Did Television Cultivate Information Overload?
I just had a great discussion with a friend conducting a study ignited by some of George Gerbner's theories.
Though I used to watch much more television as a youth than I do now (I'm at about 20-30 minutes a day - and in small chunks at that), I recognize how TV, especially dramatic TV has changed.
Bonanza. Perry Mason. Mission:Impossible. Each normally had one story per show. There was an end to the story at the end of the show.
Then we found multiple story lines in Fantasy Island and The Love Boat. More stories and characters, but once again - an end to close out the show. Even M*A*S*H would have multiple characters and stories, but usually these stories were tied up at the close.
Was it Hill Street Blues that started the trend of multiple stories and characters - often continuing for weeks? Now we have LOST, which is one (eight?) puzzle piece after another.
Speaking of puzzles, notice the fascination we have with the CSI's and Criminal Minds. Have the MVPs in our lives become Multiple Visual Puzzles (like 2000 bloggers perhaps?).
There's more here than meets the eye...(to be continued next week)
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