DC 229 Television Genres
Summary
Over the course of this ten-week curriculum, the student will not just be exposed to the various categorizes of contemporary television programming, similar to the categories employed by The Primetime Emmy Awards: Variety; Detective, Mystery; Situational Comedy; Documentary; Animation, Parts One and Two; Police Drama; Game Shows; and Talk Shows?but also the history behind each, divided into three subcategories: Black and White (shows from the 50?s and 60?s); Living Color (shows from the 70?s and 80?s); and HD (shows from the 90?s til present), understanding that each modern show is the most recent incarnation of shows from the past that serve as precedent. The student will be asked to submit four papers, selected from the above genre list; and in-between the weeks in which a paper is submitted, there will be five open-book quizzes, taken from the text, ?The Revolution Was Televised? by Alan Sepinwall. The student will be required to employ a variety of evaluation techniques including both Aristotle?s Poetics as well as Oscar Wilde?s ?The Critic As Artist.?
Texts
?The Revolution Was Televised: How The Sopranos, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, And Other Groundbreaking Dramas Changed TV Forever? by Alan Sepinwall
The instructor has created ten separate handouts, one per week, that are emailed to each student the night before each class.
Grading
Out of a possible 1000 points:
CLASS ONE, Wednesday, January 9, 2019, 1st DAY OF CLASS.
CLASS TWO, Wednesday, January 16, 2019; 1-2 page paper on SNL due: 50 points
CLASS THREE, Wednesday, January 23, 2019; Quiz #1 re Intro, Prologue, Chapter One; worth: 40 points
CLASS FOUR, Wednesday, January 30, 2019; Quiz #2 Chapters Three, Four; worth 40 points
CLASS FIVE, Wednesday, February 6, 2019; 5-page paper on either of the following three genres: DETECTIVE, MYSTERY; or SITCOM; or DOCUMENTARY; worth 250 points
CLASS SIX, Wednesday, February 13, 2019: Quiz #3 Chapters Five, Six; worth 40 points
CLASS SEVEN, Wednesday, February 20, 2019: Quiz #4 Chapters Seven, Eight, Nine; worth 40 points
CLASS EIGHT, Wednesday, February 27, 2019: 5-page paper on either of the following three genres: ANIMATION PART ONE; or ANIMATION PART TWO; or POLICE DRAMA; worth 250 points
CLASS NINE, Wednesday, March 6, 2019: Quiz #5 Chapters Ten, Eleven, Twelve; worth 40 points
CLASS TEN, Wednesday, March 13, 2019; Discussion, Prep
CLASS ELEVEN, Wednesday, March 20, 2019: 5-page paper on either of the following two genres: GAMES SHOWS; or TALK SHOWS; worth 250 points
A= 100-93, A-=92-90, B+=89-88, B=87-83, B-=82-80, C+=79-78, C=77-73, C-=72-70, D+=69-68, D=67-63, D-=62-60, F=59-0. A indicates excellence, B indicates good work, C indicates satisfactory work, D work is unsatisfactory in some respect, F is substantially unsatisfactory work.
Prerequisites
DC-101, DC-201
D2L
You will be using D2L extensively in this course. To log on, go to:
https://login.depaul.edu/cas/login?service=https://d2l.depaul.edu/d2l/orgtools/CAS/Default.aspx
and enter using your campus connect logon and password. Once you are logged on, click on the course number link and you will find links to the syllabus, course outline, video lectures, discussion forums, weekly assignments, etc.
Attendance
Attendance and participation are mandatory. An absence, which is defined as not showing up to
class, arriving more than 10 minutes late to class or departing before class is formally dismissed
will constitute a reduction in your overall grade. Absent students will be required to participate in a D2L lecture discussion forum where they will respond to a specific topic posted by the instructor.
?Introduction, Variety?
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 spirit of the times (zeitgeist), the show?s current POV, 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 next Wednesday, January 16, 2019 in the D2L dropbox, by 1pm before the start of CLASS TWO.
?Detective And Mystery?
ASSIGNMENT: Save worksheet notes regarding ?Alfred Hitchcock Presents,? and ?Kolchak: The Night Stalker,? for the review paper due in three weeks, Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 1:00pm, before class. For next week, read up until Chapter Two of ?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, the 1st of five, on the reading at the beginning of next week?s class, Wednesday, January 23, 2019.
?Situation Comedy?
ASSIGNMENT: Save worksheet notes regarding ?The Dick Van Dyke Show,? and ?All In The Family? for review paper due Wednesday, February 6, 2019. 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, the 2nd of five, on the reading at the start of class, Wednesday, January 30, 2019.
?Documentary?
ASSIGNMENT: Save worksheet notes regarding ?The Story Of Television? and ?The Undersea World Of Jacques Cousteau,? for 2nd review paper due next week, Wednesday, February 6, 2019. 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 2nd of four, will be due in the D2L dropbox by the start of class, Wednesday, February 6, 2019.
?Animation: Part One?
ASSIGNMENT: Save worksheet notes regarding ?The Rocky And Bulwinkel Show,? ?The Fantastic Four,? and ?Family Guy,? for review paper, the 3rd of four, due Wednesday, February 27, 2019. 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, Wednesday, February 13, 2019.
?Animation: Part Two?
ASSIGNMENT: Save worksheet notes from the list of modern animation examples, as well as ?Bob?s Burgers,? and ?Archer? for review paper, the 3rd of four, due Wednesday, February 27, 2019. Read Chapters Seven: ?She Saved The World A Lot,? Chapter Eight, ?Tell Me Where The Bomb Is? 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, Wednesday, February 20, 2019.
?Police Drama?
ASSIGNMENT: Save worksheet notes from the examples of police drama including ?Dragnet? and ?Hill Street Blues.? Choose one of the themes of the last three weeks: Week Five: Animation: Part One; Week Six: Animation: Part Two; and Week Four: Police Drama?and write a five-page paper of your favorite, employing Aristotle?s Poetics in your analysis. The paper, the 3rd of four, will be due in the D2L dropbox by the start of class, Wednesday, February 27, 2019.
?Game Shows?
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 Wednesday, March 20, 2019. 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, Wednesday, March 6, 2019.
?Talk Shows?
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 in the D2L dropbox, the last day of class, Wednesday, March 20, 2019.
This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.
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