DOCSLIB.ORG

Mrts 4450/5660.001: It's Not Tv, It's Hbo!

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Mrts 4450/5660.001: It's Not Tv, It's Hbo! MRTS 4450/5660.001: IT’S NOT TV, IT’S HBO! University of North Texas Fall 2020 Professor: Jennifer Porst Email: [email protected] Class: T 2:30-5:20P Office Hours: By appointment Course Description: Since its debut in the early 1970s, HBO has been a powerhouse in American television and film. They regularly dominate the nominations for Emmy and Golden Globe awards, and their success has profoundly affected the television and film industries and the content they produce. Through an examination of the birth and development of HBO, we will see what a closer analysis of the channel can tell us about television, Hollywood, and American culture over the last four decades. We will also look to the future to see what HBO might become in the increasingly global and digital television landscape. Student Learning Goals: This course will provide students with an opportunity to: • Understand the industrial conditions that led to the birth and success of HBO • Gain insight into the contemporary challenges and opportunities faced by the media industries • Develop critical thinking skills through focused analysis of readings and HBO content • Communicate clearly and confidently in class discussion and presentations Required Texts: 1. Edgerton, Gary R. and Jeffrey P. Jones, Eds. The Essential HBO Reader. Lexington, KY: The University Press of Kentucky, 2008. Available as an e-book via the UNT Library website. 2. Subscription to HBO Go/Now 3. Additional required readings and screenings will be available for free through the class website. 4. Students will need to register for use of the Packback Questions site, which should cost between $10- 15 for the semester. Course Requirements: All assignments will be discussed in detail before we come to them, and assignment details are available on our course website in Canvas. Class Participation & Attendance In order to do well in this class, it is essential that you actively participate. Quality participation includes completing the assigned readings and screenings before we discuss them, making intelligent and relevant comments in class, asking good questions, taking notes, participating in class activities and screenings, and active listening. Participation in discussion should demonstrate that students have completed the assigned homework for the week and can intelligently discuss the content of that homework. Students are expected to attend classes regularly and promptly and are responsible for all work done in classes when they are absent. Students should notify Prof. Porst in advance of unavoidable absences due to illness, family emergency, or religious holidays. Since life happens, all students get one “pass” for an absence. In order to excuse any additional absences, students must meet with Prof. Porst and complete makeup work. An unexcused absence will result in a letter grade deduction from your participation grade, and two unexcused absences will result in a failing grade for the class. Tardies or early departures from class will accumulate to equal one unexcused absence per twenty minutes. COVID-19 impact on attendance While attendance is expected as outlined above, it is important for all of us to be mindful of the health and safety of everyone in our community, especially given concerns about COVID-19. If you are experiencing 1 cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, or any of the other possible symptoms of COVID-19 (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html) please seek medical attention from the Student Health and Wellness Center (940-565-2333 or [email protected]) or your health care provider. While attendance is an important part of succeeding in this class, your own health, and those of others in the community, is more important. Packback Discussion The Packback Questions platform will be used for online discussion about the assigned homework BEFORE our weekly Zoom class meeting. Packback Questions is an online community where you can be fearlessly curious and ask open-ended questions to build on top of what we are covering in class and relate topics to real-world applications. In order to receive your points per week, you should submit the following per each deadline period: • 1 open-ended Question per week with a minimum Curiosity Score of 60, each worth 33.33% of each assignment grade • 2 Responses per week with a minimum Curiosity Score of 65, each worth 66.67% of each assignment grade Partial credit will be provided for questions and responses that do not meet the minimum curiosity score. Small Group Discussions During our class time each week, we will spend approximately half of that class time in our Zoom meeting discussing the homework and extending or applying the homework to another related topic or case study. For the remainder of the weekly class time, students will work with their small groups to complete any additional readings and/or screenings and participate in the Canvas discussion board about those readings/screenings. Each student should post at least two quality responses to the discussion board prompt and small groupmates’ posts. See the rubrics on Canvas for additional grading information. Research Project: For the research project, you will have a choice between three assignments: (1) you may write a paper analyzing one of HBO’s properties and its place in the HBO universe; (2) you may imagine that you have just taken over as CEO of HBO and write a white paper for the head of TimeWarner outlining your plan for the future of the network; or (3) you can develop a proposal for a new HBO series or movie. Papers (2) and (3) will support their plan/proposal based on the success and failures of HBO’s past programming and industrial strategies and the possibilities of the entertainment industry’s digital future. All projects will be 5-7 pages in length, and we