Guidelines to TV Program viewing
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Mr. C
Oct 17, 2012, 9:12:56 PM10/17/12
to Eng-TV...@googlegroups.com
Y8: English Television Viewing
You will be watching, writing about & discussing a lot of English language television programs this year. English television programs can help us develop our vocabulary, train our ears to a variety of native English speaking dialects, develop our understanding of narrative and other features of stories and increase general knowledge base.
You will watching a variety of programs, on your own time, thinking and interacting with what you watch. There are four stages of analysis that you must follow. For each show you watch you must write 4 journal responses starting with “Stage 1” and progressing to “Stage 4”
*Be sure to start each POST with your Stage & title.
Ex: “CSI” (Stage 1: Program Notes)
Stage 1: Program Notes
Introduction
o What is the show? What’s its name? What genre is it?
o What’s it about overall?
o What network(s) does it (did it) air on?
o When? Dates and time slot(s)?
o How many seasons? How many episodes?
o What genre is it?
o Who is the intended audience? (How do you know? If you watch it on television, pay attention to the commercials to answer this question.)
Conclusion
o Why did you choose this show to watch? What was the appeal to you? What were your expectations before watching the show? How did those expectations shape / frame / or filter what you saw or how you interpreted it? Did you find the show to meet your expectations? How or how not?
o What did you think overall? Would you recommend the show? To whom? Why or why not?
Stage 2: Analysis of Form
What episodes did you watch?
How did you watch them (Hulu, rented DVD, Netflix, etc.)
From watching three episodes, you should be able to describe the “form” of the show. Bronwyn Williams describes the form: “The form of the program acts as a template for each week’s episode, so that any viewer gets to experience the essential form of the program time and again” (58). So, that means, describe a basic episode. What usually happens? To what degree are the shows that you are examining predictable?
What role did music / sound effects play in each episode? Are certain sounds associated with particular characters or themes? Are sounds matched to the mood of a character (or characters)? What do the sound effects add to the program — are they an integral part of the show, or just extra noise?
Stage 3: Program Review
Is it a good show? Bad show? Why? (be very specific about the why) Ask yourself if you would like to watch this television show and if it makes you want to watch more. Describe in detail at least one scene from the show to illustrate why you liked it / didn’t like it. Is the show appropriate for its intended audience (which may not be you)? How does it compare to similar shows in your experience? Edward R. Murrow said, “Television in the mainstream is being used to distract, delude, amuse, and insulate us.” In light of Murrow’s quotation, what role would you say that the television show you are reviewing plays? Does it distract? If so, from what, and how? Or does it delude? Who is it deluding? What methods does it use? If it amuses, who does it amuse, and what techniques does it use to do so? Does it fill several of those roles? Are there roles that the show might fill that Murrow has not mentioned?
Stage 4: Final Analysis
Describe the degree of realism of this show: In what ways are the characters real? Do the characters have real emotions — and a full range of emotions? Or do they just have the emotions that seem politically correct for the time and place that the programs consider? Are their emotions predictable? Do they look like real people, or like models and pin-ups? Is their hair every mussed? Do they get dirty? Does anyone ever go to the bathroom? Do they every get sick? Do they grow at a normal rate?**
If the show you have chosen is in the category of “Reality TV,” the questions above are especially interesting. How real is Reality? Is it scripted? Are the characters / people acting? How do you know? What do you feel when you watch it? What about a particular scene makes you feel that way?
If the show you have chosen is in the category of “Reality TV,” also consider: What specific beliefs, actions, and relationships do the show in particular and the reality genre in general encourage among both the show’s participants and among the viewing audience?
*Remember to indicate the PROGRAM TITLE and STAGE in the SUBJECT LINE of each post
Happy Viewing!
You will be watching, writing about & discussing a lot of English language television programs this year. English television programs can help us develop our vocabulary, train our ears to a variety of native English speaking dialects, develop our understanding of narrative and other features of stories and increase general knowledge base.
You will watching a variety of programs, on your own time, thinking and interacting with what you watch. There are four stages of analysis that you must follow. For each show you watch you must write 4 journal responses starting with “Stage 1” and progressing to “Stage 4”
*Be sure to start each POST with your Stage & title.
Ex: “CSI” (Stage 1: Program Notes)
Stage 1: Program Notes
Introduction
o What is the show? What’s its name? What genre is it?
o What’s it about overall?
o What network(s) does it (did it) air on?
o When? Dates and time slot(s)?
o How many seasons? How many episodes?
o What genre is it?
o Who is the intended audience? (How do you know? If you watch it on television, pay attention to the commercials to answer this question.)
Conclusion
o Why did you choose this show to watch? What was the appeal to you? What were your expectations before watching the show? How did those expectations shape / frame / or filter what you saw or how you interpreted it? Did you find the show to meet your expectations? How or how not?
o What did you think overall? Would you recommend the show? To whom? Why or why not?
Stage 2: Analysis of Form
What episodes did you watch?
How did you watch them (Hulu, rented DVD, Netflix, etc.)
From watching three episodes, you should be able to describe the “form” of the show. Bronwyn Williams describes the form: “The form of the program acts as a template for each week’s episode, so that any viewer gets to experience the essential form of the program time and again” (58). So, that means, describe a basic episode. What usually happens? To what degree are the shows that you are examining predictable?
What role did music / sound effects play in each episode? Are certain sounds associated with particular characters or themes? Are sounds matched to the mood of a character (or characters)? What do the sound effects add to the program — are they an integral part of the show, or just extra noise?
Stage 3: Program Review
Is it a good show? Bad show? Why? (be very specific about the why) Ask yourself if you would like to watch this television show and if it makes you want to watch more. Describe in detail at least one scene from the show to illustrate why you liked it / didn’t like it. Is the show appropriate for its intended audience (which may not be you)? How does it compare to similar shows in your experience? Edward R. Murrow said, “Television in the mainstream is being used to distract, delude, amuse, and insulate us.” In light of Murrow’s quotation, what role would you say that the television show you are reviewing plays? Does it distract? If so, from what, and how? Or does it delude? Who is it deluding? What methods does it use? If it amuses, who does it amuse, and what techniques does it use to do so? Does it fill several of those roles? Are there roles that the show might fill that Murrow has not mentioned?
Stage 4: Final Analysis
Describe the degree of realism of this show: In what ways are the characters real? Do the characters have real emotions — and a full range of emotions? Or do they just have the emotions that seem politically correct for the time and place that the programs consider? Are their emotions predictable? Do they look like real people, or like models and pin-ups? Is their hair every mussed? Do they get dirty? Does anyone ever go to the bathroom? Do they every get sick? Do they grow at a normal rate?**
If the show you have chosen is in the category of “Reality TV,” the questions above are especially interesting. How real is Reality? Is it scripted? Are the characters / people acting? How do you know? What do you feel when you watch it? What about a particular scene makes you feel that way?
If the show you have chosen is in the category of “Reality TV,” also consider: What specific beliefs, actions, and relationships do the show in particular and the reality genre in general encourage among both the show’s participants and among the viewing audience?
*Remember to indicate the PROGRAM TITLE and STAGE in the SUBJECT LINE of each post
Happy Viewing!
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