Television History (310-CN-14)
Instructors
Marisela Carina Chavez
Meeting Info
Wieboldt Hall 701: Tues 6:15PM - 9:15PM
Overview of class
This course will survey the industrial, cultural, political, and aesthetic history of television in the United States. Beginning with television's heritage in radio, we will examine the emergence of broadcasting and the network system. Progressing on a rough decade-by-decade basis; we will trace the development of cable and shift to a "post-network" era. We will conclude with the contemporary proliferation of online streaming and on-demand services. Throughout, we will explore how technological, commercial, regulatory, and cultural forces shaped and reshaped the America television industry. The course will also introduce students to key topics in critical television studies, such as consumerism, representation, domesticity, taste, narrative, and style. Through screening and analysis of historically situated television programming, we will consider how the medium has reflected, complicated, and influenced American culture throughout its rich history. Carries humanities credit.
Registration Requirements
None.
Learning Objectives
1. Acquaint students with the industrial format of American television and its historical influences and developments
2. Enable students to assess how changing technologies, regulatory policies, and politics impact the form, industrial operation, and viewer experience of television
3. Provide the tools for students to critically analyze and contextualize individual programs within television and American history
Teaching Method
Lecture
Discussion
Screenings
Readings
Writing Assignments
Presentations
Evaluation Method
Short response and research assignments
Midterm Exam
Final Paper
Final Exam
Class Participation and Attendance
Class Materials (Required)
Only Connect: A Cultural History of Broadcasting in the United States (4th Edition), by Michele Hilmes
All additional course readings and screenings will be available on Canvas
Class Notes
Media assigned for the course may engage with complex and difficult subject matter. If you are a particularly sensitive viewer, or know that you are consistently triggered by certain topics, please familiarize yourself with the films on the syllabus in advance and talk with me about any concerns that you have. Alternative screenings may be arranged if necessary. In general, all Northwestern students should be aware of the mental health and psychological counseling resources available to them on campus, including NU Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), NU Listens, and the Northwestern Women's Center.