What role does Hills (2004) suggest the fans play in the construction of cult TV? How is new media central to this?
Dorothy Swanson, the founder of viewers of quality television stated that " A quality series enlightens, enriches, challenges, involves, and confronts. It dares to take risks, it is honest and illuminating it appeals to the intellect and touches the emotions. It requires concentration and attention and it provokes thought" Which is a possible reason to why Hills (2004) might have suggested that the fans plan an exclusive role to making cult TV popular and furthermore construct what cult TV is.
In defining the construction of cult TV, Hills describes these roles in a three part model and clearly states the effectiveness the audience has in structuring popular cult TV. The model that i will focus on is inter-textual network.
According to Hills (2004) describes how fans organise TV programmes into an inter-textual network. Inter-texual network is the focus on the fan base which also is the creation of a communication network. This communication creation keeps the fans constantly notified and updated with popular material such as books, movies and all sorts of popular culture that is related to cult TV. This inter-textual network also allows fans to discuss and compare popular material.
Inter-textual networking also allows fans to have access to more wider networking and thus constantly creating a big fan base. Furthermore, fans are able to critic negatively or positively on movies, books and even comics.Hills (2004) suggests that because fans become extremely involved by creating fan pages, and fans are also responsible for the growing popularity of cult TV.
These fans were so dedicated that they organised the "appreciation association" which was established in 1976. They gather together to discuss their interests and to critique the network (Hills p519, 2004).
The fans used the "appreciation association" organisation as the means to gather together or meet online to critique and gather to keep the fan base alive and flowing.
(Hills, 2004) also stated that the fans of the show are able to discuss shows with great depth and detail, and even create their own fan fictions relating them in depth with popular shows.
New media also contributes by the development of technology fans are able to expand their fan base by launching popular products that help build a shows popularity especially with movies in which toys/action figures, posters, and even more exclusive "appreciation associations". With technology fans are able to continue to discuss with other fans about their favourite shows and build a community of fans.
Personally, i think cult TV fans are the most dedicated fans, not only do these fans go out of their way to merchandise some of their favourite characters but they also play a role in establishing the major fan base of cult TV. Media also contributes with the ever developing use of technology as it helps share the dedication of fans and continue to build a more bigger and bigger fan base which makes cult TV more and more popular.
References
Hills, M. (2004) Defining Cult TV; texts, inter-texts and fan audiences, the television studies reader. London & New York: Routledge.
Good, thanks Shadna. Hills doesn't discuss merchandise very much in his article. But I agree with you that it is an important element and driver of cult shows.
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