Quality television

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Quality television (also called "quality TV") is a term used by television scholars[1] television critics[2] , and broadcasting advocacy groups [3] to describe a genre or style of television programming that they argue is of higher quality, due to its subject matter or content. For several decades after World War II, television that was deemed to be "quality television" was mostly associated with government-funded public television networks [4]; however, with the development of cable network specialty television channels in the 1980s and 1990s, US cable channels such as HBO made a number of television shows that some television critics argued were "quality television", such as The Sopranos.

Claims that some television programs are of higher quality include a number subjective evaluations and value judgements. For example, Kristin Thompson's claim that "quality television" programs include "...a quality pedigree, a large ensemble cast, a series memory, creation of a new genre through recombination of older ones, self-consciousness, and pronounced tendencies toward the controversial and the realistic"[5] includes a number of subjective evaluations. The criteria for "quality television" set out by the US group Viewers For Quality Television ("A quality show is something we anticipate...[it] focuses more on relationships...[and] explores character, it enlightens, challenges, involves and confronts the viewer; it provokes thought...") also require a number of subjective evaluations.

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[edit] Fictional and non-fictional "quality television"

Fictional television programs that some television scholars and broadcasting advocacy groups argue are "quality television" include dramas such as Twin Peaks, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Sopranos, and The Simpsons. Kristin Thompson argues that some of these television dramas exhibit traits also found in art films, such as psychological realism, narrative complexity, and ambiguous plotlines. Nonfiction television programs that some television scholars and broadcasting advocacy groups argue are "quality television" include a range of serious, noncommercial programming aimed at a niche audience, such as documentaries and public affairs shows.

[edit] US "quality television"

The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which first aired in 1970, has been hailed as "one of the most acclaimed television programs ever produced," with its evolving, complex, and "fully-realized characters" and character-based storylines. The Mary Tyler Moore Show was the first show produced by MTM Productions, which later produced shows such as The Bob Newhart Show, Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere and L.A. Law. "MTM Productions developed a reputation...for creating what became known as "quality television," television readily identifiable by its textured, humane and contemporary themes and characters."[6]

Brown University professor Paul Buhle’s review of Quality Popular Television [7] states that “high-culture critics almost uniformly considered films to be dreck until television—when they enshrined the cinema auteur. At the next stage...some television... [programs were] accorded the status of "art."” Some British professors [8]and television writers argue that US television programming includes a number of quality shows. In April 2004, Dr Janet McCabe (Manchester Metropolitan University) and Kim Akass (Manchester Metropolitan University) organized a conference on “American Quality Television” to examine the “particular strand of American television known as Quality TV” (e.g., St Elsewhere, Hill Street Blues, thirtysomething, Twin Peaks, the X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, ER, The Sopranos, Sex and the City and Six Feet Under).

The BBC’s television listings magazine, Radio Times had an article in 2002 which asked ‘Why can’t Britain’s long-running dramas be more like America’s?’. David Gritten argued that the "...cream of American TV now stands for real quality", because US television dramas have "...the edge in portraying a broad gamut of human experience" and they are "...fast-paced, complex, smart and beautifully written."

Kristin Thompson the author of Storytelling in Film and Television[9] (Harvard University Press, May 2003), argues that US television shows such as David Lynch's Twin Peaks series have "...a loosening of causality, a greater emphasis on psychological or anecdotal realism, violations of classical clarity of space and time, explicit authorial comment, and ambiguity." [10] Thompson claims that series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Sopranos, and The Simpsons "...have altered long-standing notions of closure and single authorship", which means that "...television has wrought its own changes in traditional narrative form." Other television shows that have been called "art television," such as The Simpsons, use a "...flurry of cultural references, intentionally inconsistent characterization, and considerable self-reflexivity about television conventions and the status of the programme as a television show." [11]

Thompson compares David Lynch's film Blue Velvet and the television series Twin Peaks and "...asks whether there can be an "art television" comparable to the more familiar "art cinema." [12] An art film is a typically a serious, noncommercial, independently made film that is aimed at a niche audience, rather than a mass audience. Film critics and film studies scholars typically define an “art film” using a “...canon of films and those formal qualities that mark them as different from mainstream Hollywood films.” Jason Mittell, an assistant professor of American studies and film and media culture at Middlebury College, notes that many of the innovative television programs of the past twenty years have come from creators who launched their careers in film, a medium with more traditional cultural cachet," such as David Lynch, Barry Levinson, Aaron Sorkin, Joss Whedon, Alan Ball, and J. J. Abrams. [13]

