What about Eldin in Murphy Brown?  

Anna


-----Original Message-----
From: Film and TV Studies Discussion List on behalf of Jeremy Butler
Sent: Tue 11/30/2004 7:29 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [SCREEN-L] Authors and Artists on Television Shows
 
I'm currently working on a revision of the textbook, Television: Critical
Methods and Applications.  Specifically, I'm revising/enlarging the chapter
on critical methods.  Although I think the auteur theory has very limited
application to television, I have a small section discussing it.

This has led me to thinking about the Romantic, Byronic conception of the
artist--meaning both painters and poets, novelists, musicians, et al.--as a
tormented and usually demented individual.  While it's easy to come up with
dozens of examples of FILMS about such poor souls (e.g., POLLACK, BASQUIAT,
etc. etc. etc.), I'm struggling to think of a single television series.

I suppose there's THE MONKEES and FAME.  And LOVE, SIDNEY did cast Tony
Randall as an artist.  But surely there are better examples than that.

Or does episodic television not favor the Romantic artist as a stereotype
the way that the cinema does?

I have been thinking mostly of U.S. television since that is where the
textbook is principally distributed, but I'd be curious to hear about any
instances of television series (and not just one-time documentary-style
biographies) centered on an artist, author, or musician.

Thanks.


Jeremy Butler
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========================================================
Resources for film/TV educators and students:
www.ScreenSite.org
Television: Critical Methods and Applications:
www.TVCrit.com

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Screen-L is sponsored by the Telecommunication & Film Dept., the
University of Alabama: http://www.tcf.ua.edu


----
Screen-L is sponsored by the Telecommunication & Film Dept., the
University of Alabama: http://www.tcf.ua.edu