Genres

Examples of television programme genres

Comedy

New Girl is an American Sitcom airing on FOX. Season 1 starts with Jessica Day, a girly awkward teacher who moves into a loft with three men. The show is currently in its third season.

Drama

Homeland is an American political drama. The series stars Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison, a Central Intelligence Agency officer with bipolar disorder, and Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody, a United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper. Mathison has come to believe that Brody, who was held captive by al-Qaeda as a prisoner of war, was "turned" by the enemy and now threatens the United States. The show is currently in its third season.

Sub-genre

 Desperate Housewives is a comedy-mystery-drama series, revolving around a group of housewives living on Wisteria Line. They face difficulties in their personal lives such as divorce and family issues whilst also attempting to uncover their neighbour's secrets. The cast includes Eva Longoria and Teri Hatcher. The show ran for 8 seasons until its cancellation in 2012.

One off

'I Am Britney Jean' was a one-off documentary. the documentary revolved around the pop singer's upcoming Las Vegas residency. 

Series

Sherlock is a British television crime drama that presents a contemporary adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Martin Freeman as Doctor John Watson. 

Serial

Emmerdale, known as Emmerdale Farm until 1989, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Emmerdale Farm was first broadcast on 16 October 1972. The programme, which is currently the UK's second oldest television soap opera, has been transmitted in every ITV region throughout its existence.

The series was originally transmitted during daytime afternoons until 1978, when it was moved to an early evening timeslot in most regions (London and Anglia followed in the mid-1980s). Until December 1988, Emmerdale took seasonal breaks, but since then it has been broadcast year-round.