EVAN!LOUIS!KROPP! Partial!Fulfillment!of!the!Requirements ...
268
SOCIAL TV: VIEWER INTERACTIONS WITH TELEVISION PRODUCTION. THE CASE OF BONES. by Evan Louis Kropp (Under the direction of Jeffrey P. Jones) ABSTRACT This dissertation investigates the potential influence of Social Television activities on television production and content. A case study approach, using interview, observation and textual analysis methods, investigates the popular television show Bones. Social TV is situated as being a useful production tool and a device that empowers viewers to socialize together and speak back to production. Findings indicate that although production personnel deny that they would change their show based on fan feedback, there are subtle but important changes occurring in production practices that do result in fan influence on content and the way the show is made. INDEX WORDS: Social television, Bones, social media, production studies, audience, power, connected viewing
Transcript of EVAN!LOUIS!KROPP! Partial!Fulfillment!of!the!Requirements ...
!
!
!
!
!SOCIAL!TV:!VIEWER!INTERACTIONS!WITH!TELEVISION!PRODUCTION.!!
THE!CASE!OF!BONES.!
!
by!Evan!Louis!Kropp!!
(Under!the!direction!of!Jeffrey!P.!Jones)!!!!
!!ABSTRACT!
!This!dissertation!investigates!the!potential!influence!of!Social!Television!
activities!on!television!production!and!content.!A!case!study!approach,!using!
interview,!observation!and!textual!analysis!methods,!investigates!the!popular!
television!show!Bones.!Social!TV!is!situated!as!being!a!useful!production!tool!and!a!
device!that!empowers!viewers!to!socialize!together!and!speak!back!to!production.!
Findings!indicate!that!although!production!personnel!deny!that!they!would!change!
their!show!based!on!fan!feedback,!there!are!subtle!but!important!changes!occurring!
in!production!practices!that!do!result!in!fan!influence!on!content!and!the!way!the!
show!is!made.!!
!
!INDEX!WORDS:!! Social!television,!Bones,!social!media,!production!studies,!
audience,!power,!connected!viewing!!!
08!Fall$
!
!
!
!
SOCIAL!TV:!VIEWER!INTERACTIONS!WITH!TELEVISION!PRODUCTION.!
THE!CASE!OF!BONES.!!!
!by!
!
EVAN!LOUIS!KROPP!
B.A.,!University!of!Hartford,!1997!
M.A.,!University!of!Hartford,!2011!
!
A!Dissertation!Submitted!to!the!Graduate!Faculty!of!The!University!of!Georgia!in!
Partial!Fulfillment!of!the!Requirements!for!the!Degree!
!
!
DOCTOR!OF!PHILOSOPHY!
!
!
ATHENS,!GEORGIA!
2014!
!!!!
!
!
!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!
©!2014!
Evan!Louis!Kropp!
All!Rights!Reserved!
!
!
!!
!
SOCIAL!TV:!VIEWER!INTERACTIONS!WITH!TELEVISION!PRODUCTION.!!
THE!CASE!OF!BONES.!
!
by!!!!
EVAN!LOUIS!KROPP!!!!!!!!!!!
Major!Professor:! Jeffrey!P.!Jones!!
Committee:!!Carolina!AcostaaAlzuru!Peggy!Kreshel!Horace!Newcomb!Alisa!Perren!!
!!
!Electronic!Version!Approved:!!Maureen!Grasso!Dean!of!the!Graduate!School!The!University!of!Georgia!May!2014
!
!
iv!
!
!
DEDICATION!PAGE!
!This!dissertation!is!dedicated!to!my!wife!Michelle!and!my!children!Talan!and!Casey.!! !
!
!
v!
!
!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS!
!A!sincere!thank!you!to!my!advisor!Dr.!Horace!Newcomb.!Your!feedback!and!
guidance!were!invaluable!throughout!the!entire!research!process.!!Thank!you!Hart!
Hanson!for!providing!access!to!Bones,!answering!questions,!encouraging!others!to!
participate,!making!your!staff!available!to!me!and!never!saying!“no”!to!any!request.!
In!addition!to!everyone!who!volunteered!to!be!interviewed!and!allowed!me!to!
observe!their!work!activities,!I!would!like!to!specifically!acknowledge!Josh!Levy!and!
Eric!Phillips!whose!efforts!ensured!I!was!able!to!obtain!the!access!and!information!
necessary!to!complete!this!project.!Finally,!I!would!like!to!thank!the!faculty!and!staff!
at!the!Henry!W.!Grady!College!of!Journalism!and!Mass!Communication!as!well!as!the!
Broun!Fund!for!providing!financial!assistance!for!the!completion!of!this!research.!!
!!!!!!!
!
!
vi!
!
!
TABLE!OF!CONTENTS!!
!Page!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS!...........................................................................................................................!v!
CHAPTER!
!!!!!!!!!1!!!!!INTRODUCTION!........................................................................................................................!1!
!!!!!!!!!2!!!!!LITERATURE!REVIEW!.........................................................................................................!41!
!!!!!!!!!3!!!!!METHODS!..................................................................................................................................!80!
!!!!!!!!!4!!!!!SOCIAL!TELEVISION!IN!USE!.............................................................................................!98!
!!!!!!!!!5!!!!!ABOUT!BONES!......................................................................................................................!128!
!!!!!!!!!6!!!!!BONES!AUDIENCE!ACTIVITY!.........................................................................................!144!
!!!!!!!!!7!!!!!BUSINESS!PRACTICES:!INSIDE!THE!NETWORK!AND!STUDIO!.......................!167!
!!!!!!!!!8!!!!!PRODUCING!BONES:!ON!SET,!IN!THE!OFFICES!AND!WRITERS!ROOM!.......!184!
!!!!!!!!!9!!!!!CONCLUSION!........................................................................................................................!221!
REFERENCES!..........................................................................................................................................!243!
APPENDIX!................................................................................................................................................!260!
!
!
!!
!
1!
!
!
CHAPTER!1!
INTRODUCTION!
Bertolt!Brecht!wrote:!!
Broadcasting!could!be!the!conceivably!greatest!device!of!communication!in!public!life,!a!tremendous!channel,!if!it!managed!not!only!to!transmit!but!to!receive,!that!is!to!say!if!it!enabled!the!listener!not!only!to!hear!but!also!to!talk,!if!it!did!not!isolate!but!relate!people.!Broadcasting!would!have!to!outgrow!its!delivery!state!and!organize!the!listener!as!deliverer.1!!
Brecht’s!commentary!on!the!potential!of!radio!in!1926!has!come!to!fruition!today,!
not!in!the!medium!he!was!writing!about,!but!through!the!combined!mediums!of!
television!and!the!Internet.!!While!the!television!has!existed!as!a!oneaway!
communication!device,!transmitting!content!to!audiences,!the!Internet!is!now!
enabling!people!to!“talk”!back.!
Due!to!the!growing!acceptance!and!popularity!of!the!Internet,!many!scholars!
predicted!the!death!of!television!as!users!were!“sacrificing!their!television!viewing!
time!for!that!of!the!Internet.”2!More!recently,!the!number!of!these!predictions!has!
been!declining,!as!the!relationship!between!television!and!the!Internet!has!become!
increasingly!mutually!beneficial.!!Instead!of!replacing!the!television!screen,!the!
Internet!has!evolved!into!a!tool!that!exists!in!parallel!with!it.!!The!Internet!is!being!
used!as!a!way!to!market!television!shows,!disseminate!supplemental!program!
information,!create!and!build!fan!communities,!and!connect!the!people!who!produce!
content!to!the!viewers!who!consume!it.!!
!!
!
2!
This!dissertation!will!focus!on!the!convergence!of!these!two!mediums,!with!
specific!emphasis!on!how!social!media!activities!are!potentially!influencing!
television!production!practices!and!content.!!
Social!Television!
The!idea!of!viewers!socializing!around!television!content!is!as!old!as!television!
itself.!Sports!fans!have!gathered!in!bars!to!cheer!on!their!favorite!sports!teams,!
families!have!congregated!around!the!living!room!television!set!to!watch!their!
weekly!programs,!and!coaworkers!have!convened!around!the!office!water!cooler!to!
discuss!their!favorite!shows.!!Today,!many!of!these!social!activities!have!migrated!
towards!online!environments!and!the!resulting!convergence!of!traditional!television!
and!online!social!media!has!resulted!in!a!new!buzzword,!Social!TV.!!!
The!term!Social!TV!has!created!some!confusion!due!to!its!inconsistent!use.!As!
Mike!Proulx!and!Stacey!Shepatin!state,!“[it]!has!often!been!used!in!recent!years!as!a!
catchall!expression!when!referring!to!the!modern!era!of!television.”3!Conversely,!it!
has!also!been!used!to!describe!many!of!the!individual!uses!and!tools!that!
incorporate!socialization,!television!and!technology.!Social!TV!has!been!used!as!a!
specific!reference!to!technology!used!by!television!stations!to!show!social!media!
content!onaair,!to!describe!interactive!promotional!efforts!by!networks,!to!describe!
the!social!media!platforms!where!viewers!interact,!and!to!classify!the!social!
interactions!themselves.!These!different!uses!of!the!term!are!a!reflection!of!the!
multitude!of!interests!companies!and!individuals!have!in!this!phenomenon.!It!has!
also!created!this!confusion!for!people!who!are!unaware!of!the!term’s!use!beyond!the!
!!
!
3!
specific!object!it!often!refers!to.!!To!alleviate!this!confusion,!I!propose,!and!use!here!
a!more!generic!definition!of!Social!TV.!I!suggest!Social!TV!is!the!use!of!Internet!
connected!platforms!to!interact!about!television.!This!does!not!include!“the!sets!of!
online!tools!that!support!social!interaction!between!users”!which!I!argue!should!be!
separately!referred!to!as!Social!TV!platforms.4!!
This!definition!is!purposely!vague!in!its!use!of!the!term!“interact”!because!social!
interactions!related!to!television!can!involve!various!combinations!of!individuals!
and!can!occur!in!multiple!directions.!Viewers!can!post!comments!with!no!
specifically!intended!receiver,!viewers!can!talk!to!each!other,!viewers!can!talk!to!
production!such!as!actors,!and!production!personnel!even!talk!amongst!themselves.!
These!interactions!can!additionally!occur!as!either!synchronous!or!asynchronous!
communications.!For!example,!writing!a!blog!post!about!a!television!show!during!a!
time!the!show!is!not!being!live!broadcast!is!asynchronous!interaction.!!Active!
tweeting!about!a!show!while!simultaneously!watching!it!is!an!example!of!
synchronous!communication.!Either!action!represents!“the!underlying!desire!to!
connect!and!share![that]!has!always!existed!in!the!human!race.!Social!media!simply!
enables!our!inherent!behaviors!and!gives!us!an!instant!means!to!express!ourselves!
to!a!world!of!other!people.”5!
Initially,!this!convergence!of!Internet!based!social!activity!and!television!viewing!
occurred!through!the!use!of!personal!computers.!Some!of!these!earliest!activities!
have!been!investigated!by!media!researchers!such!as!Henry!Jenkins,!whose!analysis!
of!fans’!activities!on!computer!networks!and!electronic!mail!discussions!included!a!
!!
!
4!
case!study!of!Alt.tv.twinpeaks.6!Activity!in!this!group!was!described!as!“one!of!the!
most!active!and!prolific!on!the!Usenet!system,!averaging!one!hundred!or!more!
entries!per!day.”7!Today,!in!comparison,!a!single!show!can!receive!thousands!of!
tweets,!“likes”!and!social!media!comments!each!day.!
Much!of!this!increase!in!activity!is!attributed!to!the!introduction!of!Apple’s!iPad.!!
As!Mashable!Tech!Analyst!Christina!Warren!explains,!!
…in!April!2010,!Apple!released!the!iPad.!It's!hard!to!underscore!the!transformative!impact!the!iPad!had!on!the!entertainment!industry!as!a!whole!and!specifically!the!television!industry.!Millions!of!consumers!were!buying!the!iPad!and!many!were!using!it!while!watching!TV.8!!!
In!the!first!three!years!since!the!introduction!of!the!iPad,!many!companies!have!
tried!to!capitalize!on!the!public’s!new!desire!for!tablet!computers,!now!one!of!the!
major!categories!of!second!screen!devices!along!with!smartphones.!!!
Software!developers!have!also!recognized!the!growing!importance!of!Social!TV.!
In!2010,!the!same!year!the!iPad!was!released,!MIT!Technology!Review!announced!
Social!TV!as!one!of!its!10!Breakthrough!Technologies.!They!described!how!scientists!
were!working!on!technology!that!would!allow!users!to!combine!the!use!of!online!
social!networks!and!the!activity!of!watching!television.9!Just!two!years!later,!
according!to!Social!TV!analysts!Bluefin!Labs,!the!number!of!viewers!utilizing!second!
screen!applications!to!socialize!about!television!had!grown!at!amazing!rates.!Bluefin!
reported!on!Social!TV!activity!in!the!United!States!finding,!“overall,!Social!TV!grew!
363%!in!2012.!There!were!874M!social!media!comments!about!TV!telecasts!in!2012,!
compared!to!189M!in!2011.”10!This!success!is!mimicked!in!the!global!marketplace!as!
!!
!
5!
well,!where!the!sales!and!development!of!Social!TV!platforms!is!expected!to!grow!
from!$151.14!billion!in!2012,!to!$256.44!billion!by!2017.11!
Technology!companies!are!also!developing!software!to!help!shows!promote!the!
use!of!social!media!to!viewers.!!Companies!like!YouToo!Technologies,!LLC!are!
developing!and!selling!private!label!programs!to!producers,!production!companies!
and!networks!for!this!reason.12!Their!software!enables!networks!to!post!tweets!and!
other!social!media!comments!on!screen!while!a!show!is!being!aired.!They!provide!an!
Internet!based!“control!room”!where!show!personnel!can!sift!through!social!media!
comments!and!select!those!they!want!to!make!visible!on!TV.!Other!services!they!
provide!include!the!ability!to!post!polls,!show!“bugs”!on!the!screen!to!promote!
hashtags,!and!integrate!scroll!bars!across!the!bottom!of!the!screen!displaying!social!
media!activity.!!Networks!are!encouraging!viewers!to!engage!with!their!content!and!
other!viewers!through!these!tools!and!there!are!several!types!of!platforms!viewers!
can!use!on!their!second!screen!devices.!!
Second!Screen!Tools!
One!study!found!that!“somewhere!between!75%!and!85%!of!TV!viewers!use!
other!devices!while!watching![television].”13!While!this!number!does!seem!high,!a!
more!specific!report!by!AT&T!focusing!on!mobile!use!produced!similar!results.!They!
found!that!88%!of!smartphone!owners!use!their!device!while!watching!TV!and!that!
85%!do!so!on!a!monthly!basis,!62%!report!use!multiple!times!a!week!and!39%!
report!daily!use.14!!A!similar!study!by!Nielsen!reported!“nearly!half!of!smartphone!
owners!(46%)!and!tablet!owners!(43%)!said!they!use!their!devices!as!second!
!!
!
6!
screens!while!watching!TV!every!day.”15!Although!these!viewers!use!devices!while!
watching!TV,!it!does!not!mean!they!use!them!to!perform!TV!related!tasks.!As!Matt!
Selman,!Executive!Producer!of!The!Simpsons!jokingly!tweeted,!“this!pilot!season,!
what!we’re!really!looking!for!are!shows!that!can!be!enjoyed!in!the!background!while!
people!are!playing!Candy!Crush.”16!!Some!of!these!secondascreen!users!are!actually!
using!their!devices!to!perform!activities!related!to!the!shows!they!are!watching.!
Researchers!report!the!number!of!those!viewers!is!“somewhere!between!37%!and!
52%”!of!these!“multiascreeners.”17!The!activities!these!users!perform!include!
looking!up!information!about!an!actor,!buying!an!advertised!product,!voting!or!
sending!a!comment!to!a!show!and!writing!messages!to!other!viewers.!!
The!platforms!used!by!these!second!screens!take!on!many!forms,!among!them,!
mobile!apps,!websites!and!proprietary!platforms.!Any!attempt!to!identify!and!
classify!each!tool!would!be!fruitless!since!the!marketplace!is!rapidly!changing!as!
new!platforms!are!introduced,!unsuccessful!platforms!disappear!and!others!merge!
and!form!partnerships.!!Given!this!situation!of!rapid!change,!I!propose!a!working!
taxonomy!of!Social!TV!platforms.!These!classifications!are!likely!to!change!over!time,!
but!categorization!offers!a!useful!working!model!to!organize!this!diverse!field.!
Existing!platforms!can!be!divided!into!the!following!categories;!“Traditional”!Social!
Media,!MicroaBlogging!Platforms,!Checkain!Services,!Branded!Platforms!and!Other!
Platforms.!!
!!
!
7!
“Traditional”!Social!Media!
Referring!to!a!platform!that!is!less!than!a!decade!old!as!“traditional”!seems!a!bit!
comical,!but!it!speaks!to!the!rapidity!of!change!in!the!field.!For!instance,!this!
dissertation!will!not!include!any!analysis!of!Myspace,!which!was!the!leading!social!
media!site!as!recently!as!2005.!The!social!media!market!domination!of!Myspace!
ended!in!2008!when!Facebook!surpassed!them!in!Total!Unique!Visitors!and!became!
the!world’s!most!popular!social!media!site.18!!Facebook!continues!to!hold!this!
position!in!2013!and!is!the!most!relevant!“traditional”!social!medium!to!discussions!
of!social!television.!!
Facebook’s!mission!is!to!“make!the!world!more!open!and!connected.!People!use!
Facebook!to!stay!connected!with!friends!and!family,!to!discover!what’s!going!on!in!
the!world,!and!to!share!and!express!what!matters!to!them.”19!This!includes!
interactions!about!television.!!
There!are!several!ways!Facebook!users!interact!around!television.!Networks,!
shows!and!actors!build!pages.!These!pages!offer!a!centralized!area!where!fans!can!
post!comments!about!the!show!and!the!network!can!post!supplemental!information!
including!promotional!announcements,!behindatheascenes!photos,!and!show!trivia!
among!others.!Fans!can!then!“like”!these!by!clicking!the!appropriate!button.!!This!
action!is!reported!on!the!newsfeed!of!the!user’s!friends.!This!is!the!first!step!of!viral!
promotions.!“Liking”!a!page!also!gives!permission!to!the!owner!of!the!page!to!send!
updates!and!information!to!the!user’s!newsfeed.!FX!Network,!for!example,!has!a!
page,!its!show!The!Americans!has!a!page!and!several!of!the!lead!actors!such!as!Keri!
!!
!
8!
Russell!have!pages.!When!users!“like”!any!of!these!pages,!an!announcement!is!sent!
to!that!user’s!friends!and!the!page!is!authorized!to!post!on!the!user’s!newsfeed.!
These!like!buttons!are!also!available!outside!of!the!Facebook!website!via!social!pluga
ins.!These!are!snippets!of!code!that!Facebook!provides!to!website!developers!to!
integrate!Facebook!tools!into!external!website!when!websites!seek!to!increase!
social!activity!and!want!to!encourage!the!sharing!of!information.!!
MicroABlogging!Platforms!
When!Mike!Proulx!and!Stacey!Shepatin!wrote!“the!Internet!has!not!killed!TV;!it!
has!actually!become!its!best!friend,”!they!couldn’t!have!provided!a!better!
description!for!the!way!the!relationship!between!Twitter!and!television!has!
grown.20!!Twitter!has!become!the!overall!leading!platform!for!social!television!
interaction!accounting!for!as!much!as!77%!of!Social!TV!activity.21!!A!set!of!standard!
conventions!is!used!to!post!comments!called!tweets,!each!limited!to!140acharacters!
in!length.!Each!Twitter!user!is!assigned!an!“@”!handle!to!use!as!their!username!on!
the!site.!Kurt!Sutter,!showrunner!for!Sons!of!Anarchy!uses!the!handle!@sutterink.!
Other!users!can!direct!comments!to!Sutter!by!including!@sutterink!in!their!tweets.!
More!general!conversations!can!use!hashtags!(#)!to!classify!a!tweet!as!being!
associated!with!a!specific!topic.!!These!can!be!created!by!the!user,!created!by!the!
show!(and!shown!as!a!bug!in!the!corner!of!the!screen)!or!the!user!can!identify!
hashtags!already!in!use!and!add!it!to!their!tweet!to!join!a!specific!thread!of!tweets.!
Viewers!watching!and!tweeting!about!Mad!Men,!for!example,!might!label!their!
tweets!with!a!!#MadMen!hashtag!to!join!a!conversation.!In!instances!where!users!try!
!!
!
9!
to!demonstrate!their!wit,!a!user!might!create!a!hashtag!like!#ILoveDonDraper!to!
express!a!feeling!that!they!are!trying!to!find!others!to!support.!
Between!2011!and!2012,!“chatter”!about!television!on!Twitter!grew!by!800%.22!
This!chatter!can!occur!as!conversations!during!a!shows!live!viewing,!and!it!can!also!
happen!between!airings!of!episodes.!During!shows,!viewers!often!comment!on!their!
like/dislike!of!a!character!or!plot!line,!the!pleasure!they!experience!watching!a!show,!
what!they!anticipate!might!occur!next,!or!they!might!simply!tweet!a!favorite!line!
spoken!by!a!character.!!Between!airings,!viewers!might!discuss!how!much!they!miss!
their!show,!what!storylines!they!anticipate!for!upcoming!episodes,!or!provide!
updates!on!what!actors!are!doing!offascreen!among!other!topics.!In!some!instances,!
networks!will!provide!activities!for!fans!between!episodes!or!seasons.!USA!Network,!
for!example,!used!Twitter!as!a!way!of!keeping!fans!engaged!with!their!show!Psych!
during!breaks!by!creating!an!online!murder!mystery!game.!!
CheckAin!Services!
Checkain!services,!designed!specifically!for!Social!TV!users,!are!platforms!
accessible!through!websites!and/or!mobile!applications.!The!past!two!years!has!
seen!the!introduction!of!many!new!companies!in!this!field!including!GetGlue,!
IntoNow,!NextGuide,!Zee!Box,!Miso!and!Viggle!among!others.23!The!largest!
percentage!of!overall!Social!TV!activity!is!currently!occurring!on!GetGlue!(6%)!and!
Viggle!(9%).24!
GetGlue’s!platform!is!available!through!its!website!and!mobile!application.!Users!
interact!in!a!similar!manner!as!Facebook.!They!can!visit!show!pages!where!they!can!
!!
!
10!
post!comments!including!text!and!pictures!and!also!leave!comments!or!“like”!posts!
made!by!other!users.!Users!can!connect!their!Facebook,!Twitter!and!Tumblr!
accounts!so!posts!made!on!GetGlue!can!appear!on!other!social!media!sites.!Users!can!
also!“checkain”!to!shows.!Whenever!users!are!watching!a!show,!they!can!click!the!
“checkain”!button,!allowing!them!to!leave!a!comment!on!the!show!page!that!can!also!
be!distributed!to!other!social!media!in!the!same!way!a!post!on!the!show!page!is!
handled.!Shows!partner!with!GetGlue!to!help!promote!certain!events!or!episodes.!As!
rewards!for!checkingain!to!the!show!users!are!rewarded!with!exclusive!stickers.!
Once!a!user!earns!twenty!stickers,!GetGlue!mails!physical!stickers!to!the!users!
address!at!no!cost!to!the!user.!!
Viggle!is!an!application!only!platform!that!operates!on!both!Apple!and!Android!
products.!Similar!to!GetGlue’s!“checkain”!strategy,!Viggle!offers!viewers!points!
instead!of!stickers.!Points!can!be!earned!by!checkingain!to!any!show!and!bonus!
points!are!often!provided!for!specific!featured!programs.!!These!points!can!then!be!
redeemed!on!Viggle’s!website!for!products!ranging!from!a!tashirt!to!a!Royal!
Caribbean!cruise.!!Viggle’s!app!allows!users!to!“checkain”!to!shows,!view!a!
programming!guide,!redeem!rewards!and!chat!about!shows.!!Social!interactions!on!
Viggle!occur!on!show!pages!using!their!“TV!chat”!feature!or!in!the!“conversations”!
area!where!users!can!invite!friends!from!Facebook!to!private!conversations!about!
shows.!!
!!
!
11!
Branded!Platforms!
In!addition!to!utilizing!third!party!platforms,!many!networks!are!partnering!with!
technology!developers!and!promoting!branded!Social!TV!platforms.!Two!of!the!
leaders!in!this!area!are!USA!Network!and!SyFy.!!
Powered!by!technology!development!company!Echo,!USA!network!introduced!a!
platform!called!USA!Character!Chatter.!Integrated!into!USA!Network’s!website,!
viewers!are!provided!with!a!centralized!“control!room”!for!social!media!activities!
surrounding!USA!shows.!Users!are!encouraged!to!“join!the!discussion.”!Tools!
include!a!place!to!view!tweets!about!the!show,!a!list!of!trending!keywords,!a!live!
chat!room,!and!a!Character!Buzz!Meter!showing!the!most!talked!about!characters.!
Echo’s!website!touts!the!success!of!Character!Chatter!and!claims!“in!its!first!year,!
Character!Chatter!has!drawn!over!700,000!monthly!unique!visitors!and!is!a!key!part!
of!USA!Network’s!Social!TV!strategy.”25
Syfy’s!approach!centers!on!their!Syfy!Sync!product,!an!iPad!and!Android!tablet!
app!that!delivers!exclusive!secondary!content!for!two!shows,!Defiance!and!
Warehouse!13.26!Users!can!also!participate!in!live!social!conversations!with!other!
viewers!and!cast!members.!The!app!is!also!integrated!with!Facebook,!Twitter!and!
GetGlue!to!increase!its!social!reach.!!
Other!Platforms!
This!classification!acts!as!a!“catchaall”!for!the!many!remaining!platforms!
television!viewers!have!at!their!disposal!to!comment!on!and!participate!in!Social!TV!
activities.!These!include!video!sharing!platforms!such!as!Youtube,!podcasting!sites,!
!!
!
12!
email,!instant!messaging,!blogs,!picture!sharing!services,!other!classifications!of!
mobile!apps,!and!even!the!comment!sections!of!news!articles!and!show!reviews.!
Utilizing!these!tools,!viewers!may!choose!to!start!a!blog!about!their!favorite!
show,!interact!with!friends!through!email!or!instant!messaging!or!use!social!
components!of!mobile!apps.!For!example,!one!independent!app!is!Peel,!which!
provides!users!with!a!mobile!TV!guide.!Users!can!browse!the!guide!to!find!the!show!
they!are!watching!and!checkain!similarly!to!GetGlue.!Other!actions!users!can!take!
include!marking!shows!as!favorites!and!rating!shows.!This!includes!the!ability!to!
recommend!or!comment!on!shows!and!have!that!information!simultaneously!posted!
to!Facebook!and!Twitter.!!!
Another!example!is!AMC’s!Breaking!Bad!Storysync!that!allows!fans!to!use!their!
Android!or!iPhone!to!follow!the!firstarun!broadcast!of!each!episode.!During!the!
show!fans!interact!with!polls,!are!provided!with!trivia!questions!and!are!shown!
exclusive!videos.!This!allows!for!instant!interaction!and!learning!exclusively!
released!information!about!the!show!that!can!be!shared!with!others!not!utilizing!the!
app.!!
Wiki’s!have!also!been!popular!tools!amongst!Social!TV!users.!Individuals!can!
collaborate!with!others!by!adding,!modifying!or!deleting!content!to!create!a!
database!of!information!about!their!show.!These!sites!foster!socialness!through!
their!collaborative!process!and!through!the!site’s!use!as!an!information!resource!for!
other!social!activities.!!
!!
!
13!
It!is!important!to!recognize!that!there!are!no!singular!sites,!platforms!or!tools!
that!can!be!labeled!as!the!place!where!Social!TV!activities!take!place.!Leaders!like!
Twitter!and!GetGlue!have!emerged!in!their!categories,!but!much!experimentation!is!
occurring,!resulting!in!platforms!frequently!appearing!and!disappearing.!
Recognizing!this!variety,!networks!are!casting!wide!nets!across!many!platforms!
with!their!online!social!campaigns.!This!may!explain!why!many!platforms!allow!the!
readistribution!of!their!content!and!integration!into!other!apps!because!this!
increases!the!reach!and!value!of!their!services.!GetGlue,!for!example,!allows!users!to!
have!their!checkains!and!posts!appear!or!Facebook!and!Twitter.!!!
This!integration!does!not!mean!networks!can!rely!on!one!category!of!sites!to!
promote!their!content.!Instead,!promotional!campaigns!are!integrated!across!many!
different!platforms.!One!example!of!this!strategy!is!ABC!Family’s!promotional!
campaign!for!Pretty!Little!Liars.!As!the!2012!summer!season!concluded,!ABC!Family!
wanted!to!keep!viewers!engaged!with!the!show.!They!launched!original!webabased!
short!videos!introducing!new!characters!and!teasing!plots!for!a!future!Halloween!
special.!The!videos!were!promoted!on!social!media!platforms!like!Twitter,!Facebook,!
GetGlue,!Tumblr!and!Pinterest.!One!month!before!the!Halloween!episode,!an!app!
was!launched!on!Facebook!showcasing!press!stories!and!interviews.!The!day!before!
the!episode!aired!an!online!chat!was!held!with!two!of!the!show’s!actresses.!
Additionally,!Keegan!Allen,!one!of!the!actresses,!held!a!live!chat!during!the!show!on!
a!proprietary!app!where!she!received!thousands!of!questions!from!fans.27!!
!!
!
14!
The!rapid!adoption!of!online!socializing!by!viewers!and!the!resulting!response!
by!software!developers!to!provide!platforms!for!these!interactions!indicates!this!
new!phenomenon!has!a!promising!future.!The!television!industry!appears!willing!to!
experiment!and!participate!in!Social!TV!activities.!As!excitement!builds!around!the!
potential!benefits!of!these!new!ways!of!engaging!viewers,!simultaneously,!an!
undercurrent!of!cautiousness!is!apparent.!
Broadcasters!and!Cablecasters!Support!Social!TV!
The!investment!of!time,!money!and!resources!into!Social!TV!activities!by!
networks!is!considerable,!as!evidenced!by!the!growing!presence!and!use!of!
platforms.!Broadcasters!see!Social!TV!as!an!opportunity!to!attract!new!viewers!and!
maintain!existing!viewers.!As!David!Beck,!SVP!and!General!Manager!of!Social!Media!
for!Univision!Communications,!Inc.!stated,!Univision’s!Social!TV!philosophy!is!to!
!“strengthen!our!connections!with!the!audience!and,!most!importantly,!keep!and!
attract!new!audiences.”28!Audiences!are!helping!networks!with!their!promotion!
efforts.!As!viewers!checkain!to!shows!and!share!their!activities!on!social!media,!they!
are!simultaneously!endorsing!programs!and!encouraging!their!friends!to!tuneain.!As!
evidenced!by!an!April!2011!survey!by!TVGuide.com,!respondents!were!asked!“why!
they!share!what!shows!they!are!watching!via!social!networks,!users!said!the!top!
three!reasons!are:!Telling!friends!what!shows!they!like!to!watch!(77!percent),!
helping!to!keep!their!shows!on!the!air!(66!percent)!and!telling!their!friends!about!
new!shows!(57!percent).”29!
!!
!
15!
Once!viewers!find!shows,!Social!TV!efforts!help!keep!them!engaged.!Examining!
social!media!use!surrounding!The!Voice,!researchers!at!the!University!of!
Pennsylvania’s!Social!TV!lab!concluded!that,!“prompting!viewers!during!the!show!
with!social!media!posts!on!screen!results!in!increased!and!prolonged!engagement!
during!the!show.”30!Nielsen!now!claims!this!has!a!direct!influence!on!ratings.!As!they!
indicated!at!SXSW!in!2012,!“a!14%!lift!in!social!buzz!is!equivalent!to!a!1%!lift!in!
ratings.”31!These!promotional!efforts!are!referred!to!as!making!a!show!“sticky”!and!
they!involve!the!efforts!of!people!from!every!aspect!of!production!and!corporate!
positions.!!
Production!staffs,!for!example,!are!becoming!increasingly!involved!with!viewers!
through!Social!TV.!Showrunners!such!as!Kurt!Sutter!(Sons!of!Anarchy),!Shonda!
Rhimes!(Grey’s!Anatomy),!and!Dan!Harmon!(Community)!are!connecting!with!fans!
on!Twitter.!This!allows!fans!to!build!stronger!relationships!with!the!show!and!can!
lead!to!fans!actively!participating!in!show!decisions.!As!Lizzy!Weiss,!showrunner!for!
ABC!Family’s!Switched!at!Birth!Tweeted,!“we!haven’t!named!Angelo’s!baby!
yet…ideas?!#switchedatbirth.”32!!
Viewer!feedback!through!social!media!can!be!both!positive!and!negative.!On!
platforms!such!as!Twitter,!reactions!are!more!visceral!as!users!make!comments!as!
the!action!unfolds!or!immediately!thereafter.!Actors!can!use!this!feedback!to!
measure!audience!responses.!For!instance,!talking!about!fan!reaction!to!her!
character!on!Mistress,!Actress!Alyssa!Milano!stated:!!
!!
!
16!
I!was!worried!about!the!fan!reaction!to!Savi!cheating.!The!flip!side!of!live!tweeting!means!they!have!access!to!you!to!really!let!you!know!how!they!feel.!I!was!just!waiting!for!the!comments!to!start!rolling!in.!But!much!to!my!surprise,!the!comments!were!more!about!Savi's!husband!making!her!cry!or!being!an!‘aahole’!than!about!the!infidelity.!I!was!somewhat!relieved.33!
The!value!of!this!feedback!is!questionable.!Although!it!may!relieve!
apprehension!about!how!a!certain!storyline!is!accepted,!the!ability!for!the!
production!to!make!immediate!changes!based!on!this!feedback!is!limited.!By!
the!time!a!show!airs!and!the!feedback!is!received,!depending!on!the!show’s!
position!in!a!season,!it!is!likely!that!at!least!several!more!episodes!have!
already!been!completed.!
At!the!corporate!level,!new!positions!are!being!created!to!oversee!these!
activities.!This!is!apparent!through!the!increase!in!new!titles!and!roles.!David!
Beck,!for!example,!holds!the!title!of!SVP!and!General!Manager!of!Social!Media!
for!Univision!Communications.!Jesse!Redniss!operates!as!the!Senior!VP!
Digital!for!USA!Network!overseeing!a!staff!of!fourteen!people!whose!duties!
including!building!and!maintaining!the!channel’s!social!media!platform.34!
The!primary!motivation!for!networks!to!find!and!retain!viewers!is!
financial.!Both!the!network!business!model,!which!depends!on!selling!
advertising!time,!and!cable!models,!which!depend!on!several!advertising!and!
subscription!models,!rely!on!audience!numbers.!!Both!models!are!being!
disrupted!by!changes!in!content!delivery!and!viewing!practices.!Viewers’!use!
of!DVR’s!allows!them!to!fast!forward!past!commercials.!Viewers!are!also!
!!
!
17!
choosing!to!access!programs!online!and!even!“binging”!entire!seasons!in!
short!periods!of!time,!thus!eliminating!commercial!breaks.!These!changes!
have!left!networks!searching!for!new!revenue!streams!and!Social!TV!
platforms!are!being!investigated!as!a!possible!solution.!As!Nielsen!reported!
in!February!2012,!“marketers!are!increasingly!viewing!paid!social!media!
advertising!as!an!integrated!part!of!their!marketing!tool!kits.”35!
As!viewers!watch!increasingly!more!timeashifted!television,!measurement!
companies!like!Nielsen!are!reaevaluating!methods!of!quantifying!audiences.!!Timea
shifted!viewing!actually!encourages!more!viewing!because!it’s!easier!for!viewers!to!
watch!when!it!is!convenient!for!them!and!quicker!to!watch!because!ads!can!be!
skipped.36!More!than!one!third!of!viewing!is!now!time!shifted.37!Social!TV!provides!
some!possible!solutions!to!these!problems!because!ads!can!be!placed!where!viewers!
will!see!them,!within!the!platforms!they!use!to!interact.!Internet!users!can!be!more!
easily!tracked!and!identified,!allowing!for!more!known!information!about!viewers!
so!ads!can!be!targeted!and,!in!theory,!sold!at!higher!rates!because!target!
demographics!can!be!more!easily!identified.!!
However,!in!order!to!accomplish!these!goals,!new!methods!for!tracking!and!
reporting!Social!TV!viewers!must!first!be!developed!and!there!has!been!a!lot!of!
activity!in!this!area!since!2010.!!!
How!Activity!is!Measured!
! Ratings!systems!have!measured!viewership!since!the!1950’s!when!Arthur!
Nielsen!first!applied!his!methods!of!radio!research!to!television!audiences.!Today,!
!!
!
18!
upstart!social!media!analysis!companies!collect!data!from!social!media!
conversations!in!similar!measurement!and!valuation!efforts.!!Due!to!the!increasing!
number!of!conversations!on!various!platforms,!these!efforts!result!in!massive!
amounts!of!data!being!captured!and!stored!for!analysis.!Four!companies,!Bluefin!
Labs,!Trendrr,!Networked!Insights!and!SocialGuide!Intelligence!were!the!early!
market!leaders!in!providing!measurement!data!on!social!television!users.!!
Bluefin!Labs!was!founded!by!Deb!Roy!and!Michael!Fleishman!at!the!MIT!Media!
Lab!and!later!transitioned!to!become!a!private!startup.!The!company!referred!to!its!
objective!as!providing!Social!TV!analytics!to!both!TV!networks!and!advertising!
agencies.!A!basic!example!of!how!the!company!operated!can!be!explained!through!
its!process!of!analyzing!Tweets.!Each!day,!the!company!analyzed!video!from!over!
200!television!networks!throughout!the!Unites!States.!This!accounted!for!
approximately!90%!of!all!television!content!available!to!audiences.!Basic!
information!including!the!shows!name,!time!aired,!character!and!actor!names!and!
dialogue!were!captured!through!a!combination!of!machine!and!human!effort.!The!
company!simultaneously!mined!300!million!public!social!media!comments.!These!
comments!were!analyzed!for!references!to!shows.!The!comments!and!video!
information!were!then!combined!to!make!connections!about!commenter’s!gender,!
viewing!habits!and!posting!habits.!!Bluefin!then!sought!out!patterns!and!
associations!of!data!that!would!be!useful!for!advertisers.38!
Trendrr!was!founded!in!2004!by!former!Sony!executives.!The!company!seeks!to!
discover!how!networks,!brands!and!media!agencies!can!capture!consumer!data!
!!
!
19!
“from!Twitter,!Facebook,!GetGlue,!Miso!and!others!by!location,!influence,!sentiment!
and!anticipation!to!output!realatime!insights”!to!“better!engage!their!audience,!
create!more!loyal!fans,!and!measure!the!value!of!their!media!assets.”39!Similar!to!
Bluefin!Labs,!Trendrr’s!focus!is!to!provide!data!to!help!TV!networks!and!advertising!
agencies!make!financial!decisions.!But!they!additionally!provide!contentarelated!
feedback!for!networks,!seeking!to!help!them!measure!things!like!how!plot!and!
characters!resonate!with!audiences.!This!is!reported!at!a!broad!level!referred!to!as!
sentiment.!Basically,!do!viewers!like!or!dislike!a!certain!character!or!story.!!
Networked!Insights!focuses!on!providing!data!to!help!organizations!drive!
marketing!decisions.!Through!two!main!products,!SocialSense!and!Syncsuite!they!
segment!audiences,!determine!viewers’!interests,!and!provide!this!data!to!
advertisers!to!help!them!identify!where!their!money!can!most!effectively!reach!
target!audiences.!Additionally,!they!see!this!information!as!beneficial!to!television!
producers.!They!argue,!“as!viewers!become!more!engaged!and!share!more!about!
what!they!are!thinking,!TV!producers!can!tailor!content!to!viewers’!likes!and!steer!
clear!of!their!dislikes,!creating!a!more!rewarding!experience.”40!
SocialGuide!Intelligence!(SGI)!has!focused!its!measurement!exclusively!on!
Twitter!because!they!see!Twitter!as!the!dominant!Social!TV!platform.!The!company!
describes!its!efforts!as!providing!“the!most!comprehensive!and!accurate!reflection!
of!Twitter!TV!activity!in!the!marketplace.!Built!as!a!tool!to!be!used!across!all!
departments:!Research,!Social/Marketing,!Digital,!Production.!SGI!makes!social!buzz!
valuable!and!actionable!for!business.”41!!
!!
!
20!
The!presence!of!four!companies!whose!business!models!focus!on!measuring!
social!activity!around!television!is!telling!of!the!growing!importance!to!capture!and!
measure!information.!In!the!race!to!become!the!dominant!provider!of!metrics,!each!
company!has!taken!a!slightly!differing!approach!and!few!standards!have!been!
created.!!!In!a!move!towards!standardization!and!as!evidenced!by!the!increasing!
recognition!of!the!value!in!social!conversations,!in!December!2012,!Twitter!and!
Nielsen!announced!a!multiayear!partnership!to!create!the!“Nielsen!Twitter!TV!
Rating”!in!the!United!States.42!!The!new!ratings!system!would!be!created!on!the!
platform!of!SocialGuide!Intelligence!that!had!been!recently!acquired!by!Nielsen.!!The!
company’s!objectives!and!rationale,!as!Chloe!Sladden,!Twitter’s!Vice!President!of!
Media!stated,!was:!!
Our!users!love!the!shared!experience!of!watching!television!while!engaging!with!other!viewers!and!show!talent.!Twitter!has!become!the!world's!digital!water!cooler,!where!conversations!about!TV!happen!in!real!time.!Nielsen!is!who!the!networks!rely!on!to!give!better!content!to!viewers!and!clearer!results!to!marketers.43!!
This!statement!highlights!the!dualapurpose!perspective!of!Social!TV.!It!is!seen!as!
providing!insight!into!both!what!viewers!want!and!desire!in!regards!to!content!as!
well!as!pertinent!viewer!demographics!that!can!be!used!to!sell!advertising.!!!
In!another!move!toward!becoming!the!market!leaders!in!Social!TV!reporting,!
Twitter!announced!the!acquisition!of!Bluefin!Labs!on!February!4,!2013!and!on!
August!28,!2013!Twitter!announced!the!acquisition!of!Trendrr.44!These!acquisitions!
ensure!Nielsen’s!control!of!television!demographic!reporting!and!it!has!situated!
Twitter!as!one!of!the!leading!platforms!for!social!television!talk.!!However,!it!
!!
!
21!
remains!to!be!seen!what!type!of!measurement!information!the!Nielsen!Twitter!TV!
Rating!will!provide.!Will!Nielsen!continue!to!provide!demographic!focused!
information!or!might!they!attempt!to!provide!qualitative!analysis!of!the!interactions!
they!are!referring!to!as!“conversations”?!!A!qualitative!analysis!would!be!useful!
toward!investigating!Social!TV!users’!motivations.!
Viewers!Motivations!for!Social!TV!Use!
A!limited!amount!of!research!has!been!completed!on!Social!TV!users!motivations.!!
According!to!one!study!by!Ericcson,!the!main!drivers!for!users!behavior!include:45!
• Not!watching!alone!• Gaining!a!community!feeling!–!connecting!with!others!• Validating!self!against!public!sample!• Curiosity!of!opinions!of!others!• Seeing!additional!information!• Wanting!to!influence!or!interact!with!content!• Gratification!of!being!acknowledged!by!others!• The!need!to!further!analyze!and!discuss!
!In!a!similar!study!by!Viacom,!findings!“uncovered!three!key!types!of!motivations!
leading!fans!to!engage!in!TVarelated!social!media!activities:!Functional,!Communal!
and!Playful.”46!Functional!activities!were!cited!as!the!leading!motivational!factors.!
These!actions!include!searching!for!show!schedules,!keeping!up!with!news!about!
the!show!and!accessing!bonus!promotional!materials!such!as!videos!and!plot!cues.!
Communal!activities!including!“liking”!shows!on!Facebook!and!“following”!shows!on!
Twitter.!Playful!activities!include!playing!social!media!games!and!participating!in!
quizzes!and!polls.47!
!!
!
22!
Actress!Alyssa!Milano,!who!has!been!cited!as!being!“far!more!adept!at!the!social!
network's!terminology!and!capabilities!than!many!of!her!celebrity!counterparts,”!
thinks!viewers!participate!in!Social!TV!for!its!emotional!aspects.48!She!stated,!“I!
think!liveatweeting!during!the!show!helps!to!get!people!more!emotionally!invested!
and!makes!them!feel!that!they!have!a!voice!in!the!show's!success.”49!!
This!variety!of!motivations!results!in!Social!TV!activities!occurring!across!a!wide!
range!of!programming!types.!These!different!types!of!programs!also!result!in!
different!forms!of!participation.!Viewers!of!sporting!events!might!Tweet!game!
results,!while!viewers!of!competition!shows!might!vote!for!their!favorite!contestant!
and!viewers!of!serial!entertainment!shows!might!discuss!characters!of!plot!lines.!
Types!of!Talk!
The!type!of!talk!from!viewers!is!dependent!upon!the!platform!being!used.!
Twitter!limits!users!to!140!characters.!Conversely,!blogs!offer!users!no!restrictions!
on!length!and!are!best!used!for!more!comprehensive!commentaries!such!as!episodic!
reviews,!character!studies!and!other!talk!requiring!more!space!than!many!microa
blogging!or!social!media!platforms!allow.!
At!this!time!I!have!not!been!able!to!locate!any!taxonomic!studies!of!viewer!talk,!
however!a!brief!survey!of!Social!TV!talk!reveals!various!categories.!Before!shows!air,!
talk!is!centered!on!the!viewers’!anticipation!for!the!upcoming!program.!During!the!
show,!viewers!often!comment!on!the!action,!characters!and!repeat!dialog!by!posting!
quotes.!The!synchronicity!of!activities!varies!based!on!genre.!Sports!programs!and!
similarly!competition!shows!encourage!active!participation!during!the!oftenalengthy!
!!
!
23!
events.!Programs!that!require!more!attention!during!viewing,!such!as!serialized!
dramas,!see!a!decrease!in!activity!during!the!program!and!report!higher!activity!
after!the!program’s!conclusion.!!After!a!show!has!aired!viewers!summarize!the!
episodes,!discuss!the!implications!of!what!they!viewed,!offer!conjecture!about!what!
might!occur!in!the!next!episode!and!often!express!their!pleasure!or!displeasure.!!
Viewers!talk!to!various!receivers.!Often,!they!may!be!posting!comments!into!the!
“online!universe”!without!an!intended!receiver.!A!Twitter!user!might!simply!
comment!on!some!aspect!of!a!show!to!join!the!“conversation.”!Viewers!may!also!talk!
directly!to!other!viewers!and!carry!on!interactions,!often!debating!interpretations!of!
a!show.!Although!these!conversations!are!often!between!two!or!more!people,!they!
occur!in!public!forums!making!them!available!for!viewing!by!the!general!public.50!
Therefore,!unintentional!receivers!may!be!a!party!to!any!conversation.!For!example!
media!researcher!Carolina!AcostaaAlzuru!has!explained!how!Leonardo!Padrón,!
writer!of!Venezuelan!based!telenovelas!El!País!de!las!Mujeres!and!La!Mujer!Perfecta,!
checksain!every!day!to!various!websites!like!Twitter!to!see!what!viewers!are!talking!
about.51!Although!viewers!may!be!having!a!conversation!with!each!other!about!the!
show,!they!would!be!unaware!that!Padrón!is!also!a!receiver!of!their!comments.!In!
this!way,!we!can!also!see!how!talk!occurs!between!various!parties!such!as!viewers,!
production!personnel!and!even!network!personnel.!!
Depending!on!the!genre!of!show,!viewer!talk!can!be!solicited!or!unsolicited.!!
Networks!seeking!solicited!feedback!use!social!tools!including!polls!and!online!
voting.!!They!often!include!the!promotion!of!certain!Twitter!hashtags!or!prompts!to!
!!
!
24!
visit!a!specific!social!media!platform!where!they!are!attempting!to!drive!viewers.!
Unsolicited!feedback!occurs!when!viewers!use!the!social!media!platforms!without!
direct!prompting!from!the!show.!!
Viewer!talk!also!occurs!at!various!times.!!A!survey!by!TV!Guide!investigated!
when!TV!fans!participated!in!Social!TV.!Ninetyafive!percent!said!they!participate!
after!watching!a!show,!40%!participate!during!a!show!and!53%!before!a!show.52!
This!varied!times!of!use!is!likely!influenced!by!the!type!of!show!being!discussed.!
Participation!in!events!like!awards!shows!and!sports!seem!easier!during!the!event.!
This!is!easily!observable!by!visiting!a!social!media!platform!such!as!Twitter!and!
witnessing!the!timing!and!content!of!tweets!after!a!big!play!or!a!winner!is!
announced.!Other!types!of!shows!such!as!serialized!dramas!may!require!viewers!to!
pay!closer!attention,!thus!more!viewer!talk!occurs!at!times!before!the!show,!after!
the!show!or!during!commercial!breaks.!!
Social!TV!Shows!
Social!TV!activities!are!occurring!with!a!wide!variety!of!programming.!Metrics!
provided!by!measurement!companies!such!as!Social!Guide!indicate!as!much.!
SocialGuide!Intelligence!captures!audience!activity!on!Twitter!across!the!two!
hundred!and!twenty!most!popular!broadcast!and!cable!channels!in!the!United!
States.53!!SocialGuide!provides!clients!with!detailed!program!reports!and!also!make!
available!to!the!public!a!variety!of!less!detailed,!but!customizable!reports.!These!free!
reports!divide!programs!into!preadefined!categories!such!as!Series,!Primetime,!
!!
!
25!
Episodes!and!Sports!Events.!For!example,!the!top!10!programs!by!quantity!of!social!
activity!for!April!2013!were:54!!!
!
1. 2013!NCAA!Basketball!Tournament!(Sports!event)!2. 2013!NFL!Draft!(Sports!nonaevent)!3. 2013!MTV!Movie!Awards!(Special)!4. The!48th!Annual!Academy!of!Country!Music!Awards!(Special)!5. The!Voice!(series)!6. American!Idol!(Series)!7. 2013!Masters!Tournament!(Sports!event)!8. SportsCenter!(Sports!nonaevent)!9. Awkward!(Series)!10. 2013!NCAA!Basketball!Tournament!(Sports!nonaevent)!
!This!shows!a!range!of!programs!and!program!types!including!sporting!events,!
special!events!and!series.!This!same!type!of!variety!is!also!found!within!each!
category.!For!instance,!within!Series!for!the!same!month,!the!top!10!were:!
1. The!Voice!(NBC)!2. American!Idol!(FOX)!3. Awkward!(MTV)!4. Duck!Dynasty!(A&E)!5. Love!&!Hip!Hop:!Atlanta!(VHa1)!6. WWE!Monday!Night!Raw!(USA)!7. Game!of!Thrones!(HBO)!8. Family!Guy!(FOX)!9. Dancing!with!the!Stars!(ABC)!10. Girl!Code!(MTV)!
The!variety!of!series!is!evidenced!by!the!various!networks!and!cable!channels!
represented!as!well!as!the!different!genres!of!shows!including!competition!shows,!
reality!shows,!serialized!dramas!and!animated!series.!!
Implications!
!!
!
26!
I!suggest!the!implications!of!Social!TV!on!the!television!industry!are!far!reaching.!
To!illustrate!the!range!of!potentially!influenced!areas,!I!will!use!a!classification!
scheme!developed!by!Jonathan!Gray!and!Amanda!Lotz.55!They!suggest!television!
research!can!fit!within!one!of!three!categories:!Institutions,!Programs!and!
Audiences.!56!!
Institutional!studies!are!defined!as!the!examination!of!“how!television!gets!‘there’!
in!the!first!place!and!to!understand!why!it!is!the!way!it!is.”57!These!include!studies!
examining!various!“entities!involved!in!the!making!and!distributing!television!as!
well!as!its!related!technologies”!such!as!production!studios,!networks!and!
government!agencies.58!!
One!indication!of!the!influence!of!Social!TV!on!institutions!is!its!effect!on!the!
employment!structure!of!television!including!job!titles,!roles!and!responsibilities.!
And!many!actors!and!crew!are!utilizing!social!media!as!individuals.!Are!these!
actions!initiated!from!encouragement!by!the!network!or!production,!or!are!they!the!
result!of!each!individuals’!own!efforts?!If!they!are!due!to!each!individuals’!own!
desire!to!participate!in!social!media,!are!interactions!being!monitored!or!guidelines!
being!established!to!control!the!release!of!sensitive!information!such!as!spoilers!or!
protect!the!image!of!a!show?!Most!people!do!not!have!access!for!faceatoaface!
interactions!with!actors,!but!the!online!environment!makes!actors!and!production!
members!more!accessible!than!ever!before,!making!new!rules!for!engagement!
necessary.!!
!!
!
27!
Gray!and!Lotz!describe!the!category!of!Programs!as!“the!television!programs!
themselves.”59!As!they!explain,!research!in!this!area!includes!critical!textual!analysis!
that!helps!understand!what!the!images,!sounds,!messages!and!representations!
mean.60!!This!includes!programs!that!are!studied!for!their!“quality”!or!“depth”!and!
others!that!investigate!the!meanings!of!“messages,!ideas!and!suggestions.”61!
The!influence!of!Social!TV!talk!on!program!content!is!debatable!as!showrunners!
are!reporting!various!responses!to!audience!feedback.!!Changing!a!show’s!content!as!!
a!result!of!audience!feedback!has!occurred!openly,!such!as!the!January!14,!2013!
episode!of!Hawaii!FiveAO!when!CBS!allowed!viewers!to!choose!the!ending!of!the!
episode.62!It!more!often!occurs!discretely!as!demonstrated!by!Marlene!King,!
Executive!Producer!of!Pretty!Little!Liars,!when!she!described!keeping!characters!“in!
the!mix”!of!a!show!if!they!receive!good!Twitter!feedback!and!ending!appearances!for!
characters!who!do!not;!what!she!deemed!to!be!a!“death!by!Twitter.”63!It!could!even!
be!suggested!that!knowing!audiences!are!working!together!to!deconstruct!shows,!
showrunners!could!choose!to!make!programs!increasingly!complex!to!potentially!
increase!these!activities!for!fans.!!
Television!studies!investigating!audiences,!the!third!category!in!the!Gray!and!
Lotz!classification!scheme,!try!to!solve!issues!understanding!how!these!audiences!
matter!and!how!they!behave.64!As!they!explain,!“audiences!are!the!central!
commodity!in!a!commercial!television!model,!as!channels!sell!potential!viewers!to!
advertisers.”65!!
!!
!
28!
Implications!of!Social!TV!on!audiences!covers!a!range!of!issues!including!viewers!
activities!of!talking!back!to!production!and!possibly!influencing!content!to!
potentially!influencing!viewing!practices.!!As!viewers!are!time!shifting!their!viewing!
through!the!use!of!DVR’s,!watching!more!programming!online!and!even!binge!
viewing!entire!seasons!of!content!in!short!time!spans,!the!future!of!audiences!
watching!live!TV!at!scheduled!times!has!been!questioned.!As!Marlene!King!stated,!
“social!media!is!creating!‘mustasee!TV’!again.!Where,!because!our!fans!want!to!have!
this!massive!Twitter!party!together!on!Tuesday!night!when!we!air,!they!all!sit!down!
and!watch.66”!Viewers!are!also!increasingly!concerned!that!these!Social!TV!activities!
will!spoil!shows!for!them,!so!they!may!be!deciding!to!schedule!their!viewing!to!
watch!the!programs!as!they!are!first!run!to!avoid!those!problems.!As!JeanaPhilippe!
Maheu,!a!Twitter!executive!said,!“liveaTV!viewing!for!top!shows!will!increase!as!
viewers!increasingly!fear!that!social!media!will!yield!more!spoilers.”67!!
All!these!uses!of!social!media!and!television,!now!being!referred!to!as!Social!TV,!
are!in!an!experimentation!phase.!We!are!in!a!period!of!rapid!change!where!
television!viewers!have!turned!to!the!Internet!to!provide!a!connection!to!their!
television!shows.!Viewers!use!the!Internet!for!many!reasons!ranging!from!searching!
for!schedules!to!watching!shows!and!socializing!with!content!producers!and!other!
viewers.!!Social!TV!has!even!been!referred!to!as!the!“modern!day!TV!viewing!
party.”68!The!content!producers!and!distributors!have!acknowledged!these!actions!
and!are!testing!ways!to!engage!fans,!attempting!to!keep!existing!audiences!hooked!
and!attract!new!viewers.!Simultaneously,!networks!search!for!ways!to!measure!and!
!!
!
29!
monetize!online!viewer!activity!to!create!profits.!While!many!of!the!activities!
described!here!such!as!audiences!speaking!back!to!production!are!not!new,!they!are!
occurring!in!new!ways,!creating!new!expectations!on!the!part!of!viewers!and!
causing!those!who!produce!shows!to!adjust!existing!processes.!Understanding!how!
and!why!a!production!company,!its!personnel!and!its!distribution!network!are!
reacting!to!these!developments!and!how!and!why!those!reactions!influence!a!
program’s!content!is!the!focus!of!this!dissertation.!!
Study!Overview!
It!is!apparent!that!the!television!industry!is!embracing!Social!TV.!The!
convergence!of!these!two!mediums,!television!and!social!media,!is!in!a!process!of!
experimentation!and!growth.!Networks,!studios!and!production!companies!are!
testing!new!methods!for!promoting!shows,!selling!advertising!and!engaging!
audiences.!!A!variety!of!startup!companies!are!providing!support!for!these!efforts!by!
developing!technology!for!all!parties!ranging!from!second!screen!platforms!to!
software!for!integrating!social!activities!into!programs!and!new!ways!for!tracking!
and!measuring!these!activities.!!
My!interest!focuses!on!the!production!implications!of!this!convergence.!!How!has!
the!introduction!of!social!media!into!the!television!production!workplace!influenced!
work!processes?!How!are!show!personnel!using!these!platforms?!Does!the!use!of!
Social!TV!platforms!by!production!personnel!benefit!the!show,!create!new!
challenges!or!is!the!answer!some!combination!of!both?!Furthermore,!I!am!interested!
in!the!potential!for!viewers!to!influence!the!content!of!shows.!Do!writers!and!
!!
!
30!
producers!who!participate!in!Social!TV!activities!make!changes!to!their!shows!based!
on!audience!requests!or!their!received!perception!of!viewer!sentiment?!Answers!to!
these!questions!have!important!implications!for!the!possibility!of!changing!audience!
expectations!and!shifting!power!dynamics!regarding!the!creative!control!of!show!
content.!!
Stories!in!the!trade!press!describing!how!Social!TV!viewers!have!influenced!the!
content!of!entertainment!shows!have!become!increasingly!common.!!For!example,!
Lena!Dunham,!the!creator!and!showrunner!of!HBO’s!Girls!was!confronted!on!social!
media!by!fans!and!critics!who!expressed!their!dissatisfaction!with!the!lack!of!
minority!characters!on!her!show.!Dunham!responded!to!viewers!in!an!interview!
with!NPR!and!said,!“as!the!criticism!came!out,!I!thought:!I!hear!this!and!I!want!to!
respond!to!it…now!we!have!the!opportunity!to!do!a!second!season,!and!believe!me,!
that!will!be!remedied.!I'm!really!excited!to!introduce!new!characters!into!the!world!
of!the!show,!and!some!of!them!are!really!great!actors!of!color.”69!In!another!instance,!
viewers!of!NBC’s!Community!used!social!media!to!ensure!the!characters!of!the!
program!were!kept!consistent!with!past!events.!In!a!2011!interview,!Executive!
Producer!Garrett!Donovan!explained!how!“the!fans!on!Twitter!are!keeping!us!
honest.”70!He!described!that!when!the!actor!who!was!to!play!the!character!of!
Pierce’s!father!was!announced!he!received!a!tweet!from!a!viewer!who!reminded!him!
that,!in!the!sixth!episode!of!the!first!season,!Pierce’s!father!was!said!to!be!dead.!!
Both!of!these!examples!show!the!action!(Social!TV!talk)!and!the!reaction!(the!
resulting!response)!but!not!the!processes!involved!in!the!middle!stage.!Creative!
!!
!
31!
personnel!have!the!ability!to!effect!change,!make!no!change,!or!make!a!modified!
change.!!It!is!my!intent!to!understand!how!this!process!occurs!in!the!production!of!a!
television!show.!Who!receives!and!evaluates!Social!TV!feedback?!How!is!Social!TV!
information!being!disseminated!to!creative!personnel!from!the!corporate!level!
personnel!and!production!level,!if!at!all?!And,!how!are!these!activities!changing!the!
production!process?!Are!creative!decisions!for!the!direction!of!stories!being!
influenced!by!viewer!feedback!and!reactions?!Is!the!same!value!being!placed!on!this!
feedback!throughout!the!production!process,!or!are!there!some!who!embrace!the!
feedback!and!others!who!resist!it?!Can!it!be!suggested!that!these!instances!of!
viewers!influencing!content!are!anomalies!or!are!they!possibly!indicating!larger!
forthcoming!industrial!changes!resulting!from!Social!TV?!
Therefore,!my!primary!research!question!asks!how!the!use!of!social!media!
platforms!has!impacted!a!show’s!production!practices!or!content,!if!at!all.!This!
information!will!shed!light!on!potential!shifting!power!dynamics!between!fans!and!
production!personnel!as!some!fans!may!seek!to!effect!change!through!their!
feedback!and!production!personnel!will!seek!to!maintain!their!authorial!control.!
This!case!study,!grounded!in!observational,!interview!and!textual!research!and!
analysis,!will!investigate!the!production!activities!of!one!television!show,!the!
activities!of!the!studio!where!the!show!is!made!and!of!the!activities!of!the!first!run!
broadcast!network.!This!approach!will!be!defined!in!the!Methods!section!of!this!
proposal.!Findings!are!not!be!intended!to!be!generalizable!to!the!industry!as!a!whole,!
but!will!provide!a!snapshot!in!time!of!one!show!and!organization.!!
!!
!
32!
This!dissertation!has!been!organized!into!nine!chapters.!The!current!chapter!
provides!a!broad!overview!of!Social!TV.!It!reviews!the!platforms!being!used,!
discusses!how!broadcasters!are!supporting!these!new!activities,!examines!how!
activities!are!measured,!and!explores!users!motivations!and!their!resulting!types!of!
talk.!Following!a!sample!of!Social!TV!programs,!the!chapter!concludes!with!an!
overview!of!the!study!to!be!undertaken!and!the!implications!of!that!work.!!
Chapter!Two!is!a!review!of!relevant!literature!and!discussions!are!divided!into!
three!main!sections,!Institutions,!Programs!and!Audiences.!This!is!based!on!the!
classification!scheme!established!by!Jonathan!Gray!and!Amanda!Lotz.!!
Chapter!Three!presents!the!methods!used!to!undertake!this!research.!Beginning!
with!an!explanation!of!the!chosen!case!study!approach,!the!chapter!progresses!into!
a!description!of!the!interview!and!observation!methods!that!will!be!employed.!
Additional!sections!include!descriptions!of!the!research!strategy!and!design,!
information!collection!and!analysis!methods,!ethical!considerations!and!limitations!
and!challenges.!!
Chapter!Four!is!an!investigation!into!the!ways!the!convergence!of!social!media!
and!television!has!been!reported!in!the!trade!press.!Discussions!include!scenarios!
where!Social!TV!activity!has!potentially!resulted!in!changes!to!television!content,!
examples!of!how!viewers!use!social!platforms!to!decode!complex!texts!and!
examples!of!production!personnel!speaking!back!to!viewers.!These!examples!
provide!an!understanding!of!the!ways!Social!TV!is!being!used!by!various!shows!and!
!!
!
33!
individuals.!This!information!serves!as!points!of!reference!or!comparison!for!
discussions!in!later!chapters!about!original!findings.!!
