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Unit 25 - TV and Video StudiesAssignment 2: Know about the key issues and debates that affect the television and video industryIn this assignment I will discuss a wide range of key issues and debates in regards to my chosen television programme, Breaking Bad. I will explain the importance of it to the broadcaster and how the content raises issues such as taste and decency, quality and standards and audience ratings. The appeals of Breaking Bad will be outlined and the contribution of it to its genre, referencing ratings, spin-off programmes and merchandising. Importance to the broadcaster: Breaking Bad is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. It premiered on the AMC network on January 20, 2008 and had a total of five seasons. Breaking Bad is of high significance to the broadcaster as it attracted a large number of viewers and therefore gained huge popularity which is evident by the fact that it has been voted one of the greatest series of all time and was one of the most watched American television shows. It has also led to a spin-off show being created “Better Call Saul” and “Talking Bad” which, like Breaking Bad, have proven to be quite popular across the nation. Taste and decency: Breaking Bad has raised quite a few issues related to taste and decency due to the amount of violence and gore, profanity, crime and drugs that appear in quite a few scenes. The main storyline of the series is the main character, Walter White, working with a former student to produce and sell crystallised methamphetamine in order to help his family financially, which has led to issues and complaints being raised regarding this and people being offended and choosing to refrain from watching it. Within Breaking Bad there are many scenes containing evidence of violence and gore – in every season a lot of blood, guts and gore are seen and even a lot of fighting, sometimes leading to death. The topic of violence and gore is widely prevalent throughout the series and in every episode there is either scenes of aggressive behaviour, hatred-filled fighting and in some cases death. Another topic which is also quite common is the use of profanity as in every episode, also, some or all of the characters use bad language and curse. Some of the language used has horrified viewers who thought it somewhat disgraceful that the characters were even allowed to say these things when filming and that it was not cut from the show. A huge controversial issue that was raised in relation to this was at the fact that action figures based on the characters from the show were put on sale in Toys R Us stores and on their website. One of these toys includes a bag of fake crystal meth which has caused many parents to be extremely horrified, shocked and angry.One parent started a petition to get the toys removed from the retail stores completely and stated, “Parents and grandparents around the world shop at Toys R Us, online and in stores, with their children and should not be forced to explain why a certain toy comes with a bag of highly dangerous and illegal drugs or why someone who sells those drugs deserves to be made into an action figure. ?Knowing those are the items one needs to make meth I just think that it's wrong. Kids mimic their action figures, if you will, do you want your child in an orange jumpsuit?”Quality and standards: The quality of Breaking Bad has always been of quite a high standard and this has been the same since it premiered in 2008. The budget for each episode cost $3million which is higher than most series and it has been proven that it was money well spent because of the massive popularity it has gained and the high-quality show that was produced. Altogether a total of 62 episodes were made, with a selection of episodes being filmed at the one time. The series proved to be one of exceptionally high standards as when it was produced millions of viewers were immediately engaged on it and remained so throughout the whole season. The quality of cinematography used has always been perfect with every scene balancing the mood with the colour schemes and camera techniques used. The cast used has always been of a high quality due to the fact that they tell the story quite well and fit the characters they play quite well also. The credits at the beginning of the show have remained the same since the show premiered and feature elements from the Periodic Table in green and the names of the cast members. A selection of high-quality and well suited tracks are used to accompany the show from artists such as Mick Harvey and the Beastie Boys. Audience Ratings: Breaking Bad appeared to have achieved a record amount of viewers with a massive total of 6.4 million viewers choosing to watch the series on average. The series finale, however attracted its highest amount of viewers as a total of 10.3 million chose to watch it. 5143513906500359473529019500Above are the ratings for Breaking Bad taken from Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB which clearly show the massive popularity the show has gained since its premiere, and this popularity has always been consistent. Complaints: Breaking Bad has received quite a few complaints and negative ratings as a result of offensive references and scenes in relation to topics such as violence and gore, profanity and bad language. The fact that children’s retail stores then went on to sell merchandise-related consisting of fake bags of drugs has infuriated some viewers, most of which were parents and caused a lot of backlash towards the show. The producers and cast of Breaking Bad apologised for these complaints and stated that the show was created for an entertainment value and did not mean to offend anyone. Bibliography: ................
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