TV: Class - Co-owner of A Lonely Heart Case Study CSP
Language and Close-Textual Analysis
1)
Narrative:
The Narrative of the first part of this episode, 'Co-owner of a Lonely Heart' begins with a recap of the activities that took place during the first episode. After this recap we are brought back to the current point in the story in which the shared heart between April and Corakinus seems to be having a greater impact than just hearing thoughts with even Corakinus's weapons materialising in April's hands. Later on, it appears as though the Shadow King's thoughts are taking over April completely although only for a short while as she is also gaining an immense amount of strength. We are also informed of a parent's evening in which no one really wants to attend apart from Charlie which was deemed as alien like behaviour by Tanya. Additionally, we learn that Charlie's box which was supposedly empty can in fact act as a weapon which seems as though it will be incredibly important to know for later on in the series. Not too long afterwards we are introduced to April's Dad who appears to be more important than previously anticipated. In the later parts of the episode the Shadow King takes over April once again and almost kills her Dad with Corakinus's weapon but he is able to get away before being harmed by her. We also discover that the reason for April's Mum being paralysed is April's Dad who supposedly almost killed them in a car accident. After Ram tries to comfort April he takes her home and then they have sex but they are caught in bed together by April's Mum who is disappointed in April and threatens Ram. Finally, April's Dad returns much to the surprise of April and her Mum. Upon returning he is once again attacked by April as Corakinus's thoughts are only having a greater impact on April. This sudden appearance seemed to be the final straw and so following this April went through a tear in space and time which she created in order to find Corakinus before he found her so she could get her heart back.
Characters:
The Characters that we see in the first part of the episode are April and Corakinus, in the little seen at the start we start to see that April's character is developing in a way that frightens even her. We also see that the heart is quite clearly posing as a problem for Corakinus as well as he is desperately trying to sever the bond between him and April. After this, we see the ensemble cast on the 'previously on' which gives us a simple reminder of what happened prior to this episode. Later on, we are introduced to April's Dad as we see that he makes an attempt to call her to which she ignored which increases the sense of mystery around him. We are also introduced to the New Headteacher who appears to for some reason have knowledge about everything including the background of Quill and Charlie. At this point of time it is too early to tell whether or not she is an ally or a foe as she has not yet threatened them but has offered to remove the Arn (race genetically created by the Rhodians in order to make the Quills into their slaves against their will) inside her head which could prove as a problem later on. Additionally, she also seems to know the situation surrounding the shared heart as she makes an excuse for April and Ram rather than questioning them which is far different from what a typical Headteacher would do. When Ram takes April home it seems as though their relationship with one another has greatly developed as they have sex with one another. This somewhat suggests that Ram is already over his girlfriend which makes us question if he really did love her as much as he said he did. Also, not too long before April had asked Charlie to the prom but was rejected and was easily able to get over him even though at first it didn't seem like she would as it seemed more as though she was pretending to be alright. April's Mum however, catches both of them in bed together, this is then followed by a scene where April's Mum threatens Ram by saying, "Don't let the chair fool you." This shows that April's Mother is more than capable of protecting her daughter from harms way wheelchair or not.
Iconography:
At the beginning of the episode the costume and make-up is shown in the character of Corakinus and the Shadow Kin through their eyes, facial features and complete full body appearance. The amount of detail put into the costume and the make-up is quite clear to see as it works very well and would in fact horrify an audience if they were to see them in real life. Additionally, the use of props in the first scene is also quite great as the Corakinus's sword appears in April's hands and it actually resembles the appearance of Corakinus's skin. Later on in the episode when April punches her locker she hurts her hand but then CGI effects come in as we see some kind of blue healing take place. This just further emphasises the fact that April is changing and supposedly becoming more like Corakinus each second. There is also CGI used when April's eyes change colour which acts as a way for the audience to recognise the change in April's actions and emotions which are now closely resembling Corakinus. We also see the Cabinet of Souls and the bright little lights within it which are, according to Charlie, souls of people that have passed. Finally, the flower petals have some kind of special effect as whenever they are touched they bite their victim. This is not the only thing they are capable of as we see that they continue to multiply and they don't stop which means they have the potential to turn into a weapon of mass destruction.
