Television Analysis WiSe 25/26

Since its inception in the early 20th century, television has been—perhaps more than any other medium—associated with everyday life. In today’s mediatised society, TV has to constantly compete with other media (e.g., social media, streaming media, video games) for the audience’s attention, yet, watching television remains an everyday activity for many people. This seminar focuses on different aspects of television analysis. Over the course of the seminar, we will approach several current and historical programmes (e.g., The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, South Park, The Rehearsal, Queer Eye, Twin Peaks) from a television studies point of view. Our investigation will primarily focus on the narration, reception, and aesthetics of contemporary television, but we will also touch on other subjects such as television genre, performance, and distribution. We will investigate what distinguishes television from other types of media and discuss several theoretical concepts that are essential for the analysis of television. These include—but are not limited to—dailiness, liveness, and seriality. Beyond analysing television on a textual level, we will focus on how viewers engage with television programmes on an emotional level (e.g., pleasure, empathy, antipathy) and examine the participatory culture surrounding contemporary television programmes.