TV

Game of Thrones, Outlander, Netflix's Jessica Jones, and Netflix's Daredevil: these are some examples of books and comic books that are now being put into a television series rather than a film. It seems to be a new trend. What are the merits of having a book series represented through television rather than a single film (such as Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings)? Is one better? Is this a natural progression of the new trend of splitting a book into two or three movies (think Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows or The Hobbit)? Is the age of one-book-to-one-film over? If so, is that a good thing?

In order to justify its presence on the so-called "History" Channel, Pawn Stars makes a point of highlighting the historical significance of various antiques that come into the store. This is typically framed by Rick sharing his minimal knowledge of the item and its historical context, at which point he calls in an expert (one of his many "buddies") to tell the full story under the guise of an appraisal. In the recent seasons, they get through fewer and fewer items per episode, interspersed with cringe-worthy family subplots that appear to have been rejected from real sitcoms, including arbitrary wagers, surprise birthday parties, and (my personal favourite) aimlessly searching for Bob Dylan through the crowded streets of Las Vegas (S03E20).

Considering how the History Channel's radical re-branding of circa 2008 no longer requires it to feign being intellectually stimulating in any way, what may be the purpose of the brief historical interludes in an otherwise mind-numbing show? Given the channel's shift from educational documentaries to trashy reality shows, are these segments only there to justify that there is still some attempt at engaging with history, or is there some deeper function to it? What might this say about contemporary historical education? Could the cheese-ball sitcom element perhaps be a sort of lure to trick laymen into engaging with the narratives of the past? Furthermore, how has this kind of television content become a contemporary cultural icon in itself? (For examples, see this scene from Gravity Falls ((link) and this 2011 CollegeHumor sketch ((link) 1:17).

Whatever the verdicts may be, how might it be illustrated in other examples of post-2008 programming, such as American Pickers, Ice Road Truckers, Ancient Aliens, and Vikings?

The television show, The 100, had come under controversy and intense scrutiny over social issues during its third season. Issues such as the treatment over LGBTQ characters and rape culture. However, the 100 has tackled social issues in earlier seasons and those issues were not scrutinized nearly as harshly.

Some of the earlier social issues tackled by the show were mental illness (Jasper has had two accounts of PTSD) and the roles of women. Some of these portrayals are well done and generate positive discussions. Other times the show delves into tropes and goes against its self-proclaimed progressive stance.

The show would not be under such critical eyes if the show runners had not promoted it as a progressive show.Therefore, the show must be looked at through a progressive lens. It would be interesting to see an article tackle how The 100 portrays various social issues and how these portrayals are perceived by viewers. It should also note the importance of these portrayals and the discussions they generate. The show is targeted at teenagers and young adults and it is interesting to see how this show has generated discussions online. Explain why these discussions matter. The response to certain aspects of the show have been negative, but the discussions afterwards have led to positive insights. The show has only aired 3 seasons but it has tackled various social issues that can be explored in further detail.

Due South, Power Play, Flashpoint and The Listener are all TV series made in Canada. Why is there a dearth of diversity in Canadian productions? Given the popularity of Degrassi: The Next Generation and Little Mosque on the Prairie could Canadian TV benefit from exploring the uniqueness of the Canadian experience? What recommendations could be made to help Canadian TV?

Did Walter White use Jesse Pinkman as a proxy conscience? If so, in which instances, and what were the effects on Walt and Jesse?

There has been a long history of remaking television, typically UK television, and remaking/adapting it for new audiences. UK television series like Broadchuch and House of Cards (1990) have been remade for American audiences as Gracepoint (2014) and House of Cards (2013). In what ways does the remake fail or succeed? Is the remake necessary for producing quality television?

Pre-internet, if someone wanted to learn a magic trick they would hunt down an old book or ask uncle Bob to teach the card trick he always does at family gatherings.

Now, however, both the learning and performing of magic tricks has been dramatically changed due to video hosting and streaming sites. Scarcity is not the dominant obstacle in the pursuit of deceptive knowledge; rather it is the reverse: there are so many tutorials online that finding a trick which is both good and taught well is like playing 'Where's Waldo' x 100. Do these sites also remove the motivation for magician's to sell their original material online if it will only be pirated or taught for free on YouTube? Furthermore, if anyone can search the secret to a trick immediately after seeing it performed, what point is there for the magician to perform at all?

This impact would be most interesting to explore.

They scrap. They fight. They backstab. They even kill. They also are supposedly liberal, proving woefully inept at actually carrying across consistent legislation but crafty and deadly in the underworkings of the American political sphere. How are the Underwoods exactly liberal?