Television

Viewing Facts According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day 99% of homes have at least one TV set 66% of homes have more than three TVs TV is one 6 hours 47 minutes per day, average.

Children’s viewing 70% of daycares use TV during the day Hours average kid spends in school: 900 Hours average kid spends watching TV: 1500 Cast of “The Office”? “The Hills”? Simpsons?

John Roberts Clarence Thomas Antonin Scalia Sonya Sotomayor Samuel Alito Ruth Bader Ginsberg Elena Kagan Anthony Kennedy Steven Breyer

Percentage of Americans who can name The Three Stooges: 59 Percentage who can name at least three justices of the U.S. Supreme Court: 17

1995 New York Times poll Most Americans blame TV as the biggest single factor underlying teenage sex and violence (even though TV viewing decreases for teenagers)

Your book: “Television is the most influential media since the printing press.”

Paul Nipkow Late 1880s “scanning disk” – large flat metal disk with series of holes in a spiral pattern Turned images into pinpoints of light that could be transmitted

Nipkow’s disk

Philo Farnsworth At age 21, he transmitted the first TV picture electronically (the dollar sign!) In 1930, he patented the first electronic TV.

1948= 1% of households 1953= 50% of households 1960= 90% Many feared radio, books and magazines would become irelevant. By 1951, TVs were outselling radios

Early TV programs were often conceived, produced and supported by a single sponsor. – Camel News Caravan Camel News Caravan – Networks wanted to diminish the role of sponsors WHY? What happened from in cities that had TV signals?

In the 1950s Quiz shows were the most popular – WHY? – Who was Charles Van Doren?

“Golden Age of Television” Late 1950s – Sketch comedy – “Your Show of Shows” “Your Show of Shows” – Variety shows – “Ed Sullivan”“Ed Sullivan”

sitcoms The Brady Bunch! The Brady Bunch! Welcome Back, Kotter Father Knows Best Cosby Show

How did the culture change….. (WOMEN) “I Love Lucy” vs “Mary Tyler Moore”Mary Tyler Moore (FAMILY) “Leave it to Beaver” vs “MASH” or “WKRP” (MARRIAGE) “Cosby Show” vs “’til Death” or “Rules of Engagement”Cosby Show

dramas Anthology drama Episodic series – Chapter shows – Serials (most reruns are “stripped”)

Good shows are often hybrids of several genres Sitcom crime drama medical drama soap opera talk show game show reality shows sketch comedy Animation news magazine celebrity “news” Documentary Action/mystery

The Office My Name is Earl 30 Rock Arrested Development Scrubs Sitcom Trends

#1 genre on TV today……?

Decline of the network era Late 1970’s……what happened??

Television Financing Networks don’t produce the shows They buy the shows from production companies

Warner Bros Television ER Smallville Without a Trace Cold Case Nip/Tuck The Closer Two and a Half Men Chuck Pushing Daisies Ellen Degeneres show Tyra Banks Gossip Girl The OC One Tree Hill Gilmore Girls West Wing Sex and the City

Below the Line costs – 40% hardware, crew etc Above the Line costs – 60% actors, writers & producers Deficit financing…..what is it?

News Trends Is it news? Or is it entertainment? Or a very confusing mixture of the two? Or a very confusing mixture of the two?

How shows make money: Syndication! – Off network – First run – What’s “fringe”?

Evergreens

How do you program shows? TV listings “fringe” Prime-time

This week’s ratings Ratings for this week A rating is 1.1 million households A Share is the percentage of tvs tuned in Sweeps months February May July November

Effects of TV Politically – What was special about the Kennedy/Nixon debate in September 1960?

Is TV making us smarter? “the sleeper curve” (shows today are much more complicated and require attention)

Plots are more intricate now….

So how do shows get on the air? Networks look at 4,000 show ideas per year About 100 will be filmed as pilots 20 or 30 will be purchased Only 10 will go the full season

“TV Turn-Off Week” Is every April Is “TV Turn-Off Week” a good idea?

Univ of Illinois – Chicago study: “the viewing of certain TV shows can actually help us understand political concepts better.”

“Because they were relaxed and engaged, they were actually more receptive to learning”

Ratings history Most-watched TV prime time programs EVER – Will we ever see ratings and shares like this again? – Why or why not? Since 2000