DC 229 Television Genres
Summary
In a letter to Robert Hooke in February 15th, 1676, Isaac Newton said, ?If I have been able to see further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants,? meaning, the mathematicians who came before him aided and abetted his quantum leap (including formulating quantum leaps, see Newtonian Physics).
The same exact thing is true with the history of television and television genres. The good, new shows and various styles of shows, are standing on the shoulders of other ?giant? shows. And in a profession that thrives on precedence (that is to say, the development of television programing) it is for certain? something came before.
In teaching this class, TELEVISION GENRES, I would like to take each week, each genre, in three distinct stages:
BLACK AND WHITE (or ancient history), an early example of the genre taken from back in the 1950?s and 1960?s, when shows were broadcast in black and white.
COLOR, (or recent history), a more recent example of the genre in question, taken from the 1970?s and 1980?s when shows were broadcast in color. What have they kept from the bygone era? What have they improved upon? Is what they?re doing an improvement?
HD, (or history in the making), the current incarnation of the preceding shows and eras. Thinking from a non-technical standpoint, judging the program from a purely narrative standpoint, what improvements have been made or not?
In class, we?ll review two examples each week?a BLACK AND WHITE (ancient history) version, as well as a COLOR (or recent history) version, taking notes. Then, in the course of the week that follows, you?ll watch the HD version of that genre.
Based upon your notes from class, of the older examples of the genre and based upon your observation of the current show, you?ll write a theme paper, five (5) pages in length, discussing what worked and didn?t work in the episode. Incorporate your observations in terms of the episode?s zeitgeist (or spirit of the times), the show?s point of view, and how it might be based on elements pioneered by the earlier examples.
Texts
"The Revolution Was Televised: The Cops, Crooks, Slingers, and Slayers Who Changed TV Drama Forever" by Alan Sepinwall
Grading
P O I N T S S Y S T E M
Based on 1000 points:
50 points, 2 page SNL review, after the 1st week (due 9/14/17)
250 points, 5 page review, after the 4th week (due 10/5/17)
250 points, 5 page review, after the 7th week (due 10/26/17)
250 points, 5 page review, after the 10th week (11/9/17)
200 points, participation
Reading Quiz #1 on textbook, Intro, Prologue, Chapter One, Two (9/21/17)
Reading Quiz #2 on Chapters Three, Four (9/28/17)
Reading Quiz #3 on Chapters Five, Six (10/12/17)
Reading Quiz #4 on Chapters Seven, Eight, Nine (10/19/17)
Reading Quiz #5 on Chapters Ten, Eleven, Twelve (11/2/17)
WEEK ONE: Thursday, September 7th, 2017
?Introduction To Television Genres; Variety?
VARIETY, work that is generally hosted and consists of different acts, sketches and/or dance and musical performances, combined in a non-narrative matter. Although predominantly for television, some theatrical film variety work has also been produced. Examples:
* BLACK AND WHITE (or ancient history), SID CEASAR:
?Good Health Restaurant?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpn4_QeS7w8
* BLACK AND WHITE (or ancient history), AT LAST THE 1948 SHOW:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6UrcD5MKs8
* LIVING COLOR (or recent history), THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW:
?The Butler And The Maid?
https://youtu.be/fMXEKM8w3ZU
* LIVING COLOR (or recent history), ROMAN AND MARTIN?S LAUGH-IN:
Laugh In Looks At The News, Compilation
https://youtu.be/mhibPWbj0Io
* HD (current), ?Saturday Night Live?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVvpXZxXWZU
ASSIGNMENT: Watch this week?s episode of ?Saturday Night Live,? and take notes based upon your personal emerging criteria with regard to what constitutes quality programing, and how it defines a given genre. Write a theme paper, 1-2 pages in length, discussing what worked and didn?t work in the episode. Incorporate your observations in terms of the episode?s zeitgeist (or spirit of the times), the show?s point of view, and how it might be based on elements pioneered by either Sid Caesar, At Last The 1948 Show, Carol Burnett, Laugh In, or earlier version of SNL. The paper, the first of four, will be due Thursday, September 14th, 2017.
