5 Docusoaps Speaking: My (least) favourite TV programme a) Cut out or print out three pictures of TV programmes and bring them to class. b) Put all your pictures on a desk and pick two programmes you know. Do not choose your own pictures. c) After you have chosen two pictures, you should • compare the two programmes, • explain why you like/don’t like them, • present the TV programme you like/dislike the most. Reading: What are docusoaps? a) Have you ever heard the word “docusoap”? What kind of TV programme could this be? b) Read the text about docusoaps. Some parts are missing. Choose the correct part (A–I) for each gap (1–6). There are two extra parts that you should not use. Write your answers in the boxes provided. The first one (0) has been done for you. It’s real – isn’t it? I bet you love those TV programmes where people move to another country and we can go with them and see how they’re doing: if they find somewhere to live or … 0 . You might also like to see the shows where people want to find a job. There are three candidates, but they have to pass some tests and the employer in the end picks the best. Recently, I’ve seen a production where teenagers could try out how it is to be a parent. They were … 1 to take care of. Programmes like “The Baby Borrowers” are very popular nowadays. They are called docusoaps. “Docu” stands for documentary, a type of TV production that shows the … 2 . And “soap”, well, this comes from the TV genre “soap opera” – romantic and never-ending series shown every afternoon or early evening. A docusoap does both: it shows real people, but often little planned stories are constructed around these people. It’s real, isn’t it? Docusoaps are usually exciting and involving. Viewers find it easy to relate to the people that are shown on TV because … 3 : docusoaps connect directly to viewers. In the end, these shows present everyday people and no superstars. If a programme shows people in an unfortunate situation, if they have had bad luck or lead a life that’s not as good as the life of some viewers, then viewers might even … 4 . Imagine seeing someone without a job, stranded in a country without knowing the language. Wouldn’t you think, “This could never happen to me”? We mustn’t forget that television has the power … 5 . Sometimes that is exactly what the programme makers want so that they can attract more viewers. But people who are shown doing stupid things might have to suffer silly comments from colleagues or friends. Apart from that, docusoaps seem to be educational TV and viewers … 6 from such a programme where in reality they are just tricked into believing something that’s not real. What do you think about docusoaps? Do you like watching them – and which are your favourites? Just send me an e-mail and your opinion might appear in the next edition of the Peterborough School Observer! 1 Word bank TV programmes action/adventure movies/series • cartoons • children’s programmes • comedy shows • cop/detective series • courtroom/legal shows • documentaries • game shows • music shows • mystery shows • news • reality shows • science fiction/fantasy movies • sitcoms • soap operas • sports programmes • talk shows • thrillers • Western movies W Fact file Soap operas • A “soap opera” is a type of TV series, usually about love, romance and relationships. • Each episode finishes with a dramatic open ending, so that viewers turn on the series next time, too. • The first soap operas were produced for the radio. They were called “soap” operas because they had soap manufacturers as sponsors. F 2 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 64 Fifteen minutes of fame Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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