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Week 13: The Future of Television

Today, Netflix has become synonymous with the consumption of television and film. With the evolution of how media is now consumed, programs can now be accessed in the palm of the hand. In a special with the New Yorker, editor David Remnick interviewed CEO and co-founder of Netflix, Reed Hastings on the future of television. Remnick discusses the strategies used in Netflix’s business plan, and how he has been able to continue to grow the company from what once was a DVD rental service, to now one of the world’s leading TV and film streaming services. He makes it very clear that he knows his market; he does not want the company to be like cable TV, where sports and other events are broadcasted Additionally, he notes that the there are companies that are far superior in providing that kind of service.

He emphasizes his desire to continue to produce more TV and film on the platform. As the accessibility and growth of Netflix continues, the more the company is able to invest in the production of its original shows and films. Remnick also discusses the possible future for Netflix, which includes new, higher quality content, as well as the possibility for a virtual reality viewing opportunity, in addition to responding to the arguments against the model employed with his company made by competitors. Hastings reads a critique of the model used, essentially claiming that while Netflix is experiencing success at the moment, what it is doing to garner this success is unsustainable against its competitors. I really enjoyed Remnick’s casual demeanor throughout this interview, even while responding to the critiques. He gave some insight into the inner workings of Netflix in a very viewer-friendly digestible manner.

I find it fascinating how he does not necessarily lump himself into the category of cable television. Prior to seeing this, I would have assumed that his goal would have been to overtake the major networks in terms of viewership. Rather, because of the growth in subscription streaming services, Netflix has paved the way for an entirely new viewing experience. It seems as though the future of television is unclear because according to Remnick, he doesn’t even know where Netflix will be in the next several years.

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Week 12: Television and Politics

Emily Nussbaum’s panel on “Television and Politics” aims to discuss the how politics can very much be woven into television. The panel features comedian  and writer W. Kamau Bell, Armando Iannucci from Veep, Michelle and Robert King from The Good Wife, and Shonda Rhimes from Scandal. I found it to be rather fascinating listening to these writers discuss how intertwined politics was in their TV writing. The Good Wife was the only of the three shows that I have actively been a fan of, and I appreciated how this panel allowed these writers to give some perspective on the political involvement in the shows. The Good Wife emphasizes the balance between personal life and life in office and how the two are so easily mixed up with one another; in this show particularly, it is nearly impossible to truly separate the two. Not only do these shows discuss how politics affects the lives of those living within that bubble, but also how it affects every single individual in a given society. Overall, I found listening to the writers discuss back and forth interesting; they are able to so seamlessly incorporate relevant social and political issues into their scripts while still ensuring that the entertainment factor of television dramas never fall through the cracks. I’d even argue that the incorporation o these social and political issues do nothing but add to the complexities within television drama. My only issue with this panel was Emily Nussbaum. I found her to be unengaging and frankly, boring. I would have much preferred another moderator, or no moderator at all if possible; she only took away from the watching experience for me.

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Week 10: Gender and Sexuality

I Love Lucy is an American sitcom that began in 1951, starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. In “Equal Rights”, Ricky and Fred successfully pull pranks on their wives, Lucy and Ethel. In retaliation, the women scheme together and end up having their husbands arrested and put in jail. While in jail, Ricky ad Fred had time to think about what they had done and realized that just because they were men, they could not always just get what they wanted. The episode ends with the couples being happily reunited and the realization of the importance of equal rights. When I was a child, I used to always watch I Love Lucy with my mum. At the time, I thought of the show as nothing more than a comedy. However, upon re-watching it as an adult, it is evident that I Love Lucy, Lucy’s character in particular, was ahead of its time. The messages of the importance of equal rights in this episode reflected the growing feminist movement at the time. This was my favourite episode of the ones assigned to watch.

“Meet the Bunkers” was the pilot episode for the 1971 American sitcom, All in the Family. This episode is crucial in establishing the tone for the remainder of the season and its characters. It uses the occasion of Edith and and Archie Bunker’s wedding to do so.  All of the characters were depicted as incredibly progressive; they openly discussed a variety of touchy issues, including race and religion, which sets the tone for the viewers that this show will be discussing matters of social concern. I found this episode to be applicable to life today. Prejudice certainly still exists today. Just as Gloria and Mike attempt to convince Archie that he needs to learn to be more accepting of people who are different from him, many individuals today need to do the same as well.

