Classes to Take If You’re Obsessed with TV:
If you’re anything like me, you’re guilty of spending hours binge-watching Netflix instead of being productive. But what if watching TV was actually part of your homework? Read on for some of NYU’s best classes to take if you need a reason to justify your next Office marathon.
TV Nation - Tisch Film & TV
TV Nation is the absolute best class to take if you’re willing to spend hours in the evening watching random TV episodes. Major perks include industry speakers from channels like ABC and HBO, getting to watch pilots that never made it to air, and general career advice from the professor. When I took the class, we had Phil Rosenthal (creator of Everybody Loves Raymond, Somebody Feed Phil) as one of our many guest speakers. We also previewed the pilot of Splitting Up Together before it aired and watched Jesse McCartney in Locke & Key, a creepy drama that never made it to air. It’s a great class to understand the differences between the major network brands and to learn about basic TV programming. It’s also ripe with networking opportunities since the final project is to present in front of industry professionals.
Best if you’re looking for: excuses to watch random TV, knowledge of TV programming concepts and network branding
2. Producing for TV - Tisch Film & TV
Producing for TV counts towards a BEMT minor and is a great class to take if you plan on pursuing a career in TV. It’s a foundational course that gives you broad knowledge of the TV industry, teaching you about history, trends, and genres. However, this course alsot teaches you the steps of pre-production, production, and post-production through the lens of the producer. If you’re interested in the role of the producer in TV (which is very different than film), you should definitely take this class. You can also expect a variety of guest speakers, fun TV clips, and watching full-length episodes in class. You’ll also discuss the direction TV is going, key industry players, and current events.
Best if you’re looking for: industry knowledge, how to get into producing for TV, understanding of TV as a storytelling medium
3. Television: History and Form - Steinhardt MCC
For a more theoretic approach to TV, try Television: History and Form. This class analyzes TV as a medium of culture and aesthetic expression. It looks at TV with a macro lens, examining its origins and history as well as both the cultural and industrial aspects of the medium. Since this is an MCC course, you can expect more dialogue about TV in an abstract sense. You will better understand the role of TV in society as well as its power as a mass medium.
Best if you’re looking for: academic research on TV, analyzing TV as a concept
Hopefully, this list has given you some idea about what courses to take in your upcoming semesters! Satisfy your TV obsession in a healthy way by enrolling in one of these classes!
