2900 Happiness - Aarhus Universitet

of time in the series 2900 Happiness. The series’ relationship to time is therefore very diffuse and
this lacking structuring of time can consequently influence the unwinding of the storylines in each
episode. This seems to apply to 2900 Happiness. Each storylines happens so fast that it seems
improbable and superficial, because there is no time to deal with the individual situations and
themes in 2900 Happiness in depth, which the viewer consequently perceives as poor quality.
In chapter VI and VII ’blocking’ and the use of dogma rules in the manuscript are introduced, and
an argument is made for how these can be used to structure time, and how in turn this structuring of
time affects the unwinding og the storylines, so they are perceived as being more probable and less
superficial. Consequently the use of ’blocking’ and dogma rules can increase the quality of a soap
opera.
With 2900 Happiness it is TV 3’s intention to create a quality soap opera, produced and transmitted
in the same way as other normative soap operas. In chapter VIII I examine the use and
understanding of the concept quality and how viewers and critics judge the quality of 2900
Happiness. Furthermore I discuss whether it is at all possible to produce quality soap operas or
whether the two concepts contradict each other. I argue that it is not impossible, but that it is
contradictory to the purpose of soap operas. Furthermore I argue that quality in connection with
soap operas should not be understood and used in the same way as quality in connection with cost-
intensive primetime series.
Finally, in chapter IX I conclude that the use of dogma rules can strengthen the structuring of time,
and that it consequently can increase the quality. However, because of the stigmatisation of the soap
opera in general, a soap opera like 2900 Happiness will still be criticised as lacking in quality,
because it mistakenly is compared to cost-intensive and Emmy winning productions. Furthermore I
conclude that the concept of quality in connection with a soap opera cannot be understood in the
same way as the concept of quality in connection with a cost-intensive Danish drama series. Quality
in soap operas must be understood and evaluated based on the standard and quality which generally
applies to the normative soap opera. This taken into consideration, it is my opinion that TV 3, in
cooperation with Nordisk Film, has succeeded in creating a Danish soap opera of a better quality
than previously seen in Denmark.
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