Discourse on Television Talk Shows: Genre Or Format
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Tatyana N. Parsadanova Ph.D. in Economics Professor of the Production Department The Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography e-mail: [email protected] Moscow, Russia ORCID 0000-0002-1079-5033 ResearcherID AAP-6400-2020 DOI:10.36340/2071-6818-2020-16-3-124-133 DISCOURSE ON TELEVISION TALK SHOWS: GENRE OR FORMAT Summary: Different approaches to the analysis of a comprehensively exciting television program with ele- television production - one-dimensional and multi-di- ments of intrigue from a primitive topic, to attract atten- mensional, exist. All television products are classified by tion and a desire to form a specific attitude to the problem purpose, format, way, and frequency of display, audi- under discussion. The author has a different opinion on ence, genre, country of production, by who it was pro- some points. duced - the channel itself, or a third-party production Indeed, any show is based on attracting attention. For company, whether this project is licensed or original. such projects, the presence of viewers in the studio be- In recent years, Russian TV channels have been broad- came a kind of confirmation of the audience’s interest in casting a large number of conversational TV programs the topic and the opportunity to include them in the dis- - talk shows. In the programmed broadcasting sched- cussion, to achieve social commonality. ule of some TV channels, they take about 9 hours of air- However, from the author’s point of view, greater at- time, and this is without repetitions. These projects can tention must be paid to the idea what the producer wants also be classified in several directions. to convey to the audience and how he wants to see it in A discussion between people on a particular topic, the future, to the content - with what information and in which includes elements of such genres as interviews and what genre to do the project, and to the understanding conversation, is the main essence of a talk show. The de- in what form/format to make the content. bate is a recognized genre of analytical journalism, but At the same time, it is essential to remember that ac- at the same time, many talk shows are also defined as a cording to the theory of V.Behterev, the process of mak- genre. The theory of genre is one of the most significant ing people have a specific emotional state occurs faster theoretical development areas in art history, but no sin- and more efficiently than an attempt to convince them gle, generally accepted definition exists. with the help of logical reasoning. Some people believe that the tasks of modern talk Keywords: classification, talk show, discussion, gen- shows are well known. This is primarily a desire to make re, format, purpose. Talk shows are primarily conversational TV Donahue, a journalist thanks to whom such a projects - a TV show in the form of a free exchange format as talk show appeared on television in of views on a given topic, during which the guests the sixties (“The Phil Donahue Show” (WDTN) in (experts) answer the host, guests, and present Dayton, aired from 1967 to 1996, 6000 releases). viewers’ questions. It is a kind of a triangle: a Phil Donahue initially invited one guest to the presenter - an expert - the studio’s audience. It is studio. In the case of controversial issues, sup- believed that the first such programs appeared on porters of different points of view came; however, Russian television in the late eighties. However, not immediately but separately and on different they were aired under the name “Teleconference days, which was done to avoid heated arguments Leningrad - Boston”, “Teleconference Moscow- between the participants. Donahue conducted live California”, “Teleconference Moscow - San interviews with experts, inviting viewers to call Francisco”, and others. Vladimir Pozner was the the studio. The program gradually changed. Over presenter from the USSR, from the USA - Phil time the presenter left his chair and went out with 124 a microphone into the auditorium, allowing the This excursion into history is since talk shows viewer to ask the guest questions. The opinion of have become, one might say, one of the most the ordinary viewer, introduced to the talk show, popular formats on modern Russian television. If is considered the merit of Phil Donahue. According we calculate the time taken today by such projects to the press release: “Donahue’s widely popular on the air, then on Channel One, it is 8 hours 40 US program is broadcast five times a week and minutes a day on weekdays, on Russia1 - 8 hours, specializes in controversial or informative topics on NTV - 3 hours (in the premiere version). Talk and meetings with interesting people. For each shows are aired in the morning, afternoon and of his programs, which lasts exactly an hour, evening, and are repeated at