Due South, Power Play, Flashpoint and The Listener are all TV series made in Canada. Why is there a dearth of diversity in Canadian productions? Given the popularity of Degrassi: The Next Generation and Little Mosque on the Prairie could Canadian TV benefit from exploring the uniqueness of the Canadian experience? What recommendations could be made to help Canadian TV?
There's also Murdoch Mysteries to look into. – JennyCardinal8 years ago
(Corner Gas?) There is so much filmed in Canada, particularly in Vancouver. A lot of Sci-Fi. Fringe, The 4400, The 100, Stargate SG-1. Granted, Vancouver is losing some of the hold it had on Sci-Fi television (that's politics of film, not this article). My point is, are you looking for Canadian-produced and created work, or just work that was filmed in Canada, because there is a huge divide between those two? – chandlerwp8 years ago
100% Canadian productions Chandler is what I would like to see examined. If a movie is just filmed here then I don't think there is much creative control. You are correct that there is a huge divide between the two in terms of how much the producers would have a say in who and what and how these TV shows are made for sure. – Munjeera8 years ago
Did Walter White use Jesse Pinkman as a proxy conscience? If so, in which instances, and what were the effects on Walt and Jesse?
To be more specific, throughout BB, Jesse learns of Walt's heinous acts - through witness, discovery, or Walt's admission - and this "education" seems to take a toll on Jesse, but never Walt. Is there a "type" of sin that hurts Jesse most deeply? Is there a group of people for whom Jesse suffers most deeply? How is Jesse's spiritual and physical suffering manifested? Finally, can someone who murdered Gale Boetticher and Todd Alquist be a character of conscience? – Tigey8 years ago
Juxtaposing Dorian Gray and Breaking Bad is quite genius! Wow, I never really considered that pairing, and I am still having a bit of difficulty doing so, while thoroughly enjoying the task. This is a rare topic because it is the first one I've come across on this site that I feel I need to contemplate a bit before formulating an answer. Ironically, I recently taught a literature class that focused on the series Breaking Bad, and some pieces of literature were juxtaposed with the series, as well as multiple comparisons of numerous aesthetic mediums. You tackle numerous questions, and yes, Jesse always seems to find out about Walt's misdeeds in the worst possible ways. Isn't it odd how such an intelligent, definitive genius, lies so poorly, and has no means of "covering his tracks." Makes one wonder if he didn't care if he got caught doing these "heinous acts,"--I'm not referring to the cooking; he did not want to get caught and was obsessed with making the finest product with the highest monetary profit--or if he overestimated his intelligence and underestimated the aptitude of those around him? Walt's ego, by the close of the series, reaches a monumental level of pure self consumption. He really thinks he's Ozymandias?!
– danielle5778 years ago
Thank you, danielle577, for the compliment. – Tigey8 years ago
Danielle, I think Walt didn't get people, in a sense. It seems he may have seen people as problems to solve, therefore if he wasn't aware of a problem, he was blindsided. Regarding his bad lies, I think that was a subtle "eff you," a way of saying, "You're not even worth a good lie." That's Walt's main problem: He's Walt and we're not. – Tigey8 years ago
There has been a long history of remaking television, typically UK television, and remaking/adapting it for new audiences. UK television series like Broadchuch and House of Cards (1990) have been remade for American audiences as Gracepoint (2014) and House of Cards (2013). In what ways does the remake fail or succeed? Is the remake necessary for producing quality television?
Pre-internet, if someone wanted to learn a magic trick they would hunt down an old book or ask uncle Bob to teach the card trick he always does at family gatherings.
Now, however, both the learning and performing of magic tricks has been dramatically changed due to video hosting and streaming sites. Scarcity is not the dominant obstacle in the pursuit of deceptive knowledge; rather it is the reverse: there are so many tutorials online that finding a trick which is both good and taught well is like playing 'Where's Waldo' x 100. Do these sites also remove the motivation for magician's to sell their original material online if it will only be pirated or taught for free on YouTube? Furthermore, if anyone can search the secret to a trick immediately after seeing it performed, what point is there for the magician to perform at all?
This impact would be most interesting to explore.
