Week-9What role does Hills (2004) suggest the fans play in the construction of cult TV? How is new media central to this?

What role does Hills (2004) suggest the fans play in the construction of cult TV? How is new media central to this?

Whatever the fans are, whether for a rugby game, blockbuster movies, drama series and in this case cult TV, fans are an essential part on developing and producing successful material. According to Hills (2004), fans of cult TV created a ‘intertextual network’ which roughly defines a communication network that keep fans on the loop for every kind of popular material such as films, comics, books etc. This ‘intertextual network’ is a place where fans can discuss and compare with reference of the diverse popular materials and the fans unknowingly use the word ‘cult’ to describe it. This suggests that the fans have a huge role in constructing the cult TV, as many believe that it is created by the fans instead of the media producers. The reason being is that the time they take up and their devotions displays the power that the fans on their opinions and quality (better critics than the producers).

There are many groups and fan societies but the first one was established in the 1976 called the Appreciation Society. The Appreciation Society had a mean to connect the diverse community of fan audiences for a convention, this lead that the fans to critically and intellectually criticise or comment the way the programme went with detailed full on knowledge about it.

The cult TV fans created a memorabilia, props and merchandises for the shows they have admired, whether it is still aired or not, they are still considered valid. These are done real life or via online. The internet has created a mass network between the fans to gather virtually and discus with other participants to publish fanzines, and connecting with other devoted like-minded fans had lead in generating new cult shows. The reason being is that the internet increases the opportunities in organising small-scaled fandoms which are now mainstreamed.

In my opinion, cult fans are the most devoted people, some may argue more devoted than the producers itself or the creators and sometimes their level of devotions scares me as it turn into an obsession (not the cute obsessions but the creepy ones). I must admit I was and still am sort of a cult TV fan, I was obsessed with the show charmed and somewhat went online trying to discover fans that I can discuss with and how I hated or loved that particular show. I think forums like that are important as it keeps one updated and entertained whilst waiting till the next episode airs on.

Reference:

Hills, M. (2004). Defining Cult TV; Texts, Inter-texts and Fan Audiences, The Television Studies Reader. London & New York: Routledge.