Description
Book SynopsisThis book of empirical studies analyzes examples of televisual shared universes since the 1960s to understand how the nature of televised serial narratives and network corporate policies have long created shared storyworlds. While there has been much discussion about shared cinematic universes and comic book universes, the concept has had limited exploration in other media, such as those seen on the smaller screen. By applying convergence culture and other contemporary media studies concepts to television’s history, contributors demonstrate the common activities and practices in serial narratives that align older television with contemporary television, simultaneously bridging the gap between old media and new media studies. Scholars of film studies, media studies, and popular culture will find this book of particular interest.
Trade Review”Bringing together its own "Westphall Universe" collection of dynamic chapters, Televisual Shared Universes explores the intricate connections between spin-offs, transmedia narratives, and transfictionality. Through detailed and thorough analyses of key case studies (Star Trek, Doctor Who, Ducktales, Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, Cheers, and many more!), the authors in this collection deftly explore what unifies--and splinters--the continuity of crossover. Highly recommended!”
-- Paul Booth, DePaul University
"We are lucky to have as brilliant a guide as this to the world of shared universes and storytelling across media. It has a solid grip on both the historic and the contemporary. Bravo!"
-- Toby Miller, University of California, Riverside
Table of ContentsChapter 1. Introduction: Televisual Shared Universes
Vincent Tran
Chapter 2: “Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations”? LGBTQ+ Representation and Diversity Star Trek’s Shared Universe in the 21st Century
Mareike Spychala
Chapter 3: Nostalgic Intertextuality and the Television Set: Happy Days and Its Shared Universe
Raymond I. Schuck
Chapter 4: From Television to Videotape and Back Again: Intellectual Property Laws in the TSU of Doctor Who
Lisa Horton, Peter Soulen, Aaron Propes, David Beard, Clare Ford, and Jason Ford
Chapter 5: Where Everybody Stays the Same: Failures, the American Dream, and the Realism of the Boston-Nantucket-Seattle Flight Path
CarrieLynn D. Reinhard and Erin K. Burrell
Chapter 6: “What Ever Happened to the Disney Afternoon?”: Nostalgia, Remixes, and DuckTakes Shared Universe
Peter Cullen Bryan
Chapter 7: Women in the Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert Universe: Reflections on/of Feminism in History and Mythology
Princess O’Nika Auguste
Chapter 8: Mighty Morphin Continuity: Shaping a Universe through Authorship and Nostalgia
Vincent Tran
Chapter 9: The CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths and the Shared Multiverse as (Anti)Transmedia Storytelling
Chris McGunnigle
Chapter 10. The Institutional Basis of the One Chicago Universe
Melina Meimaridis
Chapter 11: Wrestlers-as-Marks and Producers-as-Fans: BTE, AEW, and the Televisual Shared Universe of the Forbidden Door
CarrieLynn D. Reinhard, Christopher J. Olson, and Christopher Medjesky
Chapter 12: Conclusion: Extending the Shared Universe Concept
Christopher J. Olson and CarrieLynn D. Reinhard
About the Contributors