Setting:
At the beginning, the episode takes place in the Shadow World, the location of which Corakinus and the Shadow Kin reside. There is then a transition to a different location which is April's bedroom in order to amplify the connection between the two. After the recap at the start, the setting is then changed to the classroom where April's thoughts become more similar to that of Corakinus's thoughts rather than her own. Once she has regained her sense of self she goes out to the hallway where she then punches a locker which is when the CGI blue healing effects appear. Ram stumbles upon April and helps her by taking her outside of the school so they can go to his car in order to take April home. It is when they are in the car that April's Dad appears and so the setting shifts to outside of the school where Corakinus's swords materialise in April's hand as she threatens her Father. Near the end of the episode April and Ram are in April's bedroom after he takes her home where they then have sex with one another. When they are caught the setting then moves on into the Kitchen instead where April's Mum warns Ram and gives them both a lecture.
2)
Todorov's theory of equilibrium does actually apply to the Co-owner of a Lonely Heart, the Equilibrium was the very beginning of the episode which was the opening scene between April and Corakinus reintroducing their shared heart. The Disruption is then the unexpected mention of April's Dad as we see that April rejects a call from him which causes enigmas to rise within the audience. Arguably, you could also say that the Disruption is the strengthening connection between April and Corakinus which is the reason for her being able to materialise Corakinus's blades after the anchor was placed on his heart. The Recognition is when April's Dad appears outside of Ram's car which is when we see that April is only becoming more similar to Corakinus as she even threatens to kill her Father. It could also be said that the Recognition was when April began to devalue the efforts of those who went to fight in the war which were things more likely to have been said by Corakinus than her. The last possible Recognition could have been when April's eyes began to turn orange which is the exact same colour as Corakinus's eyes showing the differences between disappearing as they are now becoming more alike. The Reparation is the scene in April's Garden where everyone gathers after April almost kills her Father again after he arrived at her home. Finally, the New Equilibrium is when April creates a rip in time and space allowing her to jump through this newly created tear in space and time in order to defeat Corakinus before he can find her.
3)
Propp's character theory does apply to the Class, although you could say that many different characters fulfil more than one role as most of them have had lots of character development throughout. The role of the Hero/ine can be fufilled by 4 different characters at this point one of the possible candidates for this character type is April. The reason why April could be a possible hero is because she is the only one who has the ability to actually find Corakinus as she shares a heart with him which also makes her his lifeline. Additionally, she even tried to pierce through her own heart in order to threaten Corakinus into leaving Earth which was an excellent display of her bravery making her perfect for the role of a Heroine. Another character that could possibly be a Heroine is in fact Quill herself. This is because as she is trying to protect of whom she absolutely despises for putting an Arn in her head preventing her from doing otherwise she is also trying to defeat the Shadow King and save her people, the Quills. Another character that fulfils the character type is Charlie as not only is he a Prince but he is also taking on the role of protecting April from harms way after having her heart shared with Corakinus. One of the most remarkable things about Charlie is that despite the fact that he had the chance to kill Corakinus he didn't because he knew that April would die as well. This shows that Charlie has good sense of justice but is not blinded by revenge as although he wants to save his people he also doesn't want anyone to die. The final possible character that could be a Hero is Ram as in the first episode his girlfriend was killed right before his eyes and his leg was cut off but even despite all this he didn't run away but instead went ahead to attack the remaining Shadow Kin at the school. Ram was also proved to be a Hero when he made the split second decision to jump after April into the tear in space and time in order to make sure she wasn't alone even though he didn't really know what he was getting himself into. The only character that could be considered for the character type of the Princess is April as she needs to be protected from the Shadow Kin and Corakinus by the Hero/ine. The Villain character type is Corakinus as he is the one that challenges all of the Heroes/Heroines and poses as a threat to them as he is the enemy of humanity the other villains could also be the Shadow Kin as they follow what Corakinus says even if it is too harm one of the heroes/heroines. There are two possible donors, one of which is Quill as shown by the fact that her gun is capable of killing the shadows and she also gives her protection to Charlie. The other Donor is the New Headteacher who gives out information to the cast which at times is rather suspicious but at the same time rather helpful. The False Hero in Class is actually Ram as although he does do heroic things he doesn't get the same result as shown when he tried to attack Corakinus he instead loses his leg. The Dispatcher is Corakinus as it is the connection between him and April that led to her going through the tear in space and time in hopes to defeat him. The Helper is Tanya as despite the fact that she is young she is quite intelligent and so she will sometimes give advice to the Hero.
