Television History (310-CN-66)

Instructors

Jason Nebergall

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 4-410: Thurs 6:15PM - 9:15PM

Overview of class

Since its wide adoption beginning in the late 1940s, television has functioned as an important cultural forum. Postwar American culture was in many ways a television society, with social norms developed and presented on national television. Over time, television has evolved in terms of technology and social function. The 21st century has taken the once monolithic concept of "television" and placed it on computer screens and smartphones. Yet the continuity of the medium is important.

This course presents a political, cultural, social, and industrial history of television, from the classic network era to the post-network contemporary period of media convergence. It involves an exploration of individual programs as well as major events and shifts in television history. Programming will range from early test broadcasts, experimental programs, and popular hits like I Love Lucy, Star Trek, Twin Peaks, and Sex and the City. The course explores the popular as well as the obscure, with an emphasis on unique programming, local and national. It will discuss the increasing fragmentation of the television landscape and discuss possible futures for the medium. Carries humanities credit.

Class Attributes

Face to face: In person, in campus space