Issues of Judgement and Value in Television Studies

Abstract

The common critical understanding of television is that it is primarily a medium for communication rather than for artistic accomplishment. The conceptualization of television as a relay device tends to downplay its successes as a medium for artistic expression. This paper argues that our judgement of television begins with the acknowledgement that different kinds of television will demand appropriately different kinds of critical attention. In order to explore the ramifications of this observation, the paper focuses on recent television dramas - in particular ER and other medical dramas - as indicative of artistic accomplishment.