Film and screenwriting students will often have to write a TV program review essay. There are several ways to approach this type of assignment. You might want to contrast several shows or write a critical analysis essay. Below, our team has outlined some advice that you might need when writing a TV show essay. We have also provided a list of examples that you can use for ideas or inspiration. Let us begin by exploring some definitions.
A television show (also known as a TV program or TV series) is a piece of media produced for educational, instructional or entertaining purposes. It is usually comprised of a certain number of episodes that make up a “season”.TV shows have different formats – they can be unstructured or follow a script or screenplay. Examples include cooking programs, reality TV, fictional dramas, etc.
To write a TV show review essay, you will have to watch and closely study your chosen program. You’ll need to focus on describing the characters, the setting, what it is about, and what emotions it evokes. Conduct semiotic analysis of the contents of the show and evaluate its premise.
In this article, you will find even more useful advice. We have also described the differences between a critique and a review of a program and provided some TV show analysis examples.
TV Show Essays: Critique vs. Review
Even though you might see TV show reviews and critique as interchangeable terms, there is still a difference. In the article, we will equate analysis with criticism since both types examine the work from different angles. However, a review is usually a part of such analytical essays.
In this section, we will explain in detail what are the differences between TV show critique and review:
TV show critique:
It is an analytical paper that might be published years after the release of the show. TV show critique essays serve as an evaluation of the series. The writer can compare the series to other ones and provide an estimated effect on the viewers.
TV show review:
A review of the TV show is consumer-oriented and serves as a recommendation for viewing the series. They can be found in popular magazines or newspapers, while critiques – in scholarly publications.
You can look at the TV show review essay examples, as well as critique samples below.
How to Write about a TV Show in an Essay
To write a flawless paper, you should understand what exactly you’re supposed to examine or discuss. That’s why it’s better to check TV show analysis essay examples and see how others dealt with the task. Besides, in this section, we’ve prepared some tips that can help you nail the assignment.
Things to cover in your TV program review essay:
Summary. You should at least write a synopsis of the show or give a general description of what is happening in the TV series.
Your impression. Ask yourself how the show made you feel. Did it produce any emotional response? How well were the dialogues written? Did you have to pause to understand what was happening?
Performances. How well did actors portray the characters? Were they age-appropriate? If there are too many good actors, you can focus on the main ones and describe them.
Director’s other works. If necessary, you can mention other notable works of the director. You can devote a paragraph to compare his other movies or shows to the one you chose.
Here are some tips for your TV show analysis:
Provide some general information:
What’s the name of the show?
How many seasons or episodes have already aired?
What are the genre and intended audience?
Talk about realism:
How real is the show?
Do the actors look like ordinary people or models?
Are their emotions realistic or politically correct for the time?
Do they portray issues that happen in real life?
Elaborate on the script:
Is it good?
If you’re describing Reality TV, is the show scripted?
Do people act, and if they do, how is it evident?
How the show makes you feel?
Describe the overall impression:
Would you recommend it? Why?
What was the reason to start watching the show initially?
What were the expectations?
How did they influence your final impression of the show?
Thanks for reading! We hope this was helpful to you. In addition, you will find free essays about television shows via the links below.
Watching the TV is one of the most relaxing activities, because in most cases, as one is watching the television there is a tendency of the human mind to switch off from thinking about stressing [...]
The public's views and comprehension of crime are heavily influenced by television, the internet, and print media, which can spread the message about the exaggerated danger to society.
It is the belief of this paper that television programming can be considered as one of the most important teaching tools currently in place due to the unprecedented access to information that people can get [...]
Reality shows can be devoted to different subjects but the main fact is that they should provide the participants of the shows with the freedom to play and react in the most real and typical [...]
In particular, the analysis will be comprised of the introduction of the selected show, the examination of its background, and the impressions it makes on critics, the industry that produces the show, the social context [...]
This work discusses the emergence of technology and streaming services and some psychological factors that may be predictive of the emergence of binge-watching behavior.
Throughout the decade, the cable television was the means of transmission between the transmitters in television network premises and the receivers at the viewer's home.
