Joe's Week 9

Discussion thread:

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

According to Hills (2004) page 510, "the cult (TV) status arises ..... through an audience's passion for a TV show. .... it is created by fans rather than by media producers."  I think this phenomenon could be applied to the construction of any current TV drama series.  The popularity of the show depends entirely on the audience size.  As a matter of fact, any media "can be neither made nor promoted ...(solely) by the media industry, but ...vitally on audience take-up and devotion."  However, the construction of cult TV depends on the fans' "subjective enthusiasm or a 'special devotion'" (page 517) and may shine some reflections on their "'life styles and identities'" (page 517) to defend why they are so keen to continually watching.  Other factors that fans affect the cult TV's construction are, some of these being explicated by their Apprication Societies (page 519):

1. "inter-textually in journalistic coverage of cult TV and .... within cult TV programmes"
2. "commentaries, fan fiction, episode guides and production histories
3. "memorabilia, merchandise and props" of their much-loved TV shows
4. online and real life activities to exchange their interpretations of TV episodes.

The spread or expansion of online fandom affects the cult status distinctively as less 'anti-mainstream' and less subcultural.  The new media show "broader cultural norms, practices and processes".  But they tends to have "textual similiarities between cult TV programmes .... as well as the role of inter-texts." (page 520)  Hence producers need to use key production personnel who have worked in the past cult shows or new hands with familiarity with the on showing cult TV series.  In this way, the fans could follow the similiar que for their appreciation and satisfaction for their fandom.

Reference:
Hill, 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.