Chapter!Five!provides!information!about!the!case!study!show,!Bones.!An!
overview!of!the!evaluative!criteria!and!selection!process!used!to!select!the!show!are!
presented.!The!primary!objective!of!this!chapter!is!to!provide!all!relevant!
information!on!the!show!including!background!information!about!the!show’s!
creation,!details!about!the!character,!genre!and!a!program!structural!analysis.!This!
information!allows!readers!who!are!not!familiar!with!the!program!to!follow!along!
with!detailed!discussions!in!later!chapters!dealing!with!social!media!use!by!fans,!
production,!the!studio!and!network.!!
Chapter!Six!is!an!analysis!of!viewer!social!media!activity!surrounding!Bones.!This!
information!offers!a!view!into!the!world!in!which!Bones!fans!operate.!This!includes!
descriptions!of!fans,!their!motivations!and!the!platforms!they!use.!A!discussion!of!
the!types!of!interactions!amongst!fans!and!between!fans!and!production!offers!hints!
of!the!types!of!viewer!feedback!received!by!production.!Learning!how!viewers!
engage!with!each!other!and!the!show!helps!situate!how!show!personnel!receive!
information!from!fans.!This!information!is!additionally!helpful!when!analyzing!fan!
responses.!!!
Chapter!Seven!is!a!discussion!of!the!findings!from!institutional!level!
observations!and!interviews.!!The!relationships!between!social!media!and!business!
practices!at!the!studio!and!network!levels!are!explored.!Questions!such!as!how!the!
studio!reacts!to!the!use!of!social!media!by!production!personnel!and!how!the!
!!
!
34!
organizations!have!or!have!not!incorporated!social!media!into!their!business!
practices!help!understand!the!flow!of!information!from!the!corporate!level!to!
production!personnel.!!!
Chapter!Eight!is!a!discussion!of!findings!from!the!observations!and!interviews!
conducted!at!the!production!level.!This!information!sheds!light!on!how!the!content!
of!audience!interactions!and!direct!communications!from!fans!are!received!and!
handled,!leading!to!a!clearer!understanding!of!how,!if!at!all,!these!activities!are!
influencing!the!production!process.!The!potential!power!of!viewers!and!their!ability!
to!influence!content!resulting!from!these!activities.!
Chapter!Nine!is!a!summary!chapter!reviewing!the!project!and!findings.!These!
findings!are!related!back!to!the!literature!presented!in!Chapter!Two,!providing!
connections!between!those!existing!television!studies,!this!research!and!the!
resulting!implications!for!future!research.!A!discussion!of!this!project’s!challenges!
and!limitations!concludes!the!chapter.!
Notes!
1!Bertolt!Brecht’s!essay!DerRrundfunk!als!Kommunikationsapparat!as!found!in!G.!H.!Klaus,!"Cultural!Materialism:!A!Summary!of!Principals,"!in!Raymond!Williams:!Politics,!Education,!Letters,!ed.!W.J!and!Preston!Morgan,!P(New!York:!St.!Martin's!Press,!1993),!x.!
2!Phil!McRae,!"The!Death!of!Television!and!the!Birth!of!Digital!Convergence:!(Re)Shaping!Media!in!the!21st!Century,"!SMILE:!Studies!in!Media!&!Information!Literacy!Education!6,!no.!2!(2006):!1.!
3!Mike!Proulx!and!Stacey!Shepatin,!Social!Tv!:!How!Marketers!Can!Reach!and!Engage!Audiences!by!Connecting!Television!to!the!Web,!Social!Media,!and!Mobile(Hoboken,!N.J.:!John!Wiley!&!Sons,!2012),!ix.!
!!
!
35!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4!D.L.!Hansen,!Schneiderman,!B.,!Smith,!M.A,!Analyzing!Social!Media!Networks!with!Nodexl:!Insights!from!a!Connected!World(Burlington,!MA:!Morgan!Kaufmann,!2011),!12.!
5!Proulx!and!Shepatin,!Social!Tv!:!How!Marketers!Can!Reach!and!Engage!Audiences!by!Connecting!Television!to!the!Web,!Social!Media,!and!Mobile,!24.!
6!Henry!Jenkins,!Textual!Poachers!:!Television!Fans!and!Participatory!Culture,!Updated!20th!anniversary!ed.(New!York:!Routledge,!2013),!77.!
7!Ibid.!
8!Christina!Warren,!"When!Did!the!'Second!Screen'!Become!a!Thing?,"!Mashable,!http://mashable.com/2013/05/02/secondascreen/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedly&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+(Mashable).!
9!MIT!Technology!Review,!"10!Breakthrough!Technologies,"!!http://www2.technologyreview.com/tr10/?year=2010.!
10!Eleanor!Dowling,!"2012:!The!Year!in!Social!Tv
!!
!
36!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
15!Nielsen,!"Action!Figures:!How!Second!Screens!Are!Transforming!Tv!Viewing,"!!http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/newswire/2013/actionafiguresaahowasecondascreensaareatransformingatvaviewing.html.!
16!Matt!Selman,!!https://twitter.com/mattselman/status/373922987566575616.!
17!Dredge,!"Social!Tv!and!SecondaScreen!Viewing:!The!Stats!in!2012".!
18!Tech!Tree!Staff,!"Facebook:!Largest,!Fastest!Growing!Social!Network,"!TechTree,!http://archive.techtree.com/techtree/jsp/article.jsp?article_id=92134&cat_id=643.!
19!Facebook,!"Key!Facts,"!Facebook,!http://newsroom.fb.com/KeyaFacts.!
20!Proulx!and!Shepatin,!Social!Tv!:!How!Marketers!Can!Reach!and!Engage!Audiences!by!Connecting!Television!to!the!Web,!Social!Media,!and!Mobile,!3.!
21!Joni!Blechier,!"Goodbye!Couch!Potato,!Hello!Second!Screen!Surfer,"!RealPlayer,!http://www.real.com/resources/videoasecondascreen.!Facebook!disputes!this!claim!arguing!since!many!of!their!users!interact!with!increased!privacy!settings,!the!measurement!of!Social!TV!data!for!their!users!is!underestimated.!!
22!Rick!Kissell,!"Social!Tv!Chatter!Grows!800%!on!Twitter!over!2012,"!Variety.com,!http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118063975/.!
23!As!discussed,!Social!TV!platforms!are!rapidly!appearing,!disappearing,!being!purchased!and!merging.!It!should!be!noted!that,!during!the!writing!of!this!dissertation,!GetGlue!joined!i.TV!and!the!companies!announced!via!an!email!to!their!users!on!January!25,!2014!that!GetGlue!would!be!renamed!tvtag!beginning!February!2014.!
24!Ibid!Blechier.!
25!Echo,!"Customer!Successes!/!Case!Studies!/!USA!Network,"!!http://aboutecho.com/CustomerSuccess/CaseStudies/USANetworks.!
26!Syfy.com,!"Syfy!Sync,"!!http://www.syfy.com/sync.!
27!Natan!Edelsburg,!"How!‘Pretty!Little!Liars’!Used!Social!Tv!for!Their!Halloween!Special,"!Lost!Remote,!http://lostremote.com/howaprettyalittlealiarsausedasocialatvaforatheirahalloweenaspecial_b34822?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LostRemote+(Lost+Remote)&utm_content=Google+Reader.!
!!
!
37!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
28!360i,!"Q&a!with!Univision’s!David!Beck:!Harnessing!the!Power!of!Social!Tv,"!!http://blog.360i.com/socialamarketing/qaawithaunivisionsadavidabeckacreatingaimmersiveasocialatvaexperiences.!
29!TVGN,!"Research!Reveals!Social!Network!Activity!Is!Driving!More!Live!Viewing!and!SecondaScreen!Engagement,"!!http://www.tvgnpr.com/Home/pressItem?detailID=270.!
30!Adrian!!&!Hill!Benton,!Shawndra,!"The!Spoiler!Effect?:!Designing!Social!Tv!Content!That!Promotes!Ongoing!Wom,"!The!Wharton!School!(http://socialtvlab.com/papers/Hill.SpoilerEffect.pdf?rss=1:!University!of!Pennsylvania,!2013).!
31!Peggy!Dau,!"Getglue!Gets!Sticky,"!!http://tdgresearch.com/getglueagetsasticky.!
32!Lizzy!Weiss,!"Lizzy!Weiss!(Lizzyweisssab)!on!Twitter,"!Twitter,!https://twitter.com/LizzyWeissSAB.!
33!Anthony!Hernandez,!"Alyssa!Milano:!Live!Tweeting!Is!the!ModernaDay!Tv!Viewing!Party,"!Mashable,!http://mashable.com/2013/06/10/alyssaamilanoatwitteramistresses/?utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29&utm_cid=MashaProductaRSSaPheedoaAllaPartial&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner.!
34!Rick!Howe,!"The!Coming!Age!of!Social!Tv,"!ed.!FierceIPTV.com(2012).!Jesse!Redniss!departed!USA!Network!in!October!2013.!Natan!Edelsburg,!"Breaking:!Social!Tv!Visionary!Jesse!Redniss!Will!Be!Leaving!USA!Network,"!!http://lostremote.com/tag/jessearedniss.!
35!Nielsen,!"The!Rise!of!Paid!Social!Ads!Completing!the!Integrated!Ad!Approach,"!!http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/newswire/2013/theariseaofapaidasocialaadsacompletingatheaintegratedaadaapproach.html.!
36!Gina!Hall,!"TimeaShifted!Tv!Encourages!More!Viewing!aa!Just!Not!the!Ads,"!!http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2013/03/19/timeashiftedatvaencouragesamore.html.!
37!Ibid!Hall.!!
38!A!more!detailed!description!can!be!found!at:!David!Talbot,!"A!SocialaMedia!Decoder,"!Technology!Review,!December!2011.!
39!Trendrr!TV,!"Solutions,"!!http://trendrr.com/solutions.!
!!
!
38!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
40!Networked!Insights,!"The!Network!Executive's!Social!Tv!Survival!Guide,"!3.!
41!SocialGuide!Intelligence,!!http://sgi.socialguide.com/.!
42!Nielsen,!"Nielsen!and!Twitter!Establish!Social!Tv!Rating,"!!http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/pressaroom/2012/nielsenaandatwitteraestablishasocialatvarating.html.!
43!Ibid,!Nielsen,!“Nielsen!and!Twitter!Establish!Social!TV!Rating.”!
44!Mark!Ghuneim,!"Trendrr!Joins!Twitter,"!!https://blog.trendrr.com/2013/08/28/trendrrajoinsatwitter/;!Cory!Bergman,!"Report:!Twitter!Buying!Bluefin!Labs,"!!http://lostremote.com/reportatwitterabuyingabluefinalabs_b36544.!
45!Ericcson,!"Tv!and!Video:!An!Analysis!of!Evolving!Consumer!Habits,"(Stockholm,!Sweden:!Ericcson,!2012).!
46!PRNewswire.com,!"TvaRelated!Social!Media!Use!Is!Primarily!Driven!by!Functional,!Communal!and!Playful!Factors,!According!to!New!MultiaCountry!Research!from!Viacom,"!!http://www.prnewswire.com/newsareleases/tvarelatedasocialamediaauseaisaprimarilyadrivenabyafunctionalacommunalaandaplayfulafactorsaaccordingatoanewamultiacountryaresearchafromaviacoma208302211.html.!
47!ibid!PRNewswire.com.!
48!Hernandez,!"Alyssa!Milano:!Live!Tweeting!Is!the!ModernaDay!Tv!Viewing!Party".!
49!Ibid.!
50!These!conversations!are!public!unless!the!users!have!restricted!their!accounts!and!made!them!private.!!
51!Personal!Correspondence.!
52!TVGN,!"Fans'!Primary!Reason!for!Social!Tv!Activity!Is!to!Keep!Their!Favorite!Shows!on!the!Air,"!!http://www.tvgnpr.com/Home/pressItem?detailID=249.!
53!SocialGuide!Intelligence,!"About!Sgi,"!!http://sgi.socialguide.com/about!!
54!SocialGuideIntelligence,!"Monthly!April!2013,"!!http://sgi.socialguide.com/twitter_tv_rankings/monthly/04a2013.!
!!
!
39!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
55!Jonathan!Gray!and!Amanda!Lotz,!Television!Studies(PreaPublication!Manuscript!2012).!
56!Ibid.!
57!Ibid.,!123.!
58!Ibid.!
59!Ibid.,!36.!
60!Ibid.!
61!Ibid.!
62!Alex!Weprin,!"Cbs!Letting!Viewers!Decide!How!an!Episode!of!�Hawaii!Fivea0�!Ends,"!LostRemote,!http://lostremote.com/cbsalettingaviewersadecideahowaanaepisodeaofahawaiiafivea0aends_b35909?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LostRemote+(Lost+Remote).!
63!The!Wall!Street!Journal,!"Social!Media!+!Pop!Culture!=!?,"!!http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324412604578515702548585058.html.!
64!Gray!and!Lotz,!Television!Studies,!79.!
65!Ibid.!
66!The!Wall!Street!Journal,!"Social!Media!+!Pop!Culture!=!?".!
67!David!Goetzl,!"Twitter!Increases!Efforts!to!Integrate!with!Tv!Programs,"!MediaNewsDaily,!http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/202151/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+televisionanewsadaily+%28MediaPost+%7C+Television+News+Daily%29#ixzz2VvUSdKih.!
68!Hernandez,!"Alyssa!Milano:!Live!Tweeting!Is!the!ModernaDay!Tv!Viewing!Party".!
69!NPR,!"Lena!Dunham!Addresses!Criticism!Aimed!at!'Girls',"!!http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=152183865.!
!!
!
40!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
70!Anglea!Watercutter,!"Tv!FactaChecker:!Community!Creators!Stay!Honest,!Thanks!to!Twitter,"!!http://www.wired.com/underwire/2011/09/tvafactacheckeracommunity/.!
!!
!
41!
!
!
CHAPTER!2!
LITERATURE!REVIEW!
Since!Social!TV!is!a!relatively!new!phenomenon,!there!is!a!limited!amount!of!
academic!literature!available!on!the!topic.!However,!one!recent!book,!Social!TV:!How!
marketers!can!reach!and!engage!audiences!by!connecting!television!to!the!web,!social!
media!and!mobile,!released!in!2012!is!likely!the!first!on!the!subject.1!Written!by!
advertising!professionals!Mike!Proulx!and!Stacey!Shepatin,!the!book!is!a!howato!
guide!for!marketing!professionals.!Proulx!and!Shepatin!contextualize!how!Social!TV!
works!and!explains!how!marketers!can!capture!and!engage!audiences.!They!situate!
Social!TV!as!a!“backchannel”!for!television!that!“exposes!the!conversations!taking!
place!in!our!onceaisolated!living!rooms!and!connects!households!around!the!world!
into!a!single,!optain,!coviewing!event.”!2!They!describe!how!television!networks,!
executives!and!talent!have!come!to!embrace!Social!TV!and!they!urge!marketers!to!
experiment!with!this!new!tool!for!reaching!audiences.!Although!the!intention!of!the!
book!is!to!address!advertising!professionals,!the!background!information!and!
examples!of!Social!TV!inause!provide!valuable!general!insights!into!the!field.!
Proulx!and!Shepatin!provide!a!useful!description!of!Social!TV!as!bringing!once!
isolated!conversations!into!the!open,!but!I!disagree!with!their!labeling!these!
activities!as!a!“backchannel.”!Whereas!this!may!have!once!been!an!applicable!label,!I!
argue!the!rapid!diffusion!of!Social!TV!use!throughout!the!television!industry,!its!
!!
!
42!
acceptance!and!widespread!use!by!viewers!and!appeal!to!advertisers!situates!it!as!a!
primary,!not!secondary,!location!of!audience!participation.!!
This!primary!status!is!also!supported!by!the!diverse!and!vast!amount!of!
literature!about!Social!TV!in!the!trade!press!and!additional!resources!available!
online!through!various!sources!such!as!white!papers,!conference!reports!and!
research!reports.!!For!example,!SocialGuide!publishes!white!papers!on!the!state!of!
Social!TV.!These!papers!are!a!quick,!easy!and!inexpensive!means!of!disseminating!
information!in!this!rapidly!changing!area.!Publishing!this!information!through!
traditional!academic!means!such!as!books!or!journal!articles,!for!example,!would!
delay!the!release!of!information!for!such!a!long!period!of!time!that!the!findings!
would!be!useless!by!the!time!they!reach!their!audience.!!
Although!the!distribution!of!information!in!this!manner!overcomes!the!issue!of!
timeliness,!it!does!raise!concerns!about!the!reliability!of!the!information!being!
released.!Therefore,!these!reports!written!and!released!by!companies!about!
themselves!must!be!viewed!through!a!critical!lens.!For!instance,!an!August!2013!
study!by!SocialGuide!and!Twitter!announced!findings!that!indicated!a!twoaway!
causal!relationship!between!Twitter!activity!and!TV!viewership.3!They!found!that!“a!
statistically!significant!causal!influence!indicating!that!a!spike!in!TV!ratings!can!
increase!the!volume!of!Tweets,!and,!conversely,!a!spike!in!Tweets!can!increase!tunea
in.”4!This!finding!that!Twitter!can!drive!viewers!to!tuneain!to!a!specific!show!is!
important!because!it!is!the!ammunition!Twitter!needs!to!market!their!platform!to!
advertisers!and!networks!as!a!place!to!invest!advertising!dollars.!However,!the!
!!
!
43!
purely!quantitative!analysis!fails!to!investigate!what!people!are!saying!about!the!
show!and!if!the!reactions!of!viewers!on!Twitter!are!consistent!with!reactions!of!the!
audience!in!general.!!This!raises!questions!such!as!are!programs!and!advertisers!
only!concerned!with!traffic!or!are!they!additionally!concerned!with!viewer!
sentiment?!A!March!2013!study!by!PEW!Research!found!that!the!“reaction!on!
Twitter!to!major!political!events!and!policy!decisions!often!differs!a!great!deal!from!
public!opinion!as!measured!by!surveys.”5!This!type!of!finding!is!important!to!
combine!with!findings!from!SocialGuide!to!achieve!a!larger!picture!of!viewers!and!
user!actions!as!well!as!the!content!of!those!actions.!!
Other!literature!about!Social!TV!appears!in!the!trade!press.!News!outlets!ranging!
from!the!New!York!Times!and!CNN!to!specialized!news!sites!such!as!Lost!Remote!
that!focus!on!Social!TV!news!regularly!provide!information!on!how!shows!use!Social!
TV!platforms,!which!stars!and!production!personnel!are!participating,!reports!on!
Social!TV!metrics!and!news!about!Social!TV!company!mergers!and!acquisitions.!!
Due!to!the!lack!of!current!academic!literature,!it!would!be!useful!to!situate!Social!
TV!within!broader!studies!of!television!and!review!how!it!fits!with!past!research.!To!
accomplish!this!review,!I!will!continue!to!use!the!classification!scheme!presented!by!
Gray!and!Lotz!utilizing!their!three!main!sections!of!Institutions,!Programs!and!
Audiences.!!!
Institutions!!
Research!of!Institutions!is!defined!by!Gray!and!Lotz!as!the!examination!of!“how!
television!gets!‘there’!in!the!first!place!and!to!understand!why!it!is!the!way!it!is.”6!
!!
!
44!
This!includes!work!examining!various!“entities!involved!in!the!making!and!
distributing!television!as!well!as!its!related!technologies.”7!!As!Gray!and!Lotz!explain,!
these!entities!include!production!studies,!distribution!networks,!global!
conglomerates!that!own!the!studios!and!networks!and!the!regulator!agencies!
overseeing!the!industry.!!
Networks,!Studios!and!Production!Companies!
Chad!Gervich’s!Small!Screen,!Big!Picture!is!a!writer’s!guide!to!the!TV!business,!
but!also!provides!a!comprehensive!and!valuable!section!describing!how!the!
television!industry!is!structured.8!Gervich!describes!the!three!main!tiers!of!
“companies!that!collaborate!to!make!content!and!deliver!it!to!your!home”!as!
Networks,!Studios!and!Production!companies.9!Networks!are!the!companies!that!
distribute!shows!including!broadcasters!such!as!ABC,!NBC!and!CBS!and!Cable!
Channels!such!as!FX,!BRAVO,!ESPN.!Studios!are!the!companies!that!provide!the!
financing!for!the!production!of!shows!and!supply!them!to!the!networks.!Some!of!
these!include!ABC!Television!Studios,!Warner!Bros.!Television!and!Sony!Picture!
Television.!Production!companies!are!the!developers!and!producers!of!the!actual!
shows!such!as!Bad!Robot,!Grammnet,!and!Dick!Wolf.!!
Studies!of!these!companies!and!their!operations!have!been!completed!as!broad!
overviews!and!specific!investigations!of!individual!business!components.!One!grand!
level!investigation!is!Todd!Gitlin’s!Inside!Prime!Time,!a!sociological!study!of!the!
television!industry.!10!Gitlin!sought!to!understand!both!the!culture!of!the!television!
industry!and!gain!insight!into!the!production!and!programming!processes.!Focusing!
!!
!
45!
on!American!television!toward!the!end!of!the!network!era,!he!completed!over!200!
interviews!with!industry!personnel.!He!describes!the!various!stages!of!production!
from!writing!scripts!to!selling!programs,!testing!pilots,!making!programming!
schedules!and!analyzing!ratings.!Gitlin!provides!insight!into!the!interactions!
between!key!individuals!at!the!production!companies,!studios!and!networks.!One!
example!of!these!interactions!is!the!industrial!ritual!of!“giving!notes.”!! !
“Giving!notes”!is!the!act!of!one!person!making!suggestions!about!the!production!
of!a!show!to!another!person.!Usually,!the!people!involved!are!the!corporate!“suits”!
at!the!network!or!studio!sending!comments!to!production!personnel.!As!John!
Thornton!Caldwell!explains!in!his!book!Production!Culture,!this!instills!a!sense!of!
“being!watched,!much!as!the!prisoners!of!Bentham’s!‘panopticon’!are!disciplined!by!
the!continual!threat!(real!or!imagined)!of!always!being!under!surveillance.”11!!
How!showrunners!and!their!production!staff!handle!these!notes!also!varies.!
Caldwell!generalizes!the!feelings!of!creative!producers!and!writers!as!typically!
viewing!network!notes!as!“either!a!nagging!curse!or!a!necessary!evil.”!12!Despite!this!
contempt,!showrunners!have!demonstrated!that,!although!these!notes!cannot!be!
ignored,!they!can!be!dealt!with!creatively.!!
In!The!Producer’s!Medium,!Horace!Newcomb!and!Robert!S.!Alley!present!a!series!
of!interviews!with!some!of!the!most!successful!creators!of!American!television.13!!!
One!interview!with!Producers!Richard!Levinson!and!William!Link!(Columbo)!
recounts!one!creative!solution!to!corporate!notes!they!used.!Described!as!a!use!of!
“loopholes,”!Levinson!and!Link!detail!how!the!network!asked!them!to!cast!Paul!
!!
!
46!
Newman!to!play!the!lead!in!Columbo,!a!suggestion!they!found!ludicrous!(for!
unexplained!reasons).!!As!Levinson!and!Link!explain:!
We!pursue!Paul!Newman.!We!pursue!others.!Meanwhile,!we!call!the!actor!we!want!and!tell!him!what!we!are!doing,!and!say!please!stand!by.!The!night!before!the!show!is!to!film!we!call!our!liaison!at!the!network!and!whine!and!complain!and!say!we!have!tried!soaandaso,!and!soaandaso,!and!soaandaso.!In!good!faith!we!may!have!tried!some!of!them.!Others!may!not!have!been!tried.!Now!the!liaison!may!know!he’s!being!tricked!or!he!may!not!know!and!he!says,!‘Alright,!alright,!you!gotta!shoot!tomorrow,!go!with!who!you!want.’!Bingo!14!!
This!type!of!attempted!network!“intrusion”!has!not!always!existed.!As!producer!
John!Mantley!(Gunsmoke,!Wild,!Wild!West)!explains!in!another!interview!completed!
by!Newcomb!and!Alley,!in!the!early!sixties!there!was!no!network!interference!with!
the!creative!process.15!Mantley!explains!that!since!the!cost!of!most!shows!was!borne!
by!a!single!sponsor,!they!were!the!ones!with!control!and!comments!on!scripts!most!
often!came!from!that!sponsors!advertising!agency.!!
Mantley!credits!two!events!with!influencing!a!change!towards!increased!
network!involvement.!First,!the!$64,000!Question!scandal!led!to!closer!supervision!
by!networks!and!second,!rising!production!costs!meant!companies!could!no!longer!
afford!to!individually!sponsor!shows.16!!These!events!are!examples!of!how!shifting!
industrial!practices!can!influence!the!content!being!produced.!Today,!these!
industrial!practices!face!a!similar!crossroad!as!they!seek!out!ways!to!address!the!
intrusion!of!Social!TV.!!
Hart!Hanson,!showrunner!for!Bones,!explained!how!it!is!his!job!to!control!the!
show’s!story!and!anticipate!viewers’!reactions!to!storylines.17!On!occasion,!he!has!to!
make!a!decision!about!a!plot!or!character!development!that!he!knows!will!upset!
!!
!
47!
viewers!in!the!short!term,!like!after!the!conclusion!of!a!specific!episode.!But!he!has!a!
multiaepisode!vision!that!will!result!in!the!audience!being!pleased!with!the!overall!
arc.!Hanson!explains!that!one!challenge!of!Social!TV!arises!when!fans!react!to!the!
initial!event!that!he!knows!will!upset!the!viewers.!Although!he!anticipates!and!even!
expects!this!reaction,!and!has!planned!for!the!viewers’!response,!the!network!and!
studio!are!often!not!aware!of!his!plan!or!expectation!of!negative!reactions!from!
viewers.!So,!when!the!network!and!studio!see!the!negative!reactions!online,!they!
send!a!note!to!Hanson!expressing!their!concern!about!potentially!loosing!fans.!This!
immediate!and!direct!feedback!from!viewers!through!Social!TV!platforms!can!
become!a!source!of!network!notes.!This!potentially!changes!production!practices.!
Should!showrunners!now!change!their!practices!and!announce!these!types!of!
anticipated!events!in!advance?!Also,!the!source!of!notes!has!traditionally!been!“suits”!
who!were!concerned!with!issues!like!finances!and!adherence!to!Standards!and!
Practices!regulations.!Now,!showrunners!must!decipher!feedback!to!determine!the!
true!source.!Is!the!comment!from!an!executive!based!on!business!practices!or!an!
emotional!response!from!a!viewer?!
Amanda!Lotz!explored!these!types!of!questions!regarding!the!complex!and!
contradictory!forces!influencing!programs!in!her!production!study!of!the!Lifetime!
series!Any!Day!Now.18!Lotz!argues!that!changes!in!audience!size!and!attributes!
considered!necessary!to!achieve!commercial!success!“have!significant!consequences!
on!textual!possibilities.”19!This!case!exemplifies!how!changes!to!industrial!practices!
influence!the!content!of!a!show!and!highlights!how!those!practices!and!the!text!are!
!!
!
48!
intertwined.!Additionally,!as!Lotz!explains!how!audience!size!and!commercial!
concerns!can!influence!the!text,!it!must!be!asked!if,!when!there!are!smaller!
audiences,!does!each!viewer!become!more!powerful?!
The!complex!process!of!creating!television!programs!is!not!solely!influenced!by!
large!industry!wide!economic!factors!such!as!syndication!practices,!audience!
measurement,!demographics,!and!the!rise!of!narrowcasting,!but!also!by!smaller!
production!level!issues.!Elana!Levine!explores!ways!production!level!factors!relate!
to!questions!“about!texts,!audiences,!and!social!contexts.”20!In!“Toward!a!Paradigm!
for!Media!Production!Research:!Behind!the!Scenes!at!General!Hospital”,!Levine!
identifies!five!factors!of!the!production!process!that!shape!U.S.!broadcast!network!
television!production.!These!are!production!constraints,!the!production!
environment,!production!routines!and!practices,!the!production!of!characters!and!
stories,!and!the!role!of!the!audience!in!production.!As!previous!examples!have!
shown!the!importance!of!shifting!industrial!practices!between!businesses,!Levines!
description!of!ABC’s!methods!for!receiving!and!handling!audience!feedback!
illustrates!how!a!similar!shift!in!practices!occurs!within!an!organization.!
Levine!describes!the!way!General!Hospital!handles!audience!response!as!an!
“established!system!that!allows!for!efficient!categorization.”21!!Viewers!contact!the!
show!through!letters,!phone!calls!and!postings!to!online!bulletin!boards.!This!
feedback!is!gathered!by!lowalevel!assistants,!often!interns,!and!categorized!as!
“positive,”!“negative,”!or!“requires!a!response”!to!which!a!form!letter!is!sent.!This!
categorization!removes!the!personal!nature!and!emotions!involved!with!the!
!!
!
49!
comments!before!they!are!sent!higher!in!the!chain.!As!Levine!notes,!“the!actual!
words!of!audience!members!are!only!rarely!seen!by!anyone!higher!in!the!chain!of!
command!than!a!writer’s!assistant.”22!For!showrunners,!writers!and!other!top!of!the!
line!personnel!who!participate!in!Social!TV!activities,!this!direct!feedback!can!
circumvent!existing!established!systems!in!place!to!handle!audience!feedback.!
Today,!viewers!have!a!greater!chance!of!getting!their!comments!read!by!individuals!
higher!up!in!the!chain.!Therefore,!it!would!be!useful!to!understand!the!types!of!roles!
these!higheraup!individuals!fill.!!
Production!Personnel!–!Showrunner/Producer!
In!discussions!of!people!involved!with!the!production!of!television!shows,!one!of!
the!most!common!heard!job!titles!is!showrunner.!Although!it!is!not!an!“official”!
credited!titled,!the!job!of!a!showrunner!is!held!by!a!highalevel!writer!or!producer!
who!has!an!established!track!record!of!creating!and!running!successful!television!
shows.23!!As!Chad!Gervich!explains:!!
A!showrunner!is!a!TV!show’s!CEO.!They’re!responsible!for!hiring,!inspiring,!and!firing!a!show’s!staff!and!crew,!from!the!lead!actor!to!the!head!grip!to!the!lowliest!assistant.!They!deal!with!network!and!studio!executives,!publicists,!marketers,!agents!and!managers.24!!
This!unofficial!title!is!modern!slang!for!the!role!fulfilled!by!a!traditional!executive!
producer.!Several!studies!have!investigated!the!role!of!the!television!producer.!One!
of!the!first!was!Muriel!Cantor’s!book,!The!Hollywood!Producer:!His!Work!and!His!
Audience,!published!in!1971.25!!Cantor’s!interviews!with!59!television!producers!
revealed!details!about!the!producers!such!as!their!professional!and!academic!
!!
!
50!
training.!They!also!provided!information!on!the!process!of!making!a!television!show!
and!the!challenges!encountered!during!the!process.!!
Cantor!presents!a!typology!of!typical!producers.!These!include!the!filmmaker,!
the!writeraproducer,!and!the!oldaline!producer.!The!types!range!from!academically!
trained!younger!producers!to!midacareers!professionals!to!senior!producers!who!
have!achieved!major!success.!Each!of!these!“types”!of!producers!is!said!to!have!
varying!degrees!of!control!over!their!product.!!
! A!decade!after!Cantor!published!her!book,!Horace!Newcomb!and!Robert!S.!Alley!
also!interviewed!television!producers!for!their!book!The!Producers!Medium.26!Their!
project!focuses!on!quality!over!quantity.!They!interviewed!eleven!of!television’s!
most!successful!producers,!individuals!Cantor!would!have!categorized!as!“oldaline!
producers.”!Much!like!Cantor’s!book,!Newcomb!and!Alley!asked!questions!about!
creative!control!and!influences!on!the!producers,!who!were!described!as!“in!charge”!
of!their!shows.!!In!reflection!on!their!book,!Newcomb!described!their!project!as!
approaching!the!study!of!producers!from!a!humanities!perspective.!!“Our!thesis,!
auteurist!in!tone,!was!that!‘strong’!producers!could!manipulate!this!mass!industrial!
system!as!much!as!they!were!manipulated!by!it.”27!The!authors!sought!to!“shatter!
the!anonymity!of!television.”!While!accomplishing!this!goal,!the!authors!kept!the!
reader’s!views!of!the!producers!grounded!by!situating!the!interviews!through!their!
commentaries!on!producer’s!interview!responses!and!not!allowing!the!producers!
occasionally!self!serving!and!grandiose!stories!to!be!accepted!without!critical!
interpretation.!!
!!
!
51!
! Other!works!focusing!on!more!specific!areas!of!institutional!study!have!followed!
these!books.!Jeremy!Tunstal’s!Television!Producers!focuses!on!the!British!television!
industry!and!is!based!on!interviews!with!254!TV!producers!across!seven!different!
genres.28!Robert!S.!Alley!and!Irby!B.!Brown!explore!women!producers!in!their!book!
Women!Television!Producers:!1948A2000.29!!They!sought!to!fill!a!gap!in!the!
scholarship!on!producers!that!often!excluded!women.!Between!Cantor’s!59!
interviews!and!Newcomb!and!Alley’s!11!interviews!for!example,!only!one!woman!
producer!was!interviewed.!!
! As!if!to!cement!the!status!of!television!producers!as!having!moved!from!behinda
theascenes!to!being!in!the!limelight,!David!Wild!declares!in!his!book!that!producers!
are!the!real!stars!of!television.30!An!editor!at!Rolling!Stone!magazine!and!pop!culture!
writer,!Wild’s!book!focusing!on!showrunners!talks!about!the!process!of!making!
primeatime!television!shows!and!the!people!involved!in!the!process.!Intended!as!an!
entertaining!rather!than!academically!educational!book,!its!existence!alone!affirms!
the!altered!role!of!those!who!are!in!charge!of!producing!television!shows!from!
behind!the!scenes!producers!to!showrunners!in!the!limelight.!!
! The!importance!of!this!change!for!Social!TV!is!that!showrunners!are!
participating!in!Social!TV!activities!and!this!could!change!the!relationship!between!
audiences!and!showrunners.!As!blogger!Myles!McNutt!observed!in!2010,!there!are!
multiple!ways!in!which!showrunners!are!utilizing!Social!TV!tools.!“Showrunners!are!
now!becoming!active!participants!in!conversations!surrounding!their!shows,!both!
formally!(Damon!Lindelof!and!Carlton!Cuse’s!Lost!podcasts)!and!informally!(Louis!
!!
!
52!
C.K.’s!decision!to!wade!into!comment!threads!of!Louie!reviews).”31!These!
interactions,!as!McNutt!notes,!can!have!positive!and!negative!consequences.!!For!
example,!this!closer!interaction!could!lead!to!a!more!contentious!relationship!
between!fans!and!producers.!As!viewers!provide!feedback!directly!to!producers,!if!
their!comments!are!not!met!with!the!desired!response,!the!viewer!may!become!
bitter!and!feel!ignored.!This!raises!questions!about!the!effects!of!showrunners!
opening!themselves!up!to!influence!and!whether!or!not!showrunners!will!all!
respond!in!the!same!way.!!As!they!respond!to!or!ignore!viewer!feedback,!what!
differences,!if!any,!will!emerge!in!the!way!they!handle!audience!comments?!
Showrunners,!just!as!the!production!companies,!studios!and!networks!they!
work!with,!do!not!operate!in!a!bubble.!They!are!influenced!by!each!other!and!
outside!forces!such!as!audiences.!Another!source!of!opinions!come!from!the!large!
corporations!that!have!ownership!interests!at!various!levels!of!the!television!
industry!as!well!the!government!that!establishes!regulations!that!control!industry!
policies!in!various!areas!including!ownership!and!regulation!of!content.!
Media!Conglomerates!&!Outside!Influences!
The!preceding!discussion!of!networks,!studios,!production!companies!and!
showrunners!can!be!considered!a!look!at!the!microalevel!of!industry!studies.!To!
complete!the!picture!of!how!television!“gets!there”!and!“why!it!is!the!way!it!is,”!as!
Gray!and!Lotz!say,!the!macroalevel!of!industry!studies!must!also!be!considered.32!!
One!of!the!largest!outside!influences!on!television!is!the!U.S.!Government.!Changes!
to!regulatory!control!have!resulted!in!organizational!structures!that!have!a!direct!
!!
!
53!
influence!on!television.!For!example,!the!current!trend!towards!the!loosening!of!
ownership!regulations!has!lead!to!increased!conglomeration!and!made!the!
companies!that!control!television!production!more!oligopolistic!and!increasingly!
both!horizontally!and!vertically!integrated.!The!vertical!integration!of!these!
companies!means!the!major!conglomerate!has!influence!over!multiple!levels!of!the!
television!industry.!This!not!only!allows!the!conglomerate!to!financially!benefit!from!
doing!business!with!its!own!subsidiaries,!but!allows!for!closer!oversight!and!control.!!
Although!the!current!regulatory!restrictions!allow!for!this!type!of!ownership!
structure,!this!has!not!always!been!the!case.!!
William!Boddy’s!Fifties!Television:!The!Industry!and!its!Critics!takes!a!historical!
look!at!governmental!policies!of!television!and!programming!content!through!the!
examination!of!documents!from!multiple!sources!(news!articles,!business!
documents,!government!records).33!Boddy!defines!his!book!as!“both!a!
reconsideration!of!the!critical!consensus!surrounding!television’s!Golden!Age!and!a!
historical!analysis!of!the!economic!and!regulatory!ground!upon!which!such!
programming!briefly!flourished!in!the!1950’s.”34!He!examines!the!forces!that!led!to!
the!creation!of!the!“big!three”!national!networks!including!government!regulations,!
a!post!war!American!consumer!economy!in!which!television!secured!a!key!role!as!a!
sales!agent!and!the!transformation!of!programming!strategies!to!establish!television!
as!an!advertising!medium.!This!was!highlighted!by!debates!focused!on!television’s!
role!as!a!public!service!versus!a!commercial!business.!!The!1950’s!are!situated!as!a!
key!formative!decade!for!television.!The!era!did!result!in!some!substantial!changes!
!!
!
54!
such!as!the!destruction!of!the!single!program!sponsor!model!resulting!in!decreased!
control!and!reliance!upon!advertisers.!This!also!led!to!a!change!in!program!content!
from!diverse!and!localized!towards!a!model!of!standardized!mass!produced!fare.!!
This!shift!towards!increased!commercialism!would!become!an!issue!of!debate!for!
decades!to!follow.!!
As!Ben!Bagdikian!asserts!in!The!New!Media!Monopoly!there!are!two!common!
themes!in!the!commercialization!of!media!industries,!power!and!greed.35!
Corporations!that!control!the!marketplace!have!influence!over!both!the!public!and!
government!through!their!ability!to!influence!attitudes!and!perceptions!through!
news!information.!As!profit!seeking!businesses,!corporations!seek!to!make!a!
maximum!percentage!of!profit!from!every!dollar.!The!desire!for!increased!power!
and!money!has!resulted!in!shifting!ownership!patterns,!specifically!a!trend!towards!
conglomeration.!!Bagdikian!explains:!!
In!1983,!the!men!and!women!who!headed!the!fifty!mass!media!corporations!that!dominated!American!audiences!could!have!fit!comfortably!in!a!modest!hotel!ballroom…!By!2003,!five!men!controlled!all!these!media!once!run!by!the!fifty!corporations!of!twenty!years!earlier.!These!five,!owners!of!additional!digital!corporations,!could!fit!in!a!generous!phone!booth.36!!
Jennifer!Holt!explores!the!regulatory!causes!of!this!conglomeration!in!Empires!of!
Entertainment:!Media!Industries!and!the!Politics!of!Deregulation.!!Holt’s!book!“offers!
a!chronological,!transindustrial!narrative!that!addresses!the!ways!in!which!
philosophical!and!ideological!shifts!in!policy!impacted!the!media!industries!
individually!and!in!relation!to!one!another.”37!Holt!covers!the!period!of!time!
between!1980!and!1996!beginning!with!the!film!industries!“battle”!with!the!
!!
!
55!
Department!of!Justice!over!the!rise!of!HBO!and!concluding!with!the!
Telecommunications!Act!of!1996!that!loosened!ownership!restrictions!allowing!for!
the!increased!horizontal!integration!of!media!conglomerates.!!
These!issues!of!ownership!are!important!to!Social!TV!for!several!reasons.!Highly!
competitive!entrepreneurial!startaup!companies!have!led!the!development!of!social!
television!platforms.!These!small!companies!have!been!testing!different!strategies!
for!audience!engagement!and!this!has!resulted!in!an!array!of!options!for!viewers.!As!
the!number!of!users!for!these!platforms!increase,!larger!corporations!are!often!
acquiring!them.!For!instance,!startup!IntoNow,!a!Social!TV!mobile!app!was!
purchased!by!Yahoo!!in!2011!for!an!unconfirmed!amount!between!$17!million!and!
$30!million.38!As!these!larger!companies!acquire!startaups,!competition!is!reduced!
as!fewer!companies!operate!with!the!advantages!provided!by!their!parent!
companies.!!
! In!addition!to!the!government!regulations!covered!by!Boddy,!Bagdikian!and!Holt!
a!variety!of!influences!have!caused!the!television!industry!to!undergo!a!process!of!
fundamental!change!since!the!demise!of!the!Broadcast!Era.!These!changes!resulted!
in!Graeme!Turner!and!Jinna!Tay!returning!to!a!most!fundamental!question!“what!is!
television?”39!Turner!and!Tay’s!edited!collection!is!a!response!to!Spigel!and!Olson’s!
Television!After!TV:!Essays!on!a!Medium!in!Transition!in!which!they!“respond!to!their!
lead!and!look!at!what!has!happened!to!television!around!the!world!over!the!first!
decade!of!the!twentyafirst!century”!a!process!Turner!and!Tay!describe!as!“nothing!
short!of!dramatic.”40!The!result!of!these!changes!is!said!to!have!affected!not!just!the!
!!
!
56!
nature!of!television,!but!also!its!content,!structure!and!associated!modes!of!
consumption.!For!this!reason,!they!argue!television!can!no!longer!be!studied!as!an!
independent!medium.!It!must!be!studied!in!relation!to!the!other!technologies!that!
exist!in!cooperation!with!it.!As!an!example!of!this!reliance,!Turner!and!Tay!discuss!
the!show!Big!Brother.!They!explain!how!the!show!exists!as!a!“multiaplatform,!
multimedia!event”!tied!to!its!website,!chatarooms!and!other!technological!platforms!
–!an!example!of!technological!convergence.41!!
! In!addition!to!the!industrial!factors!influencing!Social!TV,!this!dissertation!will!
also!take!into!consideration!factors!surrounding!the!programs!created!by!these!
institutions.!!
Programs!
Entertainment!shows!have!been!investigated!in!many!ways.!They!have!been!
examined!for!a!range!of!aesthetic!features,!for!their!histories!and!for!the!way!they!
represent!various!aspects!of!life!and!how!these!representations!support!or!
contradict!the!core!beliefs!of!television!viewers.!!In!this!project,!I!will!approach!
television!programs!from!the!perspective!grounded!in!the!humanities,!work!that!
privileges!“textual!analysis”!of!program!content.!
Horace!Newcomb’s,!TV:!The!Most!Popular!Art.42!Newcomb!provided!a!genrea
based!analysis!of!television!programs!including!discussions!of!Comedies,!Westerns,!
Mysteries,!Soap!Operas!and!News!programs.!Analysis!of!each!program!type!
explored!how!television!tells!its!stories,!the!role!of!television!in!American!culture.!
!!
!
57!
These!discussions!worked!to!further!the!books!primary!argument!that!television!is!
an!important!object!of!study.!
As!David!Thorburn!explains,!this!view!of!television!was!made!possible!by!earlier!
movements!in!the!1950’s!and!1960’s!to!view!movies!as!a!form!of!popular!art!and!it!
was!this!same!timeframe!that!television!was!beginning!to!surpass!movies!as!
“America’s!principal!medium!of!popular!narrative.”43!Newcomb!explored!this!
relationship!between!television!and!culture!with!Paul!Hirsch!in!the!essay!
“Television!as!a!Cultural!Forum.”44!Newcomb!and!Hirsch!argued!that!television!
plays!an!important!role!in!culture,!not!because!it!answers!any!questions,!but!
because!it!raises!questions.!Within!the!content!of!any!program!are!assumptions!
about!who!we!are!and!what!we!believe.!Viewers!can!choose!an!interpretive!strategy,!
to!engage!with!portions!of!the!texts!that!relate!to!their!experiences!and!personal!
history.!!
Michael!Saenz,!suggests!that!“television!viewing!provides!a!prominent!occasion!
for!viewers’!construction!of!culture.”45!!Watching!television!is!described!as!a!cultural!
practice!where!viewers!draw!from!their!existing!knowledge!to!interact!with!a!
variety!of!meanings!with!the!text!and!produce!new!meanings.!They!reashape!their!
understandings!as!they!enact!“a!selfaconscious!working!out!of!hegemonic!and!
historical!positions,!within!the!gestures!of!narration!and!aesthetic!rhetorical!
appreciation.”!46!It!is!these!cultural!practices!that!are!being!performed!on!Social!TV!
platforms!today.!! !
Based!on!their!interpretations,!viewers!are!generating!emotional!responses!and!
!!
!
58!
acting!as!critics.!For!example,!on!the!ABC!Family!show!Pretty!Little!Liars,!Emily,!one!
of!the!main!characters!played!by!Shay!Mitchell,!is!an!openly!gay!high!school!student.!
The!show!crafted!a!story!with!diverse!and!interesting!characters!leaving!audiences!
to!independently!interpret!their!feelings!for!the!characters!and!the!show.!In!a!
personal!conversation!with!Executive!Producer!Oliver!Goldstick,!he!explained!Shay!
Mitchell’s!decision!to!portray!a!gay!character:!
She!felt!it!was!the!right!message!and!wanted!to!send!out!that!message!of!tolerance,!so!it!was!something!she!was!very!interested!in.!But!again,!there!was!no!agenda!on!her!part!or!ours.!It!became!what!it!is.!Because!you!put!something!out!there!and!people!either!identify!or!care!about!this!person,!or!they!don’t.!And!that’s!the!magic!of!casting,!writing,!directing,!all!of!that.47!!
Goldstick!went!on!to!describe!the!feedback!received!by!Mitchell!and!the!show!as!
mixed,!with!Mitchell!receiving!direct!comments!of!praise,!but!feedback!to!the!show!
being,!at!times,!more!critical.!It!is!apparent!that!viewers!were!interpreting!the!
meaning!of!Mitchell’s!character!being!gay!in!multiple!ways.!While!some!viewers!
may!have!interpreted!the!characters!presence!as!promoting!a!message!of!tolerance,!
others!may!have!interpreted!it!as!pushing!an!agenda.!It!is!the!presence!of!these!
potential!multiple!meanings!within!the!program’s!text!that!fuel!debates!and!
discussions!in!schools,!office,!living!rooms!and!on!social!media!platforms.!!This!is!the!
power!of!programs!to!present!issues,!raise!questions!and!act!as!a!source!of!
meanings.!!
! John!Fiske’s!Television!Culture!provides!a!valuable!contribution!to!the!field!of!
television!studies!and!explores!the!role!of!television!in!society!as!part!of!a!
capitalistic!media!industry.!48!!!Although!the!books!is!framed!by!its!primary!focus!on!
!!
!
59!
audiences!and!how!viewers!read!texts,!make!meanings!and!gain!pleasure!from!
viewing,!his!chapter!on!“Activated!Texts”!is!particularly!useful!for!this!dissertation.!!!
! Fiske!proposes!that!the!television!“text”!is!not!simply!the!sounds!and!images!
presented!in!the!program.!This,!he!describes!as!the!“primary!text.”!A!“secondary!text”!
also!exists!and!these!include!writings!about!television,!advertisements,!posters!and!
other!components!that!are!“read!back!into!the!text.”49!!A!third!text!is!the!resulting!
talk!produced!by!viewers!resulting!from!discussions!about!individual!readings!of!
the!primary!text.!!These!three!types!of!texts!support!Fiske’s!description!of!an!“open”!
text!that!allows!viewers!to!negotiate!meanings!within!a!text.!These!meanings!are!
supported!by!textual!devices!that!operate!to!open!a!text!to!multiple!interpretations,!
making!it!both!accessible!and!popular.!Some!of!these!devices!found!within!programs!
include!the!use!of!irony,!metaphor,!jokes,!contradiction!and!excess.50!!This!view!by!
Fiske!situates!television!programs!as!both!complex!and!polysemic.!
! Building,!in!part,!on!these!concepts,!Jason!Mittell!offers!a!new!and!distinct!
narrational!mode!of!television!he!calls!Narrative!Complexity.51!!Narrative!
complexity!is!described!as!a!“redefinition!of!episodic!forms!under!the!influence!of!
serial!narration.”52!That!is,!it’s!a!hybrid!type!of!program!containing!elements!from!
both!episodic!and!serial!shows.!This!includes!rejecting!the!need!for!plot!closures!
and!melodramatic!style!while!weaving!together!a!web!of!plot!lines!that!include!
stories!that!find!resolution!within!a!single!episode!and!others!that!are!maintained!
over!multiple!episodes.!!
!!
!
60!
! Mittell!argues!that!this!new!type!of!storytelling!was!brought!on!in!the!1990’s!as!a!
result!of!several!industrial!changes.!For!instance,!he!notes!a!migration!of!film!
screenwriters!into!television!as!a!result!of!the!creative!advantages!and!appeal!of!
new!forms!such!as!the!longaform!serial!narrative.!Mittell!also!credits!the!new!
economic!viability!of!small!audiences!created!by!an!increase!in!distribution!outlets!
and!a!coinciding!shift!of!power!from!the!network!to!the!viewer.!Due!to!technological!
advancements,!viewers!were!taking!control!of!their!viewing!through!the!availability!
of!multiple!program!choices!as!well!as!the!ability!to!timeashift!viewing,!offered!first!
by!VCR’s!and!later!by!DVR’s.!This!technology!also!encouraged!increased!viewer!
participation!in!programs.!As!Mittell!states,!
The!Internet’s!ubiquity!has!enabled!fans!to!embrace!a!‘collective!intelligence’!for!information,!interpretations,!and!discussions!of!complex!narratives!that!invite!participatory!engagement!–!and!in!instances!such!as!Babylon!5!or!Veronica!Mars,!creators!join!in!the!discussions!and!use!these!forums!as!feedback!mechanisms!to!test!for!comprehension!and!pleasures.53!!
These!two!examples,!Babylon!5!and!Veronica!Mars!both!had!cult!followings.!Mittell!
argues!that!these!cult!shows!have!“demanding!narratives!that!may!seem!
inaccessible!to!a!mass!audience”!and!“the!striking!popularity!of!some!complex!
programs!suggests!that!a!mass!audience!can!engage!with!and!enjoy!quite!
challenging!and!intricate!storytelling.”54!Mittell!further!suggests!that!cult!viewers!of!
such!programs!are!“willing!to!invest!the!effort!into!the!decoding!process.”55!!
! These!statements!suggest!a!privileged!position!for!viewers!of!cult!shows!and!
indicates!the!author’s!surprise!that!individuals!comprising!the!mass!audience!have!
the!same!decoding!abilities!as!the!higher!status!cult!viewers.!While!I!do!not!
!!
!
61!
distinguish!between!different!classes!of!viewers!(a!more!detailed!discussion!of!
audience!decoding!is!available!in!the!following!section),!the!increasing!ubiquity!of!
some!of!the!most!popular!shows!containing!narrative!elements!that!would!award!
them!the!label!of!“narratively!complex”!indicates!that!the!mass!audience!is!both!
willing!and!able!to!enjoy!these!types!of!programs.56!!
! This!engagement!with!narratively!complex!programs,!among!others,!often!
occurs!online!and!makes!Social!TV!platforms!valuable!tools!to!complete!this!process.!!
Evidence!of!these!occurrences!are!scattered!throughout!the!web!and!can!be!found!
on!Twitter,!network!show!sites,!fan!wikis!and!blogging!platforms!such!as!Wordpress.!!
A!comprehensive!example!of!narrative!complexity!is!provided!in!Chapter!Four.!!
Audiences!
Despite!the!brief!history!of!television,!research!focused!on!television!audiences!
has!quickly!evolved,!encompassing!several!theoretical!positions.!These!
characterizations!of!audiences!have!progressed!from!situating!viewers!as!passive!
receivers!of!information,!to!strategic!users!in!search!of!fulfilling!specific!
gratifications!and!towards!popular!modern!conceptions!of!situating!audiences!as!
active!meaningamaking!participants.!!
This!conception!of!audiences!as!active!meaningamaking!participants!arose!from!
research!conducted!at!the!Centre!for!Contemporary!Cultural!Studies!that!was!
founded!in!1964!and!located!at!the!University!of!Birmingham!in!England.!
Researchers!at!CCCS,!including!founder!Richard!Hoggart57,!Raymond!Williams58!and!
E.P!Thompson59!began!to!move!beyond!then!popular!social!scientific!approaches!
!!
!
62!
towards!the!idea!of!“humanistic!determinism”!that!situated!the!text!as!holding!
answers.!As!Gray!and!Lotz!explain,!“the!CCCS!refused!to!regard!texts!as!mere!
‘conveyor!belts’!that!unproblematically!transferred!ideas!from!producer!to!
consumer,!nor!did!they!regard!audiences!as!mere!dupes;!thus!a!great!deal!of!their!
efforts!were!expended!studying!exactly!how!power!and!ideology!worked!at!the!level!
of!the!text.”60!
One!of!the!most!influential!works!arising!from!the!CCCS!was!Stuart!Hall’s!1973!
“Encoding/Decoding.”61!Hall!proposed!a!model!that!suggested!media!research!
should!be!investigated!according!to!the!political!and!social!context!in!which!it!is!
both!produced!and!consumed.!He!situated!audiences!as!undertaking!a!process!of!
decoding!texts’!to!make!sense!of!what!was!being!viewed!because,!if!audiences!were!
simple!receivers!of!messages,!there!would!be!nothing!to!talk!about.!!
As!Hall!explains,!meanings!are!not!fixed!within!the!text,!but!open!for!
interpretation!by!viewers.!Hall!also!suggested!that!texts!contained!preferred!
meanings.!When!viewers!decoded!or!read!programs!and!received!these!meanings,!
they!were!said!to!be!operating!inside!the!dominant!code!and!this!was!labeled!as!a!
“dominantahegemonic!position.”!Two!other!types!of!decoding!were!also!suggested,!
“negotiated,”!where!the!viewer!takes!away!a!combination!of!intended!and!una
intended!meanings!and!“oppositional”!where!the!viewers!reading!was!contrary!to!
the!way!intended!by!the!encoder.!Social!TV!is!now!providing!a!forum!for!viewers!to!
share!these!decodings.!Users!can!post!their!interpretations!of!programs!and!“test”!
their!decodings!against!others!readings.!!
!!
!
63!
David!Morley!and!Charlotte!Brundson!published!Everyday!Television:!
‘Nationwide’!in!1978.62!!Morley!and!Brundson!provided!an!analysis!of!the!BBC!
evening!news!program!Nationwide,!identifying!the!“preferred”!reading!and!
suggesting!how!the!program!offered!certain!views!as!commonsense.!!A!subsequent!
study!by!Morley!investigated!viewer!responses!to!Nationwide!and!classified!them!
according!to!Hall’s!Encoding/Decoding!classifications.63!Morley!was!interested!in!
how!a!viewer’s!class!might!influence!decoding!activities.!He!determined!that!class!
did!not!play!a!role!in!how!a!program!was!decoded.64!People!from!different!
socioeconomic!classes!decode!meanings!in!different!ways.!Yet,!social!class!does!not!
determine!how!messages!are!interpreted.!People!from!the!same!class!can!have!
different!interpretations!and!therefore!meaning!is!the!outcome!of!the!viewers’!
interaction!with!the!text.!
Building!on!Morley’s!findings,!Dorothy!Hobson!investigated!the!British!Soap!
Opera!Crossroads.65!Hobson!supported!situating!viewers!as!active!readers,!but!
challenged!the!“preferred!reading”!concept.!She!emphasized!the!power!of!the!
audience!to!construct!their!own!meanings!from!a!text!by!combining!the!text,!
personal!experiences!and!opinions.!Hobson’s!method!of!observing!families!in!their!
homes!also!opened!the!field!to!sociologically!based!ethnographic!methods!that!
moved!the!object!of!study!beyond!the!text!and!into!the!culture.!!
Hobson’s!work!supported!arguments!that!audiences!can!have!various!opinions!
about!programs!and!identify!with!programs!in!different!ways.!When!viewers!form!
!!
!
64!
these!opinions,!they!often!want!to!share!them!and!the!associated!emotions.!Today,!
social!media!platforms!offer!a!place!for!viewers!to!express!and!share!their!feelings.!!!
Ien!Ang’s!Watching!Dallas!investigated!women’s!expectations!and!the!pleasure!
they!experience!watching!Soap!Operas.66!To!gain!an!understanding!of!viewer’s!
experiences,!Ang!solicited!letters!from!viewers!who!replied!to!her!advertisement.!
Fortyatwo!letters!were!received.!Consistent!with!Hobson,!Ang!suggests!viewers!are!
active!in!their!meaning!making!activities!and!dominant!ideologies!are!circumvented!
when!viewers!are!shaping!their!meaning!making!activities!on!emotion.!She!asserts!
that!the!text!“functions!only!if!it!is!‘read’”!and!it!is!through!this!practice!of!reading!
that!a!text!creates!meanings!for!viewers.67!!
These!reading!practices!were!further!explored!by!John!Fiske!in!Television!
Culture.68!This!seminal!work!addressed!a!range!of!issues!surrounding!the!culture!of!
television!and!how!“consumption!involves!making!meanings,!constructing!identities!
and!finding!pleasures.”69!He!envisioned!Hall’s!negotiated!readings!as!the!most!
valuable!type!and!suggested!that,!in!practice,!“there!are!very!few!perfectly!dominant!
or!purely!oppositional!readings.”70!Therefore,!Fiske!suggests!messages!were!not!
“solely!in!the!text”!as!suggested!by!Hall!and!Morley,!but!open!for!audience!
interpretation.71!!!
Fiske!suggested!the!audience!should!not!be!situated!as!a!homogenous!mass,!but!
as!individual!interpreters!of!meanings!who!then!form!subacultural!groups.!This!view,!
that!viewers!fashion!their!views!of!content!from!existing!maps!of!knowledge,!then!
work!with!others!sharing!readings!as!participants!in!audience!communities,!situates!
!!
!
65!
the!process!of!reading!the!text!as!the!most!important!area!of!study.!Fiske!argues!that!
viewers!form!social!communities!and!the!process!of!talking!about!television!can!
activate!meanings!for!particular!groups.!Therefore,!“meanings!are!determined!
socially.”72!
This!“socialness”!is!an!important!aspect!of!Social!TV.!!Today,!Internet!based!
social!platforms!provide!a!place!for!viewers!to!connect!and!share!their!
interpretations!of!shows.!Viewers!may!watch!a!show!individually,!physically!
isolated!from!others,!but!they!can!virtually!join!others!to!share!the!meanings!they!
made!while!watching!the!show.!“In!this!way,!solitary!viewing!can!be!experienced!as!
group!viewing,!because!the!viewer!knows!well!that!other!members!of!her/his!group!
are!viewing!at!the!same!time.”73!This!talk!is!labeled!by!Fiske!as!“gossip”!and!it!is!
useful!for!both!constructing!group!meanings!and!communities.!!
These!communities,!situated!as!fan!cultures,!have!been!explored!by!Henry!
Jenkins.!In!his!book!Textual!Poachers!(1992),!Jenkins!describes!a!subaculture!that!
has!been!created!by!fans!who!are!“active!producers!and!manipulators!of!meaning.74!
The!textual!interpretations!of!fans!are!then!expressed!through!the!creation!of!
alternate!materials!such!as!stories,!videos!and!music!that!are!circulated!amongst!
fellow!fans.!These!activities!led!Jenkins!to!situate!fan!activities!as!being!deeply!social.!!
Today,!the!use!of!computers!for!these!activities!has!intensified!interpretive!
processes!and!changed!who!participates.75!Jenkins!described!fans!as!participating!in!
communities!for!the!social!pleasure.!They!were!not!attempting!to!influence!the!
programs!they!were!discussing.!Fans!envisioned!themselves!as!powerless!to!that!
!!
!
66!
end,!so!they!instead!focused!on!the!creation!of!alternative!texts.!As!Jenkins!states,!
these!fans!were!“operating!from!a!position!of!cultural!marginality!and!social!
weakness.!Like!other!popular!readers,!fans!lack!direct!access!to!the!means!of!
commercial!cultural!production!and!have!only!the!most!limited!resources!with!
which!to!influence!entertainment!industry’s!decisions.”76Today,!I!suggest!fans!are!
operating!increasingly!less!“from!the!margins.”!!
! While!these!fan!groups!still!exist,!other!viewers!have!started!to!participate!more!
than!ever!before,!and!these!viewers!have!different!intentions.!They!seek!to!socialize!
with!other!viewers!and!speak!back!to!the!productions!decision!makers.!Jenkins!
stated!“fans!have!little!say!about!what!happens!to!their!characters!or!their!programs,!
but!fans!claim!the!right!to!protest!and!protest!loudly!decisions!contradicting!their!
perception!of!what!is!desirable!or!appropriate.”77!But!I!suggest!some!fans!now!
expect!more!than!just!the!right!to!protest!and!they!expect!their!voices!to!be!heard.!
This!is!especially!true!when!these!groups!attract!enough!members!to!increase!the!
power!of!their!collective!voice.!Results!from!situations!where!groups!have!voiced!
collective!opinions!include!scenarios!where!shows!have!been!saved!from!
cancellation,!producers!have!been!convinced!to!have!their!shows!visit!certain!
locations!and!viewers!have!influenced!changes!in!show!content.!!
!While!Jenkins!focused!on!fans!and!viewers!in!the!US,!the!late!1980’s!and!early!
1990’s!experienced!a!turn!towards!international!and!ethnographic!studies.!Many!
international!studies!focused!on!the!increasingly!global!circulation!of!television!
texts!and!how!nonaAmerican!audiences!were!interpreting!foreign!texts.!In!one!such!
!!
!
67!
study,!Tamar!Liebes!and!Elihu!Katz!sought!to!understand!how!television!viewers!
around!the!world!responded!to!the!program!Dallas.78!Today,!due!to!social!media!
activities,!these!processes!in!international!markets!may!be!different.!It!is!possible,!
for!example!that!an!international!viewer!might!believe!they!know!how!US!viewers!
would!respond!to!a!text.!Now,!they!can!validate!their!assumptions!by!reviewing!US!
viewer!responses!to!the!text.!
James!Lull’s!edited!collection!World!Families!Watch!Television!released!in!1988!
contains!essays!that!investigated!audiences!not!from!their!response!to!a!particular!
text!as!Liebes!and!Katz!did,!but!from!a!sociological!perspective.79!Today,!similar!
studies!investigating!the!roles!of!Social!TV!in!the!home!would!be!warranted.!
Researchers!might!seek!to!understand!how!Social!TV!is!changing!interpersonal!
relationships!within!the!home,!how!it!is!influencing!viewing!choices!and!even!the!
amount!of!time!viewing!shows!or!participating!in!activities!related!to!viewing!such!
as!seeking!out!additional!information!on!actors,!reading!episode!reviews!or!creating!
“paratexts.”!!
Research!on!audiences!in!the!1990’s!increasingly!used!ethnographic!methods!
and!researchers!entered!the!homes!of!viewers!to!watch!them!watching!television.!!
In!David!Morley’s!Television,!Audiences!&!Cultural!Studies,!Morley!reviews!the!
historical!development!of!audience!studies!and!cultural!studies!while!promoting!the!
value!of!small!ethnographic!studies!usefulness!towards!furthering!understanding!of!
both!audiences!and!culture.!!