will talk about this assignment in more detail in an upcoming class period. Project Presentation & Peer Review Students will present their research project as a work in progress to their classmates in the last week of class, and will provide peer-review feedback to two classmates. Formatting of Written Work All written work should be formatted and, when necessary, properly cited according to either Chicago or MLA Style. Please keep in mind that these formatting guidelines refer to the overall formatting of the paper in addition to the formatting of the citations. Guides for both mLA and Chicago style are available on our course website. Policy on Late Work Any written work submitted after the deadline will receive a one letter grade deduction for each day late. Assignments will not be accepted more than one week after the original due date unless other arrangements have been made in advance with Prof. Porst. Late Packback discussion board posts will not be accepted. 2 Except in case of a documented emergency, students must be present and participate in the project presentations and peer review, or they will receive a failing grade for that project. Grade Breakdown Zoom Attendance & Participation…………25% Project Presentation & Peer Review………10% Packback Discussion………………….....…20% Research Project…………………………..15% Small Group Discussion…..………………..30% Letter grades indicate the following levels of performance: A = Outstanding work D = Below average work B = Good work F = Failing or Incomplete work C = Acceptable work Office Hours and Email If you have questions about the class or your work, there are four ways to get the answers you need: (1) Take another look at the syllabus and all of the material posted to our course website. If you cannot find the answer there, then you can: (2) Post your questions in the “Questions about the class” discussion board. If you have a question, it is likely that others do too, so post it here and help create a valuable source of information for everyone. (3) At the beginning of each of our class Zoom meetings, I will ask if anyone has questions, and you may ask then. (4) If you have something that you would like to discuss with me individually, we can schedule a Zoom meeting. You may schedule an appointment with me via the calendar on Canvas. Zoom Etiquette Avoid distractions from email, text messages, etc. by quitting those applications and silencing your phones. Wear appropriate clothing and make sure that everything that is visible in your surroundings is compliant with UNT’s guidelines. Basic guideline: if it wouldn’t be ok in the classroom, it’s probably not ok in Zoom. Class Recordings I am aware that given our current (and currently changing!) situation, not all students may experience classes in the same way at the same time. In order to make sure that all students can access our class content, I will record our Zoom sessions and make the recording available on Canvas. Please be aware that students are not allowed to record class sessions, unless the Office of Disability Services has approved it as an accommodation in which case, I need that documentation from the ODA. No one, including faculty and students, is allowed to share course content outside the course without consent of the instructor and all students in the course. It is a violation of privacy and copyright laws as well as university policy to share course content outside of the class and could lead to disciplinary action. The UNT Writing Lab I encourage you to take advantage of the services available at the UNT Writing Lab. Tutors are available to work online with undergraduates and graduates. They can help with issues related to structure, grammar, punctuation, citation styles, and more. They do more than merely proofread; they teach you strategies and techniques to improve your writing for the long term. All services are free.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Constructing, Programming, and Branding Celebrity on Reality Television
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Producing Reality Stardom: Constructing, Programming, and Branding Celebrity on Reality Television A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the Requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Film and Television by Lindsay Nicole Giggey 2017 © Copyright by Lindsay Nicole Giggey 2017 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Producing Reality Stardom: Constructing, Programming, and Branding Celebrity on Reality Television by Lindsay Nicole Giggey Doctor of Philosophy in Film and Television University of California, Los Angeles, 2017 Professor John T. Caldwell, Chair The popular preoccupation with celebrity in American culture in the past decade has been bolstered by a corresponding increase in the amount of reality programming across cable and broadcast networks that centers either on established celebrities or on celebrities in the making. This dissertation examines the questions: How is celebrity constructed, scheduled, and branded by networks, production companies, and individual participants, and how do the constructions and mechanisms of celebrity in reality programming change over time and because of time? I focus on the vocational and cultural work entailed in celebrity, the temporality of its production, and the notion of branding celebrity in reality television. Dissertation chapters will each focus on the kinds of work that characterize reality television production cultures at the network, production company, and individual level, with specific attention paid to programming focused ii on celebrity making and/or remaking. Celebrity is a cultural construct that tends to hide the complex labor processes that make it possible. This dissertation unpacks how celebrity status is the product of a great deal of seldom recognized work and calls attention to the hidden infrastructures that support the production, maintenance, and promotion of celebrity on reality television.
