ENG 4934 Edwards Spring 2021

This course examines the use of realism in television narratives, drawing on theories of realism as a literary technique and on histories of its evolution. As we evaluate the status of televisual realism, we will consider how each era has its own favored forms for conveying reality or verisimilitude, and we will explore what each form reflects about its own socio-historical moment. In contemporary media, realism in television narratives has become increasingly relevant, in formats ranging from serialized dramas to documentary to reality TV. As some of these genres extend, question, or undermine realism, they illuminate anxieties about the status of truth claims and authenticity in our digital era of easily-manipulated images. We will discuss key television case studies and will read relevant scholarship on realism and in television studies. Coursework includes two short essays, an online presentation, Canvas discussion posts, a midterm exam, and a longer final essay.