This weeks class discussion was very interesting and informative. We talked about how television series have an impact on audiences. Many shows have had plenty of success, but the most successful shows are often the ones that the audience/viewers can resonate with. The show needs to feel real in order for the viewers to feel as though they are there. So, if something negative happens to the protagonist, they feel as though it happened to them. Many people, myself included, and im sure many of you guys have gotten very into a show and feel emotions at a series finale or big events. For example, in the show “Dallas” JR was shot, and it had the world going insane about who shot him until the next season came out. If a show is done the right way, it has extremely positive effects on the viewers.

Another discussion that arose during class was about long running series that has many different cast members through the years, but often keep a couple of the same members. The first thought that came to my head was The Office. Most of the characters are the same throughout the series, but the main character, Michael Scott leaves in season 7, which leaves two more seasons without him. Some would argue that the show dropped off after that, but it was still funny and the producers still produced a great product. A big reason for that is it seems like they really focused on character to character relationships in the last two seasons or so which made for a better story line and more interactions worth watching.

We also watch the show ER in class, I can see how ER earned its keep as a show. There are relationships which add the personal feel to it. But the biggest effect is the drama. In my opinion, it is too much. Many people are into that sort of thing though. It really stretches the boundaries of drama and even gore if you view the medical situations that way. But, it was a 15 season series which shows its dominance in the TV industry and is also one of the more successful sitcoms to date.