Examine the rise in live televised productions of musicals and their popularity. NBC's "The Wiz Live!", "Peter Pan Live!", and Fox's "Grease: Live" have all aired within the past year and a half. Are these broadcasts marketing ploys, artistic revivals of treasured classics, or simply a chance for those who live far away from the glamour of Broadway to enjoy the live musical experience without breaking the bank?
I would be interested in someone commenting on the play experience v.s. the TV experience. A play is more than something live, it is a performance that effects the audience differently than a recorded production immensely. – LaRose9 years ago
Has anyone ever felt old when you speak of a show that a younger generation knows nothing about? We can all think of some but one that does not fit that category is The Muppets. They appeal to young viewers as well as mature audiences from appearing on "Sesame Street" in the 1960s to their new show "The Muppets" on ABC. Jim Henson created The Muppets in 1955 and 60 years later it is still as popular as ever. What is it that makes The Muppets so appealing to all audiences and in different but appropriate ways? Is there a science to it? Can any show do it?
Ken Burns' documentaries are known to be informative, containing many professionals on the subject discussed with any topics up for discussion. Which of his documentaries best reflect these qualities and their intentions of informing audiences?
No examples? More elaboration needed to support claims. – T. Palomino2 years ago
Analyze the hit TV Show Gilmore Girls from a feminist perspective, looking at the way feminism has changed since the show ended in 2007 and how the show's own brand of feminism is or is not outdated. Examine how the show's feminism works and doesn't work, and where it fails or does not fail.
Both Avatar series have had a slew of promanent female characters serving a multitude of different roles, something rarely seen in the action genre of animation. In many other shows female characters are secondary characters or simply love interests for the main hero; but in both Avatar series women are protagonists, antagonists, side characters, mentors and everything in between. For this article the author should go over the Female characters of Avatar (Toph, Katara, Korra, Azula, Mai, Jenora etc.) And see what makes them not only good female characters but good characters in general. They can look at the characters individually or look at them as an overarching group.
Writing about each powerful female character would take forever (which is a good thing!) For the reader's sake, I would cut it down to maybe a list of protagonists that serve your purpose for the point you're trying to get across. One thing I loved about Avatar is that it never seemed to be about gender. It wasn't your typical show where men drove the plot. The females had as much of a role as the males in terms of deciding the fate of their world. Guys watching the show could identify with female characters, and vice versa. Toph, for example, would just crush somebody with a rock if they said anything about her petiteness or apparent frailty. That sounds quite masculine; however, the show did an amazing job of reminding the audience that she is, in fact, a girl, and she kicks butt. You could focus on the lack of gender discrimination being a staple or model for other cartoons to come. Not just cartoons, but TV series, video games, you name it. – chaz9 years ago
I agree with Chaz's comment. The writer of this topic would be best off by choosing a few female characters in the series and maybe doing an in-depth analysis of their roles in the show, and how they overcome traditional female stereotypes. It might also help to identify a key trait that they all share that make them stand out as both female characters and characters in general. – Christina Legler9 years ago
Idk why the show ever stopped – aasteriou9 years ago
I think this would be a fantastic article to explore. The Avatar series is fantastic! Definitely brings back childhood memories with the old school Nickelodeon. – kgbell449 years ago
I recently discovered Legend of Korra through the Artifice and watched the first season. I would love to see an article on this topic. – Munjeera9 years ago
Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Game of Thrones, Sherlock, Hannibal. Critics and everyday viewers alike say that we are living in a golden age of television. Shows that have depth and actually evolve slowly. It's a throwback almost to a time gone by, and folks are loving it. However, the way we watch these amazing shows is changing, at a ridiculous pace. Netflix, the former DVD mail service is now a titan and posterchild of the new way we "television." We watch shows when we want to. No more appointment TV, Must-see TV, or anything like that. There have been some folks, in articles in the Atlantic, and Entertainment Weekly among several others, that have been warning that these days are numbered. That our habits will eventually force TV to drastically change to our new, random habits. The staples and trappings of TV culture may be gone forever. Will watercooler talk exist when everyone is watching TV at their own pace? No more phenomena like the MASH finale, where millions all watched at the same time. There's another group that says this is all silly. That these habits won't go anywhere. The medium can be different; the habits can stay the same. Can they? WIll they? Sounds like a debate!