One!such!ethnographic!study!was!completed!by!Ron!Lembo.80!!Instead!of!
!!
!
68!
investigating!meaningamaking!activities!and!audience!interactions!with!specific!
texts,!Lembo!sought!to!understand!the!practices!of!watching!television!and!the!
rituals!involved.!In!Thinking!Through!Television,!Lembo!argues!for!the!creation!of!
categories!of!reception!to!describe!the!ways!people!watch!TV.!!He!states:!
Unless!critical!analysts!generate!categories!for!reception,!of!use,!that!can!document!the!social!functions!of!television,!the!emphasis!on!textual!reading!among!audience!members!remains!incomplete!and!perhaps!misses!what!is!arguably!most!important!about!television!use.81!!
Lembo!employed!a!strategy!of!empirical!research.!Beginning!in!the!late!1980’s,!he!
conducted!interviews!and!observations!to!create!a!typology!of!viewing!use.!The!
categories!he!created!were!Discrete!Use,!where!viewers!are!highly!involved!and!
concentrate!on!the!TV,!Undirected!Use!where!the!television!is!on,!but!viewers!are!
less!involved!and!mind!it!a!little!less!attention!often!completing!other!activities!
while!the!television!was!on!and!Continuous!Use!where!viewers!basically!leave!
television!on!as!background!noise,!occasionally!paying!attention!to!it.!!
I!find!the!most!useful!aspect!of!creating!this!typology!is!not!the!categories!
themselves,!but!the!resulting!concept!that!viewers!engage!with!television!shows!in!
different!ways.!The!ways!people!watch!television!and!the!role!they!perceive!it!plays!
in!their!home!environment!may!have!a!relationship!with!the!way!socialization!
around!television!occurs.!!
One!issue!with!these!types!of!discussions!about!viewers!is!that!all!audiences!
were!regularly!referenced!as!a!singular!group.!As!such,!they!were!situated!as!having!
considerable!power.!As!Horace!Newcomb!stated!in!retrospect,!as!views!on!audience!
!!
!
69!
studies!transitioned!from!passive!dupes!to!active!audiences,!the!turn!of!the!century!
was!a!time!when!“for!some!researchers!and!critics…the!pendulum!swung!too!far!as!
audiences!were!granted!enormous!powers!of!resistance!to!mediated!messages!and!
meanings,!and!‘resistance’!to!textual!properties!was!translated!into!political!
significance.”82!
In!reaction!to!this!shift,!audience!studies!moved!in!a!direction!towards!
investigations!of!different!contexts!of!reception!and!personal!responses.!Questions!
asked!not!how!“audiences”!were!responding!to!television,!but!how!feminists,!ethnic!
and!sexual!minority!groups!and!even!children!were!responding!to!texts.!This,!in!
turn,!opened!discussion!of!media!literacy!and!how!individuals!should!be!instructed!
to!read!television!texts.!This!shift!also!coincided!with!changing!institutional!
practices!such!as!the!growth!in!the!number!of!channels!and!narrowcasting!that!led!
to!distribution!strategies!of!targeting!content!to!specific!groups!resulting!in!each!of!
these!smaller!classifications!of!viewers!receiving!different!content.!
! In!The!Audience!Studies!Reader,!Will!Brooker!and!Deborah!Jermyn!present!a!
collection!of!media!studies!articles!that!exemplifies!the!new!focus!of!attention!on!
identity!politics!and!globalization!that!continues!today.!!Essays!from!Janice!Radway,!
Ien!Ang,!Angela!McRobbie!and!others!explore!female!audiences!in!a!section!on!
gender!and!reading.!Sut!Jhally!and!Justin!Lewis,!Tamar!Liebes!and!Elihu!Katz,!
Jacqueline!Bobo!and!Marie!Gillespie’s!essays!explore!interpretive!communicated!
based!on!nation!and!ethnicity.83!!
!!
!
70!
As!cultural!media!studies!of!television!audiences!enters!its!fifth!decade,!research!
does!not!focus!on!any!one!specific!area,!but!a!variety!of!approaches!that!are!based!
on!the!complex!foundational!work!discussed!here.!Several!examples!of!this!diversity!
include!research!areas!such!as:!
• Media!Literacy!and!exploring!how!audiences!can!be!educated!to!critically!
read!media!texts.!
• Audience!responses!to!specific!shows!and/or!genres.!
• How!cultural!factors!such!as!gender,!race,!class!or!sexuality!influence!
program!selection!and!consumption.!
• Investigations!of!Fandom!and!fan!activities!examining!participatory!cultures,!
socialization!around!texts!and!viewer!creation!of!“paratexts.”!!
• The!influence!of!technology!on!viewing!practices,!audience!activity!and!
program!selection.!!
Many!of!these!research!areas!address!the!same!questions!that!have!been!asked!
since!the!beginning!of!cultural!studies!of!audiences.!Today!however,!the!biggest!
change!is!the!establishment!of!a!new!site!of!audience!research,!the!Internet.!!
! Jenkins!was!one!for!the!first!to!perform!early!research!on!the!Internet.!84!Later,!
Nancy!Baym!completed!an!ethnographic!study!of!an!online!soap!opera!fan!group.!85!!
More!recently,!in!Beyond!the!Box,!Sharon!Ross!discusses!viewer’s!online!engagement!
with!shows,!a!process!she!labels!”teleparticipation.”86!As!Internet!use!has!become!
ubiquitous!and!audiences!are!provided!platforms!to!connect!and!participate!in!
interactions!about!television!shows,!the!resulting!information!provides!a!fertile!
!!
!
71!
ground!of!research!information!about!viewers,!their!meaning!making!activities!and!
viewing!habits.!One!such!type!of!interaction!is!the!creation!and!distribution!of!
“paratexts”!including!fan!fiction!writing,!images,!videos!and!other!materials.!As!
audiences!become!content!creators,!the!lines!between!media!production!and!
consumption!are!increasingly!blurred,!and!here!is!no!longer!a!clear!line!of!
demarcation!between!people!traditionally!differentiated!as!content!producers!and!
those!described!as!content!consumers.!As!Shayla!ThielaStern!suggests,!“the!new!
media!have!almost!fully!collapsed!the!differences!between!audience!and!
producer.”87!!
Today,!audiences!are!most!commonly!situated!as!consumers!of!media!content!
who!are!packaged!and!sold!to!advertisers!as!potential!customers,!however!that!may!
be!beginning!to!change.!Audiences!are!becoming!participants!and!talking!back!to!
content!producers,!possibly!influencing!what!those!producers!are!creating!and!
distributing.!The!line!between!the!audience!and!producer!is!being!blurred!because!
the!audience!becomes!a!participant!in!the!production!process.!This!can!be!in!the!
form!of!voting!for!a!competition!winner,!picking!a!show!ending!or!complaining!
about!and!getting!a!producer!to!change!a!storyline.!
There!are!several!problems!created!by!this!new!audience/producer.!First,!the!
use!of!the!term!“audience,”!is!problematic!in!itself.!Its!use!favors!the!conception!of!
viewers!as!a!homogenous!mass.!Surely!all!viewers!are!not!acting!the!same!way!as!a!
singular!audience.!While!watching!a!TV!show,!there!are!likely!viewers!who!can!be!
described!as!a!passive!“schlub”!on!the!couch,!others!who!are!actively!consuming!the!
!!
!
72!
text!searching!for!meanings!and!others!who!are!more!actively!participating.88!!The!
term!viewer!might!even!suggest!a!certain!level!of!passivity.!Perhaps!there!is!no!
single!term!that!can!be!used!to!describe!the!variety!of!levels!of!involvement.!
Second,!this!variety!of!types!of!audience!members!raises!another!issue!about!
their!valuation.!If!audiences!are!commodities!who!are!packaged!and!sold!to!
advertisers,!but!they!are!participating!to!varying!degrees,!do!some!become!more!
valuable!than!others?!Should!individuals!who!act!as!viewers!and!producers!be!more!
valuable!than!those!who!don’t!produce!anything?!!!
It!is!apparent!that!old!definitions!of!audiences!and!producers!have!become!
muddled,!as!have!the!differences!between!the!roles!of!each!type!of!participant.!It!is!
important!to!have!an!awareness!of!these!changes,!and!be!more!descriptive!about!
our!assumptions!behind!the!terms!we!use.!!
Studies!of!audiences!have!come!a!long!way!from!their!foundations!in!direct!
effects!where!audiences!were!situated!as!passive!dupes!to!today’s!dominant!
paradigm!of!meaningamaking!activities.!Power!has!shifted!from!exclusively!residing!
with!the!“senders”!of!messages!to!instances!where!“receivers”!are!also!at!times!
empowered.!Fears!of!the!potentially!negative!effects!of!media!still!exist,!but!are!
most!often!found!with!politically!motivated!groups!such!as!the!Parents!Television!
Council!who!seek!to!promote!an!agenda.!
Literature!Review!Summary!!
! The!lack!of!academic!literature!focusing!on!Social!TV!is!likely!a!result!of!several!
factors!including!the!phenomenon’s!sudden!and!rapid!growth!and!the!traditionally!
!!
!
73!
slow!process!of!academic!publishing.!Despite!this!delay,!there!is!a!wealth!of!
information!available!from!the!conversations!appearing!in!the!trade!press,!findings!
published!in!corporate!white!papers!and!connections!that!can!be!made!between!this!
contemporary!phenomenon!and!existing!studies!on!television!in!the!areas!of!
institutions,!programs!and!audiences.!!
! Although!I!utilize!the!classification!scheme!of!institutions,!programs!and!
audiences!offered!by!Gray!and!Lotz!to!organize!this!dissertation,!this!project!is!more!
appropriately!defined!as!a!media!industry!study!than!strictly!a!“television!study.”!
First!proposed!in!2009!by!Timothy!Havens,!Amanda!Lotz!and!Serra!Tinic!“critical!
media!industry!studies”!is!an!approach!that!seeks!to!smooth!tensions!between!the!
approaches!of!political!economy!and!cultural!studies.89!As!Jennifer!Holt!and!Alisa!
Perren!explain!in!Media!Industries:!History,!Theory!and!Method,!a!“myriad!of!
developments”!including!shifts!in!regulatory!philosophy,!trade!agreements,!
transnational!collaborations,!technological!and!industrial!convergence,!methods!of!
valuing!audiences!and!changes!to!programming!have!“created!a!pressing!need!to!
bring!interdisciplinary!scholarship!on!media!industries!into!a!common!dialog.”90!
! With!this!interdisciplinary!approach!in!mind,!this!dissertation!is!an!investigation!
into!the!influence!of!Social!TV!on!television!production!practices!and!content.!As!
such,!it!includes!consideration!of!a!variety!issues!including!corporate!business!
practices,!authorship,!audiences!and!program!content.!It!is!an!investigation!of!
power,!but!not!labeled!as!“political!economy.”!It!is!an!investigation!of!program!
content,!but!not!labeled!as!“critical!textual!analysis.”!It!is!an!investigation!of!viewers,!
!!
!
74!
but!not!labeled!as!“audience!studies.”!It!is!an!investigation!of!advertising!and!
marketing,!but!not!labeled!as!a!“business!study.”!!It!is!an!investigation!of!how!a!
media!industry!operates!to!better!appreciate!how!texts!are!created,!the!influences!
upon!the!people!who!create!them,!the!role!of!audiences,!the!financial!restraints!and!
implications,!and!how!new!media!technologies!influence!existing!business!and!
cultural!practices.!To!accomplish!this,!the!following!methods!will!be!employed.
Notes!
1!Proulx!and!Shepatin,!Social!Tv!:!How!Marketers!Can!Reach!and!Engage!Audiences!by!Connecting!Television!to!the!Web,!Social!Media,!and!Mobile.!
2!Ibid!Mike!Proulx!and!Stacey!Shepatin,!p.!10.!
3!Nielsen,!"New!Nielsen!Research!Indicates!TwoaWay!Causal!Influence!between!Twitter!Aactivity!and!Tv!Viewship,"!!http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/pressaroom/2013/newanielsenaresearchaindicatesatwoawayacausalainfluenceabetweena.html.!
4!Ibid.!
5!Amy!Mitchell!and!Paul!Hitlin,!"Twitter!Reaction!to!Events!Often!at!Odds!with!Overall!Public!Opinion,"!!http://www.pewresearch.org/2013/03/04/twitterareactionatoaeventsaoftenaataoddsawithaoverallapublicaopinion/.!
6!Gray!and!Lotz,!Television!Studies,!123.!
7!Ibid.!
8!Chad!Gervich,!Small!Screen,!Big!Picture!:!A!Writer's!Guide!to!the!Tv!Business,!1st!ed.(New!York:!Three!Rivers!Press,!2008).!
9!Ibid.,!21.!
10!Todd!Gitlin,!Inside!Prime!Time,!1st!ed.(New!York:!Pantheon!Books,!1983).!
11!John!Thornton!Caldwell,!Production!Culture!:!Industrial!Reflexivity!and!Critical!Practice!in!Film!and!Television,!ConsoleaIng!Passions!(Durham,!N.C.:!Duke!University!Press,!2008),!216.!
!!
!
75!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12!Ibid.,!219.!
13!Horace!Newcomb!and!Robert!S.!Alley,!The!Producer's!Medium!:!Conversations!with!Creators!of!American!Tv(New!York:!Oxford!University!Press,!1983).!
14!Ibid.,!148a49.!
15!Ibid.,!109.!
16!Ibid.,!110.!
17!Hart!Hanson!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(1),!June!18,!2013.!
18!Amanda!Lotz,!"Textual!(Im)Possibiliites!in!the!U.S.!PostaNetwork!Era:!Negotiating!Production!and!Promotion!Processes!on!Lifetime's!Any!Day!Now,"!Critical!Studies!in!Media!Communication!21,!no.!1!(2004).!
19!Ibid.,!23.!
20!Elana!Levine,!"Toward!a!Paradigm!for!Media!Production!Research,"!ibid.18(2001):!66.!
21!Ibid.,!78.!
22!Ibid.,!79.!
23!Gervich,!Small!Screen,!Big!Picture!:!A!Writer's!Guide!to!the!Tv!Business,!42.!
24!Ibid.!
25!Muriel!G.!Cantor,!The!Hollywood!Tv!Producer;!His!Work!and!His!Audience(New!York,:!Basic!Books,!1971).!
26!Newcomb!and!Alley,!The!Producer's!Medium!:!Conversations!with!Creators!of!American!Tv.!
27!Horace!Newcomb,!"Media!Institutions:!The!Creation!of!Television!Drama,"!in!A!Handbook!of!Qualitative!Methodologies!for!Mass!Communication!Research,!ed.!Klaus!Bruhn!Jensen!and!Nick!Jankowski(London!;!New!York:!Routledge,!1991),!93.!
28!Jeremy!Tunstall,!Television!Producers,!Communication!and!Society!(London!;!New!York:!Routledge,!1993).!
!!
!
76!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
29!Robert!S.!Alley!and!Irby!B.!Brown,!Women!Television!Producers!:!1948A2000(Rochester,!NY:!University!of!Rochester!Press,!2002).!
30!David!Wild,!The!Showrunners!:!A!Season!inside!the!BillionADollar,!DeathADefying,!Madcap!World!of!Television's!Real!Stars,!1st!ed.(New!York,!NY:!HarperCollins,!1999).!
31!Myles!McNutt,!"Tweets!of!Anarchy:!Showrunners!on!Twitter,"!Antenna,!http://blog.commarts.wisc.edu/2010/09/17/tweetsaofaanarchyashowrunnersaonatwitter/.!
32!Gray!and!Lotz,!Television!Studies,!123.!
33!William!Boddy,!Fifties!Television!:!The!Industry!and!Its!Critics(Urbana:!University!of!Illinois!Press,!1990).!
34!Ibid.,!5.!
35!Ben!H.!Bagdikian,!The!New!Media!Monopoly(Boston:!Beacon!Press,!2004).!
36!Ibid.,!27.!
37!Jennifer!Holt,!Empires!of!Entertainment!:!Media!Industries!and!the!Politics!of!Deregulation,!1980A1996(New!Brunswick,!N.J.:!Rutgers!University!Press,!2011),!18.!
38!"Yahoo!Buys!Intonow,!Maker!of!Tv!'Checkain'!App!for!Ios!Devices,"!Los!Angeles!Times,!http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/04/yahooaintonowacheckain.html.!
39!Graeme!Turner!and!Jinna!Tay,!Television!Studies!after!Tv!:!Understanding!Television!in!the!PostA!Broadcast!Era(London!;!New!York:!Routledge,!2009).!
40!Lynn!Spigel!and!Jan!Olsson,!Television!after!Tv!:!Essays!on!a!Medium!in!Transition,!ConsoleaIng!Passions!(Durham:!Duke!University!Press,!2004);!Turner!and!Tay,!Television!Studies!after!Tv!:!Understanding!Television!in!the!PostA!Broadcast!Era,!2.!
41!Television!Studies!after!Tv!:!Understanding!Television!in!the!PostA!Broadcast!Era,!7.!
42!Horace!Newcomb,!Tv:!The!Most!Popular!Art,!1st!ed.(Garden!City,!N.Y.,:!Anchor!Press,!1974).!
43!David!Thorburn,!"Television!Aesthetics,"!!http://web.mit.edu/21L.432/www/readings/Thorburn_TelevisionAesthetics.pdf.!
!!
!
77!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
44!Horace!Newcomb!and!Paul!M.!!Hirsch,!"Television!as!a!Cultural!Forum,"!in!Television!the!Critical!View,!ed.!Horace!Newcomb(New!York:!Oxford!University!Press,!1983).!
45!Michael!K.!Saenz,!"Television!Viewing!as!a!Cultural!Practice,"!in!Television:!The!Critical!View,!ed.!Horace!Newcomb(New!York:!Oxford!University!Press,!1994),!573.!
46!Ibid.,!578.!
47!Oliver!Goldstick!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!July!24,!2013.!
48!John!Fiske,!Television!Culture,!2nd!ed.(London!;!New!York:!Routledge,!2011).!
49!Ibid.,!85.!
50!Ibid.,!85a94.!
51!Jason!Mittell,!"Narrative!Complexity!in!Contemporary!American!Television,"!The!Velvet!Light!Trap!58,!no.!Fall!2006!(2006).!
52!Ibid.,!32.!
53!Ibid.,!31a32.!
54!Ibid.,!38.!
55!Ibid.!
56!Some!examples!of!these!programs!I!mention!would!include!Breaking!Bad,!Mad!Men,!Sons!of!Anarchy,!Games!of!Thrones,!Orange!is!the!New!Black.!
57!Richard!Hoggart,!The!Uses!of!Literacy;!Changing!Patterns!in!English!Mass!Culture(Fair!Lawn,!N.J.,:!Essential!Books,!1957).!
58!Raymond!Williams,!Culture!and!Society,!1780A1950(New!York,:!Columbia!University!Press,!1958).!
59!E.P!Thompson,!The!Making!of!the!English!Working!Class(Vintage,!1966).!
60!Gray!and!Lotz,!Television!Studies,!19.!
61!Stuart!Hall,!Culture,!Media,!Language!:!Working!Papers!in!Cultural!Studies,!1972A79(London![Birmingham,!West!Midlands]:!Hutchinson;Centre!for!Contemporary!Cultural!Studies,!University!of!Birmingham,!1980).!
!!
!
78!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
62!Charlotte!Brunsdon!and!David!Morley,!Everyday!Television:!Nationwide(London:!British!Film!Institute,!1978).!
63!David!Morley,!The!'Nationwide'!Audience(London:!British!Film!Institute,!1980).!
64!This!finding!was!later!challenged!by!Sujeong!Kim.!See!Sujeong!Kim,!"Rereading!David!Morley's!the!'Nationwide'!Audience,"!Cultural!Studies!18,!no.!1!(2004).!
65!Dorothy!Hobson,!'Crossroads':!Drama!of!a!Soap!Opera(London:!Methuen,!1982).!
66!Ien!Ang,!Watching!Dallas!:!Soap!Opera!and!the!Melodramatic!Imagination(London!;!New!York:!Methuen,!1985).!
67!Ibid.,!27.!
68!Fiske,!Television!Culture.!
69!Ibid.,!xxxiii.!
70!Ibid.,!64.!
71!Ibid.,!66.!
72!Ibid.,!81.!
73!Ibid.,!80.!
74!Jenkins,!Textual!Poachers!:!Television!Fans!and!Participatory!Culture,!23.!
75!Ibid.,!79.!
76!Ibid.,!26.!
77!Ibid.,!118.!
78!Tamar!Liebes!and!Elihu!Katz,!The!Export!of!Meaning!:!CrossACultural!Readings!of!Dallas(New!York:!Oxford!University!Press,!1990).!
79!James!Lull,!World!Families!Watch!Television,!Communication!and!Human!Values!(Newbury!Park,!Calif.:!Sage!Publications,!1988).!
80!Ron!Lembo,!Thinking!through!Television,!Cambridge!Cultural!Social!Studies!(Cambridge,!UK!;!New!York,!NY:!Cambridge!University!Press,!2000).!
!!
!
79!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
81!Ibid.,!99.!
82!Horace!Newcomb,!Television!:!The!Critical!View,!6th!ed.(New!York:!Oxford!University!Press,!2000),!421.!
83!Will!Brooker!and!Deborah!Jermyn,!The!Audience!Studies!Reader(London!;!New!York:!Routledge,!2003).!
84!Jenkins,!Textual!Poachers!:!Television!Fans!and!Participatory!Culture.!
85!Nancy!Baym,!Tune!in,!Log!On:!Soaps,!Fandom,!and!Online!Community(London:!Sage,!2000).!
86!Sharon!Marie!Ross,!Beyond!the!Box!:!Television!and!the!Internet(Malden,!MA:!Blackwell!Pub.,!2008).!
87!Angharad!N.!Valdivia,!"Beyond!the!Active!Audience:!Exploring!New!Media!Audiences!and!the!Limits!of!Cultural!Production,"!ed.!Radhika!Parameswaran,!vol.!IV,!The!International!Encyclopedia!of!Media!Studies!(Blackwell!Publishing!Ltd.!,!2013).!1.!
88!For!a!detailed!study!on!types!of!viewers,!see!Lembo,!Thinking!through!Television.!
89!Timothy!Havens,!Amanda!D.!Lotz,!and!Serra!Tinic,!"Critical!Media!Industry!Studies:!A!Research!Approach,"!Communication,!Culture!and!Critique!2(2009).!
90!Jennifer!Holt!and!Alisa!Perren,!Media!Industries!:!History,!Theory,!and!Method(Chichester,!West!Sussex!;!Malden,!MA:!WileyaBlackwell,!2009),!1a2.!
!!
!
80!
!
!
CHAPTER!3!
METHODS!
This!dissertation!is!a!case!study!of!the!television!show!Bones.!The!case!study!
approach!was!selected!because!it!“is!an!ideal!methodology!when!a!holistic,!inadepth!
investigation!is!needed.”1!Case!studies!are!designed!to!bring!out!information!from!
multiple!sources!and!deeply!analyze!a!subject.!The!approach!is!an!effective!way!to!
investigate!how!“a!number!of!variables!interact!in!order!to!fully!understand!a!given!
situation.”2!In!this!case,!the!variables!are!the!television!show,!its!related!production!
company,!the!network,!the!employees,!staff!and!crew,!the!audiences,!the!social!
interactions!surrounding!the!show!and!the!online!platforms!where!these!
interactions!occur.!In!addition!to!multiple!sources!of!information,!multiple!methods!
are!employed.!These!include!observations,!interviews!and!textual!analysis.!The!use!
of!multiple!information!sources!and!multiple!methods!allows!for!a!process!of!
triangulation,!resulting!in!a!comprehensive!or!rigorous!research!approach.!This!
should!appease!critics!of!the!case!study!approach!who!argue!the!process!lacks!rigor.!
As!Robert!Yin!suggests,!the!use!of!multiple!methods!and!variables!allows!for!a!
triangulation!of!evidence!and!increases!the!reliability!of!the!information!resulting!in!
a!rigorous!research!process.3!
The!case!study!approach!follows!a!basic!process.!This!includes!the!asking!of!
questions,!selection!of!methods!to!gather!information!or!data,!determining!the!
!!
!
81!
object(s)!of!study,!performing!research!activities,!analyzing!and!making!sense!of!
findings!and!reporting!those!findings.!This!process!results!in!several!advantages.!
First,!the!case!study!allows!for!deep!and!rigorous!examination!of!a!person,!event!
or!scenario.!This!depth!of!research!enables!the!production!of!richly!detailed!findings.!
Second,!research!can!be!conducted!in!the!object’s!natural!setting,!allowing!for!a!
more!accurate!vision!of!that!object’s!reality.!!Third,!the!case!study!allows!for!a!
variety!of!topics!to!be!investigated!including!people,!events,!organizations!and!
phenomena.!Researchers!can!also!investigate!phenomenon!that!are!not!easily!
quantifiable,!undertaking!a!holistic!approach!to!information!collection.!This!can!
assist!in!the!fostering!of!new!hypotheses!and!research!questions.!!
The!decision!to!use!a!case!study!approach!stems!from!the!fact!that!Social!TV!is!a!
relatively!new!and!rapidly!growing!phenomenon.!Although!people!have!been!
participating!in!social!activities!surrounding!television!since!its!inception,!the!
introduction!of!new!technologies!has!resulted!in!changes!to!the!way!viewers!
interact!and!potentially!in!how!television!content!producers!respond!to!the!viewer’s!
social!activities.!For!this!reason,!it!would!be!illogical!to!think!all!audiences!and!
producers!are!engaging!in!Social!TV!activities!in!the!same!manner.!I!suggest!we!are!
in!a!current!phase!of!testing!and!change!and!there!is!value!in!understanding!how!
one!group!of!viewers,!network,!studio!and!show!are!engaged.!!
! This!chapter!provides!a!description!of!the!research!activities!that!incorporate!
this!case!study!process!and!demonstrates!how!these!methodologies!are!put!to!use.!
After!an!overview!of!interview!activities,!details!are!provided!about!inaperson!and!
!!
!
82!
online!observation!activities,!the!project’s!strategy!and!research!design,!about!
methods!for!information!collection!and!analysis!methods!and!about!the!ethical!
issues!taken!into!consideration.!!
Interviews!
Interview!subjects!include!individuals!from!the!production!company,!studio!and!
network.!Production!interviewees!include!“above!the!line”!individuals!such!as!the!
showrunner,!writers!and!actors!as!these!individuals!are!responsible!for!the!creative!
direction!of!a!show.!Several!“below!the!line”!individuals!such!as!staff!in!the!
wardrobe!and!makeaup!departments!are!interviewed.!4!
Showrunners!are!in!charge!of!a!show’s!production!and!are!classified!as!the!
primary!informants.!They!oversee!all!aspects!of!production,!are!the!link!between!
production!and!the!network,!and!often!fill!a!role!as!one!of!the!writers!of!a!show!
(Hart!Hanson!of!Bones,!Howard!Gordon!and!Alex!Gansa!of!Homeland,!Kurt!Sutter!of!
Sons!of!Anarchy).!As!Producers!Guild!of!America!President!Mark!Gordon!explained,!
being!a!showrunner!“requires!a!unique!set!of!skills!because!you!have!to!provide!the!
creative!vision!for!the!show!while!also!working!with!the!entire!creative!team!and!
then!balancing!that!with!the!demands!of!the!production!company!and!the!
network."5!The!showrunner!is!the!most!important!point!of!contact!for!this!project!
and!this!person!should!be!informed!of!all!show!operations,!hold!the!final!say!in!
creative!decisions!and!have!the!ability!to!approve!access!to!all!aspects!of!production.!
An!open!line!of!communication!via!email!and!telephone!is!maintained!with!the!
showrunner!throughout!the!fieldwork!timeframe.!!A!comparison!of!observed!online!
!!
!
83!
activity!surrounding!the!show!and!the!showrunner’s!knowledge!of!those!activities!
provides!an!understanding!of!how!much!audience!talk!is!reaching!the!show!and!
how!the!show!is!processing!that!information.!
Several!writers!are!interviewed!because!the!work!of!writers!is!varied!based!on!
their!hierarchal!status.!!The!topalevel!writers!are!often!the!showrunners.!!Midalevel!
writers!hold!various!producer!titles.!These!individuals!perform!additional!tasks!
such!as!running!the!writers!room!or!assisting!with!casting.!Introductoryalevel!
writers!are!responsible!for!assisting!the!higheralevel!writers,!often!creating!the!
actual!scripts!and!transforming!storylines!into!scenes!containing!action!and!dialog.!
As!participants!in!the!scripting!process,!these!individuals!provide!insight!into!the!
influences!of!viewers!on!production,!and!answer!questions!about!how!audience!
feedback!reaches!the!writers!room!and!the!process!for!handling!that!feedback.!
These!writers!participate!in!social!media!activities!as!individuals!and!groups.!For!
example,!Danny!Zuker,!Writer/Executive!Producer!on!ABC’s!Modern!Family!tweets!
from!his!personal!account!@DannyZuker.!Patricipating!as!a!group,!a!writer’s!room!
will!establish!group!twitter!accounts!such!as!@psychwrites,!the!official!Twitter!
account!of!the!Psych!writer’s!room,!@Carrie_Writers,!the!official!Twitter!account!of!
The!Carrie!Diaries!writer’s!room!and!@GoodWifeWriters,!the!official!Twitter!
account!of!The!Good!Wife!writer’s!room.!!
Actors!are!interviewed!because!they!contribute!to!the!creative!direction!of!their!
characters!and!more!generally!the!show.!Many!actors!are!active!participants!in!
social!media!and!receive!direct!feedback!from!viewers!about!their!performances,!
!!
!
84!
the!direction!of!their!characters,!plot!lines!and!more.!These!interviews!provide!
insight!into!their!motivations!for!social!media!use!and!understanding!of!how!
feedback!is!managed.!When!Ashton!Kutcher!was!chosen!to!replace!Charlie!Sheen!in!
the!series,!Two!and!a!Half!Men,!there!was!speculation!that!Kutchers’!sizable!Twitter!
following!played!a!part!in!his!being!chosen.6!One!potential!type!of!question!asks!if!an!
actor’s!social!media!presence!is!only!useful!for!marketing!purposes!or!if!they!use!it!
as!a!feedback!tool?!
Interviews!at!the!network!level!help!uncover!information!about!marketing!
practices.!These!interviews!further!understanding!of!how!promotional!efforts!might!
elicit!feedback!from!viewers.!If!feedback!is!received,!does!that!viewer’s!feedback!get!
passed!along!to!production!and!if!so,!how!does!that!process!work?!These!questions!
are!determined!by!the!structure!of!the!network!and!the!roles!they!have!assigned!
employees.!As!noted!earlier,!many!organizations!such!as!USA!Network!are!creating!
new!social!media!positions!to!handle!these!online!activities.!However,!other!
networks,!such!as!Syfy,!have!not!created!any!social!media!specific!positions.!Syfy!has!
instead!integrated!responsibilities!into!existing!departments!including!their!
Marketing!and!Digital!departments.!Interviews!with!these!individuals!answers!
questions!about!business!practices,!strategies!and!how!Social!TV!is!being!valued!by!
the!organization.!!
This!range!of!interviews!allows!for!multiple!perspectives!of!the!production!
process.!It!also!provides!information!from!various!historical!perspectives,!as!
!!
!
85!
individuals!at!different!hierarchal!levels!should!be!able!to!situate!their!experiences!
in!the!history!of!the!industry!and!their!personal!experiences!within!it.!!
Observations!
Observations!allow!firstahand!accounts!of!daily!work!routines!and!common!
practices.!Observations!taking!place!after!interviews!serve!as!a!way!to!validate!
information!received!during!those!interviews.!Observations!occurring!prea
interviews!help!discover!unfamiliar!practices!that!could!be!useful!for!further!
exploration!during!interviews.!As!Newcomb!explains,!“the!greatest!opportunity!for!
participant!observation,!then,!is!the!constant!refinement!of!questions,!goals,!and!
directions!as!the!work!continues.”7!
Production!level!observations!were!completed!during!two!visits!to!the!show!set!
and!offices.!These!visits!were!planned!for!periods!when!the!show!was!involved!in!
both!shooting!current!episodes!and!prepping!future!episodes.!Observations!for!
show!prep!took!place!in!the!production!offices!where!the!showrunner,!producers!
and!writers!gather!to!sketch!out!the!characters!and!storylines!for!upcoming!
episodes.!It!is!during!this!stage!that!discussions!take!place!and!audience!feedback!
from!past!episodes!is!most!likely!to!be!considered.!!Production!observation!during!
shooting!is!important!because!all!of!the!key!personnel!are!gathered!in!the!same!
location.!Although!this!availability!is!convenient!for!the!researcher,!this!is!a!period!
of!intensive!work!for!the!staff!and!crew,!so!observing!in!this!phase!needs!to!be!
completed!in!a!minimally!invasive!manner.!!
!!
!
86!
Online!Observations!!
Observations!of!social!media!activities!are!completed!across!several!platforms.!
Due!to!the!large!number!of!platforms,!the!leading!two!were!identified!and!
monitored.!Observations!of!these!activities!are!completed!on!a!daily!basis!and!notes!
are!taken!to!track!the!general!sentiment!of!viewers!and!topics!of!discussion.!Any!
comments!with!research!value!are!marked!for!future!use!in!interviews.!Notes!about!
online!activity!are!placed!into!categories!to!assist!with!analysis.!The!main!categories!
are!viewers!communicating!with!each!other,!viewers!communicating!with!
production!and!production!communicating!with!viewers.!Production!
communications!are!further!subdivided!to!identify!activity!from!individuals!such!as!
the!showrunner!or!cast!members,!groups!such!as!the!writers!room,!and!
organizations!such!as!the!official!show!accounts!or!web!pages.!Notes!are!compiled!
on!a!per!episode!basis!and!used!as!reference!information!for!interviews!with!
production!personnel.!This!will!allow!for!comparisons!to!be!made!between!the!
researchers!observations!and!the!experiences!of!production!personnel.!For!example,!
production!personnel!are!asked!if!they!were!aware!of!comments!from!viewers,!their!
reactions!to!how!the!program!was!received!by!viewers!and!if!they!will!react!or!
respond!in!any!way!as!a!result!of!the!viewer!responses.!!An!ongoing!dialog!is!
maintained!with!the!program’s!producers!to!compare!their!experiences!to!
observation!findings.!!
!
!
!!
!
87!
Textual!Analysis!
Textual!analysis!activities!describe!and!interpret!the!content!of!the!show.!A!close!
reading!of!several!episodes!from!each!season!and!all!episodes!from!the!current!
ninth!season!provides!an!understanding!of!the!characters,!storylines,!show!
structure!and!variations!in!these!elements!throughout!the!series.!This!information!
assists!in!gaining!insights!into!the!decisionamaking!processes!involved!in!the!
creation!of!the!show.!!Understanding!the!text!also!assists!in!interpreting!fan!actions!
and!how!they!interacting!with!the!show!and!its!content.!While!textual!analysis!takes!
many!approaches,!my!work!focuses!on!genre!analysis.!As!Jason!Mittell!argues,!“we!
need!to!look!beyond!the!text!as!the!locus!for!genre!and!instead!locate!genres!within!
the!complex!interrelations!among!texts,!industries,!audiences!and!historical!
contexts.”8!
The!analysis!of!Bones!in!chapter!five,!for!example,!investigates!how!the!show!
adheres!to!elements!that!are!traditionally!associated!with!the!procedural!genre.!For!
example,!is!each!episode!a!selfacontained!crime?!Is!the!identity!of!the!perpetrator!
withheld!until!the!climax!of!the!episode?!However,!the!analysis!goes!beyond!trying!
to!fit!the!show!into!a!specific!genre!and!considers!it!within!a!cultural!context!by!
asking!a!broader!range!of!questions!to!decenter!the!text.!These!questions!
investigate!the!people!who!work!on!the!show,!the!processes!involved!in!creating!the!
text,!institutional!influences!and!the!how!the!show!is!received!by!the!viewers.!!!
These!efforts!allow!a!greater!understanding!of!the!forces!that!position!the!text!in!
relationship!to!certain!genres.!Viewers!who!are!interested!in!the!forensic!science!
!!
!
88!
and!mystery!case!of!the!week!elements!might!classify!Bones!as!a!procedural.!
Viewers!who!prefer!the!ongoing!storylines!and!relationship!stories!might!classify!
Bones!as!a!serial.!!Investigating!the!text!in!this!manner,!as!a!discursive!practice,!
considers!the!particular!attributes!of!the!genre,!but!allows!for!the!investigation!of!
detailed!specifics!instead!of!relying!on!generalities.!This!holistic!approach!creates!an!
opportunity!to!understand!the!features!that!make!Bones!distinctive!beyond!
identifying!the!generic!elements!of!a!procedural!crime!show.!!
Strategy!&!Research!Design!
To!select!a!television!series!useful!for!this!project!I!applied!the!following!list!of!
criteria.!The!criteria!were!developed!through!preliminary!research!that!included!
telephone!interviews!with!Hart!Hanson,!showrunner!for!the!Fox!show!Bones,!Oliver!
Goldstick,!Executive!Producer!of!Pretty!Little!Liars!and!David!Shore!showrunner!for!
the!recently!concluded!series!House.!I!also!solicited!feedback!during!an!inaperson!
conversation!with!Lizzy!Weiss,!showrunner!of!the!ABC!Family!show!Switched!at!
Birth.!I!have!additionally!performed!research!in!secondary!sources!containing!
interviews!with!showrunners!answering!questions!about!perspectives!and!use!of!
social!media.!
These!conversations!and!research!provided!insight!into!the!operations!of!shows,!
how!these!showrunners!situate!the!importance!of!the!social!activities!of!audiences,!
how!they!use!social!media!tools!and!how!they!handle!audience!feedback.!Combining!
the!insights!provided!by!these!conversations!with!practical!considerations!
uncovered!in!the!course!of!planning!this!project,!I!established!the!following!criteria:!
!!
!
89!
1. Show!Social!Activity!Presence!and!Activity:!Social!activities!occur!at!
varying!degrees!for!different!shows.!The!show!chosen!should,!at!minimum!
have!a!presence!on!Facebook!and!have!accounts!for!the!showrunner!and!
show!on!Twitter.!!Additional!pages!on!other!Social!TV!platforms!and!active!
Twitter!accounts!for!staff!and!actors!would!be!beneficial.!These!accounts!
should!show!evidence!of!being!actively!used.!The!number!of!followers,!
frequency!and!quantity!of!interactions!can!be!used!to!evaluate!active!use.!!
2. Network!Social!Media!Presence!and!Activity:!The!network!should!be!
involved!in!active!promotion!of!the!show!through!various!social!media!
platforms.!!
3. Showrunner!Cooperation:!The!showrunner!will!be!a!key!individual!for!this!
project.!This!individual!will!allow!access!to!all!production!personnel!for!
interviews!and!physical!access!for!observation!activities.!This!person!will!
also!be!a!key!to!obtaining!network!participation!and!cooperation.!The!
willingness!and!enthusiasm!of!this!person!to!participate!is!critical!as!is!
their!experience,!knowledge,!and!industry!standing.!
4. Network!Cooperation:!Evaluation!of!the!networks!willingness!to!provide!
access!to!employees!and!facilities!must!be!considered!in!advance.!There!
may!be!concern!for!privacy!or!intrusion!into!employees!work.!
Consideration!will!be!given!to!the!network’s!willingness!to!participate!and!
the!seniority!of!the!network!contact.!Approvals!coming!from!higher!levels!
within!an!organization!should!result!in!greater!access!and!cooperation.!!
!!
!
90!
5. Show!Schedule:!A!show’s!production!schedule!must!be!considered!for!its!
fit!with!the!timeline!for!this!dissertation.!Several!key!timeframes!need!to!
be!observed!including!preaproduction!planning,!production,!posta
production!promotions,!first!airing.!The!length!of!this!show!cycle!will!be!
taken!into!consideration.!The!feasibility!of!a!show!being!cancelled!or!not!
being!able!to!complete!an!entire!cycle!for!any!reason!will!also!be!
considered.!!
Information!Collection!and!Analysis!Methods!
Once!the!show!Bones!was!selected,!a!period!of!background!research!commenced.!
This!was!necessary!to!assist!with!interview!question!preparation,!identification!of!
key!personnel!and!creating!observation!plans.!!
The!collection!of!background!information!started!with!a!viewing!of!past!episodes.!
These!were!available!on!DVD,!through!online!services!such!as!Hulu!and!iTunes.!!
A!search!for!literature!relevant!to!the!show!was!conducted.!This!included!
academic!research!presented!at!conferences!or!published!online!or!in!journals.!A!
review!of!articles!from!the!trade!press!was!completed!and!a!search!for!viewer!
responses!was!completed.!This!search!also!included!a!historical!review!of!social!
media!activity!from!the!network!and!production!personnel,!easily!accessed!by!
browsing!each!account’s!history.!!
Interviews!were!conducted!inaperson!and!via!phone.!These!interviews!were!
semiastructured!with!“the!intent!of!understanding!the!respondent’s!point!of!view!
rather!than!make!generalizations!about!behavior.”9!An!interview!guide!including!
!!
!
91!
topic!areas!and!sample!questions!was!prepared!in!advance.!To!prevent!limiting!the!
flow!of!conversation!or!discovery!of!unanticipated!responses,!the!guide!was!not!
strictly!adhered!to,!but!it!was!available!as!a!point!of!reference.!Most!interview!
participants!consented!to!being!recorded!and!those!interviews!were!transcribed!for!
later!review!and!analysis.!
A!list!of!potential!interviewees!was!created!and!interview!guides!were!created!
for!each!interviewee.!These!guides!listed!categorized!questions!and!a!list!of!
objectives.!Some!sample!questions!by!interviewee!role!include:!
Showrunner!
• How!do!you!receive!audience!feedback?!
• How!do!you!handle!audience!feedback?!
• Do!you!get!notes!on!content!from!the!Network!that!initiated!from!
audience!feedback?!
• Are!you!willing!to!make!changes!to!your!shows’!content!based!on!
audience!feedback?!
• How!do!you!view!audience!feedback?!Do!you!feel!viewers!expect!
responses!or!they!are!more!simply!desiring!to!just!express!themselves?!
• Do!you!receive!Social!TV!metrics?!
• Have!you!ever!changed!the!show!as!a!result!of!audience!feedback?!
Actor!
• Do!you!participate!in!social!media?!
• Do!you!interact!with!fans?!
!!
!
92!
• How!do!you!evaluate!feedback?!
• Has!there!ever!been!a!time!where!you!have!changed!your!character!or!
performance!as!a!result!of!audience!feedback?!
• Do!you!“tweet”!or!interact!online!yourself!or!are!your!accounts!handled!
by!others?!
Network!Social!Media!Individual!
• What!are!goals!of!social!media!activity?!
• Is!measuring!viewer!sentiment!and!collecting!feedback!one!of!your!
objectives?!
• Is!there!a!system!in!place!for!collecting!audience!feedback!on!the!show?!
• How!does!the!network!value!social!media!interactions?!
• Do!you!measure!and!report!on!social!activity?!To!who?!What!metrics?!
• Are!all!shows!treated!equally!with!same!attention!to!social!media!or!if!not,!
why?!
• What!online!tools!are!you!using?!
• Who!makes!the!decision!to!use!certain!platforms?!
Ethical!Considerations!
When!undertaking!any!research!involving!human!subjects,!ethical!issues!must!
be!considered.!!The!first!step!towards!maintaining!high!ethical!standards!was!the!
approval!of!this!dissertation!project!by!the!Institutional!Review!Board,!overseen!by!
the!Human!Subjects!Office!at!the!University!of!Georgia.!Utilizing!the!IRB!process!is!
!!
!
93!
required!and!ensures!“that!human!subjects!research!is!conducted!in!compliance!
with!the!applicable!federal,!state,!and!institutional!policies!and!procedures.”10!!
! Beyond!the!protections!provided!by!the!IRB!process,!I!employ!the!strategies!of!
reflexivity,!attention!to!affective!components!of!research!and!use!of!the!situation!at!
hand.11!These!strategies!work!to!maintain!an!increased!awareness!of!the!ethical!
challenges!encountered!throughout!the!research!process!including!the!need!to!do!
no!harm!to!research!subjects,!not!breech!the!privacy!of!subjects!and!not!
misrepresent!myself!or!the!research.12!!
! According!to!Mary!Fonow!and!Judith!Cook,!reflexivity!is!a!process!of!engaging!in!
critical!reflection!and!analysis.!It!is!an!“internal!dialogue,!and!constant!(and!
intensive)!scrutiny!of!‘what!I!know’!and!‘how!I!know!it.’”13!Reflexivity!is!an!ongoing!
conversation!with!oneself!that!can!assist!in!evaluating!how!the!researcher!is!dealing!
with!subjects,!the!implications!of!the!research!being!performed,!how!privacy!is!
being!maintained!and!other!important!ethical!questions.!!
Attention!to!affective!components!of!research!is!a!concern!for!the!role!of!
emotions!and!feelings!and!the!role!they!play!in!people’s!lives.!Fonow!and!Cook!
suggest,!if!you!ignore!emotional!dimensions,!you!ignore!important!aspects!of!
people’s!lived!experiences.14!This!dimension!includes!having!consideration!for!
factors!such!as!how!the!research!process!might!affect!participants!or!how!the!
publication!of!findings!may!have!emotional!components!in!need!of!consideration.!!
For!example,!during!the!preliminary!research!process!a!showrunner!gave!an!
example!of!how!an!actor!was!upset!by!negative!fan!feedback!on!Twitter.!!Concern!
!!
!
94!
for!the!affective!components!of!research!considered!how!the!use!of!that!story!might!
be!emotionally!harmful!to!the!actor!and!decisions!about!the!inclusion!of!the!story!in!
the!research!findings!were!addressed!accordingly.!Decisions!similar!to!this!example!
are!repeatedly!made!throughout!the!research!process.!!!!
The!use!of!the!situation!at!hand!means!“the!studying!of!common!environments”!
and!paying!“attention!to!everyday!events.”15!This!is!a!view!that!research!should!start!
with!people’s!everyday!lives!as!opposed!to!abstract!theoretical!concepts.!This!is!
pertinent!here!for!its!support!of!observation!methods!in!the!“real!world”!as!opposed!
to!experimental!or!laboratory!settings.!The!research!for!this!project!takes!place!in!
the!offices,!sound!stages!and!online!environments!that!people!inhabit!in!their!daily!
lives.!This!means!having!an!increased!awareness!that!I!am!an!outsider!and!guest!in!
someone!else’s!domain.!This!consideration!is!important!to!understand!how!subjects!
can!be!negatively!affected!by!the!presence!of!an!outsider!in!their!environment.!
! Attention!to!these!ethical!issues!means!an!awareness!of!consequences!is!
maintained.!Questions!such!as!“am!I!causing!emotional!distress”!or!“am!I!rea
enforcing!negative!stereotypes”!are!continuously!addressed.!It!is!necessary!to!
situate!myself!as!a!researcher,!create!an!awareness!of!what!experiences,!
preconceived!notions!and!ideas!I!am!bringing!into!the!research!process!and!reflect!
upon!how!each!of!these!elements!is!possibly!influencing!the!research!process!and!
findings.!!
In!addition!to!the!challenges!created!by!these!ethical!considerations,!the!case!
study!approach!does!carry!several!disadvantages.!These!begin!with!the!concern!that!
!!
!
95!
despite!the!widespread!use!of!the!case!study!approach!across!disciplines,!the!
credibility!of!the!case!study!has!been!traditionally!undermined.!Bent!Flyvberg!
presents!five!misunderstandings!that!summarize!the!attack!against!the!case!study.16!!
These!include!the!beliefs!that!case!studies!create!concrete!case!knowledge!that!is!
less!desirable!than!theoretical!knowledge,!that!case!studies!are!of!low!value!due!to!
lack!of!generalizability,!that!they!are!only!useful!for!generating!a!hypothesis!and!not!
testing!hypotheses!or!building!theories,!that!case!studies!are!biased!towards!
confirming!preconceived!notions!of!the!researcher!and!that!general!theories!can!not!
be!built!on!the!basis!on!specific!case!studies.!Flyvberg!presents!a!detailed!argument!
against!each!of!these!perceptions!and!argues!that!these!negative!perceptions!should!
be!reconsidered.!!
Researchers!who!employ!the!case!study!approach!also!face!several!other!
challenges.!First,!the!approach!generates!large!amounts!of!information!that!the!
researcher!must!make!sense!of.!This!includes!determining!where!information!fits,!if!
at!all,!how!it!should!be!organized,!stored!and!eventually!reported.!This!results!in!the!
research!process!residing!in!a!constant!state!of!adjustment.!Case!study!research!is!
an!ongoing!process!that!must!be!tweaked!throughout!as!new!questions!arise,!new!
methods!are!employed,!and!other!general!disruptions!are!encountered.!
Furthermore,!the!reporting!of!case!study!findings!needs!to!include!not!only!the!
conclusions,!but!descriptions!of!the!activities!that!took!place!during!the!
investigation!period.!It!is!here!that!the!researcher!needs!to!take!the!time!to!situate!
!!
!
96!
himself!and!consider!any!biases!that!might!have!influenced!the!research!process!or!
potentially!the!findings.!!
Despite!these!challenges,!findings!here!identify!how!people!are!acting!in!this!one!
instance!with!no!intent!to!produce!generalizable!information.!The!value!of!obtaining!
knowledge!from!an!inadepth!analysis!of!one!case!can!provide!two!alternatives!to!
generalizability.!First,!this!project!can!be!used!as!a!template!to!guide!similar!studies.!
Using!this!project!as!a!template!can!seek!to!answer!questions!about!the!similarities!
and!differences!between!this!show!and!others.!Second,!this!case!study!can!result!in!
an!outcome!Robert!Stake!coined!“naturalistic!generalization.”17!This!concept!is!
“based!on!the!harmonious!relationship!between!the!reader's!experiences!and!the!
case!study!itself.!Stake!expected!that!the!data!generated!by!case!studies!would!often!
resonate!experientially!with!a!broad!cross!section!of!readers,!thereby!facilitating!a!
greater!understanding!of!the!phenomenon.”18!Thus,!findings!from!this!case!provides!
information!on!this!case,!assists!with!research!about!other!shows,!and!contributes!
to!a!clearer!understanding!of!Social!TV!activities.!!!
Notes!
1!J.!Feagin,!Orum,!A.,!&!Sjoberg,!G.,!ed.!A!Case!for!Case!Study(Chapel!Hill,!NC:!University!of!North!Carolina!Press,!1991).!
2!Rodrigo,!"Different!Research!Strategies!You!Can!Use!in!Your!Dissertation,"!The!WritePass!Journal,!http://writepass.co.uk/journal/2013/03/differentaresearchastrategiesayouacanauseainayouradissertation/.!
3!Robert!Yin,!Case!Study!Research:!Design!and!Methods,!2nd!ed.(Thousand!Oaks,!CA:!Sage!Publishing,!1994).!
4!Belowathealine!and!aboveathealine!are!terms!derived!from!a!line!on!a!production!budget!that!differentiates!between!writers,!producers!and!directors!who!are!found!
!!
!
97!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!above!the!line!and!other!crew!who!are!found!below!the!line.!The!line!is!a!demarcation!between!fixed!and!variable!costs.!
5!Alex!Ben!Block,!"Tv!Showrunners!to!Outshine!Filmmakers!at!2013!Produced!by!Conference,"!The!Hollywood!Reporter,!http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kurtasutteragaleaanneahurda561841.!
6!The!Cajun!Boy,!"Social!Media!Influence!Now!Affecting!Hollywood’s!DecisionaMaking,"!UPROXX,!http://www.uproxx.com/webculture/2011/05/socialamediaainfluenceanowaaffectingahollywoodsadecisionamaking/.!
7!Newcomb,!"Media!Institutions:!The!Creation!of!Television!Drama,"!100.!8!Jason!Mittell,!"A!Cultural!Approach!to!Television!Genre!Theory,"!Cinema!Journal!40,!no.!3!(2001):!7.!
9!Sociology!Central,!"Sociological!Research!Skills,"!!http://www.sociology.org.uk/methfi.pdf.!
10!As!the!principal!investigator,!I!had!already!completed!the!required!Collaborative!Institutional!Training!Initiative!Course!(CITI)!training.!This!training!was!completed!on!August!17,!2011!and!was!valid!until!August!17,!2016.!
11!Mary!Margaret!Fonow!and!Judith!A.!Cook,!Beyond!Methodology!:!Feminist!Scholarship!as!Lived!Research(Bloomington:!Indiana!University!Press,!1991),!2.!
12!Roger!D.!Wimmer!and!Joseph!R.!Dominick,!Mass!Media!Research!:!An!Introduction,!9th!ed.,!Wadsworth!Series!in!Mass!Communication!and!Journalism!(Boston,!Mass.:!Cengagea!Wadsworth,!2011).!
13!Rosanna!Hertz,!Reflexivity!&!Voice(Thousand!Oaks,!Calif.:!Sage!Publications,!1997).!
14!Fonow!and!Cook,!Beyond!Methodology!:!Feminist!Scholarship!as!Lived!Research.!!15!Ibid.!
16!Flyvbjerg,!Brent!(2011).!Case!Study.!The!Sage!Handbook!of!Qualitative!Research.!P!301a316.!
17!Robert!Stake,!The!Art!of!Case!Research(Newbury!Park,!CA:!Sage!Publications,!1995).!
18!Winston!Tellis,!"Application!of!a!Case!Study!Methodology,"!The!Qualitative!Report!3,!no.!3!(1997).!
!!
!
98!
!
!
CHAPTER!4!
SOCIAL!TELEVISION!IN!USE!
There!is!an!increasing!optimism!among!many!individuals!in!the!television!
industry!that!participation!in!Social!TV!can!be!leveraged!to!accomplish!many!
objectives.!These!include!helping!acquire!new!audiences,!creating!deeper!
connections!between!viewers!and!shows,!providing!new!ways!to!measure!audiences!
and!establishing!new!venues!to!sell!advertising!space.!Bravo!and!its!“Play!Live”!
strategy!are!an!example!of!the!interactive!viewing!experiences!being!implemented!
to!achieve!these!goals.!Viewers!can!participate!in!select!Bravo!shows!through!the!
use!of!their!mobile!phones,!tables!or!computers.!Play!Live!integrated!shows!such!as!
Million!Dollar!Listing!Los!Angeles!and!Top!Chef!allow!viewers!to!guess!the!listing!
prices!of!homes!or!vote!for!their!favorite!chef!contestants.!These!Social!TV!
experiences!benefit!Bravo!in!several!ways.!By!creating!a!gamified!experience!for!
viewers,!Bravo!seeks!to!create!buzz!and!attract!new!viewers.!This!interactivity!also!
keeps!existing!viewers!tunedain!and!encourages!live!viewing!with!the!goals!of!
increasing!ratings!and!making!the!show!more!valuable!to!advertisers.!!
As!shows!increasingly!seek!viewer!feedback!and!participation,!these!activities!
raise!questions!about!authorship!and!power.!As!viewers!become!increasingly!
engaged,!are!their!voices!being!heard?!Do!they!seek!to!influence!content?!How!are!
production!practices!changing!to!deal!with!this!increased!involvement!of!viewers?!
!!
!
99!
This!chapter!will!analyze!the!activities!that!form!the!foundation!of!these!
questions,!such!as!Bravo’s!Play!Live!strategy!and!the!variety!of!other!uses!of!Social!
TV!by!networks,!production!personnel!and!viewers.!Examination!of!the!ways!
viewers!are!engaging!with!shows!and!show!personnel!reveals!the!diversity!of!
platforms!being!used!and!motivations!behind!viewer!use.!Investigation!of!
showrunner!activities!uncovers!the!variety!of!approaches!and!expectations!these!
individuals!associate!with!their!Social!TV!use.!These!examples!of!Social!TV!use!
exhibit!the!variety!of!ways!platforms!are!being!used!and!the!corresponding!
expectations!and!goals!each!participant!bears.!!This!information!is!useful!to!
establish!the!general!uses!of!Social!TV!and!it!will!be!used!as!a!point!of!comparison!to!
more!efficiently!situate!Social!TV!use!occurring!with!Bones.!
One!use!of!social!media!platforms!by!users!has!been!to!replace!the!process!of!
writing!letters!as!a!means!of!speaking!back!to!the!network!and!production!
personnel.!This!can!create!several!problems.!Frist,!the!public!nature!of!these!forums!
allows!viewers!to!share!their!sentiments!with!others!and!build!support!for!their!
feedback.!This!can!result!in!an!increased!pressure!on!production!to!respond!to!
viewers.!Second,!the!ease!of!sending!a!tweet!or!posting!a!comment!can!result!in!
production!receiving!a!greater!variety!of!opinions!than!ever!before.!Production!then!
has!to!decide!how!to!respond!to!conflicting!opinions.!!An!incident!surrounding!the!
HBO!program!Girls!provides!one!example!of!this!new!process.!The!show’s!premier!
episode!was!praised!by!many!critics!like!Matt!Roush!at!TV!Guide!who!said!“Lena!
Dunham's!brilliantly!raw!and!raunchy!Girls![is]!a!true!breakthrough!series.”!James!
!!
!
100!
Poniewozik!of!Time!called!the!show!“raw,!audacious,!nuanced!and!richly,!often!
excruciatingly!funny.”!And!Emily!Nussbaum!of!New!York!Magazine!said,!“from!the!
moment!I!saw!the!pilot!of!Girls,!I!was!a!goner,!a!convert.”1!!
Despite!this!critical!praise,!the!show’s!premier!launched!not!only!the!series,!but!
also!a!flurry!of!online!buzz!surrounding!several!aspects!of!the!show!many!
considered!controversial.!On!social!media!sites!like!Twitter,!viewers!raised!
questions!about!the!lack!of!minority!characters!in!a!show!based!in!culturally!diverse!
New!York!City.!Twitter!user!@Toure,!who!wrote!“.@lendadunham!Lena,!I!love!Girls!
but!how!come!there’s!no!Black!people!(except!a!bum)?!Could!a!young!NYer!have!no!
Black!or!brown!friends?”2!!Reviews!in!the!popular!press,!blogs!and!social!media!sites!
pressured!Dunham!to!respond!to!allegations!of!racism!and!nepotism!in!casting.!
Viewers!and!critics!focused!on!the!discrepancies!between!the!allawhite!privileged!
cast!and!a!line!from!the!pilot!episode!where!Dunham’s!character!tells!her!parents!
she!might!be!“the!voice!of!my!generation…or!at!least!a!voice…of!a!generation.”3!
This!immediate!and!public!feedback!surrounding!this!controversy!shows!how!the!
Internet!has!changed!the!process!from!individually!writing!a!letter!to!the!communal!
process!of!building!public!pressure!online.!As!this!controversy!escalated,!many!
people!speculated!how!Dunham!would!respond.!She!initially!stood!by!her!authorial!
vision!to!only!later!announce!the!addition!of!a!black!character!to!the!show.4!!
This!situation!also!exemplifies!the!potential!power!of!viewers!and!the!blurring!
line!between!audiences!and!producers.!As!Networked!Insights!wrote!in!a!2012!
Social!TV!report,!!“as!viewers!become!more!engaged!and!share!more!about!what!
!!
!
101!
they!are!thinking,!TV!producers!can!tailor!content!to!viewers’!likes!and!steer!clear!of!
their!dislikes,!creating!a!more!rewarding!experience.”5!!
This!dilemma!faced!by!the!Girls!producers!was!not!a!unique!occurrence.!A!
similar!controversy!surrounded!a!storyline!introduced!in!the!fourth!season!premier!
of!the!CBS!series!The!Good!Wife.!After!the!premier!aired!on!September!30,!2012,!
viewers!went!online!to!express!their!dislike!for!the!onascreen!arrival!of!Kalinda’s!
(Archie!Panjabi)!exahusband!Nick!(Marc!Warren).!Although!Nick!was!not!a!sudden!
addition,!there!were!hints!about!his!existence!beginning!in!the!shows!second!season,!
coacreators!and!coashowrunners!Robert!and!Michelle!King!decided!to!focus!
Kalinda’s!storyline!on!Nicks!return!and!this!was!not!well!received!by!viewers.!
Viewers!felt!this!dynamic!was!not!appropriate!for!Kalinda’s!character!and!the!
change!made!them!angry.!One!place!this!anger!was!expressed!was!in!the!comments!
section!of!Chris!Harnicks’!episode!recap!on!the!Huffington!Post.!User!“debbeard”!
wrote:!“I!really!don’t!get!the!Kalinda!and!exahusband!story!nor!do!I!really!get!the!
whole!Kalinda!sexacapades!that!developed!last!year.!Bring!back!our!beloved!
Kalinda!”6!Debbeard!was!not!alone!in!expressing!this!sentiment!of!displeasure!with!
the!storyline.!A!limited!sampling!of!other!comments!on!the!same!article!express!the!
same!frustration.!!
I!absolutely!detest!the!story!line!of!Kalinda!and!Nick!so!much!so!that!I!have!not!been!excited!to!watch!the!show!now!and!I!used!to!stop!everything!when!it!came!on!–!artm8ker!!Yes,!I’m!getting!tired!of!the!Kalinda/Nick!50!Shades!of!Dysfunction!schtick.!We!get!it!–!Kalinda!hates!herself!so!much!that!she!can’t!fight!her!disgusting!attraction!to!her!abusive!husband.!The!problem!is!that!these!scenes!completely!disrupt!the!flow,!tone!and!direction!of!the!
!!
!
102!
series.!It’s!like!being!engrossed!in!reading!a!hearty!novel,!and!then!all!of!a!sudden,!you’re!interrupted!by!a!full!blast!of!rock!‘n!roll!music!!–!Alan!Man!!I’m!glad!to!see!that!I!am!no![sic]!alone!in!loving!Kalinda,!but!hating!the!Kalinda!&!Nick!story!arc!–!tommygun264!
!In!an!interview!with!TV!Guide,!Robert!and!Michelle!King!discussed!their!surprise!
with!the!audiences’!reaction!to!the!storyline.7!They!also!announced!that!they!would!
be!prematurely!discontinuing!the!story!in!response!to!the!viewers’!reactions.!!
This!controversy!exemplifies!questions!about!authorship!and!power!in!the!
creation!of!television!content.!It!also!shows!how!the!use!of!online!platforms!has!
removed!the!gatekeepers,!making!the!show’s!decision!makers!easily!accessible.!It!
illustrates!a!decrease!in!the!amount!of!time!necessary!for!the!cycle!of!airing,!
audience!reaction!and!production!response!to!be!completed.!The!TV!Guide!interview!
saying!the!showrunners!would!change!the!story!was!published!on!October!26,!2012!
less!than!a!month!after!the!season!premier’s!airing.!This!quick!feedback!from!the!
Kings!surely!satisfied!fans!and!without!the!quick!response,!they!may!have!chosen!to!
discontinue!watching!the!show.!!
The!Good!Wife!situation!also!highlights!how!production!personnel!can!listen!to!
and!value!viewer!feedback.!As!Robert!King!stated!in!the!TV!Guide!interview,!“I!do!
think!the!audience!teaches!the!storyteller!and!this!is!a!case!of!the!audience!teaching!
the!storyteller!the!bounds!of!where!they!think!Kalinda's!universe!is.”8!Robert!and!
Michelle!King,!however,!may!have!a!minority!perspective!in!their!willingness!to!
change!their!show.!Although!the!result!of!viewer!feedback!in!this!instance!was!a!
change!made!by!production,!this!is!not!always!the!case.!!
!!
!
103!
