239554 Depictions of the Urban in Television (S) (WiSe 2011/2012)

The ruined, bleak citiscape of 1949 Vienna reflects the ruined moral of Antagonist Harry Lime just like the torn personality of Sam Tyler is relating to a crime-ridden 70ies Manchester. Michael Westen's struggle to regain his identity is interspersed with shots of glamorous Miami, reminiscent of a time when detectives Crockett and Tubbs roamed the same neighborhoods. And while Frank Mittens barely holds on against the despair he finds underneath the smooth surface of glass and light that is nigthly New York, William Foster breaks, facing the harsh reality of LA in a heatwave.

During this course, we will examine representations of the urban landscape in both film and television as it guides the story, influences the viewing experience and motivates the protagonists. Looking, among others, at The Third Man, Life on Mars, Burn Notice, Bringing out the Dead and Falling Down, we will be concerned with instances in which the city is more than just a stage from which the action unfolds.