To what extent do Eastenders and Neighbours represent reality?
To what extent do 'Eastenders' and 'Neighbours' represent reality?
The concept of realism could be considered arbitrary, a set of rules which are accepted by the audience when reading a text. For example in a historical documentary about life in Tudor England, it is acceptable that the characters speak recognisable English, even though at the time they would speak old English which most of us would find impossible to understand. But if one of the characters was using a mobile phone, it would not look right, and the realism of the programme would be lost. The mobile phone breaks the rules of historical detail, but the dialogue translation is an acceptable realist convention.
'Realism is something that we have learned to decode.' (London: 1996)
Much of Soap operas realism comes from the mise-en-scene and the fiction is generally created by over exaggerated characters and narrative. The narrative of soaps tend to be concerned with social issues, and the institutions making the soaps have a responsibility to the audience to present an 'ideologically correct' outcome to certain story-lines. Colin McCabe argues that when viewing a realist text the audience is positioned according to the camera's ideological version of events.
'If the form of realism acted to seduce the viewer, the relationship realism encouraged between viewer and the media message was perhaps even more worrying. Audiences are 'positioned' by the realist text and as a consequence they become stranded into accepting the ideological version offered to them by the text.' (Oxford: 1999)
Many of the conventions of a soap opera are there to provide realism, and therefore bring the danger highlighted by McCabe. Soaps are often criticised for sending out the wrong messages which will be picked up by an impressionable audience, such as glamorising drug talking as discussed later.
If the audience have never experienced life in the East End of London for example, how do they know if what is being represented is realistic in Eastenders? Much of this comes from their cultural competence, but also from how other areas of the media portray certain areas. Documentaries such as 'Paddington Green' highlight issues in areas of London, such as prostitution and 'wheeler-dealer' businessmen. London is always in the spotlight in the news. For example recent reports in the news about increased drug taking and violent crimes make it more realistic that there is a drug addict living on the square and that two rival businessmen are constantly fighting for power over the people who live there. But because we rarely hear about what goes on in Australian neighbourhoods we have to rely on our cultural competence to assess how realistic it is to have two ex-cons fighting over Steph Scully.
The two soaps I am studying each have different aims in what they hope to achieve which explains the differences between them. British soaps tend to be willing to engage in social issues much more then Australian or American soaps. Recently Eastenders has tackled issues of HIV, rape, drug abuse and teenage pregnancy. This is an issue which is a big problem in Britain, as we have one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the modern world, and this is reflected in soap world with Coronation street, Brookside and Eastenders all including it in a storyline, each with a different outcome. A feature of British soaps is that they act as a forum for raising important issues about 'actual' social problems, which explains why so many soaps run teenage pregnancy stories. When Tracey Barlow got pregnant in Coronation Street, this Morning ran a phone in about teenage pregnancy. In the episode I have analysed we see the start of a storyline where Janine is addicted to cocaine. When tackling sensitive issues such as drug taking, soaps can come under fire from the press for glamorising drug taking and using 'sordid sensationalism' in a bid for ratings. (Article from Daily Mail included in appendix) What is interesting is that on the other side of this article there are reports of incidents in the UK with the collective heading 'Wild West UK' illustrating the true extent of crime and drug abuse in Britain. So, is Eastenders actually being criticised because it is too close to the truth and the events it is portraying are supposed to be fictional?
People tend to watch Coronation Street because of its 'rose-tinted' view of real life. Susi Hush, producer of the soap in the early 70's, was removed after two years because her policy of dealing with social issues such as drugs resulted in a large drop of viewing figures. Bill Podmore, a later producer of the soap is very critical of Eastenders.
'Eastenders took up the cudgels for just about every controversial issue, from homosexuality and AIDS to drug addiction. The series seems to plunge from one depression to the next'. (London: 1998)
But it is the 'approach of gritty, 'realistic' portrayals of social problems' (London:1998) tried out by Susi Hush in Coronation Street that have contributed to the success of Eastenders. Tony McHale, a writer and director of Eastenders gives the other side to the opinion of Bill Podmore.
