Choose any two out of the ten essay prompts provided.
Each response must reflect on the course readings, scholars, and television programs covered in class.
Include references to at least one scholarly reading and one television program discussed during the semester.
Each essay should be 800-1,000 words in length.
Cite all readings and provide specific examples from TV shows to support your arguments.The guiding question for all prompts is: What is television?Select only two prompts to answer critically, using materials and discussions from the course.
Vast Narrative Structures and Intertextuality
Discuss how television employs vast narrative structures to engage viewers over long periods. Referencing Lavery’s “Lost and the Long-Term Narrative” and Fiske’s “Intertextuality,” analyze how a specific television program utilizes expansive storylines and intertextual references. How do these elements influence audience engagement and viewing experiences?
Television as a Social Force
Using Newcomb’s “Television as Cultural Forum” and Hartley’s “TV as Transmodern Teaching,” explore how television reflects and shapes societal ideologies. Select a television program from class and analyze how it addresses or challenges a significant social or cultural issue. In what ways does the show act as a medium for societal reflection and debate?