4)
There were a lot of enigma codes in the Co-owner of a Lonely Heart, one of them was what would happen to April and her Mum as April had just gone into the tear in time and space also, before April left she had stabbed her Mum with Corakinus's swords however rather than dying or bleeding she got the feeling back in her legs. Another enigma code is what exactly April's Dad to April and her Mum, Huw for them to completely reject him from their family. The other enigma code is how they'll be able to stop these blood sucking multiplying flowers that have appeared. An additional enigma code is what the ensemble cast will do now after everything that happened in this episode. The final enigma code is how Ram and April are going to get back to Earth after going through the tear. There aren't as many action codes as enigma codes in this episode but one of the action codes was the appearance of Corakinus's swords in April's hands from those points on we could tell that things were about to start getting a bit more exciting. Additionally, the making of the tear in space and time made for a good signal that there was going to be a big battle in the Shadow World. Another action code would be when the anchor was plunged on Corakinus's heart. The final action code was finding out the flowers could multiply and bite.
5)
The binary oppositions we see in the Co-owner of a Lonely Heart are: Light vs Dark; Weak vs Strong; Good vs Evil; Youth vs Old. These contrasts will act as an interesting factor that will keep audiences absorbed.
Representation:
1)
Male stereotypes in Class are both reinforced and subverted by Ram and Charlie. Ram reinforces male stereotypes as he sometimes comes off as aggressive with the way he acts, he plays football which is a stereotypical male sport and he acts like a hero which is what is expected of males. Charlie however subverts male stereotypes as not only is he quite timid and reserved but he is also gay which is not really expected of males. Despite this, Charlie also reinforces the stereotype of male dominance as he is a Prince which means he has/had control over his people. Female stereotypes are subverted and reinforced by the characters April, Tanya and Quill. April subverts female stereotypes as rather than being a Princess she is a Hero following Propp's character theory which isn't the typical role of a female. Tanya also subverts female stereotypes as she is academically advanced than everyone else including the males which is quite unorthodox for females as they are expected to be less intelligent than men. Quill reinforces and subverts female stereotypes. Quill reinforces gender stereotypes as the Arn in her head forces her to be under the complete control of Charlie which is similar to the stereotype of women having to listen to men.
2)
In Class older people are represented as being reliant on the younger people to do the majority of things. This is shown by the fact that when the Doctor appears in the first episode he and Quill talk and say things along the lines of having to leave it to the younger ones rather than to protect them by themselves. This subverts stereotypes as younger people are supposed to rely on older people to protect them not the other way round. Younger people however are represented as being brave and strong as shown by them fighting the Shadow Kin and Corakinus over the course of the series despite how dangerous and frightening it must be to do so. This reinforces stereotypes of young people having energy and strength in order to fight.
3)
Race and ethnicity in Class is represented as being quite diverse as shown by the vast number of characters being either white or from minority ethnic groups. The character of Tanya subverts black stereotypes as it is believed that black people are not very intelligent and are only suited for jobs that don't require much intelligence/in the entertainment industry. Charlie reinforces white sterotypes as he is a Prince which is typically imagined as being a white person.
4)
Sexuality in Class is given a modern representation which supports both heterosexuality and homosexuality. Class definitely reflects the current culture and society now as it shows the equality for the LGBTQ+ which although is sometimes not given it it certainly an improvement from what it was years ago.The fact that Class has evened decided to incorporate the LQBTQ+ community makes it an accurate reflection of the world which represents the BBC's message to inform, educate and entertain.
5)
Disability is represented as not being able to prevent you from living your life as shown by the character of Huw, April's Mum which further shows the strength and determination of homeless people. Disabled people are generally under-represented in the Media as it is seen as not being the norm and so the Media doesn't want to really show it to audiences as it is not the majority. The media wants to aim their products at people who resemble those in the shows and so they ignore the minority. Class tries to address this by using the character of Huw to show just how strong and capable disabled people are even with their disability showing that it doesn't make them any less of a person.
