THREE IDEAS

WE'VE BEEN GIVEN A TASK TO THINK UP THREE BBC3 DRAMAS. WE'LL THEN REFINE THEM IN CLASS.


IDEA 1 - GET STUFFED
Taxidermy has never felt more alive.

SUB-GENRE
DRAMA, MYSTERY

SETTING
A CITY, SOMEWHERE RURAL OCCASIONALLY (FLASHBACKS)

• LEEDS
• WEST YORKSHIRE COUNTRYSIDE 

CHARACTERS

• ALISTER BOGLE (23), AN ANXIOUS TAXIDERMIST TRYING TO START HIS OWN BUSINESS. HE LEFT HIS SMALL VILLAGE WHEN HIS FATHER DIED AND HOPES TO CARRY ON HIS LEGACY. HE'S ALSO A SECOND-GENERATION WITCH WITH THE ABILITY TO TALK TO THE DEAD, BUT WE WON'T GO INTO THAT.
• ROSCOE LANGLEY (27), A VERY RICH MAN THAT LIVES AWAY FROM GENERAL SOCIETY. HE BECOMES A REGULAR BECAUSE HE LIKES TO FILL HIS HOME WITH TAXIDERMY ANIMALS.
• MARIE LANGLEY (31), ROSCOE'S COUSIN WHO DROPS BY THE SHOP EVERY NOW AND THEN TO HELP.

PLOT
A NERVOUS WITCH TAKES A TRIP TO THE CITY FOR THE FIRST TIME TO BUILD HIS NEW BUSINESS (TAXIDERMY) AND HAS TO BRAVE THE PEOPLE THERE. ALISTER BOGLE SETS UP A SMALL SHOP IN THE FIRST CITY HE'S EVER BEEN TO. THERE, HE FINDS FRIENDS AND LEARNS MORE ABOUT HIS ABILITY TO SPEAK TO DEAD THINGS. DEALS WITH TOPICS OF ANXIETY AND DEALING WITH DEATH. 

CODES AND CONVENTIONS

• THIS SHOW MEETS THE CONVENTIONS OF A DRAMA AS WE VIEW THINGS FROM ALISTER'S PERSPECTIVE. HE OFTEN WORRIES AND SO THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE EMOTIONAL UNDERTONE OF THE SHOW.
• IT WILL HAVE A COMEDIC OVERTONE THAT LEVELS THINGS OUT.

TARGET AUDIENCE

• 15-21
• ANY GENDER 

IDEA 2 - CROAK
It's been raining frogs lately.

SUB-GENRE
DRAMA, MYSTERY, COMEDY, HORROR

SETTING
A CAMPUS, A TOWN OR CITY

• URBAN, LEEDS

CHARACTERS

• FEN MARSH (20), A DIEHARD JOURNALISM STUDENT FOCUSED SOLELY ON FINDING GOOD STORIES. SHE GOES AFTER ANYTHING THAT SOUNDS INTERESTING, AND LATELY SHE'S CAUGHT WIND OF HER MOST INTERESTING STORY YET.
• MOSS MARSH (20), FEN'S BROTHER. HE'S CONSTANTLY CONCERNED THAT SHE IS GETTING INTO TROUBLE BUT TRIES TO STAY OUT OF HER WAY.
• CULT MEMBERS 

PLOT
A DIEHARD JOURNALISM STUDENT FINDS OUT ABOUT A SECRET SOCIETY/CULT TYPE OF THING DEDICATED TO THE HUMBLE FROG/A FROG GOD. IT ALL HAPPENS WHEN SHE KEEPS FINDING FROGS AROUND HER SCHOOL CAMPUS - HER IMAGINATION BEGINS TO TURN INTO REALITY AS SHE REALISES THAT LIFE SOMETIMES IMITATES FICTION, IN THE WEIRDEST OF WAYS. THEMES OF OBSESSION (BOTH WITH FEN AND THE CULT SHE UNCOVERS) AND HOW IT AFFECTS LIVES. 

