Section A Institutions: QI and THE IT CROWD

You should be prepared to analyse and discuss the following, as appropriate to the channels/stations and texts studied:

 

Institutional contexts: QI

  

Institutional contexts need only be discussed insofar as they illuminate the institutions’ choice of texts; they should not be studied independently of QI.

  

The media channels ethos and histories and Targeting audiences QI is shown on both BBC 2 and Dave. Dave used to be UKTV but re-branded as Dave because 'everybody knows a bloke called Dave'. It addresses mainstream adult audiences, primarily male. It is 'the home of witty banter' and also factual programmes. 

 

Dave is only screening QI on Friday nights at 23:05, Tuesday nights at 20:00- on going hourly throughout the night (repeat). Episodes are shown on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays as well. Currently, it hosts programmes like Dara O'Briain 's School of Hard Sums, Mock The Week, Have I Got News For You and QI (our text). 

 

BBC is a PSB channel with a public service remit to entertain, inform and educate. It is a good fit with QI which offers factual information about a wide range of subjects such as history, science, culture, nature, food and so on. Currently QI is on series H screened on Thursday nights at 22:00 and Friday nights at 23:05 p.m.

 

'BBC Two’s remit is to be a mixed-genre channel appealing to a broad adult audience with programmes of depth and substance. It should carry the greatest amount and range of knowledge building programming of any BBC television channel, complemented by distinctive comedy, drama and arts programming.'
— BBC Two remit

 

 

 

Institutional contexts: THE IT CROWD

 

C4 hosts The IT Crowd , currently shown on 4OD Offering texts on demand, previously on Friday evenings 10.30 p.m. 4OD is for younger audiences; they prefer online content. IT Crowd is shown on Channel 4. The brand identity of this channel is to provide TV for people who don't have enough of it. It's the fourth channel ever on British terrestrial TV. Channel four's ethos is very similar to the BBC as they both inform, educate and entertain. Also due to the fact that the IT Crowd is not as popular it means that they can get away with taking risks. As such, they broadcast the show about an stereotypical geeky IT department. However it is very humorous and the jokes are very obvious. The IT Crowd's target audience is targeted at everyone.