Created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns in 1970, The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American sitcom that could very well be described as a feminist piece of media. It is incredibly progressive, tackling topics such as women’s independence and liberation from traditional ideas of marriage – topics that were certainly prevalent given the time of its release. This episode, Moore is able to find herself a financially stable job that is able to help separate her from her ex-boyfriend. She is able to live her own life and do as she pleases, implying that a woman does not need a man in her life to be happy.

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Week 8 response: Network (1976)

Sydney Lumet’s Network (1976) centres around the Union Broadcasting System (UBS), a struggling news network with low ratings. At this time, television represented an important medium in the lives of many. The competitive nature of the industry meant that networks would do nearly anything to boost ratings and viewership, which is represented in this film. When Howard Beale, a long-time anchor on the network’s “UBS Evening News” is forced to retire due to declining ratings, he announces to his viewers on live television that he was going to commit suicide the following week. He is immediately fired following this incident and is allowed to come back for a final farewell. In this farewell, however, Beale has another outburst. While seemingly inappropriate given that this was a news program, Beale’s outburst brought in ratings that were not previously seen for the show. What was once a news show had developed into an entertainment spectacle. Because of this spike in ratings, the network decides to keep Beale on board and even give him his own program. It is evident throughout the film that the number one priority of UBS is to achieve the highest ratings possible and in turn, be able to turn a larger profit off of the outbursts of Beale. This entire concept reminds me very much of the reality television phenomena that has been seen over the past 20 years. With shows like Laguna Beach, The Hills, and Toddlers and Tiaras, all of which have done well in terms of ratings, it is clear that audiences love seeing the dramas in the lives of others. In Network, the audiences tuned in to see what wild thing Beale was going to say next. This can be seen in many instances of today’s reality TV programming. There is a sense of escapism in watching these programs; it almost brings a sense of comfort in knowing that the viewer’s life is not nearly as dramatic or crazy as what they are seeing on screen.  

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Week 7 response: Cathy Come Home

Cathy Come Home (1966) is BBC television program written by Jeremy Sandford and directed by Ken Loach. The film follows the life of Cathy as she attempts to navigate the various challenges that come her way, ultimately turning her life upside down. With unfortunate event after unfortunate event, much of which Cathy and her husband, Reg, have no control over, they end up living illegally in an abandoned building with their 3 children. A failed system makes it nearly impossible for them to find suitable housing for their family, and because of this, they decide to separate so that Cathy and the children would be able to temporarily live in an emergency homeless shelter while Reg goes elsewhere. Experiencing homelessness with her 3 children causes Cathy to suffer from serious mental health issues. In the end, when their allotted time in the shelter has passed, Cathy’s children are forcibly removed from her custody from social services.

I’m not very familiar with television in the 1960s, however despite this, I was still incredibly surprised at Cathy Come Home’s focus on homelessness and its effects. Nearly 60 years later, the themes presented in this film still ring very true. I think in general, people often assume that homelessness is caused by some form of drug/alcohol abuse. The struggles presented in this film show that unfortunately, the very real reality of homelessness can strike anybody, even a working-class mother of 3. Throughout watching this film, I felt a sense of hopelessness that I’m unsure if I’ve ever felt watching something – be it because I avoid sad things altogether or because there was nothing to there to save Cathy. I’ve become accustomed to the idea that there will always be a saviour in times of crises in films. Cathy Come Home depicts what seems to be a very real representation of what could happen. The unfortunate events in Cathy’s life are not at all far out of reach – they are extremely plausible. The style in which the film was filmed also added to these feelings of hopelessness. It’s almost documentary style made it seem as though Cathy and her children were real people, when in fact they were actors. I believe much of the success of this film can be attributed to the style it was filmed in, almost blurring the idea of what is real and what is not.

