Homework: Seinfeld

Watch the video below. Comment on why this episode considered the ultimate sitcom episode.

Also continue reading.

Assignment 11a: Thursday Analysis

Those who meet on Thursday, please watch the following shows which will be presented by the following presenters

Please check in with this post and further posts for resources for episodes

Julian will cover: Arrested Development, Seinfeld and the Office

Ian will cover House MD and Firefley

Molly will cover untraditional media.

Assignment 12: Vacation

Please catch up on reading and read through page 270 in the book. I plan to read ahead and may reduce the overall reading if I see successful completion of assignments up to this point

REMEMBER THE QUARTER ENDS IN 3 WEEKS!

Assignment 11

We are going to discuss anthology series as homework for this week, reviewing the material we will discuss in class. Choose one of the two following topics and discuss. PLEASE DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH TO SUPPORT YOUR DISCUSSION.

1. In class we viewed an early Philco Television Playhouse drama. Why is there no such equivalent anthology series today on television? Am I wrong in saying that? What are the benefits and problems of such a series? Finally, consider if shows like Dr. Horrible are a modern anthology series (or the start of one). Below is the first part of Ernie Barger is 50.



2. Rod Serling made his career using the anthology series. His most famous anthology series was the Twilight Zone. The link below provides full episodes of the landmark series

http://www.cbs.com/classics/the_twilight_zone/

I don't want to mention auteurs as much in this particular medium, but is Serling an Auteur, maybe the first true auteur in television? Does drama lend itself more to auteur creators than comedy? Discuss.

Assignment 10: Reading

Unless otherwise instructed, please read through page 248 by next week.

Assignment 9: Long Assignment on the Plastic Years

I have made a compilation of important videos from "The Plastic Years" section of the book. Please go through the links that we didn't get through in class and make comments. In addition look at 2 full length shows (I Love Lucy or Kukla, Fran & Ollie to give two examples) and explain how these shows relate to their current counterparts. Also comment on the videos as a whole in any way that you like. I would like you to, in theory, comment on almost every video.

Eisenhower Speech - http://www.hulu.com/watch/52754/inaugural-speeches-dwight-d-eisenhower-first-inaugural-address#s-p4-st-i0

Lucy Goes to Hospital (68% viewership) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgSc4D6PmnM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHcWHT_GmWs

J Fred Muggs - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LF85tVY5f4

See It Now - http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4041540n

The Honeymooners - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obxPNVU15k0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4k_qcn9mN0

Nixon Checkers Speech -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4UEv_jjPL0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhQD2UFCIbY

Republican Convention 1952 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUc_WJUR1j4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va5Btg4kkUE
You can search for many Ike Commervcials

Dem Convention 1952 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgqoPxjsGBM

Dragnet - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjsJ1F2djko

Man Against Crime - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG2k-Z_398A

The Goldbergs - http://wejew.com/media/2055/The_Goldbergs_50s_Jewish_TV_Sitcom/
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7253964598266768154&ei=WDGtSavDL5OEqwLs4tjeBA&q=%22the+goldbergs%22+tv+show

Toast of the Town - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51KLEAleYtc

Ed Sullivan Show - http://www.wat.tv/video/bobby-darin-dream-lover-ed-mq9l_k0rs_.html

Texaco Star Theater http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZC7fdmNyRU

Your Show of Shows - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZXbC7qc-Ic
http://sidcaesar.com/vidclips.html

Kukla, Fran and Ollie - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7298991496728805097

Camel News Caravan - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUo5qx-6FnA

Meet the Press - http://www.hulu.com/watch/9599/meet-the-presidents-john-f-kennedy-december-2-1951

In Class Television: The Earliest Years

Here are links to video and audio that we viewed in television class

Pre-WWII Television: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nRZ85OWr-8

Television Reel Promotion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHnamytBGaY

David Sarnoff Television Announcement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVLejeO707Q

Beginning of Television Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmCl9e84UJg

Amos & Andy early Radio Show: http://www.oldtimeradiofans.com/amos_and_andy/Amos_n_Andy.1939.04.04_Andy_Shot_in_the_Arm.mp3


Amos & Andy TV Show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCwVW_lOdkM

First Cartoon in Television : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCwYy9sb4zM

Assignment 8: Television Studies

Read one of these "Television Studies" Articles. What do you think of it and of teaching "television at all" in college.

http://vos.ucsb.edu/browse.asp?id=3655

Assignment 7: Reading Through March 5th

Please read through page 147 unless otherwise instructed. Comment on what you have read.

