# Understanding Television

- Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Department: Literature
- Teacher: Prof. David Thorburn
- Term: Spring 2003
- Level: Undergraduate
- Language: English
- Subjects: Society and politics, Literature and writing, Art, architecture and design
- Source: [MIT OpenCourseWare](https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/21l-432-understanding-television-spring-2003/)
- Licence: [CC BY-NC-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) (Non-commercial use only.)
- Syllabus: [at the source](https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/21l-432-understanding-television-spring-2003/pages/syllabus/)
- Readings: [at the source](https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/21l-432-understanding-television-spring-2003/pages/readings/)
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

The subtitle of this course for the spring 2003 term is “American Television: A Cultural History.” The class takes a cultural approach to television’s evolution as a technology and system of representation, considering television as a system of storytelling and myth-making, and as a cultural practice, studied from anthropological, literary, and cinematic perspectives. The course focuses on prime-time commercial broadcasting, the medium’s technological and economic history, and theoretical perspectives. There is much required viewing as well as readings in media theory and cultural interpretation.

## Lectures

1. [Class 1: Introduction: Television and Cultural Study](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/mit/21l-432-understanding-television-spring-2003/5f25950bb757), 1 h 7 min (Video)
2. [Class 3: Television As A Cultural Form](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/mit/21l-432-understanding-television-spring-2003/f08adc3b18f1), 46 min (Video)
3. [Class 5: The Broadcast Era](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/mit/21l-432-understanding-television-spring-2003/1083fbc5d72e), 1 h 12 min (Video)
4. [Class 10: TV Genres](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/mit/21l-432-understanding-television-spring-2003/6d480d5a5788), 48 min (Video)
5. [Class 16: TV Genres](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/mit/21l-432-understanding-television-spring-2003/6eab3c43fd38), 1 h 11 min (Video)
6. [Class 18: TV Genres](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/mit/21l-432-understanding-television-spring-2003/ff15da543032), 1 h 4 min (Video)