Book chapters by Oliver Kroener
Cognition, Emotion, and Aesthetics in Contemporary Serial Television, 2021
Most studies that investigate the effects of seriality on viewer engagement with television chara... more Most studies that investigate the effects of seriality on viewer engagement with television characters focus exclusively on a particular kind of television program, namely, male-led high-profile cable dramas that often center around a morally ambiguous protagonist (e.g., The Sopranos, Mad Men, Breaking Bad). In contrast, in this chapter, I examine the viewer/character relationship in a different genre: Animated television. Referring primarily to studies from cognitive theory, television studies, and animation studies, I argue that the way in which The Legend of Korra and South Park engage the viewer on an emotional level is the combined result of their narrative structure and their particular animation style. These two animated programs are not only aesthetically entirely different; they also feature two distinct performance styles (figurative and embodied).
Convergent Wrestling: Participatory Culture, Transmedia Storytelling, and Intertextuality in the Squared Circle, 2019
Viewer engagement with wrestling characters aligns with viewer engagement with characters from va... more Viewer engagement with wrestling characters aligns with viewer engagement with characters from various television genres. The author argues that viewer engagement with wrestling characters is defined by an emotional intensity typical of how viewers react to sports programs, engage with characters from scripted-reality television programs, and experience long-term engagement with soap opera characters. To illustrate this argument, the author investigates two case studies in detail: Mick Foley and The Undertaker. More than simply being intertextual, the creation of the professional wrestler relies on the convergence of character traits and identities from different genres
HBO's Original Voices: Race, Gender, Sexuality, and Power, 2018
hroughout the last decade, the characters of HBO’s legacy shows have become a popular subject of ... more hroughout the last decade, the characters of HBO’s legacy shows have become a popular subject of study among television and media scholars. For example, Noël Carroll has investigated viewer engagement with Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), Jason Jacobs has analyzed the philosophy of Al Swearengen (Ian McShane), and Margrethe Bruun Vaage has explored the role of Omar Little (Michael Kenneth Williams) in The Wire (2002–2008). Yet, despite the scholarly fascination with characters from HBO programmes, there have not been any studies that investigate viewer antipathy towards HBO characters at length. In the course of this chapter, using examples from Game of Thrones (2011–) and Girls (2012–), Kroener examines how viewers come to hate television characters, what distinguishes hating a television character from hating characters in other narrative formats, and what function hating a television character fulfils in the viewer’s overall emotional engagement with a television programme. Many of the existing studies on viewer engagement in contemporary television (e.g. the works of Murray Smith, Jason Mittell, and Margrethe Bruun Vaage) investigate why viewers typically engage with antiheroes in a sympathetic manner despite their morally-flawed behaviour. By doing so, these works highlight character traits that elicit sympathy in the viewer. In contrast, Kroener argues that widely despised HBO characters such as Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson, Game of Thrones) and Marnie Michaels (Allison Williams, Girls) lack many, if not all character traits that render antiheroes sympathetic.
Critical Reflections on Audiences and Narrativity - New Reflections, New Perspectives, 2014
Critical Reflections on Audience and Narrativity offers an interdisciplinary and multicultural ap... more Critical Reflections on Audience and Narrativity offers an interdisciplinary and multicultural approach to fiction, reality, and narrativity applied to television series from all over the world. Dissecting the almost invisible barrier between fiction and reality in TV series from various perspectives, the chapters cover a wide range of contemporary classics from the post-network age. From "The X-Files" and "Desperate Housewives" to "The Wire" and "Breaking Bad", the chapters sketch TV series' development from the lowest form of mass entertainment to the sophisticated vehicle of highbrow intertextuality on a global scale.Also covering many international cases from Brazil, Serbia, Romania, and Turkey and locating them in the global web of puzzle narratives, the unique contributions draw connections between the most diverse audiences and the way they receive modern storytelling in a culturally globalized world. This timely volume is a great resource for anyone interested in contemporary mass culture.