WEEK TWO: Thursday, September 14th, 2017
?Detective And Mystery?
DETECTIVE AND MYSTERY, fictional work in which a detective (sometimes merely an endangered individual forced to ?detect? for his own self-protection) attempts to solve a crime, usually a murder or theft. Emphasis is placed on the search for clues and rational power of the detective, rather than the efforts of police or lawbreakers. Examples:
* BLACK AND WHITE (or ancient history ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS:
http://www.schooltube.com/video/b4ffb2ed2146057eda1d/
* LIVING COLOR (or recent history), KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fEnRcAoDvc
ASSIGNMENT: Save worksheet notes regarding ?Alfred Hitchcock Presents,? and ?Kolchak: The Night Stalker,? for the review paper due Thursday, October 5th at 1:00pm. Read up until Chapter Two of our text, ?The Revolution Was Televised: The Cops, Crooks, Slingers, And Slayers Who Changed TV Drama Forever? by Alan Sepinwall including the Introduction, the Prologue, Chapter One: Let?s Be Careful Out There?? and Chapter Two: All Due Respect; pages 1-31. There will be a quiz on the reading at the beginning of class, Thursday, September 21st, 2017
WEEK THREE: Thursday, September 21st, 2017
?Situation Comedy?
SITCOM, fictional work for television, normally running a half-hour in length, which creates humor around the lives of a cast of recurring characters and the ?situations? in which they find themselves. Generally, regardless of what happens in any given episode, the characters remain in the same relationships, and positions as they were before, and much of the humor derives from this predictability. The characters seldom change, and react in an expected manor to whatever challenges them, and generally the overall tenor of the shows is upbeat, expecting a happy, satisfying resolution. Everyday life is often an important element, and as a result, although the setting could be almost anywhere, most situation comedies are set in the home or workplace. Examples:
BLACK AND WHITE, (or, ancient history), THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW
https://youtu.be/UcNPYaXbSfs
LIVING COLOR, (or, recent history), ALL IN THE FAMILY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPr2BvvWNd0
HD, (or, present day), SILICON VALLEY
DVD, Pilot, ?Minimum Viable Product? April 6th, 2014
ASSIGNMENT: Save worksheet notes regarding ?The Dick Van Dyke Show,? and ?All In The Family? for review paper due Thursday, October 5th, 2017. Read Chapters Three: ?All The Pieces Matter?? and Chapter Four: ?A Lie Agreed Upon,? in our text, ?The Revolution Was Televised: The Cops, Crooks, Slingers, And Slayers Who Changed TV Drama Forever? by Alan Sepinwall. There will be a quiz on the reading at the beginning of class, Thursday, September 28th, 2017
WEEK FOUR: Thursday, September 28th, 2017
?Documentary?
DOCUMENTARY, nonfiction work defined by documentary pioneer John Grierson as the creative treatment of actuality. Grounded in some aspect of real life, documentaries may vary from a very deliberate account of facts to an extremely interpretive rendering of a subject, advocating a particular viewpoint on a political, social, or historical issue. In documentaries, actuality should still be dominate over the creative treatment, which while often staged for the camera, should not go so far as to be dramatized for emotional impact and belong to such genres as historical films or propaganda. Documentaries my include films that merely use a realistic technique in telling a fictional story. Examples:
BLACK AND WHITE, (or, ancient history), THE STORY OF TELEVISION,
1956 with David Sarnoff, Vladimir Zwyorkin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhqtByYjmPY
LIVING COLOR, (or, recent history), THE UNDERSEA WORLD OF JACQUES COUSTEAU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxJisP8x3Ok
HD, (or, present day), 60 MINUTES
https://www.cbsnews.com/videos/the-storm-after-the-storm-enhancing-the-bike-new-kid-on-the-block/
ASSIGNMENT: Save worksheet notes regarding ?The Story Of Television? and ?The Undersea World Of Jacques Cousteau,? for review paper due Thursday, October 5th, 2017. Choose one of the themes of the last three weeks: Week Two: Mystery and Detective; Week Three: Sitcom; Week Four: Documentary?and write a five page paper of your favorite, employing Aristotle?s Poetics in your analysis. The paper, the second of four, will be due Thursday, October 5th, 2017 by the start of class.