    [Show full text]
  • February 26, 2021 Amazon Warehouse Workers In
    February 26, 2021 Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer, Alabama are voting to form a union with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). We are the writers of feature films and television series. All of our work is done under union contracts whether it appears on Amazon Prime, a different streaming service, or a television network. Unions protect workers with essential rights and benefits. Most importantly, a union gives employees a seat at the table to negotiate fair pay, scheduling and more workplace policies. Deadline Amazon accepts unions for entertainment workers, and we believe warehouse workers deserve the same respect in the workplace. We strongly urge all Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer to VOTE UNION YES. In solidarity and support, Megan Abbott (DARE ME) Chris Abbott (LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE; CAGNEY AND LACEY; MAGNUM, PI; HIGH SIERRA SEARCH AND RESCUE; DR. QUINN, MEDICINE WOMAN; LEGACY; DIAGNOSIS, MURDER; BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL; YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) Melanie Abdoun (BLACK MOVIE AWARDS; BET ABFF HONORS) John Aboud (HOME ECONOMICS; CLOSE ENOUGH; A FUTILE AND STUPID GESTURE; CHILDRENS HOSPITAL; PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR; LEVERAGE) Jay Abramowitz (FULL HOUSE; GROWING PAINS; THE HOGAN FAMILY; THE PARKERS) David Abramowitz (HIGHLANDER; MACGYVER; CAGNEY AND LACEY; BUCK JAMES; JAKE AND THE FAT MAN; SPENSER FOR HIRE) Gayle Abrams (FRASIER; GILMORE GIRLS) 1 of 72 Jessica Abrams (WATCH OVER ME; PROFILER; KNOCKING ON DOORS) Kristen Acimovic (THE OPPOSITION WITH JORDAN KLEPPER) Nick Adams (NEW GIRL; BOJACK HORSEMAN;
    [Show full text]
  • View 202001.Pdf
    ON THE SCREEN Premieres Wednesday, January 8 10.10 PM juga adik lelakinya. Di lain sisi, Dex Parios juga berjuang dari rasa traumatis yang ia dapat setelah bertugas sebagai marinir di Afghanistan. Saat itu Premieres, Tuesday ketika ia sedang bertugas sebagai intelijen militer, Dex Parios mengalami ledakan yang membuatnya January 21, 8 PM terluka, dan harus kehilangan orang yang ia cintai. Sementara ia meninggalkan pekerjaannya, ia Sebuah serial televisi Amerika yang pun memutuskan untuk bekerja serabutan demi bertemakan drama kriminal. Dibintangi menghidupi dirinya dan juga adiknya. Hingga oleh Cobie Smulders, Jake Johnson dan pada saatnya, Dex Parios bekerja sebagai Michael Ealy. penyelidik swasta dimana ia bertugas untuk menyelidiki masalah yang tidak bisa dicampuri Teks: Klement Galuh A oleh kepolisian. Dalam perjuangannya tersebut, ia pun mendapat dukungan dari seorang detektif ada serial ini bercerita tentang Dex Parios, bernama Miles Hoffman dan juga Gray McConnel seorang veteran militer cerdas, yang hidup yang mempekerjakan saudara lelaki Dex Parios di P dan berjuang untuk menghidupi dirinya dan bar miliknya. (LMN/MHG/LMN/FIO) 4 Acara “Sacred Sites”, kita diajak untuk mengunjungi tempat-tempat bersejarah yang masih menjadi rahasia dan misteri bagi umat manusia. Kita akan diajak untuk menemukan jawaban-jawaban tersebut melalui acara ini. Teks: Klement Galuh A pakah benar legenda raja Arthur nyata adanya? Pertanyaan tersebut akan dikupas menggunakan A terobosan ilmiah dan penelitian arkeologis untuk membawa kita kepada perspektif baru ke beberapa lokasi religi yang luar biasa, namun juga misterius. Dalam setiap episodenya, acara ini akan berfokus pada satu situs dan mengeksplorasi situs tersebut. Dimulai dari orang-orang yang membangunnya, hingga menjawab pertanyaan mendasar dari orang-orang yang melihat bangunan tersebut.