'People can relate to stories of abortion, adultery and rape. What they can't relate to is sensationalist elements. It becomes a different programme when there's an armed siege in the Queen Vic. It should be about page ten news, not page one.' (London: 1998)
Neighbours has been criticised on the other hand for not being realistic. Performances such as Steph's at the beginning of sequence 1 (See appendix) where she is stunned to see Woody at the door, can be seen as 'ham acting' because of her drawn out expression of shock, emphasised by close-up shots. But the nature of the soap lends itself to such scenes. Neighbours seeks to deal with the 'the reality of inner emotional life, as opposed to the realities of everyday existence.' (London: 1995) Reg Watson, head of TV drama at Grundy decided to introduce a new soap in the 1984 season. He said of Neighbours:
'I wanted to show three families living in a small street in a Melbourne suburb, who are friends. Humour was to play a big part in it and the important thing was to show young people communicating with older people. The characters will make mistakes. Quite often people do silly things and make stupid mistakes in their lives.' (London: 1995)
These things are still evident in Neighbours. All the residents of Ramsey Street are friends, something which is not very realistic in British society anymore, humour is still a major part as shown in sequence 10 when Ellie arrives at the Kennedy house. This scene is also a good example of how the young communicate with the old.
Neighbours tends to steer clear of controversial issues unlike Eastenders. In recent episodes it has dealt with the issue of custody battles with the Lou and Louise storyline and Libby's troubled pregnancy but it very rarely touches on ...
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These things are still evident in Neighbours. All the residents of Ramsey Street are friends, something which is not very realistic in British society anymore, humour is still a major part as shown in sequence 10 when Ellie arrives at the Kennedy house. This scene is also a good example of how the young communicate with the old.
Neighbours tends to steer clear of controversial issues unlike Eastenders. In recent episodes it has dealt with the issue of custody battles with the Lou and Louise storyline and Libby's troubled pregnancy but it very rarely touches on more serious issues. Whether Neighbours offers its British audience an insight into Australian life is debatable. In the episode I have analysed half of it takes place at the 'Oakey Rodeo'. I chose this episode because it is hard for me to say whether it is a realistic representation of a Rodeo because I have never experienced one. The scene where Chooka introduces himself to Drew caused quite a stir in Australia, attracting some of the show's highest ever ratings, but to a British audience there doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. The reason for the big interest is that Blair McDonough who plays him was in the Australian version of Big Brother. Because of the realism soaps hope to achieve by having characters we can relate to, if Nasty Nick were to play a part in Eastenders it would be hard for us to accept him into the Albert Square community. Because we have no prior experience of Blair McDonough it is acceptable. But Martin Kemp, former guitarist in Spandau Ballet, plays the character of Steve Owen in Eastenders. Many people will recognise him from his former career but there was a substantial break between his music career and his appearance on Eastenders, making it more acceptable. Also because much of soaps audience is made up of children and young adults, they may not be familiar with his past career. Those who are will also know that he appeared in the film 'The Krays' where he played a gangster which adds to his star persona of a 'gangster type' character in Eastenders. But in Brookside for example, Ben Hull who played Lewis in Hollyoaks plays the new doctor. He has gone straight from one to the other so I still see him as the character of Lewis, not as his Brookside character. This is an explanation as to why many soap characters find it difficult to leave their genre because they are recognised as particular characters.
Much of soaps realism comes from the time scale of the episodes. 'Real world time' is seen in individual segments though across the episode time is compressed. Because they have open-ended narratives and are on the television so frequently, we feel like we are seeing into a small part of the character's lives. The half an hour episode of Eastenders I have chosen spans a day for the characters, so we see them from when they get up to when they are at a night-time party. We feel that we have seen all the important events in the day, because unlike a fly on the wall documentary, soaps miss out the boring parts, although 'dead time' is often left in. But we feel that we have seen everything, because as in real life, the small events can often be the most important. This is illustrated in sequence 13 when we see that there is no resentment between Kat and Zoe unlike in previous episodes. This is an important scene because we see a side of Kat that most of the other characters don't see so we feel privileged. She is known as a hard-faced woman who always puts on her best show, and make-up, for people and doesn't show her emotions. But here we see a sensitive, even soppy side to her. This is also shown in Neighbours in sequence 4 when Emily is playing with Dahl and Audrey, the pets belonging to the Kennedys. We get a true sense of her innocence which is important with the imminent arrival of Ellie, who used to be like that, but now turns up with a police escort as they suspect she is going to graffiti a wall.