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Week 5 Response: M*A*S*H

M*A*S*H is a comedic American television show that was produced between 1972-1983 for CBS. The show centres around the daily activities around a military medical base situated in South Korea, presumably during the Korean War. Based on the 3 episodes I watched, two from the first season and the last from the fourth, the show seems to maintain the same type of humour throughout the seasons – one that very much relies on the quick-wit of Captain Pierce, the lead surgeon at the base. He is smart in the way he delivers his jokes, a little inappropriate, and generally hilarious.

Despite each episode carrying the same general tone throughout, I much preferred the episodes from the first season. I found these episodes to be a lot more light-hearted in nature, and frankly, much more amusing. My favourite was S1E15 because I’m not really sure if there was really any moral lesson to be learned. The comedic element mainly stemmed from the fact that nearly everyone on the base became infatuated, and in one case, extremely jealous of a man who did not exist. This episode ends with that imaginary man’s imaginary death and all but three of the men knowing the truth behind “Tuttle”, who is then replaced by another fake persona, Major Murdoch.

In S1E17, the plot is a little more complex, with a couple subplots within the episode. It covers anything from secret affairs, to hiding one’s age to enlist in the war. Despite these seemingly serious topics, M*A*S*H was able to smoothly incorporate so much of Pierce’s quick-wit humour into the episode. I found S4E9 to be far less entertaining than the episodes from the first season. This episode centred around an injured pilot who was brought into the base who claimed to be Jesus Christ. Though a funny concept, I found this later episode to be more one dimensional in that this was the single point of conversation for the entirety of the episode.

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Podcast Review #3

My Dad Wrote a Porno – S1E1: “The Interview”

Hosted by friends and producers, Jamie Morton, James Cooper, and Alice Levine, My Dad Wrote a Porno is a comedic podcast that centres around the fact that the father of creator, James Morton, wrote and self-published an erotic novel entitled, Belinda Blinked. While this situation would seem to be most people’s worst nightmare, Morton took this as an opportunity to share his experience through one of the most hilarious podcasts I have ever encountered. The first episode begins with Morton explaining the concept of the entire series. Himself and his two best friends read aloud and record one chapter every week along with their commentary (which is the best part). The novel itself, from what I understand through this podcast, is rather poorly written with a hilariously (un)erotic plot (which was likely unintentional). The premise of the book surrounds the life of Belinda Blumenthal, a sales executive working in England, as she sleeps her way through the company. While listening to this podcast, I often forgot that this was a real erotic novel that is available for purchase (it is on Amazon) written by the Morton’s father. Upon the occasional reminder, feelings of discomfort only intensified as the episode continued, ultimately adding to the hilarity of the podcast.

Because this is the first episode of the series, it is no surprise that it there are no ads and no sponsors. Given the nature of the topic, however, I am inclined to believe that attaining such sponsors would be more difficult than it would be had the podcast been more G-rated. Because there were no ad breaks during the episode, I found it incredibly enjoyable to listen to because there were no disruptions to the flow. Additionally, having the three hosts be best friends in real life makes the conversation seem much more genuine and less scripted, which it is not anyway. The reactions to what is being read aloud are genuine and reflect how I felt while listening along. My Dad Wrote a Porno is disturbing, uncomfortable, and incredibly hilarious. I have recommended it to most of my friends, with the advice of never listening to it in public because the possibility of snorting in public is imminent, as is the possibility of an ear bud falling out and surrounding individuals are also able to listen to a podcast that sounds incredibly suspicious without context. 