WEEK FIVE: Thursday, October 5th, 2017
?Animation: Part One?
ANIMATION: PART ONE, work created by recording a series of still images, such as drawings, objects, or posed people; when played back, the static images combine to simulate motion, creating the impression of movement. Examples:
BLACK AND WHITE, (or, ancient history), THE ROCKY AND BULWINKEL SHOW
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8D7EBk6clU
LIVING COLOR, (or, recent history), THE FANTASTIC FOUR
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x32r752
HD, (or, present day), FAMILY GUY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2aO58XXcQE
ASSIGNMENT: Save worksheet notes regarding ?The Rocky And Bulwinkel Show,? ?The Fantastic Four,? and ?Family Guy,? for review paper, the third of four, due Thursday, October 20th, 2017. Read Chapters Five: ?I?m A Different Kind Of Cop? and Chapter Six: ?Do You Want To Know A Secret?? in our text, ?The Revolution Was Televised: The Cops, Crooks, Slingers, And Slayers Who Changed TV Drama Forever? by Alan Sepinwall. There will be a quiz on the reading at the beginning of class, Thursday, October 12th, 2017
WEEK SIX: Thursday, October 12th, 2017
?Animation: Part Two?
ANIMATION: PART TWO, work created by recording a series of still images, such as drawings, objects, or posed people; when played back, the static images combine to simulate motion, creating the impression of movement.
Here?s a list of modern animation examples:
?Steven Universe?
?Tom And Jerry?
?Looney Tunes?
?Bubble Guppies?
?Max And Ruby?
?Bojack Horseman?
?The Simpsons?
?South Park?
?Family Guy?
?Archer?
?Bob?s Burgers?
?Bevis And Butthead?
?Sponge Bob Square Pants?
?Rick And Morty?
?Rug Rats?
?Adventure Time?
?Captain Planet?
I choose two HD (or, present day) examples off this list:
HD, (or, present day) ?Bob?s Burgers?
DVD: Season One, Episode Eight; ?Art Crawl,? March 20th, 2011
HD, (or, present day) ?Archer?
DVD: Season Three, Episode Four; ?The Man From Jupiter,? January 19th, 2012
ASSIGNMENT: Save worksheet notes from the list of modern animation examples, as well as ?Bob?s Burgers,? and ?Archer? for review paper, the third of four, due Thursday, October 26th, 2017. Read Chapters Seven: ?She Saved The World A Lot,? Chapter Eight, ?Tell Me Where The Bomb Is? in our text,? and Chapter Nine, ?So Say We all? in our text, ?The Revolution Was Televised: The Cops, Crooks, Slingers, And Slayers Who Changed TV Drama Forever? by Alan Sepinwall. There will be a quiz on the reading at the beginning of class, Thursday, October 19th, 2017
WEEK SEVEN: Thursday, October 19th, 2017
?Police Drama?
POLICE DRAMA, fictional work portraying the activities and personalities of official law enforcement officers and agencies (from municipal police to FBI to G-men) in tracking criminals. Police stories offer many of the same elements as the crime and mystery genres, but with an added concentration on the procedures of police work and characterizations of police officers. Narratives are often concerned with their excessive devotion to their work and police procedure as they cope with office routine, bureaucracy, and the death of fellow officers in the line of duty. Unlike detectives, policemen fear discovering theta they will turn corrupt or are beginning to share traits in common with their criminal adversaries, by also adopting illegal tactics, although for the purpose of apprehending criminals.
