CALL FOR PAPERS

It's Not TV: Watching HBO in the Post-Television Era

Edited by Marc Leverette, Brian Ott, and Cara Buckley-Ott

Proposals and contributions are being sought for an edited collection of =
essays focused on the television channel HBO. Since going on the air in =
1972 as one of the first non-terrestrial cable networks (and becoming =
one of the first to broadcast via satellite in 1975), HBO has =
continually attempted to redefine television as we know it, gaining a =
reputation for offering high quality original programming, in addition =
to showing feature films. Today, pay television (and HBO in particular) =
is positioned as an alternative to network offerings, consistently being =
regarded as the premier site for has come to be called "quality =
television," hailed critically as well as by audiences. The collection =
aims to focus on pioneering areas of analysis and new critical =
approaches to television today, generating lively debate while as =
providing a learned yet creative arena for considering contemporary =
television culture in new and different ways. The collection will be =
aimed at an educated, but not specialized, audience. With an emphasis on =
keeping the collection interdisciplinary, essays chosen for inclusion =
should be scholarly and knowledgeable, but not obscure.=20

The following topics are merely suggestions. Possible ideas may include, =
but are not limited to:=20

  a.. The history of HBO
  b.. Political economy
  c.. Movie distribution
  d.. Technology (satellite, early high-definition, etc.)
  e.. Companion channels (HBO2, HBO Family, HBO Latino, HBO Signature, =
HBO Zone; it's relationship with Cinemax, etc.)
  f.. Secondary markets (DVDs, syndications, etc.)
  g.. Pay television and content (i.e. violence, sex, profanity, no =
commercials, etc.)
  h.. America Undercover documentaries (Pornucopia, Autopsy, Last =
Letters Home, etc.)
  i.. HBO Films (American Splendor, Capturing the Friedmans, Hysterical =
Blindness, Iron Jawed Angels, Lackawanna Blues, etc.)
  j.. Miniseries (Angels in America, Band of Brothers, From Earth to the =
Moon, etc.)
  k.. Sports (Boxing, Costas NOW, Real Sports, Inside the NFL, etc.)
  l.. Stand-up comedy (Def Comedy Jam, Bad Boys of Comedy, One Night =
Stand, specials, etc.)
Or Contemporary shows such as:

  a.. Big Love
  b.. Carniv=E0le
  c.. Cathouse
  d.. The Comeback
  e.. Curb Your Enthusiasm
  f.. Deadwood
  g.. Def Poetry Jam
  h.. Entourage
  i.. Extras
  j.. Oz
  k.. Real Time with Bill Maher
  l.. Rome
  m.. Sex and the City
  n.. Six Feet Under
  o.. The Sopranos
  p.. Unscripted
  q.. The Wire
Or Prior shows such as:

  a.. Aril$$
  b.. The Chris Rock Show
  c.. Fraggle Rock
  d.. Dream On
  e.. The Larry Sanders Show
  f.. The Mind of the Married Man
  g.. Mr. Show with Bob and Dave
  h.. Not Necessarily the News
  i.. Tenacious D
=20

Please send either a 500-1,000 word description of the essay you would =
like to contribute or your completed essay as an e-mail attachment =
(preferably in Word) to marc.leverette_at_colostate.edu, =
brian.ott_at_colostate.edu, and/or clbuckle_at_indiana.edu by December 1st, =
2005.

Please include a brief biography or brief cv.

--------------------------------------------------
Marc Leverette
Department of Speech Communication
213C Eddy Building
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1783
970-491-5886
marc.leverette_at_colostate.edu

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Received on Wed Oct 05 2005 - 11:02:01 EDT