TV

Avenue 5 is a recently released HBO touted as sci-fi comedy, as was Orville, however, the difference is astounding. A5 appears to be taking a more "reality show" approach to storytelling. The cinematography moves between constant vignettes that hone in on the various character groups, and then multi-character scenes are shot in an often long framing to appear as the fly on the wall while you watch characters shout over each other in a very "naturalistic" dialogue approach. The focus so far seems to be on the lack of competence of everyone involved. This reality/sit-com approach is especially unusual in sci-fi and even though Orville began with elements of this it rapidly became a Space Opera with focuses on moralistic decision making and character growth. I'm not sure if we are going to see that occur on A5. But does that matter? A5 appears to be offering a new take on sci-fi which could open the genre wider to further hybrid versions. A deeper analysis is needed to look at what A5 offers the genre.

There's been much criticism regarding the later seasons of Game of Thrones, as they began being almost completely original instead of adaptive. But the final season in particular has drawn a considerable backlash. I think it would be beneficial to conduct a 'postmortem' of sorts into the final season of Game of Thrones: why exactly was it inferior to prior seasons and what could be done to avoid the same pitfalls in the future?

With The Mandalorian being so successful, what other examples of a protagonist concealing their identity have really struck a chord with audiences? Obviously, an intriguing trait in terms of mystery, are there any other reasons why this has been successful in The Mandalorian? Moreover, what's the purpose of using a masked hero? What changes when the main protagonist is unmasked? Is there a downside?

Korean's broadcast channel Mnet has been found out that they fabricated the final results of their survival shows Produce 101. On these survival shows, the audience has to pay their own pocket money to vote for their contestants, so when the worth contestants don't get to win, it has become a legal issue. The contestants who join the shows can get the ultimate chance to become famous when they debut, but with the scandal going around, they are also in the pitfall of having the "Cheating" tag hanging all over them for the rest of their career. What are some of the risks of Produce 101 and Korea's Talent-Survial Shows in general? Is the temptation of becoming famous worth having your entire career suspected and hated by the nation?

In Showtime's "Billions", Asia Kate Dillon portrays the first non-binary lead character on television. Their well-developed character humanizes a group of individuals that struggle to find inclusion in our society. And their representation familiarizes Americans with the proper use of the "they" pronoun.

Star Wars has been a popular culture icon for decades now. The revival of the early episodes and the continuation of the later that have altered the canon of literature, comics, and games have brought in a new generation of fans. Now with the move to Disney there are high expectations of the money-milking enterprise of a thousand spin off variations, yet interestingly there is the new tv show 'The Mandalorian'. It already has a youth friendly vibe with a limited range of onscreen violence, no swearing and an over produced cinematography and sound track, yet still…it is the story of a bounty hunter, a criminal…but [SPOILER] he chooses at the end not to kill his bounty when faced with a "baby Yoda." Are we to assume then from this that the story will focus on a lone warrior with his own code, or will this be a redemptive arc – the hero was always within. It indeed fits into the franchise that has always been about hope above all else. The question will be though, like the most recent films, does this show actually have anything new to say or will this once again be a reiteration of the single monomyth that has plagued the SW franchise?

The most beloved (and not necessarily great) television/cartoon shows tend to have unforgettable, epic opening songs that have undeniably helped them attained cult statuses. But, more recently, due to strict runtime or creative choices, shows have distanced themselves from such practice, choosing instead very short intro music, for instance, Breaking Bad (20secs) as opposed to the more traditional 1-1:30min long intro.

Analyze how a great opening song can contribute to the popularity of a TV/cartoon show even if it is not of great quality or does not hold up in time. Are theme songs more than just accompaniment? With the market slowly being dominated by streaming, will the practice and culture of the opening songs still be relevant (especially when you can skip the intro)?

Compare and contrast the varying successes of a TV franchise using Law and Order, CSI and Criminal Minds. Why have some succeeded, such as CSI Miami and others failed, such as Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. Take a look at how the actors have succeeded in other shows such as Shemar Moore in SWAT. Not only has the franchise done well but the actors have moved on to other shows with enduring popularity over decades.