When!viewers!speak!to!each!other!or!speak!to!production!there!are!three!
possible!outcomes:!change,!modified!change!or!no!change.!The!Good!Wife!response!
can!be!classified!as!change!because!of!the!response!by!the!showrunners!indicating!a!
mistake!had!been!made!and!corrective!actions!would!be!taken!to!eliminate!the!
situation!completely.!In!a!modified!change!situation,!action!is!taken,!but!it!is!more!
indicative!of!production!trying!to!quell!the!viewer!discontent!while!maintaining!
their!creative!vision.!For!example,!Media!Researcher!Carolina!AcostaaAlzuru!tells!
the!story!of!the!character!Miranda!(Carolina!Perpetuo)!on!the!telenovela!El!Pais!de!
las!Mujeres.9!!Miranda!was!molested!as!a!teenager.!As!a!result!of!this!experience,!she!
is!described!as!having!turned!against!men,!dressing!in!less!feminine!attire!and!
maintaining!an!“intense”!and!unconventional!appearance.10!!This!defiance!of!Latin!
culture’s!traditionally!feminine!gender!role!became!a!problem!for!writer!Leonardo!
Padrón!and!Perpetuo.!!The!audience!interpreted!her!actions!as!indicators!that!she!
was!a!lesbian.!This!was!problematic,!as!AcostaaAlzuru!explains,!because!Venezuela’s!
culture!is!traditionally!homophobic!and!this!reading!could!be!damaging!to!the!
program’s!success.!In!response!to!the!audience’s!comments,!Padrón!did!not!want!to!
make!a!dramatic!change!to!the!storyline!as!Robert!and!Michelle!King!made!with!The!
Good!Wife.!Instead,!he!sought!to!correct!the!audience’s!reading!by!having!Miranda!
directly!address!the!concern.!He!wrote!a!scene!in!which!the!character!Diego!directly!
asked!Miranda!if!she!was!a!homosexual!and!this!allowed!her!to!address!the!viewers’!
concerns!through!her!response!to!Diego!that!she!was!in!fact!not.!This!also!provided!
an!opportunity!for!Padrón!to!make!a!statement!about!homosexuality!in!general,!that!
!!
!
104!
although!Miranda!was!not!gay,!a!person’s!sexual!orientation!should!not!be!the!
concern!of!others!or!be!offensive!to!them.!
An!example!of!viewers!speaking!out,!but!production!resisting!change!occurred!
between!Season!Six!and!Season!Seven!of!HBO’s!True!Blood.!After!the!departure!of!
series!creator!Allen!Ball!in!the!midst!of!Season!Six,!Executive!Producer!Brian!
Buckner!assumed!the!role!of!showrunner.!Ball!was!said!to!have!“left!behind!an!array!
of!paintedaintoacorner!plotlines!and!a!scattered!storytelling!structure”!that!Buckner!
was!left!to!clean!up.11!Buckner’s!efforts!to!get!the!show!back!on!track!were!well!
received!and!viewers!expressed!their!satisfaction!with!the!direction!of!the!show.!
After!the!season!concluded,!in!an!interview!with!New!York!Magazine,!Buckner!was!
asked!if!the!feedback!he!received!in!Season!Six!would!influence!the!story!lines!of!
Season!Seven!and!Buckner!replied!“I!don't!think!so….I!have!been!making!TV!for!a!
long!time!and!I!don't!think!that!we!should!let!the!audience!tell!us!what!show!to!
make.!Because!I!think!it's!the!death!of!television!if!we!give!people!exactly!what!they!
expect!to!get!every!week.!What's!the!point?”12
These!viewer!interactions!with!production!are!not!limited!to!showrunners.!
Increasingly,!viewers!are!interacting!with!various!individuals!involved!with!
production,!the!studio!and!the!networks.!As!more!of!these!individuals!participate!in!
online!activities,!they!use!social!media!platforms!not!just!to!speak!with!viewers,!but!
to!also!interact!with!each!other.!These!interactions!are!often!less!purposeful!or!
business!oriented!than!their!interactions!with!viewers.!The!cast!members!of!USA’s!
Suits,!for!example,!are!all!active!Twitter!users.!In!a!2013!Paley!Center!discussion!
!!
!
105!
panel,!Actor!Rick!Hoffman!joked!that!on!New!Years!Eve,!cast!mate!Gabriel!Macht!
sent!a!Tweet!saying!“I’m!so!hot.”!Macht!humorously!corrected!Hoffman!saying!the!
actual!tweet!was!“I’m!so!F’ing!hot,!you!know!you!want!me.”!The!cast!had!a!big!laugh!
about!the!event!and!it!was!apparent!that!they!enjoyed!following!each!other!and!
discussing!their!social!media!use.13!!!
Even!though!cast!and!crewmembers!are!often!spending!long!hours!working!
together,!they!use!social!media!platforms!to!communicate!with!each!other.!These!
interactions!don’t!end!when!they!are!no!longer!working!on!the!same!shows.!On!his!
first!day!of!work!at!the!ABC!Family!show!Work!Mom,!Actor!Charley!Koontz!sent!an!
Instagram!message!saying!“First!Table!Read!at!@ABCFamily’s!#WorkMom.!Great!
first!day.!Here!we!go!”!and!the!message!included!a!picture!of!his!seat!at!a!table!read!
showing!his!name!card,!a!cup!of!coffee!and!a!script.14!This!post!simultaneously!
appeared!on!Koontz’s!Twitter!account,!where!Michael!Rauch,!Executive!Producer!of!
USA’s!Royal!Pains!where!Koontz!formerly!made!a!guest!appearance!replied!“Lucky!
to!have!you.!Very!excited!to!see!it.”15!In!the!fast!paced!work!environment!of!show!
business,!social!media!platforms!are!an!easy!way!for!people!to!keep!upatoadate.!
Despite!their!not!being!a!part!of!the!conversation,!viewers!still!benefit!from!the!
content!of!these!interactions!that!often!provide!unique!perspectives!of!behindathea
scenes!procedures.!!
Viewers!participating!in!social!media!activities!do!not!just!watch!production!
personnel,!but!participate!themselves!and!their!types!of!use!and!motivations!for!
Social!TV!is!equally!diverse.!These!interactions!are!multifarious!and!range!from!the!
!!
!
106!
simple!to!complex.!!Simple!interactions!include!the!posting!of!a!general!comment!
such!as!“I!love!this!show.”!Or!viewers!can!post!more!directed!comments!and!hold!
online!conversations!similar!to!faceatoaface!communications.!During!the!Season!
Two!finale!of!Homeland!for!example,!the!following!conversation!took!place!between!
three!viewers.16!
Samantha:!That!entire!scene!was!incredible!!hilory_83:!It!was!intense.!I!thought!Quinn!was!going!to!shot![sic]!him!right!there.!Samantha:!hilory_83!me!too.!Those!black!gloves!were!making!me!nervous.!Quinn!is!always!teetering!on!the!edge!of!being!a!total!badass!and!a!stone!cold!murderer.!I!love!this!character!!Fred!Mwangi:!I!thought!he!was!gonna!use!the!gun!right!then!and!there,!one!of!the!best!scenes!this!season!!
This!interaction!demonstrates!why!it!has!become!popular!to!describe!Social!TV!as!
the!new!“office!water!cooler.”!However,!it!has!advantages!over!the!traditional!
version!because!conversations!can!occur!simultaneously!among!participants!in!
different!locations.!!
This!access!to!other!viewers!beyond!geographic!boundaries!is!most!helpful!
when!viewers!seek!out!others!to!help!decode!complex!texts.!As!discussed!earlier,!
Jason!Mittell!has!introduced!the!concept!of!“narrative!complexity”!resulting!in!the!
blending!of!genres!and!increasingly!elaborate!storylines.!Viewers!seek!to!share!their!
interpretations!of!these!texts!and!continue!their!enjoyment!with!a!show!beyond!the!
actual!time!of!viewing!through!increased!socialization!and!group!efforts!to!make!
meanings,!draw!connections!and!uncover!hidden!elements!in!a!show.!!
One!example!of!this!increasing!show!complexity!and!the!need!for!viewers!to!
work!together!deconstructing!shows!can!be!found!with!the!hit!show!Breaking!Bad.17!!
!!
!
107!
While!viewers!could!conceivably!watch!the!show!and!enjoy!it!at!a!highalevel,!
enjoyment!for!many!viewers!comes!in!attempting!to!unpackage!the!meanings!
hidden!beneath!the!surface,!a!job!most!efficiently!completed!with!others.!!
Part!of!this!complexity!has!been!a!symbolic!tool!used!by!Gilligan!throughout!the!
series,!the!show’s!references!to!the!works!of!poet!Walt!Whitman.!Beyond!the!
obvious!similarity!in!the!main!character’s!name!Walter!White!there!have!been!
references!to!the!poet!and!his!work!in!several!episodes.!Viewers!noticed!more!and!
more!of!these!connections,!and!at!the!end!of!the!fifth!season,!engaged!in!a!
continuing!discussion!of!various!elements!linking!Walt!with!Whitman.!!One!blogger,!
Joann!Anderson!wrote!extensively!about!the!connection,!focusing!on!her!
interpretation!that!Walt!may!have!been!“taking!cues”!from!Whitman’s!poem!“Song!
of!Myself.”18!She!makes!the!connection!that!the!episode!title!“Gliding!Over!All”!is!
named!for!a!Whitman!poem!that!is!likely!a!reference!to!“Walter’s!deityalike!power!in!
creating!and!controlling!deaths!around!him.”!She!continues,!!
Walter’s!narcissism!is!out!of!control!this!season.!He!threatens!new!business!associates.!And!when!his!partners!are!out!(Mike!murdered!by!Walter’s!hand!and!Jesse!through!his!own!decision!to!get!the!hell!out),!Walter!is!nature!without!check.!”"There!is!no!‘we,’!Jesse,”!Walter!tells!his!former!partner!in!the!final!episode.!“I!am!the!only!vote!left.”!This!is!never!more!clear!when!Walter!orders!a!massive!jail!hit,!seemingly!inspired!by!“The!Godfather”!when!Michael!Corleone!orders!the!deaths!of!the!heads!of!the!five!Mob!families.!He’s!taken!cues!from!gangster!movies!this!season,!and!has!become!a!don,!a!god,!in!his!own!mind.!Walter!White!is!a!mere!mortal,!but!Heisenberg!could!live!forever!in!the!“empireamaking!business.19!!!
Anderson’s!blog!post!does!not!cover!every!possible!interpretation!of!the!show’s!
content!or!its’!connection!to!Whitman.!Yet,!it!starts!a!conversation!where!the!blog!
!!
!
108!
post!acts!as!a!social!forum!for!people!to!share!their!interpretations,!test!their!
readings,!and!find!new!information.!In!the!more!than!fifty!comments!that!were!
made!in!response!to!this!post,!reader’s!comments!are!indicative!of!these!varied!
interpretations!and!the!desire!for!users!to!interact.!Users!comment,!for!example,!
about!possible!future!narrative!directions!of!the!show,!“I!have!to!wonder!if!Walt!
found!out!that!the!cancer!had!returned.!It!would!explain!his!visit!and!gift!to!Jesse–
it’s!his!way!of!saying!goodbye”.20!They!express!their!enjoyment!watching!the!show,!
“No!other!show!engages!my!interests!and!makes!me!feel!tension!the!way!Breaking!
Bad!does”.21!They!express!gratitude!to!Anderson!for!helping!them!understand!the!
content,!“Walt’s!narcissism!has!been!tough!to!watch!at!times,!and!also!a!hard!to!read.!
So!thanks!for!shedding!light!on!these!points!and!making!it!more!clear.”22!They!
express!their!satisfaction!or!dissatisfaction!with!the!show,!“I!have!been!following!
breaking!bad!for!about!a!month!I!watched!all!the!seasons!and!was!pretty!pissed!off!
to!see!the!DEA!agent!find!that!book.”23!And!users!express!their!joy!in!being!part!of!a!
community!of!people!with!similar!interests,!“glad!to!see!so!many!others!who!can!
appreciate!the!intricacies.”24!
Viewer!interaction!also!occurs!with!individuals!such!as!cast!members,!writers!
and!crew!as!well!as!with!showrunners.!In!creative!marketing!ploys,!actors!tweet!
while!in!character.!Lifetime!channel!employed!this!strategy!to!promote!The!Client!
List!by!having!Jennifer!Love!Hewitt!tweet!as!her!character!Riley!Parks!during!a!live!
viewing!event.!Production!personnel!may!even!respond!to!fan!questions!like!“what’s!
the!name!of!that!song?”!or!“where!can!I!buy!that!shirt?”!
!!
!
109!
Beyond!personal!contact,!shows!can!become!interactive!and!add!elements!that!
encourage!viewer!participation.!In!October!2011,!Twitter!announced!it!would!
enable!fans!of!The!X!Factor!to!vote!by!sending!a!direct!message!to!the!shows!account!
@TheXFactorUSA.25!In!January!2013,!CBS!allowed!viewers!to!pick!the!ending!of!a!
Hawaii!FiveAO!episode!through!Twitter!voting.!The!episode!was!a!“who!dunnit”!and!
focused!on!the!death!of!a!college!professor.26!The!stunt!provided!CBS!and!Hawaii!
FiveAO!with!a!good!amount!of!press,!but!didn’t!prove!to!be!much!of!a!ratings!
booster.27!!
To!encourage!viewer!gravitation!to!social!platforms,!networks!are!also!
embracing!the!creation!and!use!of!“paratexts.”!Companies!are!creating!paratexts!and!
distributing!them!through!websites!and!social!media!channels.!!They!are!
additionally!providing!“raw!materials”!such!as!images,!logos,!screen!shots,!short!
audio!and!video!clips!to!encourage!viewers!to!create!and!spread!their!own!texts.!
Sabrina!Caluori,!HBO’s!Vice!President!of!Social!Media!and!Performance!Marketing,!
describes!these!efforts!as!the!networks!job!to!“stoke!the!fires!of!fandom!week!after!
week.”28!
Sites!like!CBSPressExpress.com,!for!example,!are!a!treasure!trove!of!information!
for!fans.!CBSPressExpress.com!has!a!page!dedicated!to!each!CBS!show.!There!is!a!
Press!Release!section!where!news!and!information!about!shows!are!made!available.!
Each!press!release!includes!links!to!a!show’s!social!media!site!and!provides!a!list!of!
cast!and!crew!members!on!Twitter!along!with!their!usernames.!A!Photos!section!
contains!“gallery”!shots!of!individual!actors!and!show!personalities!plus!logos!and!
!!
!
110!
other!art,!!“episodic”!photos!or!screen!shots!from!each!show!and!“Behind!the!Scenes”!
production!photos!from!each!show.!A!“GIFs”!section!contains!animated!images!from!
shows!and!include!codes!for!users!to!easily!embed!the!images!into!their!own!
websites!or!blogs.!A!“Videos”!section!contains!short!clips!from!shows.!The!“Widgets”!!
section!includes!banner!images!with!embed!codes!for!use!on!the!web!and!sections!
such!as!one!for!the!65th!Primetime!Emmy!Awards!provides!specific!details!on!
special!programs!including!bios,!press!releases,!transcripts,!photos!and!GIFs.!!The!
information!found!in!these!areas!will!spread!throughout!the!Internet!as!individuals!
who!are!participating!in!Social!TV!activities!share!it.!!
Viewers!are!also!using!social!media!platforms!to!help!with!“save!our!show”!
efforts.!In!2007,!after!CBS!cancelled!Jericho,!unhappy!fans!coordinated!a!campaign!
through!Internet!chat!rooms!in!an!attempt!to!reverse!the!networks!decision.!To!
show!their!support,!people!started!sending!nuts!to!CBS!offices!in!New!York!and!Los!
Angeles.!This!was!a!reference!to!a!line!by!actor!Skeet!Ulrich!in!the!shows!final!
episode!where!he!responded!“nuts”!to!a!request!to!surrender!his!town!to!a!
neighboring!community.!CBS!announced!the!cancellation!of!the!show!in!May!and!by!
June!the!network!received!about!8!million!peanuts.29!The!peanut!campaign!along!
with!a!large!about!of!emails!convinced!network!executives!to!resurrect!the!show!
and!it!was!renewed!for!a!sevenaepisode!miniaseason.!!!
Twitter!was!also!used!by!the!fans!of!Fox’s!Fringe!who!launched!a!campaign!to!
get!the!show!trending.!Each!week!instructions!were!posted!on!the!fan!blog!
“Fringenuity”!explaining!to!users!how!to!get!that!weeks’!chosen!hashtag!to!trend.30!
!!
!
111!
These!included!tips!like!not!tweeting!from!locked!accounts,!not!tweeting!the!
hashtag!too!early,!getting!users!with!high!numbers!of!followers!involved!and!more.!
The!show!experienced!a!good!amount!of!success!getting!several!hashtags!to!trend!
including!#BeABetterMan!that!received!44,930!tweets!from!19,890!contributors!
and!was!exposed!to!over!23!million!Twitter!streams.31!During!this!campaign!the!
show’s!production!personnel!even!joined!in!the!effort!to!save!the!show!and!
showrunner!Joel!Wyman!(@JWFringe)!started!coordinating!with!fans!on!Twitter.!
In!additional!to!saving!a!show,!social!media!activity!can!contribute!to!the!
creation!of!shows.!In!November!2012,!rumors!of!a!remake!of!the!popular!1990’s!
program!Boy!Meets!World!surfaced.!Ben!Savage!and!Danielle!Fishel,!two!stars!of!the!
original!series,!were!rumored!to!be!reprising!their!roles!as!Corey!Matthews!and!
Topanga!Lawrence.!The!show!would!take!place!in!2014,!revolving!around!the!
couple’s!daughter!in!the!same!“coming!of!age”!style!as!the!original!show.!Despite!no!
official!confirmation!of!its!existence,!the!new!show!was!being!referred!to!as!Girl!
Meets!World!and!the!Internet!was!buzzing!with!excitement!and!encouragement!that!
this!show!should!be!made.!
As!rumors!swirled,!Fishel!confirmed!the!negotiations!were!taking!place!and!
posted!a!note!on!her!blog!describing!how!the!process!of!deciding!to!make!the!new!
show!was!unfolding.!In!that!blog!post!she!credited!the!fans!and!their!social!media!
comments!with!influencing!the!decision!to!pursue!the!new!show.!She!said:!
When!the!news!leaked!that!GMW!was!in!the!making,!literally!days!after!I!first!heard!about!the!project!myself,!Michael!Jacobs!and!I!had!a!conversation!and!we!talked!about!how!we!were!both!so!blown!away!by!the!reactions!from!all!of!you.!!We!felt!honored.!We!felt!nostalgic.!
!!
!
112!
We!felt!touched!by!the!excitement!in!your!comments,!tweets,!Tumblr,!and!Facebook!posts.!!But!most!of!all,!we!felt!inspired.!!We!felt!inspired!to!bring!these!characters!back!to!life!and!to!tell!you!more!of!their!stories.32!
!While!the!Internet!cannot!be!credited!with!creating!the!show,!it!should!be!
recognized!as!playing!an!important!role!in!helping!influence!decision!makers!to!
move!forward!with!the!project.!! !
! Social!TV!activity!can!also!play!a!role!in!helping!create!individual!episodes!of!
shows.!Mika!Tuomi,!a!fan!of!Travel!Channels’!Anthony!Bourdain!No!Reservations!
convinced!the!show!to!visit!Finland!through!the!use!of!Facebook.!Anthony!Bourdain!
No!Reservations!follows!celebrity!Chef!Anthony!Bourdain!as!he!explores!the!food!
and!culture!of!a!different!country!each!episode.!The!show!had!never!filmed!in!
Finland,!so!in!an!effort!to!convince!the!show!to!feature!their!country,!Mika!Tuomi!
started!a!Facebook!page!titled!“If!100.000!people!in!Finland!join,!Anthony!Bourdain!
must!come!to!Finland!”33!Tuomi’s!strategy!was!successful!and!in!May!2012!the!
Anthony!Bourdain!No!Reservations!“Finland”!episode!aired.!Credit!for!the!show’s!
creation!was!given!to!the!“persistent!Facebook!Finns.”34!
Just!as!viewers!can!save!a!show!or!have!one!created,!they!can!also!harness!the!
power!of!the!Internet!to!cancel!shows!they!do!not!want!aired.!!This!occurred!with!
the!BBC1!sitcom!The!Wright!Way!in!2013.!!After!the!show!was!not!renewed!for!a!
second!season,!the!Internet!was!blamed!for!creating!a!forum!for!quick!viewer!
feedback!and!providing!a!way!for!fans!to!feed!off!each!others!energy!and!speak!back!
with!a!strong!group!voice.!When!the!show!faced!a!“tough!reception”!on!Twitter,!
there!was!said!to!be!a!“cumulative!fury”!of!communal!viewing!that!was!used!to!!
!!
!
113!
“escalate!the!barrage.”35!These!types!of!situations!can!create!a!concern!in!the!
industry!that!immediate,!visceral!reactions!can!ruin!a!programs!chances!for!success.!
Although!Mark!Lawson,!critic!for!The!Guardian!cites!this!as!an!extreme!example,!it!is!
evidence!of!how!viewers!use!social!media!and!elucidates!some!reprecussions!of!
Social!TV.!Along!with!the!benefits!to!both!viewers!and!producers,!new!tensions!
between!viewers!and!producers!are!introduced!and!existing!tensions!are!amplified.!
These!preceeding!examples!demonstrating!how!viewers!are!interacting!with!
fans!are!not!simply!anecdotes.!They!make!evident!viewers!have!increasing!access!to!
production!personnel!and!this!results!in!a!potential!increase!of!viewer!power.!This!
raises!questions!about!an!increasingly!public!struggle!for!control!and!power.!This!
can!be!seen!in!several!areas.!Hashtags,!for!example,!have!become!a!key!tool!for!
social!interactions!on!Twitter.!Both!viewers!and!shows!can!create!hashtags!to!form!
discussions!around!any!topic.!Yet,!as!researcher!Ruth!Page!suggests,!shows!are!
strategically!using!hashtags!to!control!viewer!conversations.!Page!states!that!
despite!claims!that!hashtags!are!conversational,!they!more!accurately!“reflect!and!
reinforce!the!social!and!economic!hierarchies!which!exist!in!offline!contexts.”36!!
ABC!Family!is!widely!cited!as!being!a!leader!in!Social!TV.37!The!presence!of!a!
hashtag!strategy!to!initiate!and!control!conversations!is!readily!apparent.!!During!
the!airing!of!their!shows,!hashtags!corresponding!to!the!storylines!often!appear!on!
screen.!In!an!episode!of!Pretty!Little!Liars,!the!hashtag!#poorEzra!was!shown!on!
screen!when!one!of!the!main!characters,!Ezra!Fitz,!was!placed!in!a!bad!situation.!In!
one!episode!of!Switched!at!Birth,!the!hashtag!#DaphynesInTrouble!was!used.38!!The!
!!
!
114!
use!of!these!focused!hashtags!is!to!generate!buzz,!but!also!create!interactions!about!
topics!the!shows!deem!important.!It!also!indicates!how!the!show!seeks!to!use!social!
media!as!a!tool!to!further!their!own!interests!beyond!the!receiving!of!viewer!
feedback.!!But!how!do!these!efforts!align!with!audience!desires!and!expectations?!
Are!audiences!being!manipulated!and!told!where!to!focus!their!attention?!As!HBO’s!
Sabrina!Caluori!says,!these!types!of!actions!by!networks!are!!“kind!of!pouring!
gasoline!on!a!behavior!that!fans!were!already!doing!while!also!allowing!the!network!
to!have!some!control!over!the!conversation.”39!These!struggles!to!control!the!
conversations!can!create!a!tension!between!viewers!and!producers.!
Contributing!to!this!tension!is!the!oftenaanonymous!nature!of!the!Internet.!This!
anonymity!can!empower!people!to!act!in!ways!they!otherwise!might!not!and!this!
can!be!frustrating!for!showrunners!and!other!production!personnel!who!are!on!the!
receiving!end!of!often!mean!or!hostile!comments!from!anonymous!users.!As!
showrunner!David!Shore!explains,!!
Anonymity!makes!people!very!brave.!And!people!can!be!very,!very!nasty.!I!can!only!imagine!what!the!actual!actors!go!through.!The!love!they!get!is!huge,!but!the!hatred!they!get!is!also!huge…!I!think!we!lose!track!of!our!individuality!and!I!think!we!lose!track!of!the!individuality!and!humanity!of!the!person!we’re!supposedly!talking!about.!I!think!that’s!dangerous.40!
This!type!of!scenario!referred!to!by!Shore!is!not!limited!to!viewers!of!entertainment!
shows.!After!more!than!fiveayears!of!allowing!comments!on!their!websites,!in!July!
2013,!ESPN!disallowed!anonymous!commenting!and!began!requiring!users!to!signa
in!with!a!Facebook!account.!ESPN!did!not!seek!to!limit!user!comments,!but!
!!
!
115!
attempted!to!improve!the!quality!of!comments!and!limit!extremists!who!were!
“saying!or!doing!dumb!things”!due!to!the!open!nature!of!their!platform.41!!!
In!addition!to!the!challenge!of!dealing!with!negative!comments!from!oftena
anonymous!users,!production!personnel!must!deal!with!tension!caused!by!viewers!
receiving!inconsistent!responses.!When!Robert!and!Michelle!King,!for!example,!
decided!to!change!the!storyline!of!The!Good!Wife!in!reaction!to!viewer!comments,!
those!viewers!likely!felt!they!had!achieved!a!victory.!Do!these!situations!empower!
viewers!who!may!come!to!expect!all!showrunners!to!act!the!same!way?!When!they!
are!unable!to!effect!change!in!other!shows,!will!they!become!frustrated?!Will!that!
frustration!result!in!increased!tension!between!the!show!and!viewers?!
Viewers!speaking!back!to!production!is!not!a!new!phenomenon.!In!Newcomb!
and!Alley’s!The!Producer’s!Medium,!Quinn!Martin,!Producer!of!the!television!series!
The!FBI!(1965a1974)!shares!a!story!about!how!viewer!responses!to!the!show!
resulted!in!his!making!changes!to!a!character.42!Martin!described!receiving!letters!
from!fans!about!his!character!Inspector!Lewis!Erskine.!When!the!show!first!aired,!
Erskine,!was!written!as!an!“open!and!vulnerable”!character.43!!Audiences!did!not!
respond!well!to!these!traits!and!wrote!letters!to!Martin!indicating!that!since!Erskine!
was!an!FBI!Agent,!they!preferred!he!be!portrayed!as!a!strong!and!powerful!
protector.!As!a!result!of!these!letters,!Martin!changed!the!character.!This!example!
shows!how!viewers!speaking!back!to!production!in!an!attempt!to!effect!change!is!
not!new.!However,!the!process!has!changed.!!
!!
!
116!
Showrunner!use!of!social!media!for!activities!related!to!their!show!has!been!
occurring!since!the!minda1990’s.!Jordan!Levin,!Executive!ViceaPresident!of!
Microsoft’s!Xbox!Entertainment!Studios!and!one!of!the!founding!executives!of!the!
WB!Television!Network!recalls!how!Joss!Whedon!and!J.J.!Abrams,!then!new!
showrunners,!used!their!dialaup!Internet!connections!to!access!online!fan!forums.44!
After!each!episode,!Whedon!and!Abrams!would!engage!with!fans!to!gauge!their!
response!to!an!episode.!Levin!explains!how!this!new!method!of!direct!and!nearly!
instantaneous!viewer!feedback!would!often!result!in!changes!being!made!to!the!
shows.!Observing!these!activities,!executives!at!WB!deemed!this!feedback!so!
valuable!that!Levin!required!his!Current!Team!to!provide!reports!on!the!online!
tenor!on!these!forums!after!each!episode.!!
Fastaforward!to!2011!and!the!questions!asked!of!showrunners!in!New!York!
Magazine’s!article,!“Who’s!Running!the!Show?!In!the!age!of!creator!as!star,!plenty!of!
people!know!exactly!who”!demonstrates!the!continued!interest!in!the!phenomenon!
of!social!media!use!by!showrunners.45!This!article!featured!fourteen!interviews!with!
showrunners!from!some!of!the!most!popular!programs!on!television!including!Kurt!
Sutter!(Sons!of!Anarchy),!Michelle!and!Robert!King!(The!Good!Wife),!Vince!Gilligan!
(Breaking!Bad)!and!Graham!Yost!(Justified).!As!the!title!alludes,!these!modern!
showrunners!are!both!the!creators!and!“stars”!of!their!shows.!However,!there!is!an!
additional!underlying!implication!to!the!question!suggesting!these!showrunners!
may!not!have!total!control.!These!four!interviews!are!emblematic!of!the!variety!of!
ways!showrunners!are!involved!with!Social!Television.!There!are!differing!levels!of!
!!
!
117!
participation!from!Sutter!who!is!highly!involved!to!Gilligan!who!is!not!directly!
involved.!!
The!article’s!interview!questions!connect!these!degrees!of!social!media!use!with!
questions!of!control!over!show!content.!The!questions!ask,!for!example,!“How!much!
do!you!care!about!what!fans!think?”!Do!fans!ruin!shows?”!“Do!you!tweet?”!and!“How!
do!you!think!tweeting!is!changing!TV?”!The!diversity!of!responses!illustrates!the!
differing!values!placed!on!audience!feedback,!showrunners!various!levels!of!
involvement!with!viewers!and!their!diverse!attitudes!about!these!interactions.!
Responses!also!reveal!how!relationships!between!showrunners!and!audiences!are!
changing,!uncovering!unanswered!questions!about!the!changing!relationship!
between!showrunners!and!viewers.!!
Kurt!Sutter!says!he’s!tunedain!to!his!fan!base!and!he!finds!a!lot!of!information!
through!Facebook,!Twitter!and!his!personal!blog.!He!describes!his!views!on!social!
media!and!the!importance!of!being!aware!of!what!fans!respond!to,!but!that!
ultimately!the!fans!don’t!influence!his!creative!vision.!He!says,!“I’m!pretty!aware!of!
our!fan!base.!I’m!pretty!plugged!in.!Fans!don’t!influence!my!vision,!but!they!
sometimes!influence!my!process,!meaning!that!I’m!not!creating!this!show!in!a!
vacuum.”46!A!self!described!active!tweeter,!he!sees!changes!to!the!digital!landscape!
as!a!positive!development!.!!
Unlike!Sutter,!Michelle!and!Robert!King!also!describe!being!tunedain!to!their!fan!
base!and!say!they!utilize!blogs!and!Twitter!to!observe,!but!not!participate!in!show!
talk.!The!Kings!also!treat!fan!feedback!differently.!They!are!willing!to!make!changes!
!!
!
118!
for!fans!if!they!are!not!happy!and!describe!a!situation!where!viewers!complained!
some!of!their!characters!seemed!“a!little!goofy.”!So,!they!responded!by!saying!they!
would!“try!and!pull!back!a!bit!from!that,!because!they!weren’t!intended!to!be!that!
goofy.”47!!
Vince!Gilligan!says!he!cares!“greatly”!about!what!fans!think.!However,!unlike!
Sutter!and!the!Kings,!he!doesn’t!participate!in!online!activities.!Gilligan!claims!he!is!
“not!a!computer!guy.”48!!But!that!does!not!mean!he!does!not!receive!fan!feedback.!
Instead!of!direct!comments,!he!describes!receiving!anecdotal!comments!that!he!
interprets!as!being!from!the!viewers!on!either!end!of!the!like/dislike!spectrum,!
arguing!the!feedback!is!an!“interesting”!but!not!“accurate”!gauge.!!
Graham!Yost,!like!Gilligan,!does!not!participate!in!online!activities,!but!describes!
receiving!feedback!from!people!involved!with!the!show,!so!it!is!“very!selfaselecting.”!
He!explains!he!does!like!to!know!if!“people!are!responding!to!a!story!line!or!a!
character!or!are!they!not.”49!
These!differences!can!be!grouped!into!four!levels!of!involvement!that!I!label!as!
highly!involved,!lurking,!testing,!and!disinterested.!Highly!involved!showrunners!are!
actively!interacting!on!at!least!one!social!media!platform.!These!interactions!often!
occur!with!a!variety!of!individuals!including!friends,!relatives,!cast/crew!members!
from!their!show,!television!critics,!and!viewers.!Although!the!objectives!of!their!use!
may!vary,!receiving!this!label!is!dependent!of!their!level!of!activity,!not!the!type!of!
involvement.!Kurt!Sutter,!for!example,!has!become!a!prolific!user!of!Internet!
technology,!connecting!with!and!speaking!back!to!fans.!In!addition!to!his!blog,!
!!
!
119!
where!he!has!consistently!averaged!one!post!per!week!between!2007!and!2012,!he!
regularly!updates!Facebook!and!uses!Twitter!as!a!platform!to!address!both!fans!and!
critics.50!In!a!smart!marketing!tactic!to!promote!the!Season!Four!premier!of!Sons!of!
Anarchy,!he!told!his!fans!that!if!they!tuned!in!to!watch!the!show!and!the!ratings!
numbers!reached!a!certain!point!he!would!reward!two!lucky!fans!with!a!trip!to!Los!
Angeles.!This!stunt!was!so!successful!that!he!repeated!it!the!following!year!for!the!
series’!Season!Five!premier.!Sutter!also!uses!Twitter!when!the!show!is!not!airing!in!
an!effort!to!retain!viewer!interest.!One!strategy!towards!this!goal!is!that!he!often!
posts!behindatheascenes!pictures!and!even!solicits!fans!for!their!input!during!
development!to!gauge!how!they!might!respond!to!certain!story!lines!being!
developed.!
Lurking!showrunners!are!present!on!social!media!sites,!but!less!active!than!the!
Highly!Involved.!Less!active!means!they!are!not!participating!or!interacting!on!the!
platforms,!but!using!them!as!a!lens!to!peer!into!the!world!of!their!viewers.!Leonardo!
Padrón,!writer!of!Venezuelan!based!telenovelas!El!País!de!las!Mujeres!and!La!Mujer!
Perfecta,!for!example,!checksain!to!various!websites!like!Twitter!to!see!what!viewers!
are!talking!about.51!Padrón’s!describes!his!use!and!motivations!as!follows:!!
In!Twitter!you!can!take!the!pulse!of!each!scene!in!real!time,!you!can!see!how!people!react!to!the!end!of!the!episode,!a!particular!character,!or!his!or!her!actions.!It!is!like!the!telenovela!has!become!a!theater!play,!with!the!audience!sitting!there.!Of!course,!you!must!learn!to!read!these!tweets!because!Twitter!is!a!highway!where!there!are!also!distorting!elements,!preaplanned!attacks!and!excessive!fandom.!So!you!can't!believe!literally!everything!you!read!there.!In!addition,!not!everyone!is!connected!to!Twitter,!uses!it!on!a!daily!basis,!or!watches!telenovelas!tweeting!at!the!same!time.!Having!said!all!these,!I!find!Twitter!to!be!a!useful!and!significant!tool!for!me.52!!
!!
!
120!
!Padron’s!voyeuristic!use!of!Twitter!demonstrates!how,!despite!its!limitations,!the!
platform!acts!a!site!of!potentially!meaningful!feedback!and!that!full!participation!is!
not!required!for!these!platforms!to!provide!a!use!for!production!personnel.!!
Due!to!the!relative!newness!of!social!media!platforms,!there!are!showrunners!
who!have!heard!of!social!media!being!used!in!combination!with!television!shows,!
but!they!may!not!have!ventured!into!full!use!themselves.!Reasons!for!anything!less!
than!full!embracement!can!vary.!When!asked!about!his!social!media!use,!
showrunner!David!Shore!referred!to!himself!as!a!“dinosaur.”!He!explained!that!his!
“basic!philosophy!and!discipline!of!social!media!is!I!just!kind!of!want!to!be!left!alone!
and!do!my!job!and!that’s!all.”53!Shore!continued!to!explain!that!although!he!cares!
about!what!his!audience!thinks,!he!doesn’t!feel!compelled!to!interact!with!viewers!
on!a!regular!basis.!While!he!feels!feedback!is!important,!he!situates!his!role!as!not!
just!to!satisfy!an!audience,!but!to!be!an!independent!storyteller!with!a!voice!and!
perspective!to!tell!his!own!stories.!!
Despite!his!proclaimed!disinterest!of!interacting!with!his!viewers!via!social!
media,!Shore!does!have!a!Twitter!account.!Since!March!2012,!he!has!tweeted!
regularly!with!at!least!a!tweet!sent!every!few!days!and!many!days!with!multiple!
tweets.!This!is!evidence!that!he!is!at!least!testing!social!media!and!evaluating!its!
potential.!One!reason!for!Shore’s!selfaidentified!disinterest!could!be!that!his!last!hit!
show!House,!preadated!the!explosion!of!social!media.!House!premiered!in!2004!and!
likely!had!an!established!viewer!engagement!practices!in!place!that!Shore!felt!no!
need!to!disrupt.!
!!
!
121!
The!fourth!type!of!showrunner!is!someone!who!is!disinterested.!These!are!
showrunners!who!have!no!desire!to!engage!in!social!media!activities.!As!Graham!
Yost!stated!in!his!New!York!Magazine!interview,!he!just!doesn’t!participate.54!Yet,!
despite!this!nonaparticipation,!these!showrunners!still!receive!audience!feedback.!
The!flow!of!information!does!not!cease!to!exist!despite!their!lack!of!direct!
involvement.!
These!labels!are!meant!to!be!fluid.!Although!a!showrunner!may!fit!one!label!at!
any!given!moment,!their!actions!can!change!and!make!another!label!more!
appropriate.!For!example,!the!earlier!description!of!Leonardo!Padrón’s!Twitter!use!
demonstrates!his!voyeuristic!use.!But!he!is!also!an!active!participant!on!Twitter!and!
those!activities!could!warrant!his!labeling!as!a!highly!involved!user.!!
These!transitions!can!occur!at!any!time.!A!showrunner!may!choose!to!interact!
online!at!only!certain!times!of!day!or!choose!to!increase!or!decrease!involvement!
during!the!airing!of!their!show!or!even!inaseason!versus!offaseason.!!They!may!
checkain!with!online!sites!as!voyeurs!after!a!show!has!aired!to!gauge!viewer!
reactions!to!certain!storylines!or!plot!points.!While!at!other!times!they!may!more!
actively!engage!other!users.!There!are!also!times!when!a!showrunner!may!have!
maintained!activity!at!a!certain!level!for!an!extended!period!of!time!and!then!makes!
a!conscious!decision!to!change.!This!type!of!situation!occurred!in!October!2013!with!
Damon!Lindelof.!The!Lost!showrunner,!who!was!extremely!active!on!Twitter,!
deleted!his!Twitter!account.!Although!Lindelof!did!not!provide!a!public!statement!
explaining!his!rationale!for!this!decision,!Variety’s!Editor!in!Chief!for!TV!Cynthia!
!!
!
122!
Littelton!and!Time’s!TV!Critic!James!Poniewozik!speculated!Lindelof’s!decision!was!
likely!the!result!of!harsh!fan!comments!surrounding!the!finale!of!Vince!Gilligan’s!
Breaking!Bad!that!was!being!compared!to!the!ending!of!Lindelof’s!Lost!series!which!
has!been!often!criticized!by!fans.55!!
Despite!these!different!uses,!a!similarity!exists!among!all!of!these!showrunners!
in!that!each!states!they!care!about!fan!feedback!and!describe!receiving!it!in!some!
manner.!Each!showrunner!also!has!different!views!on!how!the!feedback!should!be!
handled,!from!Michelle!and!Robert!King!who!are!willing!to!change!their!show!to!
Gilligan,!Yost!and!Sutter!who!indicate!they!place!a!higher!value!on!authorial!vision.!!
! No!mater!how!these!showrunners!are!handling!viewer!feedback,!the!ability!to!
speak!back!is!potentially!empowering!viewers.!Once!believing!they!could!have!little!
influence!on!shows,!small!victories!in!changing!content,!saving!a!show,!getting!a!
show!made!or!having!a!show!cancelled!have!created!new!expectations!and!resulted!
in!increasing!tension!between!viewers!and!producers.!!
! As!we!have!seen,!there!are!a!variety!of!Social!TV!uses!by!both!production!
personnel!and!viewers.!Examples!like!those!provided!in!this!chapter!are!becoming!
increasingly!common!and!regularly!reported!in!both!the!trade!and!popular!press.!As!
networks!test!different!Social!TV!strategies!to!achieve!their!goals!and!viewers!
continue!to!interact!with!one!another!and!production!personnel,!both!sides!are!
working!towards!creating!a!greater!understanding!of!how!these!new!activities!will!
reashape!viewer/viewer!and!viewer/producer!relationships.!Investigation!of!social!
media!use!by!some!Bones!viewers!and!production!personnel!will!reveal!similarities!
!!
!
123!
and!differences!to!these!more!general!Social!TV!activities!and!provide!further!
details!about!how!and!why!these!situations!take!place.!!
Notes!
1!James!Poniewozik,!"Dead!Tree!Alert:!Brave!New!Girls,"!!http://entertainment.time.com/2012/04/05/deadatreeaalertabraveanewagirls/.!Emily!Nussbaum,!"It's!Different!for!'Girls',"!!http://nymag.com/arts/tv/features/girlsalenaadunhama2012a4/.!
2!Kia!Makarechi,!"'Girls'!Reviews:!New!Hbo!Show!and!Lena!Dunham!Face!Backlash!on!Racism!and!More,"!!http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/16/girlsareviewsabacklashahboashow_n_1429328.html.!
3!Lena!Dunham,!"Pilot,"!in!Girls(HBO,!2012).!
4!Actor!Donald!Glover!was!announced!as!an!addition!to!the!cast!for!the!second!season.!He!briefly!appeared!in!two!episodes.!
5!Networked!Insights,!"The!Network!Executive’s!Social!Tv!Survival!Guide!"(http://info.networkedinsights.com/downloadatheanetworkaexecutivesasocialatvasurvivalaguideanetworkedainsights.html2012).!
6!Debbeard,!"'The!Good!Wife'!Recap:!'Two!Girls,!One!Code'!and!an!Affair!Rumor,"!Huffington!Post,!http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chrisaharnick/theagoodawifearecapatwoagirlsaoneacode_b_1925712.html.!
7!Kate!Stanhope,!"The!Good!Wife!Bosses!on!Peter's!New!Opponent!and!Wrapping!up!the!KalindaaNick!Story!Line,"!!http://www.tvguide.com/News/GoodaWifeaKingsaKalindaaNicka1055105.aspx.!
8!ibid!Stanhope.!
9!Carolina!AcostaaAlzuru,!"“I’m!Not!a!Feminist!...!I!Only!Defend!Women!as!Human!Beings”:!The!Production,!Representation,!and!Consumption!of!Feminism!in!a!Telenovela,"!Critical!Studies!in!Media!Communication!20,!no.!3!(2003).!
10!Ibid!AcostaaAlzuru,!p.!280.!
11!Price!Peterson,!"True!Blood!Showrunner!Brian!Buckner!on!Season!6,!the!Werewolf!Problem,!and!the!JasonaEric!Sex!Dream,"!New!York!Magazine,!http://www.vulture.com/2013/08/trueabloodashowrunneranoamoreawerewolves.html.!
!!
!
124!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12!Ibid.!
13!Paley!Center!for!Media,!Suits:!Cast!and!Creators!Live!at!the!Paley!Center(Amazon!Prime2013).!
14!Charley!Koontz,!!http://instagram.com/p/gEmUbKtWku/.!
15!Michael!Rauch,!!https://twitter.com/Michael_Rauch.!
16!n/a,!"Conversation!|!Getglue,"!!http://getglue.com/conversation/hilory_83/2012a12a17T05:34:09Z.!
17!First!premiering!in!January!2008,!the!show!follows!the!story!of!Walter!White,!a!high!school!Chemistry!teacher!who!was!diagnosed!with!cancer.!!Unable!to!afford!the!high!cost!of!treatment,!Walter!puts!his!chemistry!skills!to!use!producing!a!highagrade!methamphetamine!to!raise!funds!for!his!healthcare!expenses.!Initially!resolving!to!only!produce!and!sell!as!much!drugs!as!necessary!to!cover!his!medical!expenses,!Walt!eventually!becomes!captivated!by!his!new!persona!that!is!fueled!by!his!involvement!in!these!criminal!activities.!Breaking!Bad’s!main!plot!lines!revolve!around!Walt,!his!partner!Jesse!Pinkman,!and!their!manufacturing!and!distributing!drugs.!Showrunner!Vince!Gilligan!has!created!a!labyrinth!of!characters,!themes!and!symbols!that!People!Weekly!critic!Tom!Gliatto!described!as!having!“taken!the!complexity!of!modern!television!storytelling!to!new!levels.”!!
18!JoAnn!Anderson,!"Breaking!Bad!and!Walter!White’s!“Song!of!Myself”,"!!http://filmrascal.wordpress.com/2012/09/03/breakingabadaandawalterawhitesasongaofamyself/.!
19!Ibid.!
20!Ibid.!User!“Vonn!Scott!Bair”!
21!Ibid.!User!“John”!
22!Ibid.!User!“The!Simple!Life!of!a!Country!Man’s!Wife”!
23!Ibid.!User!“Drex01”!
24!Ibid.!User!“crweatherford”!
25!"Twitter,!Tv!and!You,"!!https://blog.twitter.com/2011/twitteratvaandayou.!
26!The!possible!suspects!included!the!boss,!the!TA!and!a!student.!Viewers!tweeted!their!selection,!the!votes!were!calculated!and!the!most!popular!ending!was!then!
!!
!
125!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!shown.!Viewers!on!the!east!coast!and!the!west!coast!were!both!able!to!participate!by!voting!during!the!airing!in!each!time!zone.!!!
27!Mike!Proulx,!"Last!Night’s!Hawaii!Fivea0!Social!Tv!Stunt,"!Hill!Holiday,!http://www.hhcc.com/blog/lastanightsahawaiiafivea0asocialatvastunt.!The!episode!attracted!9.37!million!viewers,!which!was!only!a!slight!increase!over!the!shows!average!8.9!million!viewers.!
28!Whitney!Friedlander,!"Cablers!Study!Social!Media,"!!http://variety.com/2013/digital/awards/hboagameaofathronesasocialamediaafoodanetworka1200498673/.!
29!Scott!Mayerowitz,!"Nutty!'Jerico'!Fans!Make!Cbs!Reconsider!Canceling!Show,"!!http://abcnews.go.com/Business/FunMoney/story?id=3214156&page=1#.UN2yXInjlvA;!Josef!Adalian,!"Cbs!Cancels!'Jericho,'!Two!Others,"!!http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117964967/?refCatId=14.!
30!The!blog!can!be!found!at:!http://morethanoneofeverything.net!
31!Gordon!MacMillan,!"Could!Fringe!Be!the!First!Tv!Show!Saved!by!a!Hashtag?,"!!http://wallblog.co.uk/2012/02/24/couldafringeabeatheafirstatvashowasavedabyaaahashtag/#ixzz1qtUoqHSc.!
32!Danielle!Fishel,!"Girl!Meets!World,"!in!Untitled(2012).!
33!This!page!can!be!found!at:!https://www.facebook.com/groups/174051289090/#_=_!
34!Cory!Bergman,!"'No!Reservations'!Airs!Episode!Sparked!by!Facebook!Fan,"!!http://lostremote.com/noareservationsaairingaepisodeasparkedabyafacebookafan_b29314.!
35!Mark!Lawson,!"The!Wright!Way!Goes!Wrong:!How!Social!Media!Is!Changing!Tv,"!TheGuardian.com,!http://www.theguardian.com/tvaandaradio/2013/jul/10/wrightawayasocialamediaachangingatv.!
36!Ruth!Page,!"The!Linguistics!of!SelfaBranding!and!MicroaCelebrity!in!Twitter:!The!Role!of!Hashtags,"!Discourse!&!Communication!6.2(2012):!181.!
37!ABC!Family,!"Ratings!Highlights!for!Tuesday,!October!23,!2012!–!National!Ratings,"!!www.abcfamilymedianet.com/docs/2012/ABCF_Rate_Oct23.doc.!
!!
!
126!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
38!Hashtag!#poorEzra!was!shown!during!Pretty!Little!Liars!Season!4!Episode!1!“A!Is!for!AaLaIaVaE”!and!hashtag!#DaphynesInTrouble!was!shown!during!Switched!at!Birth!Season!2!Episode!15!“Ecce!Mono.”!
39!Friedlander,!"Cablers!Study!Social!Media".!
40!David!Shore!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!July!18,!2013.!
41!Raghu!Manavalan,!"Espn!Tries!to!Kill!the!Trolls:!Facebook!Comments!Only,"!!http://www.marketplace.org/topics/tech/numbers/espnatriesakillatrollsafacebookacommentsaonly.!
42!Newcomb!and!Alley,!The!Producer's!Medium!:!Conversations!with!Creators!of!American!Tv.!
43!Ibid!Newcomb!and!Alley,!p.!53.!
44!Jordan!Levin!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(1),!December!12,!2013.!
45!New!York!Magazine,!"Who’s!Running!the!Show?!In!the!Age!of!Creator!as!Star,!Plenty!of!People!Know!Exactly!Who,"!!http://nymag.com/arts/tv/upfronts/2011/whosarunningatheashowa2011a5/.!
46!Mike!Flaherty,!"The!Showrunner!Transcript:!Sons!of!Anarchy’s!Kurt!Sutter,"!New!York!Magazine,!http://www.vulture.com/2011/05/kurt_sutter_showrunner_transcr.html.!
47!Jada!Yuan,!"The!Showrunner!Transcript:!The!Good!Wife’s!Robert!and!Michelle!King!on!the!Series’!Evolution!and!Alicia’s!Love!Life,"!New!York!Magazine,!http://www.vulture.com/2011/05/the_kings_showrunner_transcrip.html.!
48!Mike!Flaherty,!"The!Showrunner!Transcript:!Breaking!Bad’s!Vince!Gilligan!on!Season!Four!and!His!Experiences!on!the!XaFiles,"!New!York!Magazine,!http://www.vulture.com/2011/05/vince_gilligan_showrunner_tran.html.!
49!"The!Showrunner!Transcript:!Justified’s!Graham!Yost!on!the!Full!House!Writers’!Room!and!Learning!to!Collaborate,"!New!York!Magazine,!http://www.vulture.com/2011/05/graham_yost_showrunner_transcr.html.!
50!Kurt!Sutters!blog!can!be!found!at:!http://sutterink.blogspot.com.!Kurt!Sutters!Twitter!name!is!@sutterink.!
51!Carolina!AcostaaAlzuru!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!November!2,!2012.!
!!
!
127!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
52!Carolina!AcostaaAlzuru,!La!Incandescencia!De!Las!Cosas:!Conversaciones!Con!Leonardo!Padrón(Caracas:!Editorial!Alfa,!2013),!90a91.!
53!David!Shore!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!
54!Flaherty,!"The!Showrunner!Transcript:!Justified’s!Graham!Yost!on!the!Full!House!Writers’!Room!and!Learning!to!Collaborate".!
55!Cynthia!Littelton,!"Damon!Lindelof!Bows!out!of!Twitter,"!Variety,!http://variety.com/2013/digital/news/damonalindelofabowsaoutaofatwittera1200731271/.!James!Poniewozik,!"Damon!Lindelof!and!Why!Twitter!Is!Not!Always!for!Everyone,"!!http://entertainment.time.com/2013/10/16/damonalindelofaandawhyatwitteraisanotaalwaysaforaeveryone/.!This!was!not!the!first!time!a!television!personality!announced!a!departure!from!Twitter!due!to!the!alleged!sometimesatoxic!atmosphere.!In!July!2013,!Actress!Jennifer!Love!Hewitt!announced!she!was!quitting!Twitter!due!to!negativity.!She!stated,!“Unfortunately!with!all!the!negativity!people!choose!to!send!on!twitter![sic]!as!well!as!threats!to!there!own!well!being.!I'm!sad!to!say!Twitter!is!No![sic]!longer!for!me.!I!have!enjoyed!all!the!kindness!and!love!that!came![sic]!my!way,!as!well!as!support.!But!this!break!is!needed."!Her!departure!was!short!lived!as!she!was!posting!again!on!Twitter!the!following!month.!!!
!!
!
128!
!
!
CHAPTER!5!
ABOUT!BONES!
This!chapter!provides!information!about!the!television!series,!Bones,!the!site!of!
the!case!study!for!this!project.!It!includes!an!overview!of!the!evaluative!criteria!and!
selection!process!used!to!select!the!show,!background!information!about!the!show’s!
creation,!details!about!the!show!including!a!character!overview!and!a!genre!and!
textual!analysis.!This!information!provides!context!for!detailed!discussions!in!later!
chapters!dealing!with!interactions!among!viewers!and!between!viewers!and!
production!personnel!where!questions!dealing!with!power!relationships!between!
these!individuals!will!be!explored.!!
During!the!early!stages!of!this!project,!preliminary!interviews!with!showrunners!
proved!valuable.!Capitalizing!on!a!professional!relationship!with!Huffington!Post!
Television!Critic!Maureen!Ryan,!I!was!introduced!to!Hart!Hanson,!showrunner!of!
Bones.!Hanson!agreed!to!an!interview!and!at!the!conclusion!of!that!discussion!
offered!to!introduce!me!to!other!showrunners!who!might!also!be!willing!to!share!
their!experiences.!This!led!to!interviews!with!David!Shore,!showrunner!of!the!
recently!concluded!series!House!and!Oliver!Goldstick,!showrunner!of!the!ABC!Family!
series!Pretty!Little!Liars.!The!objectives!of!these!interviews!were!to!first!obtain!
authentic!information!about!production!processes,!the!role!of!social!media!in!those!
!!
!
129!
processes!and!showrunners!views!on!Social!TV!activities.!Second,!these!interviews!
helped!establish!a!list!of!issues!to!be!considered!when!selecting!a!case.!!
Bones!offered!several!advantages.!Hart!Hanson!is!a!successful!and!wella
connected!showrunner!who!is!willing!to!allow!access!to!his!resources.!Show!
production!personnel!represent!various!levels!of!experience!within!the!industry!
from!highly!successful!veterans,!to!individuals!midacareer!and!others!just!starting!
out.!Bones!also!has!an!active!online!Fandom!that!uses!a!plethora!of!online!resources!
including!blogs,!forums,!and!an!array!of!social!media!platforms.!!
Bones!did!present!one!primary!disadvantage.!A!recent!surge!in!the!popularity!of!
cable!based!serial!dramas!such!as!Mad!Men,!Breaking!Bad!and!The!Walking!Dead!has!
led!to!research!in!areas!such!as!narrative!complexity.!The!potential!role!of!Social!TV!
in!the!reception!and!decoding!of!these!types!of!shows!would!be!a!beneficial!addition!
to!this!dissertation.!Since!Bones!is!a!procedural!drama!with!more!limited!forms!of!
complexity,!the!show!affords!fewer!insights!into!this!area.1!
Hanson!offered!to!seek!approval!from!the!other!producers!of!his!show!as!well!as!
the!network,!Fox!Broadcasting!Company,!and!the!studio,!20th!Century!Fox!
Television!Studios.!These!were!approvals!were!vital!for!the!success!of!this!project!
and!they!were!secured!within!a!week.!!
In!2004,!Hart!Hanson!was!working!at!20th!Century!Fox!Television!Studios!under!
an!“overall”!development!deal.2!Late!in!the!pitching!season,!when!a!show!he!was!
working!on!fell!apart,!the!studio!asked!him!to!meet!with!Barry!Josephson!about!a!
project.!That!project!was!about!Dr.!Kathy!Reichs,!a!forensic!anthropologist!and!
!!
!
130!
author.!Hanson!told!the!studio!he!had!no!interest!in!doing!a!forensics!show,!but!they!
responded!that!neither!were!they!interested!in!just!any!forensics!show,!but!were!
interested!in!Hanson’s!specific!take!on!a!forensics!show.!This!interest!likely!
stemmed!from!Hanson’s!past!success!writing!and!producing!shows!such!as!Joan!of!
Arcadia,!Judging!Amy!and!the!successful!Canadian!series!Traders!and!Snoops,!a!
police!drama!with!a!propensity!for!humor.!So!Hanson!took!the!meeting!with!
Josephson!and!the!result!was!an!agreement!to!move!forward!with!the!project.3!!
Reichs!and!her!fictional!novels!had!intrigued!Barry!Josephson,!but!he!did!not!
want!to!simply!take!her!books!and!put!them!on!television.!Instead,!he!“decided!to!
focus!on!her!real!life!work!for!their!inspiration,!whilst!adding!a!sprinkling!of!her!
fictional!character,!Temperance!Brennan,!into!the!mix.”4!According!to!Josephson,!
comparing!his!ideas!to!other!procedurals!including!the!CSI!franchise,!Law!&!Order,!
and!NYPD!Blue,!he!saw!an!opportunity!to!bring!something!unique!to!television.!
Reichs!explained!how!the!concept!came!together,!!
Barry!Josephson!liked!the!idea!of!a!character!that!could!be!taken!from!the!lab!into!varying!work!situations.!Hart!Hanson!liked!the!idea!of!contrast,!sometimes!conflict,!between!the!pragmatic,!intuitive!mindaset!of!the!cop!versus!the!deductive,!analytical!approach!of!the!scientist.!Johnny!Law!versus!the!squints.!Thus,!Bones!was!born.5!!
What!Josephson!and!Hanson!created!was!an!houralong!forensics!and!police!
procedural.!The!show!features!Dr.!Temperance!Brennan,!a!forensic!anthropologist!
who!is!employed!by!the!fictional!Jeffersonian!Institute!in!Washington,!D.C.!!Brennan!
is!called!on!by!the!FBI!to!help!identify!bodies!and!solve!crimes.!She!is!teamedaup!
with!FBI!Special!Agent!Seeley!Booth!and!over!the!course!of!several!seasons!the!pair!
!!
!
131!
develops!a!romantic!relationship.!Each!episode!contains!a!new!case!that!is!
presented,!investigated!and!solved.6!!Ongoing!storylines!featuring!Booth,!Brennan!
and!other!members!of!the!ensemble!cast!are!interlaced!with!the!procedural!action.!
Brennan!(Emily!Deschanel)!is!the!lead!female!character!on!the!show.!Brennan!is!
loosely!based!on!Kathy!Reichs,!but!named!after!the!heroine!in!Reichs’!realalife!crime!
novel!series.!Due!to!her!job!as!a!forensic!anthropologist,!Brennan!has!been!given!the!
nickname!“Bones.”!Similar!to!Reichs,!Brennan!is!also!a!best!selling!author!and!in!a!
witty!acknowledgement!to!reality!–!she!writes!fictional!novels!about!an!
anthropologist!named!Kathy!Reichs.!!Brennan!is!a!highly!intelligent!scientist!who!
lacks!many!basic!social!skills.!This!combination!is!the!source!of!many!humorous!
moments!where!she!makes!a!social!faux!pas!or!fails!to!understand!a!pop!culture!
reference.!Her!now!famous!line,!“I!don’t!know!what!that!means,”!often!follows!these!
moments!of!misunderstanding.!!
FBI!Special!Agent!Seeley!Booth!(David!Boreanaz)!is!the!show’s!lead!male!
character.!!Booth!is!the!FBI!liaison!to!the!Jeffersonian!Institute!and!works!closely!
with!Brennan!and!her!team!to!solve!the!weekly!murder!investigations.!Although!he!
respects!the!work!of!Brennan!and!her!team!at!the!Jeffersonian,!Booth!is!an!outsider!
to!the!group!and!initially!does!not!fit!in.!Booth!brings!a!more!humanistic!and!nona
scientific!approach!to!the!murder!investigations,!contributing!knowledge!about!
human!nature!and!common!sense!that!the!scientists!lack.!A!former!Army!Ranger!
and!FBI!sniper,!Booth!takes!his!work!seriously.!His!personality!is!closer!to!a!
stereotypical!popular!jock!and!he!is!a!fan!of!the!Pittsburgh!Penguins!hockey!team!
!!
!
132!
and!classic!rock!music.!Booth!is!the!father!to!one!son,!Parker,!from!a!previous!
relationship!with!Rebecca!Stinson!and!he!is!the!father!of!a!daughter,!Christine,!with!
Brennan.!!
Beginning!in!Season!Three,!Booth!works!along!side!FBI!psychologist!Dr.!Lance!
Sweets!(John!Francis!Daley).!Originally!joining!the!show!as!a!psychologist!for!Booth!
and!Brennan!who!were!considering!ending!their!professional!relationship!after!
Booth!arrested!Brennan’s!father,!Sweets’!role!expanded!into!his!providing!
psychological!profiles!of!killers.!Sweets!is!a!wellaliked,!intelligent!and!effective!
profiler.!!
Rounding!out!the!remaining!members!of!the!ensemble!cast!are!the!staff!
members!at!the!Jeffersonian!Institute.!Dr.!Jack!Hodgins!(T.J.!Thyne)!is!an!expert!
Entomologist,!Botanist!and!Mineralogist!whose!hobby!is!conspiracy!theories.!Angela!
Montenegro!(Michaela!Conlin)!is!an!artist!and!forensic!facial!reconstruction!expert.!
Dr.!Camille!Saroyan!(Tamara!Taylor)!is!the!head!of!the!Jeffersonian!Institute’s!
Forensics!Division.!A!former!New!York!police!officer!and!coroner,!Cam,!as!her!
friends!and!coaworkers!refer!her!to,!initially!had!differences!with!the!Jeffersonian!
crew,!but!they!eventually!resolve!those!differences!and!she!becomes!one!of!the!gang.!!
Bones!also!features!a!group!of!rotating!interns!who!help!the!team!complete!their!
investigations.!Zack!Addy!(Eric!Milligen)!was!the!first!intern!on!the!show.!His!
departure!from!the!show!after!Season!Three!left!the!need!for!a!new!assistant.!
Instead!of!adding!one!character,!the!show!added!a!group!of!rotating!interns.!Often!
referred!to!as!“squinterns,”!these!individuals!assist!with!the!forensic!investigations,!
!!
!
133!
but!also!act!as!a!source!of!comic!relief!against!the!serious!nature!of!the!work!being!
performed.!!This!group!of!squinterns!includes!Finn!Abernathy!(Luke!Kleintank),!
Wendell!Bray!(Michael!Grant!Terry),!Clark!Thomas!Edison!(Eugene!Byrd),!Colin!
Fisher!(Joel!Moore),!Vincent!NigelaMurray!(Ryan!Cartwright),!Arastoo!Vaziri!(Pej!
Vahdat),!Oliver!Wells!(Brian!Klugman)!and!Daisy!Wick!(Carla!Gallo).!!
One!final!casting!element!is!the!regular!appearance!of!guest!stars.!Each!season,!
many!famous!individuals!have!made!appearances!on!the!show!including!Stephen!
Fry,!John!Ratzenberger,!Zooey!Deschanel,!Freddy!Prinze!Jr.,!Chuck!Liddell,!Kelly!
Rutherford,!Ryan!O’Neal,!Billy!Gibbons,!Penny!Marshall,!Cesar!Millan!and!Cyndi!
Lauper.!
Bones!is!a!combination!of!two!popular!genres,!procedural!and!serial.!A!
procedural!is!a!series!that!“consists!of!selfacontained!or!standaalone!stories.”7!These!
caseaofatheaweek!shows!introduce!a!problem,!work!to!solve!it!and!come!to!a!
resolution!within!each!episode.!Ongoing!themes,!if!present,!are!the!secondary!focus.!!
A!serialized!show!conversely!focuses!on!continuing!storylines!that!develop!
throughout!a!season!or!series.!Serials!intend!each!episode!to!be!viewed!in!
chronological!order,!and!while!episodes!can!focus!on!individual!events,!the!primary!
focus!is!on!storylines!and!character!development.!!
Bones!is!a!hybrid!format!because!it!blends!the!definitions!of!these!two!genres.!
Although!the!viewing!of!each!individual!episode!could!be!enjoyed!on!it’s!own,!the!
viewer!benefits!from!watching!in!order!to!follow!along!with!ongoing!storylines.!This!
is!what!Horace!Newcomb!refers!to!as!a!“cumulative!narrative”!where!“each!week’s!
!!
!
134!
program!is!distinct,!yet!each!is!grafted!onto!the!body!of!the!series,!its!characters’!
pasts.”8!In!addition!to!this!hybrid!structure,!Bones!style!is!unique.!This!style!is!what!
