Assignment:
Critical Process Assignment: TV and the State of Storytelling
The rise of the reality program over the past decade has more to do with the cheaper cost of this genre than with the wild popularity of these programs. In fact, the history of television and viewer numbers, traditional sitcoms and dramas--and even prime-time news programs like 60 Minutes and 20/20--have been far more popular than successful reality programs like American Idol. But when national broadcast TV executives cut costs by reducing writing and production staffs and hiring "regular people" instead of trained actors, does the craft of storytelling suffer at the expense of commercial savings? Can good stories be told in a reality program? In this exercise, let's compare the storytelling competence of a reality program with that of a more traditional comedy sitcom or drama.
Directions
Be sure to address separately each stage of the critical process. The description section can be partially in list form, but the other sections of the assignment need to be in paragraph form. You should strive to write a solid paragraph or two for each step of the critical process. These papers do not need to have a traditional introduction or conclusion. Instead you can number each section of your paper as each step of the critical process.
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1. Description
Pick a current reality program and a current sitcom or drama. Choose programs that either started in the last year or two or have been on television for roughly the same period of time. Now develop a "viewing sheet" that allows you to take notes as you watch 3 or 4 episodes of the two programs. Keep track of main characters, plotlines, settlings, conflicts, and resolutions. Also track the main problems that are posed in the programs and how they are portrayed or worked out in each episode. Find out and compare the basic production costs of each program.
2. Analysis
Look for patterns and differences in the ways stories are told in the two programs. At a general level, what are the conflicts about? (For example, are they about men versus women, managers versus employees, tradition versus change, individuals versus institutions, honesty versus dishonesty, authenticity versus artificiality?). How complicated or simple are the tensions in the two programs, and how are problems resolved? Are there some conflicts that you feel should not be permitted-- like pitting older contestants against younger contestants or white against black?
Are there noticeable differences between "the look" of one program and that of the other?
3. Interpretation
What do some of the patterns mean? What seems to be the point of each program? What do the programs say about relationships, values, masculinity or femininity, power, social class, and so on? What is the value of each program for its viewers?
4. Evaluation
What are the strengths and weaknesses of each program? Which program would you judge as being better at telling a compelling story that you want to watch each week? How could each program improve its storytelling?
5. Engagement
Through either online forums, magazine/newspaper articles, or personal contacts, find other viewers of these programs. What do people like or dislike about such shows, what might they change, and what the program creators might do differently. Would you ever consider contacting the producers of a program about potential problems in their programs or what they might do differently?