    [Show full text]
  • 3:45 A.M. 4:00 A.M. 4:30 A.M. 5:00 A.M. 5:15 A.M. 5:30 A.M. 6:00
    3:45 A.M. -- Movieweek - The Third Eye of the Doubles C'assic is presented (60 mm ) enck Crawford 1982 Rated PG from Las Vegas, NV (2 hrs ) " - MOVIE: 'Lookm' to Gat Out 11:00 A.M. - Life of Riley -C- ine-Club Two English Girls 1:30 A.M. small-tim- e - American Baby Sisters fall spell of a Two con men head (or under the CD - Edge of Night the Las Veqas big time Jon Voight. CD - MOVIE: 'Pygmalion' 4:30 P.M. CD - Grand Central charming Frenchman in this produc- S3 Henn-Pier- re Ann-Margr- et. tion based upon the novel by CD - Medical Center Burt Young Rated R. - MOVIE: 'Island of Adventure' CD - Vic's Vacant Lot "Program-- m Four British teenagers cu- ' 7:30 P.M. Roche Jean Pierre Leaud, MOVIE: let their ng for Children 1971 - 'Double Indemnity' 4:00 A.M. riosity lead them into an adventure - The Third Eye KikaMarkham Morder and lile insurance enter into e, -- Uvowira CD - Prog cont'd involving terrorists Norman Bow-le- 10:30 P.M. the picture when a hard boiled Wiffred Erambell, - Nikki Hasfiel an MOVIE: John Rhys - PubUe Def&idsr blonde plans accident' Fred - 'Zaza' avies SS CD - Alfred Hitchcock CD - MASH MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Ed- - MOVIE: 'Hit and Run' 5:00 P.M. ward G Robinson 1944 I - MOVIE: 'Perm of 8:00 P.M. CD - Police Story 4:30 A.M. Pennsytvania' The life story of Wil- CD - Bill Dance Outdoors CD SB - Tonight Show John- - Ufe of Riley I liam Penn, the founder of Pennsyl- Playboy CD CD - Hamptons ny Carrie GD CD - January '82 (PREMIERE)O s guests are Fisher and - ESPN's Inside Baseball vania and the Quaker son of a nch Magazine Bill Ojala (60 mm ) 2:00 A.M.
    [Show full text]
  • Contenido Estrenos Mexicanos
    Contenido estrenos mexicanos ............................................................................120 programas especiales mexicanos .................................. 122 Foro de los Pueblos Indígenas 2019 .......................................... 122 Programa Exilio Español ....................................................................... 123 introducción ...........................................................................................................4 Programa Luis Buñuel ............................................................................. 128 Presentación ............................................................................................................... 5 El Día Después ................................................................................................ 132 ¡Bienvenidos a Morelia! ................................................................................... 7 Feratum Film Festival .............................................................................. 134 Mensaje de la Secretaría de Cultura ....................................................8 ......... 10 Mensaje del Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía funciones especiales mexicanas .......................................137 17° Festival Internacional de Cine de Morelia ............................11 programas especiales internacionales................148 ...........................................................................................................................12 jurados Programa Agnès Varda ...........................................................................148
    [Show full text]
  • Accepted Manuscript Version
    Research Archive Citation for published version: Kim Akass, and Janet McCabe, ‘HBO and the Aristocracy of Contemporary TV Culture: affiliations and legitimatising television culture, post-2007’, Mise au Point, Vol. 10, 2018. DOI: Link to published article in journal's website Document Version: This is the Accepted Manuscript version. The version in the University of Hertfordshire Research Archive may differ from the final published version. Copyright and Reuse: This manuscript version is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivatives License CC BY NC-ND 4.0 ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. Enquiries If you believe this document infringes copyright, please contact Research & Scholarly Communications at [email protected] 1 HBO and the Aristocracy of TV Culture : affiliations and legitimatising television culture, post-2007 Kim Akass and Janet McCabe In its institutional pledge, as Jeff Bewkes, former-CEO of HBO put it, to ‘produce bold, really distinctive television’ (quoted in LaBarre 90), the premiere US, pay- TV cable company HBO has done more than most to define what ‘original programming’ might mean and look like in the contemporary TV age of international television flow, global media trends and filiations. In this article we will explore how HBO came to legitimatise a contemporary television culture through producing distinct divisions ad infinitum, framed as being rooted outside mainstream commercial television production. In creating incessant divisions in genre, authorship and aesthetics, HBO incorporates artistic norms and principles of evaluation and puts them into circulation as a succession of oppositions— oppositions that we will explore throughout this paper.
