That s Entertainment: A Survey of British and American TV. Jung & Dewhurst

Transcription

1 That s Entertainment: A Survey of British and American TV Jung & Dewhurst

2 MOVIE Wednesday, January 11th at 2 pm in A5

3 CORRECTION Nickelodeon not MTV

4 FINAL EXAM Teilnahmeschein open notebook use notes, photocopies of Powerpoint presentations, books, etc. cannot consult your neighbor Leistungsschein and Modularized System closed notebook must have everything memorized

5 Science Fiction & Fantasy

6 Speculative Fiction an overarching term that is sometimes used to link all of the genres dealing with the question "What if?" and the suspension of reality types of speculative fiction science-fiction fantasy horror usually attracts the same audience provides a way to deal with controversial issues in society by putting them into the context of alternative worlds (e.g., racism)

7 Fantasy a genre that utilizes magic and other supernatural forces for the plot, characters, or setting (or all three) characteristics suspension of reality setting: an alternate form of reality on Earth (past or present) OR a world other than Earth fantastical elements & features magic, transformations, divination, mind-reading, fabulous beasts, new civilizations characters often have magical or supernatural abilities

8 Sci-Fi or S.F. Imaginative fiction based on postulated scientific discoveries or spectacular environmental changes, freq. set in the future or on other planets and involving space or time travel. (OED online)

9 Characteristics of Sci-Fi developed alongside the improvements in science and technology society can be present-day, past or imagined/future society realistic OR imaginative with aliens and other worlds technology can be based on real or imagined science plot how science and technology affects individuals or society space travel, the future, new or imagined technology, mental/biological changes in humans, time travel, aliens instead of magic & supernatural forces, you have technological gadgets, mutations, aliens & their civilizations some argue that sci-fi is a modern form of fantasy

10 Science fiction often has a deeper purpose. science fiction television has a track record of addressing moral, ethical, political and philosophical themes. (Luke Hockley, in: Creeber, TV Genre Book, 26)

11 Science Fiction and Society Alien Invasions Fear of the Other

12 World War II War of the Worlds

13 War of the Worlds a radio adaptation by Orson Welles based upon H. G. Wells' classic novel performed by CBS's Mercury Theatre on the Air a Halloween special on October 30, 1938 a contemporary retelling of the events of the novel in documentary style frightened many listeners into believing that an actual Martian invasion was in progress Many people missed or ignored the opening credits of the program and took it to be an actual news broadcast in the atmosphere of growing tension and anxiety in the days leading up to World War II panic ensued

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15 The genre developed dramatically after the bombing of Hiroshima and during the cold war period, giving rise to a mix of technological Utopias and dystopias. (Luke Hockley, in: Creeber, TV Genre Book,, 27)

16 The Cold War Alien invasion was a common metaphor in science fiction during the Cold War. the space race intensified the situation fear of foreign occupation (e.g. communists) and nuclear devastation Film example: Invasion of the Body Snatchers TV series/ miniseries: Star Trek, V

17 The Vietnam War "Star Trek offered the American television viewer a variety of subtle and relatively safe antiwar themes including the impersonal quantification of the results of war -- the body counts -- that had become a nagging fact of America's Vietnam involvement on the nightly news." (Himmelstein, TV Myth and the American Mind, 177)

18 Invasion, Surface, Threshold War on Terrorism

19 Early Science Fiction based on books, stage plays, and comic books Amazing Stories (1926) special effects were limited due to live broadcasting and on location filming was very expensive and time consuming Tom Corbett -- Space Cadet Captain Video (DUM, )

20 Lost in Space ( ) based on the comic book Space Family Robinson & novel Swiss Family Robinson chronicled the adventures of the Robinson family, Earth pioneers who wanted to colonize Alpha Centauri less serious in tone

21 Star Trek what people think of as science fiction television (Luke Hockley, in: Creeber, TV Genre Book, 28)

22 Star Trek first episode: Sept. 8, 1966 ran for 3 seasons with a total of 77 episodes creator: Gene Roddenberry themes racism, colonialism, human pyschology developed an intense following

23 Star Trek Crew Captain James T. Kirk Lt. Uhura Mr. Chekov Montgomery Scotty Scott Mr. Spock

24 "Kirk and his crew spread truth, justice, and the American way of life, including a life of high technology and eternal progress." (Himmelstein, TV Myth and the American Mind, 177) alien creatures encountered in the different episodes represent racial caricatures Klingons = Russian Carassians = Arabs Romulans = Chinese

25 Spinoffs Star Trek: The Next Generation Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Star Trek: Voyager Star Trek:Enterprise animated series 7 feature films many novels

26 Sci-Fi in the 1970s location videotaping became easier common settings: forests and disused quarries for alien landscapes Battlestar Galactica (ABC, ) Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (NBC, )

27 The 1980s Quantum Leap (NBC, ) V (NBC mini-series, 1983)

28 Science Fiction in the 1990s X Files Stargate SG-1 Babylon 5 Roswell

29 New Series Invasion (ABC) Surface (NBC) Threshold (CBS)

30 Science Fiction Hybrids Pyschological Thriller, Horror, Detective Story, Science Fiction, Fantasy

31 Twilight Zone (CBS, ) The Twilight Zone was an anthology series that, while not exclusively based on science fiction, frequently turned to the genre to frame allegorical tales of the human condition and America s national character. Some of the most memorable episodes of the series used science fiction to defamiliarize and question the conformist values of post-war suburbia as well as the rising paranoia of Cold War confrontation. (Jeffrey Scounce, in: Creeber, TV Genre Book, 31)

32 X-Files (FOX, ) paranormal detective narratives within the contemporary reality of modern-day America (Catherine Johnson, in: Creeber, TV Genre Book, 30)

33 Science Fiction Sitcoms "Even aliens from outer space, who had caused such mass terror and panic in the fifties cinema, were not to be feared in the sitcom." (Marc. Comic Visions, 22)

34 My Favorite Martian (CBS; ) news reporter Tim O Hara takes the Martian in as his roommate and calls him Uncle Martin, who is a friendly houseguest and whospeaks good English

35 Mork and Mindy (ABC, ) ALF (NBC, )

36 FANTASY

37 Fantasy Island (ABC, ) Mr. Roarcke with sidekick Tatoo on a mysterious island in the Pacific Ocean people could go there and live out their fantasies often fantasies did not play out as expected

38 Buffy the Vampire Slayer ( ) the life and problems of Buffy Summers Buffy assisted by her friends Giles, Willow, Xander set in Sunnydale, California enemies include vampires, ghosts, zombies, witches, demons

39 Superheroes Xena: Warrior Princess ( ) Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman ( )