Research Objectives Research Benefits

10 According to Fossard 1996, there are three types of radio drama: independent, serial, and series. The independent radio drama broadcast a full story at a time, in one broadcast. The serial radio drama, which can be likened as a novel, is an on-going story which continues from one open-ended episode to the next ones. The last type, which becomes the object of this study, is a collection of independent dramas which uses the same main characters in each of the episodes. Within the series type or radio drama, a term called sit-com or situation comedy is popular. It refers to the series of radio drama which are funny, or at least, have a happy ending p. 38. 4. Cabin Pressure: Abu Dhabi Cabin Pressure: Abu Dhabi is the object of this research. It is the title of the first episode of the first series of radio situation comedy drama series broadcasted by BBC Radio 4. Set in airplane and airport environment, the episode tells about the oddball crews of the only airplane of an airline business named MJN Air. Starred by four main characters, the pilot, the co-pilot, the steward, and the CEO, the episode proves to be funny as it is able to elicit laughter from the live audience during the recording. This twenty eight-minute-long episode starts when Carolyn, the CEO, forbids Martin to divert and spend unnecessary money as he has flown a very expensive flight to Bristol prior the flight before. When flying to Abu Dhabi, Douglas notices that a client‟s cat left in the unheated hold, leaving Martin confused whether to divert in order to save the cat or to let the cat freeze to death PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI 11 but save from Carolyn‟s anger. Meanwhile, Arthur tries to learn how aeroplanes fly. This plotline is able to present the live audiences a lot of humour, verbally. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI 12

CHAPTER II REVEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

There are two sections within this chapter, namely theoretical description and theoretical framework. The theoretical description provides theories employed in supporting the study. This study applies the theory of verbal humour and its types, General Theory of Verbal Humour GTVH, and theory of radio drama. How those theories are applied to the study is discussed in the later section, the theoretical framework.

A. Theoretical Description

The theoretical description provides the theory of verbal humour and types of verbal humour, General Theory of Verbal Humour GTVH, and theory of radio drama. In addition, several related studies are also reviewed in the section of review of related studies.

1. Verbal Humour and Its Types

Before going deeper to elaborate what is meant by verbal humour, it would be better to know what word humour is really meant. Jay 2003 mentions that humour refers to anything which is funny; either intended or not, if something succeeds in eliciting someone else ‟s smiles or even laughter, it can be included in humour p.306. However, there are indeed many exceptions to such a straightforward definition of humour. Ross 1998 mentions that it is fairly possible to claim that something is funny when even no one laughs or even smiles