Spring 2000 Instructor: Jeremy Butler Office: 430C Phifer Hall, 348-6350 Office hours: MW 3-4:00, & appt. |
E-mail: jbutler@ua.edu |
The objective of this course is to introduce the student to television critical studies, or what is commonly called, within academics, "television criticism" (a parallel with literary criticism).
We will seek, first of all, to understand television as a unique meaning-producing medium--dissecting television's narrative and non-narrative structures and its uses of mise-en-scene, cinematography/videography, editing, and sound. Second, we will confront the critical methods that have been applied to the medium over the past 20 years: semiotics, genre study, ideological criticism, cultural studies, and so on.
Our goal is to become more intelligent, alert, critical viewers of television.
Course Requirements:
The student's grade will depend upon two separate components:
Posting of Grades:
If you give us written permission, your grades will be posted on the TCF Department's Website by the last four digits of your student ID number.
Current grades are available here.
Attendance Policy:
Each absence beyond four for the semester will result in one point being deducted from your final total. (Up to five points may be deducted.)
Course Schedule
Subject to changes
announced in class.
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illustrations available online
Date | Topic/Screening | Readings |
1/6 | Introduction to the Course The Andy Griffith Show (1960-68) |
|
1/11,13 | TV Structure, Narrative Structure | Butler, chs. 1, 2 |
1/18 | Characters, Actors, Stars | Butler, ch. 3 |
1/20 | Beyond and Beside Narrative Cops (1989-), CBS/NBC news |
Butler, ch. 4 |
1/25 | Mise-en-Scene Northern Exposure (1990-95) |
Butler, ch. 5 |
1/27 | Cinematography/Videography He Said, She Said (1991), The Larry Sanders Show (1992-98) |
Butler, ch. 6 |
2/1 | Editing: Single Camera Mode Northern Exposure (1990-95) |
Butler, ch. 7 |
2/3 | Editing: Multiple Camera Mode Seinfeld (1990-98) , All My Children (1970-) |
Butler, ch. 7 |
2/8 | Sound Movie Magic (1994-) |
Butler, ch. 8 |
2/10 |
A History of TV Style |
Butler, ch. 9, 10 |
2/15 |
Special Topics II: Animation |
Butler, ch. 11 |
2/17 | ** Analysis One Due in Class** | Butler, ch. 13 |
2/22 | Critical Methods: An Overview | Butler, ch. 12; Allen, Introduction |
2/24 2/29 |
Semiotics The Wonder Years (1988-93) |
Allen, ch. 1 |
3/2 | Narrative Theory Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (1997-) |
Allen, ch. 2 |
3/7 | Audience-Oriented Criticism | Allen, ch. 3 |
3/9 3/14 |
Genre Study Roseanne (1988-97), Sports Night (1998-) |
Allen, ch. 4 |
3/16 3/21 |
Ideological Criticism Designing Women (1986-93) |
Allen, ch. 5 |
3/23 | Psychoanalytic Criticism | Allen, ch. 6 |
3/24 | **Analysis Two Due: 4:45 p.m., TCF Office** | |
3/25-4/2 | Spring Break | |
4/4 | Psychoanalytic Criticism, Cont. | |
4/6 |
Feminist Criticism The Real World (1992-), Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991), Justify My Love (1994) On the Madonna controversy (Laurie Schultze) (username/password: tcfuser) |
Allen, ch. 7 |
4/13 4/18 |
Cultural Studies, Ethnography My So-Called Life (1994) |
Allen, ch. 8 |
4/20 | Postmodernism The Simpsons (1989-) |
Allen, ch. 9 |
4/21 | **Analysis Three Due: 4:45 p.m., TCF Office** | |
4/25 | Postmodernism, Cont. Twin Peaks (1990-91) |
Allen, ch. 9 |
4/27 | Course Summary | |
5/2 | **Final Exam: Tuesday, 2-4:30 p.m.** |
Reading List:
Available at Local Bookstores:
(Note: The above listings follow the guidelines for footnotes specified in Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. Citations in a bibliography use a slightly different format. You must use Turabian or another recognized style guide when creating citations in your papers. For Web or other online citations, use a guide such as The Columbia Guide to Online Style by Janice R. Walker and Todd Taylor [Columbia UP, 1998].)
Academic Misconduct Policy:
All acts of dishonesty in any work constitute academic misconduct. The Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy will be followed in the event of academic misconduct.
Disabilities Accommodation Policy:
To request disability accommodations, please contact Disabilities Services (348-4285). After initial arrangements are made with Disabilities Services, contact Jeremy Butler.