Making notes for Audience Pleasures Task

Carshare Audience Pleasure Notes by ldownie77 on Scribd

Identifying the audience pleasures in Situation Comedy Carshare

Task: How many Audience Pleasures can you identify in the first episode? Create a blog post exploring your ideas, using your notes from today's lesson.


The pleasures of recognition, familiarity and anticipation are developed early on, even though the audience have only just met the two characters. Recognition and familiarity is established through the soundtrack which is built into the narrative as diegetic sound. The music has a nostalgic element which would appeal to the target audience. The context of a daily commute is maybe familiar to many of the audience, who travel to work in the same way. In fact the sound is important as it reinforces the familiarity of the commute but it is also part of the comedy with radio adverts that parody local radio marketing with adverts for mediocre college places and sheds. There are also other gags that are tied into the background of the narrative events.


Many Situation Comedies are built on this pleasure of familiarity as it develops a fondness for the characters. Why do you think this would be important for the success of a SitCom? How does the audience feel about the two main characters by the end of the episode and why?


In the first episode it uses the elements of comedy to engage the audience as they get to know the two main characters. However, its success is built on the name of Peter Kay. Refer to your research into this comedian to help you explain the specific pleasures associated with performers or personalities.

The use of transgressive pleasures is introduced quickly emphasizing the awkward relationship between the two colleagues. This is evidenced through the language and the spillage scene at the start. What is the prediction for the rest of the series? How is that linked to the narrative pleasures such as those of narrative resolution?

Compare two different genres of Comedy TV

Use two different examples of comedy television programmes to explain the differences and similarities of genre. Refer closely to examples from your research.

Use the information on your blog to help you talk about two different genres of comedy television. To plan your answer create a table to list the similarities and differences between your choice of shows before you write anything.

• Remember to explain the codes and conventions. What makes a Sketch Show and a Situation Comedy show different? How are they similar in terms of length of episode or audience pleasures?
• Comment on the Institution. Who broadcasts the programme? Explore the commercial pressures of scheduling TV Comedy to mainstream audiences. Do Public Service Broadcasters have more freedom to explore new comedy ideas? Remember how reliant companies are on income from advertising.

Audience Pleasures

The type of audience pleasures you need to write about in the exam include:

• narrative pleasures such as those of narrative resolution, 
• character identification, snowballing narrative, suspense, comedy, and so on
• pleasures of recognition, familiarity and anticipation
• pleasures of difference-within-repetition
• performance unpredictability and spontaneity
• transgressive pleasures
• specific pleasures associated with performers or personalities.

British Comedy Genres

Situation Comedies (aka Sitcoms)

A humorous series featuring the reactions of a regular cast of characters to unusual situations, such as misunderstandings or embarrassing coincidences. These comedies are usually centred around a common environment, for example a family home or workplace.

Sketch Shows

Sketch shows are made up from a series of un-connected short comedy scenes (aka 'sketches' / 'skits'). These shows are normally performed by a small group of actors who play multiple roles. The emphasis is very much on a punchline or character trait.

Stand-Up Shows

In this section we list the broadcast shows that feature the brave souls who are prepared to stand in front of a microphone and tell a succession of stories, jokes and one-liners to make a studio audience laugh.

Panel Shows

This genre of comedy is particularly popular in the UK. Also known as 'Panel Games', 'Parlour Games' or 'Quizcoms', these shows pit teams against each other via quiz questions - but getting the right answers is not normally the real aim, it's just an excuse to be funny.

Comedy Programmes: Carshare Research Task

Find out about the show Carshare.
1. Writer
2. Scheduled broadcast
3. Codes and Conventions of Situation Comedy
4. Viewing Figures
5. Critic opinions.
6. Episodes


Use this British Comedy Guide to help you work out the different genres of comedy. Remember, we have looked at a Sketchshow already. How is Carshare different?

Walliams and Friends Research

You need to know the following information: the day, time and channel of the programme (in this case Walliams and Friend).
Research the following:

• Who commissioned the programme?
• Who produced it?
• What audience is it aimed at? Why?
• Why is it on at that time and on that channel? Link to 'type' of comedy and target audience. 
• Is it on after the watershed? Why?
• Know the audience demographic