What are your favorite TV shows and TV channels?
Why do you feel attached to them or a sense of loyalty to them?
How does their programming, advertising, and/or online components encourage you to feel attached to or identified with them as a brand?
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A small disclaimer: I started writing intending to answer this post's question, but I think I went off on a rant. Anyway:
First, take a show like 30 Rock. The episode we watched in class is the perfect example of how the show has mediated a relationship between the viewer and the NBC network through its self-reflexivity. Tina Fey and her cast make fun of NBC and television in general on a regular basis. Obviously (since the show has aired) NBC backs everything that we as viewers get to see. NBC is thus branded as this Network that can laugh at itself. Consequently, I want to watch more of their shows. This is good in theory, right?
Well, now I want to talk about ABC and my favorite show ever: "Lost". The show brought the network a lot of recognition (and money I'm sure).Now that the show is over however, I cannot say that ABC is my favorite television network. The creators of Lost, Damon Lidelof and Carlton Cuse are responsible for ABC's brand. They knew how important the fans were to the show's well-being. So they set up discussion forums and podcasts and created the alternate reality game "The Lost Experience" so that fans were never in need of more "Lost". It became more than just a show--it was an experience, something that pervaded viewer's lives. Due to almost year-long hiatuses, "Lost" would not have survived as an hour-long serialized drama for six seasons if it weren't for all this synergy.
Since the end of "Lost" has been known for three years, ABC has been trying for a while to hold onto the "Lost" brand and carry it over to its new shows. However, something just isn't working. If anyone is familiar with the show "Flash Foward", you'll know what I mean. Yes, "Lost" actors Dominic Monaghan and Sonya Walger are main characters on "Flash Forward". Yes, something supernatural is going on in modern day Los Angeles...The similarities are there, but the shows just can't compare. "Lost" was a six-year long phenomenon and even replicating it will no longer satisfy viewers or continue the ABC brand. I think for ABC's sake they need to redefine their brand and remove "Lost" from that definition.
To bring my point home--I do not watch ANY shows on ABC since "Lost" went off the air. I much prefer spending my time watching premium channels like Showtime and HBO. "True blood" is my new "Lost". No, its not a phenomenon, but the show has an ongoing mythology with twists and turns. Moreover, I get an entire hour of "True blood" a week, versus a measly forty two minutes broken up by commercials. I realize HBO can get away with a lot more as a premium channel, but HBO knows its brand. And i know HBO's brand because its consistent. HBO takes the time to make high quality, well-developed shows with no commercials. When "Sopranos" or "Six Feet Under" ended (both very good, but very different shows), HBO did not try to replicate them. Instead they gave us something different that we like as much or more than those shows.
Well, since this is turning into a five page essay, I'll stop. I'm sure there are spots where I could be more specific, so if you have questions, please ask!
-Melissa Bloom
I will be answering what my favorite show is and why I stay loyal to the characters:
The show that I would say is my favorite would be "Chuck" on NBC. This show has turned in decent ratings but always seems to be on the borderline between becoming cancelled or coming back for another season. Fortunately for me, they will be back for a fourth season and I couldn't be more excited.
"Chuck",revolves around an expelled Stanford student, named Chuck Bartowski, who has an intersect in his head containing government secrets. Once the US government has figured out that the intersect is in Chucks head, they send two agents to protect him and make sure he does not get kidnapped. These agents, John Casey and Sarah Walker provide humor and drama throughout each episode. Through the seasons, Chuck evolves from being a geek to becoming a Secret Agent. I continue to watch the show because through each episode you can witness the evolution. Also the show revolves around Chuck's love interest with Sarah, which provides some predictable yet comedic drama.
All of this drama builds a tight relationship between the two of them which makes me, as a viewer, pull for Chuck to finally ask Sarah to be his girlfriend. I am also loyal to the characters because they all have attributes I can relate to and are not too superficial and unbelievable.
Even though the show is on NBC and I was not too happy with the Jay Leno v. Conan O'' Brian decision, I continue to watch this show. This next season, Chuck not only will prepare for new adventures as a full blown secret agent, but also will have new issues to deal with in his love crisis with Sarah.
If you all are interested in watching the season 4 of "Chuck" and are looking to experience it's greatness, it will be coming back on air September 20th at 8 PM on NBC.
-Alden Weiss
I know this post does not relate to this question I just do not know how to post this on the home page.
The article “Bravo Will Make You a Reality Star (if the Web Agrees)”, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/business/06bravo.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2, was in the New York Times this summer and found that it relates to our class. I feel that the reason Bravo is so successful with its TV shows is because they, the network, are genuinely interested in what their audience wants. As long as Bravo knows they will have an audience that will follow their content, they are willing to make a show off of almost anything. With “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” being Bravo’s first hit they decided to use this show as a platform of the “5 advice genres” for their future shows, food, fashion, beauty, home décor, and pop. Each one of these genres are so simple and easily relatable to their audience that allows them to feel comfortable to turn to their station and know that they will quickly become emersed in whatever is being shown, and will some how relate and/or benefit in some way to the show’s content. The content of most of the shows have a sort of teaching content that allows their viewer to feel that they are watching something more than “mindless television”. The shows are also formatted to allow a new viewer to easily pick up on the format of their shows and not feel left out if they did not start at the beginning of the season. Their shows also never tend to dwell on an unlikable character, or issue because they rely so heavily on social media to help fine-tune their storylines in order to give the audience exactly what they want. With the Tweeting, Facebooking and text messaging the audience is able to become more involved within the show and develop a connection that separates their relationship with the Bravo shows from all of the other networks.
As television begins to pick up this fall, I have recently found myself back into the TV show "The League" on FX. This show catches my interest because it revolves around the popular game "fantasy football".
The show basically has no plot besides the competition to win their fantasy football league. In various episodes, different pranks are pulled on the characters that usually cause them to have to give up players on their roster. Celebrities also make cameos on the show such as Chad Ochocinco, the high profile wide receiver on the Cincinnati Bengals.
"The League" seems to keep up to date with what is going on in previous weeks of NFL football, but I still have not figured out if it is just general facts. During the first few episodes of this season, one of the characters, Ruxin, had to help a terminally ill child by making his wish come true. The boy’s wish was to see a linebacker on the Baltimore Ravens. However, Ruxin was starting a player on his fantasy roster from the Cleveland Browns and instead convinced the child to see Josh Cribbs because Ruxin wanted to see him. At the end of the episode, both players show up and Ruxin was portrayed as a immoral person.
Even though this show has no plot, I enjoy watching it because of the hilarious storyline and the want for certain players to win the league and others to lose. I personally have joined a fantasy football league this season, and after watching this show, I wish my league could be as fun as theirs. Maybe I’ll just have to take some ideas from the show and use them in my competition, but until that happens, I’ll leave it to the professionals.
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