TV

Some parents feel that Netflix's Original series "Anne With An E," a remake of Montgomery's beloved "Anne of Green Gables," goes too far in introducing topics such as child abuse, neglect, bullying, and sex to a family audience. Others feel it is an amazing and beautiful handling of these topics, teaching compassion and consideration even in a dark world. How does discussing difficult emotion promote or prevent healing and understanding?

Analyze and discuss what greater meaning there is in Game of Thrones, an overarching message that Martin is trying to send to his readers (and viewers I guess) beyond the amazing fantasy, political intrigue, and gut-wrenching battles and deaths that has enraptured most of the fan base.

The British science fiction comedy TV series 'Red Dwarf' (1988-1999)(2009-Present) has gained a cult status and follows the misadventures of what are essentially four less than intrepid blokes stuck in Space. With the main characters frequently exhibiting flaws such as cowardice, laziness and downright incompetence, the stories provide a welcome, humorous antidote to the morally upright characters typically found in many science fiction series. The latest series is due to appear in October 2017 and the fact that the lead actors are no longer the spring chickens they once were has not gone unnoticed by the show's main writer, Doug Naylor, who has already started to include jokes at the expense of his ageing characters. Could this perhaps lead to the birth of a new comedy genre that would playfully examine the inevitable encroachment of advancing years and a second childhood in a Sci-Fi setting?

"The 100" has become known for its morally gray characters. In the TV show, warring clans often use the justification "[insert devastating action] was done for my people." However, "The 100's" stance is not so clear cut. Discuss the TV show's portrayal of moral relativism. Does "The 100" agree with the justifications characters provide for their actions (i.e. committing genocide "for [their] people")? Or does it want viewers to challenge the ideologies behind the "heroes" behavior? What evidence contributes to your conclusion, whether it be cinematography, symbolism, plot parallels, etc?

In the 1990s, Tim Allen starred in Home Improvement as Tim Taylor, wherein he raised his three sons Mark, Brad, and Randy with wife Jill. Around 2010, Tim returned to the dad role, this time as Mike Baxter on Last Man Standing. As Mike, he raises and supports three daughters, Kristin, Mandy, and Eve, with wife Vanessa.

The two shows are both great and bring to mind several questions. For instance, how is Tim Taylor, who raises sons, different in personality and approach from Mike Baxter, who raises daughters? Are they alike at all? Do the ages of the children make a difference–Baxter's daughters are pretty much grown up, and one is a mother (Eve, the youngest, is in high school. Taylor's sons were middle and elementary schoolers when Home Improvement began and age more slowly). Which character, if either, is the more realistic TV dad, or the better one? The better/more realistic husband? What does each show have to say about raising single-gender families?

The world of TV Advertising has become ever more sophisticated and devious as the public has become more media-savvy. From the early days of a product being pushed in front of us and a cheery female voice or a man in a white coat suggesting we buy it, we've moved on – through an era of dancing bunnies high on battery power and roller skating young women extolling the virtues of certain feminine sanitary products, to a period when the product was rarely seen on screen and we were bombarded with imagery that seemed to bare no relation to the product being advertised. These days some TV adverts are like mini movies whilst others are projected deep into our subconscious and intended to make us feel slightly inadequate if we don't continue to play the consumer game.

However, is the advert break still a convenient excuse to nip to the loo or make a cup of tea? Is the Scientist in the white coat still regarded as an authority figure? Are we, the viewing public, too wise for our own good? Can we still be tricked into buying something we really don't need and, most likely, will become obsolete within a year? The artifice of advertising will always remain exactly that and yet there have been advertising campaigns that have gained a life of their own and even garnered artistic respect and admiration. Could advertising truly be considered an artform in itself?

With the continued success of anthology series like Fargo, American Crime Story and many more, do TV shows have more of a chance if they remain with the same formula that found them success? Or by changing the cast and locale and telling a similar story once more. This could be particularly interesting with the re-emergence of True Detective after a couple of years. Would it have had its season 3 much earlier if it remained with Rust and Marty?

The Shadowhunters TV show has proved to be good at mixing the plot of the novel with new plots. Discuss the ways in which the show has been dedicated to its origin while also exploring new alleyways and the ways in which fan reactions have gone.