Assignment 6: History of Television Comedy

Browse through the History of Comedy articles on PBS. Please comment on how you think comedy has evolved from its historical backgrounds to modern television.

Assignment 5: Reading Over Break

I would like you all, unless otherwise instructed, to read through page 97 in Tube of Plenty over the break.

Assignment 4: I've Got A Secret

In browing for Farnsworth Stuff I stumbled on this old game show called "I've Got A Secret?" Watch this entry and tell me how TV has changed.

Assignment 3: The Farnsworth Invention

In class we viewed this video:



This early rivalry has been in debate for years and was even adapted into play form by television writer Aaron Sorkin:



What I want you to do is review this video along with a few others on YouTube:







Now this question actually comes mostly from Molly's paper about DC comics vs. Marvel comics historically. These modern media (definitely film as well) are fueled by competition. Is this something that every art has to contend with or is it unique to the 20th century? Does this competition help or hurt the individuals involved and are their sacrifices necessary for the public at large? How does modern televisions competition help or hurt it, especially in terms of advertising, HBO model tv stations and online TV?

On Single Camera Television

Today in TV Class we spoke a little bit about Single Camera television and how this works. Let's go to a few of our friends at wikipedia which defines the technique as

As its name suggests, a production using the single-camera setup generally employs just one camera. (Additional cameras may be used simultaneously on occasion, usually in order to save time shooting a dialogue scene or to film a stunt that would be impractical to stage more than once.) Each of the various shots and camera angles is taken with the same camera which is moved and reset to get each shot or new angle. In addition, the lighting set-up may be reset for each new camera set-up.

So as it sounds, with the exception of stunts a single camera is used. Well it turns out that it was nominated for Single Camera Editting as both a miniseries and in its full run as a regular series, which implies to me that it is considered a "single camera" show. While I think obviously it uses multiple camera to perhaps drive budget costs, it is considered single camera as opposed to traditional multi-camera shows which usually are relegated to sitcoms, soap operas, talk shows, etc.

Feel free to comment on if you think I am wrong

Here is a list of single camera shows from another site

Shows that use the setup

Half hour shows
Andy Richter Controls the Universe
Arrested Development
The Bernie Mac Show
The Comeback
Curb Your Enthusiasm
The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
Dream On
Entourage
Everybody Hates Chris
Extras
Kitchen Confidential
M*A*S*H
Made in Canada
Malcolm in the Middle
My Name Is Earl
The Office (UK)
The Office (US)
Oliver Beene
Red Dwarf (Series 7 only)
Scrubs
Sex and the City
Sports Night
Stella
Strangers with Candy
Undeclared
Weeds
The Wonder Years
Corner Gas
Andy Richter Controls the Universe


Hour-length shows
Ally McBeal
Battlestar Galactica
Big Love
Carnivàle
Commander in Chief
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Miami
CSI: NY
Deadwood
Desperate Housewives
Freaks and Geeks
Gilmore Girls
Grey's Anatomy
House
Lost
The O.C.
Prison Break
Rome
Six Feet Under
Smallville
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: Voyager
Twin Peaks
The Sopranos
Veronica Mars
The West Wing
Wonderfalls

In either case compare the single camera to this small diagram of multiple camera setup here.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-camera_setup
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Multicamera-diagram.png
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Single-camera-setup

Midterm 2009

Assignment 2: More Horrible

What did you think of it?

Assignment 1: A Horrible Future for Television?

I have asked you to start reading Tube of Plenty for Homework this week. In the first few pages of this book you are introduced to early concepts of television such as the telephonoscope or the Nipkow disk.

1. What were some of these inventions? What did you think of them? What sort of content would be on these inventions

Jump ahead over 100 years to this link.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/28343/dr-horribles-sing-along-blog

Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog made quite a buzz this summer when Joss Whedon went against the studio system of television to produce his own short work. In addition, Whedon published a DVD of the show with dvd commentary which was, among other things, sung.

2. Is Dr. Horrible the future of television? Why or Why Not? What do you think were some of the benefits of broadcasting this short series online as opposed to on the internet. Finally, is Dr. Horrible even a show? Is it just a long movie? What makes it TV if it is in fact television at all.

3. Please try to find any similarities and differences between early TV inventions and Dr. Horrible in terms of ingenuity, innovation and thinking towards the future. Feel free to research both Dr. Horrible and early television beyond the books and work.

Welcome to Foxman TV

Your source for Mr. Foxman's TV Class Expect postings very soon!