Film and TV Studies Literature Review

This literature review synthesizes key concepts from several seminal articles in film and television studies. It covers topics such as the historical evaluation of television programs, the elements of mise-en-scène in film, the concept of visual pleasure and narrative cinema, the representation of gender and family on television, the portrayal of African Americans on television, and the representation of gay men and women in prime-time television. The review highlights the evolution of these representations over time and the various factors influencing them, including social, cultural, economic, and political forces. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding these representations in the context of their historical and cultural backgrounds.

REQUIRED READING
1. Johnson, C (2007), ‘Negotiating value and quality in television historiography’ in Helen
Wheatley (ed) Re-Viewing Television History: Critical Issues in Television Historiography,
London: I. B. Taurispp 55-66.
This chapter presents an assessment that when a particular text is well placed in a particular
context, it can perform a particular function. The text can have a historical importance with high
quality artistic creativity. The old television programs on being critically analysed by historian
have been asked about their historical importance, artistic creativity and quality etc. One such
difference is that the nature of creativity is found to be different and a relationship has been
found between the quality and the artistic creativity on evaluating the television, and specifically
historical television. The author suggests that the programming forms like studio drama and light
entertainment along with other forms can be termed as the ‘bread and butter’ television. But
these factors are likely to conflict strongly with the contemporary dominant criteria of aesthetic
value. However, the author suggests that while engaging in the evaluation of the old television
programs and their quality, are offering a manner of challenging the dominant criteria for
evaluating the quality of contemporary television. This evaluation has been helpful in shaping
the writing of television’s history. According to the study, the television history has been
concerned with the recent past and even has ubiquitous social and cultural form and is
considered to be invaluable. With the help of history the people can see the everyday medium of
television in a new refreshing manner, along with being highly surprising in manner. With the
evaluation of the quality of the old television programmes, it is easier to provide the innovative
methods towards watching the current debates associated with the quality television.
2. Gibbs, J. (2012) Mise-en-Scène: Film Style and Interpretation. London: Wallflower.
‘The elements of mise-en-scène’, pp 12-31

The article presents the various film styles and interpretation. The action and performance
section has been described as the important base level and the décor, lighting, use of colour etc.
along with the direction of action and through the skilful performance. It presents the importance
of delivering the line and the position of the actor. The authors suggests that writing about
complexities and performance is difficult and the understanding of narratives is central to the
performance which has been explained by the example of Barbara Bel Geddes’ performance in
caught. The author explains the importance of eye movement and various other actions that
define the performance of the actor. Further the author explained the concept of space which is
considered to be vital expressive element which also includes the personal space between the
performers. Further the author stresses upon the importance of placing camera at a correct
position in order to determine the understanding of the scene. The correct position of the camera
is seen to govern the access towards the action of the scene. The author suggests that the scene
can be performed by using a series of shoots that will alternate between the character and his
views that look off-screen and whereas a series of shoots can be used to represent the optical
point of view. Similarly the concept of framing and interaction of all the elements have been
given a critical position in the film style and interpretation.
3. Mulvey, L. (1975), ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”, Screen, Vol 16 Issue 3, pp 6-
18.
This article discusses the pleasure and pleasure that the traditional narrative film offers. It ranged
from the scopophilic instincts to ego libido, to explaining the image of women as a raw material
in cinema. This article discuses about the controlling of time dimension and space dimensions to
produce as a measure of desire. The image of women has been presented as such due to the
patriarchal historical presentation of the inferior women. The article suggests that the spectators