    [Show full text]
  • As Writers of Film and Television and Members of the Writers Guild Of
    July 20, 2021 As writers of film and television and members of the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West, we understand the critical importance of a union contract. We are proud to stand in support of the editorial staff at MSNBC who have chosen to organize with the Writers Guild of America, East. We welcome you to the Guild and the labor movement. We encourage everyone to vote YES in the upcoming election so you can get to the bargaining table to have a say in your future. We work in scripted television and film, including many projects produced by NBC Universal. Through our union membership we have been able to negotiate fair compensation, excellent benefits, and basic fairness at work—all of which are enshrined in our union contract. We are ready to support you in your effort to do the same. We’re all in this together. Vote Union YES! In solidarity and support, Megan Abbott (THE DEUCE) John Aboud (HOME ECONOMICS) Daniel Abraham (THE EXPANSE) David Abramowitz (CAGNEY AND LACEY; HIGHLANDER; DAUGHTER OF THE STREETS) Jay Abramowitz (FULL HOUSE; MR. BELVEDERE; THE PARKERS) Gayle Abrams (FASIER; GILMORE GIRLS; 8 SIMPLE RULES) Kristen Acimovic (THE OPPOSITION WITH JORDAN KLEEPER) Peter Ackerman (THINGS YOU SHOULDN'T SAY PAST MIDNIGHT; ICE AGE; THE AMERICANS) Joan Ackermann (ARLISS) 1 Ilunga Adell (SANFORD & SON; WATCH YOUR MOUTH; MY BROTHER & ME) Dayo Adesokan (SUPERSTORE; YOUNG & HUNGRY; DOWNWARD DOG) Jonathan Adler (THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON) Erik Agard (THE CHASE) Zaike Airey (SWEET TOOTH) Rory Albanese (THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART; THE NIGHTLY SHOW WITH LARRY WILMORE) Chris Albers (LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN; BORGIA) Lisa Albert (MAD MEN; HALT AND CATCH FIRE; UNREAL) Jerome Albrecht (THE LOVE BOAT) Georgianna Aldaco (MIRACLE WORKERS) Robert Alden (STREETWALKIN') Richard Alfieri (SIX DANCE LESSONS IN SIX WEEKS) Stephanie Allain (DEAR WHITE PEOPLE) A.C.
    [Show full text]
  • Standup/Sitcom Star/New Mom Wanda Sykes Pulls a Late-Night Talk Show out of Her Comedic Bag of Tricks by Lisa Bernhard
    MAGIC W NDA Standup/sitcom star/new mom Wanda Sykes pulls a late-night talk show out of her comedic bag of tricks BY LISA BERNHARD “I’m always shootin’ my mouth off about Will you open with a monologue? I’m something,” says Wanda Sykes. And af- thinking about opening with a pole ter scoring in supporting roles on Curb dance. But I need to sharpen my skills. Your Enthusiasm and The New Adventures My upper-body strength is not what it of Old Christine, Sykes may finally be used to be. where she belongs—in the freewheeling You’re a new mom—you must have lots arena of late-night talk. The Wanda Sykes of strength to pick up those kids. Be- Show, airing Saturdays on Fox, hopes to sides, pole dancing goes with the new do for the network what MadTV and mom image, right? That’s why I wanted Talkshow host Spike Feresten ultimately to do it. Let people know, “I’m a new couldn’t—steal yuks from time slot rival mom, but I still got it.” It’ll be some- Saturday Night Live. Now a new mom— thing for my kids to look at down the Sykes’ wife, Alex, whom she wed last Oc- road. All the ammunition they need to tober, gave birth to twins Olivia Lou and go to therapy. Lucas Claude in April—Sykes has even Will you do sketches? More like man-on- more fertile ground to mine. Here’s a the-street type things. This weekend I taste of what’s to come.