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Podcast Review #2

Cults – E7: “The Family” – Anne Hamilton Byrne

Hosted by Greg Polcyn and Vanessa Richardson, Cults is a podcast published under the Parcast Network that takes listeners into the world of, as the title would suggest, cults. Each story takes place across two episodes, with the first recounting the early life story of the cult leader, and the second recounting the rise and and ultimate demise of the cult. This particular episode focuses on Anne Hamilton Byrne, the charming and manipulative leader of the 1960s Australian new-age cult, the Santiniketan Park Association, more commonly referred to as “the family”. Polcyn and Richardson describe Anne’s (born Evelyn) early life to help understand how she became the infamous cult leader that she ultimately became. Her mother suffered from schizophrenia who spent most of her life in treatment centres, while her father abandoned the family shortly after Anne’s birth. Because of this, Anne spent the majority of her childhood in Australian orphanages. In her adult life, she was an active yogi and was able to manipulate women in her classes into believing that she was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ and was therefore a living god. Her following grew exponentially as these women told their powerful husbands of her godly healing powers. On top of this, her charisma and charm allowed her to manipulate the adoption system in Australia so that she alone could adopt over a dozen children with the delusion that she could provide a better life for them. She was providing herself with “the family” that she never had growing up and to make up for the potential family she could have had after the accidental death of her early husband. The episode ends with the hosts asking one another how Anne was able to manipulate the system and essentially kidnap so many children. This ending ensures that the listener will return for the following week’s episode to get the rest of Anne’s story.

The structure of this podcast is far more formal than any one I have ever listened to. Each episode is very clearly scripted, with the hosts asking and answering each other’s question as if it were not (which is a little funny). Background music plays throughout the entirety of the episode, changing depending on what the hosts were discussing specifically. Dark ominous music played throughout the episode, only changing when there was an ad read. I found the ads in this podcast to be rather disturbing to the flow of the episode. For instance, the dark ominous music would transition to something much happier and the hosts would go from discussing the Anne’s rough childhood to eagerly discussing the new toothbrushes they had received. The ads were placed at the very beginning of the episode and at the half way point. I think that this podcast would very much benefit from placing all of their ads at the beginning or at the end of each episode to avoid the choppy and frankly weird transition between topics.

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Podcast Review #1

Anna Faris is Unqualified – ep 107: Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearny 

Anna Faris is Unqualified is a comedic podcast created and co-hosted by actress Anna Faris along with her long-time friend and producer, Sim Sarna. Each episode features a celebrity guest and is split into two sections; an interview portion and then an advice-giving portion. This particular episode features late-night host, Jimmy Kimmel, and his wife, screenwriter, Molly McNearney. In the first half of the episode, Faris and Sarna conduct a casual interview with their guests that reads more like just a conversation between friends. Virtually no topics are off limits as long as the guests are comfortable sharing. Anything from Kimmel’s awkward and frankly awful early days as a late-night host to which of the two is their child’s favourite to weird relationship deal breakers. One of my favourite reoccurring segments of Unqualified is the the deal breakers game. Typically, the guest is to imagine that they are single and are told a series of ridiculously absurd date scenarios and they are to state whether or not something is a deal breaker for the imagined relationship. Because this episode featured a married couple rather than the show’s usual one guest format, the game was altered so that they were to imagine that they had only been dating for one year when these made-up scenarios occurred. Much like the podcast in general, the scenarios given are crude, incredibly inappropriate (and probably offensive), and absolutely hilarious. The second part of the podcast is much softer. Co-host Sim Sarna calls in people from around the world via skype who have previously written into the podcast asking for relationship advice – be it romantic or platonic. The callers are pre-screened by Sarna and have no idea who the guest(s) will be – all they know when they are chosen is that Anna Faris will be there to offer her “unqualified” advice.

The light-hearted nature of this podcast makes it incredibly easy to listen to. Despite having no prior experience in podcasting, Faris and Sarna have successfully developed an engaging podcast structure that works for their content as well as their advertisers. The ads featured in this episode are for brands that have previously been advertised in this podcast. Ads are placed at the beginning of the episode before interviews begin, between the interview and advice giving segments, and sometimes at the end of the podcast. Anna Faris and Sim Sarna record their ads themselves with the same casual tone and inappropriate jokes intertwined between phrases. The consistency between their actual content and their ads makes me occasionally forget that I am listening to an advertisement. The ads Faris and Sarna create are entertaining in of themselves, despite them being there to sell. 

Anna Faris is Unqualified is one of my favourite podcasts. It achieves the nearly impossible of humanizing mega (sometimes less mega) celebrities through the sharing embarrassing stories and just talking about life while simultaneously warms the hearts of listeners through the advice giving section.