Narrative in TV Drama

Spooks
Adam and Fiona wake up and go downstairs for Breakfast. The couple do not realise they are being watched by terrorists, and leave for work. Fiona along with Danny another MI5 officer is on a mission when suddenly they both get taken hostage by Muslim terrorists who want the Government to withdraw from Iraq. Meanwhile Khatera, a suicide bomber, abducts Adam who can help her get into the Prime Minister’s dinner event that evening as he is the real target. Once Adam realises this he manages to turn things around at the last minute rescuing his wife and saving the Prime Minister. Unfortunately Danny is shot for his bravery.

Standard Narrative Conventions
Todorov’s Theory
This episode of Spooks presents a Classic Narrative Pattern invented by Todorov. It beings with equilibrium as the couple wake up on a perfectly normal day, have breakfast and leave for work as usual. There is then a disruption when the two officers held hostage by terrorists. Finally Adam finds a resolution by convincing Khatera to help him and a new equilibrium is reached where order is restored but one officer has been killed. Here we can see a clear beginning middle and end.

Levi-Strauss
The Narrative also follows Levi-Strauss’s Theory of Binary opposites as is evident from the themes of good versus evil and love versus hatred. The characters also present binary opposites as whilst the MI5 officers work for the safety of the country, the terrorist work to destroy the country.

Propps Theory
There were also elements of Propps’ narrative theory with distinctive character types such as the ‘Hero’ who in this episode is Adam or even Danny. There is also Fiona as ‘Princess’ character, who is captured on her Birthday and needs to be rescued.

Barthes’ Theory
This episode also has evidence of the enigma code where questions are raised that demand an explanation. An example is at the beginning we see the two spies in the car listening in to Adam and Fiona’s conversation. This would raise question such as ‘Who are they?’ ‘What do they want?’, ‘Why Adam and Fiona?’ All these questions exist as enigma until the answers are slowly revealed.
The end is largely happy because Fiona is saved just in time and is reunited with Adam.

Why do most stories have happy endings?
Most stories have a happy ending because audiences often watch TV as a form of escapism from their normal stressful lives and therefore like to be left feeling relaxed after watching a programme. With happy endings part of the audience expectations is that you are guaranteed to feel happy and content by the end of the story. Audiences also enjoy programmes where their hero, or an aspirational character succeeds and progresses as this gives them a feeling of satisfaction.
Therefore a happy ending may also be used to convey a positive message to the audience where good wins over evil and justice is always done.

Spooks S3 E10.
This feels like the beginning of a narrative. Why?
It starts as an ordinary, everyday morning, therefore establishing the norm. This portrays the equilibrium in narrative which needs to be established at the beginning of a story before the disruption occurs making it feel like the beginning. It allows the audience to ease in to the story rather than be taken by surprise and helps them understand it better. It also leaves you anticipating what it is that will ruin such an ordinary day, and so you wish to watch on.
Audience involvement through the danger that is set up. We are automatically being encouraged to take sides due to the use of Binary Opposites where good is portrayed by the MI5 officers whilst bad is portrayed by the Muslim terrorists. Here the audience is bound to take the side of the good characters who are put in danger when working for the safety of their country as opposed to the terrorists who are made to seem evil as they hurt and threaten to kill Danny and Fiona. We would also take Adam and Fiona’s side as we can most relate to their lives.

Other Binary Opposites include:
Fiona/Adam vs. Khatera and Ahmed
British vs. Iraqi
The Ordinary vs. Terrorism
Love vs. Hate
Exploring Narrative Structures
Single drama/film: Margaret
Two-Nighter: Trail & Retribution
Soap (continuing drama): EastEnders
Serial: Bleak House