BLACK AND WHITE, (or, ancient history), DRAGNET
https://youtu.be/hKJ5WGFGXQw
LIVING COLOR, (or, recent history), HILL STREET BLUES
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5hIXJ9H8gI
ASSIGNMENT: Save worksheet notes from the examples of police drama including ?Dragnet? and ?Hill Street Blues.? Chose one of the themes of the last three weeks: Week Five: Animation: Part One; Week Three: Animation: Part Two; Week Four: Police Drama?and write a five page paper of your favorite, employing Aristotle?s Poetics in your analysis. The paper, the third of four, will be due Thursday, October 26th, 2017 by the start of class.
WEEK EIGHT: Thursday, October 26th, 2017
?Game Shows?
GAME SHOWS, is a type of radio, television, or internet programming genre in which contestants, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes. Alternatively, a gameshow can be a demonstrative program about a game (while usually retaining the spirit of an awards ceremony). In the former, contestants may be invited from a pool of public applicants. On some shows, contestants compete against other players or another team, while other shows involve contestants playing alone for a good outcome or a high score. Game shows often reward players with prizes such as cash, trips and goods and services provided by the show's sponsor prize suppliers, who in turn usually do so for the purposes of product placement.
BLACK AND WHITE, (or, ancient history), YOU BET YOUR LIFE
https://youtu.be/gqScqfptCd4?list=PLHaioNpr_GDbvsTj_taM-jO6C1658N1PC
LIVING COLOR, (or, recent history), MATCH GAME
https://youtu.be/uWMXSuoD4GE
HD, (present day), WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSOXitFx5XY
ASSIGNMENT: Save worksheet notes from the examples of game shows including ?You Bet Your Life,? ?Match Game,? and ?Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? for the final paper due Thursday, November 9th, 2017. Read Chapter Ten: ?Clear Eyes Full Hearts,? Chapter Eleven: ?It?s A Time Machine,? and Chapter Twelve: ?I Am The One Who Knocks? in our text, ?The Revolution Was Televised: The Cops, Crooks, Slingers, And Slayers Who Changed TV Drama Forever? by Alan Sepinwall. There will be a quiz on the reading at the beginning of class, Thursday, November 2nd, 2017
WEEK NINE: Thursday, November 2nd, 2017
?Talk Shows?
TALK SHOWS, or chat show is a television programming or radio programming genre in which one person (or group of people) discusses various topics put forth by a talk show host.
Usually, guests consist of a group of people who are learned or who have great experience in relation to whatever issue is being discussed on the show for that episode. Other times, a single guest discusses their work or area of expertise with a host or co-hosts. A call-in show takes live phone calls from callers listening at home, in their cars, etc. Sometimes, guests are already seated but are often introduced and enter from backstage. Gay Byrne, Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson,[2] Dick Cavett, Ed Sullivan, Oprah Winfrey, Kris Aquino, Ellen Degeneres, Boy Abunda, Howard Stern, Rush Limbaugh, and Mosunmola Abudu have hosted notable talk shows; in many cases, the shows have made their hosts famous.
BLACK AND WHITE, (or, ancient history), THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW
https://youtu.be/Zr3nv5SyTPc
LIVING COLOR, (or, recent history), THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON
https://youtu.be/GGQ3v3svHyI
HD (present day), COMEDIANS IN CARS GETTING COFFEE
https://youtu.be/UM-Q_zpuJGU
HD (present day), BETWEEN TWO FERNS
https://youtu.be/UnW3xkHxIEQ
ASSIGNMENT: Save the worksheet notes from the examples of various talk shows including ?The Steve Allen Show,? ?The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,? ?Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee,? and ?Between Two Ferns.? Chose one of the themes of the last two weeks: Week Eight: Game Shows; Week Nine: Talk Shows?and write a five page paper of your favorite, employing Aristotle?s Poetics in your analysis. The paper, the final of four, will be due our last day of class, Thursday, November 9th, 2017 by the start of class.
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