CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
Recently there has been a massive penetration of mass media in the developing countries. Even traditionally remote communities nowadays have access to television and radio programmes. Although the evidence on the socioeconomic impacts of the media is not limited to developing countries alone, but the influence of some of this TV series programmes has deposited some negative and positive effects on Nigerian women.
Exposure to TV programmes can affect a woman’s behavior through a variety of channels. First, since women are prone to change based on what the watch and hear, and this TV series provides new information daily, thus inducing women to update their lifestyles. However, this TV series could be particularly important in some developing countries, where exposure to written (or other) information sources may be limited. Some people tend to misunderstand the different between a TV series and a soup opera programmes shown on their local channels.
A Television series is a show which is based on a particular storyline and may fall into any genre of entertainment – crime, action, thriller, horror, or romance and so on. Much of the story of a TV series is planned much before the casting and principal photography. The number of episodes may or may not be planned well before hand. However, the plots and events which would take place are already decided upon much before the release. There are less TRP(Television Rating Point) stunts in these shows, as most of the typical TV series maintain their goal of portraying the story, instead of coming up with illogical plot twists. Most of the shooting of a TV series is completed before the launch of the series. Sometimes, ending sequences are decided after the show gets some response from the audience, in terms of television rating points. TV series’ are mostly considered to be of higher budget, good cinematography, and cinema-level. They are expected to portray realistic happenings, and to ‘turn the television into a personal cinema hall’.
A TV series may or may not be continuous in plot line. It may show episodes which are not connected with earlier or successive episodes. Mostly, TV series’ with continuous plot lines are expected to be of shorter duration (not extending beyond six months if daily, and one year if weekly). A TV series may have several seasons.
Examples of Nigerian TV Series include Big brother Nigeria, Project Fame West Africa, AY Show, TejuBabyFace Show, Nigerian Idol, Who wants to be a millionaire etc.
While a soap opera is a slow going, more regressive family drama series which stresses more on emotions and melodrama instead of some particular issue. A soap opera just has a broad story-line and much of the story goes on developing on its own, as the episodes are aired. It is the television rating point which decides the fate of a soap opera. Soap operas stress more on family values and culture, and may come up with different story lines at different times, involving a family member or stranger. Since these shows are television rating point driven, they tend to be filled with television rating point stunts and plot twists like sudden death or reincarnation of a family member, someone’s kidnapping, or marriage or prospect of becoming pregnant and so on. These plots are decided to garner viewership. These shows, in general, do not represent some particular niche or practice of society, however there are exceptions. Soap operas tend to continue over years and years if garnering television rating points, and if not, they wrap up within six months. Production of shows of this kind are less organized. Soap operas are generally low-budget shows. Watching a soap opera is like watching a parallel family inside the television. We become a part of the family, and continue to cherish the daily matters of the family, however illogical they may be.
Soap operas are mostly criticized for going at a very slow pace, and often showing unrealistic plots. Most soap operas wrap up in one long season only. Examples of popular Nigeriansoap operas Domino, Super Story, Cock Crow at Dawn, Fuji House of Commotion, Edge Of Paradise (Shown On DSTV), Dear Mother, Heaven’s Gate, Everyday People etc.
Notwithstanding, a TV series may with time turn into a soap-opera like show, if the ending plot is not decided before its launch and also if it is immensely praised by the audience. Creative heads of TV channels request the producers of such shows to continue the story line, even if the series was intended to run for a shorter period of time.
Historical shows may come up as TV series or as soap operas. The ones which show only true facts are called historical TV series while those which have a lot of fictional aspect as well, are called historical fictional sagas or serials. And as a matter of fact, sometimes TV series run longer than soap operas. But those TV series’ are usually the discontinuous ones or slightly continuous.This research is of immense importance because it examines the crucial influence of television serieson the life of its audience, specifically the Nigerian women.