Question

1. Create a summary of no less than 125 words of a TV show that television producers would like because it is targeted to people in the most desirable groups. Include the title of the show, the main characters, and a description of the show’s premise. Explain why this show would go over well with television producers.

Answer 1

1.) The Middle is an American sitcom about a middle-class family living in Indiana facing the day-to-day struggles of home life, work, and raising children. The characters include Mike and Frankie, who are middle-aged adults who live in Orson, Indiana. They have three children named Axl, Sue, and Brick. Mike manages a local quarry and Frankie is a car saleswoman. This would go over well to television producers because it is relatable to the most common household in America: a middle-class family.

2.) Shameless is an American comedy-drama about a poor and dysfunctional family living on the South Side of Chicago. The characters include Frank, the father figure of the Gallagher household, and Fiona, the oldest sibling who acts as the mother in the house, since Monica, her actual mother, comes and goes as she pleases. Lip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, and Liam are the other five Gallagher children. Frank is an alcoholic and Fiona works hard to try and provide for her siblings. This wouldn't go well with television producers because it's relatable to the poor and abusers of substances, which are not considered "desirable". Although this relates to an "undesirable" audience, the show has been highly successful.

Answer 2

An example of a show that would target a specific social group would be the following:

The title of the show would be "The Swimming Team." Kate is a girl who just changed schools. She is nervous about starting at a new middle school where she knows no one and has no friends. However, she is determined to make the transition work and make her parents proud. Although she is very shy, on her first day she gathers enough courage to try out for the swimming team. She is accepted, and the show follows her performance on the team, as well as the adventures that she has with her best friend Olivia and the crush she has on Kevin, the boy she likes.

This show would be effective because it would be appealing to teenage girls. It reflects many of the concerns they have, and resembles some of the experiences that teenage girls often go through in middle school.