CODES AND CONVENTIONS

• THIS SHOW WOULD MEET THE CONVENTIONS OF A MYSTERY DRAMA - IT WOULD ALLOW THE VIEWER TO PIECE TOGETHER THE STORY WITH THE MAIN CHARACTER.
• IT'LL BE QUITE SILLY, WHICH SUBVERTS THE DRAMA GENRE A BIT. IT WON'T BE FULLY SERIOUS MOST OF THE TIME, WHICH IS WHERE THE COMEDY COMES IN.

TARGET AUDIENCE

• 15-21
• ANY GENDER

NAME NOTES
CROAK HAS A DOUBLE MEANING - IT ALLUDES TO THE FROG MOTIF AND COULD ALSO BE USED AS SLANG FOR DYING.


IDEA 3 - STAND-IN CUPID
SOMETHING ABOUT LOVE
WHAT ABOUT LOVE
HEART TO HEART
PART-TIME CUPID

SUB-GENRE
DRAMA, COMEDY

SETTING
A TOWN, PERHAPS A SCHOOL

• ILKLEY

CHARACTERS

• VIOLETTE PITH (18), A NARCISSISTIC YOUNG WOMAN WITH LITTLE RESPECT FOR OTHERS. OVER THE COURSE OF THE STORY, SHE LEARNS TO RESPECT HER PEERS AND VALUE THEM IN WAYS SHE NEVER USED TO. 
• IAN, VIOLETTE'S SPOILED, FLUFFY HOUSECAT. SHE DIDN'T NAME HIM, HE WAS LEFT TO HER BY HER MOTHER. IAN'S REALLY HER ONLY FRIEND DESPITE HIS ALOOF NATURE. YOU MIGHT SAY THEY'RE SOULMATES.
• CUPID, AN ENTITY THAT BEGINS TO SPEAK TO VIOLETTE AND HER EVENTUAL EMPLOYER. COMMUNICATES WITH HER THROUGH ODD MEANS (SUCH AS TEXTS, CALLS, INTERRUPTING WHAT SHE'S WATCHING ON THE TELEVISION, VERY OCCASIONALLY POSSESSING PEOPLE FOR DRAMATIC EFFECT).
• ASTER PINE, PERHAPS THE CLOSEST PERSON TO VIOLETTE (WHICH DOESN'T REALLY MEAN MUCH) GIVEN THAT THEY HAVE A LOT OF CLASSES TOGETHER. ASTER IS A SWEETHEART AND CARES A LOT ABOUT THOSE AROUND HER.
• DAHLIA NAPLE, NEWLY ARRIVED IN TOWN FROM EUROPE. SHE AND ASTER ARE THE FIRST PEOPLE VIOLETTE GETS TOGETHER.
• VARIOUS PEOPLE AROUND VIOLETTE

PLOT
A SELF-OBSESSED, NARCISSISTIC STUDENT BECOMES AN ACCIDENTAL MATCHMAKER AND REALISES THAT SHE'S QUITE GOOD AT IT. IT BECOMES A SOURCE OF INTEREST FOR HER AND SOON, SHE CAN'T HELP BUT MEDDLE WITH OTHERS' LOVE LIVES. LITTLE DOES SHE KNOW, SHE'S DOING A CERTAIN SOMEONE'S JOB FOR THEM - AND THEY AREN'T HAPPY ABOUT IT.
BY THE END OF THE SHOW, SHE REALISES THAT PERHAPS MEDDLING ISN'T ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA. IT HAS AN EDUCATIONAL MORAL.
VIOLETTE HAS NO PERSONAL LOVE STORY, SHE ISN'T INTERESTED IN ANYONE AT ALL. THIS IS A STORY ABOUT LOVE, BUT NOT A LOVE-STORY.

CODES AND CONVENTIONS

• THIS SHOW DOESN'T TAKE ITSELF TOO SERIOUSLY AND PLAYS INTO THE TYPICAL SELF-DEPRECATING HUMOUR OF BRITISH SHOWS.
• VIOLETTE OBSERVES DRAMATIC EVENTS IN OTHERS' LIVES RATHER THAN EXPERIENCING THEM HERSELF, SO IT SUBVERTS THE DRAMA GENRE WHILST PLAYING DIRECTLY INTO IT.

TARGET AUDIENCE

• 15-21
• PRIMARILY FEMALE