Fox!was!seeking!when!they!told!Hanson!they!were!looking!for!Hanson’s!“take”!on!a!
forensics!show.!!The!result!is!a!show!that!balances!elements!of!a!serious!
crime/forensics!show!with!a!mix!of!quirky!humor!and!emotion.!In!one!scene,!the!
audience!can!be!horrified!by!a!shot!of!a!decomposing!corpse!and!in!the!next!
instance!the!audience!will!be!laughing!at!a!funny!situation!or!comment.!Hanson!
describes!this!balance!of!gruesomeness!and!levity!as!black!humor:!
Almost!any!writer!who's!hung!around!with!cops!or!coroners!or!firefighters!or!EMTs!knows!that!they!have!extremely!black!senses!of!humour!–!it's!their!coping!mechanism!for!getting!through!it.!They're!very!funny!people,!and!they're!very!funny!about!things!that!generally!you!can't!be!funny!about.!So!we're!trying!to!do!our!network!television!version!of!that!kind!of!humour.!We're!definitely!not!way!over!to!where!those!people!are!–!they!can!laugh!at!anything.!We!have!to!be!a!little!more!sensitive.!But!we!really!like!that!sense!of!black!humour!they!have!as!a!coping!mechanism.!Also,!the!characters!as!I!designed!them!are!very!intelligent!–!much!more!intelligent!than!I!am!–!and!we!get!a!lot!of!fun!out!of!that!degree!of!intelligence!and!their!dysfunctional!approach!to!the!normal!world.9!!
Hanson!alludes!to!the!show’s!character!development,!another!element!of!its!hybrid!
classification.!All!six!primary!characters!have!been!fully!developed.!The!audience!
has!experienced!their!trials!and!tribulations!of!life!at!work!and!in!their!personal!
lives.!Relationships!have!started!and!ended,!family!dramas!have!caused!stress!in!
many!different!ways!and!viewers!have!been!placed!in!multiple!situations!where!
they!have!rooted!for!their!favorite!characters!to!overcome!various!obstacles.!This!
depth!of!character!development!was!a!strategic!feature!of!the!show!from!its!
inception.!As!Kathy!Reichs!states,!she!hoped!the!series!would!!“capture!the!issues!of!
!!
!
135!
forensic!science,!while!simultaneously,!showing!the!humanity!of!the!participants!
and!the!occasional!humor!needed!to!preserve!emotional!balance.”10!The!result!is!a!
crime!procedural!that!is!different!than!other!shows.!As!Hanson!explains,!“it's!
certainly!less!procedural.!It's!as!though!you!took!Moonlighting!or!The!XAFiles.!It's!
very!heavily!weighted!toward!the!two!characters!played!by!Emily!Deschanel!and!
David!Boreanaz!–!Bones!and!Booth.!And!it's!funnier!and!a!lot!more!character!
oriented!than!those!shows!are,!a!lot!more!personal!stories.”11!
The!writers!and!producers!have!relied!heavily!on!this!relationship!between!
Booth!and!Brennan!as!the!primary!serial!storyline!for!the!show.!Early!episodes!
focused!on!tension!between!Booth!and!Brennan!who!did!not!understand!each!
other’s!skills!and!motivations.!As!the!pair!became!friends,!fans!rooted!for!their!
relationship!to!develop!further!and!the!relationship!progressed!from!dating,!to!
having!a!child!together!and!eventually!an!engagement!and!marriage.!Fans!who!
anxiously!followed!and!rooted!for!the!development!of!this!relationship!are!known!
as!“shippers.”!As!fan!Jennifer!Lester!explains,!the!“shippers”!are!“fans!that!want!
them!to!have!a!relationship,!they!root!for!the!relationship!between!Booth!and!
Brennan.”12!!
After!teasing!this!relationship!for!the!first!five!seasons,!during!the!100th!episode,!
on!April!8,!2010;!Booth!finally!told!Brennan!that!he!wanted!to!give!their!
relationship!as!a!couple!a!shot.!!Subsequent!relationship!events!include!the!
revelation!in!the!Season!Six!finale!that!Brennan!is!pregnant,!Season!Seven!
developments!that!find!the!couple!living!together,!but!not!married,!followed!by!an!
!!
!
136!
eventual!marriage!proposal!in!Season!Eight.!However,!in!a!season!ending!cliffhanger,!
events!unfolded!that!caused!viewers!to!question!if!the!wedding!will!ever!take!place.!!
Without!this!relationship!between!Booth!and!Brennan,!Bones!would!most!likely!
have!not!achieved!the!same!level!of!success.!Fans!have!used!the!relationship!to!
connect!with!the!show!and!each!other.!As!one!of!the!most!talked!about!show!
elements!on!fan!sites,!the!relationship!drives!emotionally!charged!comments!on!
message!boards,!inspires!fan!fiction!stories!and!it!is!the!foundation!for!much!fan!art.!
Fans!have!voiced!their!desire!throughout!the!first!eight!seasons!for!these!two!
characters!to!marry,!but!by!creating!a!“statusaquo”!for!the!relationship!and!not!
fulfilling!these!fan!desires,!the!storyline!has!served!its!purpose!well.!Yet,!despite!this!
success,!teasing!this!relationship!for!eight!seasons!does!represent!a!lowarisk!option!
for!the!writers.!!They!were!able!to!rely!on!this!storytelling!mechanism,!eliminating!
the!need!to!progress!the!story!and!seek!out!new!ways!to!accomplish!the!same!goals!
of!engagement,!drawing!emotional!responses,!maintaining!viewership!and!driving!
tuneain.!!
Greater!storytelling!risks!have!been!presented!through!the!relationships!of!the!
other!primary!characters.!Sweets!and!Cam!have!experienced!varying!degrees!of!
relationship!success.!Sweets’!relationship!with!Squintern!Daisy,!for!example,!offered!
the!opportunity!for!the!characters!to!become!engaged,!call!off!the!engagement!and!
potentially!become!engaged!again.!The!relationship!offers!indirect!commentary!on!
Booth!and!Brennan’s!relationship!that,!by!comparison,!appears!more!mature!and!
stable.!In!another!ongoing!storyline,!Hodgins!and!Angela!fell!in!love,!married!and!
!!
!
137!
had!a!child.!Since!these!characters!more!closely!resemble!Booth!and!Brennan,!their!
successful!relationship!leaves!fans!wondering!why!Booth!and!Brennan!cannot!make!
their!relationship!progress!in!the!same!way.!!
The!show!ultimately!becomes!about!these!connections!between!people.!In!
addition!to!rooting!for!Booth!and!Brennan,!the!secondary!relationships!tell!stories!
about!making!connections!or!searching!for!connections.!While!Hodgins!and!Angela!
have!made!their!connections,!in!Season!Nine,!Cam!is!still!searching!for!her!love!
connection.!Beyond!the!romantic,!these!connections!are!also!expressed!at!the!
familial!level.!The!workplace!has!become!a!home!for!these!characters!and!they!have!
formed!close!personal!relationships!with!one!another.!Like!any!family,!the!
characters!have!their!differences,!but!these!are!usually!resolved!in!a!timely!manner.!
Resolutions!are!an!opportunity!for!the!writers!to!strengthen!the!bonds!between!
characters.!In!one!situation,!Angela!was!angry!with!Booth!because!he!called!off!his!
engagement!to!Brennan!without!explanation.!The!resulting!tension!worked!to!
further!a!storyline!about!Booth!being!manipulated!by!a!serial!killer,!but!it!also!
showed!viewers!the!depth!of!the!emotional!connection!between!Angela!and!
Brennan.!Upon!resolution,!the!situation!also!furthered!the!connection!between!
Booth!and!Angela!because!Booth!knew!Angela!was!looking!out!for!their!best!
interests!and!more!importantly!the!interests!of!the!woman!he!loves.!These!are!the!
types!of!stories!that!create!emotional!reactions!from!viewers.!Viewers!are!drawn!in!
to!the!story!and!take!sides!while!hoping!for!a!resolution!and!passing!judgment!on!
!!
!
138!
the!characters!and!the!actions!they!take.!It!is!these!elements!that!make!Bones!more!
than!a!procedural.!!
These!emotional!moments!often!emanate!from!character!flaws,!serious!
storylines!or!sad!occurrences.!!Hodgins,!for!example,!lost!his!family!fortune!and!has!
no!immediate!family!members.!Angela!is!dealing!with!a!questionable!past!and!Cam!
is!dealing!with!the!emptiness!of!being!single!and!in!search!of!love.!These!serious!
situations!are!used!to!develop!secondary!emotional!story!lines,!but!they!never!
progress!too!far.!They!are!kept!in!check!to!prevent!the!show!from!becoming!too!
serious.!The!tool!that!keeps!the!show!from!becoming!too!serious!is!humor.!A!
character!can!deliver!a!onealiner!that!shifts!focus!and!diverts!attention!away!from!a!
serious!moment.!Or!an!entire!episode!might!be!dedicated!to!repairing!tension!and!
returning!to!the!status!quo.!The!Season!Nine!episode!“Cheat!in!the!Retreat”!is!an!
example!of!this!strategy.!Dealing!with!the!stress!of!their!broken!engagement,!Booth!
and!Brennan’s!interactions!were!previously!shown!as!tense!and!uncomfortable.!
Sending!the!pair!on!a!murder!investigation!as!their!undercover!persona’s!Roxy!and!
Tony!allowed!Booth!and!Brennan!to!interact!in!a!lighthearted!way!that!reminds!
them!and!viewers!the!potential!for!their!relationship!to!be!repaired!exists.!!!
This!episode!also!shows!one!of!the!many!ways!these!serial!relationship!
storylines!influence!the!episodic!investigations.!Early!in!the!series!Booth!and!
Brennan!were!both!“all!business.”!They!had!a!job!to!complete!and!they!both!sought!
to!excel!at!their!jobs!without!any!distractions.!To!them,!this!means!there!was!no!
room!for!emotions!or!relationships.!However,!as!the!series!progresses!and!their!
!!
!
139!
feelings!for!each!other!develop,!a!greater!sense!of!humanity!is!introduced!to!their!
work.!Brennan!is!no!longer!just!investigating!bones,!but!working!on!the!case!of!a!
person.!Booth!is!not!longer!simply!attempting!to!solve!a!case,!but!he!seeks!to!bring!
resolution!to!the!families!of!victims!and!justice!to!the!citizens!who!rely!on!him!to!
keep!them!safe.!!
All!of!this!drama,!combined!with!the!interesting!episodic!cases,!details!of!
forensic!science!and!more!general!television!issues!such!as!ratings,!programming!
strategies,!casting!decisions!and!other!issues!beyond!the!plot!based!discussions!
provides!viewers!with!a!large!amount!of!information!to!discuss.!These!discussions!
usually!begin!when!an!upcoming!episode!title!is!released.!Each!case!acts!as!
inspiration!for!the!episode’s!title!and!most!often!follows!the!naming!convention!of!
“the!something!in!the!something.”!Examples!include!“A!Man!in!a!Bear”!(Episode!
104)!where!a!human!arm!was!found!inside!the!stomach!of!a!bear,!“The!Mummy!in!
the!Maze”!(Episode!305)!where!the!remains!of!a!young!girl!were!found!inside!a!
Halloween!maze!and!“The!Prisoner!in!the!Pipe”!(Episode!707)!where!the!remains!of!
an!escaped!convict!are!found!in!a!sewer!pipe.!There!are!exceptions!to!this!system!
where!modified!versions!of!this!convention!are!used!such!as!episode!617!“The!Feet!
on!the!Beach”!and!episode!712!“The!Suit!on!the!Set”!that!use!the!formula!“The!
something!on!the!something.”!Combining!these!titles!with!information!received!
from!press!releases!and!promotional!videos,!fans!start!to!speculate!on!the!storylines!
of!the!episode!and!use!the!show’s!formula!as!a!guide.!!
!!
!
140!
Bones!follows!a!specific!sixaact!formula!with!several!interwoven!storylines.!In!
the!first!act,!a!body!is!found!or!brought!into!the!lab!and!the!team!comes!to!the!
realization!that!the!cause!of!death!was!a!murder.!!In!Act!Two,!the!victim!is!identified!
and!the!first!suspect!is!introduced.!Act!Three!introduces!the!killer.!One!of!the!show’s!
writers!explains,!“its!only!fair!to!the!fans!and!audience!to!meet!them!early,”!but!at!
that!point!in!the!story,!viewers!are!still!unsure!who!the!killer!might!be.13!During!Act!
Four,!the!story!progresses!through!the!murder!investigation,!possible!suspects!are!
introduced,!potential!causes!of!death!are!discussed!and!the!team!finds!clues!that!
help!solve!the!case.!At!this!point,!keeping!with!the!spirit!of!the!show,!the!writers!try!
to!have!the!physical!bones!of!the!victim!tell!a!story!and!produce!a!clue!that!turns!the!
investigation!on!a!particular!suspect.!In!the!fifth!act,!focus!is!placed!on!a!person!who!
seems!guilty,!but!inevitably!that!person!turns!out!to!be!innocent.!In!the!sixth!act,!a!
new!bone!clue!is!found!that!leads!to!the!killer.!This!clue!is!most!effective!if!a!hint!
about!it!has!been!dropped!earlier!in!the!episode,!but!the!pieces!of!the!puzzle!are!not!
linked!together!until!this!final!scene.!!
The!primary!or!“A”!storyline!of!the!show!is!the!procedural!murder!investigation.!
The!episodeaspecific!cases!are!balanced!with!other!continuing!stories!that!“run”!
beneath!the!weekly!plots.!These!“B”,!“C”,!and!sometimes!“D”!serial!storylines!involve!
a!range!of!characters!and!stories!of!various!length!that!can!last!from!as!short!as!one!
or!two!episodes!to!an!entire!season.!Most!often,!a!runner!will!be!introduced!in!one!
episode!and!not!reaappear!until!several!episodes!later.!There!are!multiple!reasons!
for!this!this!to!occur.!As!the!writers!work!on!creating!their!stories,!their!primary!
!!
!
141!
focus!is!on!the!“A”!storyline.!The!“runners”!are!of!secondary!concern,!as!they!can!be!
inserted!or!removed!from!episodes!based!on!editing!needs,!conflicts!with!other!
stories,!casting!decisions!or!a!handful!of!other!reasons.!!
The!writers!use!these!runners!as!storytelling!devices!to!engage!viewers,!create!
topics!for!conversation,!draw!emotional!responses,!maintain!viewership!and!drive!
tuneain!by!creating!buzz.!The!leading!tool!to!accomplish!these!goals!has!been!the!
show’s!primary!runner!focusing!on!the!development!of!a!romantic!relationship!
between!Booth!and!Brennan.!Beyond!this!primary!runner,!the!other!runners!include!
the!relationships!of!other!characters!and!their!emotion!inducing!stories!as!discussed!
above.!!More!storytelling!experimentation!is!therefore!relegated!to!these!less!risk!
prone!secondary!storylines.!If!these!minor!stories!failed!to!interest!fans,!they!could!
be!easily!dropped.!However,!if!they!created!interest!from!viewers,!the!stories!could!
continue!over!several!episodes!or!seasons.!!Some!examples!include!Booth’s!ongoing!
relationship!with!his!exagirlfriend!Rebecca!and!their!son!Parker,!Brennan’s!
exploration!of!her!past!and!the!introduction!of!Cam’s!character!in!Season!Two!
resulted!in!tension!between!her!and!Brennan!that!escalated!to!her!threatening!to!
fire!Brennan,!before!eventually!being!resolved.!The!Season!Nine!story!of!Cam’s!
identity!theft!in!episode!902!is!a!good!example!of!a!shorter!secondary!storyline!that!
lasts!several!episodes!and!is!also!interwoven!with!another!story,!in!this!instance!the!
story!of!a!serial!killer!named!Pelant.!!
This!is!typical!Bones!format,!the!meshing!of!an!episodic!case,!the!primary!serial!
relationship!story!runner!and!several!smaller!runners!that!last!varying!amounts!of!
!!
!
142!
time!and!exist!either!independently!or!meshed!with!another!runner.!!These!
secondary!runners!also!work!well!with!the!strategy!of!using!rotating!intern!
characters.!Having!these!characters!appear,!then!disappear!for!several!episodes,!
only!to!reaappear!again!allows!the!small!runners!to!be!recalled.!This!pays!off!
devoted!fans!who!recall!these!earlier!stories!resulting!from!their!regular!viewing.!
Since!these!characters!are!less!important!to!the!show,!they!can!be!more!easily!used!
as!tools!to!elicit!emotional!responses!from!viewers.!Fans!can!pick!a!favorite!intern,!
root!for!them!to!succeed!and!enjoy!bashing!the!interns!they!do!not!like.!This!fulfills!
some!basic!needs!for!fans!and!means!the!main!characters!do!not!need!to!be!used!for!
these!types!of!jobs.!This!ensures!too!much!negativity!does!not!buildaup!around!
either!of!the!main!characters,!protecting!the!integrity!of!the!primary!runner.!
These!storytelling!strategies,!combined!with!a!diverse!range!of!content!including!
a!weekly!“who!done!it,”!interesting!scientific!forensic!details,!an!engaging!group!of!
characters!and!an!unconventional!blending!of!genres!combined!with!shifting!tones!
from!the!serious!to!humorous!work!to!engage!audiences!and!provide!viewers!with!a!
lot!of!information!to!discuss.!Chapter!Six!will!explore!the!activities!of!the!highly!
involved!Bones!viewers!who!closely!follow!the!details!of!every!show!aspect!and!use!
social!media!to!connect!and!interact!regarding!these!details.!
Notes!
1!As!will!be!discussed!later,!Bones!represents!the!hybrid!structure!identified!by!Jason!Mittell,!but!it!lacks!the!demanding!narrative.!Another!challenge!was!the!shows!location!in!Los!Angeles!and!my!location!in!Georgia.!However,!despite!the!physical!distance,!the!production,!network!and!studio!facilities!are!all!in!Los!Angeles,!providing!a!centralization!of!the!subjects.!Transportation!between!Atlanta!and!Los!
!!
!
143!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Angeles!is!plentiful!and!not!cost!prohibitive!allowing!for!the!opportunity!of!multiple!visits!for!periods!of!observation!
2!An!“overall”!deal!is!a!multiayear!development!contract!between!a!writer!and!studio.!These!are!generally!reserved!for!the!most!sought!after!writers!and!it!is!an!attempt!by!the!studio!to!secure!access!to!that!individuals!creations!and!eliminating!the!need!to!competitively!acquire!new!concepts!in!an!open!marketplace.!
3!Diane!Kristine!Wild,!"Q&A:!Bones!Creator!Hart!Hanson,"!!http://unifiedtheorynothingmuch.blogspot.com/2006/01/qaabonesacreatorahartahanson.html.!
4!Kathy!Reichs,!"About!the!Show,"!!http://kathyreichs.com/bones/.!
5!Ibid.!
6!The!majority!of!the!cases!on!the!show!are!solved.!There!are!a!minimal!number!of!exceptions!where!a!case!was!never!solved,!or!it!was!not!solved!within!a!single!episode!due!to!ongoing!serial!killer!storylines.!!
7!Seriable,!"Serialized!Vs!Procedural!Television!Series,"!!http://seriable.com/serializedavsaproceduralatelevisionaseries/#ixzz2kX1dHS5L.!
8!Horace!Newcomb,!"Magnum:!The!Champagne!of!Tv?,"!Channels!of!Communications!(1985):!24.!
9!Wild,!"Q&A:!Bones!Creator!Hart!Hanson".!
10!Paul!Ruditis!and!Hart!Hanson,!Bones.!The!Official!Companion,!1st!ed.(London:!Titan!Books,!2007),!6.!
11!Wild,!"Q&A:!Bones!Creator!Hart!Hanson".!
12!Jennifer!Lester!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!October!30,!2013.!
13!Emily!Silver!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!November!13,!2013.!
!!
!
144!
!
!
CHAPTER!6!
!!BONES!AUDIENCE!ACTIVITY!
The!descriptions!of!social!media!activity!surrounding!Bones!presented!in!this!
chapter!offer!a!view!into!the!world!in!which!Bones!fans!operate.!This!includes!
descriptions!of!fans,!their!motivations!and!the!platforms!they!use.!A!discussion!of!
the!types!of!interactions!amongst!fans!and!between!fans!and!production!offers!hints!
of!the!types!of!viewer!feedback!received!by!production.!Understanding!how!viewers!
engage!with!each!other!and!the!show!helps!situate!how!production!responds!to!fans,!
a!topic!that!will!be!more!fully!discussed!in!the!following!chapters.!
So,!who!are!these!Bones!fans?!Jennifer!Lester,!founder!of!fan!site!Bonesology,!
describes!the!fans!who!participate!on!her!forum!as!a!diverse!group,!but!mostly!
women.!As!she!states,!
I!would!say!99!percent!of!the!participants!on!the!board!are!women….we’ve!got!like!16!year!old!girls!all!the!way!up!to!a!70ayearaold!woman!that’s!on!the!board.!So,!I!mean,!it’s!the!whole!spectrum!of!ages!and!some!are!married,!some!are!single,!some!have!kids,!some!don’t!have!kids.!Some!of!us,!like!me,!are!stay!at!home!moms!and!some!have!jobs.!But!it’s!a!pretty!good!mix.!It’s!really!generally!just!women.1!
!A!review!of!the!new!members!introduction!area!on!Bonesology!confirms!these!
observations.!Some!representative!sample!introductions!include,!!
I’m!Aileanor,!from!southern!England,!I’m!25,!single!parent!with!a!5!year!old!little!Miss!Trouble!(who!also!knows!the!names!of!all!the!characters!on!Bones!:oops:).2!!
!!
!
145!
I’m!18!years!young,!soon!to!be!10!and!have!a!cat!that!is!not!ironically!called!Cat.3!!I’m!32!and!I!live!in!the!great!(and!far!too!humid)!state!of!Georgia!with!my!parents!(I’m!saving!to!buy!a!house)!and!my!lovable!(albeit!at!times!a!bit!befuddled)!dog,!Toby.4!!Hi,!my!name!is!Danielle.!I!like!long!walks!on!the!beach!and!sweet!nothings!whispered!in!my!ear…besides!helping!to!admin!this!awesome!Bonesology!universe!with!two!kick!butt!ladies,!I’m!a!28ayearaold!teacher’s!assistant!by!day!and!a!student!getting!my!Master’s!degree!in!Special!Education,!but!night.5!
!These!introductions!are!one!way!fans!begin!to!build!relationships,!but!these!
interactions!do!not!always!lead!to!harmonious!relationships.!!Disagreements,!most!
commonly!occurring!between!highly!involved!“superfans”!that!refer!to!themselves!
as!“Boneheads,”!have!fractured!these!fans!into!multiple!cliques.!The!high!level!of!
involvement!by!these!Boneheads!who!watch!every!episode,!participate!in!fan!
forums!and!are!technically!knowledgeable!leads!to!differing!opinions!about!a!range!
of!issues!from!how!to!interpret!show!content!to!conflicting!views!on!the!appropriate!
level!of!respect!to!show!production!personnel.!Lester!explains!that!she!stopped!
participating!in!one!forum!because!the!individuals!using!the!site!were!posting!
comments!she!felt!were!too!negative.!She!explains!how!she!“didn’t!like!nitapicking!it!
[the!show]!apart!like!that.!It!wasn’t!fun!for!us.!That’s!not!why!we!wanted!to!be!in!the!
fandom!in!the!first!place.”6!
Boneheads!discuss!topics!such!as!ratings,!programming!strategies,!shooting!
strategies,!casting!decisions!and!other!issues!beyond!more!basic!plot!based!
discussions.!This!variety!of!topics!helps!keep!fan!forums!active!and!this!high!level!of!
involvement!can!evolve!into!offline!friendships.!These!offline!friendships!lead!to!
!!
!
146!
phone!conversations,!email!interactions!and!group!participation!in!live!events!such!
as!fan!gatherings!or!trips!to!events!where!Bones!cast!and!production!personnel!
participate!including!The!Paley!Center!for!Media!events!or!ComicaCon!appearances.!
As!college!student!Monisse!from!Portugal!explains,!it!is!“because!of!Bones!I!met!the!
most!amazing!friend!I!could!ever!ask!for.”7!
One!common!element!amongst!these!Boneheads!is!that!they!are!willing!to!
allocate!a!considerable!amount!of!time!and!energy!to!their!fan!activities.!Finding!
information,!discussing!the!show,!creating!paratexts,!writing!fan!fiction,!tweeting!
and!posting!on!social!media!sites!are!all!time!consuming!activities.!!This!dedication!
raises!questions!about!the!motivations!fueling!these!activities.!Why!would!someone!
want!to!spend!so!much!time!so!heavily!involved!in!a!television!show?!
It!is!apparent!that!there!is!no!single!motivation!driving!these!social!activities.!
Similar!to!the!Ericcson!study!mentioned!in!Chapter!One!that!identified!eight!main!
drivers!for!Social!TV!use,!the!motivations!of!Bones!fans!are!equally!diverse.!Skole,!a!
fan!from!Australia,!for!example!participates!in!Bones!fandom!because!she!finds!it!fun.!
She!says,!“to!me,!Bones!is!an!opportunity!to!kick!back,!relax!and!have!a!little!
harmless!fun!in!my!life”8!Kelly!from!Indiana!is!motivated!by!the!inspiration!the!
show!provides.!Facing!challenges!in!her!personal!life!such!as!a!failing!marriage!and!
low!selfaesteem,!she!turned!to!the!characters!on!the!show!for!inspiration.!As!she!
explains,!she!watched!Brennan!and!thought!“if!she!can!do!it,!then!I!can!do!it!”9!Jenny,!
a!22ayearaold!woman!from!Alaska!explained!how!the!show!and!participating!in!
Bones!fandom!provides!her!with!a!departure!from!her!everyday!life.!!
!!
!
147!
Bones!is!a!form!of!escape!for!me.!Not!to!say!that!my!life!is!completely!horrible!and!Bones!is!my!only!relief,!because!I!truly!am!a!very!lucky!person!and!I!have!nothing!to!complain!about,!but!I!have!an!anxiety!disorder!and!a!pretty!crippling!shyness!that!prevents!me!from!going!out!into!the!world!and!socializing!like!“normal”!22!yearaolds!tend!to!do.!I’m!easily!stressed!and!I!don’t!do!well!with!big!life!changes,!so!having!something!constant!that!I!can!look!forward!to!almost!every!week!is!a!big!deal!for!me.!Watching!Bones!and!participating!in!discussions!with!fellow!fans!about!the!show!allows!me!to!escape!into!another!world!for!a!little!while!and!take!a!muchaneeded!break!from!the!real!world.10!
!Many!fans!have!personal!stories!such!as!these!explaining!the!factors!that!led!them!to!
participate!in!the!fandom!or!act!as!catalysts!for!their!continued!involvement.!While!
there!is!a!wide!range!of!experiences!and!stories,!one!of!the!most!ubiquitous!reasons!
is!a!desire!to!build!or!be!part!of!a!community.!!
This!was!one!of!the!reasons!Jennifer!Lester!became!involved.!She!says,!“my!
husband!doesn’t!like!the!show!at!all!and!I!didn’t!really!have!anybody!to!talk!to!about!
it.!It!was!fun,!things!happening!on!the!show!so!I!needed!people!to!talk!to.”11!
Similarly,!fan!Cindee!Phillips!explains!how!she!likes!to!scrutinize!stories!and!share!
with!others,!“I!really!love!the!whole!process!of!really!analyzing!a!story!–!why!did!
they!do!this!and!why!did!they!choose!that?!And!why!didn’t!they!go!that!way?!What!
are!they!doing!here?!What!were!their!goals!with!the!characters!and!so!on?”12!!
This!dedication!to!Bones!is!clearly!evident!in!online!posts.!User!comments!reveal!
the!emotional!attachment!formed!between!these!fans,!other!fans!and!the!show.!One!
recent!emotional!topic!of!conversation!has!been!the!anxiety!Bones!fans!are!
experiencing!about!the!future!of!the!show!as!it!will!inevitably!be!coming!to!an!end!
either!this!season!or!next.13!This!stress!was!visible!when!Fox!moved!the!show!from!
!!
!
148!
its!Monday!night!timeslot!to!Friday!night.!Fans!argued!about!the!potential!rationales!
behind!the!move.!Was!Fox!trying!to!kill!off!the!show?!Was!this!a!good!or!bad!sign!for!
the!show’s!future?!They!also!worried!about!a!potential!ratings!drop!after!the!move.!
They!wondered!if!the!“regular”!viewers!knew!the!show!had!switched!nights!and!if!
the!ratings!dropped!as!a!result!of!viewers!not!knowing,!would!that!be!the!excuse!
Fox!needs!to!cancel!the!show?!!
Although!the!Boneheads!discussions!were!about!potentially!losing!Bones,!the!
underlying!concern!seemed!to!be!the!possibility!of!the!community!breaking!up.!
Where!will!the!fans!go?!Will!they!stick!together!and!find!a!new!show?!Will!they!go!
their!separate!ways?!These!concerns,!manifested!as!pleas!to!the!network!to!not!
cancel!the!show,!are!more!precisely!appeals!to!not!take!away!their!friends.!
Over!the!past!seven!years,!Bones!has!built!and!maintained!a!large!and!dedicated!
fan!base.!As!new!ways!of!connecting!through!the!Internet!have!been!introduced,!
fans!have!capitalized!on!the!opportunity!to!connect,!share!and!build!communities.!
As!previously!discussed,!fans!of!television!shows!interact!on!a!large!number!of!
platforms!and!Bones!fans!are!no!different.!Social!activities!take!place!on!microablogs,!
apps,!blogs,!forums,!wikis!and!social!media!sites.!This!results!in!such!a!large!amount!
of!activity!that!a!Huffington!Post!article!in!June!2013!declared!Bones!the!thirteenth!
“most!social”!show!on!TV.14!!
Despite!the!large!number!of!platforms!being!used!by!fans,!this!project!focuses!on!
the!fan!activities!taking!place!on!two!primary!platforms,!the!fan!forum!Bonesology!
and!the!microablog!Twitter.!These!two!platforms!were!selected!based!on!several!
!!
!
149!
criteria!including!the!platform’s!number!of!users,!regularity!of!user!involvement,!the!
amount!of!content!on!the!site,!and!the!variety!of!activities!taking!place.!It!is!
important!to!note!that!choosing!Bonesology!and!Twitter!as!the!most!appropriate!
platforms!for!this!study!does!not!imply!that!all!fans!would!agree!with!the!
determination.!Fans!in!Italy,!for!example,!would!likely!argue!the!Italian!based!ia
bones.net!is!their!most!valuable!social!location!and!most!representative!of!their!
activities.!
A!second!caveat!for!this!selection!is!that!platforms!change!over!time.!As!
discussed!in!Chapter!One,!new!platforms!are!continually!being!introduced!as!others!
are!falling!out!of!favor!with!users.!One!reason!for!this!type!of!change!is!the!
introduction!of!new!technology.!As!Beatrice!Belli,!Bones!fan!and!creator!of!the!
Italian!based!fan!forum!iabones.net!explained,!“Bones!fandom!actually!started!on!
LiveJournal,!the!most!important!community!for!the!first!four!or!five!seasons!of!the!
show!was!the!‘206_bones’!one,!but!then,!with!all!the!social!media,!LiveJournal!
started!to!lose!its!appeal.”15!The!popularity!of!a!site!can!also!change!due!to!a!
modification!in!the!type!of!interactions!that!occur!there.!As!we!will!see!later!in!this!
chapter,!one!of!the!founders!of!Bonesology!cites!fan!negativity!as!motivation!to!
leave!the!site!she!was!using!and!create!a!new!forum.!
Various!backaend!providers!power!fan!websites!and!forums.!Delphi!Forums,!for!
example,!provides!a!“selfaservice!community!empowering!people!from!around!the!
world!to!network,!share!and!communicate!online!with!friends,!colleagues,!groups!
and!teams,”!where!Bones!fans!gather!in!a!forum!called!The!Lab.16!The!Founding!
!!
!
150!
Fathers!Forum!uses!an!open!source!bulletin!board!software!program!to!host!
interactions!among!its!nearly!twelve!hundred!users.17!The!Bones!Theory!and!Bones!
Spoilers!blogs!are!built!on!WordPress!and!Blogger!platforms.18!Bonesology,!the!
forum!selected!as!a!primary!site!of!analysis,!operates!on!technology!provided!by!
Yuku,!a!service!that!according!to!its!site!tagline!is!“a!social!universe!of!communities!
united!by!people!and!their!passions.”19!
Founded!on!November!21,!2010,!Bonesology!currently!has!585!registered!
members.20!Although!this!is!not!an!overwhelming!number!of!members,!Bonesology!
users!are!very!active!and!the!site!averages!a!decent!1,896!visits!per!day.!Users!have!
posted!over!60,000!comments!on!a!variety!of!topics!making!it!one!of!the!most!
comprehensive!sources!of!Bones!related!interactions!on!the!Internet.21!
Bonesology!is!divided!into!six!main!sections,!each!containing!a!group!of!related!
forums.!The!first!section,!The!Royal!Diner,!provides!forums!for!information!about!
the!board!and!board!announcements,!a!help!forum!and!a!suggestion!box.!The!Coffee!
Cart!is!a!catchall!area.!!It!offers!a!forum!linking!to!the!postaepisode!chat!room!where!
users!gather!each!week!to!talk!live!about!the!episode.!Another!forum,!Bones!Jibber!
Jabber,!offers!a!space!for!random!commentaries!and!discussions.!Information!about!
weekly!ratings!reports,!lists!of!social!network!usernames,!opinion!polls,!Bones!trivia!
and!games!and!information!on!the!main!cast!are!the!topics!of!the!remaining!forums.!
The!Reflecting!Pool!section!contains!seven!forums!related!to!fan!fiction.!Here,!users!
can!read!the!rules,!post!their!stories,!read!and!comment!on!stories!posted!by!other!
users!and!participate!in!weekly!fan!fiction!challenges.!Wong!Foo’s!is!a!section!with!
!!
!
151!
three!forums!for!discussing!nonaBones!related!topics.!These!topics!range!from!
exchanges!about!other!shows!to!the!posting!of!birthday!announcements!for!
members.!Limbo!is!the!most!active!section!of!the!site.!This!section!usually!averages!
twelve!forums.!The!number!changes!as!forums!on!specific!episodes!are!added!and!
others!are!relocated!to!other!sections!throughout!the!season.!This!section!offers!two!
general!forums,!one!for!general!spoiler!discussions!and!one!for!the!reaposting!of!
twitter!lists!and!tweets!from!the!cast!and!crew!of!the!show.!Individual!forums!for!
the!most!recent!episodes!include!discussions,!spoilers,!articles,!videos,!press!
releases!and!other!information!about!upcoming!episodes.!After!a!show!airs,!
additional!posts!are!added!including!reactions!and!feedback.!The!sixth!and!final!
section,!The!Jeffersonian!Basement,!includes!the!forum!archives!of!past!episode!
discussions!and!“quiet!sections”!or!those!classified!as!experiencing!minimal!
interactions.!These!include!topics!on!the!music!of!the!show,!fan!art!and!videos,!
archived!fan!fiction!challenges!and!archived!media!articles!and!reviews.!This!
quantity!and!variety!of!forums!is!indicative!of!the!fan!activeness!on!this!platform!
and!the!range!of!ways!they!choose!to!interact!with!the!show!and!each!other.!!
Bonesology!was!started!by!a!group!of!fans!who!were!participating!in!Bones!
fandom!on!other!sites,!but!were!growing!dissatisfied!with!the!types!of!interactions!
being!offered!at!those!locations.!As!coafounder!Jennifer!Lester!explains,!her!
participation!originated!in!the!forums!on!the!official!Fox!website.!But!Fox!changed!
their!board!and!people!didn’t!like!the!new!functionality,!“it!was!really!hard!to!
navigate.!It!was!hard!to!find!old!posts!and!we!use!those!a!lot!for!discussing!the!
!!
!
152!
show.”22!As!a!result!of!these!changes,!several!users!switched!to!Delphi!forums,!but!
they!quickly!became!dissatisfied!with!the!direction!of!the!new!forum.!“We!were!
talking!on!The!Lab!at!Delphi!Forum,!but!felt!it!was!becoming!too!negative!and!that!
made!it!no!fun.!!So,!we!started!Bonesology!on!the!Yuku!platform.”23!
Similar!to!other!forums!and!sites,!Bonesology!is!an!interconnected!part!of!a!
larger!fandom!network.!Individuals!using!the!platform!participate!on!other!
platforms!and!social!media!sites.!The!site!moderators!also!connect!Bonesology!to!
social!media!sites!to!help!promote!the!forum.!Bonesology,!for!example,!has!accounts!
on!Facebook,!Twitter!and!Pinterest!that!are!used!to!promote!site!content,!keep!
users!updated!and!attract!new!users.!This!arrangement!demonstrates!one!of!the!
primary!differences!between!a!fan!forum!and!social!media!site.!While!both!types!of!
platforms!offer!users!the!ability!to!connect!and!interact,!the!forum!structure!allows!
access!to!a!continually!growing!index!of!information.!Users!can!also!interact!in!a!
variety!of!ways!such!as!posting!comments,!participating!in!live!chat!rooms!and!
sharing!“paratexts.”!Social!Media!sites!offer!fewer!engagement!options!for!users.!
Despite!the!more!limited!interaction!options,!social!media!sites!have!
experienced!tremendous!growth!in!recent!years!and!activity!related!to!Bones!is!no!
exception.!The!Huffington!Post!article!citing!Bones!as!one!of!the!“most!social”!shows!
noted!that!the!Bones!Facebook!page!acquired!twelve!million!followers.24!Some!
skeptics!might!argue!that!this!number!is!artificially!inflated!and!is!not!an!accurate!
reflection!of!true!followers.25!Therefore,!to!demonstrate!the!page’s!growth!in!social!
activity,!interactions!with!individual!posts!can!be!used!as!an!alternative!
!!
!
153!
measurement!method.!The!oldest!post!accessible!on!the!show’s!official!Facebook!
account!is!dated!March!31,!2008.!That!post!celebrates!the!first!kiss!between!Booth!
and!Brennan!stating,!“Bones!and!Booth!have!their!1st!kiss...FINALLY!and!you!get!to!
see!their!genuine!reactions!as!actors!on!the!set!before!and!after!”26!The!post!
includes!a!short!video!clip!and!received!717!likes,!194!comments!as!88!shares!as!of!
January!2014.27!In!comparison,!a!post!on!September!11,!2013!showing!a!picture!of!
the!cast!with!a!graphic!stating!“5!Days!#Bones”!promoting!the!countdown!to!the!
season!nine!premier!episode!received!59,055!likes,!1,048!comments!and!3,276!
shares!within!the!first!twenty!four!hours!it!was!posted.28!!
Similar!to!this!growth!experienced!on!Facebook,!the!Bones!official!Twitter!
account!is!highly!successful,!touting!472,221!followers!as!of!January!2014.29!Twitter!
has!become!the!overall!leading!platform!for!social!television!interactions,!
accounting!for!as!much!as!77%!of!all!Social!TV!activity.30!!Compared!to!Bonesology,!
the!types!of!fan!interactions!on!Twitter!are!less!diverse,!limited!to!the!sending!of!
140acharacter!tweets!accompanied!by!an!optional!link,!image!or!video.!Unlike!
Bonesology,!where!fans!are!primarily!interacting!with!other!fans,!Twitter!offers!fans!
the!opportunity!to!connect!with!a!range!of!people.!Fans!post!comments!to!other!fans,!
to!production!personnel,!network!personnel,!show!critics!and!anyone!else!
interested!in!participating.!!This!diversity!of!individuals!is!one!important!advantage!
of!the!platform.!It!establishes!an!interconnected!network!of!individuals!that!allows!
information!to!flow!quickly!and!across!great!distances,!reaching!a!large!number!and!
variety!of!individuals.!
!!
!
154!
Twitter!users!can!be!found!posting!about!Bones!virtually!all!of!the!time,!during!
the!airing!of!original!episodes,!between!episodes!and!even!during!the!show’s!hiatus!
periods.!The!number!of!interactions!changes!based!on!the!time,!with!the!most!active!
periods!occurring!during!the!airing!of!original!episodes.!This!large!volume!of!
interactions,!variety!of!users!and!large!amount!of!users!participating!most!actively!
during!airing!contrasts!with!the!Bonesology!users!who!comparatively!produce!a!
smaller!quantity!of!interactions.!Bonesology!interactions!also!take!place!amongst!a!
smaller!group!of!highly!dedicated!individuals!during!mostly!nonaairing!timeframes.!!
An!analysis!of!current!and!archived!interactions!occurring!on!these!sites!reveals!
an!assortment!of!general!discussion!topics.!One!of!the!most!common!uses!of!both!
Twitter!and!Bonesology!is!the!finding,!sharing!and!analysis!of!spoilers.!Whereas!a!
spoiler!may!have!once!referred!to!information!that,!if!learned!before!viewing!an!
upcoming!episode,!might!be!blamed!for!“ruining”!the!viewing!experience,!today!
virtually!any!information!released!about!a!show!is!considered!a!spoiler.!As!will!be!
discussed!further!in!Chapter!Seven,!Fox!uses!their!website!FoxFlash.com!to!release!
publicity!information!that!fans!refer!to!as!“spoilers.”!Fans!take!the!pictures,!video!
and!press!release!information!from!this!site!and!reapost!it!on!Bonesology!and!
Twitter.!As!fan!Jennifer!Lester!states,!“Fox!puts!out!a!lot!of!spoilers.”31!Fans!do!not!
view!FoxFlash.com!as!a!business!tool!used!to!distribute!information!to!the!media,!
but!as!a!source!of!information!used!to!fuel!their!fandom.!!
These!“spoilers”!provide!a!specific!topic!of!conversation!for!fans!and!are!a!
resource!for!speculative!information.!Fans!will!work!together!to!deconstruct!every!
!!
!
155!
sentence!of!a!press!release!and!every!shot!in!a!video!as!they!interpret!what!
something!means!and!guess!what!could!possibly!occur!in!forthcoming!episodes.!The!
press!release!for!the!Season!Nine!episode!“The!Heiress!in!the!Hill”!said!“Brennan!
and!Booth!face!a!common!couples!dilemma!–!whether!to!coamingle!their!funds!–!in!
the!allanew!‘The!Heiress!in!the!Hill’!episode!of!BONES.”32!This!line!prompted!some!
fans!to!discuss!what!the!storyline!will!be!and!how!Booth!and!Brennan!will!deal!with!
this!situation.!On!Bonesology,!fan!Quarterbreed!wrote,!!
I!wonder!if!the!topic!will!be!broached!whether!it!would!be!safe!to!allow!Booth!to!have!signoff!access!to!the!funds!that!were!Brennan’s!before!their!marriage!due!to!the!possibility!that!some!future!unforeseeable!crisis!could!someday!trigger!Booth’s!gambling!addiction!and!it!might!not!be!wise!to!allow!him!to!be!able!to!access!those!funds!without!having!certain!protections!in!place,!such!as!having!to!persuade!an!appointed!money!manager!that!his!reasons!for!wanting!to!withdraw!a!large!sum!of!money!are!valid!and!reasonable.33!!
As!this!comment!demonstrates,!fans!draw!on!a!range!of!resources!to!fuel!
their!speculation!including!the!original!release,!the!comments!of!other!fans!
and!their!knowledge!of!the!characters!and!past!events.!These!discussions!
build!excitement!among!fans,!but!not!everyone!likes!spoilers!and!feelings!can!
change!in!favor!for!or!against!them!throughout!a!season.!For!example,!many!
fans!that!regularly!seek!out!spoilers!tried!to!avoid!them!before!the!highly!
anticipated!wedding!episode,!reporting!a!desire!to!be!surprised.!Yet,!other!
fans!who!said!they!do!not!regularly!seek!out!spoilers!were!so!anxious!for!the!
episode,!they!tried!to!find!every!detail!they!could!in!advance.!This!shows!how!
these!fans!employ!multiple!approaches!to!their!activities!that!can!change!at!
any!time!based!on!personal!preferences.!!
!!
!
156!
Fans!also!discuss!the!truthfulness!of!spoilers.!They!are!often!skeptical!that!
information!released!might!be!a!strategic!ploy!by!the!network!to!prevent!them!from!
discovering!too!much!information!in!advance.!For!this!reason,!many!discussions!
about!spoilers!focus!on!their!potential!authenticity.!This!skepticism!can!work!to!the!
advantage!of!production!because,!when!information!about!“true!spoilers”!spread!
through!social!media,!these!suspicious!fans!do!not!automatically!take!everything!
they!hear!as!true.!As!Executive!Producer!Stephen!Nathan!explained,!“often!times!
wrong!information!makes!its!way!out.!That!actually!works!as!an!advantage!for!us,!
because!when!correct!information!makes!it’s!way!out,!it!gets!questioned.”34!Before!
the!muchaanticipated!wedding!episode,!guest!actor!Joanna!Cassidy!tweeted!several!
pictures!of!herself!on!set!with!various!actors!including!an!image!of!Brennan!in!her!
wedding!dress.!!Cassidy!should!not!have!posted!these!photos,!as!it!was!a!breech!of!
widely!known!and!established,!but!unwritten!rules!of!onaset!social!media!etiquette.!
When!the!Fox!Publicity!Department!heard!about!the!photos,!they!asked!Cassidy!to!
remove!them.!Although!they!were!removed!within!a!few!hours!of!being!posted,!
Boneheads!were!able!to!capture!screenshots!and!post!them!in!their!fan!forums.!Fans!
weren’t!sure!if!these!images!were!spoilers!or!if!they!were!being!duped!by!
production.!They!also!did!not!know!how!to!interpret!the!fact!that!the!photos!were!
posted!and!then!removed!for!reasons!unknown!to!them.!Fan!Cindee!Phillips!was!
unsure!what!to!think.!She!thought!it!“seemed!awfully!odd!because!everybody!was!
involved!in!the!pictures.!It!was!cast!and!everything,!and!you’d!think!especially!Emily!
and!David,!who!are!producers,!would!have!said,!‘Maybe!you!shouldn’t!put!those!on!
!!
!
157!
Twitter.’!But!she!could!have!just!been!taking!pictures!with!her!camera!phone!and!
not!mentioned!that!she!was!putting!them!on!Twitter.”35!It!turned!out!that!the!
pictures!were!real!and!their!posting!was!a!true!spoiler,!but!not!all!fans!believed!they!
were.!!
Beyond!spoilers,!fan!interactions!also!include!the!sharing!of!other!types!of!
general!information.!One!common!type!is!the!“we!made!a!list”!post.!!As!media!
outlets!produce!stories!containing!lists!about,!for!example,!the!ten!best!shows,!or!
most!interactive!shows!or!the!best!actors,!or!any!other!topic!they!can!conceive,!fans!
will!post!a!link!to!the!list!and!announce,!“we!made!a!list.”!Other!types!of!shared!
information!include!press!releases,!ratings,!news!articles,!links!to!fan!fiction!and!
news!about!individuals!involved!with!the!production!of!the!show.!Similar!to!the!
sharing!of!networkaproduced!spoilers,!fans!will!additionally!share!“paratexts”!they!
produce!or!find!on!the!Internet.!These!often!include!playful!images!of!the!characters!
or!commonly!a!picture!of!a!skeleton!or!bones.!!
Rumors!about!the!show!or!actors!are!some!of!the!fastest!spreading!types!of!
information.!In!the!beginning!of!Season!Nine,!for!example,!an!article!by!RadarOnline!
said!if!the!show!was!renewed!for!a!tenth!season!David!Boreanaz!would!not!return!
and!this!ignited!a!social!media!frenzy.!The!article!stated,!“after!nine!seasons!on!the!
show,!‘David!is!telling!friends!that!it’s!his!last!season,’!a!source!says.”36!Most!of!the!
social!media!discussions!about!this!news!were!based!on!fans!speculating!why!or!
why!not!Boreanaz!would!decide!not!to!return!and!people!argued!about!the!truth!to!
the!rumor!and!possible!reasons!for!his!supposed!decision.!!One!fan!declared!on!
!!
!
158!
Twitter,!“WTF!@David_Boreanaz!is!leaving!#bones!at!the!end!of!this!season!!This!
can’t!be!first!#house!ended!now!#bones!!My!life!is!over!”37!Before!the!end!of!the!day,!
responding!to!a!tweet!from!Twitter!user!@Madi93!who!asked!“@David_Boreanaz!
will!you!be!returning!for!season!10!of!#Bones?”!Boreanaz!replied!“@Madi93!yes,!if!
we!get!picked!up”!quashing!the!rumor.38!!
Fans!work!together!to!spread!rumor,!but!also!to!find!truth.!@Madi93!wasn’t!the!
only!person!to!directly!question!Boreanaz!about!this!rumor!and!it!was!likely!not!her!
individual!tweet,!but!the!growing!swell!of!concern!that!compelled!Boreanaz!to!
respond.!This!example!also!exhibits!how!social!media!quickly!and!directly!reaches!
production!and!how!it!enables!production!personnel!to!respond!in!a!direct!and!
timely!manner.!!
Bones!fans!also!use!social!media!for!strategic!planning!purposes.!In!order!to!
create!a!conversation!thread!on!Twitter,!it!is!useful!to!create!a!hashtag!that!allows!
posts!to!be!organized!onto!a!stream!for!easier!reading!and!indexing.!FOX!promotes!
the!generic!hashtag!#bones,!but!that!stream!becomes!cluttered,!as!it!is!very!popular.!
To!create!a!more!personalized!stream,!fans!will!often!coordinate!their!efforts,!
choose!a!personalized!hashtag!and!use!social!media!to!communicate!that!choice!to!
others.!This!strategy!is!employed!in!a!variety!of!ways.!In!2010,!Bonesology!users!
participated!in!a!Twitter!Hashtag!of!the!Day!game!where!they!chose!a!different!
hashtag!each!day!of!the!week!and!posted!fun!comments.!Some!of!these!included!
#CheesyBoothyGoodness,!#WhyHeIsKingOfTheLab!and!
#MondaysWishTheyWereBonesdays.39!In!another!use!of!hashtags,!Bonesology!
!!
!
159!
posted!on!their!Twitter!account,!“Use!the!hashtag!#BoothLovesBrennan!and!tell!us!
about!your!favorite!moments!that!highlight!Booth’s!love!for!Brennan.!#Bones.”40!
Strategic!planning!can!involve!any!effort!to!organize!fans.!Beyond!hashtag!
coordination,!fans!used!Twitter!to!spread!the!news!about!audience!research!and!
measurement!company!Nielsen!launching!their!new!Twitter!rating.!A!new!Bones!
episode!was!also!airing!the!same!night!this!announcement!was!made!and!Bones!fans!
turned!to!Twitter!to!spread!the!news!about!the!metric!and!their!desire!to!get!people!
to!tuneain,!tweet!and!achieve!a!high!rating.!In!an!attempt!to!organize!their!efforts,!
one!fan!posted,!“Fans,!listen!up!!Nielsen’s,!the!TV!ratings!ppl,!are!finally!tracking!
TWITTTER!!_tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/10/07/nie……!So!TWEET!WHILE!
YOU!WATCH!”41!It!is!unknown!how!successful!these!efforts!were!and!whether!or!not!
they!resulted!in!increased!ratings.!!!
All!of!these!examples!demonstrate!how!social!media!can!be!used!to!spread!a!
range!of!information,!from!rumors!to!messages!useful!for!the!strategic!coordination!
of!fans!efforts.!This!is!an!important!attribute!of!the!Bones!social!media!environment!
and!chapters!seven!and!eight!will!discuss!how!production!personnel,!the!studio!and!
network!are!changing!some!of!their!processes!and!also!working!to!benefit!from!
these!fan!interactions.!!
Fan!efforts!are!not!always!this!purposeful!and!postings!are!often!more!
spontaneous.!During!the!airing!of!an!episode,!this!includes!posts!trying!to!guess!the!
killer!in!the!episode,!expressions!of!emotions!about!characters!or!plots!and!attempts!
to!guess!what!will!happen!next.!During!nonaairing!times,!comments!include!some!
!!
!
160!
similar!and!different!topics!such!as!conjecture!about!the!future!direction!of!plot!
lines,!guessing!why!certain!decisions!about!plot!or!characters!were!made,!
expressions!of!emotions!about!satisfaction!with!the!show,!or!discussions!about!
business!issues.!These!could!range!from!posts!questioning!why!the!show!switched!
nights!to!concerns!over!ratings!reports.42!!
In!addition!to!interacting!with!each!other,!fans!are!interacting!with!production!
personnel.!This!communication!can!occur!during!both!airing!and!nonaairing!times!
and!can!be!directed!to!the!network,!the!show!or!a!specific!person.!!For!example,!
during!the!Season!Nine!premier,!Twitter!user!@CarrieAnnRyan!tweeted!to!the!
network!“Hey!Fox,!you!aren’t!doing!any!favors!with!the!#BonesPremier.!Pellant![sic]!
needed!to!be!gone!2!seasons!ago.!Find!a!new!character!and!plot.”43!Twitter!user!
@SkaChild_4!directed!her!frustration!directly!to!Hart!Hanson!with!her!tweet!
“@HartHanson!@damnkatic!Pleaseeee!tell!us,!I’m!suffering!emotional!trauma!over!
here!:(.”44!Most!posts,!similar!to!these,!are!harmless!expressions!of!fans’!reactions!to!
the!show.!They!become!one!of!thousands!of!messages!the!network!and!show!
personnel!receive!on!a!daily!basis.!!
Due!to!this!high!volume!of!messages,!the!intended!recipient!may!not!read!it.!
Aware!that!the!sending!of!an!arbitrary!message!can!get!overlooked,!some!fans!go!to!
extremes!to!make!sure!they!are!heard.!Early!in!Season!Nine,!fans!started!to!talk!
about!their!desire!for!the!show!to!be!renewed!for!a!tenth!season.!The!occasional!
tweet!would!be!sent!to!the!network,!producers!or!writers!asking!for!the!show!to!be!
renewed.!One!particular!fan,!Martha!Emily!Michulka,!took!her!“save!our!show”!
!!
!
161!
efforts!to!an!extreme.!She!started!sending!tweets!such!as!“@FOXTV!@BONESonFOX!
10!seasons!feels!like!#Bones!full!circle!and!special!gift!for!fans!of!the!station!over!the!
years!206!episodes!give!it:)”!and!“@FOXTV!will!be!respectful!S10!#Bones!Fringe!
season!have!final!season!after!bad!ratings!(I!remember!the!loyal!fanbase)!so!give!10!
#Bones.”45!These!are!two!of!the!many!variations!Michulka!was!tweeting!multiple!
times!every!day.!She!was!serious!about!getting!her!favorite!show!renewed!and!she!
believed!that!bombarding!the!show!with!tweets!was!the!way!to!get!what!she!wanted.!
In!a!personal!email,!she!explained!that!she!was!“positive”!fans!have!the!power!to!get!
a!show!renewed!by!sending!messages!to!the!network!and!she!was!determined!to!be!
heard.46!
What!Michulka!viewed!as!a!harmless!attempt!to!save!her!show,!others!did!not!
interpret!in!the!same!way.!Several!fans!reported!“unfollowing”!her!on!Twitter!
because!she!was!“annoying”!and!they!did!not!agree!with!her!tactics.47!Her!actions!
were!also!concerning!to!some!members!of!the!production!staff.!!Although!they!
appreciated!the!effort,!they!were!worried!about!her!approach.!Her!tweets!were!
accusing!FOX!of!being!disrespectful!and!this!was!not!viewed!as!acceptable.!Writer!
Dean!Lopata!explained,!“last!night!I!got!all!these!tweets!from!Boneheads!saying!how!
disrespectful!FOX!is!being!to!us,”!so!he!tweeted!“#Boneheads!need!to!chillax.!We’re!
still!on!with!many!new!eps!to!come…”48!Others!who!noticed!Michulka’s!extreme!
activity!also!chimed!in.!TV!by!the!Numbers’!Cancellation!Bear,!who!makes!
predictions!about!the!future!of!television!shows,!tweeted!“Even!having!done!this!for!
!!
!
162!
years,!panic!among!BONES!fans!surprises!the!bear,!take!an!extra!valium,!the!show!is!
completely!safe.”49!
As!these!fans!discuss!and!study!the!show,!they!become!experts!and!the!products!
they!create,!such!as!show!wikis!become!important!sources!of!information,!as!will!be!
discussed!in!Chapter!Nine.!This!expertise,!combined!with!a!large!network!of!
interconnected!individuals!creates!the!potential!for!fans!to!have!a!powerful!voice!
when!speaking!back!to!Bones!production!and!Fox!Broadcasting.!But!how!powerful?!
Is!the!purpose!of!these!interactions!to!acquire!and!exercise!power!to!influence!the!
show?!!The!answer!to!these!questions,!similar!to!every!other!aspect!of!the!fandom!
depends!who!you!ask.!Cindee!Phillips!places!her!faith!in!the!producers!to!act!in!
ways!that!are!best!for!the!fans.!!She!explains,!“I!spend!a!certain!amount!of!time!
defending!Hart’s!right!to!tell!his!story!because!the!day!he!finds!himself!in!the!
position!where!he’s!no!longer!telling!his!story!–!he’s!telling!the!story!that!fans!want!
to!see!–!I!think!we’ll!all!be!miserable.!I!think!if!he’s!not!telling!his!story,!I!think!we’ll!
all!lose!interest!in!it.”50 In!contrast!to!this!view,!we!saw!earlier!how!Martha!
Michulka!attempted!to!exercise!her!potential!power!and!tried!to!get!the!show!to!
listen!to!her.!!
Boneheads!have!dedicated!a!large!amount!of!time!and!energy!to!their!activities.!
They!have!formed!personal!relationships!with!other!fans!and!often!have!strong!
opinions!and!expectations!for!the!show.!These!activities!are!occurring!in!public!
spaces!and!show!personnel!can!see!them!take!place.!The!question!then!becomes!
how!do!show!personnel!react!to!these!fan!activities!and!in!turn,!how!do!fans!react!to!
!!
!
163!
their!reactions?!Do!the!producers!change!the!show!based!on!fans!complaining!about!
a!character?!Do!fans!expect!producers!to!act!on!their!complaints!or!are!they!merely!
looking!for!an!outlet!to!express!their!feeling!and!is!their!enjoyment!coming!from!
their!participation!in!the!community!and!not!an!expectation!to!effect!change?!
Exploring!these!types!of!questions!will!lead!to!a!better!understanding!of!how!
production!personnel!are!engaging!with!these!fan!activities!and!how!they!may!be!
influencing!production!practices.!How!all!of!these!audience!interactions!are!
reaching!and!influencing!Bones!personnel,!if!at!all,!will!be!discussed!in!the!next!two!
chapters.
Notes!
1!Jennifer!Lester!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!In!comparison,!iabones.net!in!Italy!reports!nearly!identical!demographics!of!99%!women!ranging!from!12a70!with!the!most!active!participation!coming!from!women!between!25!and!35.!Beatrice!Belli!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(2),!January!26,!2014.!
2!Bonesology,!"New!Members!Introduce!Yourself,"!Bonseology,!http://bonesology.yuku.com/topic/109/NewaMembersaIntroduceaYourself#.UjcchGSgl5U.!
3!Ibid.!
4!Ibid.!
5!Ibid.!
6!Jennifer!Lester!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!
7!Monisse,!"Bones!Fan!Spotlight:!Monisse,"!Bones!Theory,!http://bonestheory.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/bonesafanaspotlightamonisse/.!
8!Skole,!"Bones!Fan!Spotlight:!Skole,"!Bones!Theory,!http://bonestheory.wordpress.com/2010/10/28/bonesafanaspotlightaskole/.!
9!Kelly,!"Bones!Fan!Spotlight:!Kelly,"!Bones!Theory,!http://bonestheory.wordpress.com/2010/09/30/bonesafanaspotlightakelly/.!
!!
!
164!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10!Jenny,!"Bones!Fan!Spotlight:!Jenny,"!Bones!Theory,!http://bonestheory.wordpress.com/2010/10/14/886/.!
11!Jennifer!Lester!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!
12!Cindee!Phillips!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!November!15,!2013.!
13!At!the!time!this!was!written!Fox!announced!it!was!in!negotiations!with!the!studio!and!production!for!a!tenth!season,!but!no!agreement!had!been!finalized.!Renewal!for!a!tenth!season!was!later!announced!on!January!29,!2014.!!
14!The!Huffington!Post!UK,!"What!Was!the!Most!Popular!Tv!Show!of!2013,!According!to!Social!Media?,"!Huffington!Post,!http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/12/06/theawalkingadeadatwitterafacebookamostapopular_n_4397222.html?utm_hp_ref=tv&ir=TV.!
15!Beatrice!Belli!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(1),!January!10,!2014.!
16!Delphi!Forums,!"Delphi!Forums:!Communities!for!Friends,!Groups!and!Businesses,"!!http://www.delphiforums.com.!“The!Lab”!is!located!at:!http://!http://forums.delphiforums.com/boneyard628.!
17!The!Founding!Fathers,!"The!Founding!Fathers!a!Portal,"!!http://www.bonesatff.org/.!
18!Bones!Spoilers!can!be!found!at:!http://bonesspoilers.blogspot.com/.!Bones!Theory!can!be!found!at:!http://bonestheory.wordpress.com.!
19!Yuku,!"Start!Your!Own!Free!Forum,!Social!Network,!Social!Community,!or!Chat!Room!Instantly!|!Yuku,"!!http://www.yuku.com/.!
20!Bonesology,!"Bonesologya!a!Home!for!Fans!of!the!Fox!Tv!Show!'Bones'!~!Forums,"!!http://bonesology.yuku.com/.!Number!of!registered!members!as!listed!on!the!forum!homepage!January!13,!2014.!
21!Ibid.!
22!Jennifer!Lester!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!
23!Ibid.!
24!The!Huffington!Post!UK,!"What!Was!the!Most!Popular!Tv!Show!of!2013,!According!to!Social!Media?".!
!!
!
165!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
25!See!Martha!Mendoza,!"How!Facebook!Likes!Get!Bought!and!Sold,"!Huffington!Post,!http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/05/buyafacebookalikes_n_4544800.html.!
26!Facebook,!"Facebook!a!Bones,"!Facebook,!https://www.facebook.com/Bones.!
27!Ibid.!
28!Ibid.!
29!Bones,!"Bones!(Bonesonfox)!on!Twitter,"!Twitter,!https://twitter.com/BONESonFOX.!
30!Blechier,!"Goodbye!Couch!Potato,!Hello!Second!Screen!Surfer".!Facebook!disputes!this!claim!arguing!since!many!of!their!users!interact!with!increased!privacy!settings,!the!measurement!of!Social!TV!data!for!their!users!is!underestimated.!!
31!Jennifer!Lester!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!
32!DarkUFO,!"Bones!a!Episode!9.15!a!Heiress!in!the!Hill!a!Press!Release,"!!http://www.spoilertv.com/2014/01/bonesaepisodea915aheiressainahillapress.html.!
33!Quarterbreed,!"Press!Release,"!!http://bonesology.yuku.com/topic/3941/PressaRelease#.UvqBakJdVjt.!
34!Stephen!Nathan!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!December!11,!2013.!
35!Cindee!Phillips!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!
36!Radar!Staff,!"Broken!‘Bones’?!David!Boreanaz!to!Leave!Hit!Fox!Show!after!Current!Season,"!!http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2013/10/bonesadavidaboreanazaemilyadeschanel/.!
37!Anna!Banana!:],!"Anna!Banana!:]!(Polskaax3)!on!Twitter,"!Twitter,!https://twitter.com/polskaax3.!
38!Madison!MacInnes,!"Madison!Macinnes!(Madi93)!on!Twitter,"!Twitter,!https://twitter.com/Madi93.!David!Boreanaz,!"David!Boreanaz!(David_Boreanaz)!on!Twitter,"!Twitter,!https://twitter.com/David_Boreanaz.!
