TV Essay: Argument Plans

Argument 1: Sitcom TV

Sitcom TV is not dying but is constantly redefining itself.
- The Peep Show
- Only Fools and Horses

--> Look at academic works of why sitcom is dying, argue against it with the transition of the genre to family viewing and more niche audiences.
--> Talk about how the genre has changed over time with their format and the audiences they appeal to

Brett Mills on Sitcom -
Andy Medhurst book on comedy
Lots about Ab Fab

google scholar the shows you want to analyse 
- How has sitcom innovated
- why has it been positioned as a dying genre
look at the critiques online - Victoria Wood (true sitcom is gone)
Miranda returns to the idea of sitcom
formulaic sitcom (homages the old school - nostalgia)

does it even need to innovates, just new situations.

Innovation in relationships and genre in sitcoms

the issues 

How have academics and critics have positioned sitcom as a non-innovative genre
in what ways through textual analysis it.

victoria wood - academics of why it's dead.

the mighty boosh playing with reality
him and her, spaced

Kathleen Rowe - Unruly woman challenging stereotypes
ab fab

The Sitcom by Brett Mills
http://universitypublishingonline.org/edinburgh/ebook.jsf?bid=CBO9780748637539


Sources:

Medhurst, A. (1989) 'Situation Comedies' Daniels, T. & Gerson, J. (eds.) The Colour Black. BFI: London.
Medhurst, A. (2007) A National Joke: Popular Comedy and English Cultural Identities. Routledge: London.
Miller, T.,Tulloch, J. & Creeber, G. (2001) The Television Genre Book. BFI: London – there are several chapters on sitcoms and comedy in this collection. Mills, B. (2005) Television Sitcom. BFI.
Mills, B. (2004) ’Comedy Verité: Contemporary Sitcom Form’ in Screen 45(1). 63-78. [electronic resource]
Neale, S. & Krutnik, F. (1990) Popular Film and Television Comedy. Routledge: London 

Plan for Essay

Introduction

- Explain your essay argument.

- Give a simple definition and the sitcom.

1st Paragraph

- Contextualise the origins and conventions of traditional sitcoms.

- Mention where it stood in UK society today.

- Propose why theorists and critics think the genre is dead.
- Tell what show's I have chosen to analyse and why these go against the critics

2nd Paragraph

- Use academic theorist arguments which state why the genre is dead.

- Compare this to one of the shows.

- Give you own opinion on the matter.

3rd Paragraph

- Similar to the second paragraph, propose another theorist argument about why the genre is dying.

- Give a comparison regarding the other shows you have chosen to analyse.

- Voice my opinion on the matter.

4th Paragraph

.- Expose a flip-side to the argument, discuss how the genre is actually innovating itself

- Give a comparison regarding one of the shows.

- Voice you own opinions.

5th Paragraph

- Put forwards another argument regarding the innovations in the genre.

- Explain how one of the shows reinforces this notion.

- Explain maybe how the other does not.

6th Paragraph

- Do a deeper textual analysis into the shows.

- Are they part of the dying genre or the innovations. Traditional and innovative conventions

- Use a quote about the specific show or your own opinion.

Conclusion

- Summarise your arguments.

- Voice you're decision to your argument, yes or no.

- End of a Brett Mills quote.

Critical Log 2 - Lifestyle Cookery Shows

Critical Viewing Log 2: Lifestyle Cookery Shows

Simply Nigella (2015) is a British lifestyle-cookery show presented by the celebrated host, Nigella Lawson. It is traditional cookery programme that aims to inform and educate its audience about what, and how, we might cook for our friends and family from a wide variety of sweet and savoury recipes from around the world. This series aims to make the audience feel excited about cooking food and enthusiastic about trying to recreate her delicious dishes and also become a 'domestic goddess' like herself.
I will undertake a critical textual analysis of this lifestyle-cookery show, highlighting the critical and generic conventions of its genre. I will be concentrating on the scenes from episode 5 that was broadcasted on 30^th November 2015 at 8:30pm, as part of the 7-part series.

Lifestyle-cookery programmes often use production techniques such as specific camera angles and specialist sets to “create the fantasy of closeness and the pleasure of audience intimacy.” (Ketchum, 2005, p. 224) This is evident throughout Simply Nigella as both the host and the recipes she makes seduce the audience. For example, there are many close-up shots of her face, hands as she ​takes us through the methods of making ​her new recipes. As a spectator, we are placed in a comforting position as we sit facing Lawson at chest level, as if we’re a friend sat in her actual kitchen observing her cook. This careful positioning ​of host and viewer reinforces this ​close ​connection between​ both. 
Another example of how Simply Nigella creates fantasy of closeness and an intimate bond between the cook and spectator is through the manipulation of direct address. Lawson constantly breaks the ‘fourth wall’ in the show to engage spectators in her activities and this acknowledgment of her audience pulls us deeply into the action. She also directly addresses her audience through her dialogue. For example, just before Lawson reveals to her audience how not to not get syrup stuck on cookware, she says, “I am going to show you my magic trick.” She also has a glint in her eyes as she is about to reveal a trade secret, again making the viewer feel that she is forming an even closer bond. This relationship offers the potential reward of being part of Lawson’s sophisticated, culinary world and creates a 'synthetic’ friendship between host and audience. This relationship ​​is so close that we even refer to the​ host​ on a first name basis.

