Questions:
1) Watch a television show of your choice that falls into one of the sub genres mentioned above in Notes. Post the name of the show you watched in thread title. Analyze the program according to the criteria you read above in Module 2 notes. I've included the pilot episode link for Hill Street Blues below, but feel free to choose any show you'd like. Most can be found on youtube.com and hulu.com. http://www.hulu.com/watch/325
I watched a television show in the sub-genre of police procedural called NCIS. The episode began with the cast interacting pleasantly with one another, until they get a call or order from their boss that someone has been murdered. As explained in the notes, there is always a death early in the episode. This is the norm for a NCIS episode. The individual murdered was a naval officer, also as is typically as they are a naval investigating unit. They were seeking the murderer of a young man found dead in the woods. The journey began with tire tracks at the scene and a picture in the man’s hand. To see that they actually followed the leads to solve the murder, as typical too, is sometimes unrealistic. Yet, always a turn of events leads them to the bad guy. The scene led to a military school where they discovered another murder occurred that had allegedly been a suicide. A strange ex-student at the school gives them the clues they need to advance further in their investigations. Issues of bullying are presented. As are issues of how the agent who is an alumni of the school deals with going back to the days of his troubled youth. He turned his life around. Undertones of this issue is present throughout the episode. There are female characters in this show but as indicated in the notes, it is predominantly white male dominated. The female agent, it seems, is more concerned about feelings and forgiveness. The episode did present a range of emotions the module indicates. The television drama is “the range of human emotions and issues packed into individual episodes”.
2) What is the undercurrent of weirdness and unease about The Twilight Zone clips you watched in Module 2 link?
The undercurrent of weirdness and unease in this episode is that the parents keep reinforcing the kid’s bizarre behavior and they are afraid of him. They keep telling the kid “that is good”. The kids kill animals, sends people away, and watches some weird form of television. The family is extremely fearful but do not want him to be dissatisfied as they fear for their own lives.
3) According to the article below, who authored the 10 cowboy commandments?
Can you think of any famous westerns that followed the Cowboy Code? Watch an episode or some clips of The Lone Ranger and find an example of at least one of the Cowboy Codes being played out in a scene. http://www.museum.tv/eotv/westerns.htm
The article tells us that Gene Autry authored the 10 cowboy commandments. Roy Rogers is a famous wester that followed the Cowboy Code, as is the Lone Ranger.I watched an episode of the Lone Ranger entitled Legion of Old Times. The role of the Lone Ranger throughout the entire show displays the Cowboy Codes. In the first scene with the Lone Ranger and Tonto, they discover a sign posted on a tree offering to sell a ranch. They know instantly that trouble is afoot, and intend to lend their assistance to the land owner. He says “we can’t let this happen”.