39!NatesMama,!"Bones!Twitter!Hashtag!of!the!Day,"!Bonesology,!http://bonesology.yuku.com/topic/256/BonesaTwitteraHashtagaofatheaDay#.UtkvqWSwKuV.!
!!
!
166!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
40!Bonesology,!"Bonesology!(Bonesology)!on!Twitter,"!Twitter,!https://twitter.com/Bonesology/.!
41!Vonnie#adedicatedfan,!"Vonnie#Adedicatedfan!(Greatvonnie50)!on!Twitter,"!Twitter,!https://twitter.com/greatvonnie50!!
42!Fan!discussions!about!the!show!changing!nights!are!a!common!topic.!Over!nine!seasons,!Bones!has!aired!on!every!night!Monday!through!Friday!and!fans!often!discuss!whether!the!move!is!an!attempt!by!the!network!to!kill!the!show,!a!strategic!use!of!the!show!to!act!as!a!leadain!for!a!new!series!or!a!handful!of!other!reasons.!!!
43!Carrie!Ann!Ryan,!"Carrie!Ann!Ryan!(Carrieannryan)!on!Twitter,"!Twitter,!https://twitter.com/CarrieAnnRyan.!
44!Megan!Wright,!"Megan!Wright!(Skachild_4)!on!Twitter,"!Twitter,!https://twitter.com/SkaChild_4.!
45!Martha,!"Martha!(Marthaemilym)!on!Twitter,"!Twitter,!https://twitter.com/MarthaEmilyM.!
46!Martha!Emily!Michulka!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!November!21,!2013.!
47!Cindee!Phillips!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!
48!Dean!Lopata!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(1),!November!18,!2013.!Dean!Lopata,!"Dean!Lopata!(Dloindustries)!on!Twitter,"!Twitter,!https://twitter.com/DLoIndustries.!
49!"Cancellation!Bear!(Thecancelbear)!on!Twitter,"!Twitter,!https://twitter.com/TheCancelBear.!
50!Cindee!Phillips!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!
!!
!
167!
!!
!
CHAPTER!7!
BUSINESS!PRACTICES:!INSIDE!THE!NETWORK!AND!STUDIO!
The!relationship!between!Social!TV!and!business!practices!at!the!studio!and!
network!levels!is!explored!in!this!chapter.!This!includes!investigations!of!how!these!
organizations!fuel!the!fan!activities!discussed!in!the!last!chapter,!how!they!are!
receiving!feedback!from!fans!and!what!they!are!doing!with!that!feedback.!An!
exploration!of!these!activities!focuses!on!questions!about!the!adoption!and!
integration!of!social!media,!the!value!associated!with!fans!participating!in!these!
activities,!network!and!studio!interactions!with!production!regarding!Social!TV!
activities!and!the!resulting!changes!to!business!practices.!This!information!will!
reveal!how!fan!feedback!might!flow!through!the!network!or!studio!to!production!
personnel,!creating!a!second!path!for!the!reception!of!fan!feedback.!
Fox!Broadcasting!Corporation!(FBC),!the!network,!licenses!Bones!from!20th!
Century!Fox!Television,!the!studio,!for!firstarun!airing!on!their!owned!and!affiliated!
stations!throughout!the!Unites!States.1!The!studio!is!responsible!for!the!financing!
and!producing!activities!of!Bones!including!oversight!of!various!production!
activities!such!as!personnel!management,!approving!scripts,!and!budget!supervision.!
The!studio!is!also!involved!with!marketing!activities!that!revolve!around!their!need!
to!reasell!the!show!into!secondary!markets!such!as!network!or!cable!syndication,!
digital!platforms,!international!markets!and!DVD!sales.!While!the!success!of!the!
!!
!
168!
show!during!firstarun!airing!on!FBC!is!important!to!the!studio,!they!are!most!
interested!in!building!a!brand!around!their!shows.2!!
Since!the!network!does!not!own!the!shows!it!airs,!only!licensing!them!from!the!
studio,!their!goal!is!to!get!people!to!tuneain!to!their!stations!to!watch!each!episode.!
Increasing!viewership!allows!the!network!to!obtain!higher!rates!for!advertising!time.!
To!achieve!this!goal,!the!network!employs!a!large!marketing!department!that!is!
responsible!for!all!aspects!of!acquiring!viewers.!Some!of!methods!used!by!the!
department!include!the!placement!of!print!ads,!onaair!advertising,!website!
marketing,!publicity!activities!and!social!media!promotions.!!
Social!Media!operations!are!handled!by!the!network’s!Social!Media!Department.!
Once!falling!under!the!purview!of!the!Marketing!Department’s!Digital!Department,!
the!social!media!team!has!grown!to!warrant!its!own!department.!This!is!consistent!
with!information!presented!earlier!about!social!media’s!ability!to!create!new!jobs!
throughout!the!television!industry,!the!situation!at!FBC!is!no!different.!!
Cait!Hood,!Vice!President!of!Social!Media,!oversees!the!Social!Media!Department!
that!includes!one!department!manager!and!a!small!team!of!Social!Producers.!The!
activities!of!this!group!involve!strategizing!and!managing!the!social!media!activities!
for!all!shows!being!broadcast!by!FBC.!More!specifically,!they!seek!to!drive!tuneain,!
foster!relationships!with!fans,!build!engagement!and!cultivate!communities!of!fans.3!
To!accomplish!these!goals,!each!Social!Media!Producer!is!assigned!five!shows.!In!
conjunction!with!the!Vice!President!and!department!Manager,!the!team!sets!the!
social!strategy!for!each!show,!plans!dayato!day!activities,!crafts!and!posts!content,!
!!
!
169!
and!creates!a!distribution!plan.!They!describe!listening!to!the!fans!as!an!important!
component!to!these!activities.!Listening!allows!them!to!determine!what!the!fans!
like/dislike!and!cater!to!these!desires.!!!
Listening!to!fans!results!in!each!show!being!handled!differently.!As!Cait!Hood!
explains,!“each!show!can!have!a!different!voice,!content!and!frequency!of!posting.”4!
Bones!activity!is!driven!by!FBC’s!desire!to!maintain!and!engage!the!show’s!existing!
audience!and!their!belief!that!Bones!fans!are!excited!by!legacy!content.!These!
determinations!are!discovered!through!a!process!of!testing!different!strategies.!For!
example,!the!team!found!that!references!to!relationships!are!popular,!especially!
Booth!and!Brennan’s!relationship.!In!response!to!these!fan!desires!and!in!
conjunction!with!an!encore!airing!of!the!wedding!episode,!a!wedding!picture!of!
Booth!and!Brennan!was!posted!on!Facebook.!!The!post!received!nearly!100,000!
“likes.”5!The!social!media!team!felt!this!was!a!big!success!for!them!since!most!photo!
posts!receive!approximately!25,000!“likes.”!They!felt!the!relationship!picture!
engaged!the!existing!fans!and!this!resulted!in!attracting!more!people!to!watch!the!
encore!airing!that!they!were!promoting.!In!response!to!this!“success,”!the!social!
team!started!a!“Flashback!Friday”!campaign!where!they!started!posting!old!
relationship!photos!and!videos!on!various!platforms!each!Friday!to!drive!further!
engagement.6!Whether!or!not!these!activities!were!actually!successful!depends!on!
how!they!are!being!measured,!whether!those!measurements!can!be!correlated!with!
viewership!data!and!who!is!being!asked.!A!discussion!of!measurement!methods!and!
!!
!
170!
the!perspectives!of!these!measurement!techniques!will!be!discussed!in!further!
detail!later!in!this!chapter.!!
Other!social!media!campaigns!include!ongoing!efforts!such!as!Fan!of!the!Week,!
where!fans!can!tell!FOX!why!they!are!the!biggest!Bones!fan!and!potentially!get!an!
onaair!“shout!out”!if!they!are!selected.!Additional!campaigns!are!introduced!based!
on!the!networks!needs.!For!instance,!when!Bones!was!reascheduled!from!Monday!
night!to!Friday!night,!a!campaign!called!Fox!Fan!Friday!asked!fans!“Why!do!you!love!
Bones?”!on!social!media!sites.!Fans!were!instructed!to!create!a!Vine!video!with!their!
answers!and!post!them!on!Twitter!using!the!hashtag!#fanfriday.!Winners!could!have!
their!video!played!on!TV!during!the!broadcast!of!a!show!and!others!would!be!
entered!to!win!some!show!swag.7!These!types!of!campaigns!are!consistent!with!the!
department’s!efforts!to!engage!fans!and!build!communities.!They!are!not!likely!very!
effective!at!attracting!new!viewers,!but!increasing!viewership!is!not!said!to!be!an!
important!goal!for!Bones!social!media!efforts.!Several!Social!Media!Department!and!
Publicity!Department!employees!all!expressed!this!sentiment!that!since!Bones!was!
in!its!ninth!season!and!a!reliable!fan!base!was!inaplace!resulting!in!consistent!ratings,!
efforts!to!acquire!new!viewers!wasn’t!as!important!as!maintaining!existing!viewers.!
This!speaks!to!the!multiple!ways!social!media!can!be!leveraged.!It!can!be!used!as!a!
tool!to!acquire!new!viewers!and!maintain!existing!viewers.!Whatever!the!objective,!
these!efforts!demonstrate!more!formalized,!planned!and!strategic!efforts!that!result!
in!less!intimate!engagements!than!interactions!between!fans!and!some!production!
personnel.!Intimacy!here!is!situated!as!a!dimension!of!affect!and!associated!with!the!
!!
!
171!
users!motivations.!Although!the!social!media!producers!who!are!assigned!to!manage!
these!shows!consider!themselves!fans,!their!primary!motivation!for!engaging!fans!is!
to!achieve!business!goals.!Production!personnel,!as!will!be!discussed!further!in!the!
next!chapter,!are!more!motivated!by!emotion.!Writer!Dean!Lopata,!for!example,!
describes!his!participation!as!motivated!by!a!desire!to!please!fans.!He!says,!“fans!like!
it”!and!his!participation!is!not!motivated!by!the!need!to!achieve!business!goals.8!!
These!social!engagements!are!occurring!on!a!variety!of!platforms.!However,!
before!discussing!those!platforms,!it!is!equally!important!to!consider!where!
interactions!are!not!taking!place.!One!location!where!FBC!engagement!with!fans!
might!be!expected!is!their!official!show!website.!A!review!of!that!site,!fox.com/bones!
found!no!meaningful!tools!allowing!fans!to!engage!with!each!other!or!the!show.!In!
September!2013,!the!site!contained!several!main!sections!offering!information!
about!the!show!and!cast,!photos,!video!clips!and!a!100!Fun!Facts!about!the!show!
section!with!information!like!“the!production!and!writers!office!spends!at!least!$500!
a!day!on!lunch”!and!“when!Bones!transportation!rolls!out!on!location,!they!use!90!
batteries!(truck!amp!trailers),!262!tires!and!19!generators!to!service!the!company.”9!
The!site!did!not!have!any!forum!areas!for!fans!to!interact,!but!instead!readirected!
visitors!to!“like”!Bones!on!Facebook!and!follow!the!series!on!Twitter!and!“join!the!
discussion!with!the!hashtag!#bones.”10!This!lack!of!interaction!tools!is!indicative!of!
FOX’s!changing!priorities.!Once!motivated!to!attract!fans!to!their!site,!today!they!
attempt!to!find!fans!on!other!platforms!and!engage!them!in!those!locations.!
According!to!Hood,!“fans!are!going!to!talk!about!the!shows!no!matter!what…!it’s!a!bit!
!!
!
172!
antiquated!to!tell!people!to!come!to!your!site.!People!are!joining!in!the!conversation!
where!they!are!at!that!moment.!We!want!to!be!where!people!are.”11!This!view!is!
consistent!with!FBC’s!past!actions!that!resulted!in!the!removal!of!their!once!popular!
fan!forums!and!their!most!recent!website!redesign!launched!in!January!2014!that!
removed!even!more!of!the!features!once!offered!on!the!site.!As!a!result,!
Fox.com/bones!has!been!reduced!to!the!equivalent!of!a!glossy!brochure!offering!
little!meaningful!information!and!no!interactivity.12!!
To!fill!this!social!void,!the!Social!Media!Department!has!created!accounts!for!
Bones!on!many!different!platforms!including!Facebook,!Twitter,!Google!+,!Pinterest,!
Instagram,!Vine,!GetGlue!and!Tumblr.!The!department!is!constantly!testing!new!
platforms!and!reports!their!willingness!to!try!any!and!all!tools!available!to!them.!
They’ve!adopted!a!“why!not”!attitude!because!they!never!know!what!will!work!and!
figure!they!have!little!to!lose!if!a!new!platform!does!not!become!popular!with!
viewers.!This!strategy!resembles!Rupert!Murdoch’s!own!social!media!
experimentation!efforts!dating!back!to!2005!when!NewsCorp!acquired!MySpace!
hoping!the!site!could!be!used!to!drive!users!to!Fox!television!shows.13!!
All!of!these!efforts,!from!the!2005!acquisition,!to!the!more!recent!shift!of!website!
strategy!and!testing!of!small!social!platforms!are!indicative!of!our!current!period!of!
experimentation!and!testing.!Although!Twitter!has!risen!to!be!one!of!the!leaders!in!
Social!TV,!FBC!has!not!resigned!itself!to!the!exclusive!use!of!that!platform.!How!and!
where!fans!are!discussing!shows!is!constantly!changing!and!FBC!attempts!to!stay!on!
top!of!current!trends.!Although!FOX!is!a!large!corporation,!it!has!established!an!
!!
!
173!
internal!structure!that!shows!it!understand!the!speed!at!which!it!needs!to!operate!in!
order!to!stay!current!with!changes!in!technology!and!the!way!viewers!are!
interacting.!!The!company!has!empowered!its!employees!to!make!decisions!and!
implement!tests!relatively!quickly.!
In!addition!to!testing!platforms!and!refining!engagement!strategies,!employees!
involved!in!Social!TV!efforts!are!trying!to!figure!out!how!to!measure,!report!and!
justify!their!efforts.!Production!personnel!can!participate!in!online!activities!without!
any!need!to!have!or!measure!any!results.!However,!in!the!corporate!environment!of!
FBC,!it!is!becoming!increasingly!important!to!justify!how!social!media,!specifically!in!
terms!of!Return!on!Investment!(ROI),!is!valuable!and!helping!marketing!meet!their!
goals.!!
Reports!such!as!Twitter’s!Nielsen!Causation!Study!have!announced!finding!a!
direct!correlation!between!Social!TV!activity!and!ratings,!but!many!people!are!
skeptical!of!these!findings.14!FBC!uses!a!range!of!reporting!tools.!As!Hood!explains,!
“these!measuring!activities!are!important,!but!an!imperfect!process.”15!Due!to!the!
deficient!metrics!available,!they!subscribe!to!basically!every!service!and!piece!
together!information!to!track!sentiment,!number!of!followers,!reach,!activity!levels!
and!other!metrics.!
In!addition!to!the!imperfect!reporting!methods!at!the!network!level,!there!are!no!
set!industry!measurement!and!reporting!standards!for!Social!TV!activities.!Nielsen!
TV!ratings!by!comparison!are!also!argued!by!many!to!be!flawed,!but!at!least!the!
industry!agrees!to!use!the!same!measurement!standards!and!interpret!results!in!the!
!!
!
174!
same!way.16!This!inability!to!provide!evidence!for!how!Social!TV!activities!correlate!
with!ratings!is!providing!ammunition!for!social!media!pessimism.!!
One!individual!who!questions!the!value!of!Social!TV!activities!is!Preston!
Beckman,!Senior!Strategist!for!Fox!Networks!Group.!Beckman!has!been!involved!
with!online!social!platforms!since!the!days!of!early!message!boards,!but!he!is!
pessimistic!about!Social!TV!offering!any!real!advantages!for!the!network.!He!does!
not!buy!the!correlation!between!Twitter!followers!and!ratings!and!he!does!not!view!
social!media!as!able!to!contribute!to!the!success!of!a!show.!Beckman!sees!the!world!
in!which!these!fan!activities!take!place!as!only!a!small!percentage!of!the!greater!
viewership.!These!viewers!are!more!actively!involved!and!dedicated,!but!that!
doesn’t!necessarily!make!them!more!valuable.!His!bottom!line!is!that!there!is!no!
data!that!proves!any!of!these!efforts!actually!make!a!difference!and!he!says,!“I!don’t!
for!a!second!think!any!of!this!matters.”17!
Although!Beckman!argues!he!does!not!think!social!media!matters,!he!is!a!heavy!
user!of!Twitter!where!he!promotes!FOX!shows!and!gives!away!posters!to!fans.!He!
describes!his!participation!on!social!media!platforms!as!fun.!He!says!that!he!likes!to!
connect!with!fans,!make!them!feel!important!and!give!back,!all!similar!sentiments!
that!were!expressed!by!Bones!producers!and!writers.!!But!his!actions!appear!more!
purposeful.!On!almost!any!given!day,!operating!on!Twitter!as!@maskedscheduler,!
he!makes!announcements!to!his!followers,!asking!them!to!email!him!to!enter!for!a!
chance!to!win!a!show!poster.18!One!example!post!says,!“I!have!#Enlisted!posters!for!
[email protected]!and!watch!the!show!on!Fridays.!Two!
!!
!
175!
posters!up!for!grabs.”19!Beckman!reports!receiving!an!average!of!250a300!emails!
within!three!hours!when!he!makes!such!announcements.!He!then!randomly!chooses!
winners!and!mails!them!a!poster.!The!winners!often!post!thank!you!tweets!and!after!
receiving!their!posters!take!pictures!with!them!and!post!them!online.!Despite!being!
situated!as!“fun”!by!Beckman,!these!are!all!forms!of!marketing!and!promotions!from!
the!contest!announcement!to!the!posting!of!thank!you!pictures!by!winners.!!!
Other!tweets!sent!by!Beckman!don’t!include!product!giveaways,!but!are!more!
blatant!promotions!for!FOX!shows.!One!day!he!tweeted,!“I!made!a!funny!this!AM!
which!@HartHanson!plans!to!use!in!a!#Backstrom!episode.!Watch!them!all!this!Fall!
and!guess!which!line!is!mine.”20!These!actions!are!not!consistent!with!someone!who!
expresses!such!a!pessimistic!attitude!towards!social!media!efforts.!They!are!
indicative!of!an!uneasiness!created!within!the!business!operations.!Driven!by!
numbers,!reports!and!trends,!social!media!is!causing!executives!to!have!faith!in!
efforts!that!cannot!deliver!quantifiable!results.!This!brings!out!pessimism!in!some!
people!and!optimism!in!others!who!argue!that!these!efforts!can!turn!some!fans!into!
“influencers”!who!will!help!drive!marketing!activities.!!
!! Influencers!are!fans!who!will!help!spread!the!network’s!messages.!They!are!the!
Boneheads!who!create!fan!forums,!lead!discussions,!organize!meetaups,!or!more!
simply!retweet,!like!and!share!social!media!posts.!The!network!seeks!to!feed!these!
fans!and!capitalize!on!their!dedication.!For!example,!the!FBC!publicity!department!
will!allow!some!of!these!individuals!access!to!their!screening!website!where!early!
copies!of!episodes!are!accessible.!Advance!viewing!allows!journalists!to!write!their!
!!
!
176!
stories!before!the!actual!broadcast!of!episodes!so!they!can!prepare!their!responses!
that!can!be!posted!in!a!timely!manner!after!the!broadcast!concludes.!Early!access!to!
these!screeners!by!fans!blurs!the!lines!between!fan!and!professional.!!Sarah!
Pemberton,!founder!and!operator!of!fan!forum!Bones!Theory!has!received!access!to!
FBC’s!screening!website!and!this!allows!her!to!promote!the!upcoming!episode!and!
prepare!for!postaepisode!discussions.!Before!the!airing!of!“The!Fury!in!the!Jury”!
episode,!Pemberton!posted!in!her!forum,!“I!have!seen!tonight's!episode,!and!I!really!
liked!it.!Be!sure!to!drop!by!tonight!or!tomorrow!to!discuss!it!”21!This!special!
treatment!not!only!results!in!more!people!for!the!Publicity!Department!to!manage,!
but!it!also!reveals!a!“better!safe!than!sorry”!attitude!that!results!from!not!being!able!
to!measure!the!power!of!these!“influencers.”!
These!fan!influencers!reside!in!an!inabetween!space!as!they!are!more!than!fans,!
but!they!are!not!quite!professional!journalists.!Social!media!has!enabled!them!and!
provided!the!opportunity!to!quickly!reach,!engage!and!potentially!influence!other!
fans.!But!their!reach!appears!to!be!limited!to!the!circle!of!Boneheads!who!are!
already!dedicated!fans!and!will!most!likely!be!planning!to!watch!an!episode!anyway.!
Fan/Journalist!Michelle!Carlbert!writes!fan!fiction!and!tweets!along!with!the!livea
airing!of!shows!like!a!fan,!but!also!contributes!articles!to!sites!such!as!BuddyTV,!
TVEquals!and!TVFanatics!as!a!self!proclaimed!“Freelance!Television!Journalist.”22!All!
of!these!efforts!are!promoted!through!social!media!sites!including!Facebook,!Twitter!
and!platforms!such!as!Wordpress!that!enable!her!efforts!and!allow!her!to!blur!the!
line!between!fans!and!entertainment!reporter.!This!gray!area!has!resulted!in!FBC’s!
!!
!
177!
publicity!department!having!to!manage!not!only!professional!reporters,!but!also!
these!hybrid!fan/journalists.23!Network!publicists!report!that!they!do!not!
discriminate!against!these!fan/journalists.24!If!they!are!blogging,!participating!in!
social!media!and!promoting!the!show,!they!are!viewed!as!important.!Publicists!
report!not!worrying!about!differentiating!between!the!two!because!their!job!is!to!
generate!interest,!drive!viewers!and!increase!ratings.!If!managing!these!
fan/journalists!in!addition!to!professional!journalists!is!a!task!that!will!help!them!
achieve!their!goals,!they!are!happy!to!take!on!the!extra!work.!As!Publicist!Kim!
Kurland!states,!“I!don’t!mind!the!extra!work…I!would!never!discount!fan!sites.”25!!
There!is!however!one!primary!difference!between!the!treatment!of!professional!
journalists!and!fan/journalists.!“Scoops,”!the!release!of!exclusive!news!stories,!are!
reserved!for!the!traditional!media.!Traditional!media!like!to!be!first!to!release!news!
and!let!their!readers/followers!know!they!have!obtained!a!scoop.!When!Michael!
Ausiello,!for!example,!obtains!a!scoop,!he!includes!the!line!“TVLine!has!learned!
exclusively”!in!his!article.26!Maureen!Ryan,!Television!Critic!for!AOL/Huffington!Post!
explains!how!these!scoops!benefit!journalists!and!why!they!make!it!clear!to!readers!
when!they!have!obtained!a!scoop.!She!says,!
I!think!they!basically!help!your!media/social!profile!if!you!get!regular!scoops!or!exclusives.!I!think!it's!a!kind!of!signal!that!you!should!be!taken!more!seriously!as!an!outlet!for!information…!If!I!post!that!I!have!an!exclusive!on!Twitter!and!Facebook!as!well,!industry!people!and!other!critics!who!follow!me!there!may!see!that,!so!it!can!be!a!bit!of!a!reputation!booster!as!well.27!!
Announcing!scoops!through!social!media!works!to!benefit!both!the!show!and!the!
journalist.!In!addition!to!boosting!a!journalists’!reputation,!the!show!benefits!from!
!!
!
178!
the!exposure!and!ability!for!the!information!to!quickly!flow!through!circles!of!
influence.!This!is!one!reason!the!publicists!at!FBC!report!reserving!scoops!for!
professional!journalists!and!not!fan/journalists.!They!know!that!once!news!is!
released,!the!fan/journalists!will!pick!it!up!and!promote!it!anyway!so!there!is!no!
need!to!potentially!upset!the!professionals!by!giving!the!fan/journalists!scoops.!!
The!way!publicists!handle!different!groups!demonstrates!how!they!seek!to!
control!the!flow!of!information,!a!part!of!their!job!that!is!becoming!increasingly!
difficult!due!to!social!media.!Publicists!spend!time!creating!campaigns!that!include!
the!strategic!release!of!information!so!that!information!will!have!the!greatest!impact!
possible.!Releasing!promotional!information!about!a!specific!episode,!for!example,!is!
more!effective!closer!to!the!airing!of!that!episode!instead!of!several!months!in!
advance!because!it!will!likely!be!forgotten.!Publicists!from!the!network!and!studio!
work!in!conjunction!with!the!executive!producers!and!primary!actors!to!coordinate!
what!information!should!be!discussed!during!their!media!interviews.!As!Kurland!
explains,!“it!really!is!a!twoaway!street.!I!ask!Hart!Hanson!and!Stephen!Nathan!not!to!
give!away!info!as!much!as!they!ask!FBC!to!limit!the!release!of!some!details.”28!
Despite!these!plans,!the!misause!of!social!media!by!production!personnel!can!ruin!
these!plans.!!
Information!leaks!are!of!greater!concern!today!than!the!days!before!the!
explosion!of!social!media.!In!1998,!the!hit!sitcom!Friends!decided!to!have!lead!
characters!Monica!and!Chandler!hookaup!during!the!Season!Four!finale.!This!event!
was!expected!to!be!a!pleasant!shock!for!fans!and!the!producers!wanted!to!keep!it!a!
!!
!
179!
secret.!Despite!this!desire,!they!filmed!the!scene!in!front!of!a!live!studio!audience!
and!did!not!worry!about!any!spoilers!being!released.!As!the!show’s!Executive!
Producer!Scott!Silveri!states,!"today,!of!course,!producers!would've!filmed!that!
scene!on!a!closed!set,!fearful!that!audience!members!would!tweet!about!the!moment!
the!second!they!left!the!studio.!Before!the!dawn!of!social!media,!you!could!keep!
secrets,!we!didn't!have!to!worry!about!it."29!As!discussed!in!Chapter!Six,!Joanna!
Cassidy!mistakenly!leaked!information!about!the!big!wedding!episode!in!Season!
Nine.!Publicists!and!producers!had!to!quickly!meet!and!reastrategize!after!the!
photos!were!released,!trying!to!determine!how!much!damage!was!done!and!figure!
out!how!they!should!respond.!In!another!situation,!upon!hearing!the!news!that!
Bones!was!renewed!for!Season!Seven,!Actor!David!Boreanaz!tweeted!“Oh,!season!7!
is!GO!for!‘Bones’.”30!Boreanaz!was!not!aware!that!this!information!was!still!
confidential!and!that!FBC!publicity!was!creating!plans!for!a!big!announcement.!The!
tweet!sparked!stories!throughout!the!Internet!and!FBC!was!forced!to!make!an!
official!announcement!the!following!morning!after!Boreanaz!“spilled!the!beans.”!The!
examples!demonstrate!how!social!media!not!only!allows!for!a!greater!chance!that!
information!will!be!leaked,!but!once!leaked,!that!information!can!reach!a!greater!
number!people!and!in!a!quicker!manner!than!ever!before.!
It!is!possible!that!Boreanaz!was!not!aware!of!FBC’s!plans!because!there!is!very!
little!communication!between!the!network,!studio!and!production!personnel!
regarding!marketing!plans.!One!reason!for!this!poor!communication!may!be!that!
many!of!these!individuals!do!not!know!each!other.!The!social!media!producers!at!
!!
!
180!
FBC!do!not!have!direct!contact!with!the!writers!and!producers!and!when!asked,!not!
a!single!writer!could!identify!the!person!who!manages!the!show’s!official!
@BonesonFox!Twitter!account.!
This!lack!of!communication!also!means!there!is!rarely!any!feedback!from!FBC!
personnel!to!production!regarding!fan!comments!or!sentiment.!In!rare!
circumstances,!Hood!reports!that!if!they!see!or!hear!something!“major”!they!might!
pass!along!information!to!the!FBC!Current!Department!who!would!be!the!ones!to!
communicate!that!information!to!the!production!team.!She!states,!“our!job!is!to!
market!the!show,!not!give!feedback!on!how!they!should!make!the!show.”31!
Social!TV!efforts!by!individuals!at!FBC!are!in!a!perpetual!state!of!testing!as!new!
platforms!are!introduced!and!others!fade!away.!Adjustments!are!made!to!strategies!
based!on!fan!feedback!and!the!way!fans!are!interacting.!Each!show!is!managed!with!
a!customized!strategy!and!the!attitude!about!Bones!is!that!due!to!its!age,!builtain!fan!
base,!and!dedication!of!those!fans,!there!are!greater!needs!to!maintain!the!show’s!
fandom!instead!of!seek!out!growth!in!viewers.!The!value!and!importance!of!these!
efforts!are!difficult!to!quantify!and!there!are!strong!feelings!both!in!favor!of!and!
against!these!efforts.!But!it!is!apparent!that!fans!do!appreciate!the!efforts!and!are!
engaging!with!the!network!and!the!show.!All!of!these!efforts!have!led!to!the!creation!
of!new!jobs!and!integration!of!new!work!responsibilities!into!existing!jobs.!The!
differing!objectives!of!production!personnel,!the!network!and!studio!has!led!to!
different!strategies!of!use,!but!in!the!end,!each!area!has!been!influenced!in!some!
manner!by!these!new!tools.!!
!!
!
181!
Notes!
1!In!this!instance,!the!studio!and!network!are!both!subsidiaries!of!21st!Century!Fox!Corporation.!It!is!common!for!a!studio!and!network!owned!by!the!same!parent!company!to!finance!and!distribute!a!show,!but!it!is!not!necessary!as!studios!often!license!shows!to!nonaaffiliated!networks.!!
2!Chris!Kaspers!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!February!11,!2014.!
3!Cait!Hood!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(1),!December!10,!2013.!
4!Cait!Hood!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(2),!February!10,!2014.!
5!Facebook,!"Facebook!a!Bones".!
6!One!additional!example!is!the!posting!of!a!retrospective!video!“Bones!Flashback!Friday!!It’s!Booth!and!Brennan!since!2005!”!that!appeared!on!several!Fox!YouTube!sites.!!
7!Bones,!"Bones!(Bonesonfox)!on!Twitter,"!Twitter,!http://www.twitter.com/BONESonFOX.!I!tested!this!campaign!when!completing!research.!I!posted!a!Vine!video!to!my!Twitter!account!during!the!airing!of!a!show.!Several!days!later!I!received!a!direct!message!on!Twitter!from!FOX!requesting!my!mailing!address.!A!few!weeks!later!I!received!a!Bones!hat!in!the!mail.!Not!everyone!who!posts!receives!something.!The!Social!Media!Producer!randomly!selects!winners.!
8!Dean!Lopata!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(2),!December!12,!2013.!
9!Fox,!"Bones!on!Fox,"!!http://www.fox.com/bones/.!
10!Ibid.!
11!Cait!Hood!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(2).!
12!This!discussion!does!not!include!reference!to!any!proprietary!apps!because!Fox!has!not!developed!any!for!use!with!Bones.!However,!the!perspective!of!going!to!fans!instead!of!driving!fans!to!the!network’s!platforms!would!likely!be!challenged!by!other!networks!who!are!developing!heavily!in!proprietary!second!screen!apps.!!
13!BBC!News,!"News!Corp!in!$580,!Internet!Buy,"!BBC!News,!http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4695495.stm.!
14!Nielsen,!"New!Nielsen!Research!Indicates!TwoaWay!Causal!Influence!between!Twitter!Aactivity!and!Tv!Viewship".!
15!Cait!Hood!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(2).!
!!
!
182!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
16!John!!Herman,!"Why!Nielsen!Ratings!Are!Inaccurate,!and!Why!They'll!Stay!That!Way,"!!http://splitsider.com/2011/01/whyanielsenaratingsaareainaccurateaandawhyatheyllastayathataway/.!
17!Preston!Beckman!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!February!12,!2014.!
18!The!Masked!Scheduler!name!is!a!combination!of!Beckman’s!love!for!wrestling!and!his!career!as!a!programming!executive.!
19!Masked!Scheduler,!"Masked!Scheduler!(Maskedscheduler)!on!Twitter,"!Twitter,!https://twitter.com/maskedscheduler.!
20!Ibid.!
21!Sarah!Pemberton,!"Bonesday!Posta!Pick!Your!Faves!,"!Bones!Theory,!http://bonestheory.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/bonesdayapostapickayourafaves/.!
22!Michelle!Carlbert,!"Michelle!Carlbert!(Mokibobolink)!on!Twitter,"!Twitter,!https://twitter.com/Mokibobolink.!
23!This!is!more!the!case!for!the!network!publicity!department!because!their!goals!are!to!increase!viewership!and!ratings.!The!studio!is!also!interested!in!the!success!of!the!network!team!to!achieve!these!ratings,!but!their!primary!concern!revolves!around!building!a!brand!for!the!show!so!it!can!be!sold!in!international!markets,!on!DVD!and!placed!in!digital!syndication!outlets!such!as!Hulu!and!Netflix.!
24!Kim!Kurland!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!February!12,!2014.!
25!Ibid.!
26!For!examples,!Google!“TVLine!has!learned!exclusively”!and!that!search!will!return!hundred!of!resulting!articles!where!this!line!has!been!used.!
27!Maureen!Ryan!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!February!19,!2014.!
28!Kim!Kurland!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!
29!Josef!Adalian,!"How!Friends!Decided!to!Pair!Off!Monica!and!Chandler,"!Vulture,!http://www.vulture.com/2013/11/friendsamonicaachandlerahowawritersapairedathemaoff.html.!
30!Scott!Collins,!"David!Boreanaz!of!'Bones'!Breaks!the!News!Via!Twitter!of!the!Show's!Fate!for!Next!Season,"!Los!Angeles!Times,!
!!
!
183!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2011/05/davidaboreanazaofabonesabreaksatheanewsaviaatwitteraofatheashowsafateaforanextaseasona.html.!
31!Cait!Hood!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(2).!
!!
!
184!
!
!
CHAPTER!8!
PRODUCING!BONES:!ON!SET,!IN!THE!OFFICES!AND!WRITERS!ROOM!
To!shed!light!on!how!the!content!of!viewer!interactions!and!communications!are!
directly!received!and!handled,!this!chapter!examines!how!Bones!production!
personnel!use!social!media.!These!uses!reveal!how!production!practices!in!areas!
such!as!the!Property!Department!and!Casting!Department!are!changing!due!to!the!
integration!of!Social!TV!activities.!!Throughout!the!history!of!television,!the!
introduction!of!new!technologies!has!changed!production!practices.!But!unlike!
previous!modifications,!the!significance!of!changes!resulting!from!Social!TV!extend!
beyond!how!work!gets!completed!and!includes!the!potential!for!Social!TV!activities!
to!influence!show!content.!!
In!an!effort!to!maintain!their!authorial!control,!writers!and!producers!claim!they!
do!not!make!changes!to!show!content!based!on!Social!TV!activities.!But!findings!
reveal!that!despite!these!claims,!some!changes!are!occurring.!Varying!conceptions!of!
what!is!meant!by!change!means!production!personnel!are!only!considering!changes!
as!being!conspicuous!and!pronounced!modifications!and!not!also!the!subtler!and!
less!direct!adjustments!that!are!being!made.!The!changing!of!content!based!on!
viewer!feedback!leads!to!potential!implications!including!changing!viewer!
expectations!and!diminishing!authorial!control.!!
!!
!
185!
Between!August!and!December!2013,!interviews!with!several!production!
personnel!including!production!assistants,!writers!and!producers!provided!a!
preliminary!picture!of!the!production!office!hierarchies,!job!duties!of!various!
individuals!and!production!schedules.!The!first!observation!period!took!place!
December!9a13,!2013!at!the!20th!Century!Fox!Television!Studios!lot!in!Los!Angeles,!
California.!This!observation!period!was!followed!by!a!second!period!of!phone!
interviews!followed!by!a!second!observation!period!conducted!from!February!10a14,!
2014.!Since!the!sound!stages!and!offices!for!the!production,!studio!and!network!are!
all!in!the!same!location;!both!visits!were!able!to!incorporate!interview!and!
observation!periods!on!set!and!in!the!production,!studio!and!network!offices.!
The!Bones!production!offices!are!located!in!Building!1!in!the!western!corner!of!
the!Fox!lot.!The!twoastory,!white!stucco!building!is!reminiscent!of!a!stereotypical!
Hollywood!production!office.!Upon!entering!the!building,!there!is!a!large!conference!
room!that!is!used!for!large!production!meetings!and!other!gatherings.!Opposite!this!
room!the!Props!Department!occupies!a!twoaroom!office!area.!A!set!of!doubleadoors!
leads!into!the!main!office,!an!open!twoastory!space!where!desks!for!most!of!the!
production!assistants!are!located.!Around!the!outer!walls!are!small!offices!for!
various!departments!including!accounting,!locations,!the!script!coordinator,!the!
executive!producers’!offices!and!an!office!for!the!producers’!assistants.!Posta
production,!directors,!individual!writer’s!offices!and!the!main!writers!room!occupy!
second!floor!offices.!Casting!offices,!also!housed!in!this!building,!are!located!in!a!
separate!section!accessible!from!an!alternate!entrance.!!!
!!
!
186!
!The!majority!of!the!show!is!shot!on!two!sound!stages.!The!first,!Stage!6,!houses!
sets!for!The!Jeffersonian!Institute!including!the!main!lab,!bone!room!and!Brennan’s!
office.!Built!in!1930,!this!stage!is!formerly!the!home!of!films!Miracle!on!34th!Street!
(1947),!The!Poseidon!Adventure!(1972),!Nine!to!Five!(1980),!Predator!2!(1980)!and!
television!shows!Starsky!and!Hutch!(1975a1979)!and!The!XAFiles!(1993a2002).!Stage!
9!houses!sets!for!the!FBI!Offices!and!Booth!and!Brennan’s!house.!Built!in!1928,!stage!
9!is!formerly!the!home!to!films!such!as!The!Adventures!of!Sherlock!Holmes!(1939),!
Che!!(1969),!Jumpin’!Jack!Flash!(1986)!and!television!shows!Peyton!Place!(1964a
1969),!M*A*S*H!(1972a1983)!and!NYPD!Blue!(1993a2004).!An!additional!shooting!
location!on!Fox’s!“New!York!Street”!is!home!to!the!sets!for!The!Royal!Diner.!!
During!observation!and!interview!visits,!I!was!granted!access!to!all!of!these!
office!and!production!areas.!I!observed!the!typical!work!activities!for!production!
personnel!and!interviewed!a!wide!range!of!individuals!from!production!assistants!to!
showrunners!in!their!offices!and!actors,!writers,!directors!and!other!support!
personnel!on!set.!One!benefit!of!researching!a!show!in!its!ninth!season!is!that!the!
crew!is!relatively!more!stable!than!on!many!other!shows!so!their!experiences!with!
the!show!can!range!from!several!months!to!several!years.!
The!production!process!for!Bones!begins!in!early!summer!when!the!executive!
producers!give!writers!their!episode!assignments!based!on!the!number!of!episodes!
planned!for!the!season.!The!process!to!craft!stories!and!achieve!a!completed!script!is!
quite!elaborate.!After!being!assigned!an!episode,!a!writer!comes!up!with!a!concept.!
They!create!a!“world”!surrounding!an!idea!that!can!usually!be!summed!up!in!one!or!
!!
!
187!
two!words!such!as!“roller!derby”!or!“chess!match.”!This!world!is!pitched!to!
executive!producers!Stephen!Nathan!or!Hart!Hanson!for!approval.!Next,!the!writer!
will!begin!to!create!a!general!outline!for!the!show!or!“preabreak”!the!episode.!This!is!
the!initial!step!in!creating!details!about!the!murder,!murder!weapon,!body!find!and!
other!details.!To!help!with!these!details,!any!necessary!initial!research!used!to!
support!these!details!is!completed.!For!example,!if!a!body!is!found!in!water,!the!
writer!might!need!to!research!how!quickly!a!body!decomposes!in!water.1!These!
initial!ideas!are!presented!to!the!other!writers!in!the!writers!room!where!the!group!
works!together!to!“break”!the!episode.!This!involves!creating!a!more!detailed!scenea
byascene!outline!and!posting!it!on!one!of!the!white!boards!in!the!room!for!everyone!
to!see.!Throughout!this!process,!dozens!of!ideas!are!introduced!and!eliminated!as!
pieces!of!the!story!are!put!together.!At!this!point,!only!the!primary!“A”!storyline!is!
created.!Upon!completion!of!the!“A”!story,!any!“B”!and!“C”!story!elements!are!addeda
in.!these!“B”!and!“C”!stories!are!the!running!storylines!discussed!in!Chapter!Five.!
These!are!minimally!tied!to!the!“A”!story!and!kept!separated!in!case!they!need!to!be!
cut!and!moved!to!another!episode!if!faced!with!any!number!of!issues!such!as!lack!of!
time,!availability!of!an!actor!or!change!in!budget.!Executive!Producer!Jonathan!
Collier,!who!“runs”!the!writers!room!provides!feedback!and!guidance!to!the!writers!
throughout!this!process.!Completed!outlines!are!then!pitched!to!Stephen!Nathan.!
Nathan!acts!as!the!primary!center!of!knowledge!about!the!show,!so!he!may!be!privy!
to!information!the!writers!do!not!know!and!he!will!make!changes!to!their!work!
accordingly.!The!writer!then!takes!the!approved!initial!outline!and!creates!an!
!!
!
188!
extended!outline,!usually!double!the!length!and!including!more!details.!This!outline!
is!then!sent!to!the!network!and!studio!for!their!approval.!Once!the!story!is!approved,!
the!writer!will!create!a!draft!script!and!send!it!to!Stephen!Nathan!and!Hart!Hanson!
for!review.!Hanson!and!Nathan!make!revisions,!either!alone!or!in!conjunction!with!
the!writer!and!this!“writers!draft”!script!then!becomes!the!“confidential!version.”!
This!confidential!version!is!sent!to!the!Script!Coordinator!Robert!Hornak!who!
distributes!it!to!the!department!heads!in!advance!of!the!“concept!meeting.”!!
The!Concept!Meeting!kicks!off!an!episode’s!“prep”!stage.!In!this!meeting,!the!
script!is!reviewed!and!each!department!can!raise!questions!about!specifics!that!will!
be!needed!from!them.!For!example,!the!person!responsible!for!generating!the!
computer!graphics!on!a!screen!in!front!of!an!actor!might!ask!what!type!of!
information!should!be!shown.!A!location!scout!might!ask!about!specific!
requirements!for!a!scene!that!will!be!shot!outside!of!the!sound!stages.!For!example,!
one!scene!called!for!a!lake.!The!location!manager!asked,!how!big!a!lake?!Does!the!
lake!need!a!boat!ramp?!And!other!specific!questions!to!meet!the!writer’s,!director’s!
and!producer’s!visions.!
After!this!meeting,!each!department!begins!its!work!and!between!one!to!two!
weeks!later!shooting!for!that!episode!begins.!The!amount!of!time!available!to!“prep”!
an!episode!depends!on!a!constantly!changing!schedule!influenced!by!editing!backlog,!
airing!schedule!or!any!number!of!other!factors.!Shooting!usually!lasts!approximately!
eight!days.!Once!complete,!the!postaproduction!unit!edits,!color!corrects!and!
prepares!the!final!episode.!Throughout!this!process!postaproduction!personnel!send!
!!
!
189!
advance!copies!to!the!executive!producers!for!approvals!and!changes.!The!studio!
and!network!also!receive!advance!copies!to!view!and!request!clips!of!certain!scenes!
for!promotional!purposes.!!
Social!media!use!by!production!personnel!participating!in!these!production!
activities!is!ubiquitous.!Similar!to!almost!any!other!business,!workers!have!
integrated!the!use!of!social!platforms!into!their!daily!routines.!!At!almost!any!given!
moment!an!actor!can!be!seen!checking!his!Facebook!account,!a!writer!sends!a!tweet!
while!brainstorming!an!episode!or!a!production!assistant!can!be!found!checking!her!
Instagram!feed.!!Whether!production!personnel!are!using!social!platforms!to!
complete!their!work!or!interacting!with!fans!about!the!show,!the!prevalence!of!these!
activities!has!led!to!many!changes!in!production!activities.!!
The!Influence!of!Social!TV!on!Production!Practices!
A!team!of!office!personnel!manages!the!daily!business!operations!of!the!show!
and!support!the!production!processes!described!above.!Their!work!includes!
accounting,!producing!schedules,!handling!communications,!distributing!content!
such!as!scripts!and!other!administrative!duties.!The!handling!of!fan!mail!is!another!
responsibility!of!the!office!production!assistants!and!this!is!one!area!where!Social!
TV!activities!have!changed!the!work!being!performed.!!
The!sorting!and!distribution!of!fan!mail!was!once!a!time!consuming!task!for!
office!personnel,!but!as!Production!Assistant!Sammy!Rivkin!states,!“we!just!don’t!
receive!that!much!fan!mail!anymore.”2!Similarly,!Eric!Phillips,!personal!assistant!to!
Hart!Hanson,!reports!only!receiving!about!ten!pieces!of!physical!fan!mail!a!month.3!
!!
!
190!
This!decrease!in!physical!mail!is!the!result!of!social!media!replacing!physical!letters!
as!the!primary!method!of!audience!feedback!to!production.!!
When!this!limited!amount!of!physical!mail!arrives!at!the!production!office,!it!is!
sorted!and!distributed!by!the!production!assistants.!The!production!assistants!do!
not!open!or!review!any!letters.!The!personal!assistants!perform!this!task!and!act!as!
gatekeepers!for!their!bosses.!These!assistants!report!that!the!content!of!letters!are!
not!usually!passed!on!to!the!producers.!Today,!due!to!social!media,!the!opportunity!
for!these!viewers!to!have!their!voices!heard!is!much!greater!if!they!use!social!media.!
Social!media!bypasses!these!gatekeepers!and!increases!the!odds!the!viewer’s!
comment!will!reach!the!intended!recipient.!In!this!instance,!the!introduction!of!
social!media!has!reduced!the!amount!of!mail!processing!work!for!production!
assistants!and!personal!assistants.!It!has!also!changed!the!way!producers!and!other!
show!personnel!are!connecting!with!viewers.!
Departments!reporting!these!types!of!changes!resulting!from!the!introduction!of!
social!media!are!common!in!almost!every!area!of!production.!One!department!with!
several!procedural!changes!is!the!Property!Department.!Props!is!responsible!for!
acquiring!and!managing!all!of!the!property!that!appears!on!the!show.!They!begin!to!
identify!props!when!the!“confidential!script”!is!circulated!and!they!can!seek!
clarification!during!the!concept!meeting.!For!example,!during!the!concept!meeting!
for!“The!Source!in!the!Sludge,”!two!props!were!discussed!at!length.!In!the!opening!
scene,!two!men!who!are!attempting!to!cheat!at!a!fishing!tournament!bring!a!frozen!
bass!to!the!tournament!hoping!to!pass!it!off!as!freshly!caught.!This!raised!questions!
!!
!
191!
such!as!“how!big!should!the!fish!be?”!During!the!same!scene,!the!men!find!what!is!
identified!in!the!script!as!a!“bright!yellow!duffle!bag”!along!the!shore.!Since!this!bag!
needs!to!contain!a!human!corpse,!the!Props!Department!asks!questions!about!the!
size!of!the!bag!and!it’s!contents,!“is!the!body!intact!or!in!pieces?”!Other!details!are!
discussed!to!determine!if!any!other!features!of!the!bag!are!important!such!as!the!
material!or!shade!of!yellow.!While!this!level!of!attention!to!detail!may!seem!a!bit!
extreme,!gaining!consensus!on!these!details!is!important!to!ensure!the!correct!items!
are!acquired,!but!it!is!also!increasingly!important!because!of!social!media.!As!
Assistant!Property!Master!Joel!McKee!explains,!property!masters!are!increasingly!
aware!that!viewers!are!scrutinizing!every!aspect!of!their!jobs!as!viewers!use!social!
media!platforms!to!discuss!the!show’s!choice!of!props.4!!
The!use!of!brand!names!is!another!aspect!of!prop!selection!that!must!be!
carefully!considered!by!Props.!!The!property!masters!explain!that!brands!should!not!
be!used!unless!it!is!for!a!product!placement!or!free!merchandise!exchange.5!Since!
Bones!involves!forensic!science,!there!is!often!a!need!to!acquire!expensive!
specialized!equipment.!In!order!to!stay!within!budget,!social!media!is!leveraged!as!a!
way!to!obtain!free!goods.!When!a!particular!item!is!identified,!the!property!masters!
contact!a!manufacturer!and!request!a!free!product!for!use!on!the!show.!In!exchange,!
the!manufacturers!are!offered,!or!occasionally!request!on!their!own,!a!screenashot!of!
the!product!being!used!on!the!show!in!order!to!promote!their!product’s!use!on!their!
company’s!social!media!sites.!As!Property!Master!Ian!Scheibel!says,!“this!has!made!
getting!free!products!easier!because!a!screen!grab!is!an!easy!request!to!fulfill.”6!!
!!
!
192!
Social!media!can!also!help!with!the!process!of!acquiring!props.!Connecting!with!
old!friends!through!social!media!can!help!when,!for!example,!the!show!needs!an!old!
map!of!Washington!D.C.!The!prop!masters!report!that!they!can!simply!use!Facebook!
to!contact!friends!that!live!in!that!area!and!ask!where!they!can!get!the!map!they!
need.!Similarly,!questions!about!finding!items!can!be!posted!on!personal!pages!so!
prop!masters!friends!can!offer!help!locating!items.!Many!prop!masters!on!different!
shows!are!friends!with!each!other!and!social!media!is!a!useful!way!for!them!to!help!
find!items.!
Props!also!uses!social!media!as!a!research!tool.!Viewers,!for!example,!track!the!
weapons!used!on!the!show!on!Wikis!such!as!the!Internet!Movie!Firearms!Database.7!
Although!viewers!maintain!these!sites,!the!property!masters!report!using!them!to!
remind!themselves!what!weapons!they!have!used!in!the!past.!The!show!page!for!
Bones!not!only!lists!the!weapons!that!have!appeared!on!the!show,!but!also!includes!
screen!shots,!episode!information!and!details!about!the!weapons.!!When!introducing!
new!weapons,!the!site!is!also!useful!to!research!specific!information!on!the!gun!and!
find!out!what!other!shows!have!used!it!in!the!past.!!
Similar!to!Props,!processes!in!the!Bones!casting!office!have!been!influenced!by!
the!introduction!of!social!media.!Casting!is!an!active!department!due!to!the!large!
number!of!guest!stars!used!on!the!show.!!The!casting!process!for!these!guest!stars!
begins!after!the!concept!meeting!when!Casting!Director!Rick!Millikan!and!Casting!
Associate,!Christine!Ciraolo,!begin!the!search!for!actors!to!audition!for!roles.!One!of!
the!first!steps!in!this!process!is!breaking!down!a!script.!This!involves!cutting!the!
!!
!
193!
script!into!sections!for!each!role!so!the!lines!can!be!distributed!to!agents!without!
releasing!the!entire!script!while!allowing!actors!to!get!the!lines!they!need!to!prepare!
for!an!audition.!!
Before!the!Internet,!these!“sides,”!the!relevant!script!pages,!were!faxed!to!agents.!
Today,!they!are!posted!on!websites,!allowing!for!quicker!and!easier!distribution.!
One!such!website!is!showfax.com!that!charges!a!flat!rate!of!$68!per!year!to!anyone!
that!wants!access!to!their!database.8!This!low!cost!turned!out!to!be!a!problem!for!
Bones!because!fans!discovered!the!site,!signedaup!for!accounts!and!were!able!to!
access!scripts!for!upcoming!episodes!and!find!spoilers.!These!would!be!“true”!
spoilers!not!the!advanced!promotional!materials!released!by!the!network!that!fans!
call!spoilers.!Due!to!the!large!number!of!guest!stars,!many!pages!from!each!episode!
were!often!posted!and!fans!would!piece!together!each!set!of!sides!to!try!and!gain!as!
full!a!picture!of!the!episode!as!possible.!As!Josh!Levy,!Far!Field!Productions!Manager!
of!Creative!Affairs!explained,!
What!happened!is!that!super!fans!–!hardcore!people!–!got!ahold!of!this!service,!bought!a!subscription!to!the!service!which!is!like!$60!for!a!year,!and!then!were!going!and!looking!through!all!the!audition!sides,!finding!spoilers!and!posting!the!spoilers!online.!And!things!they!really!weren’t!supposed!to!know.!New!love!interests!or!what!happens!in!a!scene.!What!happens!at!the!top!of!the!page.!What!happens!at!the!bottom!of!the!page.!And!sides!are!basically,!if!an!actor’s!scene!is!three!pages!long,!those!three!pages!might!be!spread!out!over!five!pages.!So!on!the!top!and!the!bottom!of!those!audition!sides,!there’ll!be!stuff!from!other!scenes.!So!people!would!piece!all!of!these!together,!when!you’re!auditioning!for!eight!people.!And!they!would!know!what!was!happening.9!!
!Fans!used!social!media!to!discuss!the!release!and!examination!of!these!sides.!For!
example,!in!2011,!an!unknown!user!on!Bonesology!posted!a!comment!saying!“Dean!
!!
!
194!
Lopata!(a!Bones!Supervising!Producer/Writer)!cruelly!tweeted!a!photo!of!the!
completed!episode!three!script,!of!course!cutting!off!right!above!where!the!title!
would!be.!He!said!they!were!prepping!next!week!so!if!sides!don’t!appear!sometime!
tonight,!I!guess!they!will!be!out!next!week.”10!In!reply!to!this!comment,!user!
NatesMama!said!“I!saw!that!tweet!immediately!and!logged!into!Showfax!to!see!if!
there!were!sides.!LOL.!As!soon!as!they’re!up,!they’ll!be!posted![online].”11!
The!producers!of!Bones!were!aware!that!fans!were!managing!to!get!a!lot!of!
information!in!advance,!but!they!weren’t!able!to!figure!out!exactly!how.!Although!
there!were!open!conversations!about!sides!in!places!like!Bonesology,!on!other!sites,!
the!fans!would!speak!in!codes.!According!to!Emily!Silver,!current!Bones!writer!and!
selfaprofessed!“fangirl,”!sides!were!part!of!the!information!fans!referred!to!as!
“cookies.”!These!are!nuggets!of!information!the!fans!would!find!and!share!about!
upcoming!episodes.!Near!the!end!of!Season!Seven,!production!figured!out!the!fans!
were!accessing!the!casting!sides!and!they!cut!off!the!flow!of!information.!To!prevent!
unwanted!access!to!this!information,!a!password!was!placed!on!the!site.!Now,!
agents!could!see!the!roles,!but!not!access!sides.!In!order!to!get!the!sides!they!needed!
to!call!Christine!Ciraolo!who!would!then!provide!them!with!a!password!to!gain!
access.12!!
While!the!Internet!has!increased!efficiencies!of!many!business!practices,!such!as!
posting!sides!instead!of!faxing,!this!example!shows!how!new!precautions!must!be!
taken!with!new!processes.!Because!fans!can!quickly!disseminate!information!
through!social!media,!increased!care!must!be!given!to!consider!potential!flaws!with!
!!
!
195!
new!processes!that!might!be!taken!advantage!of!by!these!fans!seeking!to!obtain!
information!that!is!not!meant!for!them.!!!
Ciraolo!explains!how!social!media!use!has!also!led!to!an!increase!in!negative!
viewer!feedback.13!Fans,!for!example,!reacted!negatively!on!Twitter!when!Booth!and!
Brennan’s!daughter!Christine!did!not!appear!in!the!wedding!episode!during!Season!
Nine.!Ciraolo!explained!how!fans!did!not!understand!how!a!couple’s!daughter!could!
not!attend!her!parents’!wedding!and!they,!in!part,!blamed!the!casting!department.!In!
reality,!there!are!many!issues!that!play!into!the!casting!of!an!episode.!But!in!this!
case,!it!was!not!the!casting!department’s!fault.!The!twins,!Susanne!and!Ali!Hartman,!
who!play!Christine!were!scheduled!to!appear!in!the!episode!and!even!went!through!
wardrobe!and!makeup!on!the!day!of!shooting,!but!as!kids!sometimes!do,!they!were!
uncooperative!that!day!and!it!was!impossible!to!use!them!in!the!scene.!Therefore,!
Christine!did!not!appear!in!the!final!cut!of!the!episode.!As!Hart!Hanson!and!Stephen!
Nathan!explained,!“the!twin!girls!playing!Christine!were!there.!They!had!a!bad!day.!
They!were!unhappy.!And!we!just!didn’t!want!to!put!the!image!of!a!crying!child!on!
the!screen.!And!we!also!didn’t!want!to!torture!the!child.!That’s!what!happens!when!
you!have!kid!actors;!some!days!are!not!good!days.”!Nathan!added,!“clearly!Twitter!
will!go,!‘Boo!!Hart!and!Stephen!are!ass!h—s!and!morons!for!not!putting!Christine!in.’!
But!really,!sometimes,!there’s!not!much!you!can!do.!Life!comes!in!and!calls!the!
shots.”14!
In!an!effort!to!appease!fans,!Hanson!posted!a!picture!of!Christine!taken!on!set!
when!they!were!attempting!to!shoot!the!scene.!It!showed!her!wearing!a!purple!
!!
!
196!
dress,!holding!a!basket!and!walking!down!the!aisle.!!Hanson!wrote,!“A!little!treat!for!
the!Boneheads.!A!little!something!some!of!you!missed!in!the!Wedding!Episode.”15!
Social!media,!in!this!instance,!allowed!fans!an!outlet!to!express!their!displeasure.!
Because!they!often!do!not!know!where!to!direct!their!anger,!it!is!unleashed!on!
anyone!they!think!could!have!played!a!role.!In!this!case,!one!of!the!recipients!was!
casting.!Yet,!since!the!feedback!forum!was!public,!it!enabled!other!fans!to!see!what!
was!happening!and!jump!on!the!bandwagon.!Executive!producers,!who!were!
receiving!similar!negative!feedback,!responded!to!fans!on!behalf!of!their!team.!!
This!situation!is!indicative!of!the!new!speed!involved!in!the!fan/show!feedback!
loop.!Less!than!24ahours!passed!between!the!time!the!show!aired,!fans!complained!
and!the!producers!responded!in!an!attempt!to!explain!the!situation.!Here,!it!is!also!
revealed!how!traditionally!behindatheascenes!jobs!are!increasingly!moving!to!the!
forefront!as!viewers!attempt!to!connect!with!staff!at!all!levels!of!production.!!
When!casting!a!show,!it!can!be!argued!that!an!actor’s!ability!to!demonstrate!
“proper”!social!media!behavior!can!be!a!factor!in!landing!a!role.!!Actor!Assaf!Cohen!
is!a!regular!guest!actor!and!has!appeared!on!a!range!of!shows!including!Agents!of!
S.H.I.E.L.D.,!Weeds,!24!and!NCIS:!Los!Angeles.!In!an!interview!conducted!between!
filming!scenes!for!the!Bones!episode!“!The!Heiress!in!the!Hill,“!Cohen!explained!the!
importance!of!understanding!and!displaying!proper!social!media!etiquette.!The!
guest!actor!must!understand!the!show!is!trying!to!protect!information!from!being!
released!to!the!public.!Other!actors!have!personal!preferences!regarding!how!they!
release!information!online,!especially!as!a!new!industry!attempting!to!monetize!
!!
!
197!
social!media!for!celebrities!has!started!to!gain!momentum.!One!such!company,!
WhoSay!(Whosay.com),!seeks!to!monetize!actor’s!social!media!posts.!This!is!one!of!
the!reasons!actors!are!protective!of!what!pictures!and!information!other!people!
distribute!about!them!on!social!media.!They!don’t!want!to!loose!control!of!the!
quantity!and!type!of!information!being!released!as!well!as!any!potential!financial!
benefits.!David!Boreanaz!is!the!only!actor!on!Bones!listed!a!member!on!WhoSay!who!
touts!they!have!“1,500!celebrity!members!including!athletes,!musicians,!actors,!and!
other!artists!who!“use!WhoSay!to!connect!with!their!fans.”16!This!partnership!is!
likely!the!reason!multiple!production!personnel!have!shared!their!belief!that!
Boreanaz!is!more!protective!of!pictures!and!information!being!released!about!him!
on!social!media!than!the!other!cast!members.!!
To!help!control!the!release!of!information!guest!actors,!extras!and!other!cast!and!
crew!usually!sign!confidentiality!agreements.!These!have!changed!over!the!years!to!
include!specific!details!outlining!social!media!use.!Cohen!explained!how!he!is!asked!
to!sign!these!agreements!on!almost!every!job,!but!Bones,!unlike!many!other!shows,!
did!not!ask!him!to!sign!such!an!agreement.!As!Cohen!explains,!even!though!there!
was!no!formal!agreement,!“you!have!to!still!understand!the!rules!for!proper!
behavior!and!act!accordingly.”17!These!rules!for!proper!behavior!include!a!new!
social!media!common!sense!that!is!being!created.!For!example,!it!is!generally!
acceptable!to!post!vague!comments!such!as!“I!just!landed!a!gig!as!a!guest!star!on!
Bones,”!but!not!any!specifics!about!the!characters,!scenes,!plot,!setting!or!other!
information!that!the!show!may!not!want!released.!!!
!!
!
198!
When!asked!about!the!idea!of!Twitter!followers!helping!an!actor!get!cast,!Rick!
Millikan!said!he!believed!it!could!be!a!“deciding!factor.”18!He!noted!the!excitement!
around!casting!Olympic!gymnast!McKayla!Maroney!because!“she!came!with!475,000!
Twitter!followers!and!people!were!talking!about!that.”19!Although,!Millikan!does!
provide!one!caveat!to!the!relationship!between!casting,!social!media!and!Bones!
specifically.!!He!does!not!see!the!ability!for!an!actor!to!promote!the!show!through!
social!media!as!an!important!factor!for!a!show!like!Bones!because!the!show!is!in!its!
ninth!season!and!the!“seven!million!or!so!people!who!are!going!to!watch!the!show!
are!already!fans!and!there!isn’t!as!much!need!for!promotion.”!However,!for!a!new!
series!or!one!looking!to!grow!like!Melissa!and!Joey,!another!show!that!Millikan!casts,!
he!thinks!it!is!a!real!possibility!that!a!greater!social!media!presence!could!influence!a!
casting!decision.!Millikan!is!also!quick!to!point!out!that!other!sites!such!as!YouTube!
are!also!important.!Although!YouTube!would!not!be!primarily!classified!as!a!social!
platform,!it!has!become!an!important!tool!for!aspiring!writers,!actors,!editors!and!
producers!to!distribute!their!work!and!create!followings.!Therefore,!the!number!of!
YouTube!followers!for!a!potential!actor!could!be!equally!important!as!the!number!of!
Twitter!followers.!!
Actors!working!as!extras!have!also!integrated!social!media!use!into!their!work!
practices.!Extra!Fred!Fine,!a!veteran!with!seventeen!years!experience!and!a!regular!
on!Bones,!explained!how!he!and!his!friends!use!social!media!to!keep!up!to!date!on!
available!work,!finding!out!where!friends!are!working!and!letting!them!know!where!
you!are!working.!In!Fine’s!case,!his!primary!social!media!platform!is!Facebook!
!!
!
199!
because!he!is!communicating!with!people!he!knows!and!doesn’t!see!a!need!for!any!
of!the!conversations!to!be!public.!Extras!are!background!workers,!and!there!is!no!
need!for!them!to!selfapromote!or!build!followings!in!the!way!guest!stars!do.!!
