Sci-Fi television has seen its fanbase grow immensely over the past decade. Many shows such as Doctor Who and Supernatural have an intense cult following on the Internet, which has only existed since the advent of Tumblr. Now, these same fans are flocking to old shows like Firefly and fueling their obsessions through binge-watching. How have the same Sci-Fi shows had different effects on viewers depending on whether they grew up watching them weekly or discovered them for the first time as an adult (or teenager)? And how has the Internet and social media influenced a new generation of Sci-Fi lovers?
As a young viewer, the entrenched messages and the profoundness of the story line I believe tends to hold a subdued stance. An adult may find more practical value in the artistry, the potential, and the timelessness of the substance behind the entire production. An interesting point, hope to read it soon. – lofreire7 years ago
I find this topic interesting and worthy of investigation, but I'm unclear on how exactly one can go about evaluating the central question. The way I see it, there are really only two options: anecdotal evidence (which makes for a weak argument) or conducting extensive research interviews (which is, quite frankly, too much work for a typical Artifice-level article). If there is a third route, I'd be happy to be proven wrong; I just think it would just be a shame to see this good topic wasted in the event that the prospective author should choose the former. – ProtoCanon7 years ago
Interesting topic. I think there's definitely scope to look at if and why the timing of when you are exposed to something might have a more pronounced effect in the science fiction genre than in other genres. I suppose it might be something to do with the degree of foreign-ness of the subject matter. For example, I might have a different/more difficult time trying to get a friend to watch old star trek episodes with me, than i would trying to get the same friend to watch Gilmore Girls with me. If I grew up with both and loved both, but she did not grow up with either, I wonder if and why one may be more accessible than the other for my friend as an adult. I would be curious to see what kind of research there is out there on this in terms of genres and the effect of growing up with shows from particular genres such as science fiction, as opposed to finding them later in life. It's an interesting topic, I look forward to seeing what happens with it! – HRadford7 years ago