What role does Hills (2004) suggest the fans play in the construction of cult TV? How is new media central to this?
There are a number of roles which fans influence to construct cult TV according to Hills (2004). Cult TV is basically constructed by its dedicated devotees whose practices and activities are put into re-organising certain TV shows. In other words, cult TV shows are fan-based TV shows rather than industry-led media. These cult TV fandoms are in fact participated to form the episodes whereas main-stream TV shows are formed by media producers. For example, the fan audience apply their ideas to create the sense of interest and discuss about the next episodes. As a result, an ordinary TV show is transformed into a cult following. Unlike the conventional attitudes of fans of ordinary TV shows where their fans are mainly passive receivers of media forms, cult TV fans are actively involved in being part of influencing the media. So the fans influence on TV shows that they are deeply interested in as well as they are influenced by their cult TV shows.
Some of the cult TV fandoms’ roles in both online and offline are as follows.
· Organising an ‘intertextual network’
· Arranging a social group as ‘Appreciation Societies’, e.g. an annual convention.
· Producing commentaries, fan fictions and episode guides and so on.
· Reviewing the shows repeatedly.
· Analyzing detailed episodes.
As those activities help sustain a fan culture. Hills (2004) suggests some strategies for new media to succeed as a cult TV show.
First of all, employ an important production member who has an experience of cult shows where fans’ intertextual network was involved in. Next, recruit at least one actor/actress from previous cult shows and publicize an author to lead fans to be connected. Make a show that is based on elements that are familiar to fans, e.g. SF, fantasy or horror. Build on an implicit world. Establish an unanswered mystery as a part of a story.
Reference
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.
A good response that succinctly captures the concepts discussed by Hills (2004)- but see my comments to others- it would have been good to have taken this discussion further - beyond a summary of Hills and go online and see what new media fan practices are being carried out -perhaps critically describing on of these.
ReplyDeleteI thought reality TV shows are influenced by their fans who are involved in the part of the show. In my opinion, reality TV shows totally depend on the fan’s participation, but cult TV shows don’t. I may be wrong. ^^;
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