Audience:
1)
The viewing figures for Class when it was aired on BBC One after initially being shown on BBC Three was 0.28 million which is about 5.1% of the total television audience. I think that Class did badly due to the the fact that it was always shown at later times at which their audiences may be busy with work or sleeping. Another reason why I think that Class didn't do very well is because although it was a spin-off of Doctor Who it was more explicit included violence and profanity which isn't what Doctor Who shows making it aimed at a more niche audience. Additionally, although they did try to aim it more at young adult audiences by including more sexual scenes there's times when it's quite forced and just doesn't work.
2)
I think the psychographic groups that would be interested in Class are Explorers and Reformers. The reason why Explorers would like Class is because they are typically quite young which is the target audience for Class and they seek out a variety of things which is exactly what Class offers. The reason why Reformers would like Class is because it is an accurate reflection of race, ethnicity and sexuality which corresponds to a Reformer as they are intellectual individuals.
3)
Personal Identity: Audiences would be able to relate to the school aspect of Class as everyone has been to school so for older audiences it can give a sense of nostalgia for when they attended school. Additionally, the history lesson is also quite relatable as we have all been taught History at one point of our lives. Some could also relate with Charlie and Matteus who are both openly gay which may even encourage over homosexual people.
Personal Relationships: Audiences will care particularly for characters like April and Huw as they seem to have been in a serious car accident which has led to Huw not having any feeling in her legs which may be the same for others watching the show. Additionally, the relationship between Charlie and Matteus is quite empowering as they don't really care what others think which makes them seem quite strong.
Diversion: The Shadow Kin and the Shadow World both act as diversions as we wouldn't really be able to see them or the place in real life which can act as a distraction from real life.
Surveillance: Class gives information about the world by giving a true reflection of the races and ethnicities in the world now. Additionally, in the History Class they actually talked about a war which is also giving information about those who fought.
4)
Visceral Pleasure and Voyeuristic Pleasure can both be applied to this episode of Class, Co-owner of a Lonely Heart. The visceral pleasures we get are from when April stabs her Mum's legs with Corakinus's swords and also when she jumps into the tear in space and time. Along with these moments, there is also the time when April almost killed her Dad, these were all thrilling moments where we, the audience didn't know what was going to happen next The voyeuristic pleasure we get is the moment when April and Ram are caught which transitions to them being lectured by Huw in the Kitchen. We wouldn't normally be able to see this as it takes place in someone else's home which makes it a special scene.
Industries:
1)
The objective of BBC Three when it was launched was to provide innovative programmes and content for ages 16 to 34 years old.
2)
BBC Three went online only in February 2016 due to a £100 million budget cut across the BBC which is when the decision was proposed to convert BBC Three into an online only. Additionally, the fact that younger people whom were already the target audience were using things like Netflix this just made it a perfect opportunity to tailor BBC Three to their needs.
3)
Class educates by giving information about other subjects when in lessons; Class informs by giving an accurate reflection of race and ethnicity; Class entertains by providing exciting moments between the ensemble cast and the villains.
4)
The distribution of Class greatly contributed to the failure of Class as quite frequently the show would be aired at quite the random times and so it wasn't surprising that many actually missed the episodes. It is due to this that many may have gotten irritated with the irregular airing schedule which led to them just dropping the show completely.
5)
Trailers for Class were made but the reason why they may not have been very successful is because they mainly incorporated the Doctor who was only actually present for one video. I believe that after the audience found out that the Doctor would not be appearing in any further episodes they may have just dropped the series.
Comparison:
1)
Class has a greater variety of camera shots and transitions done in a steadier way as now there is more equipment that can help the camera movement more to make it smoother. The editing and colours in Class are miles better than Doctor Who as now there is so much advanced software.
2)
In terms of the Science-Fiction genre both An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart are both heavily focused on space. There are more visible differences however as An Unearthly Child is much more futuristic while Class is more current but includes more CGI effects.
3)
An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart both did a good job at meeting the BBC's remit for the time that they were released. This is because An Unearthly Child was released in a time where BAME groups were mostly rejected by society. Co-owner of a Lonely Heart also meets this as now there are many BAME backgrounds in London which is reflected by the diverse people in Class.
