TV on History: Representations of the American Past on Commercial Television

This course explores commercial television's influence on our understanding of the American past and the way that this sense of history, in turn, helps audiences to form cultural and political identities. We will discuss foundational methods for critical analysis of television as we use this inquiry to examine some of the guiding themes of American Studies. This class, which has a significant viewing component, traces the evolution of history-based programming in many genres and considers the message and impact of programs such as Ken Burns' Civil War, Roots, Colonial House, and Mad Men. Enrollment limited to 17 first year students and sophomores.