CONTEMPORARY TELEVISION SPRING 2013 Instructor: Dr.

Aymar Jean Christian Office: Frances Searle 1-154 Phone: (847) 467-4199 Email: aymar.jean@northwestern.edu Office hours: Wednesday, 12-2PM Description: Television is dead; television is in a golden age. Can both statements be true? This course focuses on how the art and business of primetime television changed after the introduction of new media, from cable to the Internet. Readings will explore production, storytelling, identity and distribution of TV and web entertainment. Students will watch, analyze and have the option to pitch or produce television. The goal of this course is to give students a deeper understanding of the complexity and ever-changing nature of a media business. Television is arguably the country's most powerful medium, foundational to American culture and history in the post-WWII era. At first tightly regulated and controlled, television has fragmented, its networks folded into conglomerations and its programs spread across dozens of channels. Throughout the semester students are encouraged to question how changes in television production, regulation and distribution affects programming, culture and politics at large. REQUIRED TEXTS: Lotz, Amanda. 2007. The Television Will Be Revolutionized. New York, NY: New York University Press (online through NUCat) Jenkins, Henry. 2006. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York, NY: New York University Press (online through NUCat) RESPONSIBILITIES: Readings: You are responsible for all readings, unless they are marked "optional" on the syllabus. Screenings:

Each week you must view all of the assigned episodes, clips and websites. Screenings are listed by Title of the show, Episode (Season: Episode #, Year). Except for web series, all shows will be on reserve on DVD at Mitchell. Alternative screening options via Netflix, Hulu, Amazon or YouTube are specified. Before watching episodes, visit IMDb for credits, and take note of the year it was produced, its placement in the season and the network on which it aired. Reactions: The weekly assignments are critical to enriching the class experience and your understanding of the material. Learning about media industries requires reading widely and regularly. Posts, due Tuesday at 10AM: Each week by Tuesday you must post on the course blog a oneparagraph (5 sentence min.) comment or meaningful question related to that week's readings and screenings. If you post a video, article or image, or if youre discussing the screenings, you must write a paragraph explaining its interesting aspects and its relevance to the readings. You are allowed to post on topics/shows directly mentioned in the text. For all weeks you can discuss and post items related to what shows you are watching personally, but you cannot repeat and it must relate to the readings and screenings. Comments, due Thursday at 10AM: Before Thursday at 10AM you must comment on the post of another student. You can comment with a video, photo, another article or simply a personal opinion. The objective is to meaningfully engage with a question, issue, topic or cultural object (video, meme, news item, article, etc.). Comments must be at least 5 sentences. You are free to miss or be late for two posts/comments or one week. I am be very, very disinclined to accept excuses beyond that. Students who never miss a week and participate more than the minimum will be in my good graces when it comes to deciding final grades. Midterm Proposal: By midterm you must hand-in in a 1-page proposal for your final paper or project. The proposal must include: a tentative title for your paper/pitch; topic

for your paper/pitch; an informal exploration of the ideas and concepts. The proposal should indicate you have a clear topic in mind and have thought broadly through the different arenas you wish to explore (audience, production, representation, technology, etc.). You may select directly from the readings but creativity and originality will be prized. Final assignment: Paper: 8-15 pages Research an aspect of contemporary television, including a program (scripted, talk, reality after 1980), company or network and make an argument for its relationship to television as an art, culture and/or business using its production, distribution, narrative, audience and/or financing to make your argument. You must bring in secondary material as necessary to prove your thesis. Examples: --Assess the critical discourse around a particular program. --Analyze a season of a television show, explore what its themes, characters or style say about an aspect of television or the broader culture. --Analyze a network's programming decisions and how it reflects shifts in the art and business of television. --Make a case for why a network (ex. CollegeHumor, HBO) should be shuttered. --Explain how a particular production company (ex. Bad Hat Harry, Broadway Video) reflects (or does not reflect) the changing television landscape. --Argue for why a particular showrunner, writer and/or executive challenges us to think about television in a new way. --Explore a fan community around a show, network or franchise and explain how/why the community relates the show and broader culture. --Persuade industry leaders to accept the unionization of reality TV workers. OR Pitch: 8-15 pages Develop a pitch for an original contemporary television and/or web program or network (1980--present). Your pitch must take into account the different areas explored in the