Despite!the!benefit!of!social!media!to!ease!communication,!Fine!does!note!that!it!
can!be!“dangerous.”20!Similar!to!Cohen,!he!describes!the!rules!on!set!as!common!
sense.!!“Don’t!take!pictures,!don’t!talk!about!storylines!or!people.!Don’t!get!in!the!
way!of!people!working!and!don’t!bother!the!stars!unless!they!engage!with!you.”21!He!
explains!that!if!you!take!inappropriate!actions,!there!will!be!consequences.!As!a!
professional,!it!is!not!worth!risking!your!job!to!take!a!picture!or!post!information!
online.!This!perspective!is!representative!of!the!expectations!set!for!belowathealine!
personnel.22!For!aboveathealine!personnel!such!as!the!producers,!directors!and!
writers,!the!rules!are!partially!different.!While!writers,!for!example,!generally!have!
more!freedom!to!take!and!post!pictures,!they!must!still!respect!the!wishes!of!people!
who!do!not!want!pictures!of!them!posted.!Bones!writers!are!some!of!the!most!
prolific!posters!of!behindatheascenes!photos!because!they!spend!a!lot!of!time!on!set!
and!in!the!production!offices.23!!
The!Influence!of!Social!TV!on!Writing!Processes!and!Content!
The!writers!describe!the!Bones!writing!room!as!one!of!the!most!organized,!
cohesive!and!process!driven!they!have!experienced.!A!typical!day!finds!the!writers!
arriving!in!the!offices!around!10:00am.!The!morning!hours!are!spent!working!
individually!or!in!small!groups.!These!groups!meet!in!a!writer’s!office!or!if!a!writer!is!
breaking!an!episode,!the!meeting!may!take!place!in!the!writers!room.!Groups!are!
!!
!
200!
based!on!personal!schedules!and!where!in!the!development!process!each!person’s!
script!is!found.!If!a!writer’s!script!is!in!production,!they!will!spend!their!day!floating!
between!the!sound!stage!and!the!office.!If!they!are!close!to!their!prep!date,!they!will!
be!working!with!the!executive!producers!to!iron!out!final!questions.!Writers!in!early!
development!stages!float!between!their!offices,!where!they!are!writing!and!
completing!research,!and!the!writers!room!where!they!will!add!scenes!to!the!white!
boards!and!talk!through!ideas!and!issues!with!other!writers.!!
During!my!first!observation!period,!I!spent!a!considerable!amount!of!time!in!the!
writers!room!observing!these!activities.!At!that!time,!Episode!911!“The!Spark!in!the!
Park”!had!aired!on!December!6,!and!the!next!episode!was!not!scheduled!to!air!until!
January!10.!This!provided!the!writers!an!opportunity!to!“get!ahead”!and!create!a!
larger!buffer!between!the!time!they!wrote!a!script!and!the!time!it!went!into!
production.!!During!this!week,!Episodes!912!was!in!it’s!final!two!days!of!shooting,!
episode!913!commenced!shooting,!914!started!preaproduction!“prep”!and!episodes!
916,!917,!and!918!were!being!worked!on!in!the!writers!room.!The!script!for!Episode!
915!was!completed!and!awaiting!final!approval!from!the!executive!producers.24!!
The!presence!of!social!media!in!the!writers!room!was!immediately!noticeable.!
The!writers!discussed!content!they!read!on!social!media!sites,!took!pictures!to!post!
online!and!joked!about!things!they!were!reading!in!their!feeds.!It!was!noticeable!
however,!that!there!were!contrasting!approaches!to!social!media!by!different!
individuals.!The!fifteen!writers,!producers,!assistants!and!coordinators!involved!in!
the!writing!process!can!be!divided!into!different!social!media!usage!groups!
!!
!
201!
including!heavy!users,!medium!users,!light!users!and!social!media!avoiders.!The!
heavy!users,!Executive!Producer!Hart!Hanson,!Supervising!Producer!Dean!Lopata,!
Executive!Story!Editor!Nkechi!Okoro!Carroll!and!Story!Editor!Emily!Silver!post!to!
their!accounts!several!times!each!day!and!are!highly!active!online.!Medium!users!
such!as!Executive!Producer!Stephen!Nathan!are!active!in!their!social!media!accounts,!
but!post!at!a!less!frequent!rate!than!the!heavy!users.!Light!users,!such!as!Executive!
Producer!Jonathan!Collier!and!Producer!Patrick!Charles,!have!social!media!accounts,!
but!rarely!use!them.!Social!media!avoiders,!such!as!CoaExecutive!Producer!Sanford!
Golden,!CoaExecutive!Producer!Karen!Wyscarver!and!Executive!Story!Editor!Keith!
Foglesong!do!not!have!social!media!accounts.!As!Golden!halfajoked,!“I!don’t!need!to!
be!on!Twitter,!I!have!Dean!to!tell!me!what’s!going!on.”25!
These!distinctions!apply!to!each!individual’s!social!media!use!intended!for!public!
consumption.!This!is!an!important!point!because!each!individual!uses!different!
platforms!in!various!ways.!For!example,!Dave!Thomas!is!a!light!Twitter!user,!having!
sent!only!233!tweets!in!the!four!and!a!half!years!he!has!been!registered!on!the!site.26!
Yet,!he!is!an!active!Facebook!user,!posting!to!that!site!almost!daily.!Thomas!uses!
Facebook!to!communicate!with!friends,!family!and!coaworkers,!but!he!keeps!his!
account!settings!on!private!and!does!not!“friend”!strangers.!He!describes!his!
postings!as!being!more!personal!in!nature!than!he!would!share!in!a!public!forum!
such!as!Twitter.!A!review!of!the!postings!from!Thomas!and!other!writers!reveals!a!
similarity!in!platform!usage!amongst!the!writing!staff.!Facebook!is!treated!like!a!
private!communication!forum!where!it!is!safer!to!post!pictures!and!make!comments!
!!
!
202!
amongst!friends.!Conversely,!the!writers!are!acutely!aware!of!the!public!nature!of!
Twitter!and!the!potential!rewards!and!pitfalls!associated!with!that!territory.!!
Some!of!these!issues,!such!as!the!receiving!of!viewer!feedback!through!social!
media!and!the!potential!influence!of!those!viewers!has!been!discussed.!Chapter!Four!
reviewed!the!varying!views!from!showrunners!about!their!willingness!to!change!
their!shows!based!on!viewer!feedback.!Several!examples!were!also!provided!where!
Lena!Dunham,!Robert!King!and!Michelle!King!acquiesced!to!fan!pressure!and!made!
changes!to!their!shows.!To!explore!these!questions!of!viewer!influence!on!Bones,!it!
is!important!to!first!understand!how!the!writers!are!using!social!media!in!their!daily!
routines.!Is!social!media!changing!their!work!processes!similar!to!the!changes!found!
in!other!areas!of!production?!!
The!writer’s!use!social!media!in!many!of!the!same!ways!as!the!personnel!in!other!
departments.!Capitalizing!on!the!wide!reach!of!social!media,!writers!use!these!
platforms!to!promote!the!show!and!to!also!perform!acts!of!selfapromotion.!Similar!
to!individuals!in!other!department,!some!writers!and!producers!see!social!media!as!
a!career!management!tool.!While!an!online!presence!will!most!likely!not!be!the!
primary!reason!a!writer!is!hired,!it!can!help.!For!example,!because!a!writer!is!active!
online,!their!name!can!become!more!easily!recognizable!when!seeking!new!
employment.!Additionally,!producers!will!see!these!individuals!as!possessing!an!
extra!skill!that!will!help!promote!the!show!and!keep!the!studio!and!network!happy.!
Dean!Lopata!explained!that!at!the!beginning!of!Season!Nine,!Hanson!told!him,!“I!
don’t!know!if!you!know,!but!the!studio!is!very!happy!with!what!you’re!doing!on!
!!
!
203!
Twitter!and!you!should!keep!it!up.”!Lopata!says!he!had!never!before!received!
feedback!like!that!and!it!is!part!of!the!reason!he!now!sees!social!media!as!and!
“unofficial”!part!of!his!job.27!
Not!all!of!the!writers!buy!into!this!theory!that!participating!on!social!media!sites!
makes!them!more!sought!after!or!more!valuable!to!the!network!and!studio.!Dave!
Thomas,!for!example,!believes!the!theory!is!“bullshit”!and!argues!that!a!writer!is!
going!to!get!hired!based!on!the!quality!of!their!work!and!nothing!more.28!The!most!
important!quality!of!hiring!a!new!writer!is!certainly!their!ability!to!perform!their!job.!
But!similar!to!actors!using!social!media!to!help!them!get!cast,!social!media!does!play!
a!role!in!a!writer’s!career.!Differences!in!views!on!this!topic!appear!to!be!
generational.!The!younger!writers,!or!those!earlier!in!their!careers,!see!social!media!
as!more!important!than!established!writers.!This!could!be!a!result!of!what!Jordan!
Levin,!Executive!Vice!President!of!Microsoft’s!Xbox!Entertainment!Studios!describes!
as!the!process!of!“riding!the!dinosaur!down”!or!the!difference!between!people!
seeking!to!further!their!careers!and!those!who!are!“riding!off!into!the!sunset.”29!
These!varying!perspectives!on!the!usefulness!of!social!media!for!selfapromotion!
help!demonstrate!how!different!individuals!within!the!same!organization!use!these!
social!tools!and!what!expectations!they!associate!with!their!efforts.!Since!there!are!
no!formal!expectations!established!by!the!show,!the!writers!are!free!to!participate!
as!much!or!as!little!as!they!desire.!Those!who!choose!to!invest!the!time!and!energy!
to!engage!with!viewers!do!so!for!reasons!that!benefit!both!the!show!and!themselves.!!
!!
!
204!
In!addition!to!selfapromotion,!social!media!is!a!useful!tool!for!writers!to!
disseminate!information!in!conjunction!with!their!show.!When!sensitive!issues!such!
as!rape,!alcohol!or!drug!abuse,!physical!abuse!or!any!other!social!issue!is!discussed!
in!a!show,!the!episodes!are!often!followed!by!short!Public!Service!Announcements.!
These!PSA’s!usually!feature!one!of!the!cast!members!speaking!directly!to!the!
audience!and!providing!information!about!where!they!can!obtain!help!if!they!are!
experiencing!problems!with!the!issues!presented!in!the!episode.!!Social!media!can!
be!used!in!lieu!of!the!Public!Service!Announcement!or!as!a!supplemental!means!of!
disseminating!this!important!information.!
One!example!of!social!media!use!in!conjunction!with!a!socially!relevant!episode!
is!the!Season!Eight!episode!“The!Friend!in!Need”!dealing!with!a!teenage!girl!who!
was!date!raped.!!The!episode!aired!on!February!18,!2013!and!was!followed!by!a!
thirty!second!PSA!featuring!Emily!Deschanel.!Graphics!showing!the!telephone!
number!and!website!address!for!the!National!Sexual!Assault!Hotline!were!shown!
while!Deschanel!encouraged!individuals!in!need!of!help!to!reach!out.!The!PSA!was!
further!supported!through!social!media!messages!sent!by!RAINN,!Fox!Broadcasting,!
the!actors,!producers!and!writers.!@BonesonFox!tweeted!“If!you!saw!tonight’s!
#bones!&!something!like!this!has!happened!to!you,!there!is!help.!Call!800a656aHOPE!
or!visit!online.rainn.org”!and!Emily!Deschanel!tweeted!“If!you!saw!last!night’s!ep!of!
#Bones!&!this!has!happened!to!you,!there!is!help.!Call!800a656aHOPE!or!go!to:!
rain.org.”30!
!!
!
205!
The!use!of!social!media!in!conjunction!with!public!service!efforts!is!a!positive!
benefit!for!the!show!and!show!personnel.!There!are!however!instances!where!social!
media!has!been!the!source!of!problems!for!production!personnel!and!resulted!in!a!
negative!impact!on!individuals!or!production.!!Almost!every!individual!interviewed!
had!a!story!to!share!about!a!person!who!made!a!mistake!with!his!or!her!social!media!
use.!!Most!often,!these!errors!resulted!in!situations!where!individuals!were!
temporarily!upset!with!others!or!fans!received!information!earlier!than!planned.!
There!were!multiple!instances!reported!where!individuals!mistakenly!revealed!
information!about!upcoming!stories,!and!another!where!a!cast!member!tweeted!
about!the!show!being!renewed!for!another!season,!unaware!the!information!had!not!
yet!been!made!public.!This!angered!the!network!because!the!tweet!preceded!their!
plans!for!an!official!announcement.!These!situations!reveal!the!increasing!need!for!
production!personnel!to!consider!the!potential!ramifications!of!each!post.31!!
Mixed!positive!and!negative!consequences!of!social!media!use!are!also!found!
when!the!writers!use!these!platforms!to!complete!research.!Platforms!are!used!for!
research!in!two!ways.!First,!social!media!is!useful!to!gather!information!for!ideas!
about!potential!stories.!Although!Bones!is!not!a!“ripped!from!the!headlines”!type!
show,!true!stories!can!act!as!inspiration!for!episodes.!As!Dean!Lopata!explains,!he!
will!use!social!media!sites!such!as!Twitter!to!read!news!stories!and!keep!up!to!date!
with!developments!of!real!life!investigations.!This!makes!research!easier!because!
once!he!finds!an!interesting!story,!he!can!follow!the!local!news!organization!
!!
!
206!
providing!the!coverage!and!updates!will!come!to!his!feed,!eliminating!the!need!to!
continually!seek!out!updated!information.!
Second,!there!are!times!when!the!writers!are!brainstorming!ideas!and!they!are!
not!sure!if!something!has!been!done!before!on!the!show.!After!nearly!200!shows,!it!
becomes!difficult!to!remember!all!of!the!details,!especially!since!the!writers!have!
varying!years!of!experience!working!on!the!show.!!!So,!when!a!question!such!as!
“have!we!done!this!before?”!arises!and!nobody!knows!the!answer,!the!writers!will!
check!fan!websites!for!information.!As!Emily!Silver!says,!“they!are!great!record!
keepers!for!us.”32!This!is!also!a!faster!and,!according!to!the!writers,!more!reliable,!
method!than!referring!to!their!logs!or!“show!bible”!maintained!in!house.!
Checking!fan!websites!to!confirm!if!something!has!been!done!before!also!plays!
an!important!role!in!preventing!mistakes!and!the!duplication!of!show!elements.!As!
Stephen!Nathan!explains,!today,!there!is!perhaps!a!greater!sense!of!importance!
placed!on!the!need!to!not!be!repetitive.33!If!fans!know!something!has!been!done!
before,!they!will!catch!it!and!respond!on!social!media.!Through!the!use!of!DVRs!and!
purchasing!episodes!online,!viewers!can!watch!each!episode!frame!by!frame!and!
deconstruct!what!they!are!seeing!and!hearing.!Then,!they!take!to!social!media!and!
share!these!findings!and!try!to!guess!what!will!happen!or!if!an!aspect!of!the!show!
was!intentional!or!a!mistake,!and!mistakes!do!happen.!!
In!one!instance,!Hanson!tells!the!story!of!a!writer!who!included!an!element!in!an!
episode!and!then!reaused!that!same!element!in!a!later!episode.!This!wasn’t!anything!
the!other!writers!or!producers!would!have!caught!because!it!was!so!inconsequential.!
!!
!
207!
But!the!fans!discovered!the!reause!of!the!element!and!started!building!theories!
about!its!meaning.!There!was,!of!course,!no!hidden!meaning!because!it!was!a!
mistake.!This!upset!Hanson!because!it!should!not!have!happened!in!the!first!place!
and!the!writer!should!have!taken!greater!care!knowing!these!things!would!be!found.!
This!is!the!type!of!scenario!the!producers!and!writers!fear!replicating.!As!Nathan!
explains,!there!has!always!been!a!fear!of!making!mistakes!and!the!staff!operates!
under!a!“don’t!be!lazy”!mentality!because!“that’s!our!job.”34!!
Despite!their!increased!awareness!and!desire!to!catch!errors,!mistakes!still!
happen!and!they!are!caught!by!fans!who!often!display!an!impressive!collective!
memory!for!show!details.!In!the!Season!Eight!episode!“The!Method!in!the!Madness,”!
Sweets!was!shown!wearing!nothing!but!a!towel.!Fans!noticed!that!Sweets!had!no!
scars!on!his!back.!It!had!been!established!in!Season!Four!“Mayhem!on!a!Cross”!that!
Sweets!was!whipped!by!his!foster!parents!as!a!child!and!that!resulted!in!scaring!on!
his!back.!On!Bonesology,!user!Penandra!commented!“when!Sweets!came!downstairs!
in!the!towel,!I!paid!particular!attention!(even!flipped!back!and!rewatched)!when!he!
was!going!back!upstairs.!No!scars!on!his!back.!Does!this!show!not!have!a!continuity!
person?!I!just!thought!it!odd.”35!User!Frankie!707!replied,!
If!they!can’t!remember!Booth’s!bullet!wound!scar!from!Wannabe,!or!the!scar!he!showed!the!kid!in!Boy!in!the!Bush;!if!Brennan!can’t!even!have!a!bandage!on!her!arm!in!the!same!episode!she!was!stabbed!in!the!arm,!I!really!don’t!expect!Sweets!to!still!have!scars!on!his!back!seasons!after!we!first!saw!them.!That’s!just!par!for!the!course.36!!
The!producers!realize!they!cannot!go!back!and!fix!these!mistakes.!As!Stephen!
Nathan!explained,!in!these!types!of!situations,!they!can!only!try!to!figure!out!where!
!!
!
208!
the!breakdown!in!communication!occurred!and!fix!it!for!the!next!time.37!As!these!
mistakes!are!discovered,!it!works!to!further!the!producers’!resolve!to!prevent!them!
from!occurring,!but!with!varied!results.!!This!increased!need!for!producers!to!have!a!
heightened!awareness!of!every!detail!is!a!direct!result!of!social!media!and!another!
example!of!how!the!use!of!these!online!platforms!are!affecting!production!practices.!!
These!viewers!talking!to!each!other!on!Bonesology!are!the!Superfans.!They!are!
knowledgeable!about!the!show,!staff!and!production!process.!Comments!about!
show!details!and!mistakes!are,!in!most!instances,!not!meant!to!be!negative,!but!used!
as!a!display!of!knowledge!and!a!way!to!engage!other!fans!in!conversation.!!There!are!
however,!other!users!who!hide!behind!the!anonymity!of!the!Internet!and!act!out.!
They!post!mean!spirited!and!often!derogatory!comments,!lashing!out!at!the!show,!
producers!and!writers,!often!blaming!an!individual!for!an!element!of!the!show!they!
did!not!like.!In!one!instance,!a!writer!explains!how!fans!sent!mean!spirited!social!
media!comments!about!the!tension!they!believed!the!writers!created!between!two!
characters.!The!fans!felt!the!tension!was!detrimental!to!the!characters’!relationship,!
and!since!they!were!rooting!for!the!relationship!to!succeed,!they!were!angered.!
However,!as!the!writer!explains,!this!element!was!not!part!of!the!script,!but!a!
creative!decision!made!by!one!of!the!actors.!The!viewers!were!actually!directing!
their!anger!at!the!wrong!person.!For!reasons!such!as!these,!an!increasingly!large!
number!of!production!personnel!need!to!have!thick!skin.!!But!what!if!the!writer’s!
response!was!not!so!level!headed?!What!if!they!took!the!negative!comments!
personally?!Could!this!influence!their!future!writing?!
!!
!
209!
When!asked!if!they!would!change!the!show!based!on!viewer!comments!or!
feedback,!the!writers!and!producers!respond!“no”!without!hesitation.!But!there!is!
evidence!that!changes!to!show!content!are!being!made.!I!am!not!suggesting!that!the!
writers!and!producers!are!being!dishonest.!I!suggest!their!conception!of!change!is!
too!limited.!Change!is!not!limited!to!conspicuous!and!pronounced!scenarios!such!as!
those!previously!discussed!involving!Lena!Dunham!(Girls)!and!Robert!and!Michelle!
King!(The!Good!Wife)!who!publicly!stated!they!heard!fan!feedback!and!were!making!
modifications!to!their!casting!and!storylines!as!a!result!of!that!feedback.!Changing!
show!content!can!actually!occur!in!several!ways.!It!can!be!blatant,!the!type!of!
situation!the!writers!and!producers!of!Bones!say!they!would!not!condone.!Or!it!can!
be!less!obvious!and!perhaps!even!occurring!subaconsciously!at!times.!For!example,!
the!increased!attention!production!personnel!give!to!every!minute!detail!of!the!
show!due!to!pressure!stemming!from!increased!viewer!scrutiny!is!a!result!of!Social!
TV!activities!and!demonstrates!a!more!discrete!form!of!influence.!!
When!the!writers!and!producers!say!“no”!they!will!not!change!their!show!based!
on!viewer!feedback,!their!response!is!not!based!on!a!feeling!that!the!fans!would!ruin!
the!show!and!the!writers!and!producers!did!not!display!an!elitist!attitude!such!as!
“we!are!better!than!them.”!But!they!explained!how!they!have!plans!and!visions!for!
the!show!and!they!don’t!want!that!to!be!compromised!by!what!they!deem!to!be!a!
few!vocal!fans.!!Each!person’s!response!delivered!some!version!of!the!following,!“if!
the!show!has!seven!million!viewers!and!there!are!a!few!thousand!participating!on!a!
platform!such!as!Twitter,!would!it!be!fair!for!the!rest!of!the!fans!if!the!show!listened!
!!
!
210!
to!these!individuals?!Are!these!individuals!representative!of!the!larger!audience?”!
This!is!a!common!problem!when!deciding!how!to!handle!Social!TV!feedback.!The!
writers!and!producers!situate!individuals!participating!in!Social!TV!activities!as!only!
a!small!percentage!of!their!overall!audience.!This!reasoning!acts!as!justification!for!
their!refusal!to!make!changes.!
Whether!or!not!Social!TV!participants!represent!the!larger!audience!may!not!
actually!matter.!These!individuals!may!be!the!“influencers”!that!the!network!seeks!
to!embrace!through!their!promotional!efforts.!These!are!the!Boneheads!who!are!
operating!fan!forums,!blogs,!and!other!sites.!They!have!the!ability!to!spread!news!
throughout!the!fandom!and!possibly!influence!other!viewers,!so!they!should!not!be!
ignored.!It!seems!the!writers!and!producers!are!aware!of!this,!but!do!not!talk!about!
it.!The!writers!and!producers!work!to!maintain!the!image!of!authorial!control,!but!at!
the!same!time!they!are!being!influenced!and!making!small!changes!to!the!show!to!
satisfy!these!fans.!This!creates!an!important!distinction!between!types!of!change!
and!how!they!are!situated.!!It!also!raises!the!question!of!whether!“not!listening”!is!
actually!“listening.”!!
When!Hanson!and!Nathan!discuss!viewer!responses!to!major!serial!storylines,!
they!say!fans!do!not!really!know!what!they!want.!For!example,!the!longest!running!
story!on!Bones!has!been!the!relationship!between!Booth!and!Brennan.!The!
producers!believe!that!the!ups!and!downs!experienced!by!these!characters!is!an!
enjoyable!storyline!for!the!fans!to!follow.!But!despite!their!enjoyment,!fans!have!
always!been!vocal!about!their!desire!for!Booth!and!Brennan!to!be!a!couple.!Fans!
!!
!
211!
have!relentlessly!voiced!their!desire!for!the!two!to!marry.!As!Hanson!says,!“if!we!
listened!to!the!fans!from!the!beginning,!our!main!characters!played!by!David!and!
Emily,!would!have!been!in!bed!by!episode!eight….!and!if!that!were!the!case,!they!
would!have!missed!out!on!eight!seasons!of!anticipation.”38!Although!fans!express!a!
desire!to!have!Booth!and!Brennan!in!a!successful!longaterm!relationship,!do!they!
really!want!that!to!happen!as!Hanson!says!he!believes!they!do?!Or!is!the!pursuit!of!
that!relationship,!the!resulting!speculation!and!viewer!interactions!that!occur!from!
their!making!demands!the!real!prize!for!viewer?!As!discussed!in!Chapter!Six,!many!
individuals!are!motivated!to!participate!in!Social!TV!activities!for!these!reasons!and!
not!to!effect!change!in!a!show’s!content.!!If!fans!really!didn’t!want!Booth!and!
Brennan!to!get!together,!but!were!enjoying!participating!in!communities!that!
discussed!the!relationship,!did!they!really!want!the!anticipation!to!continue?!By!not!
giving!fans!a!successful!Booth/Brennan!relationship!early!in!the!series,!the!
producers!could!have!in!fact!been!listening!to!fans!and!giving!them!what!they!really!
wanted.!!
All!of!these!“what!ifs”!can!muddle!what!viewers!say!they!want!and!what!they!
actually!want!and!what!producers!say!they!are!willing!to!do,!but!actually!do.!Yet,!the!
fact!that!the!producers!are!aware!of!these!feelings!and!responses!from!fans!also!acts!
as!evidence!that!they!are!listening!to!fans.!Hanson!stated!that!it!often!does!not!
matter!what!fans!are!talking!about,!what!is!important!is!that!they!are!talking!about!
something.39!Nathan!agrees!and!suggests!whether!there!is!actually!any!consequence!
to!what!fans!are!saying!may!not!matter.!What!does!matter!is!the!amount!of!buzz!and!
!!
!
212!
overall!sentiment!because!“that!can!fuel!further!noise!through!the!entertainment!
media.”40!!!
The!buzz!and!sentiment!around!the!show!may!be!important!to!the!overall!
promotion!and!perception!of!the!show,!but!what!the!fans!are!saying!does!matter.!!
Fans!are!aware!how!social!media!has!allowed!creative!personnel!access!to!their!
conversations.!Beyond!commenting!on!the!larger!story!arc!issues,!they!are!voicing!
opinions!about!other!elements!of!the!show!ranging!from!characters!they!like/dislike,!
to!the!personal!storylines!of!characters!and!specific!show!elements.!So!might!a!
producer!or!writer!pickup!on!a!smaller!request!and!integrate!something!into!their!
script!to!please!fulfill!those!requests?!That!is!not!likely.!This!is!not!due!to!a!lack!of!
desire!to!satisfy!fans,!but!because!the!element!would!most!likely!not!survive!the!
writing!process!described!above.!In!addition!to!that!process!of!creating!the!first!
draft,!changes!to!the!script!are!continuously!made!throughout!the!production!
process.41!The!complexity!of!this!process!from!the!original!breaking!of!ideas,!to!the!
large!number!of!people!who!“touch”!the!script!during!preaproduction,!production!
and!eventually!postaproduction,!means!the!feasibility!of!a!writer!hearing!something!
on!social!media,!thinking!they!need!to!address!it!in!the!script!and!that!element!
surviving!the!process!to!the!final!cut!appears!minimal.!!
Writers!and!producers!seek!to!maintain!authorial!control,!but!also!express!a!
desire!to!give!something!back!to!fans.!They!want!to!show!their!appreciation!for!the!
dedicated!fans!who!engage!with!the!show!and!build!their!own!communities.!For!this!
reason,!they!like!to!include!something!they!call!“Easter!eggs”!in!the!show.!!
!!
!
213!
Nobody!at!Bones!could!identify!the!origination!of!the!term!“Easter!egg,”!but!they!
all!use!the!term!as!a!way!to!describe!the!act!of!giving!back!to!fans.42!It!may!have!
once!meant!the!inclusion!of!a!hidden!element!within!a!show!that!the!fans!would!find,!
like!an!Easter!egg!hunt,!but!the!definition!has!since!been!expanded!to!include!
elements!that!give!back!and!are!not!hidden.!As!Writer!Emily!Silver!explains,!they!
can!be!fun!for!both!fans!and!the!writers.!She!describes!the!use!of!Easter!eggs!on!
another!series,!Arrow!by!her!mentor!Mark!Guggenheim,!“one!of!his!favorite!things!to!
do!is!to!put!Easter!eggs!in!a!show,!because!it’s!like,!‘I!wonder!if!fans!are!going!to!get!
it.’!And!then!he!loves!being!online!and!seeing!if!fans!notice!it.!‘Oh,!the!name!on!the!
truck!was!the!name!of!something!else!in!the!Marvel!universe!or!the!DC!universe!that!
only!like!serious!fans!would!get.’”43!
Including!these!elements!is!a!direct!nod!to!fans!saying!both!“we!hear!you”!and!
“we!appreciate!you”!at!the!same!time.!The!“we!hear!you”!is!usually!the!result!of!
social!media!feedback!received!by!the!show,!whether!through!direct!statements!by!
viewers!or!the!revelation!of!information!about!the!fans.!For!example,!Dean!Lopata!
explained!that!the!Season!Nine!episode!“El!Carnicero!en!el!Coche”!was!given!a!
Spanish!language!theme!and!title!to!give!a!“shout!out”!to!the!large!number!of!
Spanish!speaking!fans!they!noticed!were!following!the!show!on!Twitter.44!!He!said!
the!Twitter!response!to!that!Easter!egg!was!tremendous.!The!strategy!also!worked!
to!add!to!the!mystery!of!the!episode!as!many!viewers!questioned!why!the!episode!
had!a!Spanish!title.!!
!!
!
214!
In!another!episode,!the!writers!and!producers!paid!off!a!long!time!question!for!
fans.!In!the!Season!Two!episode!“Aliens!in!a!Spaceship,”!Brennan!and!Hodgins!were!
buried!alive!in!Brennan’s!car.!Believing!they!might!die,!Brennan!wrote!a!note!to!
Booth!saying!goodbye,!but!the!show!never!revealed!the!content!of!that!note.!Over!
the!following!seasons!fans!continued!to!question!the!content!of!Brennan’s!note!and!
the!producers!decided!to!reward!fans!with!that!Easter!egg!in!the!ninth!seasons!
wedding!episode.!!Writers!Assistant!Megan!McNamara!described!the!situation,!!
Fans!were!dying!to!know.!They!didn’t!even!know!the!note!was!written!to!Booth,!but!everyone!just!presumed!that!it!was,!and!they!were!dying!to!know!what!was!in!it.!So,!I!think!that!was!one!of!the!times!when!Hart!was!like,!“we!can!give!back.”!And!I!think!there’s!probably!as!much!talk!about!that!particular!moment!as!there!was!about!that!whole!episode,!because!that’s!such!a!special!moment!to!the!fans.45!
!Hanson!is!aware!of!what!questions!remain!to!be!answered!on!the!show!and!
expressed!his!intent!to!provide!those!answers!to!fans.46!The!most!important!Easter!
egg!that!has!not!been!paid!off!at!the!time!of!this!writing!is!a!mystery!about!the!
number!447.!Questions!about!447!began!when,!in!one!episode,!a!clock!was!shown!
flashing!4:47!in!a!victim’s!apartment.!Since!that!time,!447!has!appeared!several!
times,!including!on!clocks!in!Booth!and!Brennan’s!home.!The!mystery!has!been!
associated!with!a!recurring!character,!a!serial!killer!named!Pelant,!but!there!has!
been!no!evidence!provided!to!confirm!that!theory.!It!is!one!of!several!theories!that!
viewers!have!been!discussing!on!social!media!and!Hanson!has!promised!fans!that!
the!mystery!will!be!revealed!in!the!final!episode!of!the!series.47!!
It!remains!unclear!why!the!producers!and!writers!do!not!consider!providing!fans!
with!Easter!eggs!as!a!form!of!being!influenced!by!fans.!While!production!personnel!
!!
!
215!
are!adamant!that!they!will!not!let!fans!dictate!what!stories!to!tell!or!what!direction!
stories!should!take,!they!are!conversely!willing!to!answer!calls!for!resolutions.!This!
may!be!the!result!of!how!each!situation!is!framed.!Providing!resolutions!to!
unknowns!is!situated!as!a!form!of!“giving!back”!whereas!making!changes!based!on!
demands!is!seen!as!being!subservient!to!fans.!!Although!the!producers!deny!
changing!the!show!based!on!fan!feedback,!the!use!of!Easter!eggs!is!doing!exactly!that.!
Hanson!stated!that!wrappingaup!these!unknowns!is!based!on!a!“need!to!resolve!
things!for!fans.”48!There!are!many!loose!ends!on!the!show,!but!those!most!likely!to!
be!addressed!are!those!that!receive!the!most!fan!attention,!such!as!the!mystery!of!
Brennan’s!note.!Although!the!fans!did!not!explicitly!ask!for!the!content!of!the!letter!
to!be!revealed!in!the!wedding!episode,!the!producers!knew!it!was!something!the!
fans!were!talking!about!and!wanted.!The!use!of!Easter!eggs!provides!the!creative!
team!with!more!control.!Fulfilling!fan!requests!in!this!indirect!manner!maintains!
existing!power!structures!favoring!production.!The!creative!personnel!can!dictate!
when!they!will!reveal!information,!if!at!all,!and!not!be!seen!as!making!changes!to!
content!as!a!result!of!fan!feedback.!!
The!most!significant!issue!arising!from!interactions!between!viewers!and!
production!personnel!is!the!growing!disruption!to!power!structures.!Although!the!
Bones!producers!and!writers!say!they!would!not!change!the!content!of!their!show!
based!directly!on!viewer!social!media!feedback,!their!increased!concern!for!show!
elements!based!on!viewer!feedback!and!their!actions!providing!Easter!eggs!indicate!
otherwise.!Claiming!authorial!control!of!the!show,!the!producers!argue!that!they!
!!
!
216!
know!what!is!best!for!fans!and!the!success!of!the!show.!This!is!probably!the!case,!but!
these!types!of!statements!do!not!reveal!the!small!ways!producers!are!acquiescing!to!
fans!and!working!to!keep!them!happy.!Social!TV!platforms!have!bypassed!
traditional!communication!methods!such!as!sending!letters!and!viewers!are!now!
having!their!voices!heard!more!than!ever!before.!Not!all!viewers!are!participating!
with!the!intent!of!effecting!change.!But!expectations!can!change!over!time!and!if!
viewers!achieve!small!successes!this!can!feed!their!desire!to!further!influence!
production.!An!“Easter!egg”!in!the!eye!of!a!producer!could!be!viewed!as!a!successful!
attempt!to!influence!show!content!in!the!eyes!of!a!viewer.!!
The!introduction!of!new!technologies!changing!production!practices!is!not!new.!
Sound,!color!and!digital!video!all!influenced!production!processes!when!they!were!
introduced.!But!the!difference!in!this!instance!is!the!question!of!power!and!control!
between!the!viewers!and!producers!that!arise!from!Social!TV!use.!Although!claims!
are!made!to!maintain!authorial!control,!viewer!influence!on!production!processes!is!
resulting!in!an!influence!on!content.!When!Props!personnel!take!more!time!to!
scrutinize!a!decision!because!they!know!fans!will!catch!a!mistake!and!use!social!
media!to!spread!the!news,!they!are!being!influenced.!When!casting!receives!
feedback!on!their!work,!they!become!influenced.!And!when!the!writers!and!
producers!receive!feedback,!they!too!are!being!influenced.!These!observations!of!
production!activities!and!interviews!with!production!personnel!have!revealed!ways!
Social!TV!activities!are!influencing!content!and!production!practices.!Existing!
processes!are!being!modified,!new!practices!are!being!introduced!and!additional!
!!
!
217!
questions!are!being!raised!about!the!changing!relationships!between!the!individuals!
creating!Bones!and!those!consuming!the!show.!!
Notes!
1!The!show!employs!an!outside!research!group!to!answer!these!types!of!questions.!Although!much!of!this!information!has!been!learned!over!the!years,!the!writer’s!assistant!can!send!an!email!to!these!researchers!with!any!question!and!a!reply!is!usually!received!within!a!few!hours.!!
2!Sammy!Rivkin!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!December!9,!2013.!
3!Eric!Phillips!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!December!12,!2013.!
4!Joel!Mckee!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!December!13,!2013.!
5!Ian!Scheibel!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!December!13,!2013.!
6!Ibid.!
7!The!Internet!Movie!Firearms!Database!page!for!Bones!is!located!at!http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Bones.!
8!Price!as!of!December,!2013!
9!Josh!Levy!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(1),!August!22,!2013.!
10!Bonesology,!"Tweets!from!Other!Cast!and!Crew,"!!http://bonesology.yuku.com/topic/826/TweetsafromaOtheraCastaandaCrew#.UrmmWGRDuHJ.!
11!Ibid.!
12!Christine!Ciraolo!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!December!13,!2013.!
13!Ibid.!
14!Michael!Ausiello,!"Bones!Wedding!Post!Mortem:!Eps!Talk!Christine's!Absence,!Brennan's!Original!(and!'Unsuitable')!Vows!—!Plus:!New!Big!Bad's!Moniker!Revealed!,"!TV|Line,!http://tvline.com/2013/10/21/bonesaweddingaepisodeabrennanaboothagetamarriedavowsainterview/.!
15!Hart!Hanson,!"Hart!Hanson!(Harthanson)!on!Twitter,"!!https://twitter.com/HartHanson.!
!!
!
218!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
16!WhoSay,!"About!Whosay,"!!http://www.whosay.com/about!!
17!Assaf!Cohen!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!December!13,!2013.!
18!Rick!Millikan!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!December!13,!2013.!
19!Ibid.!
20!Fred!Fine!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!December!13,!2013.!
21!Ibid.!
22!Belowathealine!and!aboveathealine!are!terms!derived!from!a!line!on!a!production!budget!that!differentiates!between!writers,!producers!and!directors!who!are!found!above!the!line!and!other!crew!who!are!found!below!the!line.!The!line!is!a!demarcation!between!fixed!and!variable!costs.!
23!Bones!writers!report!that!the!producers!prefer!they!complete!most!of!their!writing!in!the!office!and!they!are!provided!with!individual!offices!and!a!writers!room!to!complete!their!work.!!!The!writers!room!is!a!small!conference!room!where!the!writer’s!meet!to!collaborate!and!“break”!their!episodes!or!create!story!outlines.!Megan!McNamara,!the!Writers’!Assistant,!occupies!a!desk!in!the!corner!of!the!room.!Her!job!is!to!help!the!writers!throughout!the!day,!assisting!with!research!and!taking!notes.!Each!evening,!she!distributes!a!list!of!changes!that!were!made!during!the!day!for!each!episode!being!prepared.!!Throughout!the!day,!writers!float!between!their!offices!and!the!writers!room.!!
24!These!episode!numbers!are!used!for!the!production!process!only!and!not!the!same!numbers!used!during!airing!because!there!were!two!episodes!shot!in!season!8!and!carried!over!to!season!9.!These!were!inserted!with!9XX!numbers!when!aired,!so!the!episode!numbers!referred!to!here!will!not!match!episode!numbers!used!at!the!time!of!airing.!!
25!Sanford!Golden!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!December!11,!2013.!
26!Thomas!created!his!account,!@TheDaveThomas!on!June!20,!2009!and!the!number!of!tweets!mentioned!(233)!is!as!of!January!1,!2014.!
27!Dean!Lopata!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(1).!
28!Dave!Thomas!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!December!10,!2013.!
29!Jordan!Levin!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(1).!
!!
!
219!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
30!Bones,!"Bones!(Bonesonfox)!on!Twitter".!Emily!Deschanel,!"Emily!Deschanel!(Emilydeschanel)!on!Twitter,"!Twitter,!https://twitter.com/emilydeschanel.!
31!It!also!creates!an!environment!where!individuals!become!increasingly!guarded!about!the!information!they!share!because!nobody!wants!to!be!the!one!who!becomes!the!source!of!an!information!leak.!This!was!especially!evident!in!the!writers!room.!As!a!guest!of!the!show!conducting!research,!I!was!provided!with!complete!access!to!all!areas!of!production.!This!meant!I!was!privy!to!information!that!was!not!being!released!to!the!public.!The!first!time!I!entered!the!writers!room!was!during!a!lunch!break.!All!of!the!writers!were!sitting!around!the!table,!talking!and!laughing.!When!the!door!opened!and!I!entered,!I!had!a!feeling!that!the!group!was!taken!back!a!little!by!the!fact!an!outsider!was!entering!the!room!where!white!boards!contained!information!about!upcoming!episodes!that!any!fan!would!die!to!see.!But!this!level!of!access!was!not!provided!without!careful!consideration.!I!first!had!to!establish!myself!as!a!visitor!with!an!academic!intent,!something!new!for!many!members!of!a!group!who!are!used!to!being!interviewed!by!news!organizations!and!not!researchers.!Second,!I!had!to!gain!trust!and!prove!I!could!keep!a!secret.!This!was!accomplished!by!spending!a!sixamonth!period!before!my!visit!interviewing!many!producers!and!writers!on!the!phone,!being!given!private!information!and!showing!I!was!reliable!enough!not!to!release!anything!that!was!obviously!intended!to!remain!a!secret!until!after!the!airing!of!specific!episodes.!The!writers!and!producers!take!privacy!seriously.!There!is!a!desire!to!guard!against!the!frivolous!release!of!information!for!the!sake!of!promoting!the!show.!Instead,!they!value!keeping!as!much!information!private!as!possible!so!revelations!occur!while!watching!the!show!and!not!in!spoiler!sections!of!fan!websites!or!on!social!media!sites.!!
32!Emily!Silver!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!
33!Stephen!Nathan!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!
34!Ibid.!
35!Penandra,!"Post!Episode!Discussion,"!!http://bonesology.yuku.com/topic/2933/PostaEpisodeaDiscussion?page=2#.UvkeW0JdVjs.!
36!Frankie!707,!"Post!Episode!Discussion,"!!http://bonesology.yuku.com/topic/2933/PostaEpisodeaDiscussion?page=2#.UvkeW0JdVjs.!
37!Stephen!Nathan!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!
!!
!
220!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
38!Hart!Hanson,!"Nerdist!Writers!Panel:!Tv!Year!in!Review,!Part!1,"!!https://www.nerdist.com/2013/12/nerdistawritersapanela120atvayearainareviewaparta1/.!
39!Hart!Hanson!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(3),!December!9,!2013.!
40!Stephen!Nathan!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!
41!These!script!changes!can!even!occur!up!to!the!moment!of!filming.!While!rehearsing!episode!913!“The!Heiress!in!the!Hill”!on!December!13,!2013,!Angela!and!Hodgins!have!a!scene!where!they!are!having!a!discussion!in!the!lounge!area!of!the!lab.!Less!than!an!hour!before!shooting,!the!actors,!in!agreement!with!the!supervising!producer!decided!to!change!one!of!Angela’s!lines.!The!lastaminute!change!had!Angela!tell!Hodgins!she!was!looking!at!dream!homes!online!instead!of!the!original!line!where!she!suggested!they!add!an!extra!room!to!their!house!because!their!son!was!getting!bigger.!!!
42!There!was!some!speculation!that!the!term!originated!in!the!writers!room!of!The!Simpsons.!!
43!Emily!Silver!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!
44!Dean!Lopata!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(2).!
45!Megan!Mcnamara!in!Discussion!with!the!Author,!December!13,!2013.!
46!Hart!Hanson!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(3).!Hanson!additionally!says!he!would!like!to!payaoff!the!mystery!of!“page!187.”!This!is!an!ongoing!mystery!to!fans.!They!are!aware!that!page!187!is!a!reference!to!a!book!Brennan!wrote!where!she!describes!a!sexual!position!used!by!Angela!and!Hodgins.!The!fans!are!aware!that!the!spread!of!this!information!amongst!the!other!characters!upset!Hodgins.!It!has!also!been!used!as!a!joke!such!as!the!time!it!is!revealed!that!Sweets!and!Daisy!have!tried!the!position.!But!the!audience!does!not!know!any!specifics!about!the!position!and!Hanson!sees!this!revelation!as!a!potential!Easter!Egg!for!fans.!!Another!Easter!Egg!deals!with!the!mystery!contents!of!a!Christmas!present!Brennan!received!from!her!parents.!When!she!was!15!years!old,!her!parents!disappeared!on!Christmas!and!she!never!opened!her!present.!She!finally!opened!the!present!years!later,!but!it!was!never!divulged!what!the!box!contained.!
47!Paley!Center!for!Media,!Bones!A!the!Significance!of!447(Youtube.com2012).!
48!Hart!Hanson!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(3).!
!!
!
221!
!
!
CHAPTER!9!
CONCLUSION!
Offering!a!glimpse!into!the!operations!surrounding!the!television!show!Bones,!
this!dissertation!has!endeavored!to!discover!if!Social!TV!activities!are!influencing!
the!production!practices!or!content!of!the!show.!Many!subtle!changes!to!production!
practices!are!evident.!In!the!case!of!Bones,!fan/production!interactions!clearly!
resulted!in!the!modification!of!some!existing!practices!and!creation!of!new!
processes!and!procedures.!With!regard!to!influences!on!content,!the!situation!is!far!
more!complicated!and!complex.!Writers!and!producers!openly!rejected!the!idea!that!
fan!feedback!has!any!influence!on!the!content!they!create.!Despite!these!claims,!
however,!I!challenge!and!present!evidence!that!counters!their!perspective.!!
This!project!commenced!by!defining!and!establishing!an!understanding!of!this!
phenomenon!called!Social!TV.!An!exploration!of!television!studies!literature!situated!
the!current!landscape!within!prior!research!on!production,!institutions!and!
audiences.!A!review!of!Social!TV!use!by!both!fans!and!production!personnel!
provided!a!foundation!of!examples!to!compare!activities!taking!place!on!Bones.!A!
brief!history,!overview!and!explanation!of!Bones!provided!context!for!later!detailed!
discussions!of!social!media!use!by!fans,!production,!the!studio!and!network.!An!
investigation!of!fan!activities!identified!two!primary!platforms!where!a!range!of!fan!
activities!is!occurring.!Communication!on!these!platforms!revealed!information!
!!
!
222!
about!the!characteristics!of!Bones!fans,!their!motivations!to!engage!in!social!
activities!and!the!types!of!interactions!that!are!occurring!on!these!platforms.!
Investigating!the!business!practices!of!Fox!Broadcasting!Corporation!and!20th!
Century!Fox!Television!Studios!shed!light!on!their!efforts!to!promote!Bones!and!
build!fan!communities.!These!efforts!revealed!little!direct!influence!on!the!show,!the!
result!of!a!lack!of!communication!between!the!network,!studio!and!production!
personnel.!This!finding!was!further!supported!by!interviews!and!observations!with!
production!personnel!where!additional!discoveries!revealed!multiple!ways!social!
media!use!is!influencing!practices!in!various!production!departments.!!
Drawing!on!publications!from!the!field!of!television!studies,!a!map!was!created!
to!understand!how!we!have!arrived!at!this!moment!in!time.!This!knowledge,!
combined!with!information!from!more!recent!trade!and!popular!press!articles!
allows!a!greater!understanding!of!how!we!formulated!our!current!perspectives.!
Advertising!executives!Mike!Proulx!and!Stacey!Shepatin,!for!example,!describe!
Social!TV!as!a!way!to!engage!audiences.1!This!is!a!common!sense!assessment,!but!
Proulx!and!Shepatin!situated!these!Social!TV!activities!too!narrowly,!focusing!only!
on!the!benefits!for!marketing!professionals.!Referring!to!Social!TV!as!merely!a!
“backchannel”!for!fans,!does!not!account!for!the!complexity!of!ramifications!
resulting!from!audiences!and!production!talking!to!each!other.!On!Bones,!for!
example,!the!outcomes!of!Social!TV!activities!are!varied,!ranging!from!production!
personnel!discovering!a!new!research!tool!to!the!enabling!of!creative!personnel!to!
receive!immediate!feedback!on!their!work.!The!use!of!social!media!platforms!is!
!!
!
223!
present!in!many!areas!of!production,!yet!despite!this!widespread!use,!the!
integration!of!these!new!technologies!has!not!yet!been!a!“game!changer”!for!any!
production!activities.!So,!what!do!these!findings!mean!and!why!are!they!important?!
First,!findings!at!the!institutional!level!confirm!that!trends!noted!within!the!
trade!press!are!consistent!at!FBC!and!20th!Century!Fox.!FBC’s!commitment!to!social!
media!has!resulted!in!the!creation!of!a!Social!Media!Department!and!new!roles!such!
as!Vice!President!of!Social!Media.!These!moves!are!indicative!of!the!investment!that!
FBC,!similar!to!other!networks,!is!making!in!the!future!of!social!media.!
As!technology!advances!at!a!rapid!pace,!networks!fear!being!left!behind.!There!is!
no!clear!consensus!that!Social!TV!activities!are!good!business,!so!they!are!situated!
as!an!insurance!policy.!Making!an!investment!now!means!the!organization!will!be!in!
a!better!position!to!take!advantage!of!best!practices!as!they!emerge!from!this!early!
period!of!testing.!At!FBC,!due!to!the!difficulty!quantifying!social’s!effectiveness!
driving!viewers,!pessimists!are!expressing!words!of!caution.!These!network!and!
studio!level!efforts!also!show!no!clear!benefit!for!production!activities.!Feedback!
from!fans!is!not!being!disseminated!back!to!production!personnel!and!even!if!it!was,!
there!is!little!reason!to!believe!the!creative!personnel!would!want!or!use!the!
feedback.!Despite!these!challenges,!there!is!an!opportunity!to!explore!potential!
collaborations!between!the!network,!studio!and!production!personnel.!!!
In!Empires!of!Entertainment:!Media!Industries!and!the!Politics!of!Deregulation,!
Jennifer!Holt!discussed!the!fundamental!changes!the!television!industry!has!
experienced!over!the!past!several!decades.2!Since!the!demise!of!the!Broadcast!Era!
!!
!
224!
and!the!loosening!of!restrictions!resulting!from!the!Telecommunications!Act!of!1996,!
the!industry!has!experienced!an!increase!in!horizontal!integration!and!the!
formation!of!conglomerates.!These!regulatory!changes!have!allowed!21st!Century!
Fox!to!control!all!aspects!of!owning,!producing!and!distributing!their!shows.!Now!
FOX!has!an!opportunity!to!integrate!their!Social!TV!efforts!across!their!
organizations!and!fully!leverage!the!opportunities!being!presented.!!A!more!
formalized!and!structured!system!linking!the!efforts!of!all!parties!could!help!achieve!
everyone’s!goals!of!increased!viewership!and!community!building!for!the!network,!
increased!brand!value!for!the!studio!and!continued!show!development!
opportunities!for!production!personnel.!For!example,!as!an!established!show,!Bones!
was!not!created!with!social!media!in!mind,!but!the!show!has!attempted!to!adjust!
processes!to!meet!changing!conditions.!The!use!of!hashtags!on!Twitter!during!the!
Season!Nine!premier!is!one!example.!As!the!cast!and!production!crew!were!tweeting!
with!the!hashtag!#bones9,!Fox!network!tweets!were!using!the!tag!#bonespremier.!
Efforts!were!made!by!production!to!capitalize!on!social!activities!to!the!best!of!their!
abilities,!but!due!to!a!lack!of!planning!and!coordination!between!the!network!and!
production,!there!was!a!missed!opportunity.!Hanson!also!recognized!this!missed!
opportunity!saying!the!hashtag!use!was!“totally!uncoordinated”!and!in!the!future!it’s!
“something!that!should!be!coordinated.”3!Planning!the!use!of!the!same!hashtag!
could!have!created!one!conversation,!controlled!by!the!show,!where!fans!could!have!
interacted!with!the!official!show!accounts,!producers!and!writers!in!the!same!place,!
!!
!
225!
creating!an!online!viewing!party!of!sorts.!Instead,!the!parties!were!scattered!across!
multiple!streams!with!multiple!objectives!and!experiencing!varied!levels!of!success.!!
This!lack!of!coordination!stems,!in!part,!from!existing!questions!about!how!to!
best!leverage!Social!TV.!Answers!may!depend!on!how!organizations!respond!to!
what!Graeme!Turner!and!Jinna!Tay!see!as!the!most!fundamental!question,!“what!is!
television?”4!Is!it!scheduled!appointment!based!viewing!on!a!dedicated!television!
set!or!is!it!onademand,!unscheduled!viewing!of!content!accessible!from!a!variety!of!
devices?!Should!television!content!seek!to!increase!user!interactivity?!How!content!
is!distributed!and!consumed!will!play!a!large!part!in!business!decisions!determining!
how!to!most!effectively!leverage!Social!TV.!
As!social!media!departments!are!tasked!with!engaging!fans!and!driving!
viewership,!some!arguments!assume!Social!TV!activities!should!focus!on!returning!
viewers!to!the!preatimeshifted!norms!of!scheduled!viewing.!As!Marlene!King,!
Executive!Producer!of!Pretty!Little!Liars!stated,!“social!media!is!creating!‘mustasee!
TV’!again.!Where,!because!our!fans!want!to!have!this!massive!Twitter!party!together!
on!Tuesday!night!when!we!air,!they!all!sit!down!and!watch.”5!But!Cait!Hood,!Vice!
President!of!Social!Media!at!FBC!does!not!believe!her!department’s!efforts!are!to!try!
and!return!viewers!to!previous!viewing!habits.!She!argues!that!it!is!more!likely!
viewers!will!find!alternate!ways!to!consume!shows!and!she!strives!to!enter!those!
social!media!spaces!with!the!viewers.!!
Although!Hood!commented!that!FBC!is!“not!interested”!in!using!Social!TV!to!
drive!viewers!back!to!appointment!based!viewing!“if!that!is!not!where!they!want!to!
!!
!
226!
be,”!the!fan!communities!her!department!seeks!to!cultivate!thrive!on!anticipation,!
discussion!and!reflection!on!each!new!episode.!6!This!means!when!these!fans!watch!
a!show!is!directly!tied!to!their!ability!to!be!a!timely!part!of!conversations.!Despite!
saying!there!is!no!intent!to!drive!viewers!back!to!scheduled!viewing,!the!most!
important!metric!for!the!success!of!a!show!is!its!Nielsen!ratings.!So,!although!the!
marketing!efforts!for!Bones!may!be!more!skewed!towards!engaging!and!maintaining!
a!fan!base!than!acquiring!new!fans,!the!value!obtained!from!fans!watching!during!
the!time!of!original!broadcast!is!still!highly!important!and!cannot!yet!be!easily!
dismissed.!All!of!these!unknowns!are!creating!anxiety!within!the!television!industry.!
As!Jordan!Levin,!Executive!Vice!President!at!Xbox!Entertainment!Studios!states,!
“this!(the!integration!of!television!and!digital)!is!the!biggest!anxiety!in!the!industry!
at!the!moment.”7!!
One!ongoing!challenge!is!keeping!track!of!all!the!new!platforms!and!various!
types!of!engagement.!For!example,!Bones!viewers!are!using!a!range!of!platforms!and!
analysis!of!just!two!showed!the!diversity!of!ways!individuals!engage!with!the!show,!
show!personnel!and!each!other.!The!formation!of!clique’s!amongst!Boneheads,!the!
most!dedicated!fans,!supports!Fiske’s!suggestions!that!audiences!should!not!be!
situated!as!a!homogenous!mass,!but!as!individual!interpreters!of!meanings!who!
then!form!subacultural!groups.8!These!individual!interpretations!of!meanings!also!
support!Dorothy!Hobson’s!work!that!emphasized!the!power!of!the!audience!to!
construct!their!own!meanings!from!a!text!by!combining!the!text,!personal!
experiences!and!opinions.9!These!types!of!activities!are!clearly!taking!place!in!the!
!!
!
227!
discussion!forums!of!Bonesology!as!demonstrated!in!Chapter!Six!where!viewers!
were!shown!combining!press!release!information,!speculating!based!on!information!
provided!by!other!viewers!and!leveraging!their!existing!show!knowledge!to!
construct!meanings!while!trying!to!guess!the!direction!of!future!episodes.!Hobson!
additionally!suggests!that!when!viewers!form!these!opinions,!they!often!want!to!
share!them!and!the!associated!emotions.!This!desire!to!share!and!socialize!was!
reported!by!some!fans!as!a!motivating!factor!compelling!them!to!participate!in!
Social!TV!activities.!!
Motivations!for!Social!TV!use!were!reported!in!a!study!by!Viacom!that!claimed!to!
uncover!“three!key!types!of!motivations!leading!fans!to!engage!in!TVarelated!social!
media!activities:!Functional,!Communal!and!Playful.”10!Functional!activities!are!cited!
as!the!leading!motivational!factors.!These!actions!include!searching!for!show!
schedules,!keeping!up!with!news!about!the!show!and!accessing!bonus!promotional!
materials!such!as!videos!and!plot!cues.!Communal!activities!include!“liking”!shows!
on!Facebook!and!“following”!shows!on!Twitter.!Playful!activities!include!playing!
social!media!games!and!participating!in!quizzes!and!polls.11!These!findings,!when!
compared!to!Bones!fan!activities,!are!not!compelling!arguments!for!what!motivated!
their!involvement.!Most!users!participated!in!a!combination!of!these!activities,!
resulting!in!these!categories!being!more!effective!as!a!list!of!actions!than!
motivations.!Ericcson’s!findings!that!the!main!drivers!for!users!behavior!include!
“the!need!to!further!analyze!and!discuss,!wanting!to!influence!or!interact!with!
!!
!
228!
content!and!gaining!a!community!feeling!–!connecting!with!others”!appear!to!be!
more!accurate!when!compared!to!Bones!fans!reported!motivations.12!
Of!course,!not!all!viewers!are!compelled!to!participate!in!Social!TV!activities,!but!
those!who!do,!engage!in!many!different!ways.!Some!viewers!exclusively!use!sites!
such!as!Twitter!and!others!seek!out!the!more!detailed!fan!forums!and!communities.!
Some!fans!only!participate!during!the!broadcast!of!the!show!and!others!participate!
at!times!when!the!show!is!not!being!broadcast.!These!varying!levels!of!involvement!
are!ripe!for!investigation!to!better!understand!the!practices!and!rituals!involved!
with!watching!television.!Ron!Lembo’s!categories!of!television!are!helpful!here.!
These!categories!include!Discrete!Users!who!are!highly!involved!and!concentrate!on!
the!content!they!are!consuming,!Undirected!Users!who!have!the!television!on,!but!
share!their!focus!with!other!activities!and!Continuous!Users!who!basically!leave!
television!on!as!background!noise,!occasionally!paying!attention!to!it.13!This!same!
type!of!categorization!would!be!useful!to!apply!to!Social!TV!users.!At!a!more!ina
depth!level,!the!practices!and!rituals!of!Discrete!Users!participating!in!Social!TV!
could!be!investigated!to!reveal!various!subacategories!of!use!to!organize!the!
different!types!of!engagement!described!above.!!
All!of!these!activities!have!allowed!fans!more!direct!and!immediate!ways!to!
speak!back!to!production!personnel.!Whereas!Elana!Levine!described!General!
Hospital’s!established!system!for!reviewing!and!summarizing!audience!sentiment!
through!the!analysis!of!fan!mail,!the!direct!nature!of!social!media!feedback!
eliminates!these!gatekeepers!and!production!personnel!are!left!to!interpret!the!
!!
!
229!
oftenavast!amounts!of!information!they!are!receiving.!At!Bones,!the!greatest!amount!
of!information!is!being!received!by!the!showrunners!who!are!becoming!increasingly!
active!participants!in!the!conversations!surrounding!their!shows.!These!experiences!
have!resulted!in!showrunners!becoming!stars!of!their!shows,!much!in!the!same!
manner!as!the!actors.!In!the!case!of!Bones,!I!would!argue!that!Hanson!and!Nathan!
have!become!bigger!celebrities!than!several!of!the!primary!cast!members.!!
The!producers!of!the!1970’s!and!early!1980’s!such!as!Norman!Lear,!James!L.!
Brooks,!Grant!Tinker!and!Garry!Marshall!described!by!Newcomb!and!Alley!in!The!
Producer’s!Medium,!spent!less!of!their!time!worrying!about!interacting!with!
viewers.14!!As!Hanson!states,!!
I!think,!the!social!networking!has!given!showrunners!a!profile!that!they!have!not!traditionally!had…in!the!old!days…you!could!name!on!one!hand!who!wrote!shows.!No!one!knew.!Even!when!we![industry!insiders]!all!knew!who!they!were,!and!felt!like!they!were!famous,!America!didn’t.!And!now,!more!people!know!what!a!showrunner!is.15!!!
This!awareness!of!his!celebrity!status!has!caused!Hanson!to!create!an!entirely!new!
persona!he!refers!to!as!“Showrunner!Hart.”!This!individual!is!always!positive,!
protective!of!his!privacy!and!approaches!social!media!as!a!game!he!needs!to!play!as!
part!of!his!job.!“If!a!friend!of!mine!says,!‘I!keep!up!with!you!on!Twitter,’!I!say,!‘you’re!
not!keeping!up!with!me!on!Twitter.!You’re!keeping!up!with!the!showrunner,!my!
career,!guy.’!I!seldom!put!in!stuff!about!my!family!and![other!personal]!stuff![on!
social!media].”16!Hanson!continues,!!
I!would!say!my!prime!motivation!is!that!I!be!known!as!someone!who!will!play!the!game,!to!my!bosses!who!hire!me...I!would!like!to!not!be!part!of!it,!but!I’ll!do!it.!Because!I!want!my!studio,!when!it!comes!time!for!me!to!do!my!overall!deals!to!say,!‘Well,!he’s!worth!it.!He’ll!do!all!
!!
!
230!
the!things!he’s!supposed!to!do.!Of!the!100!things!he’s!supposed!to!do,!he’ll!also!take!part!in!the!second!screen!stuff.’”17!
!Despite!situating!his!involvement!in!social!media!as!“playing!the!game,”!it!is!
apparent!that!Hanson!gains!some!enjoyment!from!his!activities.!This!is!evidenced!by!
his!high!degree!of!involvement.!Other!showrunners!such!as!Graham!Yost!and!David!
Shore!have!been!highly!successful!as!producers!and!writers,!and!they!choose!not!to!
be!involved,!so!success!or!obtaining!work!is!certainly!not!dependent!on!Social!TV!
involvement.!Although!Hanson!does!situate!it!as!only!one!of!one!hundred!things!he’s!
supposed!to!do,!if!he!did!not!participate,!there!would!likely!not!be!any!meaningful!
repercussions.!!
Aside!from!his!public!use!of!social!media!platforms,!Hanson!is!aware!of!the!ways!
social!media!use!is!influencing!production!personnel!and!processes!and!resulting!in!
changes!to!production!practices.!As!discussed!in!Chapter!Eight,!the!activities!of!
office!personnel,!Props,!Casting,!actors,!writers,!producers!and!others!have!clearly!
been!influenced!by!social!media.!Some!changes!have!created!challenges,!such!as!the!
need!to!learn,!understand!and!employ!new!social!media!etiquette!that,!if!ignored,!
can!lead!to!upsetting!coaworkers!for!either!personal!reasons!(they!did!not!want!
their!picture!taken!and!posted!online)!or!for!business!reasons!(leaking!information!
is!making!their!job!more!difficult).!These!platforms!are!also!being!used!as!a!research!
tool,!to!help!advance!a!career,!as!a!means!of!giving!back!to!fans!and!many!other!
ways.!Some!of!these!changes!are!useful!for!production,!such!as!the!ability!to!“give!
back”!to!fans!through!Easter!eggs.!Still!others!are!more!directly!related!to!
!!
!
231!
developing!content,!such!as!learning!what!openaended!issues!the!fans!would!like!to!
know!about!and!paying!those!off.!!
One!of!the!most!significant!outcomes!of!Social!TV!influence!on!production!
practices!is!the!question!of!fan!power!and!the!ability!for!viewers!to!influence!
content!by!speaking!back!through!social!media.!The!executive!producers!of!Bones!
say!“no,”!they!would!never!change!their!storylines!or!be!influenced!by!fan!responses.!
This!is!consistent!with!other!Showrunners!such!as!Kurt!Sutter!(Sons!of!Anarchy)!
who!says!fans!do!not!influence!his!vision.18!But!other!showrunners!such!as!Michelle!
and!Robert!King!(The!Good!Wife)!state!they!would!be!willing!to!change!their!stories!
and!have!done!so!in!the!past.19!!
Despite!their!adamant!“no”!response,!the!producers!of!Bones!are!making!
changes!to!the!show!based!on!fan!feedback.!Their!incorporation!of!Easter!eggs!into!
the!show!is!situated!by!the!showrunners!as!a!means!of!“giving!back”!to!fans,!but!it!
can!also!be!interpreted!as!changing!the!show!based!on!viewer!feedback.!Although!it!
is!not!a!change!to!a!major!plotline!like!the!King’s!response!to!fans!on!The!Good!Wife,!
it!is!still!a!modification!of!content!based!on!feedback.!In!addition!to!these!observable!
responses,!there!is!the!possibility!that!unobservable!processes!are!also!occurring.!
