Skip to document
Welcome to StudocuSign in to access the best study resources
Guest user
0followers
Upload
HomeMy LibraryAsk AI
  • You don't have any recent items yet.
My Library
  • You don't have any modules yet.
  • You don't have any books yet.
  • You don't have any Studylists yet.

CW3 - History and Context

I was Course Representative, I graduated with a First, and I have been...
Module

Film and Television History and Contexts (MED1417)

11 Documents
Students shared 11 documents in this course
Academic year: 2014/2015
Uploaded by:
Anonymous Student
This document has been uploaded by a student, just like you, who decided to remain anonymous.
Edge Hill University

Comments

Please sign in or register to post comments.

Students also viewed

Related documents

Preview text

Evaluating Elke Weissmann’s introduction to ‘Transnational Television Drama’ In this article, I will evaluate Elke Weissmann’s (2012:1ff) introduction to her book ‘Transnational Television Drama: Special Relations and Mutual Influences between the US and the UK’. Through analysis, I will investigate her claims about the creative and economic processes of transnational television in the US and UK broadcasting systems, judging the strength of her arguments, as well as the evidence she provides. Weissmann begins her chapter by briefly investigating the creative differences between US and UK broadcasted television. She emphasizes in that in US drama character development is the key to making your “programme…a hit”, because it “allows audiences to remain interested” (Weissmann 2012:2) throughout the lengthy seasons typical of US drama. According to her, the UK system “remains dedicated to the creative vision of the writer/creator…who is given reign over the development of a story” (Weissmann 2012:2). The US system is based on “economic incentives”, which Weissmann (citing Hesmondhalgh 2007) claims “restricts the creativity and the artist”. However, Weismann makes clear throughout her article that US and UK programmes aren’t as “different” as they may initially appear, because they are made “in response” (Weissmann 2012:2) to each other. Even when not direct adaptations from one another, there is a definite influence from the opposing nation. The industries “observe each other”, not just to take “inspiration” from each other for “develop[ing] new ideas”, but also in order to “find new material that can be imported or adapted” (Weissmann 2012:2). Even later in the chapter, she is still emphasising the “exceptional space in the imagination of the US” that the UK “takes up” (Weissmann 2012:8). As each nation provides huge audiences to one another, they are “fundamentally constructed in recognition” of each other, and act as “additional markets” that the other “needs to…cater to” (Weissmann 2012:6). Although focusing mainly on the US and UK’s influence upon each other, Weissmann also wants to put across the point of other countries absorbing culture from the television broadcasted to them. To do this, she theorizes globalised television in terms of travel. She believes watching television from another country “can open up the world to the viewer as a traveller” (Weissmann 2012:5), and that migrants’ culture is “determined by the transnational” (Weissmann 2012:6). Apart from briefly discussing the success of the Latin America, who “found a notable access point to the US television market” (Weissmann 2012:8), Weissmann is eager to confirm that the US and UK triumph over the rest of the world’s broadcasting systems. Although the nations are clubbed together by the “geo-linguistic market” (Weissmann 2012:4) of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the English speaking parts of Canada, the “global market place…prices both US and UK exports above those of other countries” (Weissmann 2012:4). However, if we are to focus on comparisons in power between the US and UK broadcasting systems, the US is dominant. Weissmann claims this is due to “its large internal market”, meaning it is not “dependant” on other countries (Weissmann 2012:4). This goes in hand with the “cultural imperialism thesis”, which is analysed by Weissmann in this article. This thesis suggests that “the media is part of a larger ambition” for the US “to dominate world markets” (Weissmann 2012:3). Weissmann claims that through the media, the US are “transporting American cultural values”, including Capitalism, to “vulnerable countries which have to bow down to US dominance” (Weissmann 2012:3). She points out that while the US influences most countries with their media, it is only the UK which “takes on a more elevated role in the American cultural imagination” (Weissmann 2012:3). She puts this down to history, and reminds us (by citing Terry Flew 2007:195) that “Britain has significant linguistic, cultural, diplomatic and other affinities to the United States” (Weissmann 2012:4). Weissmann emphasises throughout her article the impact history has had on modern day broadcasting. In Jeffrey S. Miller’s book ‘Something Different: British Television and American Culture’, he says “British television's relationship with American culture in the past twenty years has not been confined to cable” (Miller 2000:172). Whilst agreeing with the importance of history in the broadcasting relationship, as Weissmann is claiming, his point contrasts because he only highlights the relationship in the last twenty years, whereas Weissmann goes back to colonial history. Even the dominance in the media of the US “largely coincides with the…rise of television…after the Second World War” (Weissmann 2012:4). Citing Dobson (1995), she states that the “subsequent understanding” that the US and UK have of each other stems television” by “focusing on the transnational relationship between the two countries” in terms of broadcast television, and does so successfully by citing multiple sources and providing relevant evidence. BIBLIOGRAPHY Weissmann, E. (2012) Transnational Television Drama: Special relations and mutual influence between the US and UK. (Basingstoke: Palgrave). Hilmes, Michele (2011): Network Nations: A Transnational History of American and British Broadcasting (London, New York: Routledge). Moran, Albert (2009): New Flows in Global Television (Bristol, Chicago: Intellect) Miller, Jeffrey S. (2000): Something Completely Different. British Television and American Culture (Minneapolis, London: University of Minnesota Press).

Was this document helpful?

CW3 - History and Context

Module: Film and Television History and Contexts (MED1417)

11 Documents
Students shared 11 documents in this course

University: Edge Hill University

Was this document helpful?
Evaluating Elke Weissmann’s introduction to ‘Transnational Television
Drama’
In this article, I will evaluate Elke Weissmann’s (2012:1ff) introduction to her book
‘Transnational Television Drama: Special Relations and Mutual Influences between the US
and the UK’. Through analysis, I will investigate her claims about the creative and economic
processes of transnational television in the US and UK broadcasting systems, judging the
strength of her arguments, as well as the evidence she provides.
Weissmann begins her chapter by briefly investigating the creative differences
between US and UK broadcasted television. She emphasizes in that in US drama character
development is the key to making your “programme…a hit”, because it “allows audiences to
remain interested” (Weissmann 2012:2) throughout the lengthy seasons typical of US
drama. According to her, the UK system “remains dedicated to the creative vision of the
writer/creator…who is given reign over the development of a story” (Weissmann 2012:2).
The US system is based on “economic incentives”, which Weissmann (citing Hesmondhalgh
2007) claims “restricts the creativity and the artist”.
However, Weismann makes clear throughout her article that US and UK programmes
aren’t as “different” as they may initially appear, because they are made “in response”
(Weissmann 2012:2) to each other. Even when not direct adaptations from one another,
there is a definite influence from the opposing nation. The industries “observe each other”,
not just to take “inspiration” from each other for “develop[ing] new ideas”, but also in order
to “find new material that can be imported or adapted” (Weissmann 2012:2). Even later in
the chapter, she is still emphasising the “exceptional space in the imagination of the US” that
the UK “takes up” (Weissmann 2012:8). As each nation provides huge audiences to one
another, they are “fundamentally constructed in recognition” of each other, and act as
“additional markets” that the other “needs to…cater to” (Weissmann 2012:6).
Although focusing mainly on the US and UK’s influence upon each other, Weissmann
also wants to put across the point of other countries absorbing culture from the television
broadcasted to them. To do this, she theorizes globalised television in terms of travel. She
believes watching television from another country “can open up the world to the viewer as a

Students also viewed

Related documents