Issues in Cult Television
Word count: 3000 including bibliography (you can go 10% over or under BUT I strongly recommend you use as much of the word count as you can)
Choose one essay question from the list below.
Ensure that your essay demonstrates a range of relevant reading and an understanding of the related key concepts. There should be an argument that runs right through the essay.
Academics have paid considerable attention to what has been referred to as the rise of ‘quality TV’ (Cardwell, 2007; McCabe and Akass, 2007). How useful is the term when trying to define cult TV and what role have quality cult TV shows played in the rise of VOD?
Symes (2017) argued that more rich lesbian representations through shows such as Orange is the New Black have become possible because VOD services such as Netflix do not have to make as many concessions to advertisers. Using a range of VOD examples, to what extent do you think this has signalled a new era of cult ‘queer TV’?
Hills (2004) argued that it is possible for a TV series to be both cult and mainstream. Focusing on 2 TV shows of your choice, do you think stardom plays a role in creating mainstream cult TV, and if so, how?
One view of cult TV is that any TV series could be become cult, what matters is that the TV show offers a means for fans to express an opposition to an imagined mainstream (Jancovich and Hunt, 2004). How would you critically evaluate this approach to defining cult TV and to what extent do you agree with this view?
Many cult TV series have camp aspects to their narrative, characterisations, and visual presentation. How has ‘pop camp’ become a feature of cult television and do you think it can still be political in queer terms?
Do you think cult television played a role in the development and establishment of the current Netflix brand and if so, how?
Hunt (2013) argued that it is more difficult to successfully take British cult comedy into the mainstream, than it is for other genres such as science fiction. Based on British TV comedy of the last 10 years, to what extent do you think this argument is still relevant, and why?
