Does narrative complexity equal ‘Quality TV’?

Deadwood, Biglove, and The Wire all had one thing in common – complex narratives. But does that make them ‘Quality TV’?

After reading a blog entry by Jason Mittell, I asked myself that exact question. I have never seen any episodes from above mentioned TV series. Upon my first viewing of them I went in with the frame of mind that they are ‘Quality’ TV, after all that is the heading above them in the teaching schedule. I’m not arguing that these shows aren’t quality, rather the notion that as they have complex narratives they are deemed as quality.

As Mittell asserts, ‘Quality television’ as a term alludes more so to a particular attitude towards television. The term implies a sense of elitism – that the particular programming is not regular TV.

Perhaps this is why this type of programming is found on HBO rather that Australian free-to-air. The audience is different. I have alluded to my disappointment at Freeview before, however, after studying this course I have come to realise that I do not fit the target audience. I am more inclined to HBO and cable programming, but  I would argue that it doesn’t make it ‘quality’. The difference is in narrative complexity. Simply, I like more depth of story than ‘regular’ tv programming.

 

 

Participation Culture

People have always been fans of something - Whether it be music, film, art, holiday destinations, or television series.

Television is especially known for its Fandoms, communities of fans that love to talk about there love of a particular series. On the blog Web Cultures, Suachen cites a quote by Nancy Baym in Interactive Audiences? The ‘Collective Intelligence’ of Media Fans (2006) stating: “fans are motivated by epistemaphilia – not simply a pleasure in knowing but a pleasure in exchanging knowledge”.

Essentially fans love to share and debate knowledge of a series.

An obvious, and extreme, example of this would be “Trekkies”. In an article by Michael Jindra, he assimilates Star Trek fans with religious status. Jindra goes on to describe Star Trek fandom as “formation of communities with regularised practices that iclude a ;canon’ and a hierarchy.” He also goes as far as stating Star Trek fandom is associated with a popular stigma, giving fans a sense of persecution and identity common to active religious groups.

As I stated earlier, this is an extreme case, but the point I want to make is that fandoms want to share knowledge and feel a sense of community.

Most of us do this on a fairly frequent bases. Not to the extremism of “Trekkies”, but how many of us watch TV and then the next morning at work discuss our favourite shows. It provides a type of social currency. We take pride in the shows we are fans of, and make judgments of people based upon the types of shows they like.

Ref:

Jindra, Michael 1994, ‘Star Trek Fandom as Religious Phenomenon’,  Sociology of Religion, viewed 5 Oct 2011, <http://socrel.oxfordjournals.org/content/55/1/27.short>

 

 

Battlestar Galatica – Transmedia continued

“Transmedia storytelling represents a process where integral elements of a fiction get dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment experience. Ideally, each medium makes it own unique contribution to the unfolding of the story.” Henry Jenkins, 2011. (Full post here).

After reading the blog post by Henry Jenkins on Transmedia, I could see clearly how much of the media I personally consume moves across mediums.

I dont typically get into many seriers, or do I consider myself a heavy television consumer. However, when I get into a series I find I am one of those persons who discover it after it has aired and end up buying the whole series on dvd and watching it in marathon sittings. For instance, Robot Chicken, Man vs Wild, Samurai Champloo and most recently Miami ink.

What I found most interesting in relation to transmedia is the re-imagined series Battlestar Galatica. This is the kind of series that has a fan/cult follow so lets be clear, I’m a fan of this series, I haven’t watched the original, and no I haven’t got into any of the spin off media.

That being said, what I’m concerned about is the mini-series set in between season 2 and season 3. The collective name for the ten webisodes is Battlestar Galatica: The Resistance (Webisodes here).

Reading further into Battlestar Galatica one of the central themes is the war on terrorism. This is further explored in the webisodes, and what is great about it is that if you dont watch them you wont miss out on any information central to the series main plot.

Basical what happens the 10-part seriers is the story of an ordinary guy who is part of a guerilla resistance, and after the massacre of his wife, ends up becoming a suicide bomber. You can read more here.

For a mini-series not central to the main text its pretty heavy stuff. But that is why it is so good. I’ve seen a lot of extra webisode content out there on the interent, but I argue that it is general below par.

I think the writers of the series should be congratulated for creating relavent and engaging content that is produced for another medium, yet coincides so well along the main text.

Ref:

http://www.henryjenkins.org/2011/08/defining_transmedia_further_re.html

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/13052/page1/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/jan/13/tvandradio.broadcasting

Posts for submission

1. THE RENOVATORS/MASTERCHEF
2. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO AUSSIE TV?  
3. RED VS BLUE
4. DEATH OF THE IDIOT BOX

Death of the idiot box

Increasingly it seems like entertainment technology it becoming integrated. Cameras, phones, interent, and music/entertainment devices were separate not so many years ago. Now my iPhone does all these functions. I’m left wondering how long it is before my TV becomes as sophisticated.

Well, Samsung has recently announced the “death of the idiot box” with the Australian launch of its 2011 Smart TV range.

The new TV range offers web browsing, internet TV and downloadable apps. Sounds more like my Mac, but with a larger screen and a port for an antenna.

My TV setup has pretty much all the functions that the new range offer. I use a Xbox 360 to achieve this. Microsoft has been very clever in creating a product that you can either use to play video games, or use as a home media base (or both if you desire).

