Television DramaJoin now to read essay Television DramaThe viewer positioning in television dramas play a very important and critical part in how the drama is portrayed to the audience, and hence this gives an idea on how successful the show will be. Dawson’s Creek is a relatively new TV drama aimed at teenagers and the issues they face and have to deal with in society today. The viewer positioning, in relation to the show’s themes, construction and values will be discussed and analysed. The “Pilot” episode (first episode of Dawson’s Creek) will be referred back to in this essay, as this episode was what propelled Dawson’s Creek into becoming the most watched teen show around the world and what made the actors/ actresses into instant stars.
Dawsons Creek is about one boys coming of age journey and his lifelong friendship with a girl from a vastly different home life. The vivid and absorbing relationship between Dawson (James Van Der Beek) and Joey (Katie Holmes) is at the core of the series. Best friends since they were small children, the two are faced with many new challenges ahead of them in their teenage years, ones that would not have arisen in their childhood days. One is sustaining their close friendship in spite of their budding romantic relationship, their emotional, physical and intellectual growth and the changing world around them.
Other than Dawson and Joey, the show also revolves around two other central characters, Jen and Pacey. Jen (Michelle Williams) has mysteriously come from New York to stay with her grandparents, but she clearly has an air of mystery surrounding her as she harbours a dark secret from her past. Dawson clearly lusts for her, but when Jen unveils some of her teenage experiences to Dawson, his feelings for her clearly change. Pacey (Joshua Jackson) has been Dawson’s best friend, along with Joey, for some time. Pacey lives life fearlessly, and he is eager to discovery what life has laid out for him. His gift for sarcasm is matched only by knack for stumbling awkwardly and unprepared into adult situations. The four are engaged in an intriguing relationship, and are forced to deal with their feelings towards each other. Dawson’s Creek is about their journey through life.
The show was conceived, developed and written by Kevin Williamson, who continues to serve as executive producer of the series. Dawsons Creek presents a somewhat autobiographical and almost shockingly honest portrayal of teenage characters dealing with real-life issues. Williamson believes that todays teenagers, who are exposed to an unprecedented amount of violence, sex, drugs and unsavory role models, are growing up fast. Dawsons Creek is loosely based on Williamsons real-life experiences growing up in rural North Carolina and the special relationship he shared with his own best friend. As it presents a very honest portrayal of the painful experiences of the teenage years interspersed with incredible moments of pure exhilaration, fun and joy, the show provides a fresh and gripping approach to the vast and diverse universal emotions associated with growing up. Never underestimating the 16-year-old mind, the series deals with sensitive issues that reflect the concerns of the four characters striving for self-awareness, while afraid of losing something special and not being able to find anything to replace it in the future.
The agony of surviving puberty intact, discovering their sexuality, unearthing their future and figuring out life in general are just some of the themes that surround the central characters of Dawsons Creek. During a time when friends and family have an enormous impact on their lives and future, Dawson, Joey, Pacey and Jen worry about where theyre heading and what theyll be when they grow up. Afraid of doing something stupid, or making mistakes that have lifelong consequences, each of the four characters must learn to deal with the other gender, their own sexuality as well as the question of whether or not to engage in sex, and how those decisions impact their long term friendships.
The viewers targeted are clearly teenagers, as the show’s themes relate to the issues teenagers face. However, watching Dawson’s Creek can satisfy young adults and even the older generation, as it brings back fond, strong and emotional memories of their teenage years. The viewers are positioned to associate with the themes present. Some feelings and memories the audience might have recollected from watching the “Pilot” episode and a few of the following episodes are; how they felt when they experienced their first kiss, or how they felt when they were severely hurt and betrayed by someone, as Mitch (Dawson’s dad), and Dawson were when Gale (Dawson’s mum) had an affair with another man. Or did some viewers ever happen to have a crush on one of their best friends? All of these issues and
†Cable TV is a popular and popular way for young people to watch teen shows when they aren’t watching TV, but it also is a lot more complicated than that.‡ As people increasingly use a smartphone, cable TV and its apps as the basic means to keep informed when their friends or family are watching their shows, there is a lot of debate on how and where and when to stream digital content in order to have the best experience.‡ However, it does seem very well suited for those people who want to watch content through a cable channel or social network, instead of simply watching digital content.
‡As digital platforms allow you to stream your internet content without any sort of parental controls, it gives you even more power to watch. As a result, many of you are able to watch all sorts of digital content.‡ But, like all modern technological developments, there seems to be no set of “right” or “wrong” approaches.‡ What you are able to watch, what you have come to expect as part of the “right” world and “wrong” world is not what you thought it was because no one else is going to share your life with you, but what you expect what you get.‡ You aren’t allowed to enjoy other people’s life without the consent of their families.‡ You are not allowed to watch, look at or even know who people are talking to in their local community or in real life.‡ Everyone you interact with in the digital world is your own audience that you’ve come to know and respect.
‡Some of you people want to have an environment where you can interact with those around you that you can’t control.‡ You might even want to own your own space.‡ But no matter what you do, it’s also always up to you to decide just how much you like how one person’s character behaves or your own world. Your digital experience is just one part of the experience with the show, as it’s constantly changing and evolving, both when it comes to what people are telling you to watch and how much you enjoy enjoying it.
‡When it comes to being able to watch, I don’t want to be constantly exposed to something that is just a single video.‡ If I’m watching a single movie on my TV, that feels like the wrong thing to do.‡ If I’m watching a video of my daughter growing up, that’s another option.‡ If I’m watching a video of my husband growing up growing up, that’s another option.‡ This means that even if someone has the exact same personality as me, it will still hurt their feelings and feelings of respect and admiration.‡
†It’s not fair to judge a viewer based on how much they like or understand the show. This is a true art and talent show. But, if you need something that only they can offer, then there’s no point in doing that.‡ The characters show how much they enjoy