Theatre, Film and Television: Streaming Films about Television

Few innovations of the 20th century can top the television in overall effect on culture and daily life. This program covers the development of TV from the labs of John Baird, Philo T. Farnsworth, and Vladimir Zworykin to the present day. Pioneered as a futuristic and somewhat farfetched experimental branch of radio technology, television began as a very expensive luxury. Though its progress was slowed by World War II, the television industry exploded in the 1950s and now enjoys a 99 percent penetration of American households, with U.S. viewing reaching 250 billion hours per year. This program is an excellent tool for anyone studying the techno-cultural phenomenon of television. (28 minutes)

How do you juggle journalistic ideals with bottom-line concerns? Each day both local and national TV news operations attempt to report on the day’s events in a way that will maximize viewers and advertising dollars. But what is the downside of this tortured calculus? In this program, a wide assortment of news professionals and scholars cast a critical eye on the practices, content, and impact of TV news. Some charge that the race to the ratings jackpot has eroded the integrity and objectivity of newscasters. If this is not so, how does a newfound emphasis on the sensational and pop culture square with their duty to keep viewers informed about important issues of the body politic? (28 minutes)

Holly and Paul Fine are a husband and wife team of documentary producer/directors. Their works garnered 10 National Emmy and 75 Local Emmy awards, in addition to four Peabody awards. The couple had a long association with the CBS news program 60 Minutes and produced a number of television specials including In the Killing Fields of America. After leaving CBS, the Fines signed with ABC to produce specials for the hit series: 20/20, Turning Point and Primetime Live.

In this video, Rick Davis interviews Marshall Herskovitz, producer of Thirtysomething, My So-Called Life, Jack the Bear, and Quarterlife. Topics include his background, inspirations, partnership with Ed Zwick, and the rise of New Media. Learn how industry professionals became successful in the How to Make It in Film series shot at George Mason University.

In this video, Rick Davis interviews Megan Holley, whom Variety named one of the "10 Screenwriters to Watch." Topics include Holley's background, inspirations, the writing process, and working on Sunshine Cleaning, which starred Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. Learn how industry professionals became successful in the How to Make It in Film series shot at George Mason University.

In this video Rick Davis interviews Eduardo Sanchez, a Cuban-born American director, most famous for co-directing and writing the psychological horror The Blair Witch Project. His other films include Altered, Seventh Moon and Lovely Molly. Topics include the filmmaker's background, inspirations, and advice to students. Learn how industry professionals became successful in the How to Make It in Film series shot at George Mason University.

In this video, Rick Davis interviews comedy script writer and producer Aaron Peters. Peters wrote, consulted on, or produced over 150 episodes of broadcasted television, including Fox's The Simple Life; CBS' My Big, Fat Greek Life; NBC's Just Shoot Me; and MTV's The Tom Green Show and The Andy Dick Show. Covering all aspects of the filmmaking process, this program is designed to teach students what it takes to make it in the business.

This program details the history of this dynamic medium from its modest beginnings. In 1949, cable meant television for locations that had very poor reception or were inaccessible to broadcast signals. By the mid-1970s, cable service began to expand rapidly due to the easing of government restrictions and the use of satellite transmissions. Fiber optics, new cable-ready TVs, and an explosion of programming by an ever-growing number of networks helped to increase the number of available channels from a mere handful to hundreds. In the 1990s, with nearly 60 percent of American households wired for cable, it drew close to parity with the Big Three networks and PBS. More recently, cable has come to mean Internet access as well. For many people, the TV is now a source of personal communication, expanded learning and entertainment, and shopping as viewers use e-mail and the World Wide Web from their TVs. As the world reaps the possibilities of media convergence, what else will come down the cable pipeline? (28 minutes)

In 1927, Herbert Hoover made TV history by appearing in one of America’s first experimental broadcasts; 33 years later, the televising of the Kennedy-Nixon debates changed the face of political history forever. This program covers the progress of broadcast TV, from experimental novelty, to its emergence as a mass media powerhouse, and on to its current state as an industry with declining audience-share. In addition, the growth of public television and the symbiotic nature of the network-affiliate relationship are discussed. Can this once-dominant medium, now eroded by cable TV, VCRs, the Internet, and Nintendo, regain its past glory? This program is a necessary resource for any study of the history of broadcast television and its role in American culture. (28 minutes)

Largely responsible for bold American television in the 1970s, Norman Lear's name is synonymous with the sitcom. From his childhood and early career with his groundbreaking TV success (All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Good Times, Maude) and social activism, Lear proved social change was possible through an unlikely prism - laughter - and created some of the greatest moments in television history.