As well as soap time corresponding to 'real world time' in terms of the hours of a day, they also reflect what is going on at certain times of the year. For example in the episode of Eastenders, one of the minor plot lines is the preparation for Dot and Jim's Valentines Day wedding. This was screened on Valentines Day. One thing that does not reflect actual life is the Christmas episode. This is usually the most eventful episode of the year; usually involving the cliché birth or a tragic death, unlike the boring reality of Christmas day which has been represented more realistically in the BBC comedy 'The Royale Family', where the family are shown watching the repeats on television whilst eating cold turkey sandwiches.
Another important area which adds to the realism of soaps is the mise-en-scene. The Kennedy house includes all the props you would find in an everyday house including a portrait of the three children, all of whom have left home. Regular viewers of the soap will know that this was painted by Helen Daniels, one of the original cast members who had to be written out because of ill health in real life. This portrait adds depth to the characters because it gives them a past. Because the episode switches from the Rodeo to Ramsey Street, establishing shots are used frequently to make sure the audience knows where the scene is taking place. The Rodeo is unfamiliar to the audience so there are a string of establishing shots to introduce the audience to the setting of that scene, therefore not alienating potential new audiences. This episode of Neighbours is unusual because it is half filmed off location. Soaps are generally cheap to produce because they use the same sets over and over and they stick to the same locations. This allows the audience to become familiar with the habitat of the characters and feel that they are a part of their community. So everyone who watches is familiar with the Café and Lou's Place.
The two soaps I have studied focus on different areas of society. Neighbours concentrates on middle class families whereas Eastenders is more about working class people. In both episodes the characters have money troubles, reflecting a common occurrence in real life. But there is a big difference. In Neighbours Drew and Libby have lent Scottie some money and they are worried that he won't be able to pay them back. But despite this they have managed to buy their own house and set up their own business, all with a baby on the way. It is unlikely that Eastenders would have two young characters being this successful at setting up their first home together. The characters of Woody and Mitch seem out of place because of their backgrounds. In Eastenders it is the Jackson family that are in need of money. Jamie needs £5 to buy Sonia a present, but no one is able to lend it to him so he steals it from the milk jar. Pauline is hassling Jim about arranging a honeymoon, but he cannot afford it. In later episodes we see the Square rallying round to make Dot and Jim's wedding really special because they deserve it but cannot afford it. This reflects the ideology that older people are generally good citizens and that the state doesn't provide them with much money. It also shows the old-fashioned community spirit which rarely exists in modern society. In this episode we also see that people with money do not fit into life in Albert Square. The character of Belinda is over exaggerated to show that she does not belong, and the over exaggeration makes it seem as if she is being represented in a negative light, showing the ideology that people with money are seen as the enemy in working class societies. This is further illustrated with Mel, who is seen to be over dressed for going to the Vic. In a later episode Laura tells her that she doesn't fit in because she has money and sees herself as being better than those who don't. The fact that people for all different classes drink in the same pub could be seen as an unrealistic feature. Eastenders presents an ideology of social harmony, a classless society which does not exist. In reality, people like Mel would normally be associated with trendy wine bars rather than their local pub. An example of an 'ideologically correct' outcome to storylines in Eastenders is the death of Steve Owen. Steve killed someone so there for it must be shown some how that you cannot get away with crime. This story was drawn out for a very long time, he escaped a prison sentence and several people have tried to murder him in revenge for things he has done to them, but he finally got his comeuppance when he died in a car crash, a satisfying end (from the audience's point of view) to a story-line where he was deceiving everyone around him.
The techniques used in soaps add to their realism. Close ups are used to show emotions and there are very rarely anything but jump cuts used. These are generally conventions used in documentary form. In sequence 3 of Neighbours, when Woody is explaining himself, fast editing is used to show the tension between the characters. But in Neighbours, non-diegetic music is used to increase the tension, and in this episode it is used in nearly every scene involving Steph and Woody. This makes it seem less realistic but reflects the light-hearted nature of the soap. When Chooka first appears a low angle shot is used to show that he is of some significance. Subtle enigma is used because we first see him with his back to the camera which makes the audience wonder who he is and what his role will be. Diegetic music from the fairground is amplified to become non-diegetic and show that although his involvement is significant, (because of Aussie Big Brother) it is not important. When he begins talking to Drew the music fades back into the background. Sequence 10 (when Ellie arrives) adds the comic element to this episode. Just as Susan is about to go out looking for Ellie there is a knock at the door. 'Jaws' style music is introduced as Ellie, dressed in bright orange, including her hair, walks through the door with the greeting 'Hey Auntie Suzie, what's up?' A close up of the look of horror and disbelief on Susan's face illustrates the hilarity of the situation.
