Week 9 & 10

 

What role does Hills (2004) suggest the fans play in the construction of cult TV? How is new media central to this?

Hill (2004), mentioned that cult TV does not require fans’ special devotion, but their existence is very essential part of cult TV.  Cult TV represents a dedicated group of fans of a television show, who get together and do specific activities related to the television show. Obiviously this can't happen without the fans and their love for that particular show, so fans are an essential factor for the success of cult TV. According to Hill (2004), cult TV is centrally important to cult fans' 'lifestyle and identities' that such fans are so keen to legitimate defend and analyses their own consumption of cult TV. From these fans, appreciation societies are born. Appreciation societies are a society made up of fans and they meet up to have meetings, plan events, and have discussions about the TV show. For example Buffy the Vampire Salyer is a well known exmaple of cult TV, becuase of its huge success, number of fans were enormous, and so were the appreciation societies. People would have Buffy the Vampire Slayer Marathons, theme based parties, they would wear Buffy the Vampire Slayer clothing, and much more. And with the improvement of techonologies nowadays such meetings and events can be planned and held much easier.
I remember when I was young and Buffy would play on television night after night, I was never a huge fan but I do remeber going to school and my classmates were always talking about the show.  

Reference

Hill, 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.