night. Donahue chooses only one topic or one person In textbooks for journalists, it is noted that talk but illuminates them vividly and in many ways... shows are a genre, and this genre is presented Directly from their seats, viewers ask the guests in the section “Journalism Television Genres” [2, questions, comment on their opinions, speak with p.195]. Theorists of television journalism un- their own and sometimes argue with each other, derstand genre as a historically defined type of which gives the program a spontaneous char- reflection of reality, which has several relatively acter and makes it diverse... The acute polemic stable features [2, p.170]. Information genres and programs provide viewers with new information genres of analytical journalism are distinguished. and, at the same time, entertain them” [1]. Television production, which includes talk In the early sixties, talk shows, as a spoken shows, can be classified according to several performance, appeared on the USSR Central directions: by purpose, format, frequency, method, Television. You can recall the weekly program and time of showing, by the audience, by genre, “Blue Light” (“Television Cafe”, “At the Blue Light” by whether it is its production or not. That is, who are the original names), which went on weekly produced it, the channel itself, or a production television screens for many years; now, it is asso- company with the subsequent sale to the channel ciated only with New Year’s releases. Well-known and the country of production. The division of talk cultural figures and production leaders took part shows takes place according to the purpose; it in the program. The hosts introduced the guests, is entertaining/socially activating/developing, interviewed them, actors, singers performed. according to topics, according to the method and Both conversation and performance were present airing time - live broadcast or recording, morning/ there. The author of the article also remembers afternoon/evening, even according to gender. The a video recording of a literary program from projects of the First Channel - “Evening Urgant”, the Teleradiofond in which Irakli Luarsabovich “Tonight” can be classified as entertainment Andronnikov as a presenter communicates with projects; “Time Will Tell” or “60 minutes” on the audience at Shabolovka studio. Andronnikov channel Russia1 are socially activating ones. If we was a writer, literary critic but at the same time consider topics, the project “Evening with Vladimir an amazing master of artistic storytelling, artistic, Solovyov” was dedicated only to Ukraine for a with a great sense of humor, often parodying long time. In the spring of 2020, COVID 19 was the famous people (you can recall the recording of his topic of discussion of almost all issues. The first speech “First Time on the Stage”). However, much women’s talk show “Me” was aired on TV-6, “City is forgotten, English words in the sixties were not of Women” on the First Channel, “What a Woman so in fashion, and the teleconferences held in the Wants” on Russia 1, “Maiden Tears” on TNT. The late eighties began to be considered the beginning men’s talk show “Only for Men” is on channel TV of the era of talk shows on Russian television. Center, and the talk show “Male / Female” is on In the late eighties and nineties, a search for the First Channel nowadays. new forms of presenting television material was The main essence of a talk show is that it acute, and democratic changes also impacted is a discussion between people on a particular society. What was discussed in the kitchens was topic, including such genres as interviews and transferred to television screens (the first attempts conversation. It is a recognized genre of analyt- were in the program of the youth editorial office ical journalism: “The clash of different opinions “Vzglyad”). includes the TV audience in the research process, activating intellectual activity, overcoming the 125 passivity characteristic of the perception of ready- Of course, each genre is a historical phenom- made truths. Hence the high cognitive potential of enon, changing, leaving the living process of art the genre” [2, p.195]. Today, the question of the and sometimes returning to life, more often in a cognition of this genre is very controversial. In one transformed form. [6] of the broadcasts of the project “The Glass Bead Life is changing, and people are changing, their Game” on channel Russia K, the topic of whether attitude to life is changing. The COVID 19 pan- Gianni Rodari’s “Adventure of Cipollino” could be demic displaced many of the news feeds’ topics attributed to the genre of a social fairy tale was when the eternal question of life and death began discussed. On channel Russia 1 on-air “Andrey to arise, affecting almost everyone in the world. Malakhov. Live”, the theme was Lena Lenina’s Forgetting about how the bulk of the country’s wedding plan “Mom is Against!”.