The story of Zoe's parents has led to the introduction of techniques not normally associated with soap operas. It is very rare to find the use of music, as in Neighbours, in British soaps as well as use of flashbacks, which are used frequently in Home and Away. But in an episode of Eastenders where Kat was in hospital after taking a overdose, flashbacks were used to show the audience what happened to her as a child, when her uncle Harry raped her, resulting in the birth of Zoe. This made the scene seem less realistic, but it was needed to give the audience insight into Kat's past. In the episode I have studied, the end scene where Charlie is looking at his girls having fun, the diegetic sound is muffled. This accompanied by an extreme close up of Charlie's face shows his disbelief and confusion of the events involving his brother, concluding with his death. These unusual techniques emphasise emotions of the audience at such a dramatic story.
Propp's character functions can be difficult to apply to soaps, especially Eastenders where the characters move in and out of their functions. Kat for example is shown as being a mother figure, and a good, caring person who is a victim of abuse in this episode. But in previous episodes she has been represented as a bad person who sleeps around and doesn't do any work. Therefore she cannot be classified as occupying a specific role. It is also difficult to classify characters because of the frequent changes in story lines and their prominence within them. Stereotypes are frequently used as a way of creating easily identifiable characters. They do not tend to create a bad representation of people, as that is not their function. For example, Peggy is a stereotypical busty, blond, loud landlady, but she is not seen in a bad light, in fact the opposite is true as she is seen as a strong woman able to cope with anything life throws at her. This highlights one of Mary Ellen Brown's points that soap operas portray strong women outside the domestic setting. Although stereotypes make characters easier to relate to, they do take a way some of the realism, because they tend to be over exaggerated.
The representation of Australia is an issue, especially when concerned with a British audience. In Neighbours we see the characters frequently having barbecues, which is a stereotype attached to Australian culture. The characters use Australian slang such as 'G'day', 'this arvo' etc. which we see as being normal because we know no different. The mise-en-scene connotes the lifestyle and class of the characters. The open plan houses in Neighbours in comparison with the small 'pokey' houses in Eastenders connote a much more relaxed and affluent lifestyle. But British soaps tent to have a strong 'regional identity' and are clearly located in a particular geographical area which is not the case in Neighbours. We know that the residents of Ramsey street frequent Lou's place and the Coffee shop but we have no idea how far away they are from their houses. In Eastenders establishing shots of Albert Square are frequently used to show where the characters live. We know that the café is just across the road from the B&B and that Mark has a plot on the market that is right behind his house. This all related to the opening sequences. The aerial view of London quickly establishes the characters in their location, showing that this is an important issue, and the smiling faces of the Neighbours shows that relationships between them is going to be an important issue.
Just walking around the street in our everyday lives you tend to hear people discussing aspects of soap opera life. I have heard it said on many occasions that Eastenders is depressing and sometimes boring. One explanation for this is that it is not providing gratification for its audience. If someone watches a soap for a form of escapism they do not want to be presented with the gritty reality of life, but more a comical outlook which is something presented in Neighbours. So this makes it seem that Eastenders is more realistic than Neighbours. The audience are positioned to read soap operas as realistic. This is due to the fact that they concentrate on current social issues which affect people's lives. Soap operas relate to all aspects of the uses and gratification model. People watch soaps as a form of escapism but also to see how the characters react to situations that the audience may find themselves in, giving them a sense of personal identity. The audience are gratified by seeing resolutions in story lines and by the sheer number of bad things that happen to certain characters, making their own lives seem quite good and simple. The fact that the audience talk about what is going in soaps shows their personal relationship with the programmes and the moralistic storylines provide information for the audience on how to handle certain situations.
Although product placement doesn't really occur in soaps, advertising is a big feature. Emmerdale and Crossroads for example are sponsored by soap powder companies which shows that in a sense soaps have come full circle from when they started. This shows that the institutions involved in the production of the soap and the advertising have been reassured that their original target of bored housewives are still tuning in. But there is a newer audience that soaps are attracting. When Neighbours was first broadcast in Britain, there was a panic because children began turning up late to lessons because they had been watching their favourite soap in their dinner hour. The scheduling of soaps is therefore very important. The producers of neighbours realised that if they broadcasted at tea-time when the whole family were at home they could increase their viewing figures, which they did, making it the second popular programme on the BBC after Eastenders. The scheduling of the two soaps helps to explain why they have such different audiences. Neighbours is on at a time when many children are just coming home from school and are likely to watch the television to wind down. Because many storylines are about teenagers this also helps to explain why a large proportion of the audience are teenagers.