Journal Articles by Oliver Kroener
Global Storytelling: Journal of Digital and Moving Images, 2022
In April 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of Florida classified profession... more In April 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of Florida classified professional wrestling (pro wrestling) alongside hospitals, law enforcement, and grocery stores as an essential service. The state's decision made global headlines and was generally met with a mix of confusion and surprise. This article investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on contemporary television wrestling. After tracing the influence that the television medium and media convergence have had on pro wrestling, the article argues that the pandemic circumstances, coupled with the demands of television wrestling's serialized storytelling, led to an evolution of a specific wrestling-match type: the cinematic match. Through a close textual analysis of wrestling programs that were produced without a live crowd during the COVID-19 crisis (e.g., WWE Friday Night Smackdown, Wrestlemania 36), this article examines how television wrestling-in an effort to appeal to its audience-produced a number of cinematic matches that combine distinct elements (e.g., editing, cinematography, sound) of genre filmmaking (e.g., horror, action) with the spectacular athleticism of pro wrestling.
SERIES—International Journal of Serial Narratives, 2021
The Walking Dead (AMC, 2010-) suffered its steepest episode-to-episode decline in viewership foll... more The Walking Dead (AMC, 2010-) suffered its steepest episode-to-episode decline in viewership following its season seven premiere in October 2016. This article argues that The Walking Dead’s decline in viewership is partially due to the show’s failure to adhere to viewer expectations of quality TV. Referring to previous studies on quality TV (Cardwell 2007, Mittell 2006), this article defines some of the key textual signifiers of this meta-genre (aesthetics, narration, complex characters) and discusses them in relation to viewer engagement. After establishing that viewers turn to quality TV for a “cognitively and affectively challenging entertainment experience” (Schlütz 2016a), the article investigates to what extent The Walking Dead meets viewer expectations of quality TV. Through examining the online discourse on The Walking Dead in relation to a close-textual analysis of the programme, this article finds that later episodes of The Walking Dead have caused frustration among many viewers since they do provide them with the types of cognitive and affective engagement they expect from quality TV.
Media Education Journal , 2019
Editorial Work by Oliver Kroener
Cinephile, 2013
Television has reached a juncture.
No longer are we required to gather around a communal TV set o... more Television has reached a juncture.
No longer are we required to gather around a communal TV set on a daily, or weekly basis to consume our desired programing. With content at our fingertips, televi- sion is being repurposed for the digital age. We can now decide when, where, and how to watch our favourite shows. Viewing practices span from the traditional format—tuning in regularly to watch one episode at a time—to the binge-viewing, or marathoning of seasons on a tablet, or cellphone. In addition, viewers can now interact with their shows via social media outlets, which provide an open plat- form for debate, analysis, contextualization, and fandom. Not only are the consumption methods and the reception of television in flux, but the narrative format itself is becoming increasingly complex. Since the early 2000s, with the onset of television shows such as Sex and The City (1998-2004), The Sopranos (1999-2007), and The Wire (2002-2008), the medium, which has been widely re- garded as subpar to film, seems to have entered its renais- sance. While many past television shows have adhered to the procedural format, which favors stand-alone, or case of the week episodes over character development and multi-episode/season story arcs, modern television dramas such as Mad Men (2007-), Game of Thrones (2011-), Justified (2010- ), and Breaking Bad (2008-2013) find common ground through their complex characters, intricate plotlines, puzzling narrative devices, and oftentimes controversial themes and content. We are now forced to confront the ways the onset of the digital age has altered, and will continue to alter the medium. This issue of Cinephile seeks to reevaluate the current state of modern serialized television shows, specifically calling attention to our present moment in history. Are cinematic traditions altering the ways we as viewers engage with television content? To what point are the boundaries between TV and film being blurred? How does the social media sphere impact the medium? Is there a link between narrative complexity and the prolonged success of a series?To open, Rachel Talalay comments on the current state of modern television production as seen from a director’s point of view. Talalay sheds light on the easily overlooked production process and calls for a new model that gives new