Both shows have high ratings due to the creativity of the story setting and the characters. Due to similar ratings and the fact that the shows ended; the comparison is appropriate.
Advertizing culture and mass media has created the concept of lifestyle in the 20th century through: The rise of mass media in the last 50 years has created what has been referred to as a [...]
According to my classification system, TV shows can be classified according to main theme of the show. Under the theme of conflict, three different types of conflicts were used to categorize the TV shows.
I believe that TV is mostly entertaining and enriching until the point where people let it govern their lives; not because of the content but the personal choice not to do anything else with their [...]
The Simpson displays frustrations and irritations in a family and how sometimes it suffers lack of money and other important effects and it portrays nuclear family which is a very important image of the family.
The perspective also view social systems as unjust and often cruel upon the "have-nots" of the social order as the systems are repeatedly used by the "powerful" in society to promote their views and defend [...]
Moreover, seeking to bring back the success of the past, Fox, the channel that used host Prison Break, decided to revive the show in the form of a short sequel.
In efforts to investigate the role that television has on making people understand gender, Williams conducted a study on how children classified men and women after watching some television shows.
The paper discusses the most influential personalities that contributed to the development of television technology. The most important events in the sphere of broadcasting happened in 1925 when John Baird, the Scottish engineer, for the [...]
In most cases, it could be seen that the rights of the defendants could be lowered, if not compromised, in the event of trial proceedings going public, since community opinion could play a major role [...]
The KTDS management should react to the problem, not for the benefit of the politicians but for the whole population, since a successful business caters for the needs of all customers.
In his book Electronic signals and systems: television, stereo, satellite TV, and automotive, he explains to the reader the process of signal transmission and reception.
The growing popularity of the programs aired by this free-to-air television network, especially the Telenovelas, made it necessary for the company to consider translating some of the programs into other languages. The move was necessitated [...]
Soap operas are popular since they have interesting stories that captivate the minds of the audience. In addition to this, soap operas are popular since they keep viewers company.
In the twentieth century, the saint then became the patron of television, and this story appears to reflect the desire of people to be involved in the magic of a personal TV set.
However, May uses this opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of OxiClean for people who need a product that is affordable and effective among other detergents.
However, in the late 1990s, cable and satellite companies acknowledged the seriousness of the situation. Of course, the companies expand their brands bringing them to the Web.
Medical melodramas occupy a significant place in the lives of the TV audience, whether the viewers are professionally connected with the sphere of medicine or not.
Despite the intention to control the impact of TV on children, it is hard for parents to ensure that proper shows and episodes are chosen for watching.
Some bands, such as the Monkees, the American response to the Beatles, were created with the purpose of television performance as their acting and on-camera comfort as a group were initially prioritized over music.
In a family, as seen by the proponents of structural functionalism, each member of the family tries to contribute to the development of their household by following some rules and ensuring the acceptance of the [...]
The positive aspect of the show is the interactive aspect that is essential in all popular cultures. The first group is comprised of the judges who guide and monitor the performance of the contestants.
Most of the proponents of that theory state that by witnessing a certain behavior in fiction people become more prone to repeating it in real life. One of the powers these advancements have given us [...]
The pacing of the show supports the formula and leads to a suspenseful hour of television. Unfortunately, my favorite character has left the show, but I do not intend to stop watching because it is [...]
Although "Red Queen" is based on solving one mystery of killing an antiques dealer, viewers receive the opportunity to stimulate their cognition because of the necessity solve a range of additional mysteries proposed by the [...]
In the traditional view of a nuclear family, it is the woman who is supposed to be patient with the man. It challenges the model of a happy and perfect family which was and is [...]
What makes it offending to the ladies in their lives is that they never watch the matches in their houses because they like watching the games in the company of their fellow men and they [...]
The components of the environment likely to impact the brands' ability to realize its vision include competitors, customers, the economy, and the government.
Bill Dance is an angler and host of the television series Bill Dance Outdoors, recipient of multiple fishing awards, and member of the International Fishing Association Hall of Fame.