In conclusion Eastenders appears to be more realistic than Neighbours, but both soaps contain realistic and fictional elements. The scheduling and aims of the producers of Neighbours explain the more humorous approach to the genre while the nature and principals of the BBC and of British soaps as a whole, give some explanation to the more 'gritty' approach. Looking at soaps on the surface, they do not seem to be very realistic at all, but a closer study proves that their success to some extent relies on the audience being able to relate to the characters' lives, which must therefore be realistic to be believable. At the end of the day they are meant to be fictional and they are not trying to be like documentaries, but their balance between the realistic sets and setting and the over exaggerated narratives and characters is what makes the genre so successful.
Bibliography
* Keith Selby and Ron Cowdery (1995) How to study television, London: Macmillan Press Ltd.
* Gill Branston and Roy Stafford (1996) The Media Student's Book, London: Routledge
* Graham Burton (2000) Talking Television,
* David McQueen (1998) Television: A media student's guide, London: Arnold
* Lisa Taylor and Andrew Willis (1999) Media studies: Texts, institutions and audiences, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Ltd.
* Inside Soap magazine
* The Daily Mail newspaper
Appendix
I have included a sequence synopsis for each episode so that the plot lines can still be followed.
Eastenders
Monday 4th February
Main Plot-lines
* Zoe's birthday/ possibility of Harry turning up
* Relationship between Jamie and Sonia
* Arrival of Sam Mitchell and her effect on the locals
Minor plot-lines
* Arrangements for Dot and Jim's wedding
* Rivalry between Sam and Janine
* The running of Mel, Ian and Laura's businesses
* Is Janine taking drugs?
* The story of Frank's faked death
* Nita and Robbie's relationship
Sequence Synopsis
* Title sequence: Arial shot of London's East End with familiar (and recent) landmarks such as Millennium Dome to add realism.
* Sequence 1: Zoe receives flowers and birthday cards. The family are busy decorating the kitchen with balloons etc. They don't notice Zoe on the stairs staring at the card that came with the flowers, close up shows they are from Harry.
* Sequence 2: Sam arrives in a taxi, Phil introduces her as his sister to the local men who are stood admiring her, warning them to stay away.
Dot sees Jim in the square; she is getting a delivery.
Peggy tells Phil that Frank isn't dead.
* Sequence 3: Kat goes to wake Zoe up. Discovers she is crying, sees the flowers in the bin and reads the card.
* Sequence 4: Sam moves her stuff into the Vic and Peggy tells Phil the story of Frank faking his own death.
* Sequence 5: Jamie and Sonia argue about buying Zoe a birthday present.
* Sequence 6: The Slater family talk about what they will do if Harry turns up.
They go to Zoe's room to give her her presents.
* Sequence 7: Laura and Ian argue about their business.
Janine arrives in a taxi; the boys pay more attention to Sam than her.
* Sequence 8: Slater sister Belinda arrives and wants to know why the family isn't in the part spirit.
* Sequence 9: Jamie asks Jim what he should do about Sonia. He suggests buying her a present to celebrate a special occasion.
* Sequence 10: Dot shows Pauline her wedding outfit.
* Sequence 11: The Slaters continue to discuss Harry.
* Sequence 12: Pauline harasses Jim about arranging a honeymoon.
Jamie asks Jim for some money to buy the present.
Mel comes into the pub to talk to Phil. Sam comes over and is shocked to find out that Mel and Steve got married.
Sam and Janine have a confrontation.
Charlie talks to Peggy about arranging a party for Zoe. Janine is told she is not invited but Sam is very welcome.
Beppe comes into the pub. There is tension between him and Sam relating to an old storyline.
Janine is shown going into the toilets.
* Sequence 13: Zoe and Kat have a heart to heart in her room.
* Sequence 14: Dot tells Jim she wants to talk about sleeping arrangements after the wedding.
* Sequence 15: Jamie takes the milk money.
* Sequence 16: Dot meets Jim in the Café and tells him that she wants Jamie to move out of Sonia's room because it is morally wrong for them to be sleeping together.
* Sequence 17: Sam bets she can take Janine's date off her at the party.