4)
In Doctor Who everyone is reflected as being mainly white rather than from a BAME group and of a middle class standing. In Class everyone is quite diverse but no one is discriminated because of it which reflects the somewhat equality we have in today's society.
5)
Both Class and Doctor Who share the same visceral and voyeuristic pleasures as they both provide a sense of thrill when the Doctor is in the TARDIS and when April's swords appear. For voyeuristic pleasures we are able to see Huw embarrassingly giving a lecture to April and Ram after finding them in bed together. A voyeuristic pleasure from Doctor Who is when we see Ms Wright and Mr Chesterton talking about Susan after school which is again a scene we wouldn't normally be able to see.
Characters:
The Characters that we see in the first part of the episode are April and Corakinus, in the little seen at the start we start to see that April's character is developing in a way that frightens even her. We also see that the heart is quite clearly posing as a problem for Corakinus as well as he is desperately trying to sever the bond between him and April. After this, we see the ensemble cast on the 'previously on' which gives us a simple reminder of what happened prior to this episode. Later on, we are introduced to April's Dad as we see that he makes an attempt to call her to which she ignored which increases the sense of mystery around him. We are also introduced to the New Headteacher who appears to for some reason have knowledge about everything including the background of Quill and Charlie. At this point of time it is too early to tell whether or not she is an ally or a foe as she has not yet threatened them but has offered to remove the Arn (race genetically created by the Rhodians in order to make the Quills into their slaves against their will) inside her head which could prove as a problem later on. Additionally, she also seems to know the situation surrounding the shared heart as she makes an excuse for April and Ram rather than questioning them which is far different from what a typical Headteacher would do. When Ram takes April home it seems as though their relationship with one another has greatly developed as they have sex with one another. This somewhat suggests that Ram is already over his girlfriend which makes us question if he really did love her as much as he said he did. Also, not too long before April had asked Charlie to the prom but was rejected and was easily able to get over him even though at first it didn't seem like she would as it seemed more as though she was pretending to be alright. April's Mum however, catches both of them in bed together, this is then followed by a scene where April's Mum threatens Ram by saying, "Don't let the chair fool you." This shows that April's Mother is more than capable of protecting her daughter from harms way wheelchair or not.
Iconography:
At the beginning of the episode the costume and make-up is shown in the character of Corakinus and the Shadow Kin through their eyes, facial features and complete full body appearance. The amount of detail put into the costume and the make-up is quite clear to see as it works very well and would in fact horrify an audience if they were to see them in real life. Additionally, the use of props in the first scene is also quite great as the Corakinus's sword appears in April's hands and it actually resembles the appearance of Corakinus's skin. Later on in the episode when April punches her locker she hurts her hand but then CGI effects come in as we see some kind of blue healing take place. This just further emphasises the fact that April is changing and supposedly becoming more like Corakinus each second. There is also CGI used when April's eyes change colour which acts as a way for the audience to recognise the change in April's actions and emotions which are now closely resembling Corakinus. We also see the Cabinet of Souls and the bright little lights within it which are, according to Charlie, souls of people that have passed. Finally, the flower petals have some kind of special effect as whenever they are touched they bite their victim. This is not the only thing they are capable of as we see that they continue to multiply and they don't stop which means they have the potential to turn into a weapon of mass destruction.
Setting:
At the beginning, the episode takes place in the Shadow World, the location of which Corakinus and the Shadow Kin reside. There is then a transition to a different location which is April's bedroom in order to amplify the connection between the two. After the recap at the start, the setting is then changed to the classroom where April's thoughts become more similar to that of Corakinus's thoughts rather than her own. Once she has regained her sense of self she goes out to the hallway where she then punches a locker which is when the CGI blue healing effects appear. Ram stumbles upon April and helps her by taking her outside of the school so they can go to his car in order to take April home. It is when they are in the car that April's Dad appears and so the setting shifts to outside of the school where Corakinus's swords materialise in April's hand as she threatens her Father. Near the end of the episode April and Ram are in April's bedroom after he takes her home where they then have sex with one another. When they are caught the setting then moves on into the Kitchen instead where April's Mum warns Ram and gives them both a lecture.
