As the final season of Mad Men approaches, take a look at the struggles between the genders in the show. Although sexism is rampant in the show about the ad business in the 1960's, the women of the show frequently use it to get ahead and still manage to leave the men stupefied. An article could address the effects of this sexism on women and ways they are forced to cope with it.
I think it would also be interesting to look at a parallel to today. How is sexism still present in the workplace today and how women deal with it today versus the 1960s. You could even compare a modern show with a similar setting. – Liz Watkins10 years ago
Why does a television show choose to do a musical episode? There have been several successful ones (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, Scrubs, That 70s Show, The Simpsons, How I Met Your Mother). What makes these episodes work in shows that are generally non-musical?
Possible aspects to explore could be: was there any low ratings during the season where a show decided to do a musical episode? Did a musical episode lead to a significant theme during a shows' season? – Ryan Errington10 years ago
Most of the shows you named are comedies... that could be a topic in itself: comedies that did musical episodes. I LOVE the Scrubs musical episode. You could say that Family Guy has had several musical episodes, although musical is a huge part of the show anyway. Why did these shows work with music? Why was it so funny? – samcel10 years ago
Exploring the conventions of transforming a cinematic world to television through the analysis of recent shows. Twelve Monkeys, Hannibal, and Bates Motel are some of the most recent adaptations of film to television; in these adaptations we see similar tropes seen in these adaptations. More intricate storylines, modernized settings and genderbent characters are among the changes seen in such shows. The article would highlight and analyze the use of these tools of adaptation.
A very nice topic. Title could be reworked. Adapting the Blockbuster to Television: Shrinking the Screen and Expanding the Story. This I read to do in the Guide :) The adaptation necessarily has such tools as you mentioned, and the list could be enlarged. Changing characters according to the target audience, minimizing budget, choosing appropriate breakpoints for episode ends, etc. It'll make a nice article. – Abhimanyu Shekhar10 years ago
The show Scandal, written by African-American Shonda Rhimes, features a powerful woman of color as its central protagonist. (Olivia Pope) However, most of the other characters on the show are white, and race is often an important undercurrent in the plot. A recent episode featured a story about a white cop shooting an (unarmed, it is eventually proven) black youth. Olivia is hired by the police to "fix" the situation, but she soon is fired and puts herself on the side of the black community instead.
To what extent does Scandal subvert expectations about black/white race relations in the US, and to what extent does it tacitly support the status quo? Is it problematic that all Olivia's main love interests are white men? Does the show empower black women, or prove that they can't get ahead without a white/male patron? Does it matter that Olivia dresses primarily in white and frequently refers to herself as a "white hat" when she's protecting the innocent? What can we assume is the show's "race agenda" (if any) and how well does it fulfill that agenda?
The recent (incredibly problematic) plotline about Olivia herself, and not just her expertise/counseling/fixing/etc., being "sold" for $2 billion by and to terrorists also plays into a lot of the uncomfortable support for not only racist views, but also sexist ones as well. – kdaley10 years ago
Interesting. I do think these are somewhat problematic, but perhaps unintentional, observations. Olivia serves as a classic Byronic Heroine in the show, which clearly supports her feminist standpoint; however, the racial issues in the show can be much more difficult to support based on the observations you have listed. Perhaps a bit of irony on the part of Shonda Rhimes? Taking the association of "white" with the pure and good, and flipping it on its head. – KeeleyFaith10 years ago
A well-organized perspective about how Television is changing, namely in the wake of online-exclusive shows and the fight of cable television to compete.
Ease of accessibility is a factor. Online-only shows allow the viewer to watch them anywhere at any time, whereas TV has a specific time and date for each episode, so recording shows and online downloading would factor into a cable TV show and wouldn't factor into online as much. Although Netflix only shows still have to face online downloading in countries that don't have Netflix. – Tyler McPherson10 years ago
Online television shows are giving unlimited access to viewing by anyone, anywhere, and at any time. – RaeFunshine10 years ago
Since Powers came out recently this could also stretch out to gaming consoles as the PSN has released Powers, while the Xbox store has released Halo: Nightfall. – Tyler McPherson10 years ago
I wonder if we really have discovered everything there is to know about the past people, mysterious lifeforms and places on Earth, or if there is more out there. Destination Truth, a show on Syfy, goes out in search of the truth behind mythical creatures and other such things. Because of this show, I have been led to believe that we do not know all there is to know about the planet we inhabit. I recommend using the show Destination Truth while you compile an article that either explains what all there can be to explore on Earth. You may also argue that we have explored everything and use the show as a "debater" for the unknown in the world.
It might be important to refocus this topic. Scientists know that we haven't discovered everything on Earth. Much of the Earth's oceans and rain-forests remain unexplored. Every year many new species are cataloged, usually insects and plants, but sometimes small mammals, fish, or reptiles are also discovered. It may be of interest to explore the roles of culture and folk tales in the formation of cryptids. Often times Destination Truth is often focused on cryptozoology - the search for animals whose presence cannot be determined, due to a lack of physical evidence. Instead of asking are there more species out there, you may want to ask why are there so many shows that are focused on crytid species, such as, Destination Truth, Bigfoot Hunters, Monster Quest and Survivorman: Bigfoot. In recent years these shows seem to have sprung to life. Even, shows like River Monsters, is trying to capitalize off of the fascination that an unknown creature, such a large mysterious unknown fish species could be lurking in the murky depths of water. Overall, look at the fascination cryptids create and how that translates to marketable TV shows, such as the ones previously listed. – Schmerica119 years ago
"Parks and Recreation" ended just a few weeks ago, as well as "Two and a Half Men." There are series finales that end with memorable moments, and there always a few were the ending disappoints their fans. This list comprises of t.v. series finales that left many unsatisfied.
This is a good topic but it could definitely be a comprehensive list. Perhaps have an organization system that represents the good parts of a series finale and the bad. I.e. Parks & recreation had excellent resolution and promises for the future. HIMYM ending pissed off all fans haha. – Jemarc Axinto10 years ago
I agree with Jemarc, in that this is a great idea that can be spruced up to be an article to be reckoned with. It would be really interesting to exemplify the qualities that allow these show to be not only memorable, but to also make waves that allow them to remain relevant for long periods of time. Nice idea. – Matt Collazo10 years ago
Cool topic. Dealing with sitcoms, it's imperative to consider how your favourites characters, and the actors playing them, have grown. Maybe, compare the specifics of the disappointing series finales to those that lived up to their promise eg. How I met Your Mother vs. Parks and Rec. – Thomas Munday10 years ago
Can't do this topic w/o mentioning The Sopranos and Moore's Battlestar Galatica. – Monique10 years ago
Who exactly does this "we" involve? – T. Palomino2 years ago
Reflecting upon what audiences learnt from the original series regarding the Black/White Lodge, the inhabiting spirits and Project Blue Book, what might possibly be revealed during Twin Peaks' limited return next year?
