SOC 196 : The Sitcom in America: History and Production Spring 2009 Classes January 14th - March 4th Field Trip to LA: Spring Break, Mar 7th -13th

Instructor: Jeff Haig (jhaig@uvm.edu)
Course blog: www.haigmedia.blogspot.com
Course web page: www.uvm.edu/~jhaig/
Office: Dept. of Sociology, 31 S. Prospect St.
Phone: 863-3955
Office Hours: By  appointment.
Classroom:  Kalkin 325
Time: Wednesdays 4:05pm - 7:05pm

Introduction:

The situation comedy has been a staple of television since its inception. This course will examine the relationship between the sitcom and American society, and the way in which important political and social issues of the day are reworked within the form. The course offers a unique opportunity not only to explore the history and social function of the sitcom, but to meet with industry professionals to discuss their jobs, and to witness the studio production process.

Objectives:

           Students will learn

• The history and origins of American sitcoms. Many of the earlier sitcoms had their origin in radio, while later shows often originated in England. We will examine how the source material was adapted for the perceived American audience in sitcoms such as The Office.
• The standard sitcom formulas, and the variations of those themes.
• The development of production techniques, especially the three-camera technique, and explore the differences between the three-camera and single-camera show. We will also look at the use of the laugh-track, and how it changes the perception of the show.
• The various forms of sitcom families, from the idealized household of Father Knows Best, through the extended family of such shows as Fresh Prince, and the para-families of Entourage and Friends.
• The evolution of gender-roles, and the ways in which women’s roles in particular change through the decades. Such shows as The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Murphy Brown appear to represent shifts in the popular acceptance of feminine independence; we will examine the extent of these changes, and the ways in which gender-codes are negotiated with the audience.
• How heterosexual issues are dealt with in shows such as Sex and the City, and how the depiction of homosexuality has changed over the years, from Soap to Will and Grace.
• The world of work in sitcoms, and frequent lack of actual working in Taxi, News Radio, Cheers, and The Office.
• The ways in which race are represented, from Amos ‘n’ Andy through All in the Family to The Cosby Show, The Jeffersons and The George Lopez Show. We will also look at criticisms of the “whiteness” of such shows as Friends and Cheers, and discuss the accuracy of such critiques.
• The representation of class in such shows as The Beverly Hillbillies, Roseanne, Chico and the Man and The Simpsons.
• The issue of nostalgia and pastoralism in The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, Happy Days and Newhart.
• The analysis of political concerns in such shows as M*A*S*H and All in the Family.

    
Readings:

Honey, I'm Home! : Sitcoms: Selling The American Dream by Gerard Jones. St. Martin's Griffin, 1993 (ISBN: 0312088108)
The Sitcom Reader: America Viewed and Skewed, ed. Mary Dalton and Laura Linder (ISBN: 0791465705)

Other reading may be assigned.

Attendance:
    Because the class is so short, you must attend all classes. Every class missed will lose you 10% on the Attendance grade. If you miss 4 or more classes, you automatically fail the course.
   
Writing Assignments:    

All papers must be received on their due dates.

Papers will be assessed on

• Your ability to form a cohesive argument
• Your understanding of the issues we have discussed in class
• Your skill in exposing the cultural assumptions of the material
• Your ability to communicate clearly (spelling and grammar are very important!)           

1. Quiz on assigned readings. (Wednesday March 4th)
2. Paper: How did the sitcoms of the 50s and 60s deal with social issues? How did they encode difficult topics to avoid offending the audience?
(4-6 pages, due Jan 28th)
3. Paper: How did the function of the sitcom change during the 70s and 80s? How successful was it as a vehicle for exploring the social changes of the day?
(4-6 pages, due Feb 11th)
4. Paper: How do modern sitcoms differ from their earlier cousins? What are the similarities and differences between the early and modern sitcoms in theme and execution? Are they any better at dealing with serious issues, or worse? And, finally, is the sitcom defunct, or is there hope for the future? (4-6 pages, due Feb 25th)

Grading:	Each	Total
Quiz	20%	20%
Papers	25%	75%
Attendance and participation	5%	5%

Date	Topic	Reading	Assignments
Wed, Jan 14th	The Early sitcom, and how to read sitcoms The 50s: Radio tradition, development of 3-camera system, formulas. I Love Lucy, Ozzie and Harriet, Honeymooners, Amos and Andy Filmed vs. stage sitcoms	HHIH: Chapters 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9 SR: Chaps 1, 4, 5 Sample Script: That 70s Show Sitcoms PowerPoint
Wed, Jan 21st	Social Commentary: The 60s Unconventional families. Nostalgia.  The Beverly Hillbillies, The Addams Family, Gilligan’s Island, Hogan’s Heroes, The Monkees, My Three Sons, Green Acres	HHIH, Chapters 10-11, 12-13 SR, Chapters 3, 6, 7 Comedy Guidelines Plot Formulas
Wed, Jan 28th	Domesticity: The 70s The changing face of the Sitcom Family: TV tackles social issues: race, gender, sexuality.  Happy Days, M*A*S*H, All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Chico and the Man, Taxi, Mork and Mindy Scripting: Characters and Situation	HHIH, Chapters 14-15, 16-18 SR, Chapters 10, 11, 17 Rules of Situation Comedy Sitcom Plots	Paper 1 due
Wed, Feb 4th	The 80s The Cosby Show, The Simpsons, Murphy Brown, Roseanne, Ellen, Fresh Prince	HHIH, Chapter 19    SR Chapter 13
Wed, Feb 11th	New Methods: The 90s  Diversity and the Anti-com: Cheers, Seinfeld, Sex and the City, Taxi, Friends	SR, Chapters 9, 20	Paper 2 due
Wed, Feb 18th	The Modern and Postmodern Sitcom: Joey, Will and Grace, Entourage, Weeds, Scrubs, South Park	SR, Chapter 14, 15 "The Sitcom Digresses," NYT, 2008
Wed, Feb 25th	The Dramady: Northern Exposure, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Chuck, Gray's Anatomy, Pushing Daisies	SR, Chapters 19, 21	Paper 3 due
Wed, Mar 4th	The NetCom: Goodnight Burbank, Something to be Desired, Floaters, Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog, We Need Girlfriends,  Choose your own Tube, Mr. Deity, Break a leg, Wainy Days, Mr. Robinson's Driving School, The Burg		Quiz
Sat Mar 7th	Travel to LA
Fri March 13th	Return from LA