talent, and female directors in particular, the opportunity to prove themselves. This is followed by Michael L. Wayne’s discussion of post-racial ideologies as a means of challeng- ing colourblind racism in prime time cable drama. Wayne examines the relationship between moral standing and race, arguing that modern audiences are often forced to identify with overtly prejudice characters. Graeme Stout analyzes the narrative intricacies of the short-lived AMC show Rubicon and reflects on how the form of the show relates to Eco’s theory of the paranoid viewer. Maria San Filippo’s analysis of Louie and In Treatment takes note of television’s current identity crisis in the wake of the post-network era. San Filippo specifically pays attention to the minimalist aesthetic and its relation to on-screen representations of middle-aged masculinity, thus addressing how serial television and mil- lennial manhood are straining to survive. Jason Mittell unearths the serial past of David Lynch’s Mullholland Drive, calling attention to how the film evolved from a failed television series into a feature film haunted by its production history. Lastly, we have included a brief translated piece by the late Mark Harris that fittingly explores the art of film and television translation. The article, originally written by Patricia de Figueirédo, discusses the technical constraints and restrictions that adaptors face when dubbing or subti- tling for film. De Figueirédo has graciously agreed for us to publish her work in this issue. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our devoted Cinephile family for all of their efforts and continuous encouragement with this issue. Firstly, we would like to acknowledge our editorial team: Peter Lester, Chelsea Birks, Dana Keller, Kevin Hatch, and Kelly St-Laurent; The Department of Theatre and Film Studies; and our faculty advisor, Lisa Coulthard. We would also like to extend our gratitude to Babak Tabarraee for his efforts in bringing Mark’s In Memoriam piece to light; Shaun Inouye for his masterful design and layout skills; and Joshua M. Ferguson for his rigorous fundraising efforts. Finally, we would like to thank our featured photographer, Max Hirtz, for all of his time, patience, and talent. Without all of you, this issue would not have made it past the pilot.
—Andrea Brooks & Oliver Kroener
Screen, 2018
For decades, film scholars have been fascinated with the relationship between time and the cinema... more For decades, film scholars have been fascinated with the relationship between time and the cinematic image. Gilles Deleuze, André Bazin, and Laura Mulvey have all examined this relationship. The scholarly fascination with cinematic time is not surprising, given that the film medium equips filmmakers with a myriad of possibilities to alter the viewer's perception of time. Perhaps the most obvious way in which cinema asserts control over time is by condensing it to tell stories that span extended periods. Yet cinema also has the power to slow down time to accentuate specific moments. Although the scholarly debate on the relationship between time and the cinematic image is of long-standing, it has been reignited by the recent emergence of 'slow cinema'–a cinematic trend that is characterised by its emphasis on stillness over movement. To accommodate the new found interest in cinematic time, we are proud to give readers access to a selection of essays on this subject that have been featured in Screen over the years. While Lee Carruthers suggests that Bazin's notion of ambiguity illuminates what we might call the timelessness of the cinematic image, Laura Mulvey reflects on the relationship between time and cinema in the digital age. Taking an ethnographic approach, Anand Pandian uses the work of Indian director Vishnu Vardhan to examine the relationship between film production practices and cinematic time. In the final essay in this virtual issue, Maria Poulaki discusses the issue of causality in multi-character films that have been characterised as complex or 'network' narratives.
Screen, 2017
Since the release of D.W. Griffith's controversial The Birth of a Nation(1915), war films have re... more Since the release of D.W. Griffith's controversial The Birth of a Nation(1915), war films have remained a fundamental part of film history. Yet the question as to whether the war film – as a film about war or about the issues of war – qualifies as a specific genre is still frequently debated among critics and film scholars. Although war films have never completely vanished, the Hollywood war film has recently seen a gain in popularity. For example, American Sniper (Clint Eastwood, 2015) dominated the cultural conversation for weeks when it was first released, Hacksaw Ridge (Mel Gibson, 2016) won two academy awards at this year's Oscars, and Dunkirk (Christopher Nolan, 2017) is not only a war film but also one of the biggest film releases of the year. To coincide with this resurgence of the Hollywood war film, for a limited time only, Screen and Oxford University Press are providing free access to four selected and very different articles on the war film from Screen's archive. Guy Westwell explores the ways in which 'Flag-raising on Iwo Jima' (1945) has been featured in Hollywood war films and Steve Neale analyses Aspects of ideology and narrative form in the American war film. Taking a very different approach, Elizabeth Reich investigates World War II propaganda films that were exclusively aimed at black audiences and Libby Saxton examines the relationship between the image of 'The Falling Soldier' and Film.
