Television: Introduction to TV Drama

1) How does this His Dark Materials trailer meet the conventions of a TV drama series?

It introduces an ensemble cast and lays the foundation for the narrative, alongside introducing multiple settings and important parts of the plot (for example, the "knife that can cut through worlds"). It has stock characters, such as the vicars in the church (at 0:30).

2) What genre (or genres) are suggested by this His Dark Materials trailer?

The main genres suggested by the trailer are a hybrid of fantasy and science-fiction. This is done through the settings in different worlds and also in laboratory / technological areas. There are props that also suggest the fantasy genre (such as the dial the protagonist is holding at 0:43) and the sci-fi genre (such as the machine at 0:46). Moreover, the costumes change consistently with different styles, suggesting an adventure-style genre. There is also a coming-of-age story suggested by the protagonist's young age.

3) What kind of characters and narratives are introduced in this trailer?

An ensemble cast is introduced (comprised of the young girl, boy and older man) that makes up the heroes of the story, with the rest presumably being less major characters or stock characters. The main villain of the story may be the lady in red, and the older man is most likely a parental figure to the protagonist ("I swore to keep her safe"). The narrative most likely follows the girl and her adventures, while being chased by villains and characters from other worlds ("There are multiple worlds out there, and people will be looking for her"). It introduces a disruption to the equilibrium ("these troubled times"), that the heroes of the story will try to recover.

4) What settings appear in the trailer?

Many different settings appear, such as forests, laboratories and cities. These most likely take place in different worlds, aiding in reinforcing the fantasy genre.

5) Who do you think the target audience for His Dark Materials is? Give reasons for your answer.

The target audience for His Dark Materials is most likely comprised of a younger, teenage audience as the story follows a young girl (catering to personal identity) and follows a similar narrative to many other famous teen-targeted series (a girl who is different or aiming to fix the world, or in this case, multiple). The story is less dark and gritty, so it is less likely to be aimed towards adults, and instead to younger people who are fans of fantasy, science-fiction and dystopian types of stories