Representation of age in TV Drama

Children

Tracy Beaker
Most children in my generation grew up with Tracy Beaker. Tracy Beak represents the bossy, difficult, those 'little devils'. Tracy however lives in the "Dumping Ground" which also puts her possible behaviour into context. Within the program its got other examples of children, from the shy timid ones to the weird imaginative ones. This shot shoes Tracy pointing and shouting, showing her aggression towards us and other people. The pattern and background behind her shows us Tracy has a pleasant childish side with the bright colours and decoration.  


Outnumbered

The children in outnumbered are portrayed as irritating. They act their age. Karen plays with toys and has that innocence about her as she is the youngest and always has a chatty colourful personalty. Ben is the weirdest child out of the family and probably is the most understood one. In the image we see Ben being a issue and embarrassing causing his father to carry him out of a public place. This shows adolescence and a sense of rebellion, less 'little angels' more 'little horrors'.





Youth

Waterloo Road


Waterloo Road shows the stereotypes of youth very well, representing them as rebellious and attracting disapproval. The uniform symbolises their rebellious nature by not wearing it properly and not looking smart and sophisticated, quite the opposite in fact. They portray mixed cultures and the idea of male dominance between groups (which is shown in this scene). This could trigger anti-social behaviour within a plot line which has been covered in the program. Waterloo road does focus on teen-related issues and it is teen-related issues dominant with the occasional adult issue. The style of clothing does give you the impression if all the characters in the shot that there is sub-culture divide (hoodies etc). 

E20


The representation in E20 is similar to Waterloo Road. It focuses less on their school life and more on their home life. Each character portrayed shows a different type of ethnicity or sub-culture. The way they sit also gives you a idea about their character so 'fat boy' in the yellow hoodie is relaxed which suggests he is a relaxed chilled out person and doesn't show the fierce chav criteria waterloo road represents. The girls in the middle give off different signals about their personality. The one with blue hair is sat in a suggestive 'I don't care' manner which suggests she has more of a rebellious attitude and is more if a adolescent nature. The other girl on the other hand is keeping all to herself and shows a seriousness about her. This suggests she represents the good-girl hard working group of the youth population which is overlooked by stereotypes. The other male is sat on a perch and the way he dressed suggests he is a sporty and 'regular' person. The background shows a typical youth flat with the CD collection and posters. 

Elderly 


One foot in the grave
Victor Meldrew is perfect example of a grumpy old man. He is stubborn and his catch phrase "I don't believe it!" clarifies the his resistance to social change. The image also shows him to be a bit of a fool with pen over his face, so maybe age is catching up with him. Clothing and furniture is are typical and realistic to an older persons house. 





Eastenders
Dot Cotton is one of the most iconic representations on Eastenders of the elderly generation. She is shown with nice clothes (which suggests wealth) and her smoking habit which is well noted in the soap opera. Similar to Victor Meldrew she is also cynical and a bit of a grump at times. She also is a christian which is portrayed through her actions and weekly comings and goings in church. From my understanding most people who believe in God are of a mature age and the faith in youth is declining.