Screen, 2017
David Lynch, the director of critically-acclaimed films such as Eraserhead (1977), Blue Velvet (1... more David Lynch, the director of critically-acclaimed films such as Eraserhead (1977), Blue Velvet (1986), and Mulholland Drive (2001), is widely considered to be one of our most influential living filmmakers. Over the course of Lynch's career, critics and scholars have been particularly fascinated with the director's depictions of life in small-town America, which typically hint at subliminal threats that are lurking somewhere beneath the idyllic suburban surface. The prime example for this is Twin Peaks (ABC, 1990 - 1991). Co-created by Lynch and Mark Frost, the original television series, which followed the murder of a teenager in a fictional small town in the American Northwest, was short-lived, but highly influential.
To coincide with the much-anticipated return of Twin Peaks in May of 2017, Oxford University Press and Screen are proud to present Screen's first-ever virtual issue on David Lynch. For a limited time, this virtual issue gives readers access to a number of essays that have been featured in Screen over the years.
Although all of the selected essays are related to David Lynch, they address a wide range of topics reflecting the rich detail and aesthetic complexity of Lynch's work. For example, Timothy Holland uses the music video for "Crazy Clown Time" as a starting point to analyse the role of the party motif in Lynch's work. In contrast, Lynne Layton discusses Blue Velvet as a parable of male development. Meanwhile, by exploring Laura Dern's performance in Inland Empire (2006), Jennifer Pranolo investigates the relationship between Lynch's embrace of digital filmmaking, the feminine, and death. In the final essay of this virtual issue, Robert Sinnerbrink uses Mulholland Drive as a key example to explore what he refers to as the aesthetics of mood.
Dissertations by Oliver Kroener
PhD dissertation, 2018
To what degree is the viewer’s engagement with a television character triggered by the distinct n... more To what degree is the viewer’s engagement with a television character triggered by the distinct narrative context of a programme? As with other types of storytelling (e.g. film, literature), engaging with a television character is an integral part of the overall experience of watching television. More specifically, television characters provide an emotional focal point for the audience. They invite us to imagine ourselves in their situation, challenge our sense of morality, and encourage us to consider how we would react if we were to encounter them in our everyday life.
Whereas in the past relating to television characters has been somewhat of a private phenomenon, our relationship with television characters has become increasingly public within the last decade. The ever-growing recap culture around all types of television programmes on websites such as The AV Club, Uproxx, and IndieWire, and the lively discourse around television characters on social media (e.g. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) underline this increased public interest in television characters.
Given the current popular interest in viewer engagement with television characters, it is surprising that only a limited number of scholarly works have previously explored this subject. Furthermore, most existing studies on the viewer/character relationship in contemporary television exhibit little variation in their focus on genre and character type. More specifically, as a result of the impact of The Sopranos (1999 - 2007) and Breaking Bad (2008 – 13) on popular culture, scholarly discourse around television characters has been dominated by studies on the morally corrupt antihero protagonists of contemporary television drama. Aside from a few notable exceptions (e.g. Gorton, 2009; Blanchet and Vaage, 2012; Mittell, 2015), most existing studies on viewer engagement with television characters ignore the way in which narrative characteristics inherent to the television medium influence the viewer/character relationship.