Human Nature and culture still dictates that where there's a really good show, there's a growing fandom. And where there's a fandom, there's a need to be a part of the pack, to follow the course of others, and to catch the latest episode at the same time as, or before, everyone else. Depending on the size of each fandom, the numbers of people all watching something around the same time will vary, but a portion or percentage of said phenomenon that you describe will still linger. Once television channels themselves shut down and there's no longer a premiere launch date on a set schedule, a lot of what makes television "television" will go away. And yet, episodes or whole seasons will get released around the world at the same time, whatever that time may be: and large groups of people will still clamor to watch the premiere when it gets released, just as they always have. So... some aspects will go away, but others will only change into something different but similar. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
Along with the above comment, I would have to say that based on release times and hype around certain projects, I don't believe that the phenomena of millions watching the same thing at the same time will fade as quickly. There will just be a bit of gap where others can catch up, resulting in even bigger number of viewers than if it was a time sensitive program. I have heard of so many television programs failing because they were put into the wrong time slot, forcing them to lose viewers and eventually getting shut down when they otherwise would have flourished. It's obvious that with our modern culture we have a newfound respect for "geek" love, or rather a passion for the imaginary. Paired with an ever-advancing technology and this passion, we know more about the world and the stories the make up that world, than ever before. I don't think that this will be the end of anything, but rather just the breaking away of binding restrictions that should have dissolved away years ago. – woolsterp9 years ago
If anything, the "golden age of television' will transcend and adapt to the advancements of our digital devices. As our devices become more portable, we require platforms that are flexible and allow for user personalized content. Netflix is a great example of this. Future changes within TV distribution and culture will revolve primarily around that kind of user control. People would prefer not to sit through numerous commercials or adhere to the set schedule of airing times. Netflix in particular is changing the behavior of how we consume TV. As entire seasons are released within one day, binge watching has become less taboo. We know many of our friends are rapidly following up on multiple seasons within a weekend's time and to a certain degree expect it. Perhaps this is the new watercooler talk. Rather than reflect on a single episode, entire seasons are explored and suggested. With such variety at our fingertips, the content we watch will become diversified and hopefully lead to a more dignified landscape of TV. – yshim9 years ago
The new Netflix original series 'Master of None', brainchild of Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, covers important social themes in some of its episodes, for example racism against Indian actors and yellowface, sexism in the media and in daily life, how the elderly are treated, and being the child of immigrant parents in the U.S. What effects does the show's handling of these topics have, is the balance right between comedy and commentary, and where do these themes go by the end of the show?
What is the core point you're driving at? Are you looking at the effects the show will have on the audience, or the effects the ideas will have if they spread into larger society? – MichelleAjodah9 years ago
Discuss the joy, frustration, anxiety, etc. of trying to write stories, plays, memoirs, or screenplays to eventually become a pitchable TV show. Or vamp a hypothetical TV series concept and discuss all of the reasons not to commit to writing it. Develop a cast, a location, time period, class, gender roles, ancillary characters or diversified cast, genre, subtext, political/not political etc. Fully commit as if this were something you were going to do, and then do it.
This is an interesting yet tough assignment. I think it'd need a certain type of writer. It'd be cool to know if any of our writer's out there are actually making their own pitch though! – Tatijana9 years ago
I have just finished himym and I wouldnt feel like writing anything different, because I really liked it. But writing your own TV series, great idea and good luck with patience to anyone who will give it a try. – nikoletaslezakova9 years ago
I've been working on writing a graphical novel in hopes of turning it into a TV series one day. I must say the idea of pursuing a career in writing/screen writing is rather intimidating for me. I always question whether other people will like my ideas as much as I do. I would love to hear about someone's experience with writing a TV series, even if it's just simple, non-concrete ideas. – Filippo9 years ago
