VM100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Sitcom, Studio System, Sitaonair
4 Jul 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
VM 100 History of Media Arts
Prof. Michael Selig
Sem. 1 Lecture #16
Television- Part 2 of Lecture
-Multiple camera set-up- Live on-air studio production
-No post-production
TV aesthetic- “Talking Heads”
-Small screen, poorer image quality
Live TV Drama: Problems
-Single sponsors produce through ad agencies or “packaging firms”
-Sponsors unhappy with shows’ emphasis on social problems
Networks unhappy with- “Time franchise” system
-Move to control programming and schedule which can’t be done in this system
Mid to late fifties-
In house productions at CBS Television City, NBC’s Burbank Studios
-Independent productions on film
-Networks with ‘licensing rights’ (syndication) in exchange for development $
-Networks want films they can exploit/move into local market/repeat
Filmed TV
-Desilu and I Love Lucy (1957) (Desilu= Production Company)
-Most watched show for four seasons of six
-“Sitcom”- word short for ‘situational comedy’
-Lucy is also an example of domestic comedy
-Profits in- syndication, international distribution
Summary of Changes from mid-late 1950s
-Sponsors/agencies producing —> Networks/indie production
-Industry shifts from live television to the telefilm !
-“TV Theater” as predominant type of TV program -> Action/Adventure dominates the television
Hollywood Studios and Television
-Initial resistance is TV competition
But end of studio system- Studio facilities, personnel unused
-B-units for television production
ABC & Development of Telefilm- CBS & NBC tie up against agencies/stars, one-time special
events, spectacles with big stars
-ABC & Habitual viewing- look to Hollywood studios
Disney- Economic troubles in 1940s, diversification: “total re-merchandising” moves from shorts
to full films
-Promote new theme park through TV shows
Document Summary
Single sponsors produce through ad agencies or packaging rms . Sponsors unhappy with shows" emphasis on social problems. Move to control programming and schedule which can"t be done in this system. In house productions at cbs television city, nbc"s burbank studios. Networks with licensing rights" (syndication) in exchange for development $ Networks want lms they can exploit/move into local market/repeat. Desilu and i love lucy (1957) (desilu= production company) Most watched show for four seasons of six. Lucy is also an example of domestic comedy. Industry shifts from live television to the tele lm. Tv theater as predominant type of tv program -> action/adventure dominates the television. But end of studio system- studio facilities, personnel unused. Abc & development of tele lm- cbs & nbc tie up against agencies/stars, one-time special events, spectacles with big stars. Abc & habitual viewing- look to hollywood studios. Disney- economic troubles in 1940s, diversi cation: total re-merchandising moves from shorts to full lms.
