SCWR 150: Television Genres (Formerly DC 229)

Students will analyze and discuss some of the most important and influential shows in television history. Students will learn all about the writer-centric form of scripted television, where it's been and where it's heading. Students study serials and procedurals, network and cable shows, principal leads, partnerships and ensembles, comedy and drama, prevalent themes, innovations in content and form, the impact of DVR, and the impact of the internet. Course Description: This analytical course examines the screenplay's evolution to the screen from a writer's perspective. Students will read scripts of varying genres and then perform a critical analysis and comparison of the text to the final produced versions of the series. Storytelling conventions such as structure, character development, theme, and tension will be used to uncover alterations and how these adjustments ultimately impacted the show's reception. In addition to series of various genres, students will examine shows by, for, and about a diverse range of intersectional characters and creators reflective of our communities.