The main aim of this thesis is to establish a medium- and programme-specific, text-based theoretical model for the study of viewer engagement with television characters. Various television formats are examined, including wrestling, contemporary drama, animated series, and late-night chat programmes. Also examined are the specific modes of engagement (e.g. antipathy, parasocial engagement, long-term viewer engagement) that shape the viewer-text relationship. The methodological approach is primarily based in cognitive media theory and television studies, however, studies on viewer engagement from a wide range of disciplines (e.g. literary studies, psychology, sociology) are also considered. By examining viewer engagement in this way, this thesis challenges and builds upon existing theoretical approaches, and seeks to provide the reader with a deeper understanding of a relationship that, despite its growing importance in the everyday lives of many television viewers, has thus far only received limited scholarly attention.
Master's Thesis, 2013
Emerging from the “quality TV” shows of the early 1980s, contemporary American television shows s... more Emerging from the “quality TV” shows of the early 1980s, contemporary American television shows such as The Sopranos (HBO, 1999 - 2007), Lost (ABC, 2004 - 2010), Game of Thrones (HBO, 2011 - ) and Breaking Bad (AMC, 2008 - 2013) have been frequently praised by critics and scholars for their narrative complexity. However, often neither critics nor scholars define what narrative complexity specifically constitutes. That is to say, what are intricate plotlines? What distinguishes complex characters from “simple” ones? And in what ways do complex television narratives differ from complex feature films? This study takes a cognition-based approach to the topic and discusses the AMC series Breaking Bad as one of the prime examples of narrative complexity in contemporary television. The series revolves around Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a fifty year old high-school chemistry teacher, who is diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer and decides to team up with a former student of his to produce methamphetamine in order to secure a financial future for his family before he dies. Breaking Bad frequently uses “puzzling” narrative devices such as flashbacks, flashforwards, time-jumps or cold opens and aligns its viewers with a main protagonist whose actions are often morally objectionable. During the course of this study, which is primarily based on the works of theorists such as David Bordwell, Edward Branigan, Thomas Elsaesser , Murray Smith and Jason Mittell, I discuss how narration in visual media storytelling operates, what narrative complexity in the television medium constitutes, and how watching “Complex TV” has changed how viewers process television narratives on a cognitive level. In particular, I explore the ways in which contemporary television narratives have adopted trademarks of what Elsaesser has termed “mind-game” films and how engaging with complex characters over the course of several seasons of a series can influence our understanding of the narrative as a whole. However, the study of “Complex TV” has only begun and this work is primarily supposed to generate more discussion about a narrative trend that has left its mark on the current “Golden Age of Television.”
Book Reviews by Oliver Kroener
Critical Studies in Television, 2017
Conference Presentations by Oliver Kroener
A public engagement talk for Explorathon Scotland 2015
http://www.explorathon.co.uk/
Papers by Oliver Kroener
Critical Studies in Television: The International Journal of Television Studies
Uploads
Book chapters by Oliver Kroener
Journal Articles by Oliver Kroener
Editorial Work by Oliver Kroener
No longer are we required to gather around a communal TV set on a daily, or weekly basis to consume our desired programing. With content at our fingertips, televi- sion is being repurposed for the digital age. We can now decide when, where, and how to watch our favourite shows. Viewing practices span from the traditional format—tuning in regularly to watch one episode at a time—to the binge-viewing, or marathoning of seasons on a tablet, or cellphone. In addition, viewers can now interact with their shows via social media outlets, which provide an open plat- form for debate, analysis, contextualization, and fandom. Not only are the consumption methods and the reception of television in flux, but the narrative format itself is becoming increasingly complex. Since the early 2000s, with the onset of television shows such as Sex and The City (1998-2004), The Sopranos (1999-2007), and The Wire (2002-2008), the medium, which has been widely re- garded as subpar to film, seems to have entered its renais- sance. While many past television shows have adhered to the procedural format, which favors stand-alone, or case of the week episodes over character development and multi-episode/season story arcs, modern television