How to Write a Radio Serial Drama for Social Development- PDF

40 Chapter Three: Characteristics of Radio Serial Drama
EXAMPLE
Plot Treatment For Too Late, Too Bad
(Central Uniting Character: Dr. Peter Moss)
Main Plot
Major Characters:
Sub-Plot A
Major Characters:
Sub-Plot B
Major Characters:
Sub-Plot C
Major Characters:
Steven Stan, a wealthy man
who lives in Sunville. His
family has been feuding for
years with the Twigg family
over which is the wealthier
and more influential family
in the district. There is
constant friction between
the two families. Their
hatred of one another is
often revealed in their
conversations with the local
doctor, Dr. Peter Moss,
who is the family physician
for both families.
Conflict comes to a
head when Brian Twigg
(25) announces that he is
going to marry Patty Stan
(27). The Twiggs believe
Brian is too young to marry
and that he has more
education and more
training to complete before
taking on the
responsibilities of marriage.
They blame the Stan family
for encouraging Patty to
seduce their son, Brian, just
to get their hands on the
Twigg wealth.
Shortly before the
wedding date, the Stan
mansion burns to the
ground. Several people are
injured, including some fire
fighters and Patty Stan,
who is badly burned.
Dr. Moss and his nurse,
Jane, are called to a nearby
house to assist with those
who have been injured in
the fire, or who are
suffering from smoke
inhalation.
Carla and George Brown, a
young couple who have
moved recently to Sunville.
They are expecting twins.
George is a builder and is
trying to get started in his
own business. He is having
trouble finding work, and
things are very hard for the
young couple. Mr. Stan
has told George several
times that he will have
some work for him “soon”
but these promises so far
have come to nothing.
Because of the financial
difficulties she and George
are having, Carla seriously
considers having an
abortion. Dr. Moss
persuades her against this,
and although her
pregnancy is difficult, she
eventually begins to look
forward to her children.
George does, too, although
he is increasingly
concerned about how he
will support his family.
Carla unexpectedly
goes into labor on the
night of the mansion fire.
George cannot locate Dr.
Moss so he rushes Carla to
the hospital, afraid that she
might lose the babies—and
even her own life.
Hedda and Harry Jones.
They live several hundred
kilometers from Sunville.
Hedda is a home-visit
nurse, who devotes a lot of
her spare time to helping
young people understand
sexuality and family
planning. Harry is a
dreamer and schemer who
has no real profession, but
who has a strong ambition
to make a lot of money in
a hurry. He is a distant
relative of the Stan family,
so he decides to borrow
money from them to start
a business. He and Hedda
come to Sunville to request
a loan.
Hedda visits Dr. Moss
to find out how she can
volunteer to help young
people in the Sunville area.
At his request, she goes one
night to the local hospital
to visit a young pregnant
girl who is afraid she might
have HIV/AIDS.
Harry, meantime, goes
to the local bar and, after a
few drinks, starts boasting
to the strangers around
him about his wealthy
relatives and their house
full of rich goods. One of
the strangers in the bar is a
thief who decides to
enhance his own wealth
through a visit to the Stan
mansion. It is he who sets
fire to the house as he is
trying to rob it.
Mr. and Mrs. Jadd who
work for the Stan family,
she in the kitchen and he
in the garden. They are
uneducated and had more
children than they could
afford before they learned
about family planning.
They have four surviving
children. Several others
died in infancy because the
Jadds did not know how to
care for them. Mr. and
Mrs. Jadd are working
hard to provide for their
surviving children and are
encouraging them to plan
and provide for their own
futures.
The Stan family has
promised to pay for the
university education for
the Jadds’ eldest son, Bob,
who is a hard-working
student. He wants to
become an obstetrician.
Because of what his
mother suffered with so
many children, Bob wants
to work with the
community on improving
maternal and child health
conditions in the area.
Taking him with him Dr.
Moss encourages Bob’s
activities, even when he
goes to visit patients in
their homes. Because of
this habit, Bob has come to
know George and Carla
quite well. He overhears
George one day, suggesting
to Carla that if he doesn’t
find work soon,