TV DVD Cover Analaysis

Doctor Who Complete Series 1 DVD Cover

On the front of the Doctor Who Complete Series 1 DVD Cover, there are two dominant signifiers. The first contains an image of The Doctor and his companion, Rose Tyler. This is a mid-shot, and we are on level with the characters connoting that we are on a similar level with the characters, and that they are our friends. The Doctor is stood in a dominant, highly masculine, almost confrontational position. This shows that he is the hero in the text. Rose, however, is stood in a much less confrontational position, her body turned sideways so to make her look smaller. She is also leaning on The Doctor, suggesting her role is of more of a companion or even possibly the princess in the story. Both are giving us direct mode of address, and thus connecting with the watcher. The Doctor wear mainly black, adding mystery to his character, where Rose is wearing much lighter colours suggesting she is a more relatable character.

The second dominant signifier is of three monsters from the series. They are set in a darker light to represent their dark intentions and are below the main protagonists, suggesting that they are below them in society as well. Each of the monsters has a less-than-human appearance and, due to lighting, their strange features are highlighted. This signifies their mutated hearts and their alien greed for things that they cannot have.

The series symbol is placed in the centre of the page. It has a very masculine font, connoting the fast paced, action based premise of the programme. The subtitle is also a very masculine font, but is a little more off-centre. This shows the unconventional nature of the programme.

In the background to the front cover it shows the backdrop to the TARDIS, which if you were to have seen the programme you would have recognised. The whole cover is set in a red light and this has an indexical link to danger. This theme carries on to the next page over the image there.

On the back cover there is an image of Rose Tyler and The Doctor under white text. Rose seems to be leaning on The Doctor who is standing very straight. This against signifies The Doctor’s masculine traits and his hero status in the text and Rose’s eyes. Rose is stood in a more submissive position, again connoting her role as the princess in the text.

Sherlock Complete Series 2 DVD Cover

The dominant signifier on the front cover of the Sherlock Complete Series 2 DVD Cover is a photograph of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Sherlock is dressed in a long coat, suit and scarf. A long coat is an indexical link to detectives, and this is shown in the actual text as well. His suit connotes a more professional nature to his work but the scarf indicates that he puts his own twist on what he considers to be his job. John however is dressed more informally. He is dressed in a shirt and jacket and this connotes his more relaxed approach to what he has been roped into. John is wearing relatively light colours, especially compared to Sherlock, which connotes to his somewhat less dark mind. Sherlock is stood in a very dominant position, in front of John and striding forward. This signifies his role as the main protagonist and hero of the series, which is further suggested by his direct mode of address. John, though in a very similar position, is stood behind Sherlock and is smiling at the camera. This all connotes his role as the sidekick in the series.

Also seen on the front cover are the almost ghostly images of Jim Moriarty and Irene Adler. Jim is staring directly at the audience in an almost threatening manner, and this shows his role as the villain in the text. Irene, however, is looking more seductively or secretly at the audience. This creates the enigma code as the audience will want to know what she is hiding. Their faded appearance is an indexical link to ghosts, which themselves connote fear and the supernatural.

The words on the front cover, stating ‘Sherlock’ and ‘Complete Series Two’, are in a very masculine font, suggesting that is a masculine text. Masculine fonts are used throughout the cover.

The back cover uses similar dark tones as the front to connote a dark storyline or characters. There are the black and while, almost transparent images of Sherlock, John and Jim. Their ghostly appearance creates an enigma code and thus making the audience want to know what the mysterious characters may be hiding. John is sat in a relatively informal position, holding a newspaper. This agai9n suggests his relatively relaxed approach to the whole situation. Sherlock is playing his violin, which shows his eccentricity and suggests he may not be your typical protagonist. Jim is stood looking at the audience from a sideways position. This body position suggests he has something to hide and creates another enigma code.

The BBC logo is placed on every side of the DVD cover. The BBC logo brings prestige to the DVD as the BBC typically creates good programmes. There is also a recommendation from Caitlin Moran, who works for The Times. The Times also brings prestige as it is a long standing and traditionally straight-talking broadsheet newspaper.

NCIS Complete Season 5 DVD Cover

The dominant signifier on the front cover is a large image of Gibbs. He is stood in a dominant position, in front of all of his co-workers, even those ranked above him. This signifies his role as the lead protagonist and hero. He is dressed in a suit and this connotes that the text is based around his profession, and that he takes it seriously. However, he is not wearing a tie and the top button on his shirt is undone. This connotes that, while he takes his work seriously, he can be relaxed about certain things. He is giving direct mode of address and this also shows his dominance in the show. He is smiling at the audience, though not a full beaming smile, more of a smirk. This suggests that he knows something that you do not, and creates an enigma code.

Behind him are stood Ziva DaVid and Director Shepard, behind whom stands Ducky and Tony DiNozzo, who behind stands Abby Sciuto and Timothy McGee. All of these are main characters in the text. All are stood in relatively dominant positions, but all are placed behind Gibbs. This shows that, in terms of the characters, they are below him (though this is not necessarily true in the storyline). Most give direct mode of address to the audience, and those who do not are looking off into the distance, creating an enigma code.

The NCIS logo is in a very masculine font, and this shows the masculine nature of the text and the male-dominated target audience. There are no feminine fonts on the DVD cover, again demonstrating the male target audience and the very masculine storylines throughout the text.

On the back of the DVD cover you can see several shots from the episodes contained within the box set. This creates several enigma codes as, if you have not seen the episodes, you will want to know what is going on in the various action shots or by the various expressions shown on the character’s faces.

On the side of the box you can see the CBS logo and the Paramount logo, which both carry prestige.