course: production, representation, narrative, distribution, financing, audience and technology. Each aspect must be addressed in your pitch, equally or not: -Production -- How will you make your show? -Narrative -- How will you tell your story? What other stories is it like? -Representation -- Who is your show about? -Audience -- Who will watch your show? Who won't watch your show? -Distribution -- Where will we see your show? Who will market it and why? -Financing -- How will you pay for your show? -Technology -- How will audiences access your show? The goal is to come up with a show that could be successful in the marketplace you choose. You are strongly encouraged to bring in secondary material to make your case. You can work pairs (perhaps more if you're producing something) but please meet me in advance of the mid-term proposal to get approval. GRADES: Grades are decided on a 200-point scale. Points are deducted directly from that total. 180-200: A 160-179: B 140-159: C 120-139: D 119-below: F Weekly reactions: 40 points For each week you participate completely, you get 5 points. For each week you miss, you get 0 points. For each week with only one post or comment, or with insufficient posts/comments, 2 points. You can miss one week or two individual posts/comments. After that, I start counting your weeks (0s and 2s included) against your final grade. Mid-term proposal: 40 points, DUE April 25 (by midnight) Final paper or pitch: 120 points, DUE June 10 Final papers or pitches will be graded on three criteria:

1. Strength For papers, depth of primary source analysis coupled with adequate secondary source support. For pitches, cohesion of the project. 2. Originality -- For papers, originality of the argument. For pitches, originality of concept. 3. Quality -- Grammar, organization and style. Final papers are due Monday, June 10th at 10AM via Blackboard. Each hour you are late deducts one point off your final grade. POLICY: Integrity This course adheres to policies and procedures for academic integrity as set forth by Northwestern University and the School of Communication. Students should avoid acts of plagiarism or academic dishonesty, any of which can result in failure of the course. For more on these university policies, including a definition of plagiarism and how to avoid it, please see the links listed below. http://www.communication.northwestern.edu/files/ProceduresAllegedA cademicDishonesty.pdf http://www.northwestern.edu/provost/students/integrity/index.html Disability It is Northwestern University policy to ensure that no qualified student with a disability is denied the benefits of, excluded from participation in, or otherwise subjected to discrimination in any University program or activity. In response to a request made by a qualified student with a disability, the University will arrange, at no cost to the student, for the provision of educational auxiliary aids, including sign language interpreters, determined by the University to be necessary to afford such student the opportunity for full participation in University programs. Students who need to arrange for assistance or services should feel free to contact me or refer to the office of Services for Students with disabilities. http://www.northwestern.edu/disability Sexual Harassment It is the policy of Northwestern University that no member of the Northwestern communitystudents, faculty, administrators, or staff may sexually harass any other member of the community. For more information, including definitions of sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature

which constitute harassment, visit: http://www.northwestern.edu/sexual-harassment/policy Attendance Since this class meets once a week, two absences constitute two weeks of missed classes. Two unexcused absences will result in a lower letter grade (from A to B, for example). Three unexcused absences warrant failure, and an F grade for the course. Additionally, there will be no make-ups permitted for in-class activities missed in the event of an unexcused absence. Class participation Class participation is based on your weekly assignments and in-class contributions. Behavior that detracts from the classroom community or shows disregard for the learning environment may range from passive (e.g. chronic lateness, sleeping, texting) to aggressive (vulgar language, unnecessarily critical, direct challenges) incivilities. If you are reluctant to speak, you must compensate by actively participating in the discussion online. Silence in-class and online will result in deductions from the final grade. Students should also bring all readings and assignments to class. Laptops are permitted but will be revoked if it negatively affects participation. Cell phones are not permitted. Grading Students must wait 24 hours after receiving graded assignments before making a claim for a higher grade. At the same time, students must also raise concerns or challenge grades within 7 days of receiving the assignment back. Also, when disputing an assignment, please submit a one-paragraph statement on what you would like me to reconsider along with the original graded material. RESOURCES Library The librarian for Communication Studies is Stacey Devine (staceydevine@northwestern.edu). If you need help planning for your final papers, she is offering her assistance and will give brief introductions to the resources available to Northwestern students. Regular reading suggestions for this course: Periodicals (pick 2-4): New York (Vulture), Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Antenna, Flow, AV Club, TV by the Numbers, Shadow and Act, AfterElton, AfterEllen, New

Media Rockstars, Tubefilter Social media (pick 2-4): Twitter @: n4tvm,* jmittell, mattzollerseitz (New York), emilynussbaum (New Yorker), alyssarosenberg (Think Progress), kristenwarner, memles, tvoti (AV Club), willapaskin (Salon), marcgraser (Variety), awallenstein (Variety), _mesk Showrunners: http://www.tvguide.com/News/Top-Showrunners-FollowTwitter-1044194.aspx ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------WEEK 1: Introduction, April 4 Course overview: Syllabus Introductory Lecture: How has television changed?

