Those clever bods at the Hallmark channel, home to great US dramas like Monk, Psyche, Numb3rs and Jericho, have conducted some scientific research into what makes a perfect gripping drama. What’s more, to prove it, they invited TV Spy to be a human guinea pig…

To London’s Covent Garden for an appointment with Dr Peter Marsh from the Social Issues Reseach Centre, who attached electrodes to my head, chest, ears and fingers. These were to record electrical energy in the brain, heart-rate and skin conductivity. Once wired up, it was time to watch clips from a variety of top dramas to see what effect they had…

The action
Bang! Adam gets shot in Spooks. Eeek! Kate and Juliet are hiding from the smoke-monster in Lost; Weee! Peter and Nathan go flying in Heroes. Arrggh! Some bloke tops himself in Damages; Yikes! Michael gets in a knife fight in Prison Break. Kaboom! Death and destruction as a helicopter goes out of control in ER!

The Results
Phew. Glad that’s over. I feel tense, a bit over-excited and worn out – but what will the computer readings say? Turns out that my heartbeat stayed fairly constant throughout, and my brain activity actually dropped off during the Lost, Heroes and Prison Break clips – although I had seen all of them before, so knew nothing bad would happen to anyone I cared about.

The biggest changes that my body experienced were as a result of the shocking shooting in Damages and the over-the-top mayhem in ER. These two clips were very different. Damages was quiet, unassuming, one man, one woman, very little dialogue, no action - then sudddenly, and with no warning, one of the characters shoots himself in the mouth. This made my skin conductivity leap, my heart-beat increase and my brain activity to go haywire.

In contrast, ER was an ensemble piece, with loads of characters and relationships in play, a gruesome flashback of an arm being severed and the inherent threat of it happening again. The tension builds and builds into an almost unbelievable crescendo of explosions, injuries and ultimately death. My brain, body and heart all reacted – I got tense and stayed tense throughout the clip.

What does this prove?
It showed that quality drama affects me in ways I wasn’t previously aware of. It showed that different kinds of drama can increase my heart-rate, make me tense and get my brain firing off beta-waves. It made me reconsider watching ER, made me swear that I’ll never get in a helicopter, and most of all it made me determined to watch Damages when it comes onto Hallmark – even though I’ll probably watch a certain scene through my fingers…

• Hallmark will be showing the first series of Damages every Sunday at 9pm from 6 July.

Glued to the screen or hiding behind the sofa?
Scientists reveal why we love TV drama

Scientists have uncovered the formula for making the perfect gripping TV drama, revealing why we get hooked on shows like Hustle and House and how producers can tell if they have an ER or Eldorado on their hands, before they even hit our screens.

The Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC) was commissioned by the Hallmark Channel to find out why our favourite telly dramas keep us glued to our screens week after week , discovering that our favourite hit shows can often leave us scared or confused but bring us closer to friends, family and work colleagues.

The formula for the perfect gripping TV drama is: G = {.22*AA + .20*D + .16*I +.15*DC + .15*SL — {.17*RS + .16*SE + .12*V}

A hit drama must firstly ensure its lead actors are both believable in whatever scenario they are in and display engaging character traits. According to the formula, this is a combination of (AA) acting ability and (I) character empathy.

For characters to become believable in their viewers’ eyes, they must be ‘bad goodies’ or ‘good baddies.’ A ‘bad goodie’ will be flawed in some way so that their so called ‘saintliness’ is watered down by endearing character defects.

Hugh Laurie’s character Dr House is a classic ‘bad goodie’ with his tendency to insensitively discuss a patient’s chance of recovery with colleagues, often whilst the patient is within earshot.
In contrast a great TV villain must have some redeeming features, making he or she a ‘good baddie.’ Despite all their evil deeds, we must have a sneaking sympathy for them. For example, Ted Danson’s character in Damages, Arthur Frobisher, who freely admits his mistakes and clearly loves his family, despite his numerous misdemeanours.

Top telly drama also needs a script or dialogue (D) as complex as its characters. Plot twists and turns are essential, even if we can’t understand what’s going on or predict what happens next. The last series of Hustle is a clear example of a show that keeps us thinking and glued to our seats, with one particular episode using the fable of the Emperor’s new clothes, updated with a modern twist around an up and coming fashion designer.

A spokesperson from the Hallmark Channel said: “Watching a gripping drama series every week helps provide a degree of structure to our lives. It gives us something to talk about with friends and work colleagues and can even enable us get to know our families better, from their reactions to the plot and the characters.”

The formula also revealed what will get audiences switching over, with viewers confessing that they don’t like sex or romance (RS) to get in the way of the plot and that gimmicky sound and visual effects (SE) and (V) are also more likely to annoy them than keep them glued to the screen.

The battle for the remote control between men and women produced some contradictions to the formula, with women citing dramatic music and humorous dialogue as two clear ways to keep them stuck on a series. Modern men have more simple tastes, revealing that violence and credibility keep them gripped and that the simpler the plot the better…

Hallmark will be showing the first series of Damages every Sunday at 9pm from 6 July.