look beyond the to-be-looked-at-ness of the women and is herself presented in the way the
spectators want her to watch. The author reflects on the festishistic representation of woman
which seems to threaten to break the spell of illusion and further their erotic images shown to the
spectators, the fixation of the spectator etc. The image of women, according to the article has
continuously being stolen and used for in the end. According to the paper, the paradox of the
phallocentrism is seen to have been dependent on the image of the castrated women in order to
provide the deeper meaning to the world. The authors also emphasises that the destruction of the
pleasure is a radical weapon. He further added that due to the technological advances the
economic conditions of the cinematic production have changed which, in the present days is
capitalist as well as artisanal in nature. With the help of the alternative cinema a space for cinema
can be provided which is considered to be radical in aesthetic sense as well as political sense and
even challenges the basic assumptions of the mainstream film.
4. Press, A. (2009), ‘Gender and Family in Television’s Golden Age and Beyond’ in The
Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Volume 625, No 1. pp
139-150.
The article focuses on the image of women, family, work etc. on the television and discuses on
how it has changed since the heyday of the network era. It focuses on how the women were
shown to be confined in the family settings with restricted set of images in the early television.
With the increase in the number of working women the television started showing the images of
working women, leading a non-traditional life. But in early 90s, a postfeminist television was
started where the ideas of liberal feminism along with a series of ambiguous images were
challenged. With this, their role in the workplace was seen increasingly and a sense of nostalgia
was yearned for the family life which they had displaced beautifully. The author stated that he

noticed a nostalgic reference towards the television families in the classic period which helped in
indicating that such shows were a reflective of the American culture in the earlier period where
the families used to live together instead of staying single or rather divorced. However, in the
current television, the users and viewers can see the different perspective on third-wave and post-
feminism as compared to the 1900s era. The author also highlights on the fact that the due to the
lack of actual cultural consensus marked by television, the multiplicity of television is playing a
role of presenting progressive role for women and minority groups in our culture. For now the
medium has been experiencing a vast technological changes and life has been characterized due
to the proliferation of new media.
5. Bogle, D. (2002) ‘The 1950s: Scraps’ in Primetime Blues: African Americans on
Network Television, Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
The relationship of African-Americans on the television have been examined by Bogle from
various decade eras, shows and even on the basis of episodes. Bogle has not only measured the
shows sociologically but also aesthetically and with the help of this article he has aimed towards
explaining the influenced of the critics rating and representation of blacks and Hollywood
politics on that. Brief biographies with the help of dozen of actors have been presented and
described in his work. He with his straight-ahead method has presented an insightful and
thoroughness analyses. The author has been presenting a sympathetic version of his work
towards the extra burden given to the black performed which they had to carry. Further he
stressed on the fact that the black performers were judged not only for their acting skills but for
the parts they have been chosen to perform and play. He presents that for a long period of time
the acting jobs for the black performers and actors were few in number and most of these actors
only wanted to have a good role and did not want to be a role model. The study has been

presented in a chronological manner and all the comedies, special events and even the dramas are
logically separated. Additionally, the author has been able to trace the careers of all the actors in
the selected sections. Bogle has successfully able to view the television as highly deficient while
portraying as the African Americans and has complimented The Cosby Show of the 1990s.
Becker, R. (2004). “Prime-time TV in the Gay Nineties: Network Television, Quality
Audiences, and Gay Politics.” In Allen, Robert C. and Hill, Annette (eds.), The Television
Studies Reader, pp. 389-403. London: Routledge.
The article focuses on the fact that the gay men and women were increasingly present in the
prime-time television during the 1990s and their characters and issues were presented with
boldly and clearly. Their lives which was always mirrors due to their demographic profiles
resulted in their marketing press. Becker addresses how the television networks have been seen
to be motivated by the niche audiences in order to provide them with the material exchange for
the increased advertisement revenue and for attracting audiences. Various examples like
Frasier’s gay boss, Paul’s sister in Mad About You, Spin city etc have been discussed throughout
the paper. But with the change in time, their representation on television was changed and their
image has continuously been constructed while keeping in mind the straight, white and affluent
spectators in mind. Becker has noted down the progressive shifts towards the support and
acceptance of the lesbian and gay community by the networks of television which has been
influenced largely by the economic factors. With the emergence of Ellen in 1997, the lives of
gays and lesbians were explored in a humorous manner by explaining their ordeal. Television
has alaways been a site of cultural negotiation and has presented the struggle of gays and lesbian
rights since the 1990s and has led the battle on to play. Therefore it is important for the gay and

lesbian community to understand the complex interaction among the social movements,
industrial forces, political aims and cultural conflicts.