What role does Hills (2004) suggest the fans play in the construction of cult TV? How
is new media central to this?
I used to be the biggest Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan. When Angel left, I couldn’t bear to be so disloyal as to continue watching it, so moved on to Angel. When Cordelia died, I was so distraught that I turned to fanfiction – I had to sleep somehow. I had no idea how large the fandom was across the internet, and continue to be a bit gobsmacked at the lengths people go to for their favourite shows. This is part of what makes cult TV, well, Cult. Knowing that if I miss an episode, just a few clicks away are literally hundreds of sites – official and fanmade – that can either sum it up or provide the script, word for word. The efforts of fans (I stress, we are not all geeky!) are as much for others as they are for themselves, continue a world and widen it to allow everyone to participate in, long after the episode is over.
Cult TV is different from regular soaps in that episodes follow on from each other and often reference back, with characters evolving but staying believable. Narrative/series gaps allow for the creation of fan interactions such as fanfiction, websites, conventions etc, and Fiske (as cited in Hills, 2004, p.517) expands on this, saying that “secondary texts are no more univocal than primary ones”. The bigger the interest, the more outlets fans find to express their passion. This is seen by conventions held across the globe, such as Comic Con in America and New Zealand’s own Armageddon, and in turn these events attract media interest (Hills, 2004). Fans provide a market for memorabilia and merchandise, sometimes long after the show has finished airing (i.e Star Trek).
An example of how fans help construct cult TV is shown by the movie Serenity, by Joss Whedon. This film is based on the television series ‘Firefly’, which was cancelled due to poor ratings. However, the show achieved cult status after being released on DVD and the fan outcry prompted Joss Whedon to pen the movie, which took in over US$38 million at the American box office.
However, fan support does not always succeed. My favourite TV show when I was younger was Roswell (I will admit that my Angel obsession occurred when I was much, much older!) – everything about this series I loved. The first season attracted some hardcore, dedicated fans. As so often happens with cult shows, ratings began to slide and the studio was forced to sit up and listen to what fans wanted (this was done by sending mountains of tobasco sauce to the studio – inside joke!) and consequently writers opted for a more science fiction approach to the storytelling. Unfortunately, this failed dismally and alienated many original viewers so ratings slid even further. Roswell was cancelled after just three seasons and the final episodes were so rushed that I cringed watching them.
New media such as the Internet is so central to the legions of cult TV fans that its hard to imagine it existing on the same scale before. I suppose that the fans obviously existed then but on a less collective scale; nowadays people can continue the experience at just a click of a button. Kirsten Pullen (as cited by Hills, 2004, pg. 518) noted that the Internet opened up “the boundaries of fandom, allowing more people to participate in fan culture” and this is so true. I would like to mention one of my favourite films as a perfect example of fan attention, and that is “Galaxy Quest”. This is a cheesy but actually pretty clever piece of cinema starring Tim Allen, about the actors of a very popular (but cancelled) TV show that continue to attract fame due to the continuation of their status as “cult tv stars”. Aliens in space think they are watching historical fact and enlist their help, battles and confusion ensue and so on and so forth. It is the fans on Earth, who are so wrapped up in the Galaxy Quest universe that they know all the episodes and basically know every single facet of the show, are the ones that end up saving the day, and this is a perfect example of how important fans are to cult TV – or perhaps television in general.
I don’t want to paint fans as atypical ‘nerds’. Indeed, part of the beauty of cult TV is that it welcomes anyone who express interest, and is gender neutral (Hills, 2004). I also get drawn into the elaborate worlds popular in cult TV, mainly because I love the way it often relates to real life. Indeed, this is probably one of the very reasons why cult shows often contain elements of the supernatural – not a popular enough idea to be mainstream but enough for people who long for something more to latch onto. It’s a way for the impossible to become possible, and it is through the fans that these ideas are expressed and mutated in many different ways. With so many outlets, the world created on tv becomes living and perhaps, even invincible. It also helps nerdy girls like me sleep at night knowing that Angel finally got a happy ending!
REFERENCES
Hills, 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.
Firefly. (2011, 26 September). Retrieved 28 September, 2011 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly_%28TV_series%29
Roswell. (2011, September 8). Retrieved 28 September 2011 from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roswell_%28TV_series%29
Serenity. (2011, 27 September). Retrieved 28 September from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serenity_%28film%29
I think Cult TV has influenced many and is prefered and liked by many. Though media plays a major role in making it among the popular genres. I know people who are crazy about these programmes and you are right if you miss an episode, it is basically a need that you have to keep yourself updated. I myself am not a fan of Cult TV but I have watched it and I think due to not being regular with it, I've not become a fan of cult tv. You are also right that Cult TV differs from other soaps and programmes on TV, which is the reason why it is liked by many. I believe that fans also played a role in constructing Cult TV, afterall it's about your taste and some people are really into Cult TV.
ReplyDeleteI agree Aafia, that Cult Tv requires regular watching. The great thing about the Internet is that so many episodes are online, or if not the episodes then the scripts or plot outlines. I think that because of this ability to reach so many people, media plays a big part. Furthermore, Cult Tv episodes follow a storyline towards a cliffhanger at the end of each season. They usually have just one episode a week. This is in contrast to soaps, where you can pick up at any time and quickly get the gist.
ReplyDeleteSome shows however really rely on the media. For example, Lost. I found watching this on TV required a lot of energy to keep up with what was going on. I relied on the Internet to help me understand the twists and turns. I also read somewhere that the show started with no definate ending in mind, and that the makers of the show were influenced by fan interpretations that they had read online. So media has definately influenced Cult TV in this example.
However, I find that the best way of getting involved with Cult TV is by renting or buying the dvd sets. This is made more accessible due to the cost of DVDs today, to demand, and advertising via the media. It is very addictive to get a box set and watch them very quickly, especially with slower moving shows such as True Blood, or with lighter programmes with extensive character development such as How I Met Your Mother.
I believe it does come down to personal taste yes, and for me, anything with a supernatural element draws me in, perhaps because of the mundane routine of my daily life, I dont know.
Hi Helen, I think cult TV is definitely controlled by its fan base. Like you mentioned Comic con and Armageddon it is a play for people to fully express their passion and interests in their favourite particular cult TV series. As well as having things like nzondemand where you can watch your favourite shows on-line, it is great for people who are just starting out liking a show and want to catch up and watch it from the start. And this has started from the spread of word of mouth, "did you watch big bang theory last night" "oh I missed it dam, I have to see what happened between Leonard and Penny, ill go online now and watch it", that is what it is like in my house. People find they have to watch the series religiously like catching up with the goss from your best friends. It is something you submerge yourself with and become part of.
ReplyDeleteExcellent response Helen - it's interesting to read your reflection on your life as a cult TV fan and in particular the role of new media in this 'obsession'. I especially like the way you weave the theoretical literature into your monologue. Great stuff and good comments from others in your group.
ReplyDeleteYes, now I think I know why Buffy attracts so many audiences. I think the fans promoted the cult TV as well because the more fans activities, the more influence the show have. Meanwhile, the fans also bring the show element in various areas which also increase some business, such as same series game and comics.
ReplyDelete