Television Programming Flashcards
HUAC
House Un-American Activities Committee
Investigates suspected communists in the government and then investigates Hollywood (actors, directors, writers)
Anti-communist
Made for better TV since it brought television to the actors
Red Channels
A list of supposed communists on TV
Whoever was on the list, it was hard for them to get work, since they were blacklisted
1950s
Marshall McLuhan
The content of any medium is always another medium- This idea of how the TV has other media being projected
On TV, people would watch radio shows and movies
TV is a cool medium - takes more work in the view of the spectator to understand it, more open-ended
Cool medium
A cool medium like TV makes it put more work in the view/perspective of the spectator to understand it more open-ended
Fireside chats
A radio show by FDR, which was about coming together and talking about it
Creating a community
Genres designed to bring people into your home/connect more with the public
A common phrase by FDR was “My Friends” to begin the show and would come weekly into the homes of the people
Talked about politics in a informal way
War of the Worlds
1938 was a fake news broadcast about a dramatization of H.G. Wells’s 1898 novel The War of the Worlds
A performance on aliens attacking New Jersey
People would tune in the middle and miss the beginning, and thought it was real
Star systems
Comes from both radio and movies
Builds consistency with the audience
The idea of using a known actor that has a established fan base
Genre system
Builds consistency with the audience
The idea of specific genre have weight and people knowing what is going to happen
Gives people a lot of power, thus small changes in the formula of genres throw the audience off
Live Dramas
Really popular in the 50s
Take on high social issues
Plays led to live dramas
Rod Serling
Writer/screenplay
Has the idea on a Emmet till script but it was rejected by sponsor
Philco Television Playhouse
Live Drama
Studio One
Live Drama
Twelve Angry Men
Play turned to live drama
Sponsors
Companies that sponsored the content
Had control over the narrative written to the show and had to approve it
They were present/part of the show itself somehow
Kraft Television Theater
A sponsor
In a show they sponsored it appeared in the show itself
US Steel Hour
A sponsor an individual show
Sponsored a variety show and was able to censor and have a hand in the narrative
Twilight Zone
Rod sterling created
Talks about social issues in indirect ways
He had the idea after his Emmet Till story was rejected by a sponsor
Playhouse 90
Successful live drama
“Days of Wine and Roses”
By Playhouse 90
A show about a couple who are alcoholics and are trying to get sober
During the 50s and controversial
Since drinking is normalized
Take on social problems
Overhead lighting
Bring you into the experience
Variety Shows
Shows who has an MC and brings people on
Learn about new bands and new TV shows
How the Beatles were introduced to the US
Milton Berle (Uncle Milty)
Mr. Television
Ran for 10 years, had 70% of the television audience
Two radio shows before being on TV
The show was not stopped because of who won the election, due to its importance
Ed Sullivan Show
A Variety Show
Your Show of Shows
Famous comedy people
Forms national audiences
Nat “King” Cole Variety Show
1956
Regarded as the first African American variety show
Runs for only a year before unable to afford
Quiz Show Scandals
Popular form of game shows
For Non-celebrities, turned everyday people into household names
Episodic, with cliffhangers
Veneer of education (serving the public interest)
In 1956: 15 prime time game shows
Charles Van Doren v Herb Stemple scandal
Most game shows were rigged
Led to people questioning TV and what is real and isn’t
Charles Van Doren
Part of the quiz show scandal
Was a Columbia University professor
Wins, but it is rigged
Shows importance of education
Herb Stemple
Part of the quiz show scandal
Paid to say wrong answers
Sitcoms
Important for the development of radio and later TV
a television series that involves a continuing cast of characters in a succession of comedic circumstances
The Goldbergs
Family sitcom was first a Popular radio show (1929-1946), then to TV, 1949-1956
About a working-class family, very structured, the blueprint of a family sitcom show
The wife was Gertrude Berg and Philip Loeb
Sanka as a sponsor
Gertrude Berg
She became the most trusted woman after the first lady
Started every show by talking to the neighbor through the window
The show about immigrants was shown 6 times a week
Philip Loeb
Husband in the Goldbergs
Was blacklisted
Then the show was cancelled due to her not doing the show without her
But the show was picked up by ABC again after 8 months without him
Took his life
Blacklisted
No longer able to work in TV
During this time, especially due to Red channels/lists
Jackie Gleason
The honeymooners 1955-56
Worked on it as the husband, and his wife, Alice is played by Audrey Meadows
Working class couples
Shows about TV and trying to understand it
Fantastic family sitcoms
About working class families turned in the 60s, about them in space
Due to the space war and the beginning of science fiction
Another way to take on issues
Lynne Spigel
Wrote an Article on fantastic family sitcoms of the 60s
Goes about working class to families being in space
Soap Operas
On radio first
Stella Dallas, Days of Our Lives started on radio, moved to TV
Follow characters over a long time and experience various things
Tell us about movies and why we watch television
Melodrama
a sensational dramatic piece with exaggerated characters and exciting events intended to appeal to the emotions.
Telenovela
Betty la fea
a Spanish Soap opera