[edit] Viewers for Quality Television

In the US, an organization called Viewers For Quality Television was formed in the 1980s to encourage the production and broadcasting of shows that the group argued were "quality television". The group polls their membership and builds consensus through a monthly newsletter. The group's founder Dorothy Swanson argued that "A quality show is something we anticipate before and savor after. It focuses more on relationships than situations; it explores character, it enlightens, challenges, involves and confronts the viewer; it provokes thought and is remembered tomorrow. A quality show colors life in shades of grey."

The group supported comedy shows such as Frank's Place, Designing Women, or Brooklyn Bridge, and dramas such as ER, Murder One or NYPD Blue. The group's annual rankings were monitored by broadcast industry executives, as the rankings showed the preferences of the so-called "high demographic" programming that appeals to university-educated, higher-income television viewers, a niche audience that is sought out by advertisers.

[edit] Narrative complexity

In the 1990s and 2000s, a new model of television storytelling began being used in some US television programs such as Seinfeld, The West Wing, and The X-Files, which emphasized narrative complexity and innovative plot frameworks. Some television programs used "interweaving...and...disjoined sound and image from five different time frames," which is a "presentational mode more common to European art cinema than American television." The cable channel HBO made a number of narratively complex shows, such as The Sopranos, The Wire, Six Feet Under, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and used these shows to help "brand" HBO as an alternative to conventional television channels[14]"

As television shows become increasingly popular as DVD rentals and purchases, media industries are trying to increase the “rewatchability” of programs. If a television program has a simple plot that can be understood in a single viewing, viewers will be less likely to want to purchase a DVD recordings of this television show. However, if a show as a complex narrative construction and richly detailed content, viewers will be more inclined to want to "rewatch episodes or segments to parse out complex moments." [15]

As well, the "...rise of narrative complexity has also seen the rise in amateur television criticism, as sites like televisionwithoutpity.com have emerged to provide thoughtful and humorous commentaries on weekly episodes." According to Steven Johnson, narratively complex television shows provide viewers with a "cognitive workout" that can help to increase their "...problem-solving and observational" skills. [16]

[edit] UK "quality television"

In the UK, television plays from the 1950s and 1960s tackled a range of controversial subjects, yet still managed to garner large audiences. These televised plays were regarded as a benchmark of high-quality British television drama, part of what some television historians refer to as the "golden age" of British television. British television drama writer John Hopkins has been noted for “...successful[ly] pioneering...the short series for serious drama,” which “...established an important precedent in Britain” and served as a model for subsequent television writers such as Dennis Potter and Alan Bleasdale.[17]

The UK's National Film and Television School (NFTS), which teaches creative and commercial skills, notes the "... tension which has given us popular cinema, serious as well as entertaining television, and allowed both media to become art forms in their own right." The UK public broadcaster-produced series' The Jewel in the Crown and Brideshead Revisited "...came to represent the "acme of British quality" and the Jewel in the Crown was "...held up as the epitome of excellence" and described as the "title everyone reaches for when asked for a definition of 'quality television'". [18]

The Arts Council of England's event Day of British Film states that the council's "top priority is to make strategic interventions in programme-making for network television broadcast... by co-producing "...programmes made by independent producers with television partners." The Art Film Festival examined television issues such as "Short-length programming: art in the age of satellite television", which examines "...ways in which contemporary, often aesthetically difficult work can be presented on network television in ways that are innovative but accessible."[19] Kristin Thompson argues that a show from the British public broadcaster, The Singing Detective, has what she defines as "art television" aspects similar to those that she finds in Lynch's Twin Peaks series [20]

Dr. David Lavery, the Chair in Film and Television at Brunel University (in London) has written a number of articles and book chapters on television that he argues is "quality television." He co-edited Twin Peaks in the Rearview Mirror: Appraisals and Reappraisals of the Show That Was Supposed to Change TV and wrote “Quirky Quality TV: Revisiting Northern Exposure.” (from Critical Studies in Television 1.2 (Autumn 2006): 34-38). In April 2004, Dr Janet McCabe and Kim Akass organized a conference on “American Quality Television” (described above in the section on the US) and have recently published a book 'Quality TV: Contemporary American Television and Beyond' (November 2007, I.B. Tauris). This collection is part of their Reading Contemporary Television series and, along with their contributors, they discuss various definitions of Quality TV.

