Ao's week 9

What role does Hills (2004) suggest the fans play in the construction of cult TV? How is new media central to this?

Hill (2004) pointed out that fan of cult TV played a role of “generically re-organnised TV texts through the category of ‘cult’.” Based on comparing with soap fans, it is known that the features of cult fans are “active” fans which are not based on industry-defined and are not “inevitably ones of gender.” Hill says that the cult TV, which is recognized by fans as “the role of inter-texts.”

I think the point we should make here is that fans are indispensible in new type of TV programmes like “cult TV” and fans are main participatory through the Fan-fiction or Fan-Talk.

In Hill’s article, he directly answered the question, “How do fans transform certain TV programmes in to cults?” In short words, his answer is focusing on ‘intertextual network’, ‘cult’ to describe their work, “Appreciation Societies” and creation of the market. It is very clear in the essay. What I am trying to comments on this is that the internet and the new views of “participatory audience” changed the certain TV. And the ‘cult TV’ has some qualities to fit the needs of new age.

Hills, M. (2004). Defining Cult TV; Texts, Inter-texts and Fan Audiences, The Television Studies Reader, in R. C. Allen & A. Hill. London and New York: Routledge.