The Uses of Shakespeare on American TV 1990-2010
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The Uses of Shakespeare on American TV 1990-2010 By Kendra Ann Whitmire A Thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of Masters of Philosophy. Shakespeare Institute Department of English College of Arts and Law University of Birmingham February 2011 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. Abstract Certain social, formal and technological aspects of television impact the creation of television, one of which is its being a postmodern medium full of intertextual references. Shakespeare is a common tool from which to draw for these references, and there are several types of appropriations of Shakespeare found on television. These include textual quotation, referencing a character name or play title, enacting or adapting the plays, sharing a similar plot, and alluding to famous scenes, actors, or adaptations of Shakespeare. There are two major categories of references: lengthy appropriations related to enaction/education and shorthand references. Seeing how Shakespeare references, especially the small, brief ones, are used within a show demonstrates how Shakespeare is a tool used in the creation and movement of a show. After outlining the important aspects of the television industry and defining the various common appropriations of Shakespeare, this study then focuses on several case studies to demonstrate the various uses of Shakespeare on television. By examining these case studies, the wide variety of Shakespearean uses will be discovered, as well as the similarities of appropriation, especially based on genre, thus demonstrating Shakespeare’s influence and how it is still is strong in modern culture. Table of Contents Introduction 1 Chapter 1: Television 101 3 Chapter 2: Shakespeare on Television 29 Chapter 3: Learning and Enacting Shakespeare 55 Chapter 4: Shorthand 79 Conclusion 113 Notes 116 Appendix: Database of TV Episodes Featuring Shakespeare References 122 Bibliography 156 Introduction Television in the current post-broadcast era is a medium in transition with certain social, formal and technological advances impacting the development of programming. Postmodernism has found a special home in television, making television shows a minefield of intertextual references. Shakespeare is a common tool from which to draw for these references. They are manifested in a variety of ways, including textual quotation, referencing a character name or play title, enacting or adapting the plays, sharing a similar plot, and alluding to famous scenes, actors, or adaptations of Shakespeare. The references can constitute a majority of the episode or be brief, overlooked appropriations. It is important to explore how these different appropriations are used within the industry of television, especially with regard to the dramatic structure of a television show. Seeing how Shakespeare references, especially the small, brief ones, are used within a show demonstrates how Shakespeare is a creative device for the development and movement of a show. Within a show, he and his works can be employed to enrich the theme, advance the plot, add to characterization, and supply humour. Shakespeare has left a linguistic and cognitive legacy, and this study, by cataloguing the function of the various Shakespeare references in the dramatic structure of the show, will dissect how modern television shows utilize Shakespeare and his legacy. Before exploring Shakespeare’s impact, the culture of modern television must first be detailed, with a special focus on the changes happening due to modern technology and the increase of cable channels. After outlining the context of television, the categories of Shakespeare appropriation will then be defined, including the common elements of the various types of recurring iconic references to Shakespeare. Finally, this study will focus on several case studies to demonstrate the types of appropriations of Shakespeare material on television. In order to provide a broad enough illustration, there will be several episodes 1 examined. Some of the uses of Shakespeare have a denser meaning and interpretation that deepens the television show at large, while others only provide support to the narrative structure, not allowing for intense deconstruction. However, each use of Shakespeare appropriation highlights trends that also demonstrate the culture of modern television. By examining these case studies, the wide variety of Shakespearean uses will be discovered, as well as the similarities of appropriation, thus validating Shakespeare’s influence and longevity in modern culture. 2 Chapter 1: Television 101 Television is a central part of day-to-day life in America, with 99% of households owning a television set and the average American spending 31 hours per week watching television, according to Nielson’s December 2009 report.1 Because television is such an integral part of daily life, studying Shakespeare’s place on television gauges his influence in modern culture. Television is a medium of generics, formulas and tropes, and Shakespeare references function similarly in television creation. However, before focusing on the case studies of Shakespeare uses in television, there are several important aspects of television culture needing to be defined. Television is a fluid medium, with its continuous transformation reflecting technological and societal changes that affect both how television is viewed and how it is created, impacting any scholarship involving television. Today, television is not only viewed via live broadcast but also watched recorded, on demand, on DVD, online, downloaded to computers, and even on mobile phones, making television even more accessible and ubiquitous than before, creating the post-broadcast era. Called such because it no longer broadly casts but now is a narrowcast medium, the post-broadcast era also means television is no longer a mass medium but instead is continually narrowing into a niche medium.2 Because of the range of information and programming found within the world of television, certain guidelines need to be outlined when discussing any aspect of television studies. Additionally, due to the large scope of television, studies such as this must be narrowly focused. This project will focus on programs aired on the major networks, the basic cable networks, and the premium cable networks in the United States of America in the years 1990-2010, although there may be some shows that debuted slightly before these dates whose episodes outside of these dates may be discussed. Additionally, any broad generalizations about television are aimed at American television, especially within those dates. Because of the nature of television production, aspects of the industry, the technology 3 and the common tropes of television impact the creation of the individual episodes and programs and therefore need to be defined and contextualized to enrich the fuller argument. Outlining these aspects provides the context in which the case studies will be studied. Challenges to Text and Flow Unlike some media, the television text is not definitively fixed. The central text can be the individual episode, the series, or even everything shown on one network in one evening. The latter idea of text was central to Raymond Williams’ important 1974 argument about flow found in his Television: Technology and Cultural Form. Commercial television with its advertisements was a different way of storytelling and viewers had to learn to read this new kind of text. Williams noticed that each section of television (segment of a show and each advertisement) flowed seamlessly into the next. The commercials would have something in common with the previous segment or commercial, making it easy on viewers to unconsciously follow each section of programming.3 William’s important study about the flow of television became an integral part of television studies and is still studied today. When initially studying television, the idea of flow was very important due to lack of choice and of recording. Because there were only three networks and video cassette recorders (VCRs) and other recording devices were not yet available, viewers had little choice and could only view shows once, so the idea of flow coincided with the actual habits of audiences. However, the creation of new technologies and networks challenges this notion of text and flow. A significant technological advance for television that impacted the way television was viewed and subsequently created was the VCR. Audiences could now record their favourite shows and watch them on their own schedule, fast-forwarding through the commercials. Additionally, it meant that audiences could watch a show as often as desired, introducing repeat viewing and making television no longer a transient medium. Technology 4 has advanced even more with the advent of the digital video recorder (DVR), which uses digital technology to record multiple programs at the same time, pause live television, rewind live television, and record