Unlike the above-cited scholars, who discuss the contributions made by fictional television programs that they deem to be "quality television", Dieter Daniels argues that there "...is no form of high television culture that could be seen as a lasting cultural asset to be preserved for future generations", except for the "music clip." Daniels' article Television—Art or Anti-art? states the music clips (e.g., music videos) that "have emerged since the 1980s" have "...attracted accolades in the context of art and become part of museum collections", and that they "...are often seen as a continuation of the 1920s avant-garde absolute films." [21]

[edit] Campaign for Quality Television

In the UK, the Campaign for Quality Television Ltd. was set up in 1988. The Campaign aims to promote public service television, choice and quality for all viewers in the UK, and promote television programming which informs and educates people from all sectors of society. They call for a "true breadth of quality" and advocate for adequate funding for public service television. In 1998, the Campaign published two reports: Serious Documentaries on ITV, and The Purposes of Broadcasting. In 1999, the Campaign published A Shrinking Iceberg Slowly Travelling South, which examined the pressures of broadcasting and the impact on programmes. [22]

[edit] Canadian "quality television"

Television broadcasting in Canada is strongly influenced by the UK and US broadcasting systems. The Canadian broadcasting system's legislative foundation, the Broadcasting Act, and its public broadcaster, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, are both modeled on the UK broadcasting system and its use of a government-funded public broadcaster. In addition, the Canadian broadcasting system is influenced by the US broadcasting system. Most Canadians receive a number of US channels, either through over-the-air broadcasting (e.g., in border cities such as Windsor) or in cable TV packages. As well, Canadian commercial broadcasters' schedules are dominated by popular US shows.

Shows deemed to be "quality television" in Canada are usually produced and broadcast by the public broadcaster (CBC) or by the provincial educational broadcasters, such as Ontario's TVO, Saskatchewan's SCN, the BC Knowledge Network, and Quebec's Tele-Quebec.

[edit] The Alliance for Children and Television

The Alliance for Children and Television [23](ACT) is a Canadian non-profit organization that uses advocacy, awards ceremonies and other recognition, and professional training to promote Canadian children’s media. ACT lobbies governments about the issue of children’s screen-based entertainment. ACT encourages the production of high-quality programs and advocates the production and airing of the largest possible number high-quality programs for Canadian children and youth.

The ACT "statement of quality" provided the foundation for the Children’s Television Charter, which is currently being ratified by governments and broadcasters around the world. ACT argues that "quality television is television deemed excellent in both form and content, geared to the needs and expectations of its target viewers while meeting recognized industry standards." Furthermore, the organization claims that "the content of programs should be relevant and entertaining, stimulate the intellect and the imagination, and foster openness toward others. It should also be an accurate reflection of the world in which children grow up, respecting their dignity and promoting learning."[24]

[edit] Further reading

  • Janet McCabe and Kim Akass. Quality TV: Contemporary American Television and Beyond. Nov 2007. ISBN 1845115104
  • Quality Popular Television. Edited by Professor Mark Jancovich (Senior lecturer in film and television at the University of East Anglia) and James Lyons (lecturer in film at the University of Exeter). Published April 2003. Paperback ISBN 0851709419; Hardback ISBN 0851709400. This book discusses "quality popular television" shows such as Ally McBeal, Martial Law, Buffy,Lois and Clark, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Ellen. [25]
  • Ava Collins. "Intellectuals, power and quality television" in the Journal Cultural Studies. Issue Volume 7, Number 1/January 1993.
  • Lealand, G. "Searching for quality television in New Zealand: Hunting the moa?" in the INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CULTURAL STUDIES. 2001, VOL 4; NUMB 4, pages 448-455. Published by SAGE PUBLICATIONS in Great Britain. ISBN ISSN 1367-8779