dramas such as Mad Men (2007-), Game of Thrones (2011-), Justified (2010- ), and Breaking Bad (2008-2013) find common ground through their complex characters, intricate plotlines, puzzling narrative devices, and oftentimes controversial themes and content. We are now forced to confront the ways the onset of the digital age has altered, and will continue to alter the medium. This issue of Cinephile seeks to reevaluate the current state of modern serialized television shows, specifically calling attention to our present moment in history. Are cinematic traditions altering the ways we as viewers engage with television content? To what point are the boundaries between TV and film being blurred? How does the social media sphere impact the medium? Is there a link between narrative complexity and the prolonged success of a series?To open, Rachel Talalay comments on the current state of modern television production as seen from a director’s point of view. Talalay sheds light on the easily overlooked production process and calls for a new model that gives new
talent, and female directors in particular, the opportunity to prove themselves. This is followed by Michael L. Wayne’s discussion of post-racial ideologies as a means of challeng- ing colourblind racism in prime time cable drama. Wayne examines the relationship between moral standing and race, arguing that modern audiences are often forced to identify with overtly prejudice characters. Graeme Stout analyzes the narrative intricacies of the short-lived AMC show Rubicon and reflects on how the form of the show relates to Eco’s theory of the paranoid viewer. Maria San Filippo’s analysis of Louie and In Treatment takes note of television’s current identity crisis in the wake of the post-network era. San Filippo specifically pays attention to the minimalist aesthetic and its relation to on-screen representations of middle-aged masculinity, thus addressing how serial television and mil- lennial manhood are straining to survive. Jason Mittell unearths the serial past of David Lynch’s Mullholland Drive, calling attention to how the film evolved from a failed television series into a feature film haunted by its production history. Lastly, we have included a brief translated piece by the late Mark Harris that fittingly explores the art of film and television translation. The article, originally written by Patricia de Figueirédo, discusses the technical constraints and restrictions that adaptors face when dubbing or subti- tling for film. De Figueirédo has graciously agreed for us to publish her work in this issue. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our devoted Cinephile family for all of their efforts and continuous encouragement with this issue. Firstly, we would like to acknowledge our editorial team: Peter Lester, Chelsea Birks, Dana Keller, Kevin Hatch, and Kelly St-Laurent; The Department of Theatre and Film Studies; and our faculty advisor, Lisa Coulthard. We would also like to extend our gratitude to Babak Tabarraee for his efforts in bringing Mark’s In Memoriam piece to light; Shaun Inouye for his masterful design and layout skills; and Joshua M. Ferguson for his rigorous fundraising efforts. Finally, we would like to thank our featured photographer, Max Hirtz, for all of his time, patience, and talent. Without all of you, this issue would not have made it past the pilot.
—Andrea Brooks & Oliver Kroener
To coincide with the much-anticipated return of Twin Peaks in May of 2017, Oxford University Press and Screen are proud to present Screen's first-ever virtual issue on David Lynch. For a limited time, this virtual issue gives readers access to a number of essays that have been featured in Screen over the years.
Although all of the selected essays are related to David Lynch, they address a wide range of topics reflecting the rich detail and aesthetic complexity of Lynch's work. For example, Timothy Holland uses the music video for "Crazy Clown Time" as a starting point to analyse the role of the party motif in Lynch's work. In contrast, Lynne Layton discusses Blue Velvet as a parable of male development. Meanwhile, by exploring Laura Dern's performance in Inland Empire (2006), Jennifer Pranolo investigates the relationship between Lynch's embrace of digital filmmaking, the feminine, and death. In the final essay of this virtual issue, Robert Sinnerbrink uses Mulholland Drive as a key example to explore what he refers to as the aesthetics of mood.
Dissertations by Oliver Kroener
Whereas in the past relating to television characters has been somewhat of a private phenomenon, our relationship with television characters has become increasingly public within the last decade. The ever-growing recap culture around all types of television programmes on websites such as The AV Club, Uproxx, and IndieWire, and the lively discourse around television characters on social media (e.g. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) underline this increased public interest in television characters.