    [Show full text]
  • Jim Henson's Fantastic World
    Jim Henson’s Fantastic World A Teacher’s Guide James A. Michener Art Museum Education Department Produced in conjunction with Jim Henson’s Fantastic World, an exhibition organized by The Jim Henson Legacy and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. The exhibition was made possible by The Biography Channel with additional support from The Jane Henson Foundation and Cheryl Henson. Jim Henson’s Fantastic World Teacher’s Guide James A. Michener Art Museum Education Department, 2009 1 Table of Contents Introduction to Teachers ............................................................................................... 3 Jim Henson: A Biography ............................................................................................... 4 Text Panels from Exhibition ........................................................................................... 7 Key Characters and Project Descriptions ........................................................................ 15 Pre Visit Activities:.......................................................................................................... 32 Elementary Middle High School Museum Activities: ........................................................................................................ 37 Elementary Middle/High School Post Visit Activities: ....................................................................................................... 68 Elementary Middle/High School Jim Henson: A Chronology ............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Politics in Fictional Entertainment: an Empirical Classification of Movies and TV Series
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by OPUS Augsburg International Journal of Communication 9(2015), 1563–1587 1932–8036/20150005 Politics in Fictional Entertainment: An Empirical Classification of Movies and TV Series CHRISTIANE EILDERS CORDULA NITSCH University of Duesseldorf, Germany This article presents conceptual considerations on the classification of TV series and movies according to their political references and introduces an empirical approach for measuring the constituent features. We argue that political representations in fiction vary along two dimensions: political intensity and degree of realism. These dimensions encompass four indicators relating to characters, places, themes, and time. The indicators were coded for a sample of 98 TV series and 114 movies. Cluster analyses showed four clusters of TV series and six clusters of movies. Nonpolitical fiction, thrillers, and fantasy were central types in both TV series and movies. Movies, however, stand out through a greater diversity and a focus on the past that is reflected in three additional types. Based on the identification of different types of movies and TV series, three directions for theory building are suggested. Keywords: fictional entertainment, TV series, movies, classification, political intensity, degree of realism As the lines between information and entertainment become increasingly blurred, scholarly attention is not only directed to entertainment features in information programs but extends to information in entertainment programs. The latter especially regards the pictures of reality that are constructed in the respective programs. Attention is directed to both the identification of such pictures and the assessment of their possible effects.
    [Show full text]
  • Television Academy Awards
    2019 Primetime Emmy® Awards Ballot Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series A.P. Bio Handcuffed May 16, 2019 Jack agrees to help Mary dump her boyfriend and finds the task much harder than expected, meanwhile Principal Durbin enlists Anthony to do his dirty work. Jennifer Arnold, Directed by A.P. Bio Nuns March 14, 2019 As the newly-minted Driver's Ed teacher, Jack sets out to get revenge on his mother's church when he discovers the last of her money was used to buy a statue of the Virgin Mary. Lynn Shelton, Directed by A.P. Bio Spectacle May 30, 2019 After his computer breaks, Jack rallies his class to win the annual Whitlock's Got Talent competition so the prize money can go towards a new laptop. Helen and Durbin put on their best tuxes to host while Mary, Stef and Michelle prepare a hand-bell routine. Carrie Brownstein, Directed by Abby's The Fish May 31, 2019 When Bill admits to the group that he has Padres season tickets behind home plate that he lost in his divorce, the gang forces him to invite his ex-wife to the bar to reclaim the tickets. Betsy Thomas, Directed by After Life Episode 2 March 08, 2019 Thinking he has nothing to lose, Tony contemplates trying heroin. He babysits his nephew and starts to bond -- just a bit -- with Sandy. Ricky Gervais, Directed by Alexa & Katie The Ghost Of Cancer Past December 26, 2018 Alexa's working overtime to keep Christmas on track. But finding her old hospital bag stirs up memories that throw her off her holiday game.
    [Show full text]
  • HBO: Brand Management and Subscriber Aggregation: 1972-2007
    1 HBO: Brand Management and Subscriber Aggregation: 1972-2007 Submitted by Gareth Andrew James to the University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English, January 2011. This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. ........................................ 2 Abstract The thesis offers a revised institutional history of US cable network Home Box Office that expands on its under-examined identity as a monthly subscriber service from 1972 to 1994. This is used to better explain extensive discussions of HBO‟s rebranding from 1995 to 2007 around high-quality original content and experimentation with new media platforms. The first half of the thesis particularly expands on HBO‟s origins and early identity as part of publisher Time Inc. from 1972 to 1988, before examining how this affected the network‟s programming strategies as part of global conglomerate Time Warner from 1989 to 1994. Within this, evidence of ongoing processes for aggregating subscribers, or packaging multiple entertainment attractions around stable production cycles, are identified as defining HBO‟s promotion of general monthly value over rivals. Arguing that these specific exhibition and production strategies are glossed over in existing HBO scholarship as a result of an over-valuing of post-1995 examples of „quality‟ television, their ongoing importance to the network‟s contemporary management of its brand across media platforms is mapped over distinctions from rivals to 2007.
    [Show full text]