[edit] References

  1. ^ Dr. David Lavery (the Chair in Film and Television at Brunel University in London); Dr Janet McCabe (Trinity College, Dublin);Kim Akass (London Metropolitan University); and Kristin Thompson, author of Storytelling in Film and Television (and co-author of several textbooks on film with her husband, David Bordwell). Thompson is an Honorary Fellow in the Department of Communication Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
  2. ^ A TV Guide article entitled "Girls Power: WB Drama to Return" states "Score one for fans of quality television: The WB is on the verge of renewing its acclaimed freshman drama Gilmore Girls for a second season.
  3. ^ Viewers For Quality Television in the US, the Campaign for Quality Television Ltd.in the UK, and the Alliance for Children and Television (ACT) in Canada
  4. ^ Government-funded public television networks such as the BBC produce "educational programming...[,]high quality documentaries and cinephile films" as a way "... to educate and ‘uplift’ the general population... Course description: Visual Art and Television (Open UvA college). Describes the complex relationships that art and television have maintained since the mid 20th century up to the present. (Art on TV; TV in Art; and TV as Art).
  5. ^ Cited in the Wilcox and Lavery article on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Available at: http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:Mu4rK9VuVDcJ:davidlavery.net/Essays/50_Key_Buffy.pdf+quality+television&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=191
  6. ^ Available online at: http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:hfYhFR-yufwJ:www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/marytylermo/marytylermo.htm+quality+television&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=117
  7. ^ eds. Mark Jancovich, James Lyons) London: BFI, 2003. Review available at: http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:1_fGVO4l-yMJ:www.filmint.nu/%3Fq%3Dnode/21+quality+television&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=68
  8. ^ Dr. David Lavery (the Chair in Film and Television at Brunel University in London); Dr Janet McCabe (Manchester Metropolitan University); and Kim Akass (Manchester Metropolitan University)
  9. ^ Some of her other publications include Storytelling in the New Hollywood: Understanding Classical Narrative Technique (Harvard University Press, November 1999); Breaking the Glass Armor: Neoformalist Film Analysis (Princeton University Press, August 1988); and, as a co-author with David Bordwell; Film Art: An Introduction (McGraw-Hill College, January 2003); Film History: An Introduction (McGraw-Hill College, August 2002)
  10. ^ Thompson. Available at: http://www.kamera.co.uk/books/new_hollywood_cinema.html
  11. ^ Thompson. Available at: http://www.kamera.co.uk/books/new_hollywood_cinema.html
  12. ^ Kristin Thompson. Storytelling in Film and Television. Summary available at: http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:_gjqtGL44gEJ:www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/THOSTF.html+%22art+television%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=126
  13. ^ Jason Mittell. Available at: http://segueuserfiles.middlebury.edu/jmittell/mittell%20narrative%20complexity.pdf.
  14. ^ Jason Mittell. Available at: http://segueuserfiles.middlebury.edu/jmittell/mittell%20narrative%20complexity.pdf.
  15. ^ Jason Mittell. Available at: http://segueuserfiles.middlebury.edu/jmittell/mittell%20narrative%20complexity.pdf.
  16. ^ Jason Mittell. Available at: http://segueuserfiles.middlebury.edu/jmittell/mittell%20narrative%20complexity.pdf.
  17. ^ Bob Millington. HOPKINS, JOHN. Available at: http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:7iymavYldWQJ:www.museum.tv/archives/etv/H/htmlH/hopkinsjohn/hopkinsjohn.htm+%22art+television%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=263
  18. ^ Peter McLuskie. Article on Jewel in the Crown. Available at: http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:5eFn3tTapUoJ:www.museum.tv/archives/etv/J/htmlJ/jewelinthe/jewelinthe.htm+quality+television&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=57
  19. ^ http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:3LbWphotjb0J:www.artfilm.sk/history/brit96/day_gb.html+art+television&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=236
  20. ^ Thompson. Available at: http://www.kamera.co.uk/books/new_hollywood_cinema.html
  21. ^ http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:ALI95AFDYgwJ:www.medienkunstnetz.de/themes/overview_of_media_art/massmedia/23/+art+television&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=151
  22. ^ http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:CK28L0qfCkQJ:www.communicationsact.gov.uk/responses/Campaign%2520for%2520quality%2520television.doc+quality+television&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=127
  23. ^ http://www.act-aet.tv/enapropos.htm
  24. ^ See the ACT STATEMENT OF QUALITY paragraph, at http://www.act-aet.tv/enapropos.htm
  25. ^ http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:Q2sgAKCJADYJ:www.bfi.org.uk/booksvideo/books/catalogue/details.php%3Fbookid%3D380+quality+television&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=243