Week 9- Cult TV

I am soo excited for this week and next week. Can't wait to hear what you all come up with!! =)

What role does Hills (2004) suggest the fans play in the construction of cult tv? How is media central to this? Hills (2004) states that cult TV can be neither made nor promoted as such by the media industry, but instead hinges vitality on audience take up and devotion. The media ins't one to promote or talk about cult tv, instead it just focuses on soap tv, it is up to the fans to circulate the publicity. Fan Fiction has become a way for many cult tv lovers to express and create there own story for the show. Many have even begin cult websites where fans can relive the experience and talk to other cult tv lovers. "as well as joining appreciation society's, fans of cult tv, gather for conventions, where they can share their interests. Again, this creates a sense of communal fan distinctiveness, working to knit together and sustain a fan culture since conventions can become annual events, held in fixed geographical locations, or even the same hotel, year after year. A great example of this would be comic-con. This is widely media coveraged and is where cult tv shows/movies, etc go and fans can interact and express interest and ideas. "Fans of cult tv create a market of memorabilla, merchandise and props that relate to their much loved tv shows, even along after cancellation and mass-merchandising of these shows." The fans are what keeping these shows alive.

Wilcox and Lavery (2002) identify 9 characteristics of "Quality TV" can you apply any of these to other television series that you have viewed recently? Are any other characterisitics you could add to the list?

After reading this article, i noticed alot of the same characteristics mentioned are the same as the TV show "Veronica Mars" and "True Blood." In saying this, "True Blood" has its herione but the main focus of the show is the hot vampires, so i wouldn't really compare this to the nature of Buffy the vampire slayer, it is quality TV to some, but to others, it is a waste of time.

Veronica Mars displays nearly all of the 9 characteristics specified. Plus many more. The show is based around a highschool student "veronica" who has become the outcast of her school, after her best friend was murdered. Her dad the sherif blames the girls father, causing Veronica to be 'freak' of the school. After an incident at a party, she is raped. She chops off all her hair and becomes a hardass girl, you can only love. She works for her dad PI company spends the first season trying to find her friends killer, as well as solving other cases for her peers. The show is based around her and her witty ways, not about the boys she is dating, or about her trying to become the next cheerleader. there is a very epic relationship, that kept the viewers wanting more, but it was Veronica that wowed the audience and is a true heroine.

1. Quality Tv usually has as quality pedigree - Rob Thomas the writer for Veronica Mars is an author, producer and screenwriter. He graduated from the University of Texas and has worked on a number of TV Shows and films, such as; Cupid, Dawsons Creek (first season), Veronica Mars, Party Down, Good behaviour, 90210, and many others.

2. Desirable demographics notwithstanding - Veronica mars was so widely loved by the WB and the audience, it was picked up for a second season half way through season one, which was a first in tv history for the WB. After the third season, WB decided that that was enough and pulled the show off the air, much to the sadness of the cast and the audience. They have since been fighting with the WB to make a Veronica Mars film. Fans have even sent in 'mars bars' to the studios to try and convice them otherwise.

3. Quality TV, tend to have a large ensemble cast - the cast of 'Veronica Mars' is stellar, they are known for there great guest stars as well, many of the names you will recognize. Kristin Bell plays the witty Veronica Mars. Amanda Seyfried played Veronicas dead best friend Lilly Kane. Percy Daggs plays her bestfriend Wallace, her sidekick and star of the basket ball team. they became friends after she cut him down naked from the school flag pole. Teddy Dunn played Duncan Kane, her Boyfriend and also Lilly Kanes brother. Jason Dhoring played Logan Echolls, Veronicas enemy in High School, He was her friend before Lilly died, but was hurt when she stuck by her fathers decision. He then soon turned her boyfriend. There were many other main characters such as; Francis Capra, Encrio Colantoni, Ryan Hanson, Tina Majorino, Chris Lowell, Harry Hamilm, etc. There have been guest stars such as Paris Hilton, Leyton Meester, Alyson Hannigan, Charisma Carpender, and many more.

4. Quality TV has memories - Throughout all of 'Veronica Mars' there were flashback scenes to previous episodes as well as references.

5. Quality TV creates a new genre by mixing old ones - Rob Thomas states that Veronica Mars is a mix between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Beverly Hills 90210. Veronica is the female heroine, who is witty, beautiful and can get whatever she wants just like Buffy, but the setting is a cross between 90210 with the dramas that surface.

6. Quality TV tends to be Literary and writer-based - Rob Thomas has said that writer for tv is like writing a novel every week, accept that you get to develop the characters more, and make them take certain twists and turns that you can only do on television.

7. Quality TV is self- conscious - There are many websites devoted to "veronica mars" such as Neptunegrand.com. Neptunesite.com and marsinvestigations.net. These are a place where fans are able to go and talk on discussion forms, and when the shows was on air it had countdown clocks to the next episode as well as summarys and quotes.

8.The subject matter of Quality TV is tends towards the contrversial - In the first season they were ordered to re-do the piolt as it was deemed to graphic for the viewers as it showed Lilly Kane lying next to the pool with her head based in and then the next season was veronica talking about how she had gotten rapped. The use of drugs and std references did also not go down well with the media, but they kept on doing it anyway, which i think makes for great tv.

9. Quality TV aspires towards 'realism' - Veronica Mars, is a show that does not do what is expected. it isn't some cheesy show that only focuses on sex and alchocol and it does not dim down what really happens in life. They don't once in the whole show, make everyone forgive one another and make veronica ms popular, she sticks to who she is throughout the whole show, which is think is what you could call great quality TV.

- There is one thing that i think should be added to the list and that is - Quality TV gives the audience something to hope for - Throughout the series the audience were rooting for Veronica and Logan to get together. They had gone through hell in highschool but after she helped him see if his mum was still alive, after he saved her from a bomber and from being attacked and raped again, and the 'epic' speech, they gave the show a bit of a heart. Because lets face it, we all need a little LoVe.

References -

Hills, M. (2004). Defining Cult TV; Texts, Inter-texts and Fan Audiences, The Television Studies Reader, in R. C. Allen & A. Hill. London and New York: Routledge.

Wilcox, R. & Lavery, D. (2002). Introduction, in R. Wilcox & D. Lavery

(eds) Fighting the forces: what’s at stake in Buffy the vampire slayer. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield.

Wikipedia- Rob Thomas