A review of
3 modern classic
programmes
 Low
budget sit com
-
Father Ted
 Medium
budget talk show WWE Legends of Wrestling
Roundtable
 High
budget drama series - The
West Wing
 I was originally looking at three shows for my low budget
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choice they were Only Fools and horses, Father Ted and
Red Dwarf .
In the end I chose the channel 4 production because I
wanted to study something Irish and as comedies goes this
is the crem de la crem .
My medium budget choice derives from my passionate
fascination with the wrestling world and I discovered this
relatively new show only about a year ago ,it airs on The
WWE 24/7 channel and on the use network.
The big budget show ive chosen is the west wing , the
reason I chose this show relates to my love of American
Presidential biographic movies eg. Nixon , JFK , W. ,
Frost/Nixon and Primary Colours also I think this could
well be the best TV drama series ever.
 In
the following slides I will try to make
clear my views of these 3 gems by pointing
out the fascinating facts the powerful
profiles and the captivating clips to you all
by using the terms , codes and conventions
that are required .
 I will delve into the deep end of the TV
studio jungle to learn the technical aspects
and the financial states of the makers of
each programme.
 I hope this is satisfactory and you enjoy it .
DECLAN
LOWREY
DIRECTOR
GRAHAM
LINEHAN
WRITER
FATHER
TED
GEOFFREY
PERKENS
PRODUCER
ARTHER
MATHEWS
WRITER
CHANNEL
4
PRODUCTIONS
FATHER
TED
HAT-TRICK
PRODUCTIONS
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The cast of the series a whose who of Irish comedy
with the four main stays leading the way being
Dermot Morgan as Ted , Ardle O Harlan as Double ,
Frank Kelly as Jack and Pauline MC Glynn as MRS.
Doyle.
Guest stars included pat short (Killnaskully) , Graham
Norton , John Kenny , Brendan Grace and Dervla
kirwin (Ballykissangel) .
The storylines are very surreal with sometime strange
but hilarious plots.
Every episode has a closed narrative as this is
commonly done with sitcoms .
Father ted has a linear structure generally .
The show was filmed as a single camera piece all
sitcoms are filmed like this .
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA5AEOo
Q2sE
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_8K5rUj
uVQ
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNglxh5X
eAQ
The show started in late 2004 it was made to co
inside with the WWE programming at that time ,
more and more legends were coming back to
work in WWE Hulk Hogan , Dusty Rhodes , Ric
Flair and the Legion of Doom to name a few .
 So now with all the big wrestling promotions
bought up by Vince Mc Mahon he had the
copyright to show any classic footage he wanted
to .
 So WWE produced the legends of wrestling
roundtable to air on WWE 24/7 on demand and
online, and by 2005 it aired on USA Network and
coincided with WWE Vintage Collection .
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The show is written by Vince Mc Mahon and Jim Ross .
The shows intro music is written and performed by
James A. Johnson.
Its presented by either mean Gene Okerland or J. R.
Jim Ross .
2 cameras would be used for this show as they are
talking in a circle this is needed for quick changes in
speakers.
The special guests are usually wrestling legends such
as Michael Hayes and Dusty Rhodes who are joined by
2 different people each episode eg. Jerry Lawler ,
Jimmy Hart , Mick Foley or Tazz .
The show is one of many productions by the WWE
brand but the first chat show of this kind.
They would sit around a round table usually with
pictures of legends from the last 30 years on the
studio walls.
 Each guy ive noticed always has a black cup and
some of them smoke a cigar or two while doing
the show.
 Now when sitting talking they discuss every
things from a real world perspective eg. there
was a show were they were talking about the
bad and funny characters over the years that
flopped .
 They talk about storylines of the past , the great
matches , the hype and the promos .
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 The
show has expositive qualities yet
observational qualities eg. the expositive
thing is that the Presenter firstly and lastly
talks to the camera (remember there no
audience) and for the next hour the
conversation is between the panel of guests
is on a level basis unlike other shows like the
late late show were Ryan Tubridy may have
three guests but he asks all the questions so
this is what makes the show observational
also because were watching them as they
talk like there at the diner table .
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td_KbX5
AZCk
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yNmTwc
ZA-Q
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS_GGPx
ldBU
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY ARRAN SORKAN
PRODUCED BY
ARRAN SORKAN AND JOHN
WELLS
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
THOMASZ SHCLAMME
PRODUCTION COMPANIES
WARNER BROTHERS
PRODUCTIONS AND JOHN
WELLS PRODUCTIONS
PRESIDENT JED BARTLETT
MARTIN SHEEN
LEO MC GARRAGHY
JOHN SPENCER
SAM SEABOURNE
ROB LOWE
JOSH LINEMANN
BRADLEY WHITFORD
C.J. CRANE
ALLISON JANNEY
TOBBEY ZIEGLER
RICHARD SCHIFFE
ABIGAYLE BARTLETT
STOCKARD CHANNING
This show had an array of talent , they all could
deliver lines in way that was out of this world.
 Arran Serkin really challenged these qualities in
those actors to breaking point and the result he
got was majestic he would have Rob Lowe ( Sam
Seaborne) and Bradley Whitfeild ( Josh Lineman
) walking through the corridors of the
Whitehouse talking really fast and then one of
them would meet C.J. Crane ( Allison Janney )
and they would do the same the continuity was
immense .
 For this particular sequence they would use the
steady cam .
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The west wing won an unprecedented 9 emmys for
season 1 and an emmy for each season there after.
A single camera would be used for the still scene of
the president having meetings or C.J.s press briefings
.
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The show has a closed narrative with most episodes
but with the episodes that are in two parts its left
open.
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There is a linear structure to the show but there is
exceptions that are non linear eg. when Pres. Bartlet
has flashbacks to bygone eras like in the two
cathedrals episode at the end of the second season
where he is contemplating not seeking a second term
he then seeks realection after persuasion from a
flashback .( watch parts of this on slide23).
The budget of the west wing was $2m per
season
 The shows first 4 seasons won the emmy for
most outstanding drama series .
 In its inaugural year The west wing also was
presented with the prestigious Peabody for
excellence in TV.
 The west wing made its debut in 1999 and ran
for seven great seasons until its tous de gra
(farewell) in 2006.
 Guest stars on the west wing over the years have
included Mathew Perry (friends) , john Goodman
(Roseanne) and Oliver platt (flatliners).

 Dazzlingly
accomplished says Sunday times
 Sometimes the dialogue reaches such levels
of perfection I could weep says the evening
standard .
 Brilliantly written and a popular eavesdrop
on the Whitehouse says the guardian .
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmp1sGs
HOAg
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FScv89J6
rro
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHaVUjjH
3EI
 (as
talked about on slide 19)
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I feel happy with the journey ive taken on this
subject , ive learned that the shows we see on T.V.
are a mere shell of what is undertaken to get them
made.
I added the pictures of the news channels becouse I
didn't really hit on news shows.
I'm glad I chose the shows I did , in the low budget
section I would of liked to have done other British
pieces and in the big budget section Star Trek T.N.G.
And The A Team were close to a par with The West
Wing but the 3 were enjoyable to study,
The types of cameras used for a production is alot of
the time determined by the budget of the show and
the amount of cameras used as well is a major factor
Overall T.V. studio productions are the cornerstone
of television and will be for years to come.