WEEK 2: Post-Network Television, April 11 Screening: -The Cosby Show, "Hillman," (3:25, 1987) (Hulu+) -A Different World, Radio Free Hillman, (2:10, 1989) (YouTube: I, II, III) -Chappelle's Show, (1:4, 2003) (Netflix) In class (clips): In Living Color (clips on Hulu) and Martin (1:6, "Forever Sheneneh") Readings: -Lotz, Understanding Television at Beginning of the Post-Network Era -Herman Gray, The Transformation of the Television Industry and the Social Production of Blackness, Watching Race: Television and the Struggle for Blackness -Todd VanDerWerff, A Different World was the last black sitcom to be a hitbut why?, AV Club, http://www.avclub.com/articles/adifferent-world-was-the-last-black-sitcom-to-be,90788

Optional Readings: -Gray, The Politics of Representation in Network Television, and Its A Different World Where You Come From -Ethan Thompson, "Key and Peele: Identity, Shockingly Translated," Antenna http://blog.commarts.wisc.edu/2012/02/07/keyand-peele-identity-shockingly-translated Guiding questions: -Give an example of phenomenal television today. -How has television changed over the years? -How should we analyze television today? -How do changes in production and distribution affect programming? -----------------------------WEEK 3: Production, April 18 Screening: -All in the Family, Cousin Maudes Visit, (2:12, 1971) (DVD) -Louie, Double date/Mom, (1:7, 2010) "Eddie," (2:9, 2011) (Netflix) -Broad City, (1:15-19, 2010) (YouTube) Readings: -Lotz, Making Television: Changes in the Practices of Creating Television -James Poniewozik, Louis CKs DIY TV, Time, http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,2078110,00.html Optional readings: -John Caldwell, Industrial Auteur Theory (Above the Line/Creative), Production Culture: Industrial Reflexivity and Critical Practice in Film and Television (online via NUCat) -Gary Levin, Testing the bonds of best Friends, USA Today Guiding questions: -How has production changed over the years? -What does "cheap" programming reveal about television today? Guest speakers: Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, creators, Broad City ------------------------------

WEEK 4: Distribution, April 25 Screening: -Law & Order, Divorce, (8:16, 1997) (Netflix) -The Good Wife, Red Team/Blue Team, (4:14, 2013) (DVD) -Got 2B Real, "The Uninvited," (2:2, 2012) (YouTube); "Rights, Wrongs and Receipts," (2:3, 2012) (YouTube, optional) Readings: -Jenkins, Introduction -Lotz, Revolutionizing Distribution: Breaking Open the Network Bottleneck -Donna Bowman, et. al, Law & Order: Slave to formula, or crackling entertainment?, AV Club http://www.avclub.com/articles/laworder-slave-to-formula-or-crackling-entertainm,84891 Optional readings: -Aymar Jean Christian, "Netflix's Arrested Development Will Not Change TV. Web TV Already Did," http://tvisual.org/2013/01/11/netflixsarrested-development-will-not-change-tv-web-tv-already-did. -Henry Jenkins, Why Media Spreads, Spreadable Media: creating value and meaning in a networked culture Guiding questions: -How do you consume television? -How does distribution affect programming? -How does distribution affect consumption? -----------------------------WEEK 5: Representation, May 2 Screening: -Maude, "Maude's Dilemma," (1:9-10, 1972) (DVD) -Girls, "Vagina Panic," (1:2, 2012) (HBO Go) -F to 7th (season one, 2013), http://fto7th.com -Optional: The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl (1:1-4, 2011), http://www.awkwardblackgirl.com; The Outs, State of the Union and Whiskey Dick (2012) http://theouts.tv Readings: -Susan Douglas, Fantasies of Power, Enlightened Sexism: The Seductive Message that Feminism's Work Is Done -Alfred Martin, "It's (Not) In His Kiss: Gay Kisses, Narrative Strategies, and Camera Angles in Post-Network Television Comedy,"

