The reception of the television sitcom Friends in Portugal

a comparative analysis of Generations X, Y and Z

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34629/cpublica.743

Keywords:

audio-visual reception, entertainment, television fiction, sitcom, Friends

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyse the reception of the American television sitcom Friends in Portugal, by comparing generations X, Y and Z. The analysis focuses on generational differences on the reception and the acquired gratifications regarding a sitcom that reached an influence and a longevity that goes well beyond its ten seasons. Adopting a quantitative approach, data was collected through a survey, with a sample of 608 respondents from generations X, Y and Z. It was possible to analyse the differences in the way these three generations make meaning out of this media content, confirming that they are looking for distinct gratifications and develop different identification and empathy connections with the characters. The results thus show the impact of a sitcom originally produced more than twenty years ago that not only transcends generations but also impacts them differently.

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Author Biographies

  • Isabel Cabo, School of Communication and Media Studies, Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon (ESCS - IPL)

    Master’s in Audiovisual and Multimedia from the School of Communication and Media Studies (ESCS-IPL). She  holds  a  degree  in Communication Sciences from School of Social and Political Sciences (ISCSP),University of Lisbon. She has a great interest in audiovisual, mainly in the area of media audience reception. She is currently working as an assistant producer in a dubbing studio.

  • Filipe Montargil, School of Communication and Media Studies, Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon (ESCS - IPL)

    Professor at the School of Communication and Media Studies (ESCS-IPL). Currently also an invited professor at NOVA IMS –Information Management School, NOVA University Lisbon, and at the Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University, in Warsaw. His main area of expertise is sociology, mostly focusing   on   the   relationships and   the   interfaces   between   society, technology, communication, participation, and innovation.

  • Cláudia Silvestre, School of Communication and Media Studies, Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon (ESCS - IPL)

    Cláudia Silvestre is a professor at the School of Communication and Media Studies (ESCS-IPL). She holds a degree and a master in Probabilities and Statistics from the Science University of Lisbon, and PHD in Quantitative Methods from the Lisbon University Institute (ISCTE). She teaches Statistics applied to communications and develops research in the area.  Her research interests include statistical literacy, data analysis, clustering, mixture models, and big data.

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Published

2023-06-30

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 34 (2023): Number with Special Issue

Section

SPECIAL ISSUE: Audiovisual and Multimedia Studies

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How to Cite

The reception of the television sitcom Friends in Portugal: a comparative analysis of Generations X, Y and Z. (2023). Comunicação Pública, 18(34). https://doi.org/10.34629/cpublica.743