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American TV Serials (series relying on a continuing plot) are a newly discovered phenomenon, which has even earned comment in Germany feuilleton. Especially the serials produced by HBO have triggered partly enthusiastic responses, with a few warning voices. Terms like "qualitiy television" and "the 21st century form of the novel" attest to the hype. In this seminar we will study the phenomenon "serials" from two perspectives: 1) What is the form/format of the serial? How do serials engage viewer attention? How do we, as viewers, respond to the format? Which possibilities and limits does the format have? 2) In which way do the three serials in focus (David Simon's The Wire, David Chase's The Sopranos, Alan Ball's Six Feet Under) reflect American culture in the first decade of this century? How do they deal with questions of race, class, gender, sexuality, body, crime, identity, belonging etc. Viewing/Reading: · Before the class starts in October, please immerse yourself in one, two or all of the three central serials for this class: Try to watch at least one season (all serials are available for viewing in the media centre of the faculty; in some video rentals you can also get them). A key text in class will be the essay "Narrative Complexity in Contemporary Television" by Jason Mittell (The Velvet Light Trap 58 (Fall 2006: 29-40), which you can find in the moodle classroom (key: McNulty). · A reader with texts to be read for class will be available at "Sprintout", Georgenstraße, S-Bahn Bogen 190. Requirements: Students will prepare 3 sessions in a group with the instructor. MA students may also have to select a self-study topic. You have to register for this class in the e-learning platform Moodle. As a password use "McNulty". In Moodle you will find the syllabus for the class. |