* Sequence 18: Dot discovers the milk money is missing and asks Jim and Sonia if they know where it is.
* Sequence 19: Jamie puts a card through Zoe's letterbox. Zoe comes out to say thankyou. As Sonia appears she takes the chocolates thinking they are for her. Sonia sees her take them and argues with Jamie saying that they had agreed not to buy her anything.
* Sequence 20: Zoe is getting ready to go out. Her dad gives her another present- a family antique that belonged to her 'mother'.
* Sequence 21: Laura and Ian argue about money. Mel comes in; she is dressed in expensive clothes. Laura tells her she thinks she is too dressed up for the Vic.
* Sequence 22: Charlie tells Mo that he is going to the police to make sure that Harry doesn't spoil Zoe's birthday.
* Sequence 23: Everyone is gathered in the pub, they go quiet and then jump out as Zoe enters.
Sam wins the bet with Janine.
Nita walks in wearing a provocative outfit. Robbie is shocked-he stumbles about and bumps into Janine knocking drugs out of her hand, which Paul sees.
Anthony gives Zoe a necklace and puts it on for her. We see that there is romance between them and that Kat is jealous.
* Sequence 24: Charlie leaves the police station.
* Sequence 25: Sonia and Jamie argue-he goes to the party without her. Jim explains to her that the chocolates were for her and then informs her that he has to move out of her room.
* Sequence 26: Paul confronts Janine about her drug taking.
Sonia arrives to see Jamie talking to Zoe. She takes him outside and they argue.
Everyone is partying in the pub. Zoe is having a good time.
Police come in and take Charlie outside. They tell him that Harry is dead.
Everyone is partying in the pub oblivious to Harry's death.
Charlie goes back inside and stands in the doorway watching the rest of his family having a good time.
Neighbours
Wednesday 13th February
Major Plot lines
* The arrival of Woody, what will Steph do?
* Will Drew win the Rodeo?
* The arrival of Ellie
Minor plot lines
* Will Scottie be able to pay Drew back?
* Libby goes into Labour
Sequence Synopsis
* Title sequence: Groups of the neighbours in 'posing' roles- all having fun.
* Sequence 1: Steph opens the door to find Woody stood there. Mitch comes out of the bathroom and is as shocked as Steph to see him.
* Sequence2: Karl, Drew and Libby meet up with Ron (Drew's dad) at the Rodeo.
* Sequence 3: Woody explains himself to Steph and Mitch. Mitch leaves.
* Sequence 4: Susan is babysitting Ellie.
Darcy arrives as the phone rings and Emily leaves. Susan's sister Liz is on the phone.
* Sequence 5: Woody and Steph continue their discussion.
* Sequence 6: Liz tells Susan that she is in Europe and that her daughter Ellie is on her way to stay with Susan. Susan is angry because she never agreed to have Ellie, Liz hangs up.
* Sequence 7: The next day at the Rodeo: Scottie tells Drew he has bet against him so all her has to do to get his money is loose, but Ron has bet a lot on Drew winning.
Karl and Ron talk about Drew's chances.
Drew and Libby discuss whether he should try to win or loose. Libby feels a twinge.
* Sequence 8: Mitch tells Steph he loves her. They begin to talk about what they should do.
* Sequence 9: All assess the horse drew has to ride. Libby goes for a walk.
* Sequence 10: Susan and Darcy are worried because Ellie hasn't arrived yet. Then she arrives...with a police escort.
* Sequence 11: At the Rodeo they talk about the bet.
* Sequence 12: Mitch leaves as Woody arrives. They argue.
* Sequence 13: Libby is walking around at the Rodeo.
Drew is talking to his horse. Someone next to him starts talking to him. Drew realises that it is Chooka, younger brother of one of his old friends.
Current Rodeo contestant is thrown off his horse.
Libby goes into a barn.
Drew rides.
Libby strokes a small pony at the back of the barn.
Drew wins.
Someone locks the barn.
They all celebrate Drew's win.
Libby tries to get out.
Continued celebrations. Scottie is annoyed Drew won.
* Sequence 14: Steph and Woody talk.
* Sequence 15: Libby tries to get out. Feels pains in her stomach.
* Sequence 16: Susan tells Ellie the rules of living in her house.
* Sequence 17: Libby realises the baby is coming and leans up against a hay bail for support.
Susanne Marsh
A2 Media Coursework (module 5)