FNMS 298 - Introduction to TV Studies

Televisions still sit in most American homes but the way we consume TV is increasingly “cordless.” We use the internet, smart phones, or watch through subscription services (ex. Netflix) that do not require a television set. To understand how we got here, this class will look to television’s past. We’ll explore TV in three phases: the network era; the 1970s-80s in which cable television loosened networks’ hold on consumers; and the current “on-demand” moment that has further destabilized traditional ideas of audience and content delivery. Using an interdisciplinary critical toolbox that includes television history and theory, cultural studies, and theories of representation, students will learn how to critically engage (while still enjoying) a medium that has powerfully shaped American life.

Credits 1