or disequilibrium and how is the lack removed
to restore equilibrium?
The It crowd covering and restore the scenes to make it looks
complete without any scenes looks hanging is by replaced their ex-boss (MR.
Denholm Reynhold) with his son. And to make it more balance, while waiting to
make a replacement during the funeral they also brought the new character
during that time to replaced Mr.Boss.
7.Is there a hero or heroin and a villain or villainy? How is
the hero or villain represented? What are their actions, and how can their
personalities be derived from their actions? Does the hero or villain have
superior abilities?
The hero in IT Crowd can be seen at Roy, Moss and
Jen. Negative One, the challenger to Moss in the 8+ group, is identified
as the villain who challenges one our heroes. The villain is not evil or
extreme like in some genres such as dramas and thrillers and he is used purely
for humorous effect.The three characters; Roy, Moss and
Jen alter routinely inside each account bend,
taking on the part of helpers, for each other to
supply counsel and inspiration to their next action.
Prime may be a more obvious helper in his to begin
with interaction with Moss and after
that he rapidly gets to be the sidekick flabbergasted by
Moss’ intelligence. No, the hero does not have hero and villain have
superior abilities.
8.How does conflict play out? Are there oppositions such as
goods and evils, legal and illegal, work and home, and/or masculine and
feminine?
The
conflict in narrative comes in many forms. “Man versus man” maybe between Roy
and his boss. But, traditionally conflict is a major element of narrative or
dramatic structure that creates challenges in a story by adding uncertainty to
if the goal would be achieved. Conflicts may not always resolve in narrative,
the resolution of a conflict creates closure or fulfillment. In the sitcom, the
conflict occurs when the company loss their boss and the conflict started when
they try figure out who will be the next boss after Mr Reynolm. The closure
towards this conflict is when his son appears at the funeral and automatically
he is the next superior.
9.Is there closure or delay until the next episode? How is this
presented?
There is no delay until the next episode. Each episode provide a
fresh and new stories. Plus, they does not let the audience leave hanging. As
at the end of the episodes IT Crowd will portrays every delayed scene that left the audience hanging.
10.Identify the stages of hermeneutic code- enigma, delay and resolution-
that move the narrative forward. Can you identify the enigma, delay and
resolution or several of them in the narrative?
Enigma can be defined as a puzzle or question in the narrative
that the audience want to find out for example in one scene of IT Crowd that
will Roy ever prove to Alistair he is not a window cleaner as he is work at
basement as IT worker. The other example of enigma is what happens to Richmond,
why he ends up at the “RED DOOR” like a vampire but actually he is a Goth. The
Delay is when Roy and Moss prohibit Jen to enter the room like something
terrible is in the room. The resolution of the Red Door case is when Jen can
enter the room after Roy stuck under the other employee desk and Moss is
helping him and Jen has a conversation to Richmond freely afterwards.
11.Are there elements of older stories that are retold in the
narrative?
Based on the episode there are presence of older stories
elements which is the computer is the old model and Roy used reel-to-feel-tape
recording to answer customers phone call whenever they asked for helped.
12.Can you identify myths? Do the myths give lessons for social
order?
Myth can
be identified as a folklore genre consisting of narratives or stories that play
a fundamental role in society. The main characters in myths are usually gods,
demigods or supernatural human. Social order term can be used in two senses. In
the first sense, it refers to customs and the second sense is referring to a
stable state of society in which the existing social structure that already
being accepted. I do believe myths give lesson for social order is
because myths are a live experience and not a static structure. Each person and
each society experience with myth in a specific way so for me myths give lesson
in its own way of interpretation.
13.Are there archetypes and rituals in the narrative? If so, how
do they relate to the myths?
The archetypes and rituals in the narrative is about the life of
working people. As we know that most people are busy working during the
day and their life are frequently spend at the office. That is why they
get along and socialize among themselves . However, I cannot relate the story
to the myths as their social life is too realistic.
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