A Level Media Studies: Most texts today mix genres. How true is this of your three main texts? Exam Question

‘Most texts today mix genres.’ How true is this of your three main texts? [30] 

Most television programmes mix a selection of genres to create hybrid genres. This not only creates for interesting development in the story but allows for the show to be more unique in a fairly crowded industry. It can act as a unique selling-point, enticing audiences from across many genres to the programme which increases the likelihood of success. The three texts (Breaking Bad, The Night Manager and Black Mirror) all do this to an extent and this essay will explore just how true the statement is to these programmes.

The Night Manager is predominantly of the spy genre. There are typical conventions that connote intelligence in crime in most scenes, notably the bloodied kitchen cupboards which helps the audience immediately place this as a crime programme. The freeze frame like photographs being taken reinforce the spy genre, adding an element of secrecy but still having the ability to make the audience feel included. The iconography of intelligence service bases in the background of scenes subliminally conforms to the genre also – people associate spy-espionage which the ability for a character to go to many places. But The Night Manager mixes the typical conventions of the spy genre with the depth of drama and excitement of action. Centred around the story of Jonathan Pine, there is a sense of realism that comes with this. There is an air of mystery around him that conforms with spy/crime conventions, but he breaks away from the typical idea of a spy and is able to express his emotions throughout the episode. He seems very average, conventional of most drama series which follow the life of a normal person under extraordinary circumstances, which adds something new to the predictable nature of spy genre programmes. Furthermore, the use of dramatic, triumphant sounding music is typical of the genre as it elevates the emotion and grandeur of the story. The Night Manager ultimately stands at a meeting point between espionage and drama, mixing elements of both to create a programme that is interesting but not completely absurd. Mixing genres is perhaps more important for spy genre programmes because they are known to be so stereotypical and conforming, meaning the audience knows what to expect. Conventions of drama and action give The Night Manager edge but ground the show in realism.

Breaking Bad has conventions of a crime but also drama, making it a hybrid. There are codes that signify this throughout, for example, the scene of Walter doing a dodgy deal in the bathroom plays into the audience’s stereotypical idea of drug dealing. High camera angles show us white suits and camera flashing sounds which also give a crime scene feel as the characters are searching for clues and evidence, and this is a scene that is replicated by many other crime television programmes making it easily identifiable. Breaking Bad has conventions of an American Quality Television, like the use of a protagonist turned antagonist. Though somewhat controversial, this is typical of AQT and it is reinforced because the storyline is central to a single individual. Despite this, Breaking Bad predominantly follows the conventions of a crime drama and does not rely on other genres as much as The Night Manager. Whilst it is true that Breaking Bad mixes elements of different genres together, it is to a lesser extent because the genre of crime drama already has enough depth to carry the narrative without needing something more from another genre.

Black Mirror is a science fiction dystopian television show which heavily features technology in the story. This is evident in the episode titled White Christmas where a copy of a person is created (called a cookie) which is the epicentre of the narrative. The scale of technology in the programme is typical of a science fiction programme – muffled voices and camera effects to make it feel like the audience watches through a camera lens establishes and reinforces this throughout. Additionally, Greta’s modern and minimalistic home is all white which is spacious and gives an uber-tech feel which too is conventional of a science fiction text. Black Mirror also leans into the psychological thriller genre – this is demonstrated through the repeated use of dark lighting and shadows which make the scene more intense and can be reflective of the inner darkness within a character. The dystopian element of the programme again illustrates how Black Mirror draws upon key parts of other genres to create a more diverse and interesting narrative. Each episode of Black Mirror shows the impact increasing use of technology has on society and how it can be beneficial but also detrimental, creating a future where technology is the dominant force. In response to the question, it is true that Black Mirror mixes genres and the programme shows a heavily reliance on this in its episodes indicating its importance.

To conclude, the texts all mix genres to a certain extent. Mixing genres is becoming more widespread as programmes start venturing into new concept and storylines; audiences are bored of predictable storylines associated with overdone genres like spy/crime, and so by blending two or more genres together, a hybrid is created which gives rise to greater individuality which would ultimately lead to more success. Perhaps mixing genres is not a case of choice, rather a must to keep up with the diverse entertainment wants from the audience.