Radio Drama's

The Archers

The Archers is a soap opera radio drama created by the BBC in 1951. Due to it being a soap opera, the show follows many realistic yet exaggerated scenarios for it's storylines. The dialogue is also written and performed very realistically. This fits the genre, due to soap-opera's often trying to be more realistic. It will also add a lot to the listening experience, as everything sounds and feels natural. The drama follows many different stories as it revolves around numerous different farming families. The large amount of characters is another typical convention of soap-opera's, making the show even more fitting to it's genre. episode that I selected to listen to started with a rather upbeat introduction song. This is common in many radio dramas, as the song can become familiar with audiences and let them know what is in store for them. This is particularly effective if they hear the show on the radio, as the music could allow the listener to know when the show is starting. When the characters are introduced they have very noticeable York accents. They speak casually, allowing the audience to insert themselves into this world easier, as it won’t be different from their own. This is good as the target audience for this show is likely people who are middle class and middle age. This is the target audience for most soaps, including this one. Also, younger people are less likely to use radio over television, so marketing towards older people is more effective. The episode features relevant sound effect's as-well, which is a common feature in radio drama's. An example of one such sound effect is the sound of plates clashing and rattling while two characters talk to one another in a dining room. This realistic and normal sound effect once again fits with the soap opera genre, and could even add more immersion to the scene by making the setting feel more active and alive. Within the episodes that I studied, The Archers did not employ any fade in's or out's, which is uncommon for a radio drama, so I feel they may have been used in some of the other countless episodes of the show, and just not featured in the episodes that I heard. The show ends with the same theme song it opens with, signifying to the listener that it has finished until the next episode.

The War Of The Worlds

The War Of The Worlds is an infamous radio drama that first aired on Halloween in 1938. The show used a very unique format, as the first half of the show was presented as if it was a real radio broadcast. This is very different to most radio dramas, and was absolutely unheard of at the time that it was done. The show used breaking news updates that interrupted musical intervals to talk about an alien invasion on Earth. The use of the interruption was very effective. It was so effective at seeming real, that it’s believed people thought it was, and ended up in a panic. The use of many Sci-Fi tropes such as laser sound effects are used. However, the show takes a different turn halfway through. It starts following a more traditional radio drama format, and follows a survivor in an attempt to survive. The show uses many sound effects, ranging from cannon fire to crowds screaming. These both play into Sci-Fi and horror also, allowing the drama to capture the feeling that it was after. Besides from the musical intervals used in the first half, the rest of the music used is subtle,featuring low horns that sometimes grow faster. This is to try and create more immersion in the second half, to make things seem more hopeless and scary to the listeners, and to build suspense. The show uses subtle fades between different parts of dialogue, perhaps to signify a pass in time or just a change in perspective.