2)
Todorov's theory of equilibrium does actually apply to the Co-owner of a Lonely Heart, the Equilibrium was the very beginning of the episode which was the opening scene between April and Corakinus reintroducing their shared heart. The Disruption is then the unexpected mention of April's Dad as we see that April rejects a call from him which causes enigmas to rise within the audience. Arguably, you could also say that the Disruption is the strengthening connection between April and Corakinus which is the reason for her being able to materialise Corakinus's blades after the anchor was placed on his heart. The Recognition is when April's Dad appears outside of Ram's car which is when we see that April is only becoming more similar to Corakinus as she even threatens to kill her Father. It could also be said that the Recognition was when April began to devalue the efforts of those who went to fight in the war which were things more likely to have been said by Corakinus than her. The last possible Recognition could have been when April's eyes began to turn orange which is the exact same colour as Corakinus's eyes showing the differences between disappearing as they are now becoming more alike. The Reparation is the scene in April's Garden where everyone gathers after April almost kills her Father again after he arrived at her home. Finally, the New Equilibrium is when April creates a rip in time and space allowing her to jump through this newly created tear in space and time in order to defeat Corakinus before he can find her.
3)
Propp's character theory does apply to the Class, although you could say that many different characters fulfil more than one role as most of them have had lots of character development throughout. The role of the Hero/ine can be fufilled by 4 different characters at this point one of the possible candidates for this character type is April. The reason why April could be a possible hero is because she is the only one who has the ability to actually find Corakinus as she shares a heart with him which also makes her his lifeline. Additionally, she even tried to pierce through her own heart in order to threaten Corakinus into leaving Earth which was an excellent display of her bravery making her perfect for the role of a Heroine. Another character that could possibly be a Heroine is in fact Quill herself. This is because as she is trying to protect of whom she absolutely despises for putting an Arn in her head preventing her from doing otherwise she is also trying to defeat the Shadow King and save her people, the Quills. Another character that fulfils the character type is Charlie as not only is he a Prince but he is also taking on the role of protecting April from harms way after having her heart shared with Corakinus. One of the most remarkable things about Charlie is that despite the fact that he had the chance to kill Corakinus he didn't because he knew that April would die as well. This shows that Charlie has good sense of justice but is not blinded by revenge as although he wants to save his people he also doesn't want anyone to die. The final possible character that could be a Hero is Ram as in the first episode his girlfriend was killed right before his eyes and his leg was cut off but even despite all this he didn't run away but instead went ahead to attack the remaining Shadow Kin at the school. Ram was also proved to be a Hero when he made the split second decision to jump after April into the tear in space and time in order to make sure she wasn't alone even though he didn't really know what he was getting himself into. The only character that could be considered for the character type of the Princess is April as she needs to be protected from the Shadow Kin and Corakinus by the Hero/ine. The Villain character type is Corakinus as he is the one that challenges all of the Heroes/Heroines and poses as a threat to them as he is the enemy of humanity the other villains could also be the Shadow Kin as they follow what Corakinus says even if it is too harm one of the heroes/heroines. There are two possible donors, one of which is Quill as shown by the fact that her gun is capable of killing the shadows and she also gives her protection to Charlie. The other Donor is the New Headteacher who gives out information to the cast which at times is rather suspicious but at the same time rather helpful. The False Hero in Class is actually Ram as although he does do heroic things he doesn't get the same result as shown when he tried to attack Corakinus he instead loses his leg. The Dispatcher is Corakinus as it is the connection between him and April that led to her going through the tear in space and time in hopes to defeat him. The Helper is Tanya as despite the fact that she is young she is quite intelligent and so she will sometimes give advice to the Hero.
