I have chosen to analyse the
audience pleasures of watching Miranda (BBC 1). I will give
specific examples by close reference to episodes and by quotation.
Miranda is mainstream
family viewing, aimed at a target audience who would relate to middle
class life. Miranda is a TV sitcom: socially
inept Miranda always gets into awkward situations when working in her joke shop
with best friend Stevie, being hounded by her pushy mother, and especially when
she is around her crush Gary.
A comprehensive review of all four BBC TV channels by the
governing trust (July 2014) found that BBC 1 could feel “middle class
in focus and target audience" with Miranda cited as an example. They also found
that the BBC is falling out of favour with younger people and BAME
(black, Asian and minority ethnic viewers). The average age of BBC1 viewers is
59, compared with 56 in 2010/11. However, the character of Miranda is also
quite like a big child as she is unmarried, always making a fool of herself and getting into trouble with her
mother, so I think that audiences such as young adults and women aged 25-40
could relate to her. Audiences
also relate to her relationship with her best friend Stevie because they are polar opposites, Miranda is a
socialy inept very tall women, whereas Stevie is very petite. The use of two
women who are not the traditional women represented in media. This therefore
helps most women relate to both characters. Women also relate to Miranda and
Stevie because of their childish nature and endless competitions. They spend
time doing silly activities such as eating spaghetti with chopsticks. This helps
younger audiences relate to their fun loving and childish spirit.
Miranda offers the pleasures of the sitcom genre, such as characters that
are recognizable that the audience can relate to, who are stereotypes.
Miranda's mother, for example is
typically a upper middle class traditionalist mother.
Miranda's mother makes us laugh because she is very over the
top and straight to the point, for example when Miranda tries to talk about her
feelings her mother replies “don’t get emotional we’re not Spanish”.
Miranda's group of girl friends are stereotypes. For example
her old private school friends are very posh sounding, they go to fancy events ,
attempt to find rich husbands and eat healthily
Her girl friends often make us laugh at Miranda, such as in the episode when her friends say “oh would love a fish and chips! No
be good, a tricolore salad”
However, in many ways, Miranda is an anti-stereotype because she says “ would
love a lasagne! Oh would kill for a lasagne! Yes just a lasagne”
There are many points of
recognition for middle class audiences in the ways in which the sitcom addresses
audience’s lifestyles, concerns, hopes, such as Miranda's conflict with her mother as when Miranda fails to find a husband
Another narrative strand that makes audiences relate to her
is her trouble love life. This Is her relationship with Gary. How Miranda attempts
to become more than friends with Gary but due to her social ineptitude fails to
become more than friends.
Each episode also features predictable running gags such as, for example, Miranda accidentally getting
undressed in public, without wanting to.
Miranda always manages to lose her clothing, such as in the
episode when she is dancing in a club and her trousers fall down.
Stevie and Miranda always compete for boyfriends, such as the
episode when Miranda and Stevie find a wallet of an attractive man in their
shop. They both then attempt to find this man and go on a date with him. They both
even go on an extreme of buying a dog to find the man.
Miranda always embarrasses her friends socially, such as when
she is at a garden party and tries to take off her jumper, but her shirt comes
off with it leaving her shirtless in public.
The
sitcom addresses audience’s
lifestyles, concerns, hopes about
relationships. Miranda
always fails to explain her true feelings for Gary, such as when Gary says he
is leaving to Japan Miranda tells us: "that’s great" but later
confesses that as “terribly good acting”.
She gets scolded by her mother, such as in the episode when her
mother says "we are literally giving her away, please marry my daughter”
In most sitcoms, the audience is passive consumer but this show is filmed before a live studio
audience. In addition, Miranda establishes a relationship with her audience by
She confides in us, the audience her feelings, turning to the camera and
exclaiming her feelings in facial expression.
For Blumler and Katz, audiences use media to gratify needs
(the uses and gratifications model of audience behaviour). Miranda offers the pleasure of entertainment, escapism and
diversion by making
us laugh. In particular, both slapstick humour and verbal humour entertain us.
Examples of these include when Miranda falls off her chair while spinning to
impress Gary. Another example may include her strutting towards the door of her
shop proclaiming she is cool and falling into the door. Another example of
slapstick humour includes when she goes to a self defence class and gets used
as a dummy for everyone to practise throwing around.
Audiences also like to relate to the characters in
programmes; such as Clive the very camp cook in the café. I have shown that Miranda offers many points of recognition in its characters. It s also
important that Miranda is a likeable character who does not hold grudges. For example,
when Clive puts Miranda on the spot to explain a fake funny story they created
to disguise their conversation.
Audiences pick programmes with actors that they know and
like. It is also significant that Miranda Hart is a well-known actress for her
roles in call the mid-wife, she is also a well-known comedian.
Audiences tend to favour programmes that support their values and their sense of their
own identity. Part of our sense of self is informed by making judgements
about all sorts of people and things. This is also true of judgements we make
about TV and film characters, and celebrities. The shows we watch, the stars we
like can be an expression of our identities. One aspect of this type of gratification
is known as value reinforcement. This is where we choose television programmes
or newspapers that have similar beliefs to those we hold. Therefore, equally important is the upbeat, comic
atmosphere of the show. Despite set-backs such as her trousers falling
down in public Miranda bounces back, for example, she pulls them back up while
dancing to the club music.
Finally, audiences like to know what is going on in the world (surveillance). This
relates to Maslow’s need for security. By keeping up to date with news about
local and international events we feel we have the knowledge to avoid or deal
with dangers. In a sitcom, the characters face all sorts of situations that we
can experience vicariously, some of which are challenging, such as a post man
misgendering you when you sign for a parcel.
In conclusion Miranda is uses slapstick humour, relatable
characters, lifestyle concerns and running gags to relate audiences to her show
and ensure people being attached to the characters and come back for the whole
series.