For!example,!it!is!possible!that!during!the!writing!process,!a!writer!might!think,!“the!
fans!will/will!not!react!a!certain!way!to!this”!or!“the!fans!will!like/dislike!this”!based!
on!information!received!during!social!media!use.!Since!the!writers!engage!in!Social!
TV!to!varying!degrees!and!they!have!differing!views!on!this!phenomenon,!someone!
making!these!types!of!comments!in!the!writers!room!would!runt!the!risk!of!being!
!!
!
232!
ridiculed.!Comments!such!as!these!were!not!observed!in!the!writers!room.!But!that!
does!not!mean!they!are!not!part!of!a!writers!internal!dialogue!or!private!
conversations!among!smaller!groups!of!writers!who!engage!with!Social!TV!activities!
in!the!same!way.!
All!of!this!online!talk!is!what!John!Fiske!refers!to!as!a!“third!text.”!20!Fiske!
proposes!that!the!television!“text”!is!not!simply!the!sounds!and!images!presented!in!
the!program.!This,!he!describes!as!the!“primary!text.”!A!“secondary!text”!also!exists!
and!these!include!writings!about!television,!advertisements,!posters!and!other!
components!that!are!“read!back!into!the!text.”21!!A!“third!text”!is!the!resulting!talk!
produced!by!viewers!resulting!from!discussions!about!individual!readings!of!the!
primary!text.!!Fiske!suggests!that!these!three!types!of!texts!result!in!an!“open”!text!
that!allows!viewers!to!negotiate!meanings.!Social!TV!use!can!further!expand!the!
meaning!of!“open”!to!include!the!possibility!that!the!text!is!“open”!for!modification!
based!on!the!expression!of!negotiated!meanings!that!make!their!way!back!to!
production.!The!future!texts!are!therefore!“open”!to!change!based!on!the!received!
messages.!These!changed!texts!can!then!be!considered!“influenced.”!
Examples!of!direct!viewer!feedback!to!production!personnel!through!social!
media!are!plentiful.!On!any!given!day,!production!personnel!are!found!reading!social!
media!interactions!between!fans!and!communicating!directly!with!fans.!Yet,!it!was!
surprising!to!find!that!there!appears!to!be!little!influence!from!social!media!
platforms!flowing!to!production!personnel!after!being!gathered!by!network!and!
studio!personnel.!!Although!there!was!no!evidence!of!network!or!studio!personnel!
!!
!
233!
gathering!social!media!feedback!and!sharing!that!information!with!production!
personnel!observed!or!revealed!during!interviews,!that!does!not!mean!the!network!
and!studio!personnel!are!not!aware!of!viewer!sentiment.!It!is!possible!that!they!are!
using!that!information!to!help!guide!their!feedback!to!production!during!processes!
such!as!the!giving!of!script!notes,!but!they!did!not!disclose!this!information.!!Writers!
told!one!story!of!the!network!rejecting!a!storyline!where!the!victim!was!a!child.!
While!networks!are!concerned!about!viewer!reactions!and!cautiously!approach!
these!types!of!stories,!it!is!possible!that!an!awareness!of!social!media!has!the!
potential!to!intensify!concerns!and!be!a!contributing!factor!in!these!types!of!
decisions.!
All!of!the!developments!explored!here!are!taking!place!at!a!time!when!Social!TV!
is!a!rapidly!changing!field.!During!the!research!period,!changes!were!taking!place!in!
the!Social!TV!industry!that!had!an!influence!on!the!business!decisions!being!made!at!
the!network!and!possibly!on!the!way!fans!engage!with!the!show.!Examples!of!these!
changes!include!the!reabranding!of!GetGlue!to!TVTag!and!a!move!by!Facebook!to!
challenge!Twitter’s!claim!of!being!the!dominant!platform!for!Social!TV!activities.!
Facebook!had!previously!voiced!objections!to!this!opinion!but!did!not!present!an!
argument!to!support!their!agenda.!In!February!2014!they!directly!challenged!claims!
of!Twitter!dominance!by!releasing!data!about!Social!TV!activities!on!their!
platform.22!!
These!developments!in!Social!TV!are!mirrored!in!the!changing!approaches!to!
studying!these!types!of!phenomena.!!Television!research!projects!have!traditionally!
!!
!
234!
been!categorized!into!specific!areas!such!as!“audience!studies”!or!“industry!studies,”!
but!I!do!not!situate!this!dissertation!under!any!specific!umbrella.!I!find!these!labels!
too!limiting!to!properly!classify!the!multiple!areas!explored!here.!!This!view!is!
consistent!with!contemporary!research!trends!that!suggest!television!should!be!
studied!in!conjunction!with!other!media!as!part!of!a!more!complex!system!of!
interrelated!and!increasingly!interdependent!forms.!!
Situating!this!dissertation!within!this!trend!towards!hybrid!categorization!places!
this!research!in!conversation!with!works!such!as!Jonathan!Gray’s!Show!Sold!
Seperately:!Promos,!Spoilers!and!Other!Media!Paratext.!Gray!seeks!to!demonstrate!
“how!meaning!and!value!are!constructed!outside!of!what!we!have!often!considered!
to!be!the!text!itself.”23!This!investigation!of!Bones!and!Social!TV!activities!similarly!
seeks!to!understand!how!viewer’s!engagements!with!each!other!and!production!
personnel!work!to!create!meanings!in!similar!ways!as!the!text.!For!example,!viewers!
reported!using!Social!TV!platforms!to!connect!with!other!viewers!to!deconstruct!the!
text!and!make!new!meanings.!Therefore,!meanings!are!constructed!through!
interactions!and!the!sharing!of!ideas!instead!of!interpretation!of!the!text.!These!
activities!surrounding!the!show!additionally!create!new!value!for!viewers,!
complementing!value!gained!from!their!engagement!with!the!text.!This!is!
demonstrated!by!the!fan!comments!about!the!friendships!they’ve!formed!and!the!
communities!created!amongst!different!groups!of!fans.!
To!accomplish!this!research!in!these!areas!beyond!the!text,!Gray!engages!with!
multiple!mediums!and!conversations,!an!approach!that!not!only!covers!the!
!!
!
235!
“triumvirate!of!Text,!Audience!and!Industry”!but!also!the!“paratexts!that!fill!the!
space!between!them.”24!His!investigation!of!the!promos,!synergy!and!hype!
surrounding!television!programs!employs!a!variety!of!methods!including!“close!
reading,!audience!research,!and!structural/political!economic!analysis.”!Gray’s!work!
therefore!breaks!out!of!traditional!research!categories,!combines!multiple!methods!
and!bridges!multiple!mediums!and!areas!of!focus.25!This!dissertation!has!followed!
this!same!strategy!through!the!combining!of!observation,!interview!and!textual!
analysis!methods!across!multiple!mediums.!Not!only!were!television!activities!
investigated,!but!also!online!interactions!and!business!practices,!establishing!
multiple!areas!of!focus.!!
In!Spreadable!Media,!Henry!Jenkins,!Sam!Ford!and!Joshua!Green!similarly!seek!to!
connect!multiple!mediums!discussing!the!circulation!of!content!and!how!
information!is!dispersed!throughout!networks!of!individuals.26!Using!these!concepts!
to!investigate!spreadable!content!on!Bones!for!example,!found!production!personnel!
to!have!an!increased!awareness!of!the!implications!surrounding!their!social!media!
use!resulting!in!an!embracing!and!fearing!the!spreadability!of!their!content.!!When!
Hart!Hanson!posted!a!picture!of!Christine,!the!daughter!of!Booth!and!Bones,!taken!
on!the!production!set!during!shooting!of!the!wedding!episode!he!was!embracing!
spreadability,!hoping!the!photo!would!reach!as!many!fans!as!possible!and!appease!
the!individuals!who!were!upset!by!her!exclusion!from!the!episode.!Conversely,!
Hanson!and!his!team!were!also!concerned!with!the!spreadability!of!information!and!
feared!the!unauthorized!release!of!information!or!pictures!before!the!airing!of!the!
!!
!
236!
wedding!episode.!They!feared!the!release!would!spoil!the!show!for!viewers!and!they!
were!aware!that!once!information!is!posted!on!the!Internet,!it!couldn’t!be!taken!
back.!Researching!these!issues!across!mediums!required!investigation!of!the!text,!
audiences,!production!and!business!practices!that!spanned!traditional!
categorizations!of!study!“type”!and!demonstrates!how!various!forms!of!media!form!
a!complex!system!of!interrelated!forms.!
Building!on!these!ideas,!James!Bennett!argues!in!Television!as!Digital!Media!that!
television!must!now!be!approached!as!a!“nonasiteaspecific,!hybrid!cultural!and!
technological!form!that!spreads!across!platforms.”27!Investigating!these!new!
connections!requires!new!approaches.!To!address!that!concern,!the!essays!in!
Connected!Viewing:!Selling,!Sharing,!and!Streaming!Media!in!a!Digital!Era!focus!on!
these!new!connections,!address!current!changes!and!offer,!according!to!James!
Bennett,!a!“set!of!methods!and!perspectives!for!studying!this!critical!moment!in!
media!culture.”28!!Today’s!“critical!moment”!is!a!time!when!many!aspects!of!
television!are!changing!but!many!also!remain!the!same.!Shows!are!created!and!
produced!following!many!of!the!same!guidelines!as!the!past,!networks!and!cable!
channels!continue!to!deliver!the!content!into!our!homes!and!many!viewers!still!
consume!television!content!on!a!big!box!in!our!living!rooms.!Although!television,!in!
these!ways,!may!be!fundamentally!the!same,!there!are!many!changes!occurring!that!
are!beginning!to!disrupt!this!status!quo.!Video!on!Demand!services!are!on!the!rise!
and!the!number!of!“cord!cutters”!is!slowly!but!steadily!increasing.!Netflix!is!
disrupting!traditional!delivery!strategies!by!releasing!entire!seasons!of!a!show!at!
!!
!
237!
one!time.!Viewers!are!able!to!watch!an!entire!season!or!series!in!marathon!viewing!
sessions.!Nielsen!is!now!tracking!DVR!+!7!ratings.!The!recent!Aereo!controversy!has!
made!it!all!the!way!to!the!Supreme!Court!and!could!have!wide!spread!effects!on!the!
future!of!television,!cloud!computing!and!the!quality!of!wireless!services.!!
The!focus!of!this!dissertation,!Social!TV,!is!one!important!element!of!this!critical!
moment!in!media!culture.!!In!Chapter!One,!I!proposed!a!working!taxonomy!of!Social!
TV!platforms!because!the!marketplace!is!rapidly!changing!as!new!platforms!are!
introduced,!unsuccessful!platforms!disappear!and!others!merge!and!form!
partnerships.!!Due!to!these!changes,!Technology!Writer!Janko!Roettgers!declared!
the!death!of!Social!TV,!much!in!the!same!way!many!scholars!once!predicted!the!
death!of!television!due!to!the!rise!of!the!Internet.!!Roettgers!article!argues,!“as!the!
secondascreen!space!is!consolidating,!it’s!time!to!face!reality!and!admit!that!Social!
TV!is!dead.”29!What!Roettgers!misses!is!that!the!changing!marketplace!is!a!feature!of!
this!critical!moment!in!time.!We!are!in!a!time!of!experimentation!as!the!networks,!
studios!and!production!personnel!try!to!figure!out!how!to!best!leverage!these!new!
tools.!The!Social!Media!Department!at!FBC,!for!example,!is!trying!to!find!
communities!of!viewers!and!enter!those!spaces.!The!Publicity!Department!is!now!
working!with!bloggers,!fanacritics!and!other!“influencers.”!Production!personnel!are!
engaging!with!fans,!investigating!how!these!social!activities!can!help!their!careers!
and!assist!with!work!tasks.!All!of!these!activities!are!changing!relationships!between!
production!personnel!and!fans,!allowing!more!direct!access,!influencing!content!and!
possibly!disrupting!existing!power!relationships.!!These!are!the!ways!Social!TV!is!
!!
!
238!
contributing!to!this!critical!moment!in!media!culture.!A!moment!that!must!be!
investigated!in!new!ways,!seeking!answers!across!forms,!in!the!gray!areas!between!
forms!and!in!the!ways!different!forms!of!media!are!becoming!increasingly!
interrelated.!The!future!of!television!does!not!appear!to!be!clear,!but!it!is!apparent!
this!is!a!moment!of!change!and!the!ways!this!medium!is!studied!must!be!modified.!!!!
Despite!these!challenges,!several!additional!research!questions!have!emerged!
from!this!dissertation.!Because!the!events!described!here!are!specific!to!one!
moment!in!time!for!Bones,!FBC!and!20th!Century!Fox!Television!Studios,!they!cannot!
be!made!generalizable!to!explain!other!shows!or!companies.!However,!this!study!
can!be!used!as!a!template!to!guide!similar!studies.!This!is!one!advantage!of!the!
selected!case!study!approach.!As!Robert!Yin!explains,!“In!analytic!generalization,!
previously!developed!theory!is!used!as!a!template!against!which!to!compare!the!
empirical!results!of!case!study.”30!Therefore,!the!completion!of!additional!case!
studies!can!seek!to!answer!questions!about!the!similarities!and!differences!between!
this!show!and!others.!This!would!provide!a!clearer!perspective!on!fan,!organization!
and!personnel!activities!across!the!industry.!For!example,!two!primary!platforms!for!
fan!activities!were!identified!for!Bones.!Do!fans!of!other!shows!interact!in!the!same!
way!and!on!a!greater!or!fewer!number!of!platforms?!Are!they!driven!by!similar!
motivations?!Have!fans!of!other!shows!formed!cliques!in!the!same!way!as!the!Bones!
fans?!Since!Bones!is!in!its!ninth!season!at!the!time!this!research!was!completed,!how!
might!these!findings!differ!for!shows!that!are!newer?!Will!corporate!activities!be!
!!
!
239!
more!focused!on!acquiring!fans!instead!of!maintaining!an!existing!fan!base?!These!
types!of!questions!are!also!highly!relevant!to!discussions!of!genre.!!
A!SocialGuide!report!found!some!of!the!“most!social”!shows!to!be!sporting!
events!and!special!events!such!as!awards!shows.31!How!does!Social!TV!activity!differ!
by!the!type!of!show!or!other!factors!such!as!broadcast!time,!broadcast!day,!channel!
and!other!factors?!Bones!was!identified!as!a!hybrid!type!of!program!containing!
elements!from!both!episodic!and!serial!shows.!How!is!social!activity!different!for!a!
shows!fitting!the!stricter!definitions!of!each!genre?!How!do!factors!such!as!the!need!
to!pay!closer!attention!to!certain!types!of!shows!influence!social!media!use?!!
In!addition!to!what!people!are!watching,!it!is!equally!important!to!consider!the!
geographic!location!of!viewers.!The!fans!of!Bones!participating!in!social!media!
activities!are!not!exclusively!located!in!the!United!States.!It!would!be!of!interest!to!
investigate!how!international!fans!are!engaging!with!the!show.!These!viewers!are!
often!watching!pirated!versions!of!shows!obtained!shortly!after!their!U.S.!broadcast!
and!these!viewers!can!participate!in!U.S.!based!Social!TV!activities!with!minimal!
delay.!But!there!are!also!viewers!who!are!watching!previous!seasons!in!syndication!
and!it!would!be!interesting!to!know!how!they!are!engaging!with!archived!social!
content!on!sites!such!as!Bonesology.!Furthermore,!are!the!networks!broadcasting!
these!syndicated!episodes!trying!to!engage!with!fans!and!attempting!to!fuel!the!
social!aspects!of!the!show!in!the!same!way!FBC!tries!to!build!fan!communities!
amongst!fans!for!firstarun!broadcasts?!These!types!of!studies!could!be!modeled!off!
the!work!of!researchers!such!as!Tamar!Liebes!and!Elihu!Katz!who!sought!to!
!!
!
240!
understand!how!television!viewers!around!the!world!responded!to!the!program!
Dallas.32!Their!findings!support!views!of!audiences!being!active!viewers!and!
participating!in!negotiations!with!texts.!So,!if!these!viewers!are!engaging!with!texts!
in!the!same!way!as!U.S.!viewers,!how!are!their!online!social!activities!similar!or!
different?!Since!most!legal!viewing!of!U.S.!television!shows!syndicated!in!other!
countries!is!occurring!longer!after!production!has!concluded,!do!international!
viewers!have!different!expectations!for!being!able!to!influence!a!show?!!
The!observation!and!interview!activities!in!this!case!show!the!multitude!of!
interests!companies!and!individuals!have!in!Social!TV.!Constant!activities!are!
showing!experimentation!and!learning!taking!place.!!Social!TV!does!not!appear!to!be!
a!fad.!Many!different!individuals!and!organizations!are!making!huge!investments!of!
time,!money!and!resources!into!this!phenomenon.!As!a!recent!report!by!NATPE,!the!
National!Association!of!Television!Program!Executives!announced!“second!screen!is!
here!to!stay”!and!the!industry!is!expressing!optimism!for!Social!TV.!33!This!optimism!
has!led!to!our!current!period!of!testing!resulting!in!many!advantages!for!audiences,!
networks,!studios!and!shows.!On!Bones,!we!have!seen!that!as!changes!are!occurring,!
they!are!impacting!both!production!practices!and!the!show’s!content.34!
Notes!
1!Ibid!Mike!Proulx!and!Stacey!Shepatin,!p.!10.!
2!Holt,!Empires!of!Entertainment!:!Media!Industries!and!the!Politics!of!Deregulation,!1980A1996.!
3!Hart!Hanson!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(2),!September!23,!2013.!
!!
!
241!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4!Turner!and!Tay,!Television!Studies!after!Tv!:!Understanding!Television!in!the!PostA!Broadcast!Era.!
5!The!Wall!Street!Journal,!"Social!Media!+!Pop!Culture!=!?".!
6!Cait!Hood!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(2).!
7!Jordan!Levin!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(2),!February!25,!2014.!
8!Fiske,!Television!Culture,!81.!
9!Hobson,!'Crossroads':!Drama!of!a!Soap!Opera.!
10!PRNewswire.com,!"TvaRelated!Social!Media!Use!Is!Primarily!Driven!by!Functional,!Communal!and!Playful!Factors,!According!to!New!MultiaCountry!Research!from!Viacom".!
11!ibid!PRNewswire.com.!
12!Ericcson,!"Tv!and!Video:!An!Analysis!of!Evolving!Consumer!Habits."!
13!Lembo,!Thinking!through!Television.!
14!Newcomb!and!Alley,!The!Producer's!Medium!:!Conversations!with!Creators!of!American!Tv.!
15!Hart!Hanson!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(2).!
16!Ibid.!
17!Ibid.!
18!Flaherty,!"The!Showrunner!Transcript:!Sons!of!Anarchy’s!Kurt!Sutter".!
19!See!Kalinda!and!Nick!story!in!Chapter!Four!
20!Fiske,!Television!Culture,!85.!
21!Ibid.!
22!Based!on!a!study!completed!by!social!media!analytics!firm!SecondSync,!this!was!“the!first!inadepth!analysis!of!Facebook’s!social!TV!data!across!multiple!territories,!and!the!first!time!Facebook!has!released!social!TV!analytics!to!the!industry!at!this!scale.”!The!rationale!behind!the!release!was!that!“huge!volumes!of!public!
!!
!
242!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!conversations!on!Twitter!have!meant!that!until!now!social!TV!has!largely!been!synonymous!with!one!social!network.!SecondSync’s!findings!offer!an!additional!perspective,!one!that!is!able!to!draw!on!Facebook’s!rich!demographics,!broad!reach,!and!multiple!interaction!types.”!SecondSync,!"Watching!with!Friends:!How!Tv!Drives!Conversation!on!Facebook,"(2014).!!23!Jonathan!Gray,!Show!Sold!Seperately:!Promos,!Spoliers!and!Other!Media!Paratext(NYU!Press,!2010),!ix.!!24!Ibid.,!23.!!25!Ibid.,!4.!!26!Henry!Jenkins,!Sam!Ford,!and!Joshua!Green,!Spreadable!Media!:!Creating!Value!and!Meaning!in!a!Networked!Culture,!Postmillennial!Pop!(New!York!;!London:!New!York!University!Press,!2013).!!27!James!Bennett!and!Niki!Strange,!Television!as!Digital!Media,!ConsoleaIng!Passions!(Durham,!NC:!Duke!University!Press!Books,!2011),!2.!!28!Ibid.!!29!Janko!Roettgers,!"Let's!Face!It:!Social!Tv!Is!Dead,"!!http://gigaom.com/2014/01/29/letsafaceaitasocialatvaisadead/.!
30!Yin,!Case!Study!Research:!Design!and!Methods.!
31!SocialGuide!Intelligence,!"About!Sgi".!
32!Liebes!and!Katz,!The!Export!of!Meaning!:!CrossACultural!Readings!of!Dallas.!
33!Global!License,!"Natpe:!SecondaScreen!Is!Here!to!Stay,"!!http://www.licensemag.com/licenseaglobal/natpeasecondascreenahereastay#.UucUiFCiv4s.twitter.!
34!Additionally,!this!dissertation!serves!as!an!example!to!support!Turner!and!Tay’s!suggestion!that!television!can!no!longer!be!studied!as!an!independent!medium!and!it!must!be!studied!in!relation!to!the!other!technologies!that!exist!in!cooperation!with!it.!!
!
!!
!
243!
!
!REFERENCES!
!360i.!"Q&a!with!Univision’s!David!Beck:!Harnessing!the!Power!of!Social!Tv."!
http://blog.360i.com/socialamarketing/qaawithaunivisionsadavidabeckacreatingaimmersiveasocialatvaexperiences.!
707,!Frankie.!"Post!Episode!Discussion."!http://bonesology.yuku.com/topic/2933/PostaEpisodeaDiscussion?page=2!a!.UvkeW0JdVjs.!
ABC!Family.!"Ratings!Highlights!for!Tuesday,!October!23,!2012!–!National!Ratings."!http://www.abcfamilymedianet.com/docs/2012/ABCF_Rate_Oct23.doc.!
AcostaaAlzuru,!Carolina.!"“I’m!Not!a!Feminist!...!I!Only!Defend!Women!as!Human!Beings”:!The!Production,!Representation,!and!Consumption!of!Feminism!in!a!Telenovela."!Critical!Studies!in!Media!Communication!20,!no.!3!(2003):!269a94.!
———.!La!Incandescencia!De!Las!Cosas:!Conversaciones!Con!Leonardo!Padrón.!!Caracas:!Editorial!Alfa,!2013.!
Adalian,!Josef.!"Cbs!Cancels!'Jericho,'!Two!Others."!http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117964967/?refCatId=14.!
———.!"How!Friends!Decided!to!Pair!Off!Monica!and!Chandler."!Vulture.!http://www.vulture.com/2013/11/friendsamonicaachandlerahowawritersapairedathemaoff.html.!
Alley,!Robert!S.,!and!Irby!B.!Brown.!Women!Television!Producers!:!1948A2000.!!Rochester,!NY:!University!of!Rochester!Press,!2002.!
Anderson,!JoAnn.!"Breaking!Bad!and!Walter!White’s!“Song!of!Myself”."!http://filmrascal.wordpress.com/2012/09/03/breakingabadaandawalterawhitesasongaofamyself/.!
Ang,!Ien.!Watching!Dallas!:!Soap!Opera!and!the!Melodramatic!Imagination.!!London!;!New!York:!Methuen,!1985.!
Anna!Banana!:].!"Anna!Banana!:]!(Polskaax3)!on!Twitter."!Twitter.!https://twitter.com/polskaax3.!
Assaf!Cohen!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!December!13,!2013.!
!!
!
244!
Ausiello,!Michael.!"Bones!Wedding!Post!Mortem:!Eps!Talk!Christine's!Absence,!Brennan's!Original!(and!'Unsuitable')!Vows!—!Plus:!New!Big!Bad's!Moniker!Revealed!"!TV|Line.!http://tvline.com/2013/10/21/bonesaweddingaepisodeabrennanaboothagetamarriedavowsainterview/.!
Bagdikian,!Ben!H.!The!New!Media!Monopoly.!!Boston:!Beacon!Press,!2004.!
Baym,!Nancy.!Tune!in,!Log!On:!Soaps,!Fandom,!and!Online!Community.!!London:!Sage,!2000.!
BBC!News.!"News!Corp!in!$580,!Internet!Buy."!BBC!News.!http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4695495.stm.!
Beatrice!Belli!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(1).!January!10,!2014.!
Beatrice!Belli!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(2).!January!26,!2014.!
Bennett,!James,!and!Niki!Strange.!Television!as!Digital!Media.!ConsoleaIng!Passions.!!Durham,!NC:!Duke!University!Press!Books,!2011.!
Benton,!Adrian!!&!Hill,!Shawndra.!"The!Spoiler!Effect?:!Designing!Social!Tv!Content!That!Promotes!Ongoing!Wom."!http://socialtvlab.com/papers/Hill.SpoilerEffect.pdf?rss=1:!University!of!Pennsylvania,!2013.!
Bergman,!Cory.!"'No!Reservations'!Airs!Episode!Sparked!by!Facebook!Fan."!http://lostremote.com/noareservationsaairingaepisodeasparkedabyafacebookafan_b29314.!
———.!"Report:!Twitter!Buying!Bluefin!Labs."!http://lostremote.com/reportatwitterabuyingabluefinalabs_b36544.!
Blechier,!Joni.!"Goodbye!Couch!Potato,!Hello!Second!Screen!Surfer."!RealPlayer,!Last!Modified!Ocotober!9,!2012.!http://www.real.com/resources/videoasecondascreen.!
Block,!Alex!Ben.!"Tv!Showrunners!to!Outshine!Filmmakers!at!2013!Produced!by!Conference."!The!Hollywood!Reporter.!http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kurtasutteragaleaanneahurda561841.!
Boddy,!William.!Fifties!Television!:!The!Industry!and!Its!Critics.!!Urbana:!University!of!Illinois!Press,!1990.!
!!
!
245!
Bones.!"Bones!(Bonesonfox)!on!Twitter."!Twitter.!https://twitter.com/BONESonFOX.!
———.!"Bones!(Bonesonfox)!on!Twitter."!Twitter.!http://www.twitter.com/BONESonFOX.!
Bonesology.!"Bonesology!(Bonesology)!on!Twitter."!Twitter.!https://twitter.com/Bonesology/.!
———.!"Bonesologya!a!Home!for!Fans!of!the!Fox!Tv!Show!'Bones'!~!Forums."!http://bonesology.yuku.com/.!
———.!"New!Members!Introduce!Yourself."!Bonseology.!http://bonesology.yuku.com/topic/109/NewaMembersaIntroduceaYourself!a!.UjcchGSgl5U.!
———.!"Tweets!from!Other!Cast!and!Crew."!http://bonesology.yuku.com/topic/826/TweetsafromaOtheraCastaandaCrew!a!.UrmmWGRDuHJ.!
Boreanaz,!David.!"David!Boreanaz!(David_Boreanaz)!on!Twitter."!Twitter.!https://twitter.com/David_Boreanaz.!
Brooker,!Will,!and!Deborah!Jermyn.!The!Audience!Studies!Reader.!!London!;!New!York:!Routledge,!2003.!
Brunsdon,!Charlotte,!and!David!Morley.!Everyday!Television:!Nationwide.!!London:!British!Film!Institute,!1978.!
Cait!Hood!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(1).!December!10,!2013.!
Cait!Hood!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(2).!February!10,!2014.!
Caldwell,!John!Thornton.!Production!Culture!:!Industrial!Reflexivity!and!Critical!Practice!in!Film!and!Television.!ConsoleaIng!Passions.!!Durham,!N.C.:!Duke!University!Press,!2008.!
"Cancellation!Bear!(Thecancelbear)!on!Twitter."!!Twitter.!https://twitter.com/TheCancelBear.!
Cantor,!Muriel!G.!The!Hollywood!Tv!Producer;!His!Work!and!His!Audience.!!New!York,:!Basic!Books,!1971.!
Carlbert,!Michelle.!"Michelle!Carlbert!(Mokibobolink)!on!Twitter."!Twitter.!https://twitter.com/Mokibobolink.!
!!
!
246!
Carolina!AcostaaAlzuru!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!November!2,!2012.!
Chris!Kaspers!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!February!11,!2014.!
Christine!Ciraolo!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!December!13,!2013.!
Cindee!Phillips!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!November!15,!2013.!
Cocotas,!Alex.!"88%!of!U.S.!Consumers!Use!Mobile!as!Second!Screen!While!Watching!Tv."!http://www.businessinsider.com/aamajorityausesamobileaasasecondascreena2013a5.!
Collins,!Scott.!"David!Boreanaz!of!'Bones'!Breaks!the!News!Via!Twitter!of!the!Show's!Fate!for!Next!Season."!Los!Angeles!Times.!http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2011/05/davidaboreanazaofabonesabreaksatheanewsaviaatwitteraofatheashowsafateaforanextaseasona.html.!
DarkUFO.!"Bones!a!Episode!9.15!a!Heiress!in!the!Hill!a!Press!Release."!http://www.spoilertv.com/2014/01/bonesaepisodea915aheiressainahillapress.html.!
Dau,!Peggy.!"Getglue!Gets!Sticky."!http://tdgresearch.com/getglueagetsasticky.!
Dave!Thomas!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!December!10,!2013.!
David!Shore!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!July!18,!2013.!
Dean!Lopata!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(1).!November!18,!2013.!
Dean!Lopata!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(2).!December!12,!2013.!
Debbeard.!"'The!Good!Wife'!Recap:!'Two!Girls,!One!Code'!and!an!Affair!Rumor."!Huffington!Post,!Last!Modified!October!17,!2012.!http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chrisaharnick/theagoodawifearecapatwoagirlsaoneacode_b_1925712.html.!
Delphi!Forums.!"Delphi!Forums:!Communities!for!Friends,!Groups!and!Businesses."!http://www.delphiforums.com.!
Deschanel,!Emily.!"Emily!Deschanel!(Emilydeschanel)!on!Twitter."!Twitter.!https://twitter.com/emilydeschanel.!
Dowling,!Eleanor.!"2012:!The!Year!in!Social!Tv
!!
!
247!
Dredge,!Stuart.!"Social!Tv!and!SecondaScreen!Viewing:!The!Stats!in!2012."!The!Guardian.!http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/appsblog/2012/oct/29/socialatvasecondascreenaresearch.!
Dunham,!Lena.!"Pilot."!In!Girls:!HBO,!2012.!
Echo.!"Customer!Successes!/!Case!Studies!/!USA!Network."!http://aboutecho.com/CustomerSuccess/CaseStudies/USANetworks.!
Edelsburg,!Natan.!"Breaking:!Social!Tv!Visionary!Jesse!Redniss!Will!Be!Leaving!USA!Network."!http://lostremote.com/tag/jessearedniss.!
———.!"How!‘Pretty!Little!Liars’!Used!Social!Tv!for!Their!Halloween!Special."!Lost!Remote.!http://lostremote.com/howaprettyalittlealiarsausedasocialatvaforatheirahalloweenaspecial_b34822?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LostRemote+(Lost+Remote)&utm_content=Google+Reader.!
Emily!Silver!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!November!13,!2013.!
Eric!Phillips!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!December!12,!2013.!
Ericcson.!"Tv!and!Video:!An!Analysis!of!Evolving!Consumer!Habits."!12.!Stockholm,!Sweden:!Ericcson,!2012.!
Facebook.!"Facebook!a!Bones."!Facebook.!https://http://www.facebook.com/Bones.!
———.!"Key!Facts."!Facebook.!http://newsroom.fb.com/KeyaFacts.!
Feagin,!J.,!Orum,!A.,!&!Sjoberg,!G.,!ed.!A!Case!for!Case!Study.!Chapel!Hill,!NC:!University!of!North!Carolina!Press,!1991.!
Fishel,!Danielle.!"Girl!Meets!World."!In!Untitled,!2012.!
Fiske,!John.!Television!Culture.!2nd!ed.!!London!;!New!York:!Routledge,!2011.!
Flaherty,!Mike.!"The!Showrunner!Transcript:!Breaking!Bad’s!Vince!Gilligan!on!Season!Four!and!His!Experiences!on!the!XaFiles."!New!York!Magazine.!http://www.vulture.com/2011/05/vince_gilligan_showrunner_tran.html.!
———.!"The!Showrunner!Transcript:!Justified’s!Graham!Yost!on!the!Full!House!Writers’!Room!and!Learning!to!Collaborate."!New!York!Magazine.!http://www.vulture.com/2011/05/graham_yost_showrunner_transcr.html.!
!!
!
248!
———.!"The!Showrunner!Transcript:!Sons!of!Anarchy’s!Kurt!Sutter."!The!New!Yorker.!http://www.vulture.com/2011/05/kurt_sutter_showrunner_transcr.html.!
———.!"The!Showrunner!Transcript:!Sons!of!Anarchy’s!Kurt!Sutter."!New!York!Magazine.!http://www.vulture.com/2011/05/kurt_sutter_showrunner_transcr.html.!
Fonow,!Mary!Margaret,!and!Judith!A.!Cook.!Beyond!Methodology!:!Feminist!Scholarship!as!Lived!Research.!!Bloomington:!Indiana!University!Press,!1991.!
Fox.!"Bones!on!Fox."!http://www.fox.com/bones/.!
Fred!Fine!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!December!13,!2013.!
Friedlander,!Whitney.!"Cablers!Study!Social!Media."!http://variety.com/2013/digital/awards/hboagameaofathronesasocialamediaafoodanetworka1200498673/.!
Gervich,!Chad.!Small!Screen,!Big!Picture!:!A!Writer's!Guide!to!the!Tv!Business.!1st!ed.!!New!York:!Three!Rivers!Press,!2008.!
Ghuneim,!Mark.!"Trendrr!Joins!Twitter."!https://blog.trendrr.com/2013/08/28/trendrrajoinsatwitter/.!
Gitlin,!Todd.!Inside!Prime!Time.!1st!ed.!!New!York:!Pantheon!Books,!1983.!
Gliatto,!Tom.!"Critic!Reviews!for!Breaking!Bad!Season!5!a!Metacritic."!http://www.metacritic.com/tv/breakingabad/seasona5/criticareviews.!
Global!License.!"Natpe:!SecondaScreen!Is!Here!to!Stay."!http://www.licensemag.com/licenseaglobal/natpeasecondascreenahereastay!a!.UucUiFCiv4s.twitter.!
Goetzl,!David.!"Twitter!Increases!Efforts!to!Integrate!with!Tv!Programs."!MediaNewsDaily.!http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/202151/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+televisionanewsadaily+%28MediaPost+%7C+Television+News+Daily%29!a!ixzz2VvUSdKih.!
Gray,!Jonathan.!Show!Sold!Seperately:!Promos,!Spoliers!and!Other!Media!Paratext.!NYU!Press,!2010.!
Gray,!Jonathan,!and!Amanda!Lotz.!Television!Studies.!!PreaPublication!Manuscript!2012.!
!!
!
249!
Hall,!Gina.!"TimeaShifted!Tv!Encourages!More!Viewing!aa!Just!Not!the!Ads."!http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2013/03/19/timeashiftedatvaencouragesamore.html.!
Hall,!Stuart.!Culture,!Media,!Language!:!Working!Papers!in!Cultural!Studies,!1972A79.!!London![Birmingham,!West!Midlands]:!Hutchinson;Centre!for!Contemporary!Cultural!Studies,!University!of!Birmingham,!1980.!
Hansen,!D.L.,!Schneiderman,!B.,!Smith,!M.A.!Analyzing!Social!Media!Networks!with!Nodexl:!Insights!from!a!Connected!World.!!Burlington,!MA:!Morgan!Kaufmann,!2011.!
Hanson,!Hart.!"Hart!Hanson!(Harthanson)!on!Twitter."!https://twitter.com/HartHanson.!
———.!"Nerdist!Writers!Panel:!Tv!Year!in!Review,!Part!1."!https://http://www.nerdist.com/2013/12/nerdistawritersapanela120atvayearainareviewaparta1/.!
Hart!Hanson!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(1).!June!18,!2013.!
Hart!Hanson!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(2).!September!23,!2013.!
Hart!Hanson!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(3).!December!9,!2013.!
Havens,!Timothy,!Amanda!D.!Lotz,!and!Serra!Tinic.!"Critical!Media!Industry!Studies:!A!Research!Approach."!Communication,!Culture!and!Critique!2!(2009):!234a53.!
Herman,!John!"Why!Nielsen!Ratings!Are!Inaccurate,!and!Why!They'll!Stay!That!Way."!http://splitsider.com/2011/01/whyanielsenaratingsaareainaccurateaandawhyatheyllastayathataway/.!
Hernandez,!Anthony.!"Alyssa!Milano:!Live!Tweeting!Is!the!ModernaDay!Tv!Viewing!Party."!Mashable.!http://mashable.com/2013/06/10/alyssaamilanoatwitteramistresses/?utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29&utm_cid=MashaProductaRSSaPheedoaAllaPartial&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner.!
Hertz,!Rosanna.!Reflexivity!&!Voice.!!Thousand!Oaks,!Calif.:!Sage!Publications,!1997.!
Hobson,!Dorothy.!'Crossroads':!Drama!of!a!Soap!Opera.!!London:!Methuen,!1982.!
Hoggart,!Richard.!The!Uses!of!Literacy;!Changing!Patterns!in!English!Mass!Culture.!!Fair!Lawn,!N.J.,:!Essential!Books,!1957.!
!!
!
250!
Holt,!Jennifer.!Empires!of!Entertainment!:!Media!Industries!and!the!Politics!of!Deregulation,!1980A1996.!!New!Brunswick,!N.J.:!Rutgers!University!Press,!2011.!
Holt,!Jennifer,!and!Alisa!Perren.!Media!Industries!:!History,!Theory,!and!Method.!!Chichester,!West!Sussex!;!Malden,!MA:!WileyaBlackwell,!2009.!
Howe,!Rick.!"The!Coming!Age!of!Social!Tv."!edited!by!FierceIPTV.com,!16,!2012.!
Ian!Scheibel!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!December!13,!2013.!
Insights,!Networked.!"The!Network!Executive’s!Social!Tv!Survival!Guide!".!http://info.networkedinsights.com/downloadatheanetworkaexecutivesasocialatvasurvivalaguideanetworkedainsights.html,!2012.!
Jenkins,!Henry.!Textual!Poachers!:!Television!Fans!and!Participatory!Culture.!Updated!20th!anniversary!ed.!!New!York:!Routledge,!2013.!
Jenkins,!Henry,!Sam!Ford,!and!Joshua!Green.!Spreadable!Media!:!Creating!Value!and!Meaning!in!a!Networked!Culture.!Postmillennial!Pop.!!New!York!;!London:!New!York!University!Press,!2013.!
Jennifer!Lester!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!October!30,!2013.!
Jenny.!"Bones!Fan!Spotlight:!Jenny."!Bones!Theory.!http://bonestheory.wordpress.com/2010/10/14/886/.!
Joel!Mckee!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!December!13,!2013.!
Jordan!Levin!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(1).!December!12,!2013.!
Jordan!Levin!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(2).!February!25,!2014.!
Josh!Levy!in!Discussion!with!the!Author!(1).!August!22,!2013.!
Kelly.!"Bones!Fan!Spotlight:!Kelly."!Bones!Theory.!http://bonestheory.wordpress.com/2010/09/30/bonesafanaspotlightakelly/.!
Kim!Kurland!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!February!12,!2014.!
Kim,!Sujeong.!"Rereading!David!Morley's!the!'Nationwide'!Audience."!Cultural!Studies!18,!no.!1!(2004):!84a108.!
Kissell,!Rick.!"Social!Tv!Chatter!Grows!800%!on!Twitter!over!2012."!Variety.com.!http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118063975/.!
!!
!
251!
Klaus,!G.!H.!"Cultural!Materialism:!A!Summary!of!Principals."!In!Raymond!Williams:!Politics,!Education,!Letters,!edited!by!W.J!and!Preston!Morgan,!P.!New!York:!St.!Martin's!Press,!1993.!
Koontz,!Charley.!!Last!Modified!October!29,!2013.!http://instagram.com/p/gEmUbKtWku/.!
Lawson,!Mark.!"The!Wright!Way!Goes!Wrong:!How!Social!Media!Is!Changing!Tv."!TheGuardian.com.!http://www.theguardian.com/tvaandaradio/2013/jul/10/wrightawayasocialamediaachangingatv.!
Lembo,!Ron.!Thinking!through!Television.!Cambridge!Cultural!Social!Studies.!!Cambridge,!UK!;!New!York,!NY:!Cambridge!University!Press,!2000.!
Levine,!Elana.!"Toward!a!Paradigm!for!Media!Production!Research."!Critical!Studies!in!Media!Communication!18,!no.!1!(2001):!66a82.!
Liebes,!Tamar,!and!Elihu!Katz.!The!Export!of!Meaning!:!CrossACultural!Readings!of!Dallas.!!New!York:!Oxford!University!Press,!1990.!
Littelton,!Cynthia.!"Damon!Lindelof!Bows!out!of!Twitter."!Variety.!http://variety.com/2013/digital/news/damonalindelofabowsaoutaofatwittera1200731271/.!
Lopata,!Dean.!"Dean!Lopata!(Dloindustries)!on!Twitter."!Twitter.!https://twitter.com/DLoIndustries.!
Lotz,!Amanda.!"Textual!(Im)Possibiliites!in!the!U.S.!PostaNetwork!Era:!Negotiating!Production!and!Promotion!Processes!on!Lifetime's!Any!Day!Now."!Critical!Studies!in!Media!Communication!21,!no.!1!(2004):!22a43.!
Lull,!James.!World!Families!Watch!Television.!Communication!and!Human!Values.!!Newbury!Park,!Calif.:!Sage!Publications,!1988.!
MacInnes,!Madison.!"Madison!Macinnes!(Madi93)!on!Twitter."!Twitter.!https://twitter.com/Madi93.!
MacMillan,!Gordon.!"Could!Fringe!Be!the!First!Tv!Show!Saved!by!a!Hashtag?".!http://wallblog.co.uk/2012/02/24/couldafringeabeatheafirstatvashowasavedabyaaahashtag/!a!ixzz1qtUoqHSc.!
Makarechi,!Kia.!"'Girls'!Reviews:!New!Hbo!Show!and!Lena!Dunham!Face!Backlash!on!Racism!and!More."!http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/16/girlsareviewsabacklashahboashow_n_1429328.html.!
!!
!
252!
Manavalan,!Raghu.!"Espn!Tries!to!Kill!the!Trolls:!Facebook!Comments!Only."!http://www.marketplace.org/topics/tech/numbers/espnatriesakillatrollsafacebookacommentsaonly.!
MarketsandMarkets.com.!"Social!Tv/Smart!Tv!Market:!Global!Advancements,!Ecosystem,!Business!Models,!Technology!Roadmap,!Worldwide!Market!Forecasts!&!Analysis!(2012!–!2017)."!http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/MarketaReports/socialatvamarketa815.html.!
Martha.!"Martha!(Marthaemilym)!on!Twitter."!Twitter.!https://twitter.com/MarthaEmilyM.!
Martha!Emily!Michulka!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!November!21,!2013.!
Masked!Scheduler.!"Masked!Scheduler!(Maskedscheduler)!on!Twitter."!Twitter.!https://twitter.com/maskedscheduler.!
Maureen!Ryan!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!February!19,!2014.!
Mayerowitz,!Scott.!"Nutty!'Jerico'!Fans!Make!Cbs!Reconsider!Canceling!Show."!http://abcnews.go.com/Business/FunMoney/story?id=3214156&page=1!a!.UN2yXInjlvA.!
McNutt,!Myles.!"Tweets!of!Anarchy:!Showrunners!on!Twitter."!Antenna.!http://blog.commarts.wisc.edu/2010/09/17/tweetsaofaanarchyashowrunnersaonatwitter/.!
McRae,!Phil.!"The!Death!of!Television!and!the!Birth!of!Digital!Convergence:!(Re)Shaping!Media!in!the!21st!Century."!SMILE:!Studies!in!Media!&!Information!Literacy!Education!6,!no.!2!(May!2006):!1a12.!
———.!"The!Death!of!Television!and!the!Birth!of!Digital!Convergence:!(Re)Shaping!Media!in!the!21st!Century."!SMILE:!Studies!in!Media!&!Information!Literacy!Education!6,!no.!2!(2006):!1a12.!
Megan!Mcnamara!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!December!13,!2013.!
Mendoza,!Martha.!"How!Facebook!Likes!Get!Bought!and!Sold."!Huffington!Post.!http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/05/buyafacebookalikes_n_4544800.html.!
Metacritic.!"Girls:!Season!1."!http://www.metacritic.com/tv/girls/criticareviews.!
!!
!
253!
MIT!Technology!Review.!"10!Breakthrough!Technologies."!http://www2.technologyreview.com/tr10/?year=2010.!
Mitchell,!Amy,!and!Paul!Hitlin.!"Twitter!Reaction!to!Events!Often!at!Odds!with!Overall!Public!Opinion."!http://www.pewresearch.org/2013/03/04/twitterareactionatoaeventsaoftenaataoddsawithaoverallapublicaopinion/.!
Mittell,!Jason.!"A!Cultural!Approach!to!Television!Genre!Theory."!Cinema!Journal!40,!no.!3!(2001):!3a24.!
———.!"Narrative!Complexity!in!Contemporary!American!Television."!The!Velvet!Light!Trap!58,!no.!Fall!2006!(2006):!29a40.!
Monisse.!"Bones!Fan!Spotlight:!Monisse."!Bones!Theory.!http://bonestheory.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/bonesafanaspotlightamonisse/.!
Morley,!David.!The!'Nationwide'!Audience.!!London:!British!Film!Institute,!1980.!
n/a.!"Conversation!|!Getglue."!http://getglue.com/conversation/hilory_83/2012a12a17T05:34:09Z.!
NatesMama.!"Bones!Twitter!Hashtag!of!the!Day."!Bonesology.!http://bonesology.yuku.com/topic/256/BonesaTwitteraHashtagaofatheaDay!a!.UtkvqWSwKuV.!
Networked!Insights.!"The!Network!Executive's!Social!Tv!Survival!Guide."!
New!York!Magazine.!"Who’s!Running!the!Show?!In!the!Age!of!Creator!as!Star,!Plenty!of!People!Know!Exactly!Who."!http://nymag.com/arts/tv/upfronts/2011/whosarunningatheashowa2011a5/.!
Newcomb,!Horace.!"Magnum:!The!Champagne!of!Tv?".!Channels!of!Communications!!(1985):!23a26.!
———.!"Media!Institutions:!The!Creation!of!Television!Drama."!In!A!Handbook!of!Qualitative!Methodologies!for!Mass!Communication!Research,!edited!by!Klaus!Bruhn!Jensen!and!Nick!Jankowski,!xiv,!272!p.!London!;!New!York:!Routledge,!1991.!
———.!Television!:!The!Critical!View.!6th!ed.!!New!York:!Oxford!University!Press,!2000.!
———.!Tv:!The!Most!Popular!Art.!1st!ed.!!Garden!City,!N.Y.,:!Anchor!Press,!1974.!
!!
!
254!
Newcomb,!Horace,!and!Robert!S.!Alley.!The!Producer's!Medium!:!Conversations!with!Creators!of!American!Tv.!!New!York:!Oxford!University!Press,!1983.!
Newcomb,!Horace,!and!Paul!M.!!Hirsch.!"Television!as!a!Cultural!Forum."!In!Television!the!Critical!View,!edited!by!Horace!Newcomb,!561a73.!New!York:!Oxford!University!Press,!1983.!
Nielsen.!"Action!Figures:!How!Second!Screens!Are!Transforming!Tv!Viewing."!http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/newswire/2013/actionafiguresaahowasecondascreensaareatransformingatvaviewing.html.!
———.!"New!Nielsen!Research!Indicates!TwoaWay!Causal!Influence!between!Twitter!Aactivity!and!Tv!Viewship."!http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/pressaroom/2013/newanielsenaresearchaindicatesatwoawayacausalainfluenceabetweena.html.!
———.!"Nielsen!and!Twitter!Establish!Social!Tv!Rating."!http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/pressaroom/2012/nielsenaandatwitteraestablishasocialatvarating.html.!
———.!"The!Rise!of!Paid!Social!Ads!Completing!the!Integrated!Ad!Approach."!http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/newswire/2013/theariseaofapaidasocialaadsacompletingatheaintegratedaadaapproach.html.!
NPR.!"Lena!Dunham!Addresses!Criticism!Aimed!at!'Girls'."!http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=152183865.!
Nussbaum,!Emily.!"It's!Different!for!'Girls'."!http://nymag.com/arts/tv/features/girlsalenaadunhama2012a4/.!
Oliver!Goldstick!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!July!24,!2013.!
Page,!Ruth.!"The!Linguistics!of!SelfaBranding!and!MicroaCelebrity!in!Twitter:!The!Role!of!Hashtags."!Discourse!&!Communication!6.2!(2012):!181a201.!
Paley!Center!for!Media.!Bones!A!the!Significance!of!447.!Youtube.com,!2012.!
———.!Suits:!Cast!and!Creators!Live!at!the!Paley!Center.!Amazon!Prime,!2013.!
Pemberton,!Sarah.!"Bonesday!Posta!Pick!Your!Faves!"!Bones!Theory.!http://bonestheory.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/bonesdayapostapickayourafaves/.!
!!
!
255!
Penandra.!"Post!Episode!Discussion."!http://bonesology.yuku.com/topic/2933/PostaEpisodeaDiscussion?page=2!a!.UvkeW0JdVjs.!
Peterson,!Price.!"True!Blood!Showrunner!Brian!Buckner!on!Season!6,!the!Werewolf!Problem,!and!the!JasonaEric!Sex!Dream."!New!York!Magazine.!http://www.vulture.com/2013/08/trueabloodashowrunneranoamoreawerewolves.html.!
Poniewozik,!James.!"Damon!Lindelof!and!Why!Twitter!Is!Not!Always!for!Everyone."!http://entertainment.time.com/2013/10/16/damonalindelofaandawhyatwitteraisanotaalwaysaforaeveryone/.!
———.!"Dead!Tree!Alert:!Brave!New!Girls."!http://entertainment.time.com/2012/04/05/deadatreeaalertabraveanewagirls/.!
Preston!Beckman!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!February!12,!2014.!
PRNewswire.com.!"TvaRelated!Social!Media!Use!Is!Primarily!Driven!by!Functional,!Communal!and!Playful!Factors,!According!to!New!MultiaCountry!Research!from!Viacom."!http://www.prnewswire.com/newsareleases/tvarelatedasocialamediaauseaisaprimarilyadrivenabyafunctionalacommunalaandaplayfulafactorsaaccordingatoanewamultiacountryaresearchafromaviacoma208302211.html.!
Proulx,!Mike.!"Last!Night’s!Hawaii!Fivea0!Social!Tv!Stunt."!Hill!Holiday.!http://www.hhcc.com/blog/lastanightsahawaiiafivea0asocialatvastunt.!
Proulx,!Mike,!and!Stacey!Shepatin.!Social!Tv!:!How!Marketers!Can!Reach!and!Engage!Audiences!by!Connecting!Television!to!the!Web,!Social!Media,!and!Mobile.!!Hoboken,!N.J.:!John!Wiley!&!Sons,!2012.!
Quarterbreed.!"Press!Release."!http://bonesology.yuku.com/topic/3941/PressaRelease!a!.UvqBakJdVjt.!
Radar!Staff.!"Broken!‘Bones’?!David!Boreanaz!to!Leave!Hit!Fox!Show!after!Current!Season."!http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2013/10/bonesadavidaboreanazaemilyadeschanel/.!
Rauch,!Michael.!!Last!Modified!October!29,!2013.!https://twitter.com/Michael_Rauch.!
Reichs,!Kathy.!"About!the!Show."!http://kathyreichs.com/bones/.!
!!
!
256!
Rick!Millikan!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!December!13,!2013.!
Rodrigo.!"Different!Research!Strategies!You!Can!Use!in!Your!Dissertation."!The!WritePass!Journal.!http://writepass.co.uk/journal/2013/03/differentaresearchastrategiesayouacanauseainayouradissertation/.!
Roettgers,!Janko.!"Let's!Face!It:!Social!Tv!Is!Dead."!http://gigaom.com/2014/01/29/letsafaceaitasocialatvaisadead/.!
Ross,!Sharon!Marie.!Beyond!the!Box!:!Television!and!the!Internet.!!Malden,!MA:!Blackwell!Pub.,!2008.!
Ruditis,!Paul,!and!Hart!Hanson.!Bones.!The!Official!Companion.!1st!ed.!!London:!Titan!Books,!2007.!
Ryan,!Carrie!Ann.!"Carrie!Ann!Ryan!(Carrieannryan)!on!Twitter."!Twitter.!https://twitter.com/CarrieAnnRyan.!
Saenz,!Michael!K.!"Television!Viewing!as!a!Cultural!Practice."!In!Television:!The!Critical!View,!edited!by!Horace!Newcomb.!New!York:!Oxford!University!Press,!1994.!
Sammy!Rivkin!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!December!9,!2013.!
Sanford!Golden!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!December!11,!2013.!
SecondSync.!"Watching!with!Friends:!How!Tv!Drives!Conversation!on!Facebook."!2014.!
Selman,!Matt.!https://twitter.com/mattselman/status/373922987566575616.!
Seriable.!"Serialized!Vs!Procedural!Television!Series."!http://seriable.com/serializedavsaproceduralatelevisionaseries/!a!ixzz2kX1dHS5L.!
Skole.!"Bones!Fan!Spotlight:!Skole."!Bones!Theory.!http://bonestheory.wordpress.com/2010/10/28/bonesafanaspotlightaskole/.!
SocialGuide!Intelligence.!http://sgi.socialguide.com/.!
———.!"About!Sgi."!http://sgi.socialguide.com/about!!
SocialGuideIntelligence.!"Monthly!April!2013."!http://sgi.socialguide.com/twitter_tv_rankings/monthly/04a2013.!
!!
!
257!
Sociology!Central.!"Sociological!Research!Skills."!http://www.sociology.org.uk/methfi.pdf.!
Spigel,!Lynn,!and!Jan!Olsson.!Television!after!Tv!:!Essays!on!a!Medium!in!Transition.!ConsoleaIng!Passions.!!Durham:!Duke!University!Press,!2004.!
Stake,!Robert.!The!Art!of!Case!Research.!!Newbury!Park,!CA:!Sage!Publications,!1995.!
Stanhope,!Kate.!"The!Good!Wife!Bosses!on!Peter's!New!Opponent!and!Wrapping!up!the!KalindaaNick!Story!Line."!http://www.tvguide.com/News/GoodaWifeaKingsaKalindaaNicka1055105.aspx.!
Stephen!Nathan!in!Discussion!with!the!Author.!December!11,!2013.!
Syfy.com.!"Syfy!Sync."!http://www.syfy.com/sync.!
Talbot,!David.!"A!SocialaMedia!Decoder."!Technology!Review,!December!2011.!
Tech!Tree!Staff.!"Facebook:!Largest,!Fastest!Growing!Social!Network."!TechTree.!http://archive.techtree.com/techtree/jsp/article.jsp?article_id=92134&cat_id=643.!
Tellis,!Winston.!"Application!of!a!Case!Study!Methodology."!The!Qualitative!Report!3,!no.!3!(1997).!
The!Cajun!Boy.!"Social!Media!Influence!Now!Affecting!Hollywood’s!DecisionaMaking."!UPROXX.!http://www.uproxx.com/webculture/2011/05/socialamediaainfluenceanowaaffectingahollywoodsadecisionamaking/.!
The!Founding!Fathers.!"The!Founding!Fathers!a!Portal."!http://www.bonesatff.org/.!
The!Huffington!Post!UK.!"What!Was!the!Most!Popular!Tv!Show!of!2013,!According!to!Social!Media?"!Huffington!Post.!http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/12/06/theawalkingadeadatwitterafacebookamostapopular_n_4397222.html?utm_hp_ref=tv&ir=TV.!
The!Wall!Street!Journal.!"Social!Media!+!Pop!Culture!=!?".!http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324412604578515702548585058.html.!
Thompson,!E.P.!The!Making!of!the!English!Working!Class.!Vintage,!1966.!
Thorburn,!David.!"Television!Aesthetics."!http://web.mit.edu/21L.432/www/readings/Thorburn_TelevisionAesthetics.pdf.!
!!
!
258!
Trendrr!TV.!"Solutions."!http://trendrr.com/solutions.!
Tunstall,!Jeremy.!Television!Producers.!Communication!and!Society.!!London!;!New!York:!Routledge,!1993.!
Turner,!Graeme,!and!Jinna!Tay.!Television!Studies!after!Tv!:!Understanding!Television!in!the!PostA!Broadcast!Era.!!London!;!New!York:!Routledge,!2009.!
TVGN.!"Fans'!Primary!Reason!for!Social!Tv!Activity!Is!to!Keep!Their!Favorite!Shows!on!the!Air."!http://www.tvgnpr.com/Home/pressItem?detailID=249.!
———.!"Research!Reveals!Social!Network!Activity!Is!Driving!More!Live!Viewing!and!SecondaScreen!Engagement."!http://www.tvgnpr.com/Home/pressItem?detailID=270.!
"Twitter,!Tv!and!You."!https://blog.twitter.com/2011/twitteratvaandayou.!
Valdivia,!Angharad!N.!"Beyond!the!Active!Audience:!Exploring!New!Media!Audiences!and!the!Limits!of!Cultural!Production."!In!The!International!Encyclopedia!of!Media!Studies,!edited!by!Radhika!ParameswaranBlackwell!Publishing!Ltd.!,!2013.!
Vonnie#adedicatedfan.!"Vonnie#Adedicatedfan!(Greatvonnie50)!on!Twitter."!Twitter.!https://twitter.com/greatvonnie50!!
Warren,!Christina.!"When!Did!the!'Second!Screen'!Become!a!Thing?"!Mashable,!Last!Modified!May!3,!2013.!http://mashable.com/2013/05/02/secondascreen/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedly&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+(Mashable).!
Watercutter,!Anglea.!"Tv!FactaChecker:!Community!Creators!Stay!Honest,!Thanks!to!Twitter."!http://www.wired.com/underwire/2011/09/tvafactacheckeracommunity/.!
Weiss,!Lizzy.!"Lizzy!Weiss!(Lizzyweisssab)!on!Twitter."!Twitter.!https://twitter.com/LizzyWeissSAB.!
Weprin,!Alex.!"Cbs!Letting!Viewers!Decide!How!an!Episode!of!�Hawaii!Fivea0�!Ends."!LostRemote.!http://lostremote.com/cbsalettingaviewersadecideahowaanaepisodeaofahawaiiafivea0aends_b35909?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LostRemote+(Lost+Remote).!
WhoSay.!"About!Whosay."!http://www.whosay.com/about!!
!!
!
259!
Wild,!David.!The!Showrunners!:!A!Season!inside!the!BillionADollar,!DeathADefying,!Madcap!World!of!Television's!Real!Stars.!1st!ed.!!New!York,!NY:!HarperCollins,!1999.!
Wild,!Diane!Kristine.!"Q&A:!Bones!Creator!Hart!Hanson."!http://unifiedtheorynothingmuch.blogspot.com/2006/01/qaabonesacreatorahartahanson.html.!
Williams,!Raymond.!Culture!and!Society,!1780A1950.!!New!York,:!Columbia!University!Press,!1958.!
Wimmer,!Roger!D.,!and!Joseph!R.!Dominick.!Mass!Media!Research!:!An!Introduction.!Wadsworth!Series!in!Mass!Communication!and!Journalism.!9th!ed.!!Boston,!Mass.:!Cengagea!Wadsworth,!2011.!
Wright,!Megan.!"Megan!Wright!(Skachild_4)!on!Twitter."!Twitter.!https://twitter.com/SkaChild_4.!
"Yahoo!Buys!Intonow,!Maker!of!Tv!'Checkain'!App!for!Ios!Devices."!!Los!Angeles!Times.!http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/04/yahooaintonowacheckain.html.!
Yin,!Robert.!Case!Study!Research:!Design!and!Methods.!2nd!ed.!!Thousand!Oaks,!CA:!Sage!Publishing,!1994.!
Yuan,!Jada.!"The!Showrunner!Transcript:!The!Good!Wife’s!Robert!and!Michelle!King!on!the!Series’!Evolution!and!Alicia’s!Love!Life."!New!York!Magazine.!http://www.vulture.com/2011/05/the_kings_showrunner_transcrip.html.!
Yuku.!"Start!Your!Own!Free!Forum,!Social!Network,!Social!Community,!or!Chat!Room!Instantly!|!Yuku."!http://www.yuku.com/.!
!! !
!!
!
260!
!!
APPENDIX!!
List!of!Individual!Interviews!!Network!&!Studio!Preston!Beckman,!Senior!Strategist,!Fox!Networks!Group!Cait!Hood,!ViceaPresident!Social!Media,!Fox!Broadcasting!Corporation!Kim!Kurland,!Executive!Director!Publicity,!Fox!Broadcasting!Corporation!!Chris!Kaspers,!Director!Media!Relations,!20th!Century!Fox!Television!Studios!Emily!Murray,!Social!Producer,!Fox!Broadcasting!Corporation!Lauren!Brenner,!Assistant!to!Bruce!Margolis,!20th!Century!Fox!Television!Studios!!Bones!Production!Hart!Hanson,!Executive!Producer!/!Creator!Stephen!Nathan,!Executive!Producer!Ian!Toynton,!Executive!Producer!Jonathan!Collier,!Executive!Producer!Steve!Beers,!CoaExecutive!Producer!Michael!“Jocco”!Phillips,!Jr.,!1st!Assistant!Director!Rick!Millikan,!Casting!Director!Sanford!Golden,!CoaExecutive!Producer!!Dave!Thomas,!Consulting!Producer!Dean!Lopata,!Supervising!Producer!Michael!Peterson,!Supervising!Producer!Patrick!Charles,!Producer!Nkechi!Okoro!Carroll,!Executive!Story!Editor!Keith!Fogleson,!Executive!Story!Editor!Emily!Silver,!Story!Editor!Robert!Hornak,!Script!Coordinator!Ian!Scheibel,!Property!Master!Paul!“Butch”!Kitchen,!Jr.,!Assistant!Property!Master!Joel!McKee,!Assistant!Property!Master!Christine!Ciraolo,!Casting!Associate!!Megan!McNamara,!Writers!Assistant!/!Researcher!Eric!Phillips,!Assistant!to!Hart!Hanson!Jessica!Molo,!Assistant!to!Stephan!Nathan!Yael!Zinkow,!Production!Assistant!Sammy!Rivkin,!Office!Production!Assistant!Assaf!Cohen,!Actor!Fred!Fine,!Actor!!!
!!
!
261!
!!Fans!Beatrice!Belli,!iabones.net!Jennifer!Lester,!Bonesology!Martha!Emily!Michulka,!Fan!Cindee!Phillips,!Bonesology!!Miscellaneous!Others!Jordan!Levin,!Executive!ViceaPresident,!Microsoft’s!Xbox!Entertainment!Studios!Oliver!Goldstick,!Executive!Producer,!Pretty!Little!Liars!!David!Shore,!Executive!Producer,!House!Lizzy!Weiss,!Executive!Producer,!Switched!at!Birth!Carolina!AcostaaAlzuru,!Media!Researcher!Josh!Levy,!Far!Field!Productions!Manager!of!Creative!Affairs!Maureen!Ryan,!Television!Critic,!Huffington!Post!!!
![Justin Kropp: Process, Tools & the Future of Our Practice [Feb 2014]](https://static.fdocuments.us/doc/165x107/54474e9bb1af9f0f098b4618/justin-kropp-process-tools-the-future-of-our-practice-feb-2014.jpg)