4)
There were a lot of enigma codes in the Co-owner of a Lonely Heart, one of them was what would happen to April and her Mum as April had just gone into the tear in time and space also, before April left she had stabbed her Mum with Corakinus's swords however rather than dying or bleeding she got the feeling back in her legs. Another enigma code is what exactly April's Dad to April and her Mum, Huw for them to completely reject him from their family. The other enigma code is how they'll be able to stop these blood sucking multiplying flowers that have appeared. An additional enigma code is what the ensemble cast will do now after everything that happened in this episode. The final enigma code is how Ram and April are going to get back to Earth after going through the tear. There aren't as many action codes as enigma codes in this episode but one of the action codes was the appearance of Corakinus's swords in April's hands from those points on we could tell that things were about to start getting a bit more exciting. Additionally, the making of the tear in space and time made for a good signal that there was going to be a big battle in the Shadow World. Another action code would be when the anchor was plunged on Corakinus's heart. The final action code was finding out the flowers could multiply and bite.
5)
The binary oppositions we see in the Co-owner of a Lonely Heart are: Light vs Dark; Weak vs Strong; Good vs Evil; Youth vs Old. These contrasts will act as an interesting factor that will keep audiences absorbed.
Representation:
1)
Male stereotypes in Class are both reinforced and subverted by Ram and Charlie. Ram reinforces male stereotypes as he sometimes comes off as aggressive with the way he acts, he plays football which is a stereotypical male sport and he acts like a hero which is what is expected of males. Charlie however subverts male stereotypes as not only is he quite timid and reserved but he is also gay which is not really expected of males. Despite this, Charlie also reinforces the stereotype of male dominance as he is a Prince which means he has/had control over his people. Female stereotypes are subverted and reinforced by the characters April, Tanya and Quill. April subverts female stereotypes as rather than being a Princess she is a Hero following Propp's character theory which isn't the typical role of a female. Tanya also subverts female stereotypes as she is academically advanced than everyone else including the males which is quite unorthodox for females as they are expected to be less intelligent than men. Quill reinforces and subverts female stereotypes. Quill reinforces gender stereotypes as the Arn in her head forces her to be under the complete control of Charlie which is similar to the stereotype of women having to listen to men.
2)
In Class older people are represented as being reliant on the younger people to do the majority of things. This is shown by the fact that when the Doctor appears in the first episode he and Quill talk and say things along the lines of having to leave it to the younger ones rather than to protect them by themselves. This subverts stereotypes as younger people are supposed to rely on older people to protect them not the other way round. Younger people however are represented as being brave and strong as shown by them fighting the Shadow Kin and Corakinus over the course of the series despite how dangerous and frightening it must be to do so. This reinforces stereotypes of young people having energy and strength in order to fight.
3)
Race and ethnicity in Class is represented as being quite diverse as shown by the vast number of characters being either white or from minority ethnic groups. The character of Tanya subverts black stereotypes as it is believed that black people are not very intelligent and are only suited for jobs that don't require much intelligence/in the entertainment industry. Charlie reinforces white sterotypes as he is a Prince which is typically imagined as being a white person.
4)
Sexuality in Class is given a modern representation which supports both heterosexuality and homosexuality. Class definitely reflects the current culture and society now as it shows the equality for the LGBTQ+ which although is sometimes not given it it certainly an improvement from what it was years ago.The fact that Class has evened decided to incorporate the LQBTQ+ community makes it an accurate reflection of the world which represents the BBC's message to inform, educate and entertain.
5)
Disability is represented as not being able to prevent you from living your life as shown by the character of Huw, April's Mum which further shows the strength and determination of homeless people. Disabled people are generally under-represented in the Media as it is seen as not being the norm and so the Media doesn't want to really show it to audiences as it is not the majority. The media wants to aim their products at people who resemble those in the shows and so they ignore the minority. Class tries to address this by using the character of Huw to show just how strong and capable disabled people are even with their disability showing that it doesn't make them any less of a person.
Audience:
1)
The viewing figures for Class when it was aired on BBC One after initially being shown on BBC Three was 0.28 million which is about 5.1% of the total television audience. I think that Class did badly due to the the fact that it was always shown at later times at which their audiences may be busy with work or sleeping. Another reason why I think that Class didn't do very well is because although it was a spin-off of Doctor Who it was more explicit included violence and profanity which isn't what Doctor Who shows making it aimed at a more niche audience. Additionally, although they did try to aim it more at young adult audiences by including more sexual scenes there's times when it's quite forced and just doesn't work.
