TV Essay

FTV 375 TV Essay – Fall’19 (Due 11/1): 150 points

In this paper, students will write about either ONE of the course screenings from the Network Era or ONE of the programs posted on D2L. Choose a subject episode and, referring to readings, lectures, and materials from class, write a short paper (3-5 pages) focusing on one of the following topics:

1) Family: Explain how this program represents the U.S. “family.” Also discuss how this representation reflects the values and ideals being promoted in the U.S. at the time of the show. Additionally, consider the primary industrial imperatives (ex: LOP) that determine family representation. Focus on the sitcom. You may also discuss race/gender in this topic, but the representation of family must be your primary concern.

2) Genre: Pick either the cop show, the western, or the spy show and explain how the subject program uses genre and generic conventions to address, reflect, or manifest aspects of 1950s/60s American culture. Focus on cultural elements discussed in lecture and the readings (The Cold War, law and order, masculinity, American mythology, etc…). You may also focus on the sci-fi genre with Star Trek, one of the alternative episode choices.

3) Race/gender: Examine the show’s representation of race or gender and determine if it relies on traditional gender norms/racial stereotypes or if it displays a somewhat more progressive representation. Consider how these representations are reflecting or challenging the dominant ideology at the time. Also think about the role LOP plays in determining representation. Any genre is fair game.

Your paper must include a thesis statement that offers a clear argument about your specific topic and how it connects to your subject.

Be specific with your analysis, using examples from the television show to discuss how the show is symptomatic of its historical/cultural context. You absolutely must incorporate key terms and concepts from the course into your analysis.

Also, make sure to address the TV program’s industrial context (networks, ratings, advertising, merchandising, LOP, etc…). A paper with no industrial analysis will be penalized a letter grade (30 points).

You should cite at least three different sources to support your analysis – either from course readings or appropriate outside sources. Make sure to include a works cited page that lists your sources. Your works cited page and in-text citations must be in MLA format.

You will be expected to research and address three primary categories:

The cultural context of your subject TV program. Focus on aspects covered in lecture and the readings.

The TV program as a whole. You must determine the overall elements of the show (textual, industrial, cultural) that connects with your chosen topic. You must provide this analysis before analyzing the specific episode.

The selected TV episode. Analyze how this episode provides a specific lens through which the program realizes its cultural connections.

Essay Grade Breakdown
Thesis – 30 points
Support of thesis – 60 points
Use of sources – 20 points
Use of examples – 20 points
Style/Format – 20 points

Subject TV episodes
For this paper you are focusing on narrative TV shows we have covered in class. Below is the list for the available programs you may use as a subject. You must use the episode screened for class.

TV program choices from class:
I Love Lucy
Ozzy and Harriet
Dragnet
Have Gun, Will Travel
Gunsmoke
Mission: Impossible
All in the Family
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Roots

There are also alternative episodes available if you’d like to explore a completely different show. These episodes can be found on Panopto under “TV Essay Episodes.”

The optional TV episode choices:
Leave it to Beaver – “The Pipe”
Father Knows Best – “Betty, Girl Engineer”
The Dick Van Dyke Show – “My Blonde-Haired Brunette”
Star Trek – “Balance of Terror”
I Spy – “So Long, Patrick Henry”
Good Times – “Getting Up the Rent”
Maude – “Maude Meets Florida”

*Any paper that does not use one of the above options will not be accepted.

General Instructions

Your essay must contain a focused introductory paragraph that details the primary elements of the topic you are addressing (family, genre, race and/or gender representation), and it must end in a clear, precise thesis statement (one sentence) about the topic in terms of the subject TV episode. Your theses should explicitly and precisely state how your TV episode subject reflects, informs, and/or reinforces your chosen topic.

Body paragraphs should present relevant points in a logical manner that correspond with the primary cultural elements that you laid out in your introduction, and the discussion should resolve in a pertinent and thoughtful – not summary – conclusion. The body paragraphs must focus entirely on supporting the thesis, which serves as your argument. The argument must be supported by substantive and applicable evidence in the form of examples from the episode and evidence from your sources. Strive to present a precise and specific analysis rather than a series of random thoughts.

Avoid plot summary – assume your reader has seen the episode.

Basic Essay Format, Requirements, and Grading Length

Essays must include title and works cited pages. Instructions stating “3-5 pages” mean that the essay must be at least three full pages of text, not two pages and a fraction of a third page. The title page and work cited pages do not count as part of the body length. Essays that do not meet the minimum assigned length will receive an immediate reduction of a letter grade for each partial or missing page. Exaggerated margins will not be counted as minimum length.

Title Page: Title, course name and number, and student information should be supplied on a title page. A title page must include a relevant title that describes the argument or focus of your essay. Student’s name, date, and course information belong on the title page. Do not repeat the title page information on the first page of the essay.

Margins, Spacing, and Fonts: Essays must be typed in a readable 10 or 12 point, Times New Roman font, double spaced, left justified, and with standard one-inch margins. Paragraphs require five spaces for indention. Do not add extra double spacing between paragraphs.

Introduction: All introductions must begin with a specific topic sentence, clearly develop an idea, and end in a precise thesis statement. Extraneous commentary and vague generalizations should never appear in an introduction. Avoid statements such as “Many people think…”, “From the beginning of time…”, and the dreaded, “Throughout history…”. Introductions should be between five to ten sentences in length. Avoid writing in first-person in academic essays.

Sources: All sources must be appropriate and verifiable. Acceptable sources include newspapers, published books, articles from Hollywood industry trade magazines (such as Variety and The Hollywood Reporter) or scholarly, peer-reviewed articles from academic journals focusing on TV studies and history (such as The Journal of Popular Film and Television, Critical Studies in Television, Velvet Light Trap, and Historical Journal of Film, Radio, and Television). These sources can be found via the U of A’s library databases.

Unacceptable sources include Wikipedia, IMDB, or any random blog or website that does not cite its own sources. Using an unacceptable source will result in a grade penalty, so please contact me if you have any questions regarding sources.

Citations, Evidence, and Analysis

All titles of films, television shows, books, plays, and works of art are placed in italics.

All titles of television episodes, poems, essays, chapters, and short stories are placed in “quotation marks.”

All sources and direct textual evidence need to be introduced in context and explained. Simply writing, “Smith says,” and then the writing the quotation is not sufficient. You must follow up all quotations with further commentary contextualizing the quote in support of your own argument. Do not let your sources speak for you.

Use MLA format for in-text citations and works cited pages. A penalty will be assessed if you do not use citations in your paper or provide a works cited page. For in-text citations, place the quoted passage in quotation marks, provide the parenthetical citation (author and page number) and end with a period.

Offset all lengthy quotations of more than four lines.

As primary sources, television episodes should be documented in proper form on a works cited page. Your subject episode does not count as a one of your three required sources.

**Make sure to proofread for errors**

Works Cited Page: Standard MLA format is required: http://www.library.arizona.edu/search/reference/citation-mla.html

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