Sherlock - Audience

Sherlock is a drama series shown on BBC One. It revolves around Sherlock Holmes and his companion John Watson solving crimes around London. The intended audience for the show are adults. This is because the show is usually based around a murder, and is overall quite a dark show. It has elements of comedy though, with Sherlock's overwhelming knowledge and witty comments to other people. Each series has three episodes, each of which are feature length. This length of time will appeal more to adults in the evening than it will to younger people. It can be intended for both males and females. The show may appeal to men because the main characters are male. This gender dominance could perhaps be more relatable to men than women. However, women could also be attracted to the show because of the men in it. The two main roles are portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, who are both well acclaimed actors in the industry. They're both seen as well presentable men, so the actors in the show will help the show to appeal to women, as well as men. 

This show meets two main gratifications: entertainment and information. The show is a drama with elements of comedy, so people will watch it for entertainment. This could be to relax at the end of the day, filling time, or it could be escaping from problems. Sherlock is very satisfying to watch because he solves crimes with not a lot of thought at all, so you can become lost in the show. A lot of people watch TV simply to fill time, so this could be a big reason of why people watch it. The show is also a gratification of information because although the show is fictional, Sherlock's reasoning behind his thoughts on the crime are very plausible, and it's satisfying to watch him work through his thoughts and solve the crime. The show can help people become more observant of people and objects around them. 

The programme is constructed around focus because the show revolves around Sherlock, the main character. As an audience, we're encouraged to focus upon him more than any of the other characters in the show. His first name is the title of the show, so the focus is already on him before anyone even starts watching it. John Watson, Sherlock's companion, is also a big character in the show, but it's fair to say that Sherlock is the focus overall.