Microsoft ran an advertising campaign last year to highlight the new ability to use the console as a Foxtel ‘box’. Basically, you go to Foxtel’s website, enter some personal details, credit card information, hook your Xbox up to an internet connection and plug it into a TV and Bam! You now have Foxtel. The beauty of it is you dont have to subscripe to the TV services if you dont want to. You can opt for a service called On Demand (what I went for, as regular scheduling never works out with my schedule). I find the program I want to watch and pay a fee to stream it. When I want. Nice.

TV’s aren’t TV’s any more. They are integrated entertainment devices, which gives Television huge potential to expand and challenge its roots.

TV is growing up.

Red vs Blue

One of my all time favorite webispode series is Red vs. Blue. Using the Halo video game engine, Rooster Teeth Productions created a parody of first-person shooter (FPS) video games, military life and science fiction films.

I was watching an episode of the new season yesterday and realised it is actual a good example of transmedia storytelling.

My understanding of Jenkins definition of transmedia is that it is a technique of telling stories across multiple platforms and formats, with multiple entry points into the story that can be experienced individually. However, to enjoy the full experience you need to view all media. Basically all media content is on the same level of importance and relies on each piece for the narrative to be fully understood.

Matt Loads made a really interesting point when discussing this. I believe his example of The Matrix and the transmedia created around it is really valid. I have seen the movies, watched the Animatix, and played the game as a kid. So to me the film trilogy made perfect sense. When my sister watched it she was really confused in the sequel as characters appeared without any explaination, and certain events had occurred outside of the films, leaving holes in the narrative arc.

So, what does all this have to do with Red vs. Blue? This is no pre-assumed knowlegde of the Halo video games or other media. You can watch it and enjoy the humor and understand the narrative. It can standalone.

I grew up with Halo as a teenager. For me the series does have more meaning then the first layer of narrative. It does contain cameos and references to the game series. But more than that, it is made using the video game, so there is a deep connecting between the two texts. So arguably, it becomes an extension of the Halo video game universe.

I think television series could learn from this, for example Heros (specifically season 2). Webispodes can work really well as a different entry point into a texts universe, however, you cant assume your audience of one text will consume another form of that text. Therefore narrative details that affect the core narrative arc should  not be used in other media unless they will be explained in the core text as well. Otherwise people are bound to get confused.

What has happened to Aussie TV?

I’m not someone who watches a lot of TV. There are series that I love, like Robot Chicken, Family Guy and Southpark. But for the most part I can go for day without flicking the TV on. This seems to be becoming a rarer occurrence as whenever I decide to tune in there is never anything decent to watch.

The only show I currently watch is The Gruen Transfer on ABC, Wednesday 9pm. The host, Will Anderson, is intelligent, witty and a complete smart arse. The panel is always solid, and the segments are interesting. Mind you, I am an Advertising student/hopeful so there may be some bias here.

I remember, as a kid, watching TV with my parents. Television was mainly sit-coms, soap-operas, game shows, documentaries, variety shows, and the news. Television has changed drastically since then. The worst product being reality TV. Seriously, why would anyone want to willing torture themselves by watching a show like Big Brother? Admittedly I did watch the first season when I was a kid. Now, as a 20-year-old I watch Masterchef. I don’t even know why. I’m a skeptic and believe most ‘reality’ Tv series are pre-planned. Why are the camera’s always in the perfect spot to capture a surprise? And the winner has to be pre-decided for one simple reason – Ratings.

Besides my hatred for reality TV, Australia seems to have a problem with originality in its programming. Whenever we have a hit (Masterchef, The Block, Underbelly, Big Brother) the program gets turned out for what seems like 10 more seasons of the exact same formula and content! I dont know if I’ll be able to go back for a 4th season of Masterchef, and I’m already bored of the new series The Renovators.

We need more diversity in our programming. Is the ABC and SBS the only channel who are willing to take risks?

Australian free-to-air needs to take a look at its self, or it may lose appeal in a multi-platform era.

The Renovators/MasterChef

MasterChef season 3 has finished. So what can the Australian audience look forward to now?

Channel Ten think they have the answer with reality D.I.Y The Renovators. After watching the premier, I was struck by how similar this show is to MasterChef. It is essentially MasterChef with hammers. Unsurprisingly it turns out the show is created by MasterChef’s founders and their production company. Different show, same formula.

It’s disappointing that the show is such a replica. When MasterChef was launched it was innovative and fresh. Here were a bunch of interesting armatures wanting to catch that lucky break to get into an industry they are so passionate about. With The Renovator’s, these are not armatures, they are professionals. Although the formula is the same, having professional contestants makes me view the show in a different way; I just don’t care as much about who they are and why they are on the show.

As an advertising student, what interests me most about this show is its advertising and product placement formula. The genius behind MasterChef is the whole show is a creative info-commercial. It has its usual advertising break, with sponsor messages and related products paying big bucks to be on during MasterChefs time bracket. But they do more than that. The amount of product close-ups and opportunities for contestants and judges to use/talk about a product is enormous. The creators need to be congratulated for making a 60 minute commercial that people are happy to watch. Well done!

So with the launch of The Renovators we now have a few more months of 60 minute ads, 5 times a week. Brillant.