Flow, http://flowtv.org/2012/09/it%E2%80%99s-not-in-his-kiss-gay Optional readings: -Melanie Kohnen, You Want Me To Be Anderson Cooper: Negotiating Queer Visibility on Husbands, Antenna: http://blog.commarts.wisc.edu/2012/08/23/you-want-me-tobe-anderson-cooper-negotiating-queer-visibility-on-husbands/ -Janani Subramanian, "A Bitter Pill: Nurse Jackie and a Discourse of Discontent," Flow, http://flowtv.org/2010/06/a-bitter-pill-nursejackie/ Guiding questions: -How has representation changed through the multichannel transition? -What are the possibilities and challenges of representation in the post-network era? Guest speakers: Jason Klorfein and Ingrid Jungermann (F to 7th) -----------------------------WEEK 6: Financing, May 9 Screening: -RuPaul's Drag Race, "RuPaul Roast, (5:7, 2013) (logotv.com) -Breaking Bad, "Box Cutter," (4:1, 2011) (Netflix) In class: -Video Game High School (YouTube) Readings: -Lotz, Advertising After the Network Era: The New Economics of Television -Ted Magder, Television 2.0: the Business of American Television in Transition, Reality TV: Remaking Television Culture -Rocket Jump, "The Cost of a Webseries," http://www.rocketjump.com/blog/how-much-webseries-cost Optional readings: -Chad Raphael, The Political Economic Origins of Reali-TV, in Reality TV: Remaking Television Culture -Alyxandra Vesey, "An Absolut Drag," Antenna, http://blog.commarts.wisc.edu/2012/12/31/an-absolut-drag/ -Edward Wyatt, "TV Contestants: Tired, Tipsy, and Pushed to

Brink," New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/business/media/02reality.html? pagewanted=all&_r=0 -Amy Chozik and Bill Carter, A Rough and Bawdy Ad Magnet,New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/27/business/media/fx-expandsinfluence-behind-unorthodox-programming.html? pagewanted=all&_r=0 -Organize Reality TV: http://www.wga.org/content/default.aspx? id=1212 Guiding questions: -How does financing affect programming and vice versa? -How has digital distribution changed financing and does that matter? Why? -----------------------------WEEK 7: Narrative, May 16 Screenings: -Arrested Development, "SOBs," (3:9, 2006) (Netflix) -Scandal, "Truth or Consequences," (2:12, 2013) (Hulu+) -Robot Chicken (Amazon) Readings: -Lotz, Chapter 7 -Aymar Jean Christian, "On Cable, Long-Live the Anti-Hero," Televisual, http://tvisual.org/2010/03/29/on-cable-long-live-the-antihero -Michael Kackman, Quality Television, Melodrama, and Cultural Complexity, Flow, http://flowtv.org/2008/10/quality-televisionmelodrama-and-cultural-complexity%C2%A0michael-kackman %C2%A0%C2%A0university-of-texas-austin%C2%A0%C2%A0 Guiding questions: -How have changes to the production of television influenced its stories? -In what ways is post-network television different from network TV? -----------------------------WEEK 8: Audiences, May 23 Screening:

-----

The Honeymooners, The $99,000 Answer, (1:18, 1956) lonelygirl15, (1:1-5, 2006) http://www.youtube.com/lonelygirl15 Very Mary Kate, http://verymarykate.com The Voice (Hulu)

Readings: -Lotz, Recounting the Audience: Integrating New Measurement Techniques and Technologies -Jenkins, Chapter 2 -Jason Mittell, An Arresting Development, Flow, http://flowtv.org/2005/12/an-arresting-development/ Optional readings: -Jason Mittell, Exchanges of Value, Flow, http://flowtv.org/2005/10/exchanges-of-value -Streeter Seidell, "I Waste People's Time Online. How? Don't Ask Me," New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/weekinreview/20seidell.html -Kate Kaye, Welcome to the Era of the Data-Driven Programmer, Advertising Age, http://adage.com/article/dataworks/eradata-driven-programmer/240724/? utm_source=mediaworks&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=a dage Guiding questions: -How have audiences and their measurement changed during the multichannel transition? -What are the consequences of these changes? -What do differing standards of measurement enable? -What problems does it bring up? -----------------------------WEEK 9: Technology, May 30 Screening: -24, 12:00 AM Midnight 1:00 AM (1:1, 2001) (Netflix) -Web Therapy, Episode 1 (1:1, 2011) (YouTube) Readings: -Lotz, "Television Outside the Box: The Technological Revolution of Television" Optional readings: -Jenkins, "Searching for the Origami Unicorn: The Matrix and

Transmedia Storytelling" Guiding questions: -How do technological innovations and introductions change storytelling, distribution and production? -Should we incorporate fan activity into our assumptions of the audience? -How can we? What are the impediments? WEEK 10: Pitch, June 6 No readings or posts!