• Look at the media figures you have been given.

• Place adjectives on a media celebrity that you feel describes their age.

• How old are they?

Do Now!

Age-when are we happiest?

• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/5645800/Women-happiest-at-28.html

Representation of Agein TV Drama

Learning Objective: To explore how different age groups

are represented in the media, specifically TV Drama.

Age representation-starter

• Task: With your partner list the stereotypical qualities of one of these age groups.

• What adjectives could be used to describe them?

• Babies and toddlers• Primary Children• Teenagers• 20 – 30 year olds• Middle age- 40-55?• Elderly- 60+

• Now think about media examples in the age ranges. How do they represent their age?

The elderly

• Discussion point: The elderly are often represented in the media as being weak, vulnerable and needy?

Age construction• Remember all fictional characters presented in the media

are ‘re-presentations!• They have been constructed as a product of someone's

imagination.

• They all offer a certain view of what it is to be that particular age.

• Question: Which age are most commonly seen on TV?

• 35-45• Why? • Because that is the age group that make most of the

decisions in power!

Teenagers in the media

• List some stereotypes of teenagers.• Lazy• Moody• Argumentative• Immature• Irresponsible• Confused• Aggressive• Rebellious• Ignorant• Threatening• Creative• Ambitious• Focussed• Formative development into adulthood- ‘finding yourselves’

Teenage Representation in TV drama• Which TV dramas are specifically aimed at

teenagers?

• What TV dramas feature teenagers heavily?

• Do these dramas accurately reflect teenage life?

Analysis

Watch this clip from Waterloo Road and make

notes on the following:

• How the different age groups are constructed.

• The relationships between age groups

• The way the technical aspects assist our understanding of age.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHj9aavgpvQ&index=11&list=PL39RK5NuuAt2KlzNcuz4SHM2okAMCC9_W

‘Eastenders’- a wide audience• Eastenders more than any other show on UK TV feels it has a responsibility to

represent everyone. Why?

• Because it is a BBC programme and therefore funded by our licence fee. The BBC must be seen to fairly represent all of us regardless of gender, ethnicity, age etc.

• Therefore Eastenders has a variety of characters to appeal to a variety of demographics. The spin off show ‘E20’ was an attempt to win back the youth market who were said to be not as interested in the show.

• It is one of the few programmes that gives elderly characters a prominent voice.

• Task: Watch this clip and write down two adjectives to describe the elderly characters.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oshePdbkk2Y

• Feedback to class in groups.

• Homework: • ‘How is age constructed in the scene from

Waterloo Road and how are stereotypes conformed or subverted to’.

• 400 words min.

Skins

• Skins (E4) was said to be an attempt to offer a more realistic representation of teenage life in Britain today.

• It centres on the lives of a group of 16 – 19 year olds living in Bristol.

• Some critics claimed that show depicted teenagers stereotypically and unrealistically others praised the show for showing teenagers in a more adult fashion and not treating them like little kids.