Write a retrospective on the NBC comedy series Community, including its troubled production, various cast changes, and the numerous ups and downs during its broadcast history. Talk about the individual character arcs and storylines throughout the seasons and how they changed to reflect what was going on behind the camera.
A very worthwhile topic for fan of the show. A big part of what made community so special was unabashed devotion to being meta, which allowed it the freedom be cheeky about its own backstage dramas. For whoever decides to write this (I might be interested myself, but have too many articles pending at the moment; perhaps later down the line if it is not yet taken, but I give any other interested parties right of first refusal for the time being) some key examples worth looking at are: 1) the slow process of writing off Pierce in response to his feud with showrunner Dan Harmon, 2) season 4 as a "gas leak year", 3) Troy's departure coinciding with references to Zach Braff's presence in the final season of Scrubs, 4) Abed's cameo in the season 2 finale of Courage Town as a next-level crossover, 5) the constant re-assertion of "Six Seasons and a Movie" as the meter-stick for a show's success, 6) the final scene of the show being this beautiful gem (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1Pf_X_mgwM). – ProtoCanon8 years ago
Analyze the ways in which mental illness is represented on modern television shows, focusing on particular shows and characters within them. Examine specific examples of how various forms of mental illness are represented, including depression, anxiety and PTSD. Research how representation has changed in recent years, focusing on if and how it has improved or become more prevalent compared to television produced years ago.
Good examples to write about include the TV series You're the Worst and Jessica Jones as well as the films Love & Mercy and American Sniper. – BoomBap9 years ago
To whoever writes this article: "You're The Worst" Season 2 was the best representation of mental illness and depressive behavior I've ever seen on television. That being said, it was extraordinarily triggering for myself and for other sufferers of mental illness to whom it's been recommended. I'd strongly advocate for its inclusion in this piece, but proceed with caution. – Piper CJ9 years ago
Explore the connections between people who are part of any "fandom" be it comic, movie, book or otherwise, and the potential benefits of it on their mental health. Does being a part of a community help them? Is it their immersion in another reality? Is it even helpful at all, or hurtful instead?
Is there any actual evidence of this? If not, I think it would be really hard to write about it. Interesting to raise the issue, but hard to make an argument. – ismael6769 years ago
Like anything this issue should be presented as having both positives and negatives as people can veer from one extreme to the other. Coping mechanisms can give way to dependency to addiction. The article could look at some warning signs of growing negative impacts. – Munjeera9 years ago
This is something you have to be super super super careful about writing. While it's fascinating to think of the effects fandoms can have on their members, you'd need to talk to people who take part for different reasons.
Take Asagao Academy, for example. On paper, a dating sim centered on real-life YouTubers sounds a bit odd, but this was done with incredible care and a sense of humor. More info: http://kotaku.com/when-liking-and-subscribing-to-your-favorite-youtuber-i-1776892213 – Payton9 years ago
As someone who suffers from mental illness but doesn't include themselves among any particular "fandom", I'd say it really depends on the person. Each fandom has their good and bad aspects, and falling into the wrong crowd online creates just as much as a negative effect on mental health as it would in real life. – BoomBap9 years ago
Examine Louis CK's new show, how it was released (without hefty invasive marketing strategies and advertisement) (a practice that is becoming more common in the music industry, notably with Beyoncé) Analyse the show's use of time (as proof of an intellectually more engaging show) and its politics
I think that's a great idea for an article. It would be interesting to chart how this practice of suddenly releasing art began and who else of note has participated. Another thing to explore would be how Louis CK's production of "Horace and Pete" differs from other examples of this, considering that he payed for the production of the show right out of his own pocket. By analyzing the content of the show and the ways in which it engages with viewers on an intellectual level, you could write about how this practice allows for greater creative freedom and, consequently, more engaging television. – Faron Wade-Lang9 years ago
A recent NYT article posed the question: What Do Millennials Want in TV? and the only conclusion was that the millennial generation is so diverse that it's hard to pin down one factor. However, is there a factor that can bring together the millennial generation? Or is it simply too diverse to target as one group?
Great topic!!! Whoever can figure out what Millennial enjoy can count on reaching probably the most important group in world history since the Baby Boomers. I am a GenXer but I love this next generation coming up. In my view I think they are diverse but working with them has taught me how incredibly smart, adaptable and sincere they are as a group. I can't wait to see what they accomplish. I have high hopes for the future when I am around Millennial. – Munjeera9 years ago
Very complex. It is going to be hard to whomever writes about this topic to find the necessary evidence to back up your statements. If you manage to do this it's going to be a wonderful article to read. – Andrestrada9 years ago
Discuss how binge-watching (or show runners' anticipation that that is how their product will be consumed) impacts the quality of writing in television shows. This can be positive or negative. For example (SPOILER ALERT for The Walking Dead) the controversy surrounding the Season 6 finale of The Walking Dead was explained away by some as the show runners anticipating that future viewers who binge watched the series will have the Season 7 premier (and thus the cliffhanger's resolution) right at their fingertips, thereby making the finale much less objectionable.
The shows Netflix produces can be analyzed and part of this, as Netflix releases whole seasons at a time rather than an episode weekly. – LaRose9 years ago
One aspect a writer has to be mindful when creating a show that has the potential to be binged is keeping the story lines straight. Especially, when giving backstory because the view has access to all the shows and can catch an error quickly and can cite that error with ease. – Venus Echos9 years ago
Maybe say something about how we as viewers have changed, too. Twenty years ago, the TV told us when we could watch, and what we could watch. Now we have almost everything at our fingertips. What effect has this had on us as consumers? – J.P. Shiel9 years ago
Could you change the title to "The Culture of Binge Watching and the Effects on Screenwriting? Just a thought. – Munjeera9 years ago
Take a look at popular shows that many people consider as "part of their childhood". Which ones were actually good? Which ones weren't that great but appealed to people when they were children so it's largely defended anyways? How does this affect the television industry?
Nice topic. Could you give some specific examples of shows people consider part of their childhood? – Munjeera9 years ago
I see a lot of hype about shows like the Dragon Ball series, Power Rangers, and Pokemon. – LaRose9 years ago
Note some of the sub-cultures that have been created because of certain childhood shows and how that affects nostalgic attachment.
– tylerbloom9 years ago
Note some of the sub-cultures that have been created because of certain childhood shows and how that affects nostalgic attachment.
– tylerbloom9 years ago
Discuss which other popular TV shows owe significant debt to the writing of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It could be visually, like comparing the depictions of Buffy's powers in Season 1 to Jessica Jones, for example. Or, a another, the episode structure of Fringe (setting aside the super-powered blonde protagonist set upon by destiny. Those are the two I thought of, but I'm sure there are loads more.
I like this topic, but I would change the title. It's a bit confusing. – LaRose9 years ago
Yeah, that's a fair cop. I would change the title too, to be honest. – magicmark9 years ago
