LO3: Types of Factual Programming

Henna Ashraf

Unit 27 Factual Programming for Television

Types of Factual Programming

Breakfast Television:

A breakfast television programme is broadcasted early in the morning. It is a type of infotainment television program which is broadcasted live usually between 6 and 10am. An example of a breakfast television programme is ‘Breakfast Time’ on BBC.

Chat/Talk show:

A chat show on television is a show in which famous people talk about themselves, their experiences and their lifestyle. An example of a chat show is ‘Loose Women,’ whereas a talk show is a general show featuring common people. An example of a talk show is ‘The Jeremy Kyle Show.’

Docudrama:

This is a television programme or film based on events that really happened which features very dramatized events. Docudrama can also be a type of infotainment as they entertain individuals at the same time as informing them about a particular issue. An example of a docudrama is the ‘House of Saddam.’

Documentary:

A documentary is a film or television programme, which shows real events of people’s lives, which is usually based on documents. Documentaries present facts without editing them to prove a point. An example of a documentary is ‘ Stalked.’

Docusoap:

A docusoap is a television programme series that looks at the lives of real people. A docusoap is a combination of two genres; documentary and soap operas, which are mainly produced to entertain. An example of a docusoap is ‘Airport.’

Fly On The Wall:

Fly on the wall is a style of documentary making that is used in television production.  It shows real people doing what they usually do every day, which keeps the audience entertained. Fly on the Wall documentaries are aired for entertainment purposes. An example of this could be ‘ One Born Every Minute.’ 

Game Show:

A game show is a television programme in which people play games, answer questions and compete with one another for a final end prize. An example of a quiz game show is ‘Family Fortunes’.

Live:

A live television programme is made up of various reports, new stories and so forth. However, live programmes can also be real. For example, ‘Big Brother’ is an interactive reality show, which is aired live, during nominations, which is not a type of new story or report, but in fact the lives of people living under the same roof.

Mockumentary:

A Mockumentary is a television programme that takes the form of a serious documentary but instead it intends to make a mock of it. An example of this is, Big Fat Gypsy Weddings’, which is also an infotainment programme. It gives us an insight into the gypsy culture however at the same time, it is broadcasted for entertainment purposes.

The News/News Bulletin:

The news is a programme that gives person information about the recent events, which are happening locally, nationally and on an international basis. New programmes usually contain news bulleting, which are presented by journalists and field reporters. An example of the news is ‘Midlands Today.’

Reality TV:

A reality television programme does not use professional actors but they portray a list of real events and situations involving ordinary people. An example of a reality television programme is ‘Big Brother.’ Reality television programmes are usually to entertain people, as they contain humour and drama.

Sportscast:

Sportscast can be both a television or radio programme that is based on sporting events. Sportscast gives information about fixtures, results and any breaking news. It is similar to the news; however it concentrates only on sports.

The Weather:

The weather programme is a report on the weather for the present day as well as the following days. Weather reports/updates can be found on the news channel, after the news reports and in the newspapers. The weather gives local and national forecast as well as alerts and severe weather warnings.