Given the current popular interest in viewer engagement with television characters, it is surprising that only a limited number of scholarly works have previously explored this subject. Furthermore, most existing studies on the viewer/character relationship in contemporary television exhibit little variation in their focus on genre and character type. More specifically, as a result of the impact of The Sopranos (1999 - 2007) and Breaking Bad (2008 – 13) on popular culture, scholarly discourse around television characters has been dominated by studies on the morally corrupt antihero protagonists of contemporary television drama. Aside from a few notable exceptions (e.g. Gorton, 2009; Blanchet and Vaage, 2012; Mittell, 2015), most existing studies on viewer engagement with television characters ignore the way in which narrative characteristics inherent to the television medium influence the viewer/character relationship.
The main aim of this thesis is to establish a medium- and programme-specific, text-based theoretical model for the study of viewer engagement with television characters. Various television formats are examined, including wrestling, contemporary drama, animated series, and late-night chat programmes. Also examined are the specific modes of engagement (e.g. antipathy, parasocial engagement, long-term viewer engagement) that shape the viewer-text relationship. The methodological approach is primarily based in cognitive media theory and television studies, however, studies on viewer engagement from a wide range of disciplines (e.g. literary studies, psychology, sociology) are also considered. By examining viewer engagement in this way, this thesis challenges and builds upon existing theoretical approaches, and seeks to provide the reader with a deeper understanding of a relationship that, despite its growing importance in the everyday lives of many television viewers, has thus far only received limited scholarly attention.
Book Reviews by Oliver Kroener
Conference Presentations by Oliver Kroener
Papers by Oliver Kroener
No longer are we required to gather around a communal TV set on a daily, or weekly basis to consume our desired programing. With content at our fingertips, televi- sion is being repurposed for the digital age. We can now decide when, where, and how to watch our favourite shows. Viewing practices span from the traditional format—tuning in regularly to watch one episode at a time—to the binge-viewing, or marathoning of seasons on a tablet, or cellphone. In addition, viewers can now interact with their shows via social media outlets, which provide an open plat- form for debate, analysis, contextualization, and fandom. Not only are the consumption methods and the reception of television in flux, but the narrative format itself is becoming increasingly complex. Since the early 2000s, with the onset of television shows such as Sex and The City (1998-2004), The Sopranos (1999-2007), and The Wire (2002-2008), the medium, which has been widely re- garded as subpar to film, seems to have entered its renais- sance. While many past television shows have adhered to the procedural format, which favors stand-alone, or case of the week episodes over character development and multi-episode/season story arcs, modern television dramas such as Mad Men (2007-), Game of Thrones (2011-), Justified (2010- ), and Breaking Bad (2008-2013) find common ground through their complex characters, intricate plotlines, puzzling narrative devices, and oftentimes controversial themes and content. We are now forced to confront the ways the onset of the digital age has altered, and will continue to alter the medium. This issue of Cinephile seeks to reevaluate the current state of modern serialized television shows, specifically calling attention to our present moment in history. Are cinematic traditions altering the ways we as viewers engage with television content? To what point are the boundaries between TV and film being blurred? How does the social media sphere impact the medium? Is there a link between narrative complexity and the prolonged success of a series?To open, Rachel Talalay comments on the current state of modern television production as seen from a director’s point of view. Talalay sheds light on the easily overlooked production process and calls for a new model that gives new
talent, and female directors in particular, the opportunity to prove themselves. This is followed by Michael L. Wayne’s discussion of post-racial ideologies as a means of challeng- ing colourblind racism in prime time cable drama. Wayne examines the relationship between moral standing and race, arguing that modern audiences are often forced to identify with overtly prejudice characters. Graeme Stout analyzes the narrative intricacies of the short-lived AMC show Rubicon and reflects on how the form of the show relates to Eco’s theory of the paranoid viewer. Maria San Filippo’s analysis of Louie and In Treatment takes note of television’s current identity crisis in the wake of the post-network era. San Filippo specifically pays attention to the minimalist aesthetic and its relation to on-screen representations of middle-aged masculinity, thus addressing how serial television and mil- lennial manhood are straining to survive. Jason Mittell unearths the serial past of David Lynch’s Mullholland Drive, calling attention to how the film evolved from a failed television series into a feature film haunted by its production history. Lastly, we have included a brief translated piece by the late Mark Harris that fittingly explores the art of film and television translation. The article, originally written by Patricia de Figueirédo, discusses the technical constraints and restrictions that adaptors face when dubbing or subti- tling for film. De Figueirédo has graciously agreed for us to publish her work in this issue. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our devoted Cinephile family for all of their efforts and continuous encouragement with this issue. Firstly, we would like to acknowledge our editorial team: Peter Lester, Chelsea Birks, Dana Keller, Kevin Hatch, and Kelly St-Laurent; The Department of Theatre and Film Studies; and our faculty advisor, Lisa Coulthard. We would also like to extend our gratitude to Babak Tabarraee for his efforts in bringing Mark’s In Memoriam piece to light; Shaun Inouye for his masterful design and layout skills; and Joshua M. Ferguson for his rigorous fundraising efforts. Finally, we would like to thank our featured photographer, Max Hirtz, for all of his time, patience, and talent. Without all of you, this issue would not have made it past the pilot.
—Andrea Brooks & Oliver Kroener
To coincide with the much-anticipated return of Twin Peaks in May of 2017, Oxford University Press and Screen are proud to present Screen's first-ever virtual issue on David Lynch. For a limited time, this virtual issue gives readers access to a number of essays that have been featured in Screen over the years.
Although all of the selected essays are related to David Lynch, they address a wide range of topics reflecting the rich detail and aesthetic complexity of Lynch's work. For example, Timothy Holland uses the music video for "Crazy Clown Time" as a starting point to analyse the role of the party motif in Lynch's work. In contrast, Lynne Layton discusses Blue Velvet as a parable of male development. Meanwhile, by exploring Laura Dern's performance in Inland Empire (2006), Jennifer Pranolo investigates the relationship between Lynch's embrace of digital filmmaking, the feminine, and death. In the final essay of this virtual issue, Robert Sinnerbrink uses Mulholland Drive as a key example to explore what he refers to as the aesthetics of mood.
Whereas in the past relating to television characters has been somewhat of a private phenomenon, our relationship with television characters has become increasingly public within the last decade. The ever-growing recap culture around all types of television programmes on websites such as The AV Club, Uproxx, and IndieWire, and the lively discourse around television characters on social media (e.g. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) underline this increased public interest in television characters.
Given the current popular interest in viewer engagement with television characters, it is surprising that only a limited number of scholarly works have previously explored this subject. Furthermore, most existing studies on the viewer/character relationship in contemporary television exhibit little variation in their focus on genre and character type. More specifically, as a result of the impact of The Sopranos (1999 - 2007) and Breaking Bad (2008 – 13) on popular culture, scholarly discourse around television characters has been dominated by studies on the morally corrupt antihero protagonists of contemporary television drama. Aside from a few notable exceptions (e.g. Gorton, 2009; Blanchet and Vaage, 2012; Mittell, 2015), most existing studies on viewer engagement with television characters ignore the way in which narrative characteristics inherent to the television medium influence the viewer/character relationship.
The main aim of this thesis is to establish a medium- and programme-specific, text-based theoretical model for the study of viewer engagement with television characters. Various television formats are examined, including wrestling, contemporary drama, animated series, and late-night chat programmes. Also examined are the specific modes of engagement (e.g. antipathy, parasocial engagement, long-term viewer engagement) that shape the viewer-text relationship. The methodological approach is primarily based in cognitive media theory and television studies, however, studies on viewer engagement from a wide range of disciplines (e.g. literary studies, psychology, sociology) are also considered. By examining viewer engagement in this way, this thesis challenges and builds upon existing theoretical approaches, and seeks to provide the reader with a deeper understanding of a relationship that, despite its growing importance in the everyday lives of many television viewers, has thus far only received limited scholarly attention.