With regards to its mise-en-scene, Simply Nigella is mainly set in Lawson’s kitchen at her home in west London. It is a very expensive house, full of quality furnishings and fixtures as well as expensive cooking utensils, gadgets and cookware. Her kitchen is illuminated in very soft light and painted and decorated in an extravagant, yet homely, manner. ​In this episode​ we even go out into her neighbourhood and visit her local Middle-Eastern deli as she acquires niche ingredients for her chicken shawarma dish. This aligns with Wright and Sandlin research on celebrity lead cooking shows since it’s "promoting an upper-middle-class lifestyle enhanced by the appropriation of goods and commodities." (Wright and Sandlin, 2009, p.406)
Furthermore, this also agrees with Laurie Ouellette's work on lifestyle television conventions for female-lead cookery program as these shows “are usually more practical in nature and are often set inside the home [or on a studio set designed to resemble a home kitchen].” (Ouellette, 2016, p. 103) In fact, we rarely see Lawson wield sharp knives or cut up large pieces of meat from animals whilst she constructs her dishes. She is a very feminine cook and her approach makes the method look simple, easy and accessible for any cook to tackle. 

To strengthen this idea, the traditional feminine colour of pink used the most frequently within the mise-en-scène. For example, her kitchen walls, some of her kitchen appliances and her outfit all use the same colour palette. However, Simply Nigella ​does​ attract a male audience too as it provides visual pleasure of not only the ​food but of ​the​ host​ too! In my opinion the show is filmed with a ​​male gaze. “Women are simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact so that they can be said to connote to-be-looked-at-ness.” (Mulvey, 1975, p. 62) Unlike other celebrity chefs, Lawson has a strong sex appeal. The show captures her body language, which can be cheeky at times as she pouts, gives wry grins and makes a few intimate comments about the food. The creative use of ​camera angles ​captures​ her voluptuous body​ and lips very well. The fact she doesn’t even wear an apron in the show exaggerates that importance of her appearance over her cooking skills. ​

The weekly late peak time slot for the show suggest it is intended for a mature audience, Simply Nigella may not appeal to all ages of audience. Lawson to some people is ​like the metaphor she uses about ​​liquorish in the episode. You’ll either love her or loathe her.​ ​For example, some viewers would feel put off​ watching her show because​ Lawson​ has such a ​posh public school accent and upper class lifestyle. ​On the other hand, ​others are seduced by the whole event of being invited into her life and share ​the lifestyle ​package of a beautiful host with a mesmerising, coquettish voice showing us how easy it is to impress diners with simple comfort food of high quality. ​Some people will wallow in t​he beauty of her kitchen; the intimacy of her own home; the ability to feel ​they​ have been allowed to share some of her intimate tips and stories and ​will love the feeling of thinking she is talking ​to,​​ and cooking for just them.

I agree with Lewis and Martin's findings on television programs of this genre as “while these shows vary considerably in terms of generic conventions and content, we can argue that they all share a concern with teaching audiences how to reflexively shape and optimise their personal lifestyles.” (Lewis and Martin, 2010, p. 320) Lawson empowers the audience into feeling they will be able to cook as well as her, be as happy as her and be as impressive to their family and friends as her through the nature of her intimate episodes.  They often end with wealthy friends arriving to eat her menu and gather around her table and eat, chat and drink together. The show aims to transform our consumerist’s tastes and lifestyle habits when it comes to what we eat through Lawson’s seduction, or should I say Nigella’s?

Word Count: 1092

Bibliography

Ketchum, C. (2005) "The Essence of Food Cooking Shows: How the Food Network Constructs Consumer Fantasies." Journal of Communication Inquiry 29: p. 217-234

Lawson, N. (2015) “Simply Nigella: Feel Good Food.” United Kingdom: Chatto & Windus.

Lewis, T. and Martin, F. (2010) 'Learning modernity: lifestyle advice television in Australia, Taiwan and Singapore', Asian Journal of Communication, 20(3), pp. 318-336.

Mulvey, M. (1975) ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’ in “Visual And Other Pleasures” (2009). Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire [England]: Palgrave Macmillan.

Ouellette, L. (2016) “Lifestyle TV”. United Kingdom: Routledge

Wright, R. R., and Sandlin, J. A. (2009)"You are What You Eat!?: Television Cooking Shows, Consumption, and Lifestyle Practices as Adult Learning". Adult Education Research Conference. Paper 70. p. 402-407

Simply Nigella (2015). TV program, British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC Two, 20:30, 30th November. [Accessed online 08/04/16: http://bobnational.net/record/334226 ]

Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Cult - Week 9 [Seminar Notes]

There will be two tutorials to do with your essay plans. You will need two good ideas for your essay and what you want to research for it. You need to combine them in your essay.

You should focus your essay on two topics you like, and something you think you'll be good at.

Construct questions from your reading from the debates that are raised.

Do not do the same debates in your essay that you've done from your critical log.

Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Cult
- Introduced a the prospect of a new world in the living room
- Opportunity to explore contrasts
- A sense of competition was introduced between channels
- Bigger budgets meant biggest audience
- Promises a cinematic spectacle

Cult Shows:
- Generic convention cross overs, appealing to a wider audiences
- Intertextual references in the shows
- Production of an extended universe.

Dr Who - Cult Success
- Time travel narrative play on nostalgia for the viewer as well as prospects for the future
- It has a multi-generational appeal and has it's own spin-off shows e.g. Torchwood and Sarah Jane adventures which can make a wider audience invest in the show.

Black Mirror
It doesn't have positive narratives, rather they are syndical and critical commentaries on critical issues is contemporary society.


"The fan audience is valuable to a network ... attempting to break into an increasingly competitive environment, because of the loyalty of fan viewers. A consequence, Matt Hills argues in 1990s 'fandom has begun to furnish a model of dedicated and loyal consumption which does, in point of face, appeal to television producers and schedulers within a fragmented multi-channel environment."
- Johnson, C. (2005)

Brett Mills, sitcoms

Do background readings, specific argument readings and particular TV shows