I'm not sure if this is helpful since it's anecdotal, but my great-grandmother would read tarot, except through interpreting normal playing cards, while I learned most of what I know online. The internet not only makes knowledge access easier, but a magician can get paid for demonstrations and tutorials presented to a worldwide audience, not just their town. The differing generational techniques because of evolving technology are intriguing to study, and very relatable to other advancements, such as the invention of the radio introducing people to music outside their regional traditions. But as you said, the counterpoint to accessibility is that what seems secret and reserved becomes less so, and this can disrupt the novelty for some. With magicians, knowing the intricacies may make it seem less mystical, although this also means others can participate and learn perhaps more quickly. – Emily Deibler8 years ago
Like Gob Bluth said (of his favorite magic magazine?), "I should've been in that Poof." – Tigey8 years ago
They scrap. They fight. They backstab. They even kill. They also are supposedly liberal, proving woefully inept at actually carrying across consistent legislation but crafty and deadly in the underworkings of the American political sphere. How are the Underwoods exactly liberal?
I definitely think this is an interesting topic, as I have wondered about this myself watching the show. Frank is a "Liberal" from South Carolina no less. I think it might be interesting to examine the various policies he pushes, and to what end: power or belief? – MichelleAjodah8 years ago
That's opening a can of worms for sure. Another interesting topic ,and one that this topic will eventually lead to, could be the similarities between American policy in the 21st century and Underwood's policies in House of Cards. You might have to embrace the very real conclusion that the terms 'liberal' and 'conservative' might just be name tags politicians stick on before just doing whatever they want. – EarlGreyTRex8 years ago
They are the Clintons: whatever it takes to win, do it. Hillary supports private prisons - no conflict of interest affecting justice there - and other conservative mistakes. Also, anyone else notice how there's no intimacy between the two, but after they've screwed the world, they share a cigarette? Seems more fitting of a captain of industry than a liberal representative. – Tigey8 years ago
Frank and Claire seem to be on the more progressive side of political topics like foreign and domestic policy, they are also part of the democratic party.
– luminousgloom8 years ago
The characters on The Wire are hardly new, novel, or interesting, but are regurgitations of other cop shows.
So much of entertainment is derivative. I think this will be a good critique. I haven't watched the show but the ad looked so boring. It is funny to see you talking about it. – Munjeera8 years ago
The genius of The Wire does not lie in the originality of its characters (nobody would ever make such a claim), but rather in the ways in which each and every one of them represents a facet of the real-life war on drugs in the American urban landscape. To call them cliches feels simplistic; they're archetypes that make a greater picture when they all come together, like individual dots in a pointillist painting. PM me if you'd like further clarification, or to discuss the subject in greater detail. It's a really great show that I feel isn't being accurately represented by your stance. – ProtoCanon8 years ago
I must publicly confess here that ProtoCanon is correct that The Wire is special. I'm now seeing what I missed in the haze of my post-Breaking Bad viewing. Omar is an especially amazing character. I'd like to share a spot of tea with him... behind bullet-proof glass. – Tigey8 years ago
Then again, I've lost interest early in season four. – Tigey8 years ago
Is Orientalism, as posited by Edward Said, still alive and well in the West's new fascination with all things Korean? The skyrocketing popularity of kpop and kdramas, the flood of Western youtubers and vloggers living and working and documenting their time in Korean, are these healthy signs or signs of a distorted obsession?
A case in point would be the new tv series named Dramaworld, where a kdrama obsessed American woman is transported to the world of one of her beloved dramas. This fusion show, while a comedy, suggests that Westerners love the version of Korea that is presented in these fictional worlds. But is the version that Westerners have fallen in love with warped their ability to appreciate the actual Korea?
Interesting topic, but if someone were to attempt to write it, I think it would be wise to have a little more focus. I like your use of the example (although I'm not sure if I'd call it "a case in point" just yet) of Dramaworld, so perhaps a better way to frame the article would be as something along the lines of "Dramaworld: Korean Orientalism in 21st Century Television". This still allows the freedom to touch on all of the key points you've addressed (Said's theoretical framework, the rising popularity of kpop and kdramas, increased fascination by vloggers, the warped perception of culture from the Western gaze, etc), but they all become supplementary examples to support a more concrete thesis surrounding one very tangible example. Examining the subject through the lens of this show would be a strong way of tightening this otherwise broad topic. – ProtoCanon8 years ago
Interesting topic as orientalism is still very prevalent today. You've got great points in those questions and seem well-informed with Said's theory - you're off to a good start! One thing you could add at the end is to discuss where the fine line between this obsession becomes orientalist or simply a celebration of their culture. – Joie8 years ago
Discuss both the positives and the negatives of BBC's show Merlin, and consider why the show was cancelled after its previously successful seasons. Debate the reasoning behind ending the show the way it did, and the fans reactions to said ending. Hypothesize what benefits or negatives could have come out of continuing the show, both in terms of viewers and the BBC itself.