In the framework of this paper, the cultural dimension of the show will be reviewed, along with the evolution of the conflict and the characters, the stereotypes about them, and their socio-cultural backgrounds.
The theme chosen for the discussion is intriguing and important to the American viewers of the program. In addition, the multi-camera style allows the audience to capture the host and guests as well as the [...]
The analysis of this reality TV show can therefore be taken as the comprehensive analysis of the majority of today's reality TV shows that have the same aspects of style as this one.
This is because, despite the fact that the advocates of political correctness encourage citizens to believe that the specifics of one's racial affiliation are not being reflective of his or her tendency to commit crimes, [...]
In spite of the fact that the main ideas presented in the Pilkington Report were actively criticised by the broadcasters, government, sponsors, and by the public, the effect of the report on the further growth [...]
Based on the various theories and interpretations of human behavior and mental health, each psychological perspective would handle the symptoms and issues of the main character in a different way.
The first thing that makes it appealing to the public is the continuous narrative and the element of competition as American Idol is a contest reality show. American Idol, being a reality show, has made [...]
In this show, the characters are portrayed as very energetic, romantic, and wealthy because those elements are the most attractive to the set of viewers. It appeals to the adult population who face many of [...]
The main behavioral problem of this family is the mother's inability to make the children respect her. The head of the Wiggins family is ex-marine; the family has a high socio-economic status; they are respected [...]
The use of jokes, irony, and metaphors throughout the program makes it an easy-to-watch and fascinating work and renders different meanings of the issues the director paid the viewer's attention to.
Based on the thorough investigation of the scholarly sources, which discuss the primary aspects of the theory and its criticism, the foundation for the development of the original research will be established.
The industry's chief regulator, the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission, and its largest trade body, the Canadian Media Producers Association, believe, given the revenue as large as $942 million in Canada, Netflix should make contributions [...]
Before analyzing the impact of medical melodramas on nursing students, it is necessary to identify the reasons why people watch this kind of TV shows and what they are searching for in them.
This paper will discuss how the themes highlighted in the Sex and the City television series and how the series contributes in shaping social values and beliefs.
In the Jersey Shore, storytelling is typified by the show participants through the use of common communication language and engaging in habitual things that are common and relevant to the world today like going to [...]
The paper will consider the various negative and positive influences this invention has had so as to demonstrate the major impact that the television has had on our society.
A subscription to a streaming service allows the user to connect the account to all their devices, including smart TVs, smartphones, laptops, and tablets.
However, after the merger and Lee becoming the CEO in 2006, the network established a number of new digital cable networks, which included Centric, BET Hip Hop, and BET Gospel.
American society and culture were thus significantly impacted by commercial television and movies from the 70s. The essay discusses the influence of commercial TV and movies' influence on American culture regarding social reforms and ideologies.
The article "Readers on Morality: Do not Let TV be a Guide" published by the Today is focused on the perception of people about the impact of TV on morality.
Considering these facts, what the TV show does with the character of Love Quinn is that it presents her in a way that makes the audience relate and sympathize with her despite her being a [...]
This essay will attempt to argue that John Walsh's efforts in true crime are inherently rooted in empathy to the victims and therefore are beneficial to society.
Thus, the Capitol Insurrection is examined through the lens of the social sciences because of the community processes that took place at the time, and the involvement of TV in its causes is significant.
Television has had a significant impact on the advertising industry, and despite the competition from other media, it is still a viable and successful way to advertise. Thus, identifying the link between media and its [...]
In the show, the hosts give financial advice to callers on how-to and the importance of achieving debt-free life. The skin tone of media characters is lightened in the media compared to authentic images.
The Community Television of Santa Cruz County Board of Directors Meeting was observed and analyzed from the point of efficiency of communication and participants' language styles.
Morano's primary technique of narrow focus allowed her to focus on the characters' emotions and perceive the terror of the polished streets and houses of Gilead.
As Morreale shows, associating consumption with fulfillment necessarily leads to the commodification of self. From the author's perspective, Faking It takes the premise of identity as a fruit of consumption and develops it further.
While the stations were observed live, the nature of the assignment required a further examination of the content. For example, the second segment is three times as short as the first and the third ones, [...]
At the center of the plot of the current British project, Fleabag is the story of the life of an unnamed young woman suffering from nymphomania and friend loss syndrome.
The Laugh-In and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour make counter-cultural ideas more accessible to Middle America by acknowledging the racial tensions and the Vietnam war, unlike mainstream television.
The series consists of several episodes which try to explain how at the culmination of the 19th and the onset of the 20th century, the evolution of art was prejudiced by the fast-changing landscape and [...]
It is the current state of affairs, but the debate under consideration was the first to be televised. The case of The Atomic Cafe is more complicated, and both the trailer and the actual documentary [...]
The changing nature of the music industry has presented a new challenge to the new program producers: breaking into the limelight and drawing a good number of audiences to attract many companies yearning for such [...]
The author suggests that the process of TV programs development is quite challenging since the projects' directors are always vulnerable to the customers' unresponsiveness and inattention.
Managed Services provide access to 24x7 reservations, help desk, and video infrastructure which breaks the costs down into two components: upfront costs and recurring costs.
The most significant conclusion of Jackson is that the development of toddlers depends not on the amount of time they spend watching TV per se but on the content they consume.
The outcomes of the episode have a number of lessons and show that the American criminal court trial system is not perfect, but people have all chances to change and improve it relying on personal [...]
This can be testified by the manner the research question correlates to the dynamics of examining why watching TV has such a huge influence on genetics.
Telecommunications in Saudi Arabia is the potential and promising sphere for investments, and, it is forecasted that it will have been developing extensively for the year 2011.
The episode of the show was aired in 1962 before the Internet and the era of the free press. The role of the audience is to agree, partially agree, or disagree with the idea/ideology proposed [...]
This essay discusses three topics from the documentary the influence of foreign musicians, the role of dancing in music videos, and the exploration of gender by popular artists.
Overall, television comedies can differ considerably in terms of such criteria as the setting of the movie, the number of actors involved in the film, the themes explored by the authors, and the use of [...]
The issue of the effect of TV on the distribution of their attention during the play was raised. During the first half of the procedure, the TV was on, and the rest of the time [...]
By the example of the article, derived from this journal, one may see that the impact of the "SCI effect" is tracked in the minds of regular television viewers.
The general perceptions and explanations that are attributed to the effects of television in the social life tend to incline on the negative aspects thereby disregarding the other factors that bring about the positive effects [...]
Fulda is a town full of traditional activities; it is situated in the middle of Germany and lies between Hamburg to the north, Cologne to the west, Dresden to the east, and Munich to the [...]
The reason why this approach is the most appropriate when analyzing the case of a traffic officer and a speed driver is that it focuses on the immorality of the young girl's behaviour and situation [...]
For defining the show's interpretive communities I have chosen a resource where the viewers express their different attitudes to the show in their reviews and used the forums devoted to the show in order to [...]
Relying on this explanation of the notion in the beginning of the past century, it is possible to track the similarities with the modern definition of the meaning and functions of screens.
The fact remains that the news channels need to be directed in a manner that would allow them to ensure that the sort of information being broadcasted is according to the needs and requirements of [...]
The three episodes of this program to be analyzed are the following: 'The One Where Nana Dies Twice', 'The One Where Eddie Wo not Go' and 'The One Where Ross is Fine'.
The paradox that is based on the conventional fear of death and the perception of death almost as one more member of the family cannot but leave a significant sign on each member of the [...]
Reality television entered into the general usage of television programming in the early decades of the 1990s through the footage of Fox's Cops and other emergency programs.
The first thing to do before the intervention is to define if this occurrence is really a problem for the society. The first step of the evaluation research is to identify clearly the objective of [...]
Taking the example of any sports activity it is possible to criticize and analyze it from different points of view, such as the expectations from attending the sports activity and watch it in the open [...]
The common opinion is that TV is so harmful that it may be considered the root of all evil because it is one of the main causes of poor eye-sight, fatness, and even an increase [...]