2)
I think the psychographic groups that would be interested in Class are Explorers and Reformers. The reason why Explorers would like Class is because they are typically quite young which is the target audience for Class and they seek out a variety of things which is exactly what Class offers. The reason why Reformers would like Class is because it is an accurate reflection of race, ethnicity and sexuality which corresponds to a Reformer as they are intellectual individuals.
3)
Personal Identity: Audiences would be able to relate to the school aspect of Class as everyone has been to school so for older audiences it can give a sense of nostalgia for when they attended school. Additionally, the history lesson is also quite relatable as we have all been taught History at one point of our lives. Some could also relate with Charlie and Matteus who are both openly gay which may even encourage over homosexual people.
Personal Relationships: Audiences will care particularly for characters like April and Huw as they seem to have been in a serious car accident which has led to Huw not having any feeling in her legs which may be the same for others watching the show. Additionally, the relationship between Charlie and Matteus is quite empowering as they don't really care what others think which makes them seem quite strong.
Diversion: The Shadow Kin and the Shadow World both act as diversions as we wouldn't really be able to see them or the place in real life which can act as a distraction from real life.
Surveillance: Class gives information about the world by giving a true reflection of the races and ethnicities in the world now. Additionally, in the History Class they actually talked about a war which is also giving information about those who fought.
4)
Visceral Pleasure and Voyeuristic Pleasure can both be applied to this episode of Class, Co-owner of a Lonely Heart. The visceral pleasures we get are from when April stabs her Mum's legs with Corakinus's swords and also when she jumps into the tear in space and time. Along with these moments, there is also the time when April almost killed her Dad, these were all thrilling moments where we, the audience didn't know what was going to happen next The voyeuristic pleasure we get is the moment when April and Ram are caught which transitions to them being lectured by Huw in the Kitchen. We wouldn't normally be able to see this as it takes place in someone else's home which makes it a special scene.
Industries:
1)
The objective of BBC Three when it was launched was to provide innovative programmes and content for ages 16 to 34 years old.
2)
BBC Three went online only in February 2016 due to a £100 million budget cut across the BBC which is when the decision was proposed to convert BBC Three into an online only. Additionally, the fact that younger people whom were already the target audience were using things like Netflix this just made it a perfect opportunity to tailor BBC Three to their needs.
3)
Class educates by giving information about other subjects when in lessons; Class informs by giving an accurate reflection of race and ethnicity; Class entertains by providing exciting moments between the ensemble cast and the villains.
4)
The distribution of Class greatly contributed to the failure of Class as quite frequently the show would be aired at quite the random times and so it wasn't surprising that many actually missed the episodes. It is due to this that many may have gotten irritated with the irregular airing schedule which led to them just dropping the show completely.
5)
Trailers for Class were made but the reason why they may not have been very successful is because they mainly incorporated the Doctor who was only actually present for one video. I believe that after the audience found out that the Doctor would not be appearing in any further episodes they may have just dropped the series.
Comparison:
1)
Class has a greater variety of camera shots and transitions done in a steadier way as now there is more equipment that can help the camera movement more to make it smoother. The editing and colours in Class are miles better than Doctor Who as now there is so much advanced software.
2)
In terms of the Science-Fiction genre both An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart are both heavily focused on space. There are more visible differences however as An Unearthly Child is much more futuristic while Class is more current but includes more CGI effects.
3)
An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart both did a good job at meeting the BBC's remit for the time that they were released. This is because An Unearthly Child was released in a time where BAME groups were mostly rejected by society. Co-owner of a Lonely Heart also meets this as now there are many BAME backgrounds in London which is reflected by the diverse people in Class.
4)
In Doctor Who everyone is reflected as being mainly white rather than from a BAME group and of a middle class standing. In Class everyone is quite diverse but no one is discriminated because of it which reflects the somewhat equality we have in today's society.
5)
Both Class and Doctor Who share the same visceral and voyeuristic pleasures as they both provide a sense of thrill when the Doctor is in the TARDIS and when April's swords appear. For voyeuristic pleasures we are able to see Huw embarrassingly giving a lecture to April and Ram after finding them in bed together. A voyeuristic pleasure from Doctor Who is when we see Ms Wright and Mr Chesterton talking about